Fire's Lady

by Bretton, Barbara

  "Thank you," she whispered, as he folded her into an embrace. "Thank you for everything, Father."

  #

  It seemed to Alexandra that Janine talked all the way to San Francisco. For seven days as they traveled by rail through Philadelphia and Roanoke, through Chattanooga and New Orleans then across the vast prairies, Janine provided an endless stream of conversation that at times drove Alexandra close to madness.

  On their sixth travel day, Alexandra pleaded a headache and spent much of the afternoon in the private car Andrew had provided for them, rather than in the parlor car where most passengers converged. Even the sunny-tempered Katie was fractious and spent much of the day fussing.

  "Twenty-four hours," Alexandra whispered as the train wound its way toward San Francisco. Twenty-four hours until Matthew McKenna met his daughter.

  #

  To Matthew's surprise, Madolyn left early that morning for a week-long visit to friends in Sacramento, leaving him alone in the house with an infinite supply of whiskey and dark memories.

  If it hadn't been for the fact he was expecting Edward Strawbridge for dinner, Matthew would have called for a coach and headed north to the country house. He had not been back to the estate since the day Christopher died and it seemed long past time he returned, if not to confront his memories then to retrieve some personal belongings.

  He had tired of San Francisco and of city life in general, but Madolyn's constant presence in the mansion had kept him on a short lead. At each turn he expected to see Stephen Lowell appear on the scene; the man had not as yet shown himself, but both Matthew and Strawbridge knew it was only a matter of time.

  The grandfather clock in the library tolled the noon hour. Another endless, useless day far from the woman he loved stretched before him and, at the moment, there seemed to be no end in sight.

  #

  The train reached the station at nine p.m. on the seventh day of their trip. Once again, Alexandra blessed her father's presence of mind for she had given no thought to how she and Janine and an infant would manage to find Matthew's house and were it not for the coach and driver awaiting her at the station—well, it didn't bear thinking about.

  Swiftly the driver and two railroad employees loaded her trunk and valises into the hold of the carriage and they were on their way.

  A heavy fog blanketed the Bay and coupled with the darkness she could see little of the sprawling city as they headed up a series of steep hills with twists and turns so dangerous she feared the coach would tip over.

  Katie finally slept soundly and Janine had fallen silent, leaving Alexandra alone with her thoughts as the coach rumbled closer and closer to Matthew.

  What if he did not want her there?

  What if he had moved or gone away on a trip?

  A thousand scenarios, all of them terrible, screamed inside her brain.

  Panic rose in her chest. Had she made a terrible mistake? Should she have continued to wait for him at Sea View, hoping for a miracle?

  But it was too late now. The driver stopped the coach before a huge house that, even with the darkness and the fog, loomed majestic atop Nob Hill.

  Janine met her eyes in the dimly lit interior of the coach. "God bless you, missus," the girl whispered.

  Alexandra prayed He was listening.

  #

  Dinner was over and Edward was ensconced in the leather wing chair in the library with a brandy in his right hand and a Cuban cigar in his left.

  "Wonderful," he said, sipping the brandy. "I could learn to enjoy this life, Matthew."

  "It's yours," said Matthew, pacing the room. "I am damned sick of it."

  All evening Matthew had sought to discuss the real problems at hand but Edward had neatly danced around them with clever dinner conversation. Now that they were alone and away from the prying eyes of Madolyn's servants, it was time for some real talk.

  Unfortunately, a knock at the door put a stop to his plans.

  "Aren't you going to answer it?" asked Edward as they heard a second knock.

  "It is Benjamin's job to answer the door," Matthew said. "Let him earn whatever outrageous amount it is that Madolyn pays him."

  "Apparently Madolyn is not paying him near enough, Matthew," Edward observed as a third and fourth knock followed in quick succession.

  Muttering an oath, Matthew strode to the door and swung it open, ready to unleash his anger on the hapless soul on the doorstep only to find his anger evaporating in the San Francisco fog.

  "Alex?" She was a dream, an apparition conjured up from loneliness and need. "Tell me I'm not dreaming."

  "If you are dreaming, then so am I," she said, a hesitant smile flashing across her beautiful face. "I know I've dreamed this moment so many times that I—"

  Wildflowers.

  The unmistakable scent of wildflowers in spring caught him and he knew beyond doubt that sometimes miracles happened even to men who had given up believing in them.

  "Oh, Matthew," she whispered as he drew her into an embrace. "I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't looked at me exactly the way you did."

  He said nothing, simply brought his lips to hers in a kiss of such dizzying sweetness and love that it took their breath away.

  "How?" he managed between kisses. "I don't understand—"

  "It's simple," she said, cradling his face in her hands. "I couldn't live without you any longer."

  He dipped his head to claim her mouth once again, but she extricated herself from his embrace and moved toward the door.

  "Stay there," she ordered him. "I have someone who is eager to meet you."

