Simmer All Night

by Geralyn Dawson

  "Yes. She always did wrap her father around her little finger. Until it came time to send her to boarding school." Smugness colored Elizabeth's tone as she said, "I won that one."

  "Won?" Cole brows winged up. "I didn't realize it was a contest."

  "Yes, well. Not a contest, more a war. You probably never noticed how much a distraction her behavior was for her father. At times it threatened to compromise his position as a federal judge. Of course I missed her desperately once she was gone, but I was comforted by the fact that the school we chose for her would deal with those unladylike tendencies she exhibited." She paused for a moment before adding sadly, "But she came home a flirt and a jilt."

  Elizabeth sighed. "It's enough to break a mother's heart. But now, thank God, she has you. You are just who my Christina needs. You'll steer her right. You'll change her. Being your wife will change Christina into the woman I've always wanted her to be."

  "No," Chrissy's voice croaked.

  Cole went stiff. He jerked his head around toward the bed and joy filled his heart. "You're awake!"

  Immediately he was there with a glass of cool water which Chrissy downed thirstily. His voice shook a little as he asked, "How are you feeling, honey?"

  "I'm..." she shuddered. "I'm fine, I think. It's like a nightmare." Then she looked up at him, those beautiful green eyes searching his. "You saved me, didn't you?"

  "We found you in the tomb."

  "I knew you would. I just knew it. It made me feel... safe."

  He had a lump in his throat the size of a watermelon. "I'm glad, honey."

  Her smile warmed him like summer sunshine, chasing away the last of the cold that had gripped him since her disappearance. "Thank you, Cole. Thank you for saving my life."

  "Oh, my baby," cried Elizabeth. She edged Cole aside and sat on the bed next to Chrissy, then slipped her arms around her and gave her a hug. "You're so lucky to have a man who loves you as much as he does. He never quit searching, never. Everything will be just fine now. A little more rest and you'll be well and we can plan your wedding."

  Chrissy blinked. Her smile died. "No," she said again, her voice weary. "No we won't."

  Elizabeth patted her hand. "Now, Christina, I realize you probably want to do things your way, but believe me when I say you'll need help planning a wedding here in England. Weddings are much bigger productions here than they are at home."

  Her skin was as pale as the sheet she lay upon, and Cole could tell her strength was waning. She looked up at him, an unreadable message in her eyes. "We're not getting married," she said softly. "Cole and I agreed."

  "Chrissy..."he began.

  "Oh, poppycock," Elizabeth said with a sniff. "Of course you are getting married. Cole told us he loves you, and I know you've loved him for quite some time. Quit being difficult, Christina."

  Chrissy sank back onto her bed and turned her head toward the wall. Cole's heart ached. How could he be filled with such relief and such sorrow at the same time? For a long moment, the only sound in the room was the ticking of the clock on the mantel.

  Then Cole shoved his hands into his pockets and scowled at Elizabeth. "Why do you do that?"

  "Do what?"

  "Attack her like that."

  Elizabeth's shoulders squared. "What do you mean?" she questioned, her tone bristling with defensiveness. "I don't attack her."

  "Yes, sometimes you do. Sadly, this is one of those instances. Chrissy isn't being difficult. Nor does she have to change." He paused and looked at her, willing her to meet his gaze. She did, and he smiled at her. "She's wonderful just as she is."

  "Of course she is wonderful," Elizabeth said, scowling. "She is my daughter and I love her."

  Chrissy pushed up onto her arms. "Do you, Mother?"

  Elizabeth gasped and slapped a hand against her breast. "Why, Christina Delaney. Of course I love you."

  "You never say it. All you ever do is berate me. Usually in a kind manner, I'll admit. After all, we must keep up appearances."

  "I don't—"

  "You do," Cole said, jumping back into the conversation. "I don't know why I never noticed it before, but you do. What's worse, you do it in such an agreeable way that those around you never think to question the truth of what you are saying."

  He laughed without amusement, then said, "I've long wondered how the boldest woman I know could be so insecure inside, but now, finally, it is crystal clear to me. You do that to her. You're a mother hen who pecks at her chick until she's bleeding inside."

