Captive, p.20
Captive, page 20
Palik was frowning. “I’m not sure that I should let you go in alone.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“No insult intended. But if Jane is involved, I’ll never hear the end of it if anything goes wrong. You did say she had a vested—” He broke off and started to laugh. “It just hit home! The doctor, all those babies born in the village…Jane?”
“I’m glad you’re amused.”
“A little amused, mostly scared to death. Either way I look at it, I could be in trouble if I screw up.”
“Then don’t screw up. I’ve done enough of that to go around. From now on we all walk a very tight, straight line.”
“Whatever you say. I’ll go right to work setting up a way out of the lion’s den, and I’ll try to make it foolproof.”
“Thank you,” he said mockingly.
Palik didn’t speak for a moment. “But a baby is never a screwup. I guess it can be a kind of challenge, but that’s usually not the kid’s fault.”
“What are you talking about? That wasn’t what I was referring to. Any child Jane brought into the world would be a miracle.”
“Yes, she’s exceptional. I’m glad you appreciate her. I just thought I’d make certain you weren’t being an ass, so I decided to add my few words of wisdom.”
“Very few and totally misguided. And you never told me you had kids.”
“I don’t. I’ve been too busy keeping reckless clients like you out of major trouble. Sometimes I kind of wish I did. You’re lucky as hell, Caleb.” He cut the connection.
Lucky? Caleb stared down at the phone for an instant before he shoved it into his jacket pocket. Lucky to have a chance to keep Jane if he could fight his way through this nightmare. Yes. But even if he managed to keep both her and the child alive and she still was willing to stay with him, how long would it last? It was true any child of Jane’s would be a miracle, but that child would also be his. He’d been told from the time he was a toddler that his heritage and blood gifts would always condemn him and his children to be hunters and outsiders. The last thing he wanted was to have Jane suffer because she had to fight a constant battle. It didn’t matter that she’d told him she’d trust him and what they were together to have a family. It was still a risk he hadn’t wanted to take.
But the risk was now here, and he had no choice. Not only that, but he was being forced to walk that line he’d warned Palik about. Obey his instincts and handle Bohdan the way he thought necessary. Or keep a promise and run the danger of losing Jane and her child.
No, not just her child. The risk had been taken. This was his child, and he was totally committed. Which meant that there was no question which direction he would go.
He was not going to lose Jane or the child. He’d handle the consequences of that decision when he had to face them.
He turned and left the library in search of Jane and MacDuff.
He found them talking to a carpenter at the front gate about rigging a temporary structure until MacDuff could arrange for an architect to plan a permanent gate resembling the original.
Jane turned eagerly toward him. “Palik?”
“I reached him. He’s been very busy.”
“Campbell?”
“Who else? No definite info. He said it was yes and no. Yes, he’d been sighted alive and well in Kilgoray. No, he hadn’t tracked him down yet.”
“Damn.”
“But Palik is sharp, and he’ll let me know as soon as he does. He told me it would be soon.”
She made a face. “How soon? I’m scared, Caleb. Do you think we should go to Kilgoray ourselves? Maybe it would make him hurry a bit.”
“Or piss him off because you’re nagging him to do his job. I put a priority on it, Jane.”
“And you’re never impatient, are you?” MacDuff turned away from the carpenter. “Caleb knows what he’s doing…sometimes. And Palik is very efficient. So why don’t you resign yourself to staying here at the Run until you hear from him? You’re close to Kilgoray and can take a boat over whenever he calls you. What do you say?”
She hesitated.
“Not a bad idea.” Caleb stepped in. “You mentioned you had some reading to do, and you’re accustomed to being here.” He glanced at MacDuff. “And you don’t mind if I also invite myself? I could make some calls this evening to contractors with whom I have influence. I hired a lot of work done on my house near Sky Island, and I can pull some strings for you.”
“I really don’t need your help.”
