Moriah's Landing Bundle

by Amanda Stevens

  Seconds later, Brie glimpsed Geoffrey Pierce outside striding away, his face suffused with bitter anger.

  “See if you can get hold of Katherine Ridgemont, Nancy,” Drew said tersely. “She goes by the name of Kat most of the time and has a detective agency here in town. I want her to look into this secret society for me.”

  “But I already have investigators—”

  “Your people are being stonewalled and we both know it. We need an insider. Give Kat a call. She was my sister’s friend. She’ll help if she can. Have you seen Carey?”

  “You mean today?”

  “Today, yesterday, the day before? He’s avoiding my calls.”

  “Uh, no. I haven’t seen him since I came back.”

  Nancy was lying. Brie had seen the two of them together in the garden only yesterday. They had looked so intimate she hadn’t approached. She’d meant to ask Drew if the two of them had developed a personal relationship.

  Their voices trailed off as they exited into the garden. Brie heard Maureen’s voice outside raised in greeting.

  Brie stared around at the unpleasantly hot, humid room, crowded with creeping, sprawling plants, and shuddered.

  Pressure filled the air. It had been building for days now. Brie had blamed it on the tropical storm slowly moving up the coast, but now, she wondered. She could almost believe malignant forces were gathering over Moriah’s Landing in anticipation of some evil event.

  She forced herself to walk, not run, toward the door and freedom from the disturbing room. But the brooding sensation didn’t abate in the sunlight. Something evil was out of sight, lurking, watching, waiting.

  “Brianna, there you are. Your friend Rebecca is a wonder. She’s handled those designers with the skill of a diplomat. The rest of your new wardrobe arrived this afternoon and just in time. Did Drew tell you we’re having dinner with the governor and his wife tonight?”

  Harsh lines bracketed Drew’s mouth and eyes. There was still a dark flush to his skin, and the vein in his neck throbbed with anger that hadn’t yet found a release.

  “I haven’t had a chance to mention it, Mother,” he muttered. “We haven’t even had five minutes to say hello yet today.”

  She tipped her head, trying to ease his tension. “Hello.”

  He didn’t smile. “Don’t let my mother roll over you, Brie. We don’t even have to go if you’d rather not.”

  “Of course you must! I am not trying to roll over anyone, but Andrew, you know your father will be very upset—”

  “It’s all right, Maureen,” Brie said soothingly. “I’d be delighted to meet the governor.” And seeing the anger still simmering in Drew’s eyes, she added. “And if it will ease Drew’s worry, I’ll promise not to even mention that ridiculous tax bill the man is proposing.”

  Drew’s expression lightened slowly, but Maureen uttered a tiny sound of dismay. While laughter lines suddenly crinkled around his eyes as he recognized her tease for what it was, his mother chirped away about how certain topics must not be discussed.

  “I did warn you, Mother. Brie has a mind of her own. A good mind. The governor could learn a lot from talking with her. This should prove to be a very interesting dinner.”

  “Good heavens,” Maureen whispered.

  Brie relaxed as she and Drew shared a private smile. Perhaps, just perhaps, Drew didn’t share his uncle’s view of their coming marriage.

  THE BREWING STORM drew energy into itself until it attained the rating of a full-scale hurricane. Weather reports became the main topic of conversation as slowly the storm drifted closer to the Eastern seaboard.

  The morning of the wedding was overcast and more muggy than usual. The tropical smell in the air would have felt right at home inside the Pierce family solarium. Brie and her mother were using a guest bedroom to dress, when they found themselves alone for the first time in days. Her mother looked radiant in a sinfully pretty dress of pale yellow.

  “Brie, I’m glad we have a moment. I haven’t wanted to say anything because I know how much you love Drew. He’s a marvelous father, but I sense you have doubts about this wedding. I just want you to know it’s not too late to change your mind.”

  She had doubts, all right. Major doubts had been chipping away at her sleep and gnawing holes in her stomach. A sham of a wedding, his uncle had called it, and he was right. Drew loved his daughter, but Brie knew if it hadn’t been for Nicole, Drew wouldn’t be waiting with the minister for her right now.

