Tall, Dark and Wolfish

by Lydia Dare

  Ben picked up a heavy wolf paperweight and threw it at Will’s head. It was a shame the man moved so quickly to avoid it.

  “Charming as ever,” Will laughed. “May I offer a suggestion?”

  As though he could stop him. Ben shrugged, having a go at another fingernail.

  “Let nature take its course.”

  “We can have a good life.” Ben nodded his head. “Can’t we?” he asked as he looked toward Will. “I can still make her happy. Even though I can’t love her.”

  “Are you trying to convince me? Or yourself?” Will asked. He squeezed Ben’s shoulder once and walked from the room.

  Elspeth wasn’t spying. She really wasn’t. She just wanted to hear what they were talking about. She would wait one minute longer and then let them know that she stood outside the door to the study.

  But then they began to talk about her. Elspeth’s heart soared. She had so much love in her heart that she felt like it would burst. He thought she was brilliant. And beautiful.

  Her heart suddenly plummeted to the floor. It felt like someone had pulled it from her chest and dropped it at her feet, where it went splat.

  He didn’t love her. She pressed her hand against her lips to keep from crying aloud. The pain of hearing that was nearly unbearable. Tears formed in her eyes and began to trail down her cheeks.

  She heard every word he said and heard Will’s responses. Ben planned to settle for her, even though he didn’t love her. She couldn’t let him waste his life when he could be out looking for his true love.

  Elspeth’s life had never been easy. She didn’t know why she’d ever expected to meet a nice man, fall in love, and marry. She was too much like her mother.

  She knew what she had to do. She had to give him his freedom. He’d brought her to London, and she owed him a great deal for his trouble. It would break her heart, but she wouldn’t keep him trapped.

  Elspeth turned to walk away from the door and heard the hiss of a whisper. “Tsk, tsk. Listening at doorways is so unladylike,” Will said.

  She brushed her hands across her cheeks and squared her stance. “I wasna eavesdroppin’.”

  “Sure you were,” Will said, pulling her into the front sitting room. “And you probably heard more than you wanted.” He handed her a handkerchief and motioned toward a chair. “Sit, please.”

  She paced across the room.

  “Or not,” he mumbled. “Look, Ben doesn’t know what he’s saying. Give him a little time.”

  She’d never known Ben to say something untruthful. He knew exactly what he had told his brother. He didn’t love her. And he never would—not if he didn’t now, after all they’d been through together. And she couldn’t stand around and watch him, knowing what wasn’t in his heart.

  “Elspeth,” Will began softly.

  She turned to face him quickly. “Do ye ken Major Forster?”

  Will’s eyes narrowed. “Yes, he’s an old friend of our father’s, and I help him out with the Society.”

  Perfect. She wouldn’t have to see Ben, then. “Can ye take me ta him?”

  “I think this is something Ben should be discussing with you.” Will turned to walk away.

  “Please, Will,” she begged, following after him.

  “I can’t,” he said, holding up his hands. “It’s not my place.”

  “If ye doona take me, I’ll simply go by myself,” she threatened, though she didn’t know how to go about doing so.

  “I hate it when women do that.”

  “Do what?”

  “Manipulate us,” Will bit out.

  “Doona consider it ta be manipulation,” she argued. “Just a bit of assistance gettin’ ye ta where ye should be.” She smiled at him.

  He had the nerve to roll his eyes at her. “I can go in two hours. Can you be ready by then?”

  “Of course.” She would need to leave a few things for Ben and write a note. She’d leave the aloe and the blueberry tea. And she would instruct his cook to make blueberry pies, tarts, and cobblers. There were a lot of things she had to do. She’d also leave the final potion. The one he’d need if he didn’t change with the next moon. According to her mother’s notes, she’d used the same and it had worked.

  She had to leave Ben well prepared for the moonful. Because when she left, she wouldn’t be coming back.

  Forty-one

  Will pounded on Ben’s door. If his idiot brother didn’t come to his senses soon, he’d lose his wife. And that was a loss Will doubted Ben would ever recover from. Personal experience had taught him that.