“Sure you do. You’re going to have to bring mega labor from Scotland and England rushing here to do these repairs. They have to be special craftsmen. You might be able to use snob appeal, but I’ve found that people seem to want to do what I ask them to.”
“I wonder why,” MacDuff murmured. “Charm?” He shook his head. “Terror? Ah, by George, I believe I’ve got it.”
“Stop it,” Jane said. “Thank you for inviting us, MacDuff. You know Caleb can help. Let him do it. Now let’s go back and have tea and sandwiches before you return to work.” She wearily brushed her hair back from her face. “I’m afraid I’ve had enough of seeing Bohdan’s ideas of renovation. I’m going to take a shower and then curl up and read that letter to Fiona. I may join you in the library later to help out with the recruitment.”
“Take a nap instead,” Caleb said. “You don’t need to referee.” He glanced at MacDuff. “Does she? You prefer it to be no-holds-barred?”
He nodded. “Much more stimulating.” He started back toward the castle. “Come along, Jane. It must have been upsetting for an artist like you to see all of this destruction. Now we can get on to the plans to change it to creation.”
Chapter
13
After a shower and putting on her nightshirt Jane settled down propped up in bed and carefully took the Fiona document from her art case. Some of the letters were faded and almost indistinguishable but every now and then she could detect a phrase or a few words that kept her glued to the task. Finally, she had a fairly readable document.
My darling,
Everything is set. I’ve made the deal with Saldaron. He’ll get you away in exchange for me stealing that Cira treasure Graeme’s tucked away up in the foothills. Saldaron is just as big a thief as Graeme and I’d love to find a way to cheat them both, but I haven’t worked out a safe way to do it yet. You’re the important one and I have that plan in place. All you have to do is put on the trousers and jacket I sent you and then make your way to the Highland Railway Yard. Slip onto the mural car through the back entrance door and then lock yourself into Saldaron’s private compartment. Don’t answer the door if anyone knocks. When you reach the main station south of the English border, I’ll be there to meet you and whisk you out of England to Ireland. We’ll be on the ship out of Dublin heading for Boston the next day.
And if you change your mind, I’ll understand. Though why you’d leave a fine, brilliant man like myself for Graeme, I’ll never be able to figure out. Look at all I can offer you, hair-raising adventure, constant insecurity, danger. I’m obviously quite a catch. At least, that’s what you’ve told me. At any rate, if you haven’t changed your mind, I’ll thank God if I see you on that mural train, my own love.
Until then,
Farrell
Farrell MacClaren was coming across as being very human, she thought, and with a nature that had hints of devilish mischief every now and then. He seemed capable of being something of a scamp, but it was clear he had loved his Fiona.
And there was that intriguing bit about the Cira treasure. He had to be referring to the legend of the lost treasure that Cira, the founder of MacDuff’s family, had brought to Scotland when she had fled Herculaneum. But she knew Cira’s treasure had already been discovered, because she’d been involved when MacDuff had found it. She doubted if there could be two such treasures connected to MacDuff’s Run. Or could there have been? Legend or truth? And if there had been a second treasure, could it have surfaced back in Fiona’s time? What would Graeme have had to do with it? Interesting…
It took more than three hours for Jane to be sure that she had a fairly clean copy of MacClaren’s letter to Fiona. She copied it over and then just sat there going over it, thinking about it. Trying to probe the Cira possibilities that had come to light with MacClaren’s letter.
There was a soft knock on the door, but Caleb didn’t wait before he opened it and came into her room. “I thought you’d still be up. I’m glad, you needed something to distract you. I’d volunteer, but we can go into that later.” He crossed to the bed and sat down beside her. “Did you make any progress?”
