by Clare Revell
He kissed her forehead and drew ketchup in the shape of a cross face on her dinner. “Good girl. Now say grace and you can eat.”
“Time was a child had to wait until everyone was ready to eat,” his mother said.
“She has a set routine. Tea at six, seven at the latest, and bed at eight-thirty. It suits both of us.”
“I thought I raised you better than this.” His mother’s voice quivered and he knew it was part of her act to try to make him feel guilty.
“You didn’t raise me at all,” he snapped. “Five nannies did.”
His father’s hand descended on his shoulder. “That’s enough.”
Nate sent a silent prayer to God asking for patience. His mother tried it at the best of times. “Sorry, Mum.”
She huffed. “Dinner will be ten minutes. I suggest you go shower and change.”
Vianne shot him a slight smile and angling her hands so her grandmother couldn’t see them, signed to him. “Guess you’re ten, too.”
He signed back, not caring if his mother noticed. “Always a child in here.” He pointed to his heart. “Be right back,” he finished aloud.
Ten minutes later, he came back into the kitchen, reluctantly admitting his mother’s suggestion of a shower made him feel more human. He sat down and said grace. He picked up his knife and fork. He had to concede the meal smelt and looked inviting. But given a choice, he’d rather have what Adeline had made for him.
“Adeline left her phone here,” Vianne told him. “It’s on top of the biscuit jar.”
“I’ll take it over after you’re in bed,” he said. “Nanny and Grandad can look after you for a few minutes.”
His mother shook her head. “There was something we wished to discuss with you tonight.”
“Adeline needs her phone.”
“Oh, Nathaniel, really. The woman is deaf. How can a deaf person need or even use a telephone?”
“A new invention called text messaging. It’s like email.” He cut into his meat. “Therefore, she needs this one.”
“Fine. But we need to have a discussion before you go.”
Nate shoved down his annoyance. “OK.”
14
Furious with his mother, Nate drove to Adeline’s place in a rage.
He knew he was the heir to the title. He also knew his mother’s feelings on the subject of his job. Apparently his actions over the past few weeks had given them cause for concern. It didn’t help being headline news over the shooting of the Prime Minister or in the Herbalist case.
The end result was his parents demanded he quit the police force. They didn’t bother to ask or suggest, but rather ordered him to resign. Give up the job he loved, move back to the country estate and learn how the business was run, so that he would be ready to take over when something happened to his father.
He clenched his hands around the steering wheel. He had no intentions of quitting. He’d pointed out that diving on top of a woman being shot at was part of his job. If he wanted to sit behind a desk, he’d work in a call center. That just made things escalate into a shouting match he was amazed hadn’t woken Vianne. In which the subject of marriage and children had once more been raised.
Finally tired of the harassment, Nate took action.
Needing to get out before he lost his temper completely, he’d snatched up Adeline’s phone. “I’ll be back late, so don’t wait up.” He slammed the door as he went out.
As he parked the car, guilt flooded him. He buried his head in his hands and prayed for forgiveness. His mother had no right to treat Adeline the way she had, or to lecture him as if he were a small child, but he had no right to speak to her the way he did. By doing so, he’d broken one of the commandments, if not more than one.
He walked up the path and rang the bell. The house was in semi-darkness, and he half expected Adeline to have gone to bed.
Adeline’s face fell as she opened the door. Ben wagged his tail by her side.
“Hi, Adeline.”
“Hi. I didn’t think I’d see you tonight...Sir Holmes.”
Nate closed his eyes for a moment, a sharp sword piercing his heart. “I know I should have told you. I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine.” Her tone along with her stiff signing proved to him it was anything but fine.
He needed to put things right between them before he went home and dealt with his mother. “It’s not fine. Can I come in and talk for a moment?”
She shook her head, starting to close the door.
He shoved his foot in and folded his hand over the edge of the door. “Please, Adeline. Just five minutes. I brought your phone back.” He held it out like a carrot.
“Five minutes.” Adeline opened the door. She took the phone. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He took a deep breath. “I owe you an apology.”
“Why? Did you phone the Australian speaking clock on my phone for a couple of hours before you gave it back to me?”
He chuckled despite the torment flooding him. “No. But leave your phone in my house again, and I might just do that.”
“You can afford the phone bill.”
He raised a hand and rubbed the back of his neck. “I should have told you, but I was afraid your opinion of me would change.”
“I’m sorry?”
“I thought, however misguided it may have been, that if you found out I was not only rich, but came with a title and a country estate, you’d throw yourself at me. Once I got to know you, I knew it wouldn’t, but by that point I didn’t know how to tell you.”
“Why would I only want to know you because of your money?”
“Because it happened with Pete. Once girls knew who he was they flocked to his side. Ophelié included.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Mum told me tonight that Pete only married her because she was pregnant.”
Adeline’s cool hand touched his overheated one. “I’m sorry.”
“I never thought Pete would be that irresponsible, but I guess you never really know a person.”
“I know you. And you’re a proper gentleman.”
“Thank you.”
Her fingers traced the outline of his jaw. “However, I don’t think your mother likes me or wants you mixing with commoners.”
