“No.”
“Why not?” She moved closer and huffed. “Is that a cigar? Are you smoking in the house?”
He took a puff and blew the smoke out the door. “Actually, Alexandra, while I may be in the house, neither my cigar nor the smoke is.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” She stepped to his side and reached to grab his cigar.
“I wouldn’t if I were you,” he said in a low tone that even to his ear sounded menacing.
She hesitated. “There are rules.”
“The cigar is not in the house.”
“Very well.” She frowned. “What on earth is the matter with you?”
“Nothing,” he said shortly.
She scoffed. “Obviously, something is bothering you.” She studied him closely. “Are you, I don’t know, jealous? Of Julian?”
“Should I be?”
“No, of course not,” she said quickly. “I just thought since he and I were once engaged that perhaps you found that bothersome.”
“I found your Mr. Shaw—”
“He’s not my Mr. Shaw, and I daresay he never really was. He was a mistake.” She grimaced. “Well, another mistake.”
“I found Shaw to be cowardly, calculating, and scarcely worth the effort of putting him in his place.”
“Oh.” She thought for a moment. “Not jealous, then?”
“No.”
“Then what is wrong? It’s clear you’re obviously annoyed about something.”
“You married me to get the money to set Nimway to rights.”
“Of course I did.” She nodded. “That was our arrangement.”
“It was an eminently practical thing to do.”
“I thought so at the time.” She paused. “As I recall, so did you.”
“Nearly everything you wanted to do, everything the estate needed, is almost complete.”
“Almost.”
“And now Nimway’s reserve funds have been returned to you.”
“You can’t imagine what a relief that is.” She sighed in a grateful manner. “I never dreamed I’d see that money again. I feel as though an enormous weight has been lifted off my shoulders.”
“If Shaw had returned your money a few months ago, you would not have found it necessary to allow me to stay at Nimway, and you wouldn’t have been compelled to marry me.”
“Well, no, I suppose not.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Nimway means a great deal to you.”
“Of course it does. Nimway is in my blood.” She studied him closely. “What is this about, Robert?”
He ignored her. “And in your heart.”
“As it has been in the heart of every daughter of Nimway since time immemorial.” She shrugged. “I daresay it always will be.”
“And I am not.”
Her brow furrowed. “What?”
“I thought that you and I had progressed beyond the agreed-upon terms of our marriage. Now I see I was wrong.”
“Wrong?” Her eyes narrowed. “I don’t understand. What do you mean?”
“I mean I’m in love with you.” A hard note sounded in his voice. “I think I’ve been in love with you since the moment I met you. You’ve invaded my dreams and laid claim to my soul.”
She stared up at him, her eyes wide with surprise. Or regret? Her hair curled softly down her back, and the gaslight cast a soft halo of light around her as if she was a creature made of dreams and forever. A being eternal and unattainable. “I …”
“At a loss for words, Alex? I never thought I’d see that.”
She frowned. “Robert.”
“But I for one have come to my senses. This was a mistake.” He blew a resigned breath. “It’s clear I will never mean more to you than Nimway. I don’t know that I can continue to live with that.”
“Oh, for goodness’ sake.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Now you’re being absurd.”
“Am I?”
“Yes,” she snapped.
“My apologies.” Sarcasm edged his words. “I would hate for my realization that I will never be more than second in my wife’s affections to offend your delicate sensibilities.” He started for the door. “I’ve had enough.”
“None of this seemed to bother you when we started this,” she said sharply.
“It didn’t. Now it does.”
“Why?” She glared. “Simply because we’ve shared a bed?”
“There’s nothing simple about this, and there’s certainly nothing simple about you and me. And I thought we had shared more than a bed.” A heavy weight settled in the pit of his stomach. “I’m going to the manor.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s mine. Because right now, I need a sanctuary that is solid and real and has nothing to do with generations of women and the belief—real or imagined—in magic. Because I don’t belong here.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” She scoffed. “Of course you belong here.”