“I think I did. They arranged to use the railroad to smuggle Fiona away from the property into England and from there to Dublin. And there may have been another reason that Graeme was so eager to find Fiona and MacClaren he’d even risk getting killed hunting them down. It might have had to do with the MacDuff family treasure. Remember that the MacDuff fortune was founded on a treasure brought from Herculaneum by the original founders of the MacDuff family. That was an actress, Cira, and her husband Antonio, and we thought we’d discovered all the treasure she’d hidden to protect it from thieves and robber barons. But there were always those rumors that Cira had divided the treasure and only the major part was hidden in that cave. That she was too smart not to have stashed a second treasure somewhere else to protect herself in case the first treasure trove was found. It was reasonable since she—” She broke off. She knew that expression and she wasn’t sure he was listening. She took a good look at him. “Your hair is damp; you’ve showered and changed. I thought you’d just come from working with MacDuff.”
“About thirty minutes ago.” He was grinning. “I did him several favors tonight and he very kindly gave me my own chamber as a reward. I ducked inside it to shower, but I had no intention of using it tonight. He does know we sleep together, so I assume that it was only wishful thinking that you might change your mind about me considering the hell I’ve put you through this time.”
She shook her head. “We’ve already discussed your work. I could have said no.”
“But you didn’t. Very generous. But I’m afraid MacDuff will have to be disappointed again. Because, with your permission, I don’t want to let you go tonight. There are a few things I want to say to you.”
“You don’t want to hear about Fiona and MacClaren?”
“I’ll be fascinated to hear about them, and the treasure, but not at the moment.” He bent his head and pressed his lips to the hollow of her throat. “And I love this little hollow, but I can wait for that, too. Palik said something when I was talking to him this afternoon and it made me uneasy. I have to get this out.”
“Then you’d better do it quickly,” she said. “Because you’re not getting your point across very clearly. I’m going in the other direction.”
“In most cases that’s to be applauded.” He turned out the lamp and lay down beside her. “It will be better for me if I can’t see you.” He put his arms around her and held her close. “And this is good, too.” He said softly, “You know why I’ve been hesitant to bring a child into the world who might be like me. It can be…painful. I didn’t want to hurt it. And God knows I don’t want to hurt you.”
“And you wouldn’t,” she said fiercely. “I know it. I know you. You wouldn’t let it happen.”
“Hush. I don’t want you to try to convince me. Because I am already convinced. I will never let harm of any sort to come to either of you. Palik thought I didn’t want this baby. I wondered if perhaps you believed that, too. I couldn’t let you continue to believe it. Nothing is further from the truth. Yes, I do want our child. I was almost afraid to want it this much.” His voice was hoarse, almost guttural in the darkness. “I know what it is to be different, special. It’s like that even if there’s no threat involved. The fear can make the people around you see a threat even if it doesn’t exist. But I won’t let being special hurt our child. I’ll find a way out of it.”
“I know you will.” Her arms tightened around him. Thank heavens he had come and told her how he felt. This was a miracle in itself. She was filled with a profound joy and almost heady with relief. She could handle anything else that came their way. “But you might not have to. We don’t know what’s going to happen down the road. We have to believe that this is going to be a gift.” She had a sudden thought. “And I was lying here after I finished reading Fiona’s letter and I was thinking that sometimes things come together when you least believe they will. MacClaren was able to arrange to get Fiona away when he painted the train mural and got to know the owner of that railroad. One thing led to another and maybe that’s how things are meant to be. Something pops up out of the blue to let you know that there’s something else good on the way. Then, if you reach out and grab it, you’ve got a chance to get what you want.” She suddenly sat upright in bed. “That’s when I remembered the sketch.”
“Sketch?”
“I didn’t show you the sketch.” She turned on the lamp and jumped out of bed. “I think you should see it.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. But you’re certainly excited about it.” He smiled. “I bared my soul to you, and I thought it might be a little too heavy and melodramatic. But look at you. Your cheeks are flushed, your eyes are shining, and you’re talking philosophy. I like it.”