  He’d watched Ben and Elspeth the fortnight they traveled together, and it would be obvious to the simplest of simpletons that the two of them loved each other deeply. But apparently Benjamin was completely inept.

  When there was no answer to his banging, Will pushed the door open and found Ben lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling. “You obviously can’t take a hint. Go away.”

  “Stop being obstinate, Benjamin. I need to talk to you about Elspeth.”

  Ben winced. “I’m not taking advice from you, so you can save your breath.”

  Will heaved a sigh. Why did he even bother? Ben was as stubborn as all the Westfields before him. He’d always had to learn things the hard way and never did listen to reason. “When you’ve lost her, don’t come running to me.”

  Ben scoffed. “Nothing can change the fact that she’s my wife, William. Melodrama doesn’t suit you.”

  The hard way it was, then. Will rubbed his brow. This would be painful for all involved. Poor Elspeth. How could she even care for the bloody dolt? “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

  Canis House was in the middle of nowhere. Elspeth and Will had taken horses from the Westfield stables and ridden quite a way from Town into a heavily forested area. Only a small path led to a large Tudor mansion that stood proudly in the distance. A great stone wolf guarded the entrance. It was a bit awe-inspiring.

  “That’s it?” Elspeth asked, knowing the answer in her heart.

  Will nodded. “You’re not supposed to go in. It’s a gentleman’s club. Wait just inside the entrance, and I’ll go find the major.”

  “Are ye sure he’s here?”

  “He’s always here.” Will urged his horse toward the stables around the back, and Elspeth followed.

  Her pulse raced as her anticipation intensified. She’d never been so close to finding her sire. It had never been a possibility until now. And it gave her something to focus on instead of her broken heart. Why were the Campbell women so unlovable? What was it about them that prevented the men they loved from returning the feeling? Perhaps her father could answer that when she found him. Perhaps then she could understand why Ben was unable to love her.

  After dismounting his stallion, Will helped her off her filly. “You should really wait and do this with Ben,” he said.

  Elspeth forced away her tears. She wouldn’t be doing anything else with Ben, and she needed answers to a lifetime of questions. “Please, Will. We’ve come this far.”

  “And my brother will never forgive me,” he mumbled.

  Major Desmond Forster rubbed his brow, looking at the file in front of him. Poor Captain Redding. He was a good soldier and a better man. Matthew Redding had served under Desmond’s command all throughout the Peninsular Wars; returned the previous year, after Waterloo; and sold his commission. Within weeks he had married his childhood sweetheart, and last night the lass had gone into labor. Neither the girl nor the babe survived the event.

  Redding was nearly out of his mind and rejected all the assistance the Society had offered. It broke Desmond’s heart. But he couldn’t help someone who refused to let him. He closed the file and rose from his desk. He started to descend the steps from his office, but stopped midway down the stairs.

  His foot nearly slid out from under him as his knees gave way. Rose? It couldn’t be. He blinked in astonishment. At the foot of the steps, a young, red-haired lass stood quietly, fidgeting with her hands. Dear Go
d, she was the spitting image of Rosewyth Campbell. The same compassionate green eyes, alabaster skin, fiery hair.

  Just as he made up his mind to turn around and go back to his office, the girl’s eyes flashed up the staircase. She smiled tentatively, and his feet dragged him the rest of the way down the stairs. “Miss, are you lost?”

  She shook her head. “I’ve come with Lord William, he asked me ta wait here.”

  The girl’s Scottish lilt nearly knocked Desmond to the ground. She not only looked like Rose, but she sounded like her, too. Why would Will bring a girl here? He knew the rules. Desmond scratched his head. “The thing is, lass, ladies aren’t allowed here. Would you like to wait for Lord William in my office?”

  She bit her lower lip. “I suppose that would be all right. Can ye get word ta his lordship?”

  The lass wasn’t Will’s usual sort of conquest. Desmond found himself smiling at her. “Of course. My office is at the top of the stairs, first door on the right. What’s your name, lass, so I can tell Will?”

  “Elspeth. Lady Elspeth Westfield.”