  Was she fooling herself that she could make this marriage work for them when half the town seemed to be aware that Drew didn’t love her? But without the Pierce money, her mother would die. Besides, her daughter needed her father’s love. The bond between them had taken no time to develop. Nicole adored Drew and he clearly felt the same. Brie had to make it work, whatever the cost.

  “I don’t want to change my mind, Mom.”

  There was a knock on the door and Carey stuck his head around the corner. “All set? We need to go downstairs. It’s time for the mother of the bride to be seated.”

  Brie felt strangely isolated as Carey led her mother away. Elizabeth and Kat fussed over the children, waiting for their cue.

  “Brianna?”

  Startled, she found Yvette standing beside her.

  “Yvette! I’m so glad you came.” There hadn’t been all that many names on the bride’s list. “You need to walk—”

  “I brought you something.”

  She opened her hand to reveal a pair of delicate crystal earrings. Captivated, Brie lifted one. “They’re lovely.”

  “I know you aren’t into crystals or metaphysical items, but when I saw these…there is supposed to be power in certain crystals. These are for you. For luck.”

  Touched, Brie reached up and removed her grandmother’s pearl studs, replacing them with the bits of glittering glass. “Would you hold on to these for me until after the ceremony? I don’t have anywhere to put them right now.”

  Yvette smiled and whisked the pearls into the pocket of her long red skirt. “I won’t mislay them.”

  “I know you won’t.” She touched the back of Yvette’s hand. The woman’s features suddenly clouded. Brie had the feeling that Yvette was looking past her, into some vision only she could see.

  “Yvette, are you okay?” While the rational part of her knew much of what Yvette did was an act, there was still something almost serenely mystical about the other woman. At moments like this, it was hard not to believe in Yvette’s abilities.

  “The future changes as each path is chosen. Trust your instincts, Brianna.”

  Brie nodded. “I am.”

  DREW STOOD BEFORE THE CROWD. He watched his daughter and Brandon lead the procession. Pamela Dudley caught his eye from her seat in the front row. They shared a smile at the picture the solemn youngsters made. Then Nicole saw him waiting. A broad smile split her face and a tension he hadn’t known he felt eased inside him.

  “Hi, Daddy! Did I do it right?”

  A heart really could swell. Departing from the script, he went forward and gave his daughter a quick hug. “You did it perfectly,” he whispered. “You, too, Brandon.”

  The boy beamed. The children were quickly escorted to their places as Kat and Elizabeth followed them down the makeshift aisle. Then Brie stepped onto the path.

  She glowed with a soft radiance. She held her head proudly high, her face utterly serene. The palest of yellow rosebuds and baby’s breath adorned her hair, complementing the flowers she carried in her hands. Her dress was elegant in its sheer simplicity.

  If Brie had expected fairies in the clearing the other day, he half expected them now. Surely they would be here to watch their queen’s marriage to a mere mortal. As their gazes locked, a strange sense of peace settled over him. He wasn’t aware he’d moved from his brother’s side until he’d taken her hand and led her the rest of the way.

  “Daddy, you were supposed to wait over there,” his daughter scolded.

  “Sorry, sw
eetheart, I forgot.”

  “That’s okay.”

  Everyone smiled as they joined the minister under the trellis of roses and ivy. Everyone except Carey. Drew filed that puzzle away for later. His attention centered on Brie, the minister, and vow he was about to make.

  THEY WERE MARRIED. The fact seemed as unreal as the people swirling around Brie. Her feet hurt and her face was stiff from smiling. Famous people, from politicians, to the movers and shakers in the business world, to some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry had attended her wedding. Thankfully, Drew hadn’t left her side—until she finally escaped to the blissful solitude of the bathroom. Her image displayed no sign of the exhaustion tugging at her. She wandered back outside reluctantly, pleased to find Elizabeth and Kat standing nearby chatting with Becca. These were her guests. Her friends.

  “Brie, you look like you need something to drink. Here.”

  Brie accepted the glass of sparkling water Elizabeth handed her with a grateful smile.

  “You’re a mind reader. I was dying of thirst.”

  “The wedding was perfect.”

