by A D Holland
“Are you alright?” her question was whispered as she laid her hand on his wounded shoulder and searched his eyes for pain. He stared back at her, lowering his lids to guard against his expression.
“I’m fine,” his voice was cold and clipped.
Tears flowed down her face freely. She took his hand in both of hers and leaned over to place a soft kiss on his lips. She pulled back to look into his shuttered eyes and for a moment she saw pain there and then he closed his eyes and winced as he moved his shoulder.
“Is he dead?” Devin’s question caused Elizabeth to stiffen.
“Yes, he’s dead,” she spoke softly.
“Who hit you in the face?” he demanded.
Elizabeth reached up and touched a finger to her bruised face as she remembered the scene where her once beloved step brother brutally punched her.
“Samuel.”
“Bastard,” he growled as he touched her face.
“Yes, it seems that you were correct about that Devin. I do seem to have an abundance of those types in my life.” Her voice was soft as she brushed the hair back from his forehead.
“But I am grateful that I have one egotistic, gun toting Dirty Harry wanna be in my life.” She gave him a watery smile as tears flowed over her cheeks. His reaction was slight, nothing but the ticking of the nerve in his jaw, but it gave her hope. She saw the blood drain from his face and watched as his eyes drifted shut.
Chapter 11
Elizabeth listened to the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks below. It soothed her troubled soul, this quiet that she experienced here on the island; so green and alive. She breathed in the warm ocean breeze, willing it to soak into her tattered heart and ease this sense of mourning she felt. She had lived through the battle fought with Servano and his gang, but lost the war she had with her heart concerning Devin Kane. Her mind traveled back to the last time she had seen him, almost three months ago.
She had convinced Edward to take her to the hospital where Devin had been for a week. She needed to see him, to reassure herself that he was all right. When they had arrived at the waiting area a nurse directed Elizabeth down the corridor to his room. Elizabeth stood outside, hesitating over what to say to him, when the door swung open and she was confronted with a beautiful, blonde woman.
She was a tall, long legged creature in her blood red designer dress and three-inch suede heels. Elizabeth suddenly felt huge next to this woman. She tugged self-consciously on her cream sweater that seemed very tight. Elizabeth had felt so good when she left the house that morning. She had abandoned the thought of buying more comfortable clothes and settled into the wardrobe her mother had provided, spending an unusual amount of time picking an outfit to wear to the hospital. She had decided on the soft, long sleeved cream sweater with its peter pan collar. She matched this with a pair of dark brown slacks and flats. She had swept her hair up in a clip allowing it to flow down the back of her head in soft, loose curls.
Now, standing next to this willowy creature, Elizabeth felt like a freak in a sideshow. And worse, she stuttered like a complete idiot when the goddess spoke to her.
“Pardon me,” the voice was soft and musical but the face was not apologetic at all. Her green eyes were cold and calculating when they surveyed Elizabeth. “Are you lost?” the patronizing look Elizabeth received left her tongue-tied.
“I....well. I have...” Elizabeth mumbled uncomfortably. The goddess looked with those hard green eyes and her blood red lips formed a tight smile as she let the door slip closed behind her.
“Yes? You can speak, can’t you?”
This last comment brought a deep flush to Elizabeth’s cheeks, anger simmered in her eyes.
“I am Elizabeth Windsor,” the Ice Princess voice emerged from Elizabeth’s mouth. She raised her chin a little higher. “I have come to see Detective Kane, to thank him for everything.”
A perfectly arched eyebrow raised a notch higher along with the voice, “I know who you are. I’m Gloria Mason.”
"Miss Mason, if you are leaving please do not let me delay you any longer.”
Elizabeth pushed past Gloria and walked through the door. Devin was sitting up in the hospital bed with his head resting against a pillow. He looked as if he was sleeping so Elizabeth walked to the bed quietly, pausing beside him. She drank in his image; his tousled hair, beautiful face and strong torso. When she spied the bandage on his shoulder a shudder ran through her body. She reached out to touch him and then snatched her hand back. He was so pale and looked as if he had lost weight, but that did nothing to deter the burning passion that erupted in her when she looked at him.
