by Playing
“No. It’ll pass. I’ve barely eaten today.”
“The babe?”
“Yes. Don’t look so worried.” She tried to make her voice playful. “Please don’t fuss over me. This is all perfectly normal, I’m sure.”
He didn’t look convinced, but took a deep breath. “Very well. We can reschedule supper, if you wish.”
“No. That won’t be necessary, Drew. I think I’m nervous as well, which doesn’t help.”
Christina returned several minutes later with a cup of hot, sweet tea. “Thank you, Christina.”
Christina lowered herself into a chair across from her. Her crystal blue eyes were filled with concern. “Do you need Doctor Morrison?”
“No. That’s unnecessary.”
Her nausea abated as she sipped the tea. When she finished the brew, she placed the cup on its saucer got to her feet. “We should be on our way, Drew. I’d hate to be late.”
“There’s no hurry, love. Take all the time you need.”
“I’m fine. Really. Now, shall we?” She eased her silk gloves over her fingers and turned to him. “I just wish to have this over and done.”
“I assure you, Heather, you’ve nothing to fear. They aren’t ogres, you know.” He turned to Christina. “Please tell her what my family’s like.”
Christina gave her a reassuring smile. “They’re perfectly lovely people, Heather. You’re working yourself into lather for nothing.”
For some reason, Christina’s attempt to reassure her fell flat. Although Christina wasn’t a rival, Heather wasn’t as comfortable with the situation as she originally thought.
She shoved the irritating thought from her mind, only to have it replaced by another, even worse, thought.
Drew had yet to profess any sort of love for her, any sort of feelings for her at all. His proposal was the result of a strong sense of honor, of responsibility. He was a gentleman. That was the only reason —
No!
She managed to hold back her wince even as a sharp pain sliced through her skull. No, she wouldn’t think that way. She couldn’t. It hurt too much to think about.
Drew’s hand at the small of her back brought her back to the present. “Shall we?”
Forcing a smile to her lips, she looked up at him. “Yes. Good evening, Christina.”
Christina gave her a warm smile. “Good luck, Heather. And smile. They’ll love you.”
Heather’s palms felt clammy through her white gloves as they rolled up the curving drive to the front door of Stonebridge. The windows blazed with welcoming golden light, but did nothing to ease her nervous stomach.
Drew curled his fingers about hers to lift her hand to his lips. “Are you certain you don’t need a doctor?”
She wasn’t certain at all. How was she to know if she needed a doctor or not? Either way, she didn’t want him hovering over her any more than he already did. That would be a dead giveaway and she wanted to keep her condition a secret until after they were safely wed.
“I’m fine, Drew. Now please, stop fussing over me. You’re going to raise eyebrows if you don’t.”
They rocked to a halt and he reached for the door handle. “I apologize, Heather. This is all new for me as well.”
His admission brought her a sense of relief as he descended from the carriage. It was nice, knowing she was the first for something where he was concerned.
She slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow, allowing him to help her down. Stonebridge rose above them like a silent stone sentry, imposing and cold despite the soft light glowing in several windows.
Her belly rolled over with agonizing slowness, but she didn’t hesitate as Drew guided her up the walk toward the white stone portico.
Inside, beautiful crystal chandeliers aglow with flickering white candles bathed everything in buttery golden light.
A narrow staircase loomed directly across from the double front doors, and a dark haired woman paused on the second to last step. She shifted the small girl in her arms, and grinned at them.
“I was wondering what this family supper was all about,” the woman said in a light, teasing voice. “Megan, give Uncle Drew a kiss.”
The dark-haired girl smiled, her even darker eyes luminous as she reached for him. “Unkie!”
He laughed as he accepted the little girl, squeezing her and crooning, “How’s my little angel?”
Heather melted as she watched him with the child. He seemed so comfortable holding Megan, and the little girl certainly seemed enthralled by her uncle. She screeched with delight as he tossed her into the air, then caught her to blow into her neck.
“Who’s that?” Megan demanded, pointing at Heather.