  Desmond’s mouth fell open. He’d known the Westfields for more than three decades. There wasn’t a Scot in the mix. But he had sent Benjamin to Edinburgh to find Rose.

  An uneasy feeling washed over him. He knew instantly that this girl was Rose’s daughter. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind. Rose had obviously gone on with her life while he’d mourned her loss every day.

  “Top of the stairs, first door on the right,” he repeated numbly. Then he stepped into the drawing room and caught sight of Will in the far corner.

  Why the devil had the scoundrel brought Rose’s

  daughter here? Desmond stalked across the room, ready to tear into the lad, but as he approached, Will seemed to sigh with relief. “Major, I was just looking for you.”

  Desmond frowned at the overgrown pup. “Would you care to tell me why you’ve brought a woman here, William?”

  “You’ve seen her?” Will frowned. “She’s Ben’s wife.”

  “I figured she belonged to one of you. That doesn’t explain why she’s here, William.”

  Will gestured to a seat in the corner and collapsed into one himself. “She’s here to see you, Major. Ben told her he thought you could help her find her father.”

  Her father? The last person he’d want to find was Rose’s husband. “How the devil would I know where to find the man?”

  “He’s a Lycan. One of us. She bears the mark. Ben thought you could help her figure out who he is.”

  The air whooshed out of Desmond, and his mouth went dry. The odds that Rose knew another Lycan were minuscule. He did the math in his head. The girl looked to be about twenty. He stumbled into the seat Will had indicated earlier.

  It wasn’t every day a man learned he had a grown daughter.

  “She doesn’t know who he is?” Desmond managed to ask. Why had Rose kept the girl in the dark? Why had she kept him in the dark?

  Will shook his head. “Scoundrel apparently abandoned her mother before she was born.”

  He hadn’t known Rose was with child. He never would have left if she’d told him. He would have made Rose come with him. Damn Fiona Macleod and her vision to hell. “What does she want with him?”

  “Ben says she wanted to kill him, but I can’t imagine that. She’s really the sweetest girl. Compassionate. She actually loves Ben, for God’s sake, if you can believe it—though that’s a whole other matter.”

  Desmond’s mind was awhirl. His daughter sat in his office, and he didn’t have a clue what to say or do with her. But he had to see her again, to look at her with his eyes. His daughter.

  He was rocked to his core.

  Elspeth fidgeted in her seat. What was taking Will so long? He said the major was always here. Then the door opened and the gentleman she had met earlier walked into the office, a look of confusion marring his brow. “My dear, William says you are here to see me. I am Major Forster.”

  “Oh.” She rose from her seat. “Major, it’s so nice ta meet ye. My hus— Benjamin speaks so fondly of ye. Did Will tell ye why I’ve come?”

  “I told him, Elspeth,” Will replied from the door. “He thinks he can help.”

  She smiled at the older gentleman. He raked a hand through his dark hair, sprinkled with bits of grey. His brown eyes seemed so distant, not filled with the warmth she had noted earlier. “Oh, that’s such a relief. I’m sorry ta barge in here without any notice.”

  The major locked eyes with hers. “It’s no trouble, Lady Elspeth.”

  Will glanced at Forster. “You’ll see her home tonight?”

  The old officer agreed with a curt nod. Elspeth had no intention of returning, but neither of these men needed to know that. Once she had a name and a direction, she’d be off.

  Will bent and kissed her forehead, just as he would a sister. “Good luck. I’ll see you later, Elspeth.” She avoided meeting his eyes as she nodded. If he looked too closely, he would see her planned subterfuge written all over her face, as she was a terrible liar.

  The major motioned toward a chair and encouraged her to sit again. “May I get you some tea?” he asked politely.

  Elspeth shook her head. “I really just want information about my father. Then I’ll take my leave. I willna trouble ye for long.”

  “You’re no trouble at all, my dear,” he said, his gaze lingering at her hair. A flash of pain crossed his face.

  “Are ye all right, Major?” She scooted forward in her chair, ready to jump up and help him if he needed it.

  “I think my eyes are fooling me, Lady Elspeth. Because you look just like her. The memories are painful.”

