‘But, sir, whatever is the matter?’
‘That’s not my child,’ he declared in a voice quivering with fury. ‘Neither my wife nor I have black hair.’
‘Oh, sir, th-that will change,’ the poor midwife stuttered. ‘Most babies are born dark and the hair changes within the first few weeks. Same with the eyes, they’ll change colour too,’ she tried to reassure him.
He had turned his back on her, however, and wasn’t listening. The traitorous bitch! He should have known. She’d looked so radiant recently and he had thought it was simply because she was expecting. All along there had been another man. Well, he would have none of it. She could take her bastard and leave or better yet …
The midwife stood for a while waiting uncertainly, but in the end she tiptoed out of the room with the child clutched tightly to her. John watched her go, feeling curiously detached as sudden plans chased around inside his brain. No doubt the woman and the physician would scuttle back to London in the morning, as soon as they’d been paid. Good.
He wanted the house to himself when he visited his wife.
In the meantime, he’d finish that brandy.
They set off towards the coast, each one carrying something. Wes had a heavy cool bag filled with goodies from Annie’s kitchen, Kayla was in charge of a large quilted blanket, and Nell led the way with a bucket and spade in one hand and a small fishing net in the other. They followed a well-worn path down to the cliffs and along the top. Kayla turned her face towards the sun and drew in deep salty breaths of air.
It really was a beautiful day with the sun shining onto a calm sea. Looking out over the water Kayla could see several boats, some with sails, some without, and further out a huge oil tanker. Sounds were strangely muted, as if her ears were stuffed full of cotton wool, and Kayla felt like she was in a different world. It was wonderful.
Ten minutes into their walk, however, Nell had had enough. ‘Daddy, my legs hurt. Aren’t we there yet?’
‘Not quite, sweetheart, but it’s not much further. Remember?’
Twenty yards later Nell stopped again. ‘I can’t walk any more. Can’t we have a picnic here?’
Wes glanced at Kayla and rolled his eyes. ‘It’s not much further, Nell. Come on, where’s my strong little girl today?’
They managed another fifty yards before a plaintive, ‘I want to be carried’ was heard from the front. Kayla started to laugh.
‘Give me the bag, Wes, and you can carry Nell for a little while.’
Wes looked grateful and apologetic at the same time. ‘Are you sure you can manage? It’s quite heavy.’
‘Yes, I’ll be fine. Don’t worry. I’m stronger than I look.’
‘Kayla is too nice to you,’ Wes muttered as he lifted his daughter up for a piggyback ride. ‘We’ll have to toughen you up a bit, I think.’
The rough track down to the cove was extremely steep, but there were steps cut out of the rock in the worst places and they reached it at last. Kayla was enchanted. ‘I can see why you call this a secret place,’ she said to Nell. ‘It feels like we’re completely cut off from the rest of the world.’ The tiny cove was surrounded on three sides by sheer cliffs and in front of them was the sea, shimmering in the bright light.
‘It’s even nicer in the summer,’ Wes said behind her. ‘It’s so secluded you can even go skinny-dipping and no one will see you.’ He said this in a perfectly normal voice, as if he was only giving her information about the cove and not actually thinking of skinny-dipping himself, but his eyes told a different story. Kayla felt a blush spreading over her face and down her neck. The thought of swimming naked with Wes was tantalising and one she’d do best not to dwell on.
The afternoon passed swiftly. They played games and paddled their feet in the ice-cold water, and after the generous picnic had been eaten, the two adults lay back on the blanket, replete and unable to move.
‘Come and help me collect seashells, Kayla.’
‘Let Kayla rest for a while, Nell. You go ahead by yourself,’ Wes said.
‘Okay, Daddy.’ The little girl skipped off happily towards the water. ‘But don’t be too long.’
‘No one tells you how much hard work children are before you have them,’ Wes grumbled, but he didn’t sound as if he really minded all that much.
‘I’m sure it’s worth it, at least most of the time.’ Kayla had closed her eyes and allowed the noises of the seashore to wash over her, creating a sensation of relaxation and contentment. She breathed cool sea air in deeply and absently dug her fingers into the sand next to the blanket, sieving the soft mass through them, feeling its smooth texture.
‘Yes, you’re right.’ Wes was silent for a while before continuing. ‘Kayla? I wanted to ask you something.’
‘Oh, yes?’ She turned her head and opened her eyes. He was much closer than she’d thought. His blue gaze was fastened on hers and for a long moment she felt breathless, wondering if he was thinking the same thing she was. The shushing of the waves and the whisper of the wind faded into the background and the only thing she was aware of was the man next to her. She wanted him to kiss her. Now. She inched closer, then saw him take a deep breath and turn away.
The spell was broken.
Wes cleared his throat. ‘Well, actually, I was wondering if there was any way you could stay a bit longer? I can’t seem to find any suitable girls who want to work in such an isolated place, and we work well together, don’t we?’
Kayla swallowed. ‘Er, yes. Yes, we do.’ They had worked as a team, each complementing the other, and Kayla had been surprised at how quickly she’d adapted to Wes’s methods. He was certainly a lot easier to deal with than Mike had ever been, although she’d tried not to make comparisons. Wes never ordered her to do anything or made her feel inferior. He always either asked her politely or sought her opinion as to the best way of doing something, then praised her efforts afterwards. It made her feel valued, even though she knew he was the boss.
She was surprised now by the sudden feeling of joy which swept through her at the thought of possibly staying on. It also scared the hell out of her. She was beginning to care far too much about the occupants of Marcombe Hall, and not just in a professional capacity. And she still didn’t know how much of it was Jago’s fault.
‘So will you stay? Please? You’re by far the best secretary I’ve ever had. Everyone else will seem hopeless in comparison.’ Wes tried out his most charming smile on her and Kayla felt herself weaken. Not that she was prepared to let him know he could influence her this way. That the mere sight of him made the blood in her veins fizz. He obviously didn’t feel the same or he would surely have made a move on her by now?
‘You think flattery will work, do you?’ she challenged, trying to sound stern. But she knew she probably wasn’t fooling anyone, least of all herself. The truth was she found it impossible to resist him. The rich timbre of his voice drew her in, mesmerising her, sapping her willpower, just like his rogue of an ancestor had done in the saleroom at Sotheby’s without uttering a single word. She didn’t have the strength to argue, so she capitulated with barely an inner struggle. ‘Oh, all right, why not? I guess a few more weeks can’t make much difference.’
With a supreme effort, Kayla managed a nonchalant tone, although how she did it she would never know. Then she remembered she was supposed to be employed part-time in London. ‘Er, I’ll just have to call my office in London to see if I can extend my leave of absence. And I’d better go back to my flat for a few days to collect some more clothes and things. Not to mention my course books.’
‘Great.’ Wes didn’t seem to notice her slip. His smile turned into a grin of satisfaction, which was even more devastating than the purposely charming smile, and Kayla thanked her lucky stars that she was already lying down. ‘Let’s go help Nell find some seashells, she looks a bit lonely over there by herself.’
‘Uhm, you go ahead, I’ll be with you in a minute.’ A normal activity was just what Kayla needed to take her mind
off the man by her side and what his smiles did to her equilibrium, but she wanted some space to recover first. Thank goodness for Nell, she thought.
‘There you are! I was beginning to think I’d have to send out a search party.’
The voice which greeted them as they stepped into the hall made Kayla jump, and for a crazy moment she thought Jago had come to join them at Marcombe Hall somehow. The inflection was exactly the same and the rich, deep nuances of it, although the West Country burr was less pronounced. She blinked to accustom herself to the gloom inside after the brilliance of the afternoon sun. Instead of Jago, she saw a younger version of Wes standing at the bottom of the stairs. Her eyes widened. The resemblance to the man in her portrait was even stronger in this man and it gave her quite a turn.
‘Oh hell,’ she thought she heard Wes mutter from behind her. In a louder voice he said, ‘Hey, Alex. What are you doing here?’
‘Visiting, of course. What else would I be doing? Although naturally I didn’t come to see you, but the little princess.’ He held out his arms and Nell raced over to be caught and hoisted high into the air, shrieking with pleasure.
‘Uncle Alex. Eeeehh, that tickles!’
‘This is my brother,’ Wes informed Kayla in a rather non-committal tone of voice. ‘Alex, this is my temporary secretary, Kayla Sinclair.’
Alex put Nell down and came forward to shake hands. ‘Nice to meet you.’ He looked Kayla up and down and smiled in approval. Kayla noticed that Wes’s brother had inherited the killer grin, but this time it had no effect on her. It wasn’t as genuine and didn’t reach Alex’s eyes. She nodded curtly to show him she didn’t appreciate being given the once-over in such a blatant fashion.
‘I’d better go and wash some of the sand off before dinner,’ she told them, and made a quick getaway up the stairs.
At least Alex had proved one thing – the Jago charm spell didn’t work with all the males of the house. So did that mean only Wes was affecting her? Kayla wasn’t sure what to think about that.
The atmosphere during dinner was strained and Kayla struggled to make conversation with Alex while Wes ate in silence, a closed expression on his face. Kayla wondered why the two were at odds, but put it down to sibling rivalry. She knew first-hand how annoying younger brothers could be when they chose to. She had one of her own.
‘So what do you do, Mr Marcombe?’ she asked politely, then wished she hadn’t said something so trite.
‘Oh, please, call me Alex, there’s no need to be formal. As to what I do – I sell boats, yachts to be precise. A friend of mine is a boatbuilder and I help him to market them, show them off to wealthy clients, that sort of thing. With summer approaching, this is the perfect time of year to start touting for business around here. A lot of Londoners come down to the Devon coast during half-term and the holidays. I try to catch their interest with my friend’s latest boat designs, taking them out for little jaunts, that sort of thing.’
‘I see. I take it you’re a keen sailor, then?’
‘Definitely. I couldn’t imagine life without a boat or at the very least being near the sea. It’s in my blood I think. Seafaring ancestors, all that stuff.’ He went on to describe his own craft, and some of the yachts designed by his friend. They sounded very luxurious, but since Kayla didn’t know one end of a boat from the other, she just listened without venturing any opinions.
‘And what brought you to this part of the country, Kayla?’ Perhaps Alex had noticed the bemused expression in her eyes, since he changed the subject so abruptly.
‘Oh, uhm … I was studying art in London part-time and in particular paintings by Gainsborough. I was told Wes might have one or two in his possession, and I made an appointment to come and have a look.’ Kayla found it hard to lie yet again, but Alex nodded, apparently finding nothing strange in her answer.
‘And then he persuaded you to work for him instead?’
Kayla nodded. ‘Yes, but only until he can find someone else. I’ve got to go back to London eventually.’
Alex smiled as if he didn’t quite believe her, but said nothing more on the subject.
The rest of the meal passed quickly, although Wes’s continued brooding silence was a bit unnerving. Kayla decided to ignore it. Whatever was going on between these two was their own business and nothing to do with her.
Kayla excused herself and left the dining room earlier than she normally would. Wes watched her go, but didn’t ask her to linger. He knew he’d made her uncomfortable with his silence, but he’d be damned if he’d make small talk with his brother. Alex didn’t deserve it. In fact, he shouldn’t even be here.
‘So what is it this time?’ Wes asked, as soon as he was sure Kayla was out of earshot. ‘Short of money again? Someone chasing you for payments you can’t cover?’
Alex scowled at him. ‘No, I’m debt free. Well, as much as anyone ever is.’
‘Why are you here then? I thought you said you were moving out for good last time you left. “I hate this fucking dump and you’re welcome to it, you pretentious git”, quote, unquote.’
Wes watched as Alex struggled visibly to keep his temper from erupting. ‘I might have exaggerated a little,’ he muttered.
Wes snorted. ‘Yeah, I’d say. Well, just so you know, your pretentious git of a brother has bailed you out for the last time. If you’ve come here hoping for money, you can leave right now. I’ve given you more than your fair share and that’s it. I don’t owe you anything.’
Alex stood up and slapped his napkin onto the table. ‘I don’t want your damned money. You’re welcome to it. But this is still my home, as far as I know, and I have a right to stay here whenever I want to. Wasn’t that what Dad’s will said? So if I feel like spending some time in Devon, I’ll damn well sleep in my old room. And as I told Kayla, I’ve got to start touting for business. Dave’s been after me to show off his latest yacht so I’ll be staying for a while. If that’s okay with you?’ The final sentence was said in an overly sarcastic way, which grated on Wes.
‘Fine. As long as all you want is room and board.’
As Alex stormed out of the room, Wes ran a hand across his forehead, trying to loosen the tight vice that seemed clamped around it. He didn’t know why they found it so difficult to get on with each other, but he knew Alex resented the fact that Wes had inherited Marcombe Hall.
‘The oldest son inheriting everything is a relic of times gone by,’ he’d grumbled more than once. ‘These days the property should be divided equally between any children.’ But their father had disagreed.
‘Don’t be ridiculous, Alex. That would mean selling the place. Unthinkable! It’s been in the family for generations and goes with the title. And you can’t honestly expect Wesley to buy you out.’
The old man had tried to make it up to his younger son by leaving him a generous trust fund, but Alex never seemed to appreciate it. He always wanted more and was forever living beyond his means, buying expensive cars, boats and who knew what else. Wes suspected drugs were involved too, but there was no talking to him.
Well, enough was enough. It was time to let Alex sink or swim.
The final straw had come a few weeks previously when a mutual acquaintance had revealed that Alex had been seen cosying up to Caroline at a club in London.
‘Very lovey-dovey, they were. But you don’t mind, do you?’ the friend had asked. ‘Water under the bridge and all that, eh?’
‘No, not at all. Why should I?’ Wes had been forced to reply, but inside he was seething. He did mind. Not because he still wanted Caroline – he most certainly didn’t – but because he suspected it was all an act.
Why the hell else would Alex want his brother’s cast-offs? It had to be for the usual reason – Alex coveted everything Wes had. It infuriated him that this should include Caro though, especially as he suspected she’d only go along with it to irritate her ex-husband as well. And what could Alex possibly see in a woman ten years his senior when he had the pick of more or less every girl
he ever met? They fell for him in droves.
Something wasn’t right, but he figured if he refrained from mentioning it, perhaps the two of them would tire of the game. By not reacting, he would cheat them of their petty little revenge.
But damned if he’d play happy families.
Chapter Eighteen
The house was silent, the midwife and physician had gone and the maids had cleared up the mess. Eliza was left alone to gaze adoringly at her son. He was so small, so vulnerable and so utterly beautiful. And so like his father. A stab of guilt sliced through her, but she was too exhausted to worry about it overmuch. Jago would find a way for them to be together. If anyone could arrange things, it would be him. She had absolute faith in him; it was only a question of patience, as he’d said. Now she must concentrate on regaining her strength and nurturing their child.
The baby was lying in a cradle next to her bed and she lay on her side staring at him, studying every tiny detail of his features, watching his little chest move up and down as he breathed. It was a miracle that she had given birth to this wonderful being and she didn’t begrudge the seemingly endless pain she’d had to go through. Her son was worth it. She couldn’t take her eyes off him even for a second. With a smile, she leaned over to kiss his soft cheek yet again. He sighed in his sleep, an adorable little noise.
A slight sound from the corridor made her turn her head towards the door and to her amazement Jago tiptoed into the room. He put a finger over his lips to stop her from saying anything, but she gasped nonetheless. In three strides he was by her side, pulling her close.
‘Oh, Jago,’ she whispered. ‘Have you run mad?’
He smiled and pushed a tendril of her hair behind one ear before bending down to kiss her. ‘Yes, probably, but I had to come. I needed to make sure you’re all right and the child also. You are, aren’t you?’
‘Yes, we’re both fine. Look, isn’t he wonderful?’
The Secret Kiss of Darkness Page 16