Dare to be Mine (36 page)

It had taken much gold to line the palms
of various officials and judges in order to ensure Catherine's release and
exile to France. She would enjoy living in Paris again, and though England
threatened her freedom did she ever return, Catherine didn't dismiss the idea
that one day, one year,
she
might wish to return
there. She did have a very wealthy family after all.

Will had borne the brunt of Catherine's deviousness.
After two weeks in prison he'd been found dead in his cell.
Hanged
with a rope given him by a jailer upon request.
There was no
investigation, no questions asked, for he was just another of the prison's
victims. He had no family to mourn his death, no loved one to grieve for him.

Elyssa's happiness slowly returned––as
much as could be expected without Daniel as the center of her world. The time
spent with her family greatly helped to lift her spirits. She was still a
wealthy woman and received quarterly payments from her investments. Elyssa
planned to buy her own home nearby, but for now she preferred to stay with her
family. She didn't feel she could handle living alone just yet. It would only
give her time to remember things as they might have been.

She thought about Daniel everyday, hoped
and prayed that he was happy. Elyssa knew he was living at Greystone and that
he'd been given her letter. She kept in frequent touch with Sophie. In the
three weeks since Sophie had married Blake, life was more glorious than her
cousin had ever hoped for, and Elyssa's heart wept for what she herself would
never have. escaped her lips a in the we

She would never marry anyone else. She
could only hope that one day Daniel might succumb to her plea and take her
back. More than likely though, he would eventually find permanent solace in the
arms of another. He would become the father of someone else's children, and the
thought made her heart break into a million pieces.

A few weeks later Elyssa visited Sophie
and Blake. Their blissful announcement that Sophie was pregnant came as a great
surprise. Elyssa congratulated them, while inside her heart was saddened. Would
she always feel this heaviness inside every time her cousin shared wonderful
news concerning her marriage and family?

Later when Elyssa spoke alone with
Sophie, she finally asked if Blake knew whether or not Daniel had ever read her
letter, and if so, what had his response been. Sophie was clearly uncomfortable
and Elyssa knew at once that he'd not been receptive to her humble plea.

"Elyssa, Daniel was thrilled to
find you'd returned Greystone to his hands. I say thrilled....rather he was
numb, surprised. He has become somewhat of a recluse. Blake said Daniel drinks
a lot and is quick to anger. He is worried about him."

"And my letter?"
Elyssa softly asked.

"I am sorry, Elyssa, but Daniel
told Blake the only way he ever wanted to lay eyes on you again is if you are
on your knees, begging his forgiveness. And even then––,"

"I thought as much," Elyssa
said, a tear falling from her eye.

"Still," Sophie encouraged,
"he didn't say he never wanted to see you again, and surely that counts
for something."

After leaving her cousin’s home, Elyssa
told the driver on the spur of the moment to take her to Greystone. It was
already nearing dusk, and although the elderly driver voiced his concerns,
Elyssa insisted that they hurry.

By the time they reached Greystone it
was long dark. Fat raindrops had begun to fall, the thunder and lightning
coming soon after. The mansion was dark. It looked as if no one were home. But
Blake had mentioned that Daniel never went anywhere unless it was to romantic onslaught

Her hands shaking, Elyssa relied solely
on her instincts, which bade her to stay. Daniel had to be there, whether it
was upstairs or in the stables, or perhaps even in the gardens. She would find
him. Her clothes soaked, Elyssa banged on the front door, but received no
answer. She tried the door, surprised to find it unlocked. Shoving the heavy
door inward, she tentatively looked about before entering. Calling out for
anyone, the only answer Elyssa received was an alarming crack of thunder.

Remembering where the candles were kept,
Elyssa made her way over and lit one. It didn’t do much to dispel the creeping
sensation traveling up her spine at being alone in the huge monstrosity that
was Greystone. She headed toward the staircase and carefully made her way up.
Images of she and Daniel flashed through Elyssa’s mind and her heart squeezed at
the precious, long buried memories. She called out for Daniel again, for
anyone, but was met with only empty silence.

She paused by her old bedroom door,
reaching down to turn the key left in the door. Swallowing nervously, she
entered the room that had been both her heaven and her hell.

Hell when she was Percy’s virtual
prisoner in their brief, loveless marriage. She’d never thought she would
survive that life, and yet now the memory of Percy was a faded, mostly
forgotten chapter in her life.

Heaven when she had naively lost her
heart to Daniel so quickly and thoroughly. He had captured her heart at first
sight of him, so sinfully beautiful a man.
Her first and
only.
Her forever.
Even if he chose to never
see her again.

The room was in tatters, obviously Daniel’s
wish that it remain in a permanent state of neglect. Her eyes filled with tears
at the raw hurt she knew Daniel must have felt. Well, damn it, she had been
hurt too! Whether or not he’d actually planned to confess the truth to her
about Percy’s will, about his somewhat-relationship with Catherine, really
didn’t matter now. And somehow she had gotten past it all. Why the bloody hell
couldn’t he!

It was plain to see Daniel was not
within Greystone. She should proceed downstairs and check out the stables and
the surrounding grounds before giving up for the night. Candle still in hand,
she walked to the window to scan the grounds. Seconds later she was shocked to
see Daniel standing in the distance out in the storm. Indeed, she feared his
visage a haunting illusion as his eyes met hers a moment later.

CHAPTER ">
Her breath catching in her throat,
Elyssa dared not wait one moment longer. She turned and rushed toward the door,
her gown flying behind her as she verily flew down the stairs. Fear warred with
excitement as each hurried step brought her closer to the only man she would
ever love.

_______________________

Daniel lifted the half empty bottle of
brandy up to his lips as he stood in the torrential downpour. His unbuttoned
shirt hung loosely on him, his bare feet cold against the wet ground. He flung
his arms out to the side and dared the lightning to strike him.
Welcomed the Almighty to put an end to his miserable life.