  “Do you think so?”

  “Absolutely, though I think you were upstaged by your daughter. She melted every heart in the yard when she called Drew Daddy.”

  “They were adorable,” Claire agreed, drifting over to join them.

  Brie hugged her friend tightly, happy to see Claire finally looking so well after all this time. “I am so glad you came today.”

  “Me, too.” She glanced around nervously at the huge crowd of people. “You look like a princess, Brie.”

  “Thanks to Becca,” she agreed, smiling at the woman who stood on the fringe of their circle. “Come over and join us.”

  Kat snagged a passing waiter carrying a tray of champagne. “We need these. I want to propose a toast.”

  The others accepted glasses of the wildly expensive vintage and waited.

  “To old friends and new ones,” Kat said, including Becca with a warm smile. “May the future draw us close together once more.”

  “Hear, hear,” Elizabeth agreed.

  “And to friends who are gone, but never forgotten,” Claire added shyly.

  Their thoughts turned to Tasha as Claire had intended. The five of them clinked glasses and drank a pledge to deepen the bond they had forged. Through a gap in the crowd Brie found Drew watching, a smile of approval lighting his eyes.

  She touched an earring lightly and thought Yvette might have been right. There might indeed be something of power in these tiny glass shards. Maybe this wasn’t a perfect marriage, but it didn’t have to be a sham. They liked each other and there was no denying their powerful chemistry. It would be enough. She would make it be enough.

  Drew turned away from Brie reluctantly. His wife, he thought in satisfaction, would be there later. Right now he was determined not to let Carey elude him again. “We need to talk, friend.”

  “Later.”

  “You’ve been saying that for two weeks.”

  “You’ve been busy for two weeks.”

  Carey wouldn’t meet his eyes. “Not that busy. You’re avoiding me. Are the rumors true?”

  “Which rumors? This town has so many it’s hard to keep track.”

  “Carey, I know you’re in trouble. Let me help.”

  To his shock, Carey’s expression turned bitter. “Good old Drew, always there with a hand for a friend. Did it ever occur to you that I might actually be able to solve my own problems? You want to play big brother, go find Zach.”

  “Excuse me, Carey,” William Pierce interrupted, totally unaware of the undercurrent. “Senator LaFleur needs to speak with Drew before he has to leave. Will you excuse us?”

  “Gladly.”

  Drew reluctantly allowed himself to be led over to a group of politicians and their wives. Even as he smiled and chatted, he wondered at Carey’s bitterness. Drew hated the suspicion crawling around in his head. But he couldn’t shake it loose. What if Carey had known he was about to be disinherited? What if he’d conspired with Ursula Manning to pretend she’d been kidnapped to gain the ransom money?

  Carey was a playboy. Drew didn’t want to believe he was a thief.

  With absolutely no warning, a woman’s shrill scream sent him spinning toward Brie.

  Chapter Twelve

  Brie reached for Claire as the glass slipped from her fingers, showering them all with champagne.

  “No, no, no, no!”

  With shocking strength, she tore from Brie’s grasp. Claire raced blindly toward the solarium, her face a rictus mask of terror. Dogs were barking furiously.

  Brie glanced over her shoulder. Her gaze landed on David Bryson. Dressed in black as always, he stood beside a large ornamental shrub watching Security chase two fleeing figures. She was absolutely certain David wasn’t on the guest list, but she couldn’t worry about his presence right now. She hurried after Claire. By the time she reached her friend, Claire was curled tightly in a ball behind the tall fern tree, rocking and weeping silently. Elizabeth dropped to the floor beside her, keeping her voice soft and gentle as she murmured to Claire and stroked her rigid body.

  “What happened?” Drew asked at Brie’s side.

  “I don’t know.” Her own cheeks were damp with tears. She hadn’t even known she was crying. “We were just talking. Suddenly she started screaming.”

  Cullen began clearing the room and Brie leaned into Drew gratefully as he slid an arm around her shoulders. “He’s here, isn’t he? The person who hurt her?”

  “Shh.” Drew glanced around quickly to be sure no one had overheard. “We don’t know that. She’s been ill a long time, Brie. Maybe someone or something reminded her of the kidnapping. You told me yourself you weren’t sure Claire could handle being in such a large group.”