Nate kissed her. “My mother doesn’t approve of me and my job, full stop. But I’m a big boy now and can choose my own friends. I happen to like you and like spending time with you.”
“The feeling’s mutual.” She kissed him back.
“I know it’s late, but do you want to go for a walk?”
Late August meant the nights were drawing in and getting chilly.
“In the dark and the cold?” She rubbed her hands over her arms, pretending to shiver. “It’s a full moon, there'll be werewolves out tonight.”
“You’ll have your own personal police escort.”
“Oh in that case, as you put it so nicely, sure we’ll come for a walk.” She put Ben’s leash on him and slid into her jacket. Picking up her keys, she shut and locked the front door behind her.
Nate took her free hand in his as they started walking down the road.
“How was your day?”
“Not too bad, all things considered. After work Vianne and I did some shopping and we cooked dinner at your place. Then your parents arrived. So, I went home and cleaned the house. How was your day?”
“Frustrating. I spent the morning in court only to have the judge throw the case out because of some screw-up by the CPS.”
“The what?”
Nate turned his head so she could see him pronounce the words he wasn’t sure how to sign. “CPS. Crown Prosecution Service.”
“Ah. It isn’t the Herbalist case they threw out, is it?”
“No. Then I get back to my desk to find half the files I need for next week’s court case are missing, and then I ended up being called into the field. I finally got home to discover my parents have come to stay for a week and thrown my girlfriend out of my house.”
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Adeline raised an eyebrow. “You have a girlfriend? You never told me.”
“Didn’t I? That was very remiss of me. Yes Adeline, I have a girlfriend.”
“We should introduce her to my boyfriend.”
He laughed. “Now there’s a thought. We could double date.”
“Maybe we should. It would give your mother something to talk about.”
“I can see her face now, actually. You know, I love her to bits, I just wish she’d back off sometimes and not interfere.”
“It’s part of a mother’s job description. Mark says it’s found in the caring section, paragraph seven, subsection five. Thou shalt interfere at least six times a day, as thy child knows nothing and wilt not listen anyway.” She squeezed his hand. “Thing is we listen, and choose not to accept their advice sometimes. They might not like it, but it’s what we have to do.”
He squeezed her hand back. “And she’s not right about you.”
“She loves you, Nate. She’s just trying to look out for you.”
“For the title more like.”
Adeline stopped and turned towards him. “No, she loves you for who you are. That much was obvious. She just doesn’t show it the way you’d like.”
“She never has. Palmed us off on one nanny after another, questions how I’m raising Vianne…”
She lifted a finger and put it on his lips. “Shh. You are doing a wonderful job with Vianne. That little girl dotes on you. The day I first met her, she wouldn’t tell me her name, despite how upset she was, because you’d told her never to give her name to strangers.”
“Seriously? She told me that was a stupid rule.”
“But she kept it none-the-less. Just because you don’t agree with your parents’ way of doing things, doesn’t mean you don’t respect their views. Or stop loving them. Just means as a grown up you have the option of disregarding them and going with your heart. Hence the two different commandments. ‘Children obey your parents’ in Ephesians, and the main one to ‘honor your father and mother’.”
“You know, you make a lot of sense.” Nate pulled her close. “You just have a different way of looking at things. Another reason I love you.” He kissed her nose.
The moon shone high in the sky, sending its silvery light down over the road as she kissed him back. Her fingers traced the outline of his jaw. “The full moon always reminds me of the poem about the highway man. You’d make a good one.”
“I’d make a good highwayman?” he asked, not sure whether to be astonished or horrified.
Her fingers trailed through his hair. “Yeah, with your dark wavy hair and rugged handsome looks.”
“You mean five o’clock shadow and bags under my eyes?”
“Yeah, them as well, but mainly your rugged, handsome looks.” She gasped as he picked her up and stood her on a bench. She immediately tried to climb down, her cheeks glowing, one booted foot sliding off the edge of the bench. “What are you doing? Let me down.”
“No, no stay there.” His hand held her in place. “Untie your hair.”
“I reckon the stress of work has finally gone to your head, but OK.” Adeline pulled the band from her hair, letting it flow over her shoulders.
Nate backed away a few steps.
A quizzical expression crossed her face. “What are you doing?”
“I’m the highwayman, and you’re Bess, the landlord’s daughter.”
“You’re mad, but all right.” She laughed as Nate first petted an invisible horse, then imitated climbing on to it, and galloped over to her.
Nate raised an imaginary whip and proceeded to rap on the shutters and as she pretended to open the window, he shot her the biggest grin he could manage. He recited the words of the poem, and then unable to reach to do the next part, he jumped up to stand on the bench beside her. He ran his fingers through her hair. It wasn’t black, so he changed the next line of the poem. “Sweet blonde waves in the moonlight,” he whispered, bending his face towards hers.
Adeline’s dark eyes sparkled in the moonlight as he touched her hair. She leaned into his touch. “Nate…”
“He kissed its waves in the moonlight.” He breathed in deep, taking in the scent of her shampoo and perfume, his hands running down her arms. “Adeline…” he whispered, kissing her hair, catching the top of her ear as well.