"Go ahead," he roared as the
golden liquid slapped against the sides of the bottle. "What do I
care?" Elyssa's daintily written words would be forever etched upon his
mind. "Damn her!" he bellowed.
With her nerve to
allow him to be arrested for murder.
Without even
questioning him about it.
Just assuming he was guilty and unlovable as
everyone in his life always had. And only after someone else had proclaimed his
innocence did she have the nerve to feel guilty. Well, he wouldn't accept her
fucking apologies!

It didn't matter that Elyssa had
declared her undying love for him in the disgustingly sweet letter. Nor the
fact that she'd scorned
herself
a bloody fool for not
having followed her heart in the first place.
For falling
prey to falsehoods and suspicions.
Elyssa confessed her sorrow that she
had left him at the church that day. She begged him to forgive her ignorance.
Dare
to be mine
, she'd written.
Please, Daniel.

Bitter tears splashed down Daniel's
cheeks along with the rain. His face remained upturned as his eyes closed in misery.
He couldn't take it anymore. Could not take living in this dark void.
Doing nothing more than drinking by day and sulking by night.
Lashing out at anyone that came near him.
romantic onslaughtexhi d f

Hating Elyssa.

Wanting her.

Seeing her, as his eyes
opened.
The bottle dropped from his trembling hands as
Daniel wondered if he were merely drunk or had gone mad, for he could swear he
saw Elyssa’s image at the window of her old room. Candlelight surrounded her,
giving her an ethereal appearance. He blinked his eyes and she was gone.

Perhaps he was already dead––Elyssa
haunting him, to be his personal hell. Even his ears betrayed him, for Daniel
could hear the faint cry of her desperately calling his name. And then he saw
her again. Elyssa stood not more than ten feet in front of him. She looked a
breathless mess. The hem of her dress was soaked and muddy. Her hair was wild
and tangled about her face. Her lips were set in a troubled expression, her
eyes on the verge of tears. And she had never looked more beautiful.

Stepping tentatively toward Daniel,
Elyssa's heart beat furiously within her chest. Her heart ached at the forlorn
sight of him. His bearded face and weary stance bespoke of not caring about
himself. In his eyes was a bitterness, an aching, and Elyssa knew she was to
blame.

She was only a few feet from him by now
and Daniel held up his hand for Elyssa to stop. Closing his eyes briefly,
Daniel struggled to keep his anger intact. "Go away," he bit out.
Ignoring his command, Elyssa kept toward Daniel until she stood directly in
front of him. His words were urgent and raspy. "I beg you to go
away."

"Please don’t make me leave,
Daniel," she softly cried. "I would as soon die as live without
you." Recalling the words he'd confided to Blake after reading her letter,
Elyssa dropped to her knees at Daniel's feet. A sizzling crackle lit the sky as
lightning struck much too close for comfort, Elyssa’s humbled position eerily
illuminated.

Daniel looked down at Elyssa’s huddled
form, her skirts about her in the wet mud. Her gaze was downward in deference
to him, the slight movement of her shoulders evidence that she was crying. His
hand reached out to touch her hair, to pull her up against his body, but he
could not allow himself to give in to her momentary lapse in judgment. He despised
her. No matter if his heart was presently beating out of his chest at the
romantic onslaughtDo secondbeautiful, desolate sight of her.

How could he hate her, for he’d been the
one to first pursue her, had been to fault for her falling in love with him.
Hadn’t he sworn to do whatever necessary to regain his inheritance? Elyssa had
been an innocent before she’d had the misfortune of knowing him.

And yet, how could he ever trust her
again? She had made him believe in love for the first time in his life, only to
callously leave him standing at the altar on their wedding day. She’d believed
the lies of others, had thought him guilty of murder. What kind of life could
they ever hope to build together?

Astonishment and dread took hold of him
as Elyssa grabbed his right hand. She placed a tender kiss on the faint scar
across his palm, and he cursed her inwardly for making him remember the day
he’d done that to himself. Bound himself to Elyssa for all eternity, isn’t that
what he’d told her? Her lips still branding his palm, she slowly looked up into
his eyes. Daniel’s jaw clenched as he glared at her, pulling his hand from
Elyssa’s grip.

He saw the look of pain flash across her
perfect features before she looked back down in silent defeat. His fist covered
his heart in a futile attempt to assuage the deep aching within. A muffled sob
sounded as he fought the impulse to join Elyssa on the ground and weep aloud
for what they’d both foolishly thrown away.

"I know what I ask is impossible
for now," she said, her gaze returning to his eyes.
"For
you to trust me, to love me.
But without you I swear I cannot go
on."

"No," Daniel retorted. "I
won't hear this. Our time has come and gone."

Elyssa grabbed his hands before he was
able to turn and walk away. He saw the tears streaming down her beautiful face.
Recalled a similar night when he'd seen her in such disarray and on such a
stormy night as this. And the memory of it made his heart squeeze painfully.

"You are a part of me, Daniel, and
by all that is holy, I pray I am still a part of you. So I beg you, my darling,
please don't turn your back on me again.
On us."

Angry at himself for being so close to
giving in to her, Daniel pulled Elyssa to her feet and grabbed her roughly by
the arms. His dark eyes burned in wrath as he said, "How dare you accuse
romantic onslaughtexhi d fme of turning my back on us, for that
is
precisely
what you did! The day you allowed me to go to prison, and the even darker day
you didn’t show up at the church."

She reached up and touched his cheek,
her eyes softening at the inner pain she knew Daniel was going through. He was
trembling with rage. At Elyssa for begging him
so,
and
at himself for further weakening toward her pleas.