  A sweet rush of anticipation flowed through his body as Alexandra stepped back outside then swiftly returned with a tiny, blanket-wrapped bundle in her arms. His heart twisted painfully and he had to remind himself to breathe as memories of Christopher rose up from the depths of his soul. Could he love a child again? Would he forever look at his future children and see his son mirrored in their eyes?

  "Matthew McKenna," Alexandra said softly, "I think it is time you met your daughter."

  She pushed back the blanket. He looked at Alex then down into the face of a little girl so like her mother—and yet so miraculously like him—that he threw back his head and for the first time in years, he laughed with joy.

  Chapter Twenty-four

  Wonder was in Matthew's eyes, and pride, and a love so overwhelming that if she were to die at that moment, Alexandra felt she would have had her full measure of earthly happiness.

  Janine stood in the doorway, crying over the reunion of father and daughter and Alexandra was about to weep herself when suddenly she realized they were not alone. A man in late middle age stood in some ten feet away from them, watching the tableau with an odd look of consternation and joy upon his kind face.

  Matthew looked up. "Edward! Come over here this minute and meet Alexandra and my daughter Katie." His pride was so unbridled that she wondered how she'd ever worried he would not take to the child. "This is Edward Strawbridge, Alex. He's both my attorney and my friend."

  Strawbridge shook her hand warmly. "I have heard endless tales about your charm and beauty, madam, yet I fear Matthew understated the case."

  "You are quite the gentleman, Mr. Strawbridge."

  Katie, who had been amusing herself by pulling on her father's nose and lower lip, sneezed and Janine snapped to life once again.

  "We should get the little one out of this drafty hallway," the young maid said, draping a light blanket over the infant's head.

  "To the library," said Matthew. "We'll toast Katie's birth." He smiled at the redhaired maid. "You, too, of course, Janine. Just tell the driver to bring the bags around back and—"

  "No." Edward Strawbridge's voice rang out loud and clear. "Tell the driver nothing of the sort."

  Confused, Alexandra looked at Matthew for explanation but he was staring at his friend in surprise. "To the study then?" he asked with a cautious chuckle. "If you have any objections to the library, E
dward, I'd be happy to—"

  Edward did not return the smile. "I look forward to toasting the birth of your daughter, Matthew, but this is not the time." He glanced at the baby then at Alexandra and her stomach tightened with fear. "I think it in the best interests of your family if you were to take them up to the country house tonight and away from San Francisco as quickly as possible."

  "Ridiculous," said Matthew as his daughter sneezed again. "Madolyn is away for the weekend. Certainly Alex isn't in any danger."

  "Danger!" She had been under the impression he was in San Francisco seeking a divorce. Danger of any kind had not occurred to her. "What on earth are you talking about?"

  "You haven't told her?" asked Strawbridge.

  "I didn't want to worry her."

  "I am extremely worried now, Matthew, so I would advise you to tell me exactly what's going on."

  He did and two hours later, a frightened Alexandra climbed into the coach with Katie, Matthew, and Janine.

  "My house in the Sonoma Valley will be available Sunday, Matthew," said Strawbridge just before closing the door to the coach. "Make certain no one sees you at your house. If Madolyn gets wind of Alexandra's arrival, there's no telling what will happen."

  Matthew was to bring Alexandra, Katie and Janine to Strawbridge's house on Sunday then return to San Francisco that night as if nothing had happened.

  "There will be an end to this," Edward said, kissing Alexandra's cheek, "and soon. Until then, we cannot lose by being cautious, can we?" Matthew tried to reassure Alexandra as they made their way to his estate but the thought of Stephen Lowell being somewhere in the vicinity sent a stab of fear coursing through her.

  "He has probably gone to Europe," Matthew offered, stroking her knee beneath the cashmere lap robe draped across them. "We may be worrying for nothing."

  Alexandra nodded but she couldn't shake the feeling of dread that had settled over her. The gypsy's warning about the yellow-haired man resurfaced and she shivered.

  Matthew looked down at her and she saw the hot flame of desire in his eyes. He glanced across the coach at Janine who slept with a still-sneezing Katie curled in her arms. The baby's face was flushed and damp and Alexandra feared she might be feverish. It would be good to put her down in a real bed tonight and not in a rumbling, smoke-spewing railroad car. A good night's sleep and one of the herbal remedies Dayla had sent along should do the trick.

  "If we were alone, Alex . . ."

  "But we're not."

  His fingers trailed higher up her thigh. Even through the heavy layers of her traveling costume, his touch was incendiary.

  "I intend to take you as soon as we reach the estate." His breath caressed the curve of her ear. "I ache with wanting you, Alex."

  Her eyes closed against the rise of desire within her and she could only count the minutes until they were finally alone.

  #

  Edward Strawbridge had told Matthew that a full complement of staff still worked at the estate so it came as no surprise that lights were burning inside the huge main house. What did surprise Alexandra was how odd a structure the house was. Set in the middle of nowhere, it meandered all over in a haphazard pattern that made it seem off-balance. Although the house boasted three stories, the windows seemed closer to the ground than the norm, most especially the first floor windows which were nearly obliterated by a row of dense hedges.