  The hairbrush clattered to the floor as Elizabeth made a little wounded moan. Chrissy gazed from Cole to her mother, her mouth gaping open in shock. A mixture of anger and anguish rushed through Cole as he turned away from the woman who for so long now had been his mother.

  He'd never intentionally hurt her before in his life.

  Then Jake stepped forward from a corner of the room. "Now, wait just one minute, Morgan. There's no call for you to talk that way. My mother loves her daughter."

  "I know she does," Cole replied, capturing Chrissy's stare. "I know she does and that's the saddest part of all." He looked at Elizabeth and asked, "How can you love her, but constantly undermine her? Why do you do it?"

  "I don't undermine her." Elizabeth's voice trembled. She glanced at Chrissy. "Do I? Am I a terrible person? I only want what is best for you. That's why I chose Cole for you. He'll make you a fine husband, Christina. He's so very much like your father. He'll help you curb your... inappropriate enthusiasm."

  "But what if I don't want to be curbed?" Chrissy asked. "Why can't anyone love me the way I am?"

  Ah, this was the heart of the matter, and the pain in her voice damn near sliced Cole in two. He sat on the edge of her bed and stared at her intently. "I do, Lady Bug. I love you exactly as you are."

  He could see in her expression that she wanted to believe. Rather desperately, he thought.

  "That's not what you said, Cole. You said you wanted a lady who dresses right and acts right."

  Elizabeth interjected. "But you can be that lady for him, Christina. You can be the wife he deserves."

  Cole muttered a curse beneath his breath before looking at Chrissy's mother and saying, "I love you, too, Elizabeth. You are a mother to me. I love you and I respect you and I'd lay down my life for yours. But I feel those things for your daughter, also. Those and more. I think you need to hear why."

  He shifted his gaze back to Chrissy and brushed her cheek with his thumb. "Your daughter is like you in very many ways, Elizabeth. She is generous and loyal and strong. She is fervent in her beliefs and she is outspoken in her opinions. She'll fight against injustice. She'll protect the innocent with her life. We saw her do that with the Klebergs. Those are all qualities I see in you."

  Elizabeth sniffed. "I know Christina is all those things. I'm very proud of her for that."

  "I hope you are. But you should be proud of her differences, too, because they help make her the vibrant woman she is."

  "You mean like her reckless behavior?"

  "I mean her courage, her willingness to live life to the fullest. I mean her wit and her energy and the joy she brings other people."

  He saw what he thought might be hope kindle in Chrissy's eyes. Silently, she implored him. Do you truly mean it, Cole?

  Her mother sniffed with disdain. "All that is easy for you to say, Cole, but you are not her mother. You haven't needed to worry about the consequences of her behavior. Understand this. A mother's primary duty is to ensure that her daughter is marriageable. Thank God you have been brave enough to see past the weaknesses in Christina's character, otherwise she'd never find an acceptable husband."

  Chrissy's brow dipped at that. "Wait a minute," she protested weakly. "I found lots of appropriate men. I've been engaged, what, seven times?"

  "Eight if you count Welby," Cole corrected.

  Elizabeth dismissed the argument with the wave of a hand. "I never believed you'd marry a one of them, and I was right. You love Cole. He's th
e only man for you." She shot him a smite and added, "He's strong enough to subdue the outrageous side of your character."

  "I don't want to subdue her," Cole snapped. "I thank God she's a Chili Queen. If not for those chili spices she'd still be down in that tomb. It shames me that it took me so long to see Chrissy for who she is. It shames me that I, too, thought she should conform more than is right for her nature. It shames me that I ever thought, even for a moment, that I might be better off with a more socially compliant woman for a wife."

  He glanced at Elizabeth and said, "I love you dearly, Elizabeth, but you've been wrong about Chrissy, too. So has Jake. We haven't loved her for who she is. We wanted to love her for who we wanted her to be. Chrissy deserves better than that from us. She deserves love without strings placed upon that love, and that's what I intend to give her."

  He slipped off the bed and knelt on one knee. Taking one of her hands in his, he said, "I love you, Chrissy. You. Just like you are. Chili Queen, flirt, and all. I don't want to change you or control you or do anything but love you. Can you accept that, finally? Can you accept me? Will you marry me, Christina Delaney?"

  Chrissy cleared her throat. "It's my choice?"

  "Yes, yours. Not your brother's or your mother's or mine. Your choice, Lady Bug. As long as there is no baby, I'll abide by it."

  "Baby!" Jake exclaimed.

  Chrissy pursed her lips and thought for a moment. "What is today?"

  "Wednesday," growled her brother, glaring at Cole.

  "I won't know about a baby for at least another week." Chrissy lay back on her bed and closed her eyes. "Sunday, Cole. I'll give you my answer this coming Sunday."

  Well, hell.

  * * *

  I'm gonna strangle Christina Delaney.

  Cole swung the ax, cleaving a log cleanly in two. The hardheaded, mule-stubborn, muscle-minded woman. She wouldn't see him. Wouldn't speak to him. Wouldn't respond to the letter he'd slipped under her door.

  "Give me your answer on Sunday," he grumbled, setting up another log. "Just because I said I wouldn't try to change you didn't mean I'd let you walk all over me."

  He split the log with two solid strokes. "Backed off because you looked pale," he muttered. "Weak." He'd thought to give her a day of rest, then hash the rest of their relationship out in private.

  "That's what you get for thinking, Morgan," he mumbled.

  He cut three more logs before heaving the ax blade into the ground. Leaning on the handle, he gingerly touched the cut below his eye he'd received Wednesday afternoon. Damned Jake had a wicked right hook.

  Cole hadn't defended himself at first. He knew he deserved the beating for touching Christina. He deserved it for being so stupid as to mention the possibility of a baby in front of her mother and brother. But when Jake proved unwilling to allow a couple punches to settle the matter, Cole had thrown a few jabs of his own. All in all, it had been a satisfactory fight.

  He wished like hell he could find the same satisfaction with Christina.

  What really chapped him about her behavior was that the ban didn't extend to anyone else. All day long folks were in and out of her bedroom. Her mother, her brother, Thornbury, Lana and the children, even Welby. Yet, every time he tried to gain entrance, a footman was there to bar the way. Cole about blew his top yesterday when Christina refused to see him for the third time that afternoon.

  Feeling better for the exercise, but still muttering beneath his breath, Cole stacked the wood on the woodpile, grabbed his shirt to use as a towel, then slipped it on for the trek to the manor house and the bath that awaited him.

  He was taking a shortcut through the statue garden when he came upon an exceedingly glum Jake Delaney sitting on a bench throwing pebbles at Adonis's private parts. "What has you down in the mouth?" Cole asked.

  Jake scowled and threw another stone. "Scotland. Rowanclere Castle."

  Cole didn't even try to smother his laugh. "Gonna take a trip, Jake?"

  "You're an ass, Morgan,"

  Still grinning, Cole took a seat beside him. Jake sighed heavily, threw another rock, then said, "Chrissy gets every bit of her stubbornness from Mama."

  "She's sending you after the Declaration?"

  "Yeah. Even though we've already located one of them."

  "Really? When? Where? No one told me about it."

  "The fellow who owns Castaway Bait Company had one. Apparently it had been passed down through Drew Coryell's family. Remember Roger Mayfield's daughter Hannah?"

  "The pretty one? Didn't he bring her to the Historical Society meetings a few times when he was president of the group?"

  "That's her. Anyway, a few years back she was briefly—very briefly—married to Coryell. He'd shown her the document. So once she found out the Historical Society was searching for missing copies of the Declaration, she looked up her old flame and convinced him to give it to her."

  "That's good news," Cole observed. "As long as we have one copy, finding the others aren't as important."

  "Not according to my mother," Jake replied, giving the grass beneath his feet a vicious kick. "She's bound and determined for me to track down the one that woman supposedly stole from Bennet, or Wilcox, I should say."

  It was all Cole could do not to chortle aloud at the gloomy note in Jake's voice. "You'll enjoy Scotland. I hear the lassies are lovely up there. And when you find the woman who bested Wilcox, give her my regards, will you? I tell you what, Jake, that man was downright crazy. It shames me to think Texas produced a fellow like that."

  Jake nodded glumly. "He certainly had more than a few spokes missing from his wheel. Makes you wonder what sort of home he grew up in to make him want to create a copy of it in a crypt."

  "Maybe he was born bad," Cole replied thoughtfully. "Or, could be losing both his folks so young made him that way. Doesn't really matter, though. One way or another, this world is well rid of him."

  "Can't argue with you there."

  The two men sat quietly for a moment as Cole pondered the events of recent days. Details yielded by the scrapbook uncovered during a search of Harpur Priory following the impostor's death had shocked them all. The man's evil hadn't begun with murdering the real Lord Bennet and taking his place. Newspaper clippings told of crimes committed by a young John Wilcox while handwritten notations kept up a running tally of killings he carried out in the process. According to the articles, the Texas Rangers had been hot on Wilcox's trail, so the decision to take the real Lord Bennet's place had likely been an easy one. What was one more murder in a long list? Especially when it brought the killer significant wealth and a life of ease at the price of a little homesickness.

  Cole cleared his throat, then voiced a nagging concern. "I just hope Chrissy doesn't suffer too much knowing she fired the shot that ended up killing him."

  Jake winced. "Uh, I told her you killed him."

  Cole considered the lie for a moment, then nodded. "Good. Let's keep to that story. Chrissy doesn't need to shoulder that burden, and besides, I wish I had done him in myself. It's one of the bigger disappointments in my life that he died before I could finish the job for him. And now that I've heard the whole story of what he did to Chrissy and to the children in order to protect his true identity, I wish he'd died a much harder death."

  "Me, too," observed Jake. "Although, I understand being gut shot is particularly painful."

  "Yes."

  The two men's gazes met and they shared a satisfied smile. After that, the conversation turned to Jake's travel plans. "Have you been able to discover exactly where in Scotland you'll find this Rowanclere Castle?"

  "Yes," Jake said with a groan. "My grandfather thinks he's heard of it. He thinks it's up north. Up in the mountains."

  "The Scottish Highlands." Cole winced. "That's too bad."

  "Why do you say that?"

  Cole clapped him on the back, biting back a laugh as he stood. "I heard it can get awfully cold in the Highlands. I know how much you like ice, snow, and bitter wind."


  Jake sneered and made a rude hand gesture. "Go chop some more wood, why don't you."

  Cole walked away grinning, feeling better than he had in days. "And no wonder," he murmured, glancing toward the western sky where the sun was beginning to set. "Tomorrow is Sunday."

  * * *

  Chrissy stared at the gown hanging on the wardrobe door and smiled wistfully. It was a beautiful dress. Made of satin and silk, beaded and bustled, it was the height of fashion for any well-born lady.

  It was a gift from her grandfather, and how he'd obtained such a fine piece of work in such a short amount of time left her marveling at his influence. In fact, he'd managed all the arrangements she'd requested with seemingly minor effort. Chrissy appreciated his efforts mote than she could say. Anything to make this day easier was a great help.

  Chrissy was nervous. As she sat at her dressing table fixing her hair, her foot beneath her robe tapped a mile a minute. Even her hand trembled as she poked another pin into the hairstyle she was attempting. "You're a mess, Chrissy Delaney," she said to her reflection. "You know you're doing the right thing, so why be scared?"

  The knock at her door became a welcome distraction. "Yes?"

  The door cracked open and her mother stuck her head inside. "May I come in?"

  Chrissy's spine straightened in an automatic defensive response, but she forced a smile. "Certainly. Please." Then in a conciliatory gesture, she added, "I could use some help with my hair."

  Elizabeth brought a dress bag in with her, and she hung it in the wardrobe before approaching Chrissy. "I'd love to assist you in styling your hair."

  Chrissy wanted to ask her what was in the bag, but she didn't feel comfortable doing it. She and her mother had been tiptoeing around one another since the conversation last Wednesday.

  The desire to make things right with her mother was a physical ache inside Chrissy. Now, as Elizabeth pulled the pins from Chrissy's hair and picked up the hairbrush, she searched to find the right words to say.

  Elizabeth spoke first. "You have such beautiful hair." She paused for a moment, then added, "I think you should wear it down today."