Monsieur Owen, Garrit’s supposed doorman, moved quickly toward him and Adam’s eyes widened in surprise. Owen caught him by the arm and hauled him back roughly. They disappeared almost as quickly as they had come.
Garrit had stepped away from the aisle to speak to Brienne, who rose and slipped into the manor through the kitchen door. Eve’s heart raced, and the room began to spin. Garrit moved purposefully down the aisle toward her.
And everything went dark.
“What did you do to her?”
“I did what had to be done, Garrit, as you requested. Had I known what her response would be, I never would’ve—” the voice broke off. It was oddly familiar, but she couldn’t quite put a face to it. “I must go before he wakes. I’ll keep him in my custody as long as I can.”
“Abby?” Garrit took her hand, squeezing it gently. “Are you all right?”
She groaned and opened her eyes just as the door shut behind the other speaker, blocking him from her sight. The fainting couch was narrow and she clutched at the edge to steady herself before she rolled off the edge. The last time she had passed out like this—the most immediate memories were from the ward, when she had been so desperate for relief, she had bled herself dry. How often she had prayed to Michael for death, then? But of course he hadn’t come. She blinked, and then finally focused on Garrit; his forehead was creased, and his face looked gray.
“What happened?” she asked.
“Your brother decided to grace us with his presence. Our security man removed him a bit more violently than we had anticipated. You passed out. Or got knocked out. We’re not certain why.”
“Adam.” She remembered the shock in her brother’s face when he saw the man who grabbed him. As if it was someone he knew, though it made no sense to her. “Why?”
Garrit shook his head. “He was rather too unconscious to get any answers at the time. He’s been removed from the manor by now. You are sain et sauf, just a bit less married than we had hoped.”
“All those guests. I passed out in front of all those guests.” She tried to sit up, and Garrit helped her. “Can we still get married today? I’d hate to have to go through all of this again.”
He laughed and kissed her forehead. “You haven’t been out that long. Père Robert was kind enough to wait. Maman suggested she had strung your corset too tight, perhaps. She’s very upset about it. Your mother is reassuring her that it was your own fault for not saying anything.”
“Jean!” One threat made her think of the other, though she had nearly forgotten. “He showed Mia the portraits!”
“Shh.” He laughed again. “Maman told me. He will not behave so foolishly again.”
“I miss all the fun.” Her head was throbbing, but when she felt it, she couldn’t find any lumps. “What I would’ve given to see Adam get thrashed properly.”
He frowned, studying her. “I’m not sure you would’ve seen much of anything, Abby. We think perhaps that was what made you pass out. Is there some connection there we didn’t know about? Unless your corset really is too tight.”
“It doesn’t even have laces.” She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to remember any time something similar had happened. Her head was pounding. She couldn’t make any sense of anything over the roaring in her ears. “I think I need some aspirin.”
Garrit put a glass of water in her hand but the rattling of pills in their bottle made her wince.
She grimaced. “Let’s just get married, shall we? And worry about the rest when we don’t have a house full of people to entertain. Or explain the delay to.” She sipped the water and swallowed the pills. “What on earth could Adam have been thinking to show up like that?”
“I thought you just said you wanted to get married first, and worry later.” Garrit helped her to her feet, half-smiling.
She wrinkled her nose. If he was gone, she didn’t have to worry. At least that’s what she told herself. It was an effort not to look out the window to be sure there weren’t any angels descending from the sky.
He brushed a curl of her hair back into place, and looked her over. “No one would ever know you’d fainted if they hadn’t seen it. Tu es ravissante.” One hand on the small of her back, he pulled the door open. “When you’re ready.”
Mia peeked in. “Thank God, Abby! Are you all right? Is the wedding still on? Mum, get Dad.”
“I’m fine, Mia.” She took another deep breath and sighed. “Now that I’ve got my clothing right.”
Garrit chuckled. “Tricky business. Maman will be relieved.” He kissed her cheek. “I’ll meet you at the altar.”
Eve nodded, and he walked away.
Mia attached herself to her side. “You should’ve seen Dad’s face when you dropped like that. And Garrit. It seemed like he got to you before you even hit the ground. I’ve never seen a person move that fast. Abby, he was so worried.” Mia led them to the courtyard while she spoke, barely even pausing to breathe. “And what was with that guy who got hustled out right beforehand? Did you see that? Garrit looked furious. Jean would only tell me he wasn’t invited. I know the DeLeons are rich, but are they really so rich they have paparazzi sneaking in and out?”
“I don’t know about paparazzi, no, but I’m sure the press would have liked to cover the wedding.” At least Mia could be counted on to come up with her own explanations. “Do you mind walking down the aisle for a second time?”
Mia grinned. “You’re joking!” She detached from Eve’s side and skipped over to their father. He stood at the back of the assembly again, watching Eve with a look of concern. “Ready, Dad? I think she’ll actually make it this time.”
He offered Eve his arm with a smile. “I hope so. I’m not sure poor Garrit could stand it if we had a second disruption. We wouldn’t want him to take it personally.”
“No, we certainly wouldn’t.” Eve smiled, and then the music began, and Mia moved gracefully down the aisle. Garrit looked at Eve like she was the only thing in the world that mattered, as if nothing had happened to interrupt this moment.
Her father walked her toward him. At the front of the chapel, they stopped together and he kissed her cheek, dashed the moisture from his eyes, and left her to take his seat.
Garrit took her hands in his, and they turned to face the priest together.
“But for Père Robert speaking of how Eve completed Adam, and that unfortunate business before, I will call it a success.” René raised his glass to them and smiled. Drinks had been distributed almost immediately after the ceremony had concluded, the servers weaving through the guests while the chairs were cleared from the dance floor and arranged around tables in preparation for supper. “Félicitations, and best wishes.”
“Merci.” Garrit raised his own glass and took a sip of champagne. The first toast of what was sure to be many. René had released the best of his private stock for them, but the majority of the wine was made from DeLeon grapes. Wine-making was one of the few pursuits that hadn’t changed since Ryam’s day. “If you and Maman would do your best to keep Monsieur Watson out of the worst of the drink?”
“Oui, oui. Your maman watches him as the hawk studies the field mouse. Have no fear, Abby. We will see to it.”
“I have no doubt. You DeLeons seem to think of everything.”
“Not everything,” René admitted with a sad smile. “Forgive us for earlier, ma chérie. If we had known what it would do to you, we would have taken more care in how we handled your brother.”
Half of the Watson contingent was at the bar which had just been set up in front of the chapel, now closed and barred, the other half were finding their tables. The DeLeons were circulating, greeting each other with enthusiasm and making comments about the minister’s lack of tact. No one who would understand a rapid exchange in French stood near enough to hear.
“About that,” she began. French was one language she never forgot, and she spoke it as fluently as any DeLeon. Not that she hadn’t let Garrit think otherwise, at first. “How exactly di
d you handle my brother?”
“Knocked him out, of course. We didn’t dare do anything else, or risk more manipulation. One swift blow to the head.” René grinned as though he wished he had been the one to deliver it.
“It’s going to make it difficult in the future, won’t it?” Eve asked. “If knocking him out knocks me out, too?”
“My dear girl, brute force is hardly the only defense we have. Don’t worry yourself. As long as you’re here, you’ll be protected.” René leaned forward to kiss her cheek, then switched back to English. “I suppose I should mêler aux invités, oui? Save me a dance, Abby.”
Garrit wrapped an arm around her waist as his father slipped away to mingle. “He’s right, you know. It’s not worth worrying about.”
“Easy for you to say,” she grumbled. “You get to do the worrying.”
“Not anymore.” He grinned in a predatory fashion she had no trouble interpreting. Garrit liked nothing more than to put his cousins to work. “I’m placing that concern firmly in the hands of the rest of the family while they’re present. As should you. It’s not every generation you get a DeLeon wedding, and have you seen the cake yet? It’s absolutely stunning. Maman was right about the pastry chef. Amazing work.”
She slanted him a narrow look, trying to decide if he meant it. “You’re just trying to distract me.”
“A husband’s prerogative.” His grin softened then and he leaned down to kiss her. “Isn’t that a novelty?”
She smiled. “I’m sure you’ll get used to it. Just remember, being married isn’t all flowers and kittens.”
“Who said anything about kittens?”
“Puppies then.”
He laughed. “That’s more like it. I thought for a moment you had forgotten that your Watson family is British.”
“My family is Lions, Garrit. I’m a great fan of felines.”
“Were there any European lions left, I’d gladly offer you one as a wedding gift. As it happens, I’m afraid this is the best I can do.” He waved to a man standing just inside the courtyard who stepped forward carrying a puppy. A Belgian Shepherd, she thought, one of the long haired versions, the color of aged bronze and all awkward limbs and wagging tail.
Eve laughed and scratched the pup behind the ears. It was desperate to lick her face. With all that dark fur, she didn’t dare hold it in her wedding gown, but that would be remedied soon enough.
“He’s darling, Garrit. Absolutely perfect!”
“He’ll be waiting for you in the kennel in the morning. I’d rather not have a cold wet nose in the bed tonight.”
She smirked and scratched the dog under its chin. “I think I can go along with that. Unless you do something awful to offend me before the night is out.”
He chuckled and kissed her cheek, pulling her away from the dog and its handler and toward the dance floor. “I’ll try not to.”
Chapter Fourteen: Creation
“Reu,” the voice was soft, urgent and female. Eve rolled closer to the warm body next to her, without opening her eyes. “Reu, you must wake up. If Adam can’t find her this morning, or worse, finds her here with you…”
She felt him move beneath her, carefully withdrawing his arm from beneath her head. She heard herself mumble an objection, but he removed himself anyway with a soft apology.
“Is he awake yet?”
“No,” the woman said. “Sarah and I slept in shifts so we would be sure to wake you before dawn. He’s going to be furious, Reu.”
There was a sigh, and then Reu touched her on the shoulder, shaking her gently. “Eve. Wake up.”
She opened her eyes. Hannah stood over Reu’s shoulder, her expression anxious. “Forgive us, my lady, but if he doesn’t find you, it will be a bad day for everyone.”
Eve rubbed her face and let Reu help her sit up. “Don’t call me that, Hannah. Please.”
“Adam insists.” But she smiled. “Thank you, for what you did for Sarah, yesterday. He would’ve beaten her if you hadn’t stopped him.”
“Go back, Hannah. We’ll be along in a moment. Once he’s awake, you’ll need to check on Lilith. I don’t expect she’ll be well. Bring her some of the bark from the willow tree.”
Hannah nodded and left.
Eve frowned. “What do you think he’ll have done to her?”
Reu shook his head, his face tense again. “Adam uses her poorly when he takes her. He’s convinced her that she has to let him, and none of us have been able to tell her otherwise. Because she allows him, it doesn’t violate God’s law, but it doesn’t make it right.” He stood up, taking her hand. “We need to get you back.”
She let him pull her to her feet and kept her hand in his as they walked. “I don’t understand what you mean.”
He sighed and looked at her, his eyes dark. “You’ll see, soon enough. Though I wish I could keep it from you. Make sure you go with the other women to bathe today. It will be safer for you that way.”
“Safer than what?”
“Than if he takes you himself.” His hand tightened around hers. “Remember what I told you, yesterday. Try not to let him separate you from the others. I’ll keep close, but he’ll be looking for my interference. He might try to send me away.”
The cave was still deep in shadow. Hannah sat near the mouth, grinding the bark between two stones. She smiled at Eve as they passed inside, but said nothing. The others were still sleeping. Reu sat down in the dirt and she dropped to the earth beside him. After sleeping in the grass, the stone chilled her. She shivered and slipped beneath his arm.
He sighed again and tucked her head beneath his chin. “He’ll be angry if he finds us this way.”
“He’ll be angry no matter what.” She curled up against his body and closed her eyes. It was still dark enough to sleep, and she was tired and cold. “I’ll protect you. I’ll tell him I made you keep me warm.”
Reu laughed softly in her ear and wrapped his other arm around her to draw her closer. “You can try.”
Then he fell silent, and she listened to his heartbeat, and the way his breathing slowed. The warmth of his body lulled her back into sleep, but his voice followed her into unconsciousness.
“It’s worth any beating he might give me.”
Something hit her hard in the side, painfully, and she twisted away from it with a gasp even before she opened her eyes.
Adam was standing over her, his expression hard and his eyes like stone. “Get up.”
Reu helped her to her feet, putting himself between her and Adam when it looked like he might strike at her again. “Lord Adam. Did we disturb you?”
Adam ignored him, staring at her.
“I was cold. The stone chilled me.”
His eyes narrowed. “We’ll search the Garden today. I trust that will settle your curiosity from yesterday. You’ll have no reason to get lost in the trees again.”
There was no question in her mind about why he was doing this. It wasn’t for her curiosity. It was for him. For the fruit. Whatever that meant.
Adam’s gaze flicked back to Reu again. “Organize the others and send them into the Garden in pairs. I want a sample of every fruit from every tree brought back. Anything unfamiliar. You’re to taste nothing until I’ve seen it. Is that understood?”
Reu nodded, though his forehead furrowed. Adam stared at him until he left, but Reu glanced back at her from the mouth of the cave before he disappeared and she saw the promise in his eyes. He wouldn’t be far.
Eve dropped her gaze to the dirt, hoping Adam hadn’t noticed. He tilted her chin up, forcing her head to the side to look at her cheek.
She didn’t stop him. Even as his thoughts flooded her mind. Next time I’ll be sure to strike her below the neck. The bruising mars her beauty.
“I wish you hadn’t made me hurt you, Eve. I’ve only ever wanted to honor you. To keep you by my side.”
“You didn’t have to hurt me, Adam,” she said softly. “You don’t have to hurt any of us.”
He
grunted, his fingers tightening on her chin. “If you had only waited to speak to me privately, instead of challenging my authority in front of the others, all of this could have been avoided. Look what I offer you, now. A chance to do all the exploration you like. Because you desired it. I would always give you what you desire, if you would only ask.” He shook his head, his eyes hardening again. “And then I find you here, sleeping in the arms of that dog. He’s beneath you.”
She pulled her face away. Reu had promised to keep her from Adam, if it was what she desired. Promised to protect her as well as he was able. But at what cost to himself? Would Adam cast Reu from the Garden when she refused to join him in his chambers, when she refused to let him have her body beneath his? Would he make her watch while he beat Reu for his kindness to her?
“I was only cold. The stone was so cold on my skin after the heat of the sun all day. It wasn’t his fault. I commanded it of him.”
“It’s cruel, Eve, to make a man love you when you already belong to another.”
She looked up then, studying him. They were alone in the cave. “I thought I was your equal.”
He sighed and stroked her arm. She still doesn’t understand. “And that’s why we belong to one another. Because we are equals. Because I am the only one who can love you the way you deserve. And you’re the only woman who can satisfy me. We’re meant to be together, Eve. We’re meant to rule them.”
“Is that what Elohim told you? That we were meant to be together?”
His eyes flashed with anger. She saw it clearly in his mind. It was the voice from the void, the same voice that had called her to life and put air in her lungs.
‘She will be your sister.’ The voice belonged to the old, gray man. The body Adam had abandoned to the storm. But in Adam’s mind, Elohim’s forehead was creased with troubled lines, his expression grave. ‘Your twin in every way. Made to complement you perfectly. And she will live on as long as you will. Reborn in every life as you are. But you cannot take her as your wife. Not now. She cannot love you, yet, and you are forbidden to force her. Teach her everything you’ve learned from me, but let her live her own life.’
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