A Touch of Passion (boxed set romance bundle)

by Uvi Poznansky

  She moaned and when she realized that he was getting out of bed, she raised her voice. “Hey, that’s not fair, to get me in this state and then leave me.”

  “You said you didn’t want to make love when we are having an argument.”

  “You weren’t supposed to make me want to make love. That’s playing dirty.”

  He chuckled and grabbed his robe. “See you at breakfast.”

  She watched him disappear through the door that led to their shared bathroom.

  “Well,” she huffed. “That won’t happen again, if I can help it.” But what she would do to prevent it, she didn’t know.

  Nellie got out of bed and went to the bathing room, cleaned her face and hands, then walked to her dressing room and prepared for the day. She took extra care, dressed in one of her new day dresses, with a slender crinoline hoop underneath. This one was not as wide and full as her older dresses and she much preferred it. She had ordered several new day dresses, with short, fitted jackets, in the new style.

  She pinched her cheeks for color, put up her hair in a bun at the nape of her neck and left to have breakfast with Blake before the children and Bertha awoke.

  Much to her surprise, she was the last one to arrive at the breakfast table. James helped seat her and brought her morning cup of coffee.

  She looked over at Blake, who was helping Violet put jam on her toast. He was so good with her little girl, she had to smile. He’d be a wonderful father to their new baby.

  “What do you say to your mother, Violet? Henry?” he said to the children.

  “Good morning, Mama,” the two kids said simultaneously.

  “Good morning, my loves.” Nellie got up went to each of her children and gave them a hug and kiss, then returned to her chair.

  She gazed at Blake, who smiled and had the audacity to wink. He knew. Knew she wanted to talk more this morning and couldn’t because she was late, or the children were early. Either way, she was foiled from discussing Maddie or making love.

  “What are your plans for the day, my dear?” asked Blake.

  “I’m staying home and giving the children their lessons today. Then I think we’ll spend the afternoon outside, and tomorrow perhaps have a picnic. Would you care to join us?”

  “Perhaps. I’ll see if I can work that into my schedule.” He put his napkin on the table, rose, and leaned down to give her a kiss.

  She angled up her cheek, but he took his index finger and gently turned her face. He lowered his head and took her lips with his in a full-blown kiss.

  “No more cheek kisses for us, Mrs. Malone.”

  She swore his eyes twinkled with mischief, waiting for her to nay-say him.

  Bertha and Violet both giggled. Henry groaned and looked away.

  Nellie’s cheeks felt on fire. “Yes, Mr. Malone. Nothing but passion for us.”

  He laughed. “Oh, Nellie, you do please me.”

  He left.

  Nellie wondered just what had happened. This day was turning out to be most unusual.

  “Henry, if you’re finished with your breakfast, go to your room and prepare for your lessons. We’re studying history today. Specifically, the history of San Francisco because that’s where we live now.”

  “Yes, ma’am. Mama, when can I go down to the wharf and actually see the ships come in?”

  She remembered his excitement about the ships when they first arrived and was glad to hear he was still interested in them. “We have to wait until Blake can take us. It’s not the kind of place that a woman and children should go alone.”

  “But we arrived alone and were down there.”

  The boy was right. “That was different. We were not alone. If you remember we had Annie and Cora with us and the captain made sure we got in the cabs to the hotel without incident.”

  He hung his head. “Alright, but could you ask Blake to take us? Please?”

  “Yes, I will ask Blake. Now go on upstairs. I’ll be up as soon as I finish breakfast.” Because of her condition, she didn’t try to eat more than dry toast and coffee, afraid anything else wouldn’t stay down. No sooner had she thought it than her breakfast decided to come back up and she ran for the vase under the window.

  “Mama?” yelled Henry. “Are you alright?” The fear in his voice tore at her heart.

  “Yes, sweetheart,” she said after wiping her mouth on the handkerchief she kept tucked up her sleeve. “I’m fine. James, please see that there are containers in every room that I might be sick in.”