He ruffled his niece’s hair. “That, princess, is Heather.” His eyes flicked to Megan’s mother. “Emma, I’d like to introduce you to Heather Morgan. Heather, this is my sister, Emma McCallister.”
Emma’s smile widened as she turned to Heather. “Ah, finally! It’s about time he’s brought you by. I’ve been going mad with curiosity about you. Simply mad. How wonderful to finally get to meet you!”
Emma seemed so warm, so friendly, that Heather was at ease with her at once. “I feel the same. He’s told me so much about his family, I feel as if I already know you.”
“Well, at least he wasn’t tightlipped about us. He certainly has been about you. If it weren’t for Garrett, we most likely wouldn’t know you even existed.” Emma’s eyes, the same deep blue as both of her brothers, danced with merriment as she turned to him. “You should be ashamed of yourself, Drew, for not bringing her around sooner.”
He chuckled, tossing Megan. “I wanted to surprise everyone.”
“Well, mission accomplished.” She linked her arm through Heather’s. “Come along now, and don’t be shy. Everyone is waiting in the dining room. I had to go change this little moppet.” She tweaked a lock of baby-fine black hair and tickled her daughter’s neck.
“Why didn’t you hand her to Julian?” Drew trailed behind them as Emma steered Heather down the narrow hallway.
Heather’s attention wandered, as did her gaze, along the corridor. Beautiful paintings adorned the pale blue walls. Mostly landscapes, but she smiled when she saw several seascapes as well. Apparently a love for the sea was felt by more than one McKenzie. Emma pulled her into cozy parlor, where most of Drew’s family awaited them.
Drew gave Megan one last kiss before passing her back to Emma. Then, he pressed a hand into the small of Heather’s back. “Good evening, all.”
A dark-haired man with dark eyes sat in a dark green leather chair near the fireplace. He looked up, smiling. “I thought we were going to have to start without you.”
“I’m afraid we were a bit delayed, as you can see. I apologize for our tardiness.” Drew flushed and cleared his throat. “I would like to introduce you to Heather Morgan.” He smiled down at Heather. “Now, pay attention, Heather. You will be tested on this later.”
She cast a glance around the room, recognizing Julian and Garrett from their encounter at Eagleton’s office. Seated on the sofa, a needlepoint in her hands, sat a willowy red-haired woman who looked vaguely familiar, but Heather couldn’t quite place her. She assumed the man on the sofa was James McKenzie, but couldn’t be certain. As for the remaining women, seated with the red-haired woman, she could only assume they were Drew’s mother and another sister.
Drew pointed to each family member, starting with the man she thought was his father. “My father, James McKenzie. The young lady seated beside him is my sister, Mary. You’ve just met Emma and her daughter, Keely. Garrett’s wife, Katherine, is there on the end.”
He smiled at the woman seated nearest to them. She was petite and slender, with snowy white hair and blue eyes. “My mother, Rebecca. My brother, Garrett. Emma’s husband, Julian.”
Heather offered up a pleasant smile. “It’s wonderful to finally meet you all. Drew’s spoken of you so often, as I said to Emma, I feel as if I already know you.”
; Each one of them replied in kind, with a friendly — if curious — smile. Drew guided her to an empty chaise.
Katherine McKenzie reached for the silver tea urn. “Would you care for some tea?”
“Thank you.” Heather accepted the cup and sat back. Hopefully, the tea would settle her stomach. Of course, it wasn’t quite so upset now. Everyone seemed friendly enough.
By the time Drew escorted her into the dining room, Heather’s stomach was settled. He showed her to her chair, then settled in the chair across from her, and offered up a reassuring smile.
Everyone else took their seats, and the chatter resumed. The McKenzie family was a noisy one, with playful arguments and frequent admonitions from the elder members of the family.
Katherine leaned over to nudge her. “Interesting group, wouldn’t you say?”
She smiled at the willowy redhead. Katherine looked very familiar, but she still couldn’t quite place her. Still, she recognized the soft English accent and said, “Where are you from?”
Katherine’s smile was wistful. “London. I’ve only been here just over a year. And you?”