“You’re the guardian, Alex. I am merely a …” His eyes narrowed, and his heart twisted in his chest. “A means to an end.”
“Nonsense, you’re my husband.”
“I’m your bank account. And now that your funds have been returned, I’m no longer needed.”
“That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.”
“You married me for my money, and now you no longer need it. Can you deny that?”
“Well, no, but—”
“Then my purpose here is obviously at an end.”
“I would think if you love me as you say you do, you would want to stay and fight for me.”
“Fight what? Your lineage? Your responsibilities? Nimway itself?” He shook his head. “Only an idiot steps into a fight he cannot win. I may be many things, Alexandra, but I am not stupid.” Again, he headed for the door. “I know when I’ve lost.”
“I never imagined I’d see the inestimable Robert Curtis scurrying away like a frightened rabbit,” she called after him. “I thought Americans were made of sterner stuff than that.”
“We’re even, then, Alexandra. There are a lot of things I never imagined either.” He nodded and strode from the room.
The moment he stepped out of the house, the first raindrops fell. By the time he had saddled the least skittish of the horses in the stables and was headed for Brynmore, the rain came down in sheets, the world around him illuminated by frequent flashes of lightning. The thought struck him that he wasn’t supposed to leave. Absurd, of course. Still, only a fool would venture out in such weather. Even Balesboro Woods seemed threatening, daring him to venture into its boundaries. Woods be damned. If there was magic here, he was more than willing to take it on. Robert was scarcely out of sight of Nimway when the storm forced him to take shelter under a stand of trees, their heavy canopy providing only a slight respite from the downpour. His horse huffed, stamping his feet, obviously not happy to be roused from a warm stable and taken out in the rain. Robert patted his neck and explained that sometimes, a man had to stand up for himself even if it led to a miserable ride late in the night to a house that was barely more shelter than the trees they huddled under. A man had to do what a man had to do. Even if it killed him.
At long last, the rain eased, and Robert continued on his way. What was usually no more than a fifteen-minute trek had turned into a several-hours-long ordeal. At least, he thought it had been hours. At this point, he had lost all track of time, but he suspected it would soon be dawn. By the time he turned off the main road onto the Brynmore drive, the rainfall had eased considerably. The acrid smell of wood smoke hung in the air, resisting the efforts of the lingering drizzle to wash it away. In the back of his mind, he noted the smell but paid it no heed.
The rain ceased as he rounded the curve revealing the manor. He reined his horse to a stop and stared, unwilling—unable—to believe his eyes.
The ugliest house he’d ever seen had essentially vanished, replaced now by a smoldering ruin. The building had been gutted. Through the now-glassless windows, what r
emained of the back wall could be seen and then the woods beyond. At some point, the roof had collapsed. His stomach twisted. So much for his sanctuary. He urged his horse closer then dismounted.
“It could be worse,” Wilcox said, stepping up beside him.
Robert hadn’t even noticed the man, but now he realized there were several other villagers surveying the smoking remains of his house. Robert scoffed. “I doubt it.”
“Well, the chimneys are still standing.”
The chimneys, blackened and stark, rose like drunken church spires above the remnants of Brynmore Manor.
“And there’s a fair amount of wall left,” Wilcox added.
“Good point.” Even as he said the words, a large chunk of the west wall crumbled into the burning embers. Robert blew a long breath. “What happened?”
“Lightning. Damned impressive it was, too, at least according to McGill.” Wilcox studied the ruins. “He saw it all the way from the village. Flash of lightning then smoke rising. He roused the rest of us, but it was too late to do much of anything except watch. Not sure we could have done anything even if we’d been here when it started.” He paused. “McGill said it was the strangest thing he’d ever seen. Lightning strikes are usually nothing more than a flash. He claims this one lasted for several minutes, as if the heavens themselves were determined to wipe Brynmore off the face of the earth. Said it brought to mind the breath of a dragon. Not that I believe any of that, of course,” he added quickly.
