The Earl's Secret (14 page)

“That you, Mom?” she called out from behind the privacy screen. Their other employee, Jackie, wasn't due in until noon.

There was no answer. She paused and listened.

Footsteps crossed the office floor. A man's, she guessed by their solid weight.

Quickly she set down the can of coffee grounds and stepped out into the main office. He was standing with his back and left shoulder to her so that she first saw him in profile. Jennifer drew a sharp breath at the familiar silhouette and dark, neatly clipped hair.

Chris?

Her heart hammered in her chest.

He turned and smiled at her. “Miss Murphy, is it?”

No. No, it wasn't her Christopher. But her mouth remained dry, and her heart was pounding erratically at the remarkable resemblance. She couldn't move. Couldn't answer him.

“Are you all right, miss?” He took a step forward, frowning in concern at her sudden paralysis.

“I—I'm fine,” she stammered. “You just reminded me of someone.” Would she always see a little of Christopher in strangers?

But this man…
this man
was no stranger. She
had
seen him somewhere, though she couldn't remember ever having met him. Was it in a photograph at the castle?

Then it struck her. “You're Matthew Smythe!”

“Yes.” He smiled again. Her knees wobbled at the memory of another smile that had been just for her. “I was in town. Chris asked that I stop in and inquire about you.”

“Inquire?” Her heart leaped in her chest so wildly it was almost painful. She was hearing words, seeing the man, but nothing computed.

“Yes, he wanted to know how you were doing.”

“I'm…well, I'm just fine.” She straightened her spine and raised her chin in an effort to pull herself together. She even manufactured a brave little smile that she fancied would be good enough to fool him. “And how are the earl and Castle Donan?”

“I understand both are doing well…as well as can be expected without your presence.” What had seemed his casual observation of her suddenly became more intense.

Jennifer stiffened under his piercing gaze. “I was
asked
to leave.”

“So I've been told. Frankly, seeing you now, I'd have to say my brother was a bloody fool.”

She let out a small laugh, acknowledging his flattery. Oh, they were brothers all right. That Smythe charm must run in the family. “It was probably for the best,” she said stoically.

“Then you didn't love him?”

She was so shocked by the intimacy of the question she couldn't respond.

At last she forced out the necessary words. “I don't
see that it matters what my feelings were at the time. It's over.”

“It matters.” He stepped forward.

There was that same arrogant, refuse-to-take-no-for-an-answer spark in Matthew Smythe's eyes that she'd found so maddening and enticing all at once in Christopher's. If he was as much like his brother as she suspected, the man wouldn't leave her office until he was satisfied with her responses.

“If your brother sent you to investigate the possibility of our getting back together, you can tell him to forget it!” she snapped.

“Did you
love
him?” he repeated.

She rolled her eyes and wished for heavenly intervention…or for her mother to step through the door. Where was the cavalry when you needed it?

He was still watching her. Waiting.

“I
did
love him!” the words burst from her lips. “Okay? Is that what you wanted to hear? I loved that exasperating man with all my soul! Are you satisfied?” She knew she was shouting and she didn't care. “Now please leave.”

He didn't move. “Do you
still
love him?”

She glared at him. “
That
is none of your business.”

“Do you still love him?”

His persistence was unnerving.

“Listen,” she said, resigned to the fact that she wasn't going to get the American branch of the Smythe family off her property with anything less than a complete and embarrassingly honest confession, “I don't suppose I will ever forget or stop loving that man. But it was clearly a one-sided relationship. Christopher is incapable of true love for a woman. I
have no doubt he cared about me in his own way. But when he believed I had gone against his wishes, he shut me out of his life.”

She met Matthew's eyes, willing him to understand. “Let it go. Tell
him
to let it go, too.”

“No.”

Jennifer was sure that the denial had come from the man standing before her. It took another few seconds for her to realize that his lips hadn't moved, and the sound had come from the doorway behind him.

Matthew stepped aside. His younger brother strode into her office. Christopher's eyes were glittering darkly with determination.

Lord, save me from these two,
was all she could think. They were ganging up on her.

“You had both better leave,” she whispered hoarsely. “Another minute and I swear I'm calling the police.”

“I'll wait outside,” Matthew offered diplomatically with a wink for his brother. “Good luck. I expect you'll need it.”

Christopher lifted a hand in silent acknowledgment, but his eyes never moved from Jennifer. “You were in love with me.”

“Yes,” she murmured. “I was.”

“But you didn't say so.”

“Neither did you,” she countered.

He nodded. “But I was a fool. You aren't.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “I can't go through this again, Chris. Please don't ask me to. You broke my heart.”

“That makes two of us walking around, damaged.” He took a deep breath. “Jenny, I loved you from the moment you rumbled up to my castle in that
silly red van. I didn't understand that until after you left me. And after I discovered what you had done for me and for Lisa.”

She swallowed, hot tears threatening to spill from behind her eyelashes. “Then you have her now? You've worked things out with the Ellingtons?”

He nodded slowly. “Lisa has been told I'm her father. Actually, I think she's most excited about receiving birthday and Christmas presents from two doting dads. She's already spent a few weekends at Donan. The Clarks are thrilled, and I have never been happier.”

“I'm glad,” she murmured softly. “I really am, Chris.”

He stepped forward and took her hand in his. “But I could be even happier.”