“London as well.”
“Heather Morgan,” Katherine mused, sipping her wine. “You aren’t, by any chance, related to Susan Morgan, are you?”
Heather felt a familiar pang. “Yes, actually. She was my mother. Did you know her?”
“Not very well, I am afraid. I just recall hearing her name in relation to one of the Season’s biggest balls.”
“Oh, yes. That was my mother’s doing. Were you ever able to attend one?”
“I was invited but it was not meant to be.” Katherine’s reply was dusted with wistfulness, and Heather didn’t miss the flicker of sadness in her eyes.
Rebecca McKenzie set down her wine goblet as she turned to Heather. “So, Miss Morgan, how long have you been in Brunswick?”
She turned to Drew’s mother. “Only a few weeks now. Brunswick is quite a change from London, but it’s becoming home.”
“And where are you staying?”
“I’ve been staying with Christina Anderson. She is a close friend.”
Rebecca nodded, glancing up as a large woman with white hair bustled into the room. “Ah, Martha, wonderful.”
All talk ceased as serving bowls and platters were passed around the table. Silverware chinked against the fine china dishes and plates as everyone prepared their evening meal.
Though her stomach protested at the very thought of eating, Heather made a good show of placing a slice of rare beef, a helping of roasted potatoes, and a spoonful of carrots on her plate.
“So Drew, do tell,” Mary said as the serving dishes were set down for a last time. “Why the need to gather all of us together?”
Drew gave Heather a smile. “I wanted everyone to meet Heather. After all, everyone is bound to find out with the way news travels in Brunswick.”
James’s eyes narrowed. “Find out about the news? What news? What the devil does that mean?”
Drew grinned at his father, then back at Heather. “Well, find out I’ve asked her to marry me, of course.”
Several forks clattered against china, and Rebecca McKenzie’s eyes bulged as she stared first at Drew, then at Heather. Garrett swore, Emma scolded him for using such language in front of the baby, and Katherine choked on her wine.
Meanwhile, Heather had to fight to keep from staring down at her plate. Her cheeks burned, her entire face seemed to fill with steam, growing hot from the stares, and her stomach began churning madly.
Rebecca broke the silence as she turned to Heather, tears glistening in her eyes. “You’ve accepted this proposal?”
She nodded, unable to hold back her own smile as her gaze met Drew’s. “I have.”
“How wonderful!” Rebecca clasped both hands over her mouth as she rose from her chair to embrace her son. “Oh Drew, congratulations!”
“Thank you, Momma.”
She scurried about the table to engulf Heather in a crushing embrace. “Welcome to our family, Heather.”
This set off a flood of congratulations. Everyone seemed shocked by the announcement, but genuinely thrilled as well.
All except one person.
James McKenzie remained in his seat, scowling as he turned to his son. “Might I have a word with you, Drew?”
Drew turned to him. “Why?”
“Alone, please.”
“Very well.” He turned back to face everyone at the table. “If you will excuse me a moment.”
James pushed back from the table to gesture to the door. Drew also rose and followed him into the hallway.
An uncomfortable silence descended as James pulled the doors closed. Garrett cleared his throat. “Well, perhaps we should begin?”
“Garrett!” Katherine looked appalled by her husband’s suggestion.
“Garrett!” Rebecca echoed, pressing a hand to her mouth, but not before Heather caught a glimpse of a smile.
“I’m hungry,” Garrett grouched, scowling at the dishes on the table. “And Drew’s the one in trouble, not the rest of us, so why should we have to eat cold food with him?”
It was Mary’s turn to gasp. “Garrett!”
Heather bit back a smile as Katherine made an odd harrumph sort of sound and reached for her goblet. “The world won’t end if you have to wait, Garrett McKenzie.”
Heather did the same. She wasn’t particularly thirsty, but didn’t know what else to do with her hands. Emma lifted Keely from her chair. “This little moppet doesn’t need to be in the middle of this family drama. I’ll ask Joan to feed her in the nursery.”