“I loved when you bared your soul to me.” She was opening her art case and taking out her sketchbook. “It’s one of the highlights of my life. Feel free to do it anytime. I just want you to look on the bright side.” She flipped through the sketchbook. “Because you brightened up my life considerably tonight.” She turned the sketchbook so that he could see the sketch. “I drew this sketch that misty morning you called to give me all that depressing news about Bohdan. I had no subject, I just started drawing freehand and she came to life out of nowhere. I couldn’t let it go. It might be one of the best things that I’ve ever done. MacDuff calls it Mist Child. He wanted to buy it.”
“I think I remember him mentioning it. It’s wonderful. It looks a little like Fiona.”
“That’s what MacDuff said, I couldn’t see it.”
“And also like you,” he said softly. “MacDuff can’t have this sketch, Jane.”
“That’s not why I showed it to you. You can argue about it later. I wanted to point out that when I drew this little girl, I had no idea that I was pregnant.” She made a face. “At least I didn’t believe that I did. That came later and hit me like a ton of bricks. But I still drew this enchanting child that anyone would want to claim as their own. Wishful thinking? Or was it a sign that something good was coming and we had to be ready for it?”
“I’ll vote for the latter,” he said gently. “But I do have to mention that this cynical world would not agree with me. However, I refuse to be cynical about it. It’s what you want it to be, or I’ll know the reason why.” He gazed back down at the sketch. “So does that mean we’ll be expecting a girl?”
“No, I wouldn’t go that far. Accept the idea, not the factual conception.”
“Hmm,” he said. “I don’t think I can. She looks like you. So until I see bona fide proof to the contrary, I’ll have to assume that I’m right. It will also simplify the pronoun problem that we had. That’s good.”
“Really? I’ve heard most men want a son.”
“Propaganda. I’m good either way, but there’s something about your mist child.” He glanced back at the sketch and repeated, “And she looks like you.” He handed her the sketch. “But you’ll have to do the portrait. Then you can give MacDuff the sketch.”
“Thank you,” she said curtly. “I choose, Caleb.”
“You chose to give me a beautiful child,” he said quietly. “Now can we go back to bed so I can hold you? Maybe we can discuss a name for our daughter.”
She looked at him incredulously. “We will not. There’s no way you can be sure. You’re being completely ridiculous, and I won’t—” She broke off as she saw his mischievous grin. He was standing there, sensual, complex, handsome, and intriguing, the complete package. Everything she wanted, everything she could ever want. “Damn you.” She slipped the sketch back in the case and dropped it on the floor. “I was thinking about Hepzibah.” She turned out the lamp. “As for the other, put up or shut up, Caleb.”
“By all means.” He shed his clothes with lightning speed as he spoke. He picked her up and then they were on the bed, his arms encircling her from behind. He pulled her sleep shirt over her head and threw it on the floor beside the bed. “But right now, I just want to touch you here.” His hands were on her belly, rubbing, stroking, with a magically gentle caress. He added, “And I want to touch her. I need to welcome her, don’t I?”
“Whatever you want.” It was such a beautiful moment that she was having trouble keeping back the tears. “Crazy man.”
“That goes without saying. It took me long enough to get you to let me stick around.” His hand stroking her belly paused for an instant. “I just want you to know that it will be worth it. I won’t always do the things you want me to do. We won’t agree all the time. But there won’t be a time I won’t love you and keep you and our family safe. Will you remember that?”
“I think it’s possible.” She turned over in his arms. “If you’ll stop talking and make love to me.”
“It’s a deal.” He was over her, then coming closer still. “As long as you promise not to call my daughter Hepzibah…”
* * *
1:35 A.M.
Caleb silently let himself out the front door of the castle and then moved swiftly down the steps and headed for the courtyard stable. He reached for his phone to call Palik as he was going down the curving staircase leading to the boat dock.
“You must have gotten my text,” Palik said. “You could have answered.”
“No, I couldn’t. I was busy. You said that you’d located where they took Campbell. Still only two guards?”