  “I’m sorry, but I’m no’ sure what ye speak of. Do I remind ye of someone ye once knew?”

  He simply nodded and sat back in his chair, his fingers steepled in front of him. He breathed out the words with a long sigh. “I knew your mother, lass, and you look so much like her that it nearly takes my breath away.” Then he smiled softly at her.

  She pressed a hand to her chest. So close to solving the mystery of her parentage. “Oh? What was her name?” she asked, still skeptical about all the developments.

  “When I knew her it was Rosewyth Campbell. Her friends called her Rosie. To me, she was Rose.” His eyes narrowed. “How is she?”

  “Dead,” Elspeth said softly. She watched his face for a reaction, but he gave none. Aside from the look of sheer misery he’d worn since he walked in the door.

  “How did she die?” he asked as he crossed to the sideboard and poured himself a drink. His hand visibly shook as he raised the glass to his mouth.

  “She took a fever. Nearly the whole town was sick. I became very ill. Mother nursed me back ta health, then she died.” There was no need to go into too much detail until she found her sire. “So do ye think ye can help me find my father?” she asked.

  He nodded. “Aye, lass, I believe I can.”

  Relief washed over Elspeth. “How did ye ken her?” she asked. Thousands of questions ran through her mind, and she couldn’t pick which to ask first.

  “I went to her to be healed.”

  “Ye look hearty and hale. What was yer ailment?”

  “I had lost a part of myself. And needed to find it again. Your mother helped me.” She could tell, even as he spoke, that he had memories running through his mind. Fond ones, if she had to judge.

  “I feel like we’re speakin’ in riddles here. So pardon me for speakin’ bluntly. But what do ye ken of my father?”

  His eyes narrowed as though he concentrated hard to find the right thing to say. Then the words tumbled from his mouth like water from a spout. “I went to Scotland to find your mother, because I knew of her powers. The Còig is an ancient entity, and I’d been raised on the stories of their legend when I was a boy in Glasgow. I knew their healer was the only one who could help me find myself.”

  Elspeth swallowed anxiously as she listened to him. The Còig was an ancient entity, and she’d left her si
ster witches for a man who didn’t love her.

  The major leaned forward. “Would it surprise you if I told you I’m a Lycan?” he asked, one eyebrow arched.

  Not particularly, since they were sitting in Canis House. Elspeth shook her head. “Would it surprise ye if I told ye that I’m half Lycan?” she asked as she removed her glove to show him the mark of the beast on her wrist.

  “No.” His dark eyes captured hers. “It wouldn’t surprise me at all.” The major smiled a gentle smile.

  “Was she able ta help ye?” Elspeth asked.

  “Oh, she did more than help me. She made me fall in love with her. Then she broke my heart and made me leave her in Scotland to return to my troops.”

  Elspeth’s heart jumped in her chest. Did he mean he was the one? She jumped to her feet. “Ye!” she gasped.

  He leapt up as quickly as she did and was around the desk in a flash. “I believe so.” He pointed to the pewter wolves that held her hair back. “The combs you wear, they were hers?”

  “Aye, they were.” Elspeth nodded as her eyes met his again. She wasn’t quite sure what to say. She had imagined that she would get a name and directions to her father and would have time to figure out what to say. But here she was, staring right at him.

  “I gave them to her,” he said quietly. “I wanted her to remember me when I was gone.”

  “She wore them every day.”

  “That brings me some comfort.” He smiled softly. “As does knowing about you.”

  He made it sound as though she were a new discovery. Surely her mother had told him, hadn’t she? And he’d chosen to ignore all the letters and the spells she’d used to call to him. And now he would pretend to be happy about having a daughter?

  “Why did ye never come for us?” She couldn’t keep the bitterness out of her voice.

  “I tried.” She opened her mouth to protest, but he held up a hand. “I came back through Scotland a few years later and went straight to the Campbell cottage. Your grandfather wouldn’t even let me in. But I’m of stubborn stock and planted myself on his porch. It didn’t matter. I could have waited a lifetime, since Rose didn’t live there anymore.”