She shivered at his touch. “Is this where you gallop away to the west to be killed?”
“Not planning on it.” He tilted her head and brushed his lips gently over hers.
She pulled back. “Nate, please. We’re standing on a bench in the middle of a park.”
He backed off instantly. “You’re right, I’m sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking.” He got down and took her hand to help her down.
She jumped down off the bench, but didn’t let go of his hand. “Don’t be sorry. I didn’t say I didn’t want you to kiss me, just didn’t want to be on display.”
He glanced around them. “There’s no one else here. We’re alone in a park in the moonlight.” His breath hung in the crisp still night air. He pulled her close again. “Now we’re not standing on a bench, may I kiss you?” He moved closer, kissing her gently.
Not sure where she ended and he began, Nate felt the warmth of her body pressed against his, the gentle touch of her hands on his back and arms. He closed his eyes, setting aside conscious thought, and caught her bottom lip in his, deepening the kiss but keeping it gentle, showing her how much he loved her. His hands and arms wrapped themselves around her, pulling her as close to him as possible.
When they finally broke for air, Nate held on to her, his eyes not letting up from holding hers. His fingers gently caressed her face. “You OK?”
She nodded. “More than OK. It was amazing. You gave me goose bumps.” She tugged his hand and sat on the bench, pulling him down beside her. “Though my knees are decidedly weak and don’t want to take my weight anymore.”
Nate smiled, moving his fingers through her hair, not losing the eye contact. “You’re beautiful,” he said. He ran his thumb gently across her lips, noticing the way she shivered as he touched her. He brushed his lips against hers, his hands caressing her back and neck, aware of her taste, her scent, and the touch of her hands.
For a while nothing mattered as the two of them just sat lost in each other’s arms and the feelings they had for each other. Finally Nate pulled back and looked at her. “I love you, Adeline. I have honestly never felt about anyone the way I feel about you.”
Adeline laid a hand on top of his. “I love you, too. You make me feel complete, in a way I never thought possible.”
Nate was convinced she was the woman God intended him to spend the rest of his life with. It felt right in his heart, in that place where he spoke with God and prayed. He slid off the bench. Getting down on one knee, he took her hand and gazed up at her.
“Adeline, I love you, all of you. Would you do me the honor of marrying me?”
Her eyes widened. “Marry?”
“Yes, marry.” He let go of her hand and signed as he spoke. “Marry me, be my wife. You are my soul mate.”
Her face broke into a huge smile, and she signed a reply. “Yes, I’d love to marry you. But what about your mother? And the fact you’re titled and I’m not.”
“I don’t want you to marry my mother.” He sat and wrapped his arms around her. “I want you to marry me. And as for the title? I inherit it eventually. It won’t change who I am or where I live or what I do. Or who I love.”
****
Still walking on air, Adeline strolled up the path to her front door, Nate’s hand securely in hers. He loved her, all of her. She’d meet his parents properly tomorrow and then they could start planning the rest of their lives together. She unlocked her door. Before she had a chance to push it open, his arms were around her for a long, slow, tender kiss. Once more, her head spun and her whole body flamed. She hadn’t dreamed such feelings could be evoked from a kiss.
She waved goodbye an
d closed the front door. She unfastened Ben’s leash and hung it on the hook in the hallway. It slipped off and fell to the floor. She bent down and grabbed it. “No, you need to stay on the hook,” she told it, looping it over again. “There, that’s better. Now stay there.”
Ben ran over to something on the floor and sniffed at it, before backing away.
“What have you got there?” Adeline picked up the padded envelope with her name and address on it. Turning it over, she looked for a post mark or return address.
Ripping it open she reached inside, pulling out a clear plastic bag.
Terror flooded her.
The bag contained dried herbs.
She dropped the bag and fumbled for the latch. Her hands shook. Oh, God, please, don’t let him be in the house. Please let Nate be out there.
Nate was just getting into his car.
Running like the wind, Adeline left the house, screaming his name at the top of her lungs. “Nate!”
15
Over breakfast the following morning, Nate studied his fiancée across the table. His heart was full to bursting with so many different emotions. He fluctuated between ecstatic and worried and scared. As if, even now, something or someone might reach out and snatch away his happiness and chance of everlasting love.
Who had left the herbs? Was it a copycat? Was it just someone with a sick and ill-timed sense of humor? Or was there something more sinister going on?
But he had a sickening feeling they’d missed something. He had to get the Herbalist back in the interview room. The bag of herbs left at every murder had never been publicized. Nor would it be. But someone outside of the investigation team knew.
After Adeline had found the herbs, he’d brought her and Ben straight back to his house and sent a forensic team over to hers.
Preliminary results showed there had been no sign of forced entry and nothing had been touched. Even though it looked as if the envelope had just been shoved through the letter box, he wasn’t going to take any chances. The herbs were at the lab, and the envelope being dusted for fingerprints. His fervent prayer was that there would be some trace of DNA or something that would give them a lead.