  “Yes, ma’am. Are you well?”

  She brightened. “Yes, perfectly. I’m expecting a child.”

  James smiled.

  The first she’d seen from him and the gesture made his eyes shine.

  “Congratulations, ma’am. It will be wonderful to have a new baby in the house. Some of us will have to get used to it, but the staff is enjoying the children. I thought you should know that.”

  “Thank you, James. I’m pleased to hear it.”

  “I shall see to the containers at once.” He turned and left the room.

  “A baby!” said Bertha, coming over to Nellie. “Oh, how wonderful. I wondered how long it would take for you to get with child. Not long, as it turns out.” She leaned down and gave Nellie a hug.

  “What’s with child mean?” asked Violet.

  “It means that you’re going to have a baby sister or,” said Nellie. “Maybe another brother, but this time you’ll be the big sister.”

  She scrunched her face and closed her eyes, then said, “Long as I’m the big sister, it’s okay if it’s a brother.”

  Nellie turned to her son. “What about you Henry? Do you want a brother this time?”

  “Oh, yes, Mama, I’d like a brother very much.”

  “Well, we’ll try, but I can’t guarantee what the baby will be. You understand?”

  “I know, but I’m crossing my fingers for a boy.”

  Nellie secretly hoped the baby was a boy as well. Blake would do well with another son, one to carry his name and she hoped one that looked just like him, with his black hair and beautiful gray eyes.

  She knew for sure the she would never separate Blake from his child. Going back east to live with Edward, though it may be advantageous for the children, was not even a consideration now. There was more to life, to success, than money. There was love that only a family can give, learning life’s hard lessons though working for it and not having it handed to you. Henry would grow up with the best education money could buy, but he would also get the education of the street, of working with Blake and Nick, when he was old enough at the emporium, not the saloon.

  She had her answer for Mr. Balfour. She penned a note asking the attorney to come to the house, and had Otis take it to the Hotel Francisco where Mr. Balfour was staying.

  ❋

  Blake entered his office and wasn’t surprised to find Maddie already there, draped on the divan he had in there for when he used to sleep there. Since he’d married Nellie he always made sure he was home at night.

  “What do you want, Maddie?”

  “Blake, darling, I heard about Nellie’s little accident and want to make sure she’s alright. We wouldn’t want anything to happen to your little bride, now would we?”

  He watched her as she checked her nails while talking. Was Nellie right? Could Maddie have tried to kill her?

  “You’re supposed to be working at night. What are you doing here today?”

  “Oh, I changed with Trixie. She was glad to be back to working the same hours as Nicky and I knew you wouldn’t mind.”

  “What if I do mind?” He shuffled papers on his desk to avoid watching her. “What if I don’t want to work with you anymore, Maddie? What then?”

  She sat up. “You’re not serious.” She sashayed over to where he sat behind his desk and perched on the edge of the great piece of mahogany furniture, facing him. “Of course you want to work with me. Why, if I didn’t change my hours, we’d never get to see each other.”
<
br />   “Of course. What could I be thinking?” He waited, letting the sarcasm of his tone sink in, but either it went over her head or she ignored it.

  Instead, she ran her fingernail along his jaw. “Darling, I know it’s difficult but we’ll be together again soon. You’ll see.”

  Together again soon? He jerked his head away. “I don’t think so, Maddie. I want to be with Nellie. She’s having my baby.”

  “What?” she screeched and jumped off the desk. “A baby? I can see you’ve been going at it like bunnies if she’s with child already.”

  “Calm down, Maddie.”

  “I won’t calm down,” she shouted and waved a hand in the air. “What about us? What does a baby have to do with us?”

  “There…is…no…us. There never was an us.” Narrowing his gaze, he leaned back in his chair. “All you and I did was scratch each other’s itch. No more, no less. There is me and Nellie, now.”