“No, that would just be superstitious nonsense.” Still, the thought that something hadn’t wanted him to leave Nimway lodged itself in the back of his mind. Would that something be Nimway itself? Even if the idea wasn’t completely ridiculous, the question would be to what end? He’d already poured substantial financial resources into the estate, and now that Alex had her money back from Shaw, there was really no need for him. Regardless, at this point, he had no choice but to return. At least for now.
The ride back seemed to take no time at all. He tried to ignore the distinct feeling that Nimway hadn’t wanted him to leave and was now demanding his return. The very idea was ridiculous, but he couldn’t quite shake it. And frankly, he didn’t care. His entire marriage was based on Nimway’s needs, and he’d had enough. Even if it were true, the desires of a magical estate were no longer of any concern to him. He had other things to contend with. Most immediate—what to do about his destroyed ancestral home.
And then—what to do about his wife.
Chapter 17
Preparations for the ball tomorrow were well in hand. The grounds were impeccable, the outbuildings no longer looked as if they were on the verge of collapse, and the hall fairly glowed. All of Nimway—every nook and cranny—had never looked better. Mrs. Hogarth had arrived several days ago to see to the final details in person. Mother, Father, and Aunt Viv were expected to arrive at any minute. And Alex had never been so miserable in her life.
She stared out the parlor window, eager to catch sight of the carriage bringing her family home. Although eager was perhaps not as accurate a term as resigned. This was not going to be easy, and while on one hand, she could hardly wait to see her parents—and talk to her mother—on the other, she wasn’t looking forward to it. It was time—past time, really—to confess all. She wasn’t sure if this would be easier if she had Robert at her side or even more awkward. Regardless, he was not on the estate at the moment.
She and her husband had scarcely spoken more than a handful of words in the two weeks since their confrontation in the library. Alex wasn’t actively avoiding him, but she wasn’t seeking him out either. It wasn’t difficult. He was hardly ever here. The meetings with employees and business associates in from London that had previously been conducted at Nimway were now arranged by Mr. Hamill at the inn in the village, which apparently wasn’t nearly as inconvenient as it had been. When Robert wasn’t in Balesborough, he was at Brynmore, assisting in the cleaning up of what was left of the manor. Robert had also sent for an architect, and the two men spent long hours at Robert’s family estate.
Alex would never admit it to him, but she missed the blasted man. Missed his laughter and the way he looked at her and his presence in her bed. She refused to apologize—after all, she’d done nothing wrong. Or nothing she could think of. She couldn’t deny how important Nimway was to her, and she refused to lie just to assuage his male pride.
Admittedly, she should have told him she loved him when he had declared his feelings, but the words had lodged in her throat. Fear had held her back. Until he’d admitted his feelings aloud, it was easy to ignore the suspicion that had nagged at her since she’d learned he was having the same dreams about her that she had about him. Dreams that were quite possibly the direct result of Nimway magic. She didn’t want him to love her because he had fallen under some sort of enchantment. No, she wanted his love to be real and genuine and have nothing to do with magic. Until she could be certain of that, well, perhaps it was best if they kept their distance from one another. No matter how much it hurt.
At least she had no doubts about her feelings for him. She’d never known anything like this before. Never imagined feelings so intense and all-consuming. And really, after having fancied herself in love three different times, surely she could recognize true love when she found it. Surely nothing else ached quite as much as this, as if there were an awful, empty hole somewhere in the vicinity of her heart.
She didn’t want to lose him, but she had no idea how to resolve this horrible rift between them. No idea how to know if he was truly in love. Rather ironic that she had hoped for the return of Nimway’s magic, and if indeed it had come back, she no longer wanted it.
A carriage turned onto the drive, and her stomach lurched. This was it, then. She straightened her shoulders, raised her chin, adopted a serene smile, and headed toward the front entry to welcome her family. Pearson and the rest of the staff—including those newly rehired—lined up outside to greet the newcomers.