  “But her reaction—”

  “Ambulance is on the way,” Kat said, walking over to them. Jonah Ries had an arm wrapped possessively around Kat’s waist, but his features were grim.

  “Security nabbed two men who came in over the wall with an arsenal of smoke bombs, spray paint, knives—”

  “Razz and Dodie,” Brie said immediately.

  “I’ll wring their necks,” Drew promised.

  She gripped his arm. Her eyes went to Claire, who lay rigid and unmoving in Elizabeth’s arms. “You don’t think…?”

  Cullen joined them and followed her gaze. A hard, professional mask settled over his features. “I’ll find out what those two were doing here.” His jaw set. “You’ll press charges?”

  “Absolutely,” Drew agreed.

  “Besides Razz and Dodie, do any of you know who Claire was looking at right before she screamed?”

  Kat stepped forward. “I was facing the same direction. There were a number of people in our direct line of sight. Anton Pierce was talking with Anita Lovett, the movie star, and her husband. Brie’s mother, Nicole and Brandon, Zach and Em were also standing there. Carey Eldrich and Nancy Bell were having a conversation with a man I didn’t recognize. And Leland Manning, Geoffrey Pierce, Mayor Thane, his aide and two other men I didn’t recognize were clustered together to the right of them.”

  “You saw all this?” Cullen asked in amazement.

  “I was sort of keeping an eye on the situation.” She shrugged. “You know, in case Dr. Manning had learned that Carey was having an affair with his wife. I didn’t want any trouble.”

  Brie’s gaze returned to Claire. Her friend’s pain was horrible to witness. Brie felt so cold she wondered if she would ever feel warm again.

  FULL DARK DESCENDED before Brie entered Drew’s “cottage.” She was too tired to do more than note it was a mirror image of the one she’d been sharing with her mother.

  “Make yourself at home,” Drew told her. “Staff should have put your wardrobe in the master bedroom down that hall. I want to have a word with the security man outside, then I’ll be right in.”

  Since Razz and Dodie had been captured, there could only be
one reason for the strong security measures being taken to guard the cottages tonight. Drew didn’t think the danger was over.

  She made her way down the hall, feeling numb all over. Two steps into the master bedroom she halted. A small crystal lamp glowed softly. The bed had been turned down. An exquisite red rose and a foil-wrapped square of expensive chocolate lay on each pillow. A bottle of champagne sat chilling in a crystal ice bucket on a stand beside the bed. Two fluted crystal glasses rested on the nightstand. The scent of roses wafted from a large vase on the mahogany dresser, spilling over with the deep red blooms. Soft music played from invisible speakers. And a filmy blue peignoir she’d never seen before had been laid out at the foot of the bed.

  “Brie? Is something—” Drew came to a stop at her back, surveying the scene “—wrong?” He uttered a whispered oath. He walked over and lifted the filmy bit of nylon and lace. Brie saw he’d already removed his tie and unbuttoned the top three buttons on his shirt. He looked unbearably sexy. “Nice. But hardly subtle.”

  “Are you saying this wasn’t your doing?”

  Ruefully, he shook his head. “Probably I should have thought to have champagne waiting, but it never occurred to me.”

  “Then who?”

  Drew shrugged. “My mother?”

  “Your mother!”

  He looked down at the peignoir and shook his head. “You’re right. This isn’t exactly her style, is it?” He dropped the gown onto the bed and began shrugging out of the tuxedo jacket.

  Brie inhaled a shaky breath, not certain what to do or where to look. Was he planning to get undressed right here in front of her? Her gaze landed on two large suitcases. “Drew?”

  “It’s okay. I had them packed for our honeymoon. You’re still pretty rocky, aren’t you? It’s been a long day.”

  A rushing sound seemed to fill her head. “What honeymoon? We aren’t going on a honeymoon.”

  “Well, not now we aren’t,” he said wryly. He raked his fingers through his hair. “Our flight to Bermuda was canceled this evening. Seems that storm is playing havoc with air travel.”

  “You planned a honeymoon?”