  Matthew instructed the driver to let them off in the front, then to follow the sandy drive to the back of the house where the bags could be unloaded. Alexandra, Janine and the baby waited in the chill night air while he fumbled around in his pockets for the big brass key to the front door.

  "Damnation," he muttered.

  Katie punctuated his statement with another sneeze and Alexandra looked at him with wide eyes. "Hurry," she said, as Janine pulled the blankets more tightly about the baby's body. She reached over to touch Katie's cheek. "I think she is running a fever."

  "Holy Mother of God!" Janine's exclamation split the air as she stared at the front door.

  Alexandra turned in that direction and her blood went cold as she saw Stephen Lowell in the doorway.

  "What a perfect family scene we have here," he said as if they had just seen him yesterday. "You should ask your father to paint a portrait of it, darling girl."

  Matthew stepped in front of Alexandra, as if to shield her. "What the hell are you doing here, Lowell?"

  Stephen's smile was as bland and perfect as always. "I might well ask you that same question, old man."

  "I own the goddamned house," said Matthew, his voice approaching a growl.

  "No, darling," came a woman's voice from somewhere behind Stephen. "You own half of this house."

  Alexandra thought she would die from apprehension as she stood there behind Matthew, unable to see what was transpiring. Madolyn, she thought, clutching Katie close. That voice had to belong to the infamous Madolyn Porter McKenna.

  "Do come in," invited Stephen, ever the gentleman. "We are having a house party this weekend but a few more guests are always welcome."

  "I'd rather rot in hell," Matthew spat.

  "I'd rather you rot in hell, too," Stephen concurred cheerily, "but it is late and you are, after all, part owner."

  Matthew turned and grabbed Alexandra's arm. "You're going to Strawbridge's tonight," he said low.

  "Matthew, you're not thinking of staying here alone, are you?"

  "I'll be damned if I am driven from my own house by a sniveling, rutting coward like Lowell."

  "Matthew!" Her voice rose with fear. "Remember all that Edward said. You won't be safe."

  "There are other people here," he said, his anger pulsing from him in waves. "They won't try anything."

  "I will not leave without you, Matthew."

  "You'll do as I say, Alex."

  "You have no right to order me about."

  "And you didn't have the right to come across the country the way you did."

  "Matthew, so help me, if you continue to—"

  "Missus!" Janine's voice was high and tight. "The baby!"

  Alexandra's mouth opened in horror as she saw the infant gasping for breath in Janine's arms.

  Alexandra snatched her daughter from the maid. Her forehead was slick with sweat and she cried weakly as Alexandra touched her cheek.

  If they left, they risked their daughter's life.

  If they stayed, they risked their own.

  Looking down at her daughter, she knew what the choice must be.

  Stephen stepped back to allow them inside the grand hallway but Alexandra's concentration was focused on her daughter and not her surroundings. She was, however, aware that Madolyn McKenna stood quietly near an elaborate marble sculpture, looking equally unapproachable. As a parlormaid led her and Janine up the winding staircase, Alexandra glanced down at Matthew's wife, glimpsing the shiny coronet of ice-blonde hair and the tiny, perfectly curved body in a dress of pale blue silk.

  "A beautiful child," said Madolyn Porter McKenna in a voice sleek as her gown. "He reminds me much of Christopher."

  An unpleasant prickling sensation rippled through Alexandra and with a nod in Madolyn's direction she continued up the stairs.

  #

  "You're a lucky man, McKenna," said Stephen as Alexandra disappeared up the staircase. "You have a wife and a mistress under the same roof. Other men would kill for such an opportunity."

  "I am sorely tempted, Lowell," Matthew said through clenched teeth. "Don't give me any more reason."

  "Ah, yes! I'd forgotten your infamous temper." He glanced over to where Madolyn had been standing but she had vanished. "Were Madolyn here I would ask her to refresh my mind about your murderous ways."

  "I'm warning you," Matthew said, drawing closer.

  "I shudder to think what you're capable of, McKenna, with all that shanty Irish blood in your veins."

  A clear vision of his mother on her knees cleaning house so her children could live in dignity rose up before Matthew and
in an instant he had Stephen Lowell pinned against the wall, gasping for breath.

  "I would kill you, Lowell, if you were worth spending the rest of my life in jail." He released Stephen in disgust. "Unfortunately, you're not."

  "The score between us isn't settled yet," said Stephen, straightening his jacket, "but it will be soon. Have no fear."

  "Thank you for the hospitality," Matthew said dryly, "but Alexandra and I will take our leave in the morning."

  "You'll go nowhere until I say you can, McKenna."

  The coach had been dismissed and all of the estate's vehicles were out fetching party guests for tomorrow night.

  "And don't think you'll commandeer one of them when they return," Stephen added, "for the drivers are in my employ and listen to no orders but mine."

  "You're a bastard, Lowell," Matthew said. "A true bastard."

  "A bastard?" Stephen's laugh chilled Matthew's bones. "I think not, McKenