Married To A Stranger

by Connie Bennett

  Table of Contents

  Cover Page

  Title Page

  Dedication

  About the Author

  Other Books By

  Dear Reader

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Copyright

  MARRIED TO A STRANGER

  Connie Bennett

  This one is for Jacqui,

  a new friend who seems more like an old one

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Missouri author Connie Bennett is no stranger to Superromance readers. Married to a Stranger is her tenth Superromance novel. Her ninth, Single…With Children, was a RITA finalist last year. But whether or not you’re familiar with Connie’s earlier books, you’re in for a real treat when you read Married to a Stranger!

  Books by Connie Bennett

  HARLEQUIN SUPERROMANCE

  416—PLAYING BY THE RULES

  436—BELIEVE IN ME

  513—TOURIST ATTRACTION

  562—WINDSTORM

  586—SINGLE…WITH CHILDREN

  HARLEQUIN INTRIGUE

  311—SUSPICIONS

  HARLEQUIN AMERICAN ROMANCE

  547—FIFTY WAYS TO BE YOUR LOVER

  Don’t miss any of our special offers. Write to us at the following address for information on our newest releases.

  Harlequin Reader Service

  U.S.: 3010 Walden Ave., P.O. Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269

  Canadian: P.O. Box 609, Fort Erie, Ont. L2A 5X3

  Dear Reader,

  Welcome back to Bride’s Bay, where excitement and intrigue are on the menu this month as the staff of the luxury resort prepares for a very important guest. The President of the United States is coming to spend his vacation here. Unfortunately, an infamous assassin, known as the Raven, is also planning to visit the resort. The only person who may be able to foil the plot to kill the president is a lovely amnesia victim who finds herself Married to a Stranger on her second honeymoon at Bride’s Bay.

  Writing about Bride’s Bay allowed me the opportunity to do some really exciting on-site research on historic plantations throughout the south. My only regret is that Bride’s Bay is purely fictional. I’d love to spend a week or so there myself…after the Raven is captured, of course.

  If you enjoy Married to a Stranger, I’d love to know. Please drop me a line at P.O. Box 14, Dexter, MO 63841. If you’ll include an SASE, I’ll reply as quickly as I can.

  All my best,

  Connie Bennett

  PROLOGUE

  HE LOOKED like a hospital janitor. He wore the appropriate khaki coveralls, and his clip-on badge seemed completely authentic. He had a rag mop, a rolling bucket of tepid water and a yellow plastic board that read: Caution Wet Floor! The name he had invented for himself had even been placed into the hospital’s computer so that if anyone challenged his presence he would seem perfectly legitimate.

  But he wasn’t a janitor.

  Using the mop handle for leverage, he rolled the bucket forward, moving a few feet closer to the nurses’ station. It was time for the shift change, and the head nurse was giving her report to the nurses clustered behind the desk. None of them noticed the man with the mop, and none of them would be able to identify him later if they were called on to describe him. Disguises were his specialty. Even without props like the mop and bucket he could assume a hundred different personas, project a hundred false images. Tonight he was an anonymous, aging Hispanic janitor. Tomorrow, if he had to return to the hospital he might become a muscular blond doctor of Swedish descent or a plump, sweet-faced nurse. Whatever it took to get the job done.

  He edged farther down the hall with the mop, surreptitiously darting glances around the counter of the nurses’ station until he could see the cop. The good one was on duty tonight—the one who stood his guard by the door, instead of sitting lazily in a chair across the hall; who never allowed himself to be distracted by the nurses and meticulously questioned anyone who lingered too long near the room of the woman he was guarding.

  He didn’t allow himself to be disappointed by the presence of the diligent guard, instead of the lazy one who shared the boring duty. If it became necessary to eliminate the woman tonight, the good cop wouldn’t be hard to dispose of—not for a professional assassin like the Raven. He had killed heads of state, corporate magnates and cabinet ministers. One underpaid uniformed policeman wouldn’t be a problem.

  The assassin kept playing his role, completely ignoring the policeman now, and listening intently to the patient progress reports until he heard the one he wanted.

  “Four-seventeen,” the head nurse finally said, referring to the patients by room number, instead of name. “Her condition is stable, but we’re to continue regular monitoring of the EEG. Dr. Manion has ordered another MRI scan first thing tomorrow, so have her ready to be taken downstairs before shift change in the morning.”

  “How’s she doing?” another of the nurses asked.

  “She’s stronger and growing more frustrated, but other than that, there’s been no significant change.”

  “She had nightmares last night, but couldn’t remember tbem when she woke up,” the nurse informed her superior.

  “That’s typical, given the kind of blunt trauma she suffered. Just keep a close eye on her tonight,” the head nurse replied, then went on to other patients.

  The assassin’s face remained immobile, but inside he smiled. The woman’s condition hadn’t changed. There was no reason to rush the job. She wasn’t going anywhere and for the time being she couldn’t do him any harm. He had plenty of time to plan her termination carefully.

  Of course there was no question that the woman had to be killed. Not only could she identify him, she knew when and where he would make his next kill. Loose ends like the woman in four-seventeen were dangerous. The Raven couldn’t allow her to live.

  His first attempt to eliminate her had been made hastily, and it hadn’t been successful. This time, though, he would take more care and do it right. He had never failed before, and he’d spent too many months setting this plan in motion to even consider the possibility of failure now. He was being paid well to assassinate the President of the United States, and he wouldn’t allow anyone to come between him and the biggest kill of his career.

  Very soon the only person in the world who had enough information to stop him would be dead.

  And the President would be next.

  CHAPTER ONE

  SHE LOOKED so fragile. The starched, white hospital linens emphasized her deathly paleness, and the machines around her bed made her seem delicate and defenseless. At the moment Madeline Hopewell looked nothing at all like the picture Adam kept of her in his mind. That woman was vibrant and vigorous, colorful, and so beautiful it almost hurt to look at her. The woman in the hospital bed was still beautiful, of course, but now there was a vulnerable quality that hadn’t been there before.

  Adam stood outside the room watching Maddy through the observation window, trying to decide what he should be feeling. His wife was lying here in a South Carolina hospital bed. He should’ve been distressed, overwro
ught. Frightened, even. But for now, there was nothing but an empty space where his emotions should have been.

  She stirred, just a slight flutter of movement, and then was still again. Adam couldn’t blame her for not wanting to wake up. After what she’d been through and what she was facing, it wouldn’t be surprising if her subconscious kept her asleep for a very long time.

  “She’s going to be all right, Mr. Hopewell.”

  Adam forced his attention away from the hospital bed and looked at the white-coated physician beside him. “Are you sure of that, Dr. Manion?”

  The doctor gave him a reassuring smile. “I know this must seem very new and alarming since you’ve only just arrived, but we’ve had her under observation for five days now. She was unconscious for the first forty-eight hours, but she’s responded beautifully to treatment. There are no broken bones and the intercranial pressure that resulted from the concussion is gone. Medically speaking, she’s out of danger.”

  “But what about…” Adam stumbled over the words because he couldn’t bring himself to believe the diagnosis. “What about the amnesia?”

  “Temporary,” the doctor reassured him. “Most amnesia is.”

  “She doesn’t remember anything?” Adam asked incredulously.

  “No. Nothing about herself, at least. But her language skills are intact and she seems to have a good grasp of the world around her.” When Adam frowned in confusion, Manion explained, “She not only remembers most words, she knows their meanings and how to apply them. Some amnesiacs have to relearn simple functions, like tying their shoes. Some don’t even remember what shoes are. But your wife’s memory loss isn’t that total. That’s why I’m confident it will return in time—probably in small increments. There is always the possibility that it will come back all at once, of course.”

  Adam shook his head. It was just so hard to accept. “How did this happen? How could it happen?”

  “The human brain is a very delicate instrument, Mr. Hopewell. A blow like the one your wife received can do a lot of damage. We’re lucky it wasn’t much worse.” Manion hesitated a moment before continuing, “But there’s also another possibility to be considered. Concussive amnesia is the most likely diagnosis, but considering the circumstances, this could also be a case of hysterical amnesia.”

  Adam shook his head. “Maddy isn’t the type,” he said forcefully. “She’s never been afraid to face anything.”

  Manion’s eyebrows shot up. “Even attempted murder?”

  Adam’s gaze slid automatically to the uniformed policeman at Maddy’s door. Just minutes ago, the officer had questioned him intensely, insisting that he provide proper identification to prove that Madeline Hopewell was really his wife. He had produced enough documentation to satisfy the policeman, but Adam wasn’t ready to consider the significance of the officer’s presence yet.

  Instead, he told Manion, “You don’t know Maddy, or you wouldn’t ask that. She’s a very strong woman. She can handle just about anything.”

  “I hope you’re right, because these next few weeks are going to be difficult. For both of you,” he added gravely. “As you can imagine, she’s very frustrated right now. She keeps straining to remember, but nothing is coming to her. Her life’s a blank slate, and it’s going to be your job to help her fill in those blanks.”

  “Of course I will,” Adam said with a touch of impatience. “I’ll do anything it takes to help her remember.” He looked through the observation window again and his shoulders stiffened. The head of Madeline’s bed was elevated. “She’s awake. I want to see her,” he said, making a sudden move toward the door, but Manion scrambled to block his path.

  “Not just yet, Mr. Hopewell. Please don’t be hasty.”

  Adam stood several inches taller than the physician, and he used his superior height to its fullest effect. “Hasty? My wife is alone and confused. I want to see her. Comfort her.”

  Manion didn’t back down. “Naturally. But at the moment you have to consider what’s best for her.”

  Adam’s scowl deepened. “Are you saying that a visit from me could be detrimental to her recovery?”

  “At this very instant? Frankly, yes.” The doctor sighed and adopted a more conciliatory tone—one filled with genuine sympathy. “Mr. Hopewell, I don’t think you’ve had time to grasp the full impact of what I’ve told you regarding your wife’s condition. She doesn’t remember anything about her life, and the identification she had on her at the time of her injury told us almost nothing about her except her name.” He paused a second. “Not only will Madeline not remember you specifically, she doesn’t even know she has a husband. Realizing she’s forgotten a relation-ship that intimate is going to be a great emotional shock. She has to be prepared for it. You can’t just walk in there and say ‘Hi, honey, I’m home.’”

  Adam didn’t like relinquishing control of any situation, but in this instance he had to do things Manion’s way. “All right,” he conceded, backing away from the door. “How do you suggest we proceed?”

  Manion nodded in approval. “Let me speak with her first and prepare her. It will be better for both of you if she has a chance to absorb the shock before she meets you.”

  Adam nodded. “Whatever you think best.”

  “And when you do see her, it’s important that you not push,” Manion added. “Let Madeline set the tone of the meeting. Answer her questions, but don’t try to elicit emotions from her that she simply isn’t capable of feeling yet. You’re going to have to be very patient with her.”

  “I understand.”

  “I hope so.” The doctor gave him an encouraging smile. “Now, why don’t you have a seat in the waiting room around the corner while I talk to her? I’ll come get you as soon as she’s ready. It won’t be long, Mr. Hopewell. I promise.”

  Adam glanced at the observation window again, but his movement toward the door had removed Maddy’s bed from his line of sight. It wasn’t easy to fight the urge to return to the window for another look at her, to stand there watching as Manion told her she had a husband. Adam needed to see her reaction to the news—to see if it shocked her into remembering who she was and how she came to be in this Charleston hospital.

  As if he’d read Adam’s mind, Dr. Manion stepped between him and the window, gesturing toward the waiting room. “Please, Mr. Hopewell. For your wife’s sake, let me do this my way.”

  Adam had to concede. There was no other choice. He had to do what was best for Maddy.

  With great reluctance, he nodded and allowed Manion to escort him around the corner. He took a seat and waited.

  As ALWAYS, the panic hit her the moment she woke up. It didn’t matter if it was the middle of the night or after a morning nap, the result was always the same. As soon as consciousness dawned, the unsettling sense of not knowing where she was washed over her, making her feel disoriented and out of control. She lay very still, fighting for calm. Then, opening her eyes and turning her head, she recognized her hospital surroundings.

  That was when the real panic hit. That was when her adrenaline soared and her hands began to tremble, when her breathing became harsh and irregular. That was when she wanted to scream or cry, wanted to run and run until she left this waking nightmare behind.

  That was when she was engulfed by the deep black hole where her memories should have been, and she had to fight the horror of not knowing who she was. She started by controlling her breathing. She forced her hands to be still. She reminded herself that she couldn’t run because there was no place to run to. As she had for the past three days, she gained control over her fear by distancing herself from it. She enforced a sense of calm detachment on her psyche, and though it was entirely artificial, so far it had kept her from going insane.

  Focusing on her physical condition sometimes helped, too. She had learned yesterday afternoon that if she moved very slowly her body didn’t scream with pain and her head didn’t throb as fiercely, so now she inclined her bed a few inches at a time, then eased up th
e rest of the way on her own until she was sitting on the edge of the bed.

  Except for the IV tube that pierced her hand, the machines that had been monitoring her recovery had all been disconnected when she was taken downstairs for an MRI scan earlier this morning. No one had come to hook them up again, and she was grateful. Being free of the machines made her feel a little less vulnerable.

  It was one small step, not much of an improvement certainly, but anything was better than the feeling of total helplessness she’d had since awakening three days ago with a blinding pain in her head and a thousand questions she couldn’t even begin to answer. Everyone was calling her Madeline Hopewell, but nothing inside of her embraced that identity or told her anything about this Hopewell woman.

  Still moving slowly, she turned her head toward the wall mirror that hung over the lavatory. The woman who stared back at her had a dark bruise on her temple that spilled out under the edges of the thick bandage taped to her forehead. Her tousled hair was dark and straight, almost long enough to touch her shoulders. Her eyes were an odd shade of gray, her nose was a little too thin and her lips a little too full. With a bit of color in her cheeks and some carefully applied makeup, her face would probably be considered an attractive one.

  But it was a stranger’s face—as alien as her name, and the emptiness she felt was terrifying.

  Nothing made sense. The police said that someone had tried to kill her, but they didn’t know who or why. She’d been here five days, yet no one had filed a missing-persons report on her. The police had conducted an intensive media campaign, displaying her photograph on every TV station and newspaper in the city, asking anyone who recognized her to come forward, but no one had.

  It was as if she didn’t exist.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the door move and she froze, fighting the urge to grab something for protection. She knew there was a policeman outside, but that didn’t comfort her. Somehow she knew she couldn’t—and shouldn’t—count on him to keep her safe.