Her eyes traveled over his flat stomach and up across his muscled chest. She flicked her tongue across her dry lips. His chiseled jaw was clean and smooth; she wondered who had the lucky job of shaving that strong face. The picture this brought to mind made her blood boil and she felt anticipation grow in her abdomen. She saw a flush enter his skin and she looked up unexpectedly into dark smoky blue eyes. She jumped back, startled, and embarrassed at being caught in her perusal of his body.
“How are you?” her voice squeaked and she wanted to kick herself.
“Fine,” his voice was husky; his lids lowered shadowing his eyes.
“I’m glad,” she did not squeak this time and felt confident enough to continue. “I need to talk to you.”
She watched his eyes open and felt the impact of that smoky gaze he kept giving her. He reached out and traced the now fading bruise on her face. His fingers burned her and she felt her body leaning closer to him, being drawn to him like a moth to the flame. Before her body made contact, Devin shuddered and leaned back against the pillows dropping his hand.
“How are you?” he sounded bored and disinterested. She felt hurt at his attitude and then wanted to kick herself again for expecting him to feel differently. Lifting her chin, the image of Gloria Mason flashed in her head and Elizabeth felt the ice form around her heart. Of course he was disinterested and bored. Why would he want to waste his time with her when he had Gloria “the goddess” Mason at his beck and call? She was suddenly very angry and lashed out at him the only way she knew how.
“I am doing incredibly well,” she smiled coldly at him and then walked around the small room with a sense of casual disregard. “I just came by to thank you Detective for your services,” she paused and looked directly into his eyes. “All of them.” Devin flinched and turned his head away but Elizabeth was too far gone to care about his feelings, believing that he had never once taken notice of hers.
“Now Detective Kane,” she sardonically dropped her bomb. “I can’t say that I would have ever had the chance to learn the lessons about men that you have taught me, from anyone else. But now I have graduated, you see. Onto bigger…” her eyes dropped suggestively, “…and better things. So there is no need for you to worry.”
She turned and walked toward the door, pausing for one more slash from her sharpened tongue.
“Oh, by the way, I ran into Miss Mason and I think that my theory on your “type” has been proven. Really Devin,” her voice held polite abhorrence, “a bit trashier than I would have expected from you.” Elizabeth winced as she remembered the glare Devin had thrown her. If he didn’t hate her before, he surely did now.
Edward had driven her back to the ranch where she locked herself in her bedroom and stayed for a whole week only emerging, to her mother’s dismay, to raid the kitchen. This had been a black time for Elizabeth, and she buried herself in food to comfort her. They held a private ceremony for Samuel with only close relatives there. All Elizabeth could remember of that horrible day was the way everyone stared at her, causing her to retreat to her haven and eat a whole gallon of mint chocolate chip ice cream.
In the middle of her second week of seclusion, Edward had burst into her room. She was sprawled on her bed in an old T-shirt and baggy shorts staring blindly at the wall.
“Elizabeth, I need to talk to you.”
She
looked at him blankly.
“Elizabeth, honey, you are scaring your mother and me. We have never seen you so depressed. I want to help you Elizabeth.”
She focused on his face for the first time since he had entered her bedroom and she was shocked. Suddenly the self-absorbed cocoon she had wrapped herself in burst open and she realized the toll the past few weeks had taken on her family. Edward looked pale, his usually bright smile was now turned down into a frown, and his eyes were sunken into his face with deep, dark rings under them. The tears that she had refused to cry since her return poured out of her now. How could she have been so unfeeling? She was not the only one who was affected by this tragedy.
“Elizabeth,” Edward sat on the bed and hugged her. “I have lost one child; I don’t want to lose another one.”
“I’m sorry Edward,” she pulled back to look into his eyes. “I’m sorry.”
“I know honey. But it’s not your fault. Samuel got himself into trouble a long time ago. If anything, it is my fault for not protecting my family better,” he released a heavy sigh and smiled at her sadly.
“But Edward, if we had never come to this house this would not have happened. Samuel would not have felt betrayed by your attention to me and he would still be here today.”
“I’m sorry to say this but Samuel was weak. He had always been weak and the trouble between him and me started way before you came into the picture Elizabeth. You were just dragged into his mean world and he convinced you that he was the perfect man. I think now that you see him for the person he was, you are having a hard time dealing with it.”
“Maybe you are right about that. I always loved Samuel and that blocked me from seeing the hate he had for me. I just can’t seem to shake this depression. I have had all the rejection I can stand.”
“You have to get out of this room.”
Elizabeth had been prepared for some kind of discussion about her life now that she had no apartment and was too much of a wreck to work at the shelter. How could she help all of those women when she couldn’t help herself?
Louisa had phoned her several times but Elizabeth had begged off speaking to her. She couldn’t face her friend right now. She listened as Edward continued his plea.
“I am not belittling your misery, I don’t pretend to know what you went through those few days, but I do know you, and this shell of a woman before me is nothing like my beautiful, sweet daughter.” He cupped her cheek in his palm, wiping away the tears there.
“You are a strong, independent, beautiful woman who has proven that she can do anything she puts her mind to.” This just made Elizabeth cry even harder.
“Now Elizabeth, your mother and I have been talking and we think that you should go spend some time on the island. You will be alone and you’ll be able to get some fresh air without anyone bothering you. I have already cleared this with Randall and he said that they are not expecting anyone at the island until spring, so you can take as long as you like.”
It didn’t take Elizabeth long to decide on what she should do. She packed in a mad rush, kissed her mother and Edward goodbye, and flew to the island. The first month had been very hard, trying to sort through her feelings and emotions. She did a lot of walking on the beach trying to convince her heart that she should be thankful she was alive and get over this, but she still felt lost.
During her second month on the island Elizabeth had received a package from her mother and Edward containing magazines, newspapers and a few of her favorite treats. She had not seen a newspaper or magazine since she had arrived and was excited to see what was going on in the world. She sat on the couch in one of the living rooms in the villa and dug into the box. After an hour, she had come across a newspaper, dated a month prior. When she opened to the third page and saw a picture of Devin her heart froze. He was standing with Gloria Mason outside a restaurant. She read the caption below the photo.
“Beautiful model Gloria Mason has snagged herself a real life hero in Detective Devin Kane.”
Elizabeth skimmed the gossip column with blurred eyes. The writer listed Devin’s achievements topping them off with the arrest of Servano. Elizabeth looked at the photo of Devin and “the goddess”. He had his arm around her perfectly petite waste and they were both smiling into the camera. Elizabeth had crumpled the paper into a ball and threw it across the room. She vowed at that moment to forget Devin Kane and move on with her life.
Two weeks later her worst suspicions had come true. She had not been feeling well. After a long bout with one of the worst migraines she had ever experienced, Elizabeth decided to make a quick trip to the mainland and see a doctor. After the examination she had sat in his office waiting for him to give her a prescription. When the doctor entered with her chart he seemed a little uncomfortable.
Miss Windsor, I cannot give you the prescription you have requested,” he avoided her eyes and played with a piece of paper on his desk.
“But why?" she questioned. “I have taken it before.” Elizabeth looked at the doctor through pain filled eyes.
“It appears that you are pregnant, Miss Windsor, and this medication should not be taken in your condition,” he looked at her then expectantly.
“Pregnant? Are you sure?”
“There is no doubt about it.”
“It can’t be,” she whispered her shock.
Elizabeth had left the office in a daze. She was going to have Devin’s baby. They had not once thought about using protection and now she was pregnant. She would have a constant reminder of Devin forever.
At first she was frightened; afraid of what Edward and her mother might think of her; afraid that she would not be a good mother; afraid that she was not strong enough to handle having a baby. When she finally broke down and told her mother and Edward, she was surprised at their reaction. Margery had cried over the telephone to her for half an hour about how she was so happy she was going to be a Grandmother, she didn’t look like a grandmother though, did she? Margery’s question made Elizabeth laugh and feel a little more normal in her decision to keep the baby. Edward was very constrained the first few minutes she spoke with him.
“Are you going to tell Mr. Kane the unexpected news?” Edward’s question had thrown her totally off guard. Not once had she mentioned who the father was or even when it had happened, but Edward was able to see through her.
“I’m not sure yet, Edward. I think that I need a little more time to figure things out for myself.”
“I don’t want you out there on that island too long by yourself Elizabeth. Your mother and I will fly down there next week to get you.”
Elizabeth panicked. Next week was too soon.
“I am fine, and I have a doctor I am seeing on the mainland. There is really no need for me to rush back just yet. I want to stay here a little longer, by myself. Please Edward, allow me this?”
He could not refuse her plea, but said that he would not leave her out there for more than two weeks. A sigh of relief escaped her lips, she had hoped for a month but she knew that Edward would not allow this.
So now her two weeks were almost over, Edward and Margery were expected to arrive tomorrow. Elizabeth laid her hand on her stomach. At almost three and a half months, she had finally started to form a hard belly. Her hair was brighter and she knew that her skin glowed, but other than those things she did not look different. She was able to hide her tummy with loose fitting clothes. She released a soft sigh and decided to make her way down to the beach.
She was still battling with whether to tell Devin about the baby. It would be the right thing to do, but she knew that she would not be able to bear it. She really could not imagine how he would react, the unknown frightened her. She wondered along the beach, stopping now and then to let the waves lap over her feet. She watched the sun sink into the ocean, feeling the cool breeze on her face; only one more day before she would have to return to her life and the real world.
Elizabeth turned to head back up the path leading to the villa, picki
ng her way along the rocky surface. Her bare foot hit a sharp rock, causing her to stumble and cry out. Her arm was taken in a strong grip and she raised her head in fright.
“Devin!” he was standing so close to her she could feel the warmth from his body. She looked at him unable to control her eyes as they traveled over him. He was wearing a dark suit with a maroon tie and this struck her as odd, she had never seen him so formal before. Maybe she was dreaming or hallucinating.
“Have you hurt yourself?” concern was etched on his face and filled his deep voice. Elizabeth shook her head slightly and snapped her mouth shut as the image of the photo she had seen of him and Gloria Mason flashed before her eyes. He had been dressed similar then as he was now. Without thinking, Elizabeth looked behind him to see if the goddess was somehow attached to him now. Her eyes narrowed as her gaze returned to his face. What game was he playing now? She jerked her arm free and took a tiny step back from him.
“Detective Kane, what a surprise,” her voice was frosty. “What brings you here? More bad guys on the loose?” she searched his face for some trace of reaction to her question but found none. His eyes were shuttered and his mouth was turned down at the corners as if he found disapproval in her.
“Edward told me where you were,” his response shocked and frightened her. Had Edward said something to him about the baby? Is that why he was here, looking at her with such disappointment in his eyes?
“You spoke with my step father?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I needed to see you and had been unsuccessful in tracking you down.”
“And so you asked my step father who was too happy to please the great detective it seems.”
“No, as matter of fact, he was not in any hurry to release your whereabouts to me.” Devin shoved his hands in his pockets and leaned back on his heels. “But I can be pretty convincing when I want something.”
Elizabeth shivered at the innuendo; her mind tortured her with images of him holding her, making love to her. Her weakness was very frustrating and she could not let him see it. She fought for control over her emotions.