“Don't ask me…please don't,” she pleaded.

“Marry me,” he said quickly. “Jennifer, for God's sake, marry me!”

She gasped, shaking her head in disbelief. Perhaps in her wildest dreams she had imagined him coming to her, begging her forgiveness. Dreamed of returning to Donan with him to pick up where they had left off, as lovers and friends. But marriage? She had believed it was the one step he would never take.

“Chris, I…” She could see past him through the window. Matthew was standing guard, his back to the glass door, blocking the Open sign. Her mother had arrived, and he was chatting her up. Buying his brother time and privacy. “You don't really mean this.”

“I've never been so serious about anything in my life,” he said. “I didn't ask my brother to help me charm a girlfriend back into my bed. I asked him to
help me woo my bride. In fact, he insisted I assure him of my honorable intentions before he agreed to approach you.” He gently squeezed her fingertips. “I had to hear from your own lips that you loved me. But I was afraid you wouldn't even speak to me if I came on my own behalf.”

“You were right,” she said shortly.

Christopher seized her shoulders and gave her a gentle shake. “Jenny, don't. Please don't. If you love me and I love you—which I do—we should be together. It can be that simple. But there are other reasons. Castle Donan needs you as its mistress. And Lisa should have a mother even while she's with me, away from Sandra. I can think of no other woman more loving, more sensitive and caring for either job. Come to us. Please.”

She could no longer stop the tears. When she had dreamed of returning to Christopher's arms, the images had never been as sweet as this moment.

“Oh, you are a terrible,
terrible
man,” she sobbed and fell into his arms. “I love you so.”

He kissed her deeply, possessively. In his heart he knew that he would never let her go. From this day forward he would do all any man could to make her happy.

E
mma Dorchester insisted on taking charge of the wedding plans the moment the couple returned to England, just a week after Christopher's proposal. “As long as you two are determined to be married in the castle, your mother, Jennifer, will need all the help she can get with arrangements. A busy career woman like Evelyn can't be expected to drop everything and rush off for months to another country.”

Emma might be rich, but she was eminently practical. She suggested Christopher delay all renovations at Donan, except for the gardens and the ballroom, where the spring wedding and reception would be held. Then she began arranging for flowers, photographers and extra help in the kitchen to prepare the wedding feast.

“Where will the two of you live?” Emma asked. “At Donan?”

“Part of the year, while Lisa is in school,” Jennifer said, remembering the conversation she and Christopher had had only days earlier.

Discussing compromises that would make their life together work smoothly was taking up considerable time at the moment. But she felt confident that they would find ways to handle any of life's hurdles together.

“During the summer months we'll live in Baltimore so that I can help my mom at her busiest time of year. We both like the idea of having two countries to live in.”

“So you'll have plenty of time to continue work on Donan,” Emma added.

“Yes, the castle means a lot to both of us.” But now Jennifer's mind was on the wedding. She was thrilled to have Lady Dorchester's help, and Christopher seemed relieved to leave all the details to the women in his life—Jennifer, Emma, Evelyn and Mrs. Clark. Even Lisa got into the act, offering her services as flower girl.

“I don't think that will do,” Jennifer told Christopher's daughter with a shake of her head and a frown.

“Why not?” Lisa cried. “I
want
to be in the wedding!”

Jennifer smiled at her. “Flower girls are usually very little, not much more than babies. You aren't a baby anymore.”

“No,” Lisa agreed regretfully.

“So I think you should be my bridesmaid. My only bridesmaid.”

Lisa looked up at her with glowing azure eyes, so much like her father's. “Really? Really truly?”

“Really truly,” Jennifer said, laughing as the little girl threw herself into her arms, hugging her tightly around the neck.

Jennifer looked up to see Christopher walk into the small parlor she had made over into her own office, full of books about decoration and architecture, landscaping and art. “I see you two ladies are getting along.” He reached down and scooped up Lisa, swinging her high over his head as she squealed with delight.

“I'm going to be the bridesmaid!”

“Well, that could be dangerous. I don't know.”

“It's not dangerous being in a wedding,” Lisa giggled.

“Oh, you don't think so? I know quite a few gentlemen who would argue the point.”

Jennifer laughed at him and kissed him soundly on the cheek. He put Lisa down, and she ran off to intercept Mrs. Clark who was taking a tray of cookies into the dining room.

Jennifer dropped her arms around his neck and leaned into him playfully. “Does this gentleman think
his
wedding is dangerous?”

Christopher grinned evilly at her. “Absolutely. I'm putting my entire life in your hands, woman. Sounds like risky business to me.”

She gently stroked her fingertips across his brow and kissed him softly on the mouth. “That's where trust comes in. Yours in me…mine in you.”

The handsome lines of his face smoothed and he observed her solemnly. “I've made my choice. I will never regret it.”

“And I've made mine,” she said, letting out a con
tented sigh. “Now, I smell fresh scones and tea brewing. How about it?”

He didn't have to say a word for her to understand that tea would have to wait. The glimmer in his eyes told her what his appetite was set on. Taking her hand, Christopher started out the door and headed for the staircase to the upper floors.

“In the middle of the afternoon?” she asked, pretending shock.

“And every other chance I get,” he growled happily. “It's likely, Lady Smythe, that I'll never get enough of you!”