by Sharon Green
Sarah knew that her face had gone pale, but she didn't care. As long as she wasn't being violently ill, she knew she was ahead and winning. And then she really looked at Bryan's face, and the blood chilled and froze inside her. His handsome face was set without any expression at all, but there was slow, painful death in his eyes for whoever had done that to Rianne. My wife, he'd said, as though that were all she was to him. Sarah could see the girl had already become a good deal more, even in so very short a time. And the way he'd smiled when Sarah had called the girl a challenge…
"You think she didn't - cry or scream - when that was being done to her?" Sarah managed to say, one hand to her throat. "But Bryan, who would do such a thing, and why? Could it have been Robert Harding?"
"That's what I asked," he said with a sigh before raising his glass again. "Her reaction told me I was right in believing it would be beyond someone like Harding, but when I pressed her for details she told me to mind my own business. I'm sure it was done to her when she was very young. I - Sarah, are you all right?"
She could see by the way he came out of his chair that he'd just noticed her pallor, and she smiled just a little as he knelt in concern beside her.
"Jamie will have my heart, and I'll deserve it," Bryan growled, urging a sip of whisky on her. "Of all the mindless, sickening things to tell you! Go ahead, take a second swallow. If you pass out, I'm sending you straight home."
"Bryan, I don't want a second sip, and I'm not going to faint," Sarah told him more forcefully as she pushed the glass away. "And I'm glad you told me what you did. That poor child! Obviously you're going to have to be very gentle with her, and be certain you don't lose your temper. After all - "
"Sarah," Bryan interrupted again, frustration now heavy inside him. "I've been trying to be gentle with her, and she's been trying to knock me down and walk across my face. I can't see myself terrorizing her into cooperating, not after everything she's gone through, and that leaves me with nothing to choose from. I don't know what the hell I can do with her, and that's what's driving me crazy. Can I count on you and Jamie to keep me chained here in the cellar rather than sending me to a bedlam?"
"Oh, Bryan, of course you can," Sarah answered with a laugh. "What else are friends for?"
"Certainly not sympathy," Bryan returned, now eyeing her closely. "Or am I wrong in believing you're now on my wife's side?"
"I'm on the side of both of you," Sarah assured him - without the grin he could hear in her voice. "If you're afraid I'll try getting between the two of you, you already qualify for a bedlam. No one in their right mind would willingly step into a situation like this, not if they could possibly avoid it. I want you to know I'm firmly behind you in all this - way behind."
"Out of the line of fire," he acknowledged with a nod and a grin. "Smart lady. I wonder what that feels like."
"With your nature, you'll never find out," she countered with a laugh, then got to her feet. "Since you have a rather special night ahead of you, you might want to think about taking a nap of your own. I'll keep a discreet eye on your bride, and if you're needed I'll have you called."
He straightened up as she patted his arm, then watched as she left, closing the door behind her. He felt too keyed up to sleep, but maybe lying down wasn't such a bad idea. His body was still remembering what touching the girl had done to him, and if he didn't find something to relax him his wedding night would be about five minutes in duration. Which, at the moment, his bride would certainly appreciate… and never let him forget … even if he somehow found a way to reach her…
His bride, his little one. There was no question about her being fully grown, but sometimes when he looked in her eyes he saw a frightened little girl peering out. He wanted to hold that little girl close and comfort her, make her know he would never let anything hurt her again, but she insisted on pushing him away. That was what really hurt, that she couldn't yet see him as being on her side. His mind knew it was much too soon to expect that, but his heart wasn't able to be so practical. It wanted to banish that frightened little girl from her eyes, and see instead a woman's love for a man.
Bryan finished his whisky before going to his bedroom, in the process admiring his self-control in leaving the glass behind him rather than refilling it. If he began to make a habit of taking a stiff drink every time he had to deal with his wife… his wife, Rianne Lockwood Machlin … Rianne…
Chapter Six
A voice was saying, "Mrs. Machlin, it's time to get up."
Rianne raised her lids part way to see Mrs. Raymond standing over her, a tender smile on the older woman's face. Tender it might be, but to Rianne it looked like the same expression worn by her old nurse all those years ago, an expression that meant Rianne was about to be forced into doing things she hated. Ladylike things, proper things.
"If you don't mind, I'd rather not be called that," Rianne said as she stretched hard before sitting up. She'd spent more time thinking than sleeping, or at least that was the way it felt. "Feel free to choose almost anything else, but stay away from that."
Once she was sitting, Rianne discovered that her hair was almost dry. It was also horribly tangled, which wasn't much of a shock. She hadn't been paying much attention to grooming lately.
"What do you mean by 'that'?" Mrs. Raymond asked with a frown of confusion. "The only thing I called you was -Oh." The woman sighed, and a sad smile replaced the frown. "You don't want to be called Mrs. Machlin. But that's what your name is now, and you do have a tall, handsome husband. Don't girls dream about marrying men like that any longer?"
"Some do, I suppose," Rianne answered with a yawn. "The ones who think only about making love." She'd spent a lot of time listening to Cam's enthusiastic tales involving his and Angus's sexual exploits, and had long ago decided that she really wanted to try it for herself one day. She hadn't done so until then because she had never found a man she wanted to do it with, with the single exception of Angus.
When the possibility had occurred to her she'd asked her adopted brother if he would be willing, and had gotten the response she'd thought she might. He'd thanked her with a smile and a hug for suggesting the honor, but had also gently refused. The right man for her would be a very special man, Angus had said, and when he came along she would know it at once.
Or, as it turned out, he would simply be the man who bought her. Rianne refused to think about that man, especially after all the thinking she'd already done about him. She should have been furiously disappointed that he would be the cause of her missing a magical time with the special man she'd always dreamed of, but part of her was being very obstinate. That one small part of her kept fluttering around, imagining him as her special man, eagerly anticipating the coming night. It would be their wedding night, and he'd said he was looking forward to it… But he'd certainly ruin it for her, she knew, no matter what that one small part believed. If only her first impression of him could have been right…
Sarah saw Rianne just staring off into space, and wished she could offer real comfort. The girl was pretending to be completely uncaring, but she must be frantic. It wasn't the place of a housekeeper - even a young one - to intrude in the private lives of her employers, and having to keep quiet was killing Sarah. She shouldn't even be there to help the girl get ready for dinner, but that she'd refused to be denied. If she had the chance to make things better she would, but until then…
"Well, it still is time to get up," Sarah repeated lamely, also wishing she was better at playing a part. "Why don't you get out of bed now, and I'll help you to wash and dress."
"What happened to my clothes?" the girl asked at once, looking to the place on the floor where they'd been left or thrown. "They were there before I fell asleep, but now they're gone. If anyone has done anything to them - !"
"They're downstairs being cleaned, and your boots are being polished," Sarah interrupted quickly, disturbed by the sudden anger the girl showed. "As soon as they're ready, they'll be brought back to you."
"Th
ey'd better be," the girl muttered, then she threw the covers aside and stood up. Sarah studied the girl who was only a few years younger than herself, and thought she understood why Bryan had refused to give up his new wife. The new Mrs. Machlin still looked very much annoyed, but that coldly furious anger had faded. Rianne Lockwood Machlin was an astonishingly beautiful woman despite her unusual height, but when she grew angry that beauty flared and intensified, turning her into a living flame that seemed born to draw men to her. If Sarah wasn't mistaken Rianne would also be as dangerous as a flame, and that was what a man like Bryan would find impossible to resist.
Sarah had brought in a pitcher of cool water to be used in the large ceramic washbasin, but the only help the girl accepted was to take the towel Sarah handed her. Sarah could almost see Rianne regretting the bath she'd had no more than a taste of, but apparently an inward shrug let her dismiss the matter. The girl wasn't concerned over the possibility of Bryan's being displeased, and that made Sarah sigh for her friend. Rianne would have to trust him before she was able to care about him, and his new wife wasn't about to trust anyone, much less him.
"Once you're dressed I'll brush your hair," Sarah said, suddenly determined that Bryan would not be totally disappointed. He didn't deserve to be treated with casual disregard, and if she had anything to say about it he wouldn't be.
"That's your idea of being dressed?" the girl asked, looking at the blue silk-and-lace nightgown with matching robe that Sarah had laid out. "I'd be better off going down to the dining room just as I am. Less for that brute to rip off later."
"Bryan - Mr. Machlin - is not a brute!" Sarah snapped, thrown into outrage by the horrible, offhand comment that was so completely untrue. "I know him a good deal better than you, my girl, and I refuse to stand here and listen to such disgraceful slander. He's a kind, generous, and decent man, and if you only knew - "
Sarah choked off the rest of the words, not about to betray Bryan's wishes as to what this girl was told, but it was a close call. It was also out of character, but all she could do was stand there with fists clenched as she glared at the younger, larger woman. It would have been nice if the outburst could have been missed, but she knew it hadn't been when she got a raised eyebrow sent in her direction.
"My, my, such touching loyalty," the girl drawled. "Does Mr. Raymond know how you feel?"
"He certainly does," Sarah returned, inwardly fighting to control her reflaring temper. "He not only knows, he feels just the same way. I think you're deliberately trying to make me angry, but I don't understand why. Are you trying to force me into leaving? What good do you think that will do you?"
"How can I know until I've managed it?" the girl countered with a small shrug, apparently unembarrassed that her ploy had been noticed. "If you go right now, I might be able to find out."
"I'm not going anywhere, Mrs. Machlin," Sarah told her, seeing with grim satisfaction the annoyance that ghosted through Rianne's eyes. "I'm here to make you look presentable for your husband, and that's what I intend doing. And if your intention was to make an enemy of everyone in this household, allow me to congratulate you on a really fine beginning."
The girl shrugged and turned away in what was supposed to be total unconcern, but Sarah was startled to see a glimpse of something else entirely. Very, very briefly a look of painful weariness had shown in the green eyes that were usually so self-assured, a window opening onto another truth that had been revealed for no more than an instant. Sarah realized that Rianne was neither the cool regal lady nor the conscienceless brat she presented to the world. The pose was her armor, and she would consider any attempt to breech it an attack against her very existence.
"Oh, Bryan, what have you gotten yourself into?" Sarah whispered low to match the sinking feeling inside her. "And how in God's name will you get yourself - and her - out of it again?"
Sarah knew there were no mystical answers to those questions. Of course it was Bryan who would need them, she admitted privately as she moved toward the nightgown the girl was trying to ignore. Thank God she'd promised to stay out of the mess.
"For your information, you and your husband won't be dining downstairs," Sarah said, deciding it would be best if she pretended to still be insulted. "A table has been set in your sitting room, and the two of you will be served there. If you have no modesty to consider, you might think about the men and women who will be serving you. Despite your very obvious opinion to the contrary, they're also decent people."
"Too decent to look at a naked body, but not too decent to overlook a forced marriage," the girl muttered, then asked, "Now I'm being accused of trying to corrupt the innocent?" One golden-red brow raised high. "Apparently there's no end to my perfidy, but even that can be boring. Find a different gown, and I'll agree to wear it."
So you do have normal modesty, Sarah thought, swallowing the grin she felt. It's a good thing I managed to stumble across an argument you can't ignore.
"Someone your age should avoid words like 'perfidy,'" Sarah continued aloud, showing a smile that was mostly teeth. "It gives one the impression of a four-year-old dressed in matronly clothing. I really do hate disappointing you, but there are no other nightgowns among your things. Whoever did your packing must have decided you'd have no need of them, so it's either this gown or nothing at all, and I'm glad to know now that even you are too modest for that."