  “No.” She marched to the desk, slammed her hands on it and leaned toward him. “You said we’d still be together, even after you married this bride you ordered. You promised—”

  Blake leaned his forearms on the desk, irritation clipping his words. “I never promised anything.”

  “You did.” She paced in front of the desk. “You said after she came, it was possible we—”

  “That’s right. Possible. But things have changed.” He gritted his words. “Nellie and I are working on our marriage. I’ve agreed to be faithful.”

  “Faithful, to the little bitch, when you couldn’t be faithful to me. In all the years we were together, you were never faithful to me.”

  “Because there is no relationship between us. Never was, Maddie, except in your own mind.”

  She raised her chin. “If that’s how it’s going to be, that’s fine. Just don’t expect me to scratch your itch any more. Not until she’s gone.”

  “Nellie’s not going anywhere.” He stood and walked to stand in front of her. He looked down into her upturned face and saw the anger, hurt and yes, the violence that lurked there. Dear God, was he so wrong about her that he didn’t see this before? “Do you hear me? Nothing had better happen to Nellie.”

  “I don’t know what you mean.”

  He took her by the shoulders and shook, just enough to get her attention. “She told me what you said.”

  Her eyes widened. “Let me go.”

  He released her.

  “I don’t know what that little bitch has been telling you, but I never said anything.”

  He cocked his eyebrow. “You didn’t see her in the Russian Tea Room?”

  She inhaled a breath. “So what if I did? It’s a free country.”

  Blake narrowed his eyes. “It won’t be for you, if you go anywhere near Nellie again. I’ll see to it that you don’t work in this town again. You’ll have to leave, go back to New Orleans. Is that really what you want?”

  “I’m telling you, I didn’t do anything. I ran into her and said ‘good day’ that’s all.”

  “And I’m telling you, if anything happens to Nellie, I’m coming after you. Don’t mistake my not firing you right now for anything other than a request by Nellie that I not do so. Understand? Her benevolence, her kindness, is what keeps you here.”

  “I understand.” She swallowed and licked her lips. “May I leave now? I have to talk to Trixie and see if we can trade back. Suddenly, I don’t want to work with you, after all.”

  “That would probably be best for everyone concerned.”

  ❋

  Maddie walked out of Blake’s office. She was mad, angrier than she’d ever been in her life. Even more than when she’d killed Spence. She’d warned her, told her what could happen. Nellie shouldn’t have crossed her. She shouldn’t be having a baby. Now she really had to die. It didn’t matter whether Blake ever came back or not. Maddie didn’t care about him anymore. Now her target was Nellie. Nellie who ruined Maddie’s life. Nellie who would die, just like Spence had. Maddie didn’t let anyone get in her way. Not then and not now.

  ❋

  Blake went home after his argument with Maddie he wanted to be close and available to Nellie if she needed him. He still wasn’t certain of Maddie’s role in Nellie’s accident, but with her expecting, he was loathe to leave her alone.

  A knock sounded.

  “Yes,” said Blake without looking up.

  “Sir, Mr. Balfour, the attorney, is here to see Mrs. Malone.”

  “Please show him in, James, and then locate Mrs. Malone and have her join us.”

  “Very good, sir.”

  A minute or so later, James entered with Mr. Balfour on his heel.

  “Mr. Balfour,” Blake approached the man with his hand out. “I’m Blake Malone.”

  The attorney shook Blake’s hand with precisely two shakes. It was the strangest handshake Blake had ever had.

  “Mr. Malone, I’ve come to get an answer from your wife on my client’s proposal.”

  “I understand that and she will be here shortly.”

  Nellie walked into the room a few minutes later, her head held high and back straight as if a broomstick was down it. Blake was so proud of her. He knew this was hard for her.

  “Mr. Balfour, I see you received my message. Thank you for coming. Gentlemen, please sit.” She waved at the two chairs that were across from the settee. There was a small table between the chairs and the settee that Nellie used for serving tea.

  James entered as if right on cue, carrying a tray with tea and coffee pots as well cups and saucers. He set the tray on the table in front of Nellie.