Aunt Viv was the first one out of the carriage. She kissed Alex’s cheek then murmured quietly, “I am sorry, dear.”
“Married?” Mother said the moment she descended from the carriage. “And to an American?”
“Why did we have to hear this from your aunt?” Father added.
Alex cast an annoyed look at Aunt Viviane. “I wanted to tell them.”
“Then you should have told me that you hadn’t.” Her aunt sniffed. “I was under the impression you were going to write to your mother.”
“I was. I’ve simply been too busy.” Nor could she find the right words. How did one tell one’s mother you had married a very wealthy American viscount mostly for his money?
“Too busy to write to your mother and tell her you have at last wed? Without even inviting her to your wedding?” Mother’s eyes narrowed. “Yes, I can see where that might be a difficult note to write.”
“It happened rather quickly,” Alex said weakly.
“Where is the man?” Father looked around. “Your aunt speaks quite highly of him.”
Alex cast Aunt Viv a grateful look. Her aunt smiled and shrugged.
“He’s not here at the moment, but you’ll meet him soon enough.”
Mother and Father greeted Pearson and the others in the warm manner they always had. The staff was as much a part of the family as any blood relation. Alex took her mother’s arm and steered her into the house. She leaned close and spoke softly into Mother’s ear, the oddest lump lodging in her throat. “I’ve missed you so much, Mother.”
Mother smiled and put her hand over her daughter’s. “I’ve missed you, too, dear.”
“I was noticing when we arrived, the place looks good, Alex.” Father glanced around the entry hall at the newly papered walls, the repaired moldings, and the now-painted-over water stains. “Better than I’ve seen it in years.”
“I’m afraid everything was starting to look a bit run-down when we handed Nimway over to you.” Mother sighed. “I am sorry. There were so many thi
ngs I meant to do before then. I must say I’m impressed with how you’ve taken it all in hand and the improvements I noted outside and in the house.”
“It’s good to have a husband with money,” Aunt Viv said pleasantly.
“You’ve always thought so,” Mother said just as pleasantly.
“I’d like to see what you’ve done,” Father said. “Maybe take a look around.”
“Alexandra has made some impressive improvements. I’d be happy to show you what’s been done.” Robert stood in the doorway, tall and handsome, and God help her, her heart fluttered.
Father frowned. “And you are?”
“My apologies.” Alex stepped forward. “Father, Mother, this is Viscount Brynmore, Robert Curtis, my husband. Robert, these are my parents, Mr. and Mrs. Hayden.”
“Mrs. Hayden.” Robert took her mother’s hand and raised it to his lips. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. I’m already acquainted with your sister, but now that I’ve met you, I can see that beauty does indeed run in the family.”
Mother smiled. “Viv said I was going to like you.”
Robert grinned and turned to her father. “Mr. Hayden, I’m afraid I owe you an apology. I should have asked your permission before marrying your daughter.”
Father’s eyes narrowed. “Indeed you should have.”
“I have no excuses other than when one finds the one woman in the world who makes him complete, one would be a fool to wait a moment longer than necessary.”
Alex’s breath caught.
“Nicely said,” Aunt Viv murmured.
“Yes, well, I can understand that.” Father glanced at his wife. “The women of Nimway do have a tendency to sweep a man off his feet. They’re damned hard to resist.”
“If I recall, you didn’t try very hard to resist,” Mother said with a teasing gleam in her eye.
Father grinned. “I am far smarter than I look.” He turned to Robert and offered his hand. “Welcome to Nimway, my lord.”
“Robert, if you don’t mind.” He shook Father’s hand. “I’m not used to being called ‘my lord.’ It feels like I should be looking over my shoulder to see who is being addressed behind me.”
THE LEGEND OF NIMWAY HALL: 1888 - ALEXANDRA Page 19