Night Winds (25 page)

Phillip stepped into the foyer, not even bothering to close the door behind him.

“She won’t see you again,” King growled.

As her brother stepped forward, Alberta retreated behind a parlor chair to watch
. Open fascination made her look like a starved woman staring at a plate of frosted dainties.

Phillip decided he could be just as stubborn as Shae’s father
. Taking a step nearer, he repeated, “Where is she?”

With the air of someone who made a habit of intimidation, King moved toward him
. Though he was no taller than Phillip, he was built sturdily, as if he’d once been an athlete. Phillip wondered grimly if the man had ever boxed. Nonetheless, he almost wished that King would strike first. After everything that had happened, he’d like to thrash someone about now, and it might as well be this savage bully.

“Mary’s whereabouts are none of your concern
. I tell you, your romantic escapades are finished.”

“She
is
my concern,” Phillip corrected. “I’m marrying your daughter.”

“You may have
ruined
my daughter, but I can assure you, you will
never
marry her. I know where you’ve been,” King tossed him his wallet. He spat his words, as if they tasted filthy. “And I know who you are. A wretched failure, a travesty of a businessman and heir. Your father would be appalled at the way that you’ve turned out.”

“What in God’s name have you done with her, you murdering bastard?” Phillip’s voice rose above a thunderclap that shook the open door behind him.

The sick glee fled from Alberta’s porcine face. In its place, horror flashed.

King hesitated, his own face unreadable and cold as a cadaver’s.

In the silence, Phillip forged ahead. “I know what you’re capable of doing. I know what happened to your poor wif
e
and I’ll be damned if I leave Shae here!”

Alberta surged forward
. “
Poor
wife? You’re a madman! I’ll send for the police!”

“No,” King commanded, pulling something from his waistcoat pocket
. A derringer, leveled straight at Phillip’s chest. “The young man is going to explain.”

“Stop!” Shae rushed forward from the parlor and slipped between her aunt and father to dart in front of Phillip.

Phillip started at the suddenness of her appearance, but her family looked even more surprised. “Shae, move!” he protested. He’d rather face the derringe
r
or the very hounds of hel
l
than risk her life. He had a short-nosed revolver of his own hidden in his jacket. If he could only get her out of here, he might have a chance.

“You aren’t going to hurt him!” Shae shouted at her father, ignoring Phillip’s protest
. She trembled with either cold or fear, so that Phillip wished he could take her in his arms. But with an effort, he kept still, afraid that King might fire at any provocation.

The windows and doorway flashed, and a huge clap of thunder followed
. The house shuddered with its nearness, and King jerked so suddenly, Phillip was surprised he didn’t fire.

In a moment, Shae’s father recovered his composure. “Mary, you
will
step aside now.”

Her voice was steel against his iron
. “I will
not
.”

“Go to your room, Mary,” Alberta demanded sharply
. “If you hadn’t played the harlot, there’d be no nee
d
”

“

Quiet!” Shae interrupted. “I won’t listen to your filthy names, and I’m no longer a child. I refuse to be pushed off in a corner while he kills again.”

“Enough!” King roared, gesturing broadly with the gun
. “I will not listen to these accusations.”

“Yes, you will
. Right now, while I have your attention,” Shae argued.

Phillip begged, “Shae, don’t do this now!”

Once more, she paid him no heed, too caught up in her emotions to stop now. “I found her jewelry, Father. I know what you di
d
to Mother and to Lucius. I
know
what you did!”

“I’ve killed no one!” King protested
. “No one since the War.”

“You lying beast, you’re not fit to call yourself my father
! You’re not fit to call yourself a man!”

Phillip grabbed Shae’s arms, intent on pulling her aside before she provoked her father into shooting
. He heard the click of the derringer, then Shae’s desperate cry.

“Don’t hurt him!” She lunged forward, again trying to shield Phillip with her body.

What at first sounded like more thunder turned to a loud clatte
r
a loud clatter of hooves on the wooden porch. A horse, squealing with terror, bolted through the doorway. The door swung wide, striking Phillip, and he glimpsed a blur of golden hide.

“Sweet mother of God!” King swore
. “Delilah?!”

As the mare plunged past him, a sharp crack competed with the sounds of Shae’s scream and glass exploding.

“Catch her quickly!” Alberta shrieked, gesturing wildly toward the horse. As she lunged for the mare’s halter, the terrified animal charged up the narrow stairs.

It was all Phillip could do not to gape stupidly after the beast’s retreating form
. Instead he forced himself to clamber to his feet. Dragging Shae behind him, he ran from the house to where his mount was waiting.

Then he turned to help Shae up into the saddle.

“Oh, God!” The exclamation tore out of his mouth as he saw her hands pressed against her left side. Blood oozed between her fingers. Rainwater diluted the rivulets into pink streams.

“The carriage,” she suggested, nodding toward it.

Still stunned, Phillip turned his head back toward the house. “He shot you. That bastard, I’l
l
”

Shae shook her head emphatically
.
“
No. He wouldn’t shoot me. But something broke the window. A piece of glass must have hit my hand.”

She extended her right palm, showed him what looked to be a puncture wound
. Possibly, a shard of glass had burrowed, but with the rain he couldn’t tell.

Thank God it was not her side, as he had feared
. He put his arm around her, then half-led, half-dragged her to the carriage.

He took only moments to tie his saddle horse behind the rig, then quickly climbed inside and chucked the reins
. The carriage lurched as the team of sorrels struggled into the street, where the water had risen half a foot just since his arrival. In spots, it now reached past the horses’ hocks. This storm showed signs of turning to a full-fledged hurricane.

“Why in God’s name did you have to move in front of me?” he asked, more angrily than he meant to sound
. “He might have killed you.”

“I couldn’t let him hurt you.” Despite the warm air, Shae’s body quivered violently, as if she were chilled.

Phillip dug under the seat and found a blanket, then draped it over her. “Do you think I’m the sort of man who’d want to hide behind a woman?”

The carriage shifted, sliding to one side
. Not until it settled did Phillip realize it had floated for a moment.

She wrapped herself inside the blanket, then folded a corner around her injured hand
. “Don’t be ridiculous. This isn’t about pride. He would never shoot me, no matter what he’s done.”

“Are you so certain of that?” Phillip asked her.

“My father wouldn’t hurt me,” she repeated stubbornly. The shivering grew even more pronounced.

“Let me see that hand again.”

“I have it wrapped now.”

“Did the bullet go straight through
? Is that what broke the window?” It was a guess, but something in her manner convinced him he was right.

She didn’t answer, but instead stared straight ahead.

Her state of mind concerned him, as well as the risks of bleeding and infection. The more quickly the wound could be cleansed with carbolic acid, the better it would heal. “I’ll drive you to the infirmary. My sister’s there as well, and it will be safer in this storm.”

“Your sister
. Mrs. Kelso told me she’d be fine. Is that true?”

Phillip nodded
. “It is, but when I found your velocipede and heard what the witness had to say, I was afraid those men had taken you.”

“Lowell’s men,” Shae informed him
. “I heard them say it.”

“Ethan’s
. Yes . . . I know. We captured one, and he told us.”

“Why
? Why would Ethan try to hurt you?”

Phillip shrugged
. “What Ethan has can never be enough. He wants Payton Enterprises too. If he could intimidate me into selling cheaply, he’d have a coup to take home to his father. After he became involved with Rachel, I suspect things became even more personal.”

Shae leaned against him tiredly and cradled her wounded hand close to her chest.“What will you do, Phillip
? What will either of us do?”

“We’ll help each other, Shae
. I promise. Everything will be all right.”

“Everything
won’t
. Loo
k
the water’s gone into those houses. I’ve seen storms before, but thi
s
Don’t go to St. Michael’s. Not yet. Turn here. We have to go get Jasper.”

“The road’s flooded too badly
. Loo
k
those floating boards are gutter coverings. If we go this way, one of the horses could step into a hole and break a leg.”

“Then drive up to the next street and cut over. I need Jasper and my mother’s things. Please, Phillip.”

She sounded so childlike, so lost, he could not deny her. “Very well. A quick stop.”

When Phillip glanced down at the light gray blanket, he noticed that where her hand was wrapped, it was bleeding top and bottom
. He must have been right. A bullet had passed through. But Shae wasn’t ready to admit it yet, wasn’t ready to deal with the enormity of her father’s crimes.

The rain grew heavier, creating a dull roar on the waxed carriage top
. Through the open front, water splashed inside. Phillip wished he had another set of dry clothing.

Unexpectedly, Shae murmured, “Delilah.”

“What?” Over the sound of falling rain, Phillip wasn’t sure he’d heard right.

“Delilah,” she repeated, louder this time
. “I forgot to latch the stall door. Stupid animal.”

Phillip smiled
. “I know you hate that horse, but I could grow to like her timing. A week with that animal, and I swear I’ll reform her.”

Shae ignored his jest
. “Aunt Alberta will be livid. And Father . . .”

Her words fractured into sobs.

Phillip squeezed her tightly. “Shae, I’ll be your family now. Don’t worry. Everything will be all right.”

She shook her head
. “He must have really killed her. He killed both of them. In a way, I knew it, but still . . . I wanted to push him, to confront him. I though
t
mayb
e
somehow, I thought if I did, he would explain it all away. Oh, Phillip, I didn’t want him to have killed them.”

“Perhaps he didn’t
. At least not your friend, Lucius. I found digitalis near his bed. It’s given for heart problems. If he took too much, that might hav
e
”

She shook her head
.
“
But what about my mother? Did you see the jewelry there? They’d told me she took it. Why couldn’t he explain?”

“You still love him, don’t you?”

“I
hate
him, but it’s as if my feelings are a ball of yarn. Deep inside, a thread of love runs through it. Stupid, isn’t it?”

Phillip shook his head
. “I don’t think so. No one wishes to believe a parent evil. I knew my father did things in the name of business that were wrong. He coerced me in every way imaginable to leave medicine for the business. His death was the one weapon I couldn’t stand up to. I hate the ma
n
and love him. As you say, it’s all wrapped up together.”

“But I never though
t
I never thought he would hurt me. Oh, I tried to warn myself that it could happen, but I never truly believed my own father would shoot me. But he did.”

“It was an accident,” he reassured her
. He profoundly wished he believed that it were true.

*

“King! King, did you hear me? You must get that animal outside at once.”

King stared at the wooden doorjamb and ignored Alberta’s outburst
. The streaks of blood he saw had captured all of his attention.