  “Mr. Balfour can I interest you in a cup of coffee or tea?”

  “Yes, ma’am. Coffee would be much appreciated. Black please.”

  She poured his coffee and handed it to him. Then poured a cup for Blake with one sugar and a spot of cream. She knew how Blake took his coffee and didn’t need to ask.

  “Thank you, my dear,” said Blake, accepting the cup. He was amazed her hands didn’t shake. Cool as a cucumber, was his beautiful wife.

  “Now, Mr. Balfour, I believe I’m ready to give you the answer for you to give to Edward. Mr. Malone and I have discussed this, though he left the decision up to me. I’ve decided that I won’t be moving back to New York, nor will I be sending my son to be raised by his grandfather.”

  Mr. Balfour, set his cup on the table and reached into his pocket. “Again, my employer anticipated that this may be your response. He sent another letter for you in the event this happened.

  July 2, 1867

  Nellie,

  I’m sorry you have made the decision to refuse my offer, though you can see that I did anticipate that response from you. I knew Robert hadn’t trained you properly being gone so much as he was.

  I am prepared to do whatever I need to in order to get Henry here. I will take you to court for custody. What judge is going to deny my suit, especially when I tell them that you cuckolded my son, while he was gone to war. Fighting for his country and you were dallying with another man, the result of the liaison being Violet. Who you tried to pawn off as Robert’s child.

  What judge is going to give custody to a mother who took her children across the country to marry a saloon keeper, rather than stay in New York, where you would be cared for and pampered. Treated like a princess to all the best that money could buy, as would your children.

  I will not hesitate to use my money to get what I want.

  Think about my offer and send Henry to me. You and Violet can stay with your new husband. I would have taken you, but Henry is the only one I really want.

  Edward

  Nellie covered her mouth as bile rose in her throat.

  Blake set his coffee down, stood and came around the table to sit on the settee by her.

  “What’s wrong?”

  She handed him the letter.

  He scanned it quickly, and turned to the attorney. “It looks like your employer is showing his true colors.”

  “I have been instructed to
give you the letters but I do not know the contents of them.”

  “You tell your employer, we’ll fight him with everything we have,” said Blake. “There is no way, he’ll get Henry. He may own the courts in New York, but those laws have nothing to do with San Francisco and he may find it harder to buy his way through the system here.”

  Mr. Balfour, stood and doffed his hat. “Is that the last word that I may give to my employer?”

  “Yes, and get out. Now.” Blake put his arm around Nellie who was now shaking.

  James waited at the library door to show the attorney out, closing the door behind them.

  “Nellie, we’ll fight this. That old bugger won’t get his hands on Henry.”

  “What if he can? What if he buys the judges and the courts here?”

  “He won’t. I have friends there and if I have to, I have blackmail of my own I will use. Edward will not turn him into the kind of monster that your husband was and that I suspect he is as well. That does explain a bit of why your mother-in-law treated him so badly. She was getting back at him for years of torture. She probably treated you the same way because you escaped when her son died and she knew it.”

  She sniffled. “What if Henry would be better off with his grandfather? Am I wrong to want to keep my family together?”

  “No,” he hugged her close. “You’re not wrong. Our family will stay together. We’ll fight him, Nellie, we’ll fight and we’ll win.

  Chapter 12

  Blake came home just before noon. He bounded up the stairs, two at a time to Nellie’s room, knocking when he came to the door.

  Not getting an answer, he entered. Empty. He checked across the hall in the nursery. Empty.

  Rather than check every room in the house, he went to the kitchen to talk to Cook.

  “Have you seen Nellie and the children?”

  Cook looked up from the dough she was rolling. “Yes, sir. They are in the garden, having a picnic. I believe they are expecting you.”

  Blake smiled and walked out the back door.

  Violet saw him first.

  “Daddy!” she squealed and ran to him as fast as her pudgy little legs would carry her.