“Supper is not usually this chaotic,” Julian turned to Heather. “And sometimes, it’s even worse.”
“We aren’t that bad,” Rebecca corrected him. “But tonight, it seems we are.”
With that, the doors opened and Drew and James returned. Both men smiled and Drew offered Heather a wink as he tugged his chair away from the table. Like that, the tension burst and James said, “Now, shall we hope supper isn’t cold?”
“Is everything as it should be?” Rebecca looked as if she expected both men to leap at one another and grapple in the middle of the dining table.
“Everything is fine, Momma.” Drew lifted his wine glass and tossed a wink at Heather. “Perfectly fine.”
After supper, the family retired to the library, where champagne was opened and crystal flutes passed around. Then everyone took turns offering toasts to the happy couple. In between toasts, Rebecca began discussing plans for a celebratory ball.
“We should set to work at once. I’ll have to go over my guest list,” she said to Heather, sipping her champagne, “And have invitations readied, but I think we can manage to pull it all together in no time. We’ll manage.”
Heather smiled at Rebecca, who seemed genuinely happy for them. She wasn’t so certain about James; he seemed a bit wary at the thought of his youngest son marrying. She supposed it had something to do with the debacle with Bridget, but still did nothing to make her feel any better.
However, they were a warm, loving family and she looked forward to being a part of it.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Drew sighed, his fingers gliding over Heather’s hair as she lay quietly in his arms. It was night and they were beyond anyone’s prying eyes, lying on the bank of the Raritan River, enjoying the peaceful solitude of the thick woods all around.
They had time before they were to arrive at Stonebridge for the betrothal ball, so he had whisked her from Christina’s for a romantic interlude. As things were going to become hectic, he was determined to savor whatever peace he could find.
It was perfect — a perfect beautiful night, with a full, silver-white moon glowing and thousands of stars twinkling against the blackness of the sky. Even the water seemed to have slowed to a lazy flow. A gentle, warm breeze wafted rustled through the trees as he tugged the light blanket over them.
She lifted her head as his hand went still. “What are you think
ing about?”
He smiled. “Truth?”
“Truth.”
“I don’t want to move. I’d rather just lay here, like this, with you.” His fingers moved again. Up. Down. His strokes were rhythmic. “I was thinking how your eyes remind me of that sky — so deep and endless. A man could lose himself in your eyes, Heather. I can think of no better place to get lost.”
She smiled. “You are good, Drew. Very good.”
Laughter bubbled up as he curled his fingers to brush against his chest. “I’ve had years of practice.”
“Why am I not surprised?”
He rolled over to pin her beneath him. “You have nothing to worry about, Heather Morgan. Those days are far behind me now.” He brushed her lips with a soft kiss. “Far, far behind me.”
She trailed her fingertips up over his back. “Are they?”
“Most definitely.” He fell silent, but only for a few minutes before continuing with, “I love you, Heather. I know I should’ve said it sooner, but you were right. I was afraid. Terribly afraid.”
She gazed up at him. Her eyes glittered in the silver light, and her gaze was more serious than he’d ever seen. “I know. I know what happened with Bridget. You have nothing to fear, Andrew McKenzie. I will never hurt you.” She paused and took a deep breath. “When you were in the grips of that fever and first told me you loved me, it made me so happy. But then, when your fever broke, and you never made mention of saying anything. I thought, perhaps you meant Bridget. That you thought I was Bridget.”
He stared down at her. How did she know about his dream? “So, that did happen?”
A small furrow appeared between her narrow brows as she frowned. “So what happened?”
“I thought it was a dream, Heather. An incredible dream, really. I told you I loved you and you said it right back.” He shook his head slowly, his confusion melting away as he grinned. “But, I wasn’t dreaming, was I?”
“No, Drew. It wasn’t a dream.”
“And all this time, I thought that was a wonderful dream I’d had.” He leaned close to nibble her neck. “Why didn’t you say anything before now?”
He flicked his tongue against the shell of her ear. She shivered, snuggling into him. “Mmm…you weren’t the only one who was afraid. I was too afraid to say anything…”