The fact was, there were other nightgowns she might wear that had been sent over, but Sarah was determined that Bryan's new wife was going to look as desirable as possible for him, even if Sarah had to lie through her teeth to get it done. The girl's beautiful face was flushed at the thought of being naked in front of so many strangers, and that was all to the good.
"I don't know why you would consider this gown unacceptable," Sarah pressed her advantage, lifting the gorgeous thing to look at it more closely. "This lace is softer than a sigh, and the blue is the color of glorious summer sides. You must look absolutely lovely in it - even though I would swear it's never been worn. Is it new?"
"Yes," the girl answered, obviously too distracted to remember to be insulting. "A gift from a friend… Are you sure there aren't any others?"
"Positive," Sarah told her despite the stab of guilt for the lie. Why wouldn't the girl want to wear such a beautiful gown? "Here, let me help you put it on."
For the second time that painful, vulnerable look flashed in the girl's eyes, and then it was gone as she seemed to gather her strength to face whatever came. She straightened up to full height and let Sarah approach with the gown, then raised her arms to slip into it. She wore a small, grim smile, and Sarah had the crazy thought that Rianne was thinking about her earlier comment and was glad. The "brute" would rip the gown off her, and that would be the end of it…
"Sit down at the vanity and I'll see to your hair," Sarah directed with no outward sign of the trembling she felt within. She'd had her own trouble with Jamie in the beginning, but there had been nothing even half as dismal and hopeless as what this girl thought she faced. And Sarah couldn't even imagine what that was! There must be something she could say to make things easier, but what if she chose the wrong thing? If she blundered and made it worse, Bryan would never forgive her. Or, worse yet, he would forgive her, making it impossible for her to forgive herself. And what would Jamie say…?
"Don't you think that's enough?" Rianne's voice came, drawing Sarah out of the deep, dark twisting thoughts she'd fallen into. She blinked, and was pleased to see that she'd brushed the girl's hair to shining splendor, the golden-red mass spread wide and flowing down Rianne's back to her waist. If Bryan found any fault with that, she would check him for a fever.
"You're right, that is enough," Sarah agreed, reaching over to put the brush down before going for the gown's robe. If only she could find something a little more meaningful to say…
Rianne was silent as Sarah helped her into the robe, spread her hair again, then went around to tie the ribbons in front. The gown itself had a sheer lace bodice th
at enhanced the girl's full breasts rather than covering them, but the silk robe hid the deeply veed arrangement behind two ribbons long enough to be tied into bows. Sarah formed both bows as carefully as it was possible to do, then stepped back to examine her handiwork. The girl wore nothing on her feet, because there had been no matching slippers to the outfit. The skirts were long enough for someone of her height, showing that both gown and robe had undoubtedly been made for her, but without slippers. Strange that someone should give a gift that was incomplete…
"Staring at it won't make it look any better," Rianne said, once again bringing Sarah out of a brown study. "If it's as bad as your expression seems to show, I'm glad you talked me into wearing it."
"I've decided that the best wedding gift your husband could give you would be a sound spanking," Sarah pronounced, again fighting to keep the temper the girl so obviously wanted her to lose. "You just suggested I've helped to ruin Bryan's wedding night, and practically all by myself. If you deliberately twist my feelings like that one more time, I'll - "
Her furious words were cut off by the sound of a knock, and she turned away from the sight of the amusement in Rianne's eyes to answer the door. The girl was playing some sort of game, but Sarah would be blessed if she understood why. Maybe she ought to make that suggestion to Bryan about the most appropriate wedding gift… Before she did something very unladylike to his lovely young bride…
Bryan stood at the bedroom door, knowing that this time his knock would be answered. Sarah was in there with the girl, and he'd told her he would call for his wife when the food was ready to be served. He wore the dressing gown his sister and her husband had given him some time ago, a fancy affair in blue velvet that he'd never before had the occasion to put on. His life until then hadn't provided many times when his wearing a dressing gown wouldn't have looked ridiculous - or been downright dangerous - but now that he was a married man -