Castles (42 page)

She wasn't about to bring up that tender topic, however. “I see,” she said. “You made allowances for such an eventuality in your schedule.”

“Colin, what is your wife talking about?”

“When I first met Alesandra, I explained I wasn't going to get married for five years.”

“Or have a family,” she interjected with a nod.

“Or have a family,” he repeated just to please her.

Caine and Jade shared a look. “How organized of you,” Caine told his brother.

Alesandra believed Colin's brother had just given a compliment. “Yes, he is very organized,” she enthusiastically agreed.

“Plans have a way of changing,” Jade said. She was looking at Alesandra when she made that remark. Her expression was filled with sympathy. Alesandra was suddenly looking quite miserable. Jade believed she knew why.

“A baby is a blessing,” she blurted out.

“Yes,” Nathan agreed. “Jade's correct, too, when she says plans have a way of changing,” he added with a nod. “Colin and I were counting on my wife's inheritance from the king to strengthen the company funds, but the prince regent decided to keep the money and we had to turn our minds to finding other solutions.”

“Hence the five-year schedule,” Colin explained.

Alesandra looked like she was about to burst into tears. Caine felt like throttling his brother. If Colin would only look at her face, he would know something was terribly wrong. His brother obviously didn't have a clue, however, and Caine didn't believe he should interfere . . . yet.

Alesandra was caught up in her own thoughts. She could feel herself getting angry over Nathan's casually given remark. He had made it quite clear that neither he nor Colin had any qualms about using Sara's inheritance. Why, then, was Colin so stubbornly resistant to using some of hers?

Colin drew her attention when he spoke again. “Caine, will you quit scowling at your wife.”

“He blames me,” Jade announced.

“I do not blame you,” Caine argued.

“Blames you for what?” Colin asked.

“I received a bundle of flowers this morning. There wasn't a note, just a signature.”

Nathan and Colin frowned in unison.

“You received flowers from another man?” Nathan asked, his astonishment clear.

“Yes.”

Nathan turned to glare at his brother-in-law. “You damn well better do something about this, Caine. She's your wife. You can't allow another man to send her flowers. Why the hell haven't you killed the bastard?”

Caine was thankful Nathan had taken his side. “I'm damn well going to kill him just as soon as I find out who he is.”

Colin shook his head. “You can't kill anyone,” he announced in exasperation. “You're going to have to be reasonable about this, Caine. Sending flowers isn't a crime. He's probably just some young pup caught up in an infatuation.”

“It's fine for you to be reasonable, Colin. Jade isn't your wife.”

“I would still be reasonable if the flowers had been sent to Alesandra,” Colin argued.

Caine shook his head.

“Tell us his name, Jade,” Nathan demanded.

No one was paying any attention to Alesandra. She was thankful for their inattention. Her mind raced with speculations. She'd shaken her head when Colin had guessed it was just a young man caught up in an infatuation.

“Yes,” Colin asked Jade then. “Who sent them?”

“He signs all his cards Your Secret Admirer,” said Alesandra.

Everyone turned in unison to stare at her. Jade's mouth dropped open.

“Isn't that right, Jade?”

Her sister-in-law nodded. “How did you know?”

Nathan leaned back in his chair. “There's more to this than admiration, isn't there?”

No one said a word for a long minute. Alesandra suddenly remembered the package Flannaghan had told her had been delivered. She tried to go and get it. Colin wouldn't let her move. He tightened his hold on her shoulder.

“I believe the man might have sent something to me,” she explained. “There's a package in the foyer.”

“The hell he did. Flannaghan!”

Colin roared the summons. Alesandra's ears started ringing. Flannaghan came running. He had the package in his hands, indicating he'd been listening to the conversation. He all but tossed the thing to Colin.

Alesandra reached for the package. Colin's glare changed her mind. She leaned back against the settee and folded her hands. Colin leaned forward to attack the box. He ripped the bow off, muttering under his breath, then tore the lid free and looked inside. Alesandra peeked around her husband's shoulder to see what was there. She got a glimpse of the ornately painted fan before Colin slammed the lid back down on the box.

“Son of a bitch!” Colin roared. He repeated the shameful blasphemy a second time. Nathan, Alesandra noticed, nodded each time the foul words were said. Apparently those were his sentiments as well.

Colin held the notecard in his hand and glared at it.

“Aren't you going to be reasonable about this?” Caine challenged.

“Hell, no.”

“Exactly,” Caine muttered.

“One more and you'll have enough for a lynch mob,” Jade announced. “Will you look at our husbands, Alesandra? They're blowing this all out of proportion. Such jealousy is unfounded,” she added.

She expected Alesandra's agreement and was therefore surprised when her sister-in-law shook her head.

“Colin and Caine shouldn't be jealous,” Alesandra whispered. “But they should be worried.”

“How did you know what was signed on the card?” Nathan asked. “Have you received other gifts?”

Colin turned to look at her. His expression was chilling. So was his tone of voice when he said, “You would have told me if you'd received any other gifts. Isn't that right, Alesandra?”

She was thankful she could agree with him. Colin's fury was actually a little frightening. “Yes, I would have told you, and no, I haven't received any other gifts.”

Colin nodded. He leaned back, put his arm around her shoulders again, and hauled her up tight against his side. She found his possessiveness a comfort now and didn't mind at all that he was inadvertently squeezing the breath right out of her.

“You know more than you're telling,” Nathan announced.

Alesandra nodded. “Yes,” she answered. “And I've been trying to get someone to listen to me for a good long while. I even asked Sir Richards for help.”

She turned to frown at her husband. “Are you ready to hear what I have to say?”

Colin was a bit surprised by his wife's comments, of course, but he was astonished by her angry tone of voice.

“What have you been trying to tell me?”

“Victoria received letters and gifts from a secret admirer.”

Colin was taken aback by that reminder. Alesandra had tried to explain why she was worried about her friend and he hadn't let her. He should have listened, he realized now.

“Who is Victoria?” asked Caine.

Alesandra answered him. She explained how she'd met Victoria. “After she returned to England, she wrote to me at least once a month. I would immediately write back, of course, and I did love hearing from her. She had such an exciting life. In the last few letters, however, she mentioned an admirer who was sending her gifts. She thought it all very romantic. I received her last letter in early September.”

“And what did she say in that letter?” Caine asked.

“She had decided to meet the man,” Alesandra answered. “I was appalled, of course, and wrote back to her right away. I advised caution and suggested she take her brother with her if she was determined to find out who her admirer was.”

Alesandra started to shiver. Colin instinctively hugged her. “I don't know if Victoria received my letter or not. She might have already been gone by then.”

“Gone? Gone where?” Jade asked.

“It was reported Victoria ran off to Gretna Green,” Colin explained. “Alesandra doesn't believe that.”

“There isn't any record of a marriage,” Alesandra countered.

“What do you think happened to her?”

Nathan asked her that question, and until that moment she hadn't allowed herself to voice her true fear. She took a calming breath and turned her gaze to her husband's partner.

“I think she was murdered.”

 

T
hat statement got an immediate reaction. “Good God,” Caine whispered.

“Could it be possible?” Nathan asked.

“I hadn't realized . . .” Jade whispered that remark and placed her hand over her heart.

Colin was the last to react and the most logical in his response. “Explain why you believe this,” he commanded.

“Flannaghan, will you please go upstairs and fetch my list for me?”

“You have a list of reasons why you suspect your friend was murdered?” Caine asked.

“She has a list for everything.”

Colin made that remark but she was pleased that he didn't sound at all condescending.

“Yes, I do have a list,” Alesandra said. “I wanted to organize my thoughts about Victoria's disappearance and try to come up with some sort of plan. I knew something was wrong as soon as I heard she'd eloped. Victoria never would have done such a thing. Appearances were more important to her than love. Besides, I don't think she would have allowed herself to fall in love with someone she believed inferior to her station in life. She was sometimes a little shallow-headed and a bit of a snob as well, but those were her only faults. She was also very kindhearted.”

“He has to be someone in society,” Nathan decided aloud.

“Yes, I think so, too,” Alesandra agreed. “I also think this man begged her to meet him somewhere and that her curiosity led her to forget caution. She was certainly flattered by his attention.”

“She must have been terribly naive,” Jade remarked.

“So is Catherine.”

“Catherine? What does my sister have to do with this?”

“She made me promise not to tell, but her safety is at issue and I must break her confidence. She also received flowers this morning.”

“Hell, I need a brandy,” Caine muttered.

Flannaghan returned to the salon just then. He handed a pile of papers to Colin to pass along to Alesandra. He'd heard Caine's request and immediately announced he would fetch the brandy.

“Bring the bottle,” Caine ordered.

“I hope to God we're all jumping to the wrong conclusion,” Nathan said.

“Better that we are,” Caine countered. “Three women in our family are being courted by the bastard. Think the worst and plan accordingly,” he added with a hard nod.

Colin was sorting through the stack of papers, looking for the list pertinent to their discussion. He was given pause when he saw his name at the top of one sheet.

Alesandra wasn't paying any attention to her husband now. Her gaze was centered on his brother.

“Caine, you don't have sufficient information to assume there are only three,” she explained. “This man could have sent dozens of gifts to women all over London.”

“She's right about that,” Nathan agreed.

Caine shook his head. “My gut feeling is that he's coming after one of ours.”

Colin had just finished reading Alesandra's list. It took everything he possessed not to show any reaction. His hand shook when he placed the paper on the bottom of the pile.

He was going to become a father. He was so damn pleased he wanted to take Alesandra into his arms and kiss her.

And what a time to find out, he thought to himself. Colin wouldn't let her know he'd read the list, of course. He would wait until she told him. He'd give her until tonight, when they were in bed together . . .

“Why are you smiling, Colin? It's a damn bizarre reaction to this topic,” Caine told him.

“I was thinking about something else.”

“Do pay attention,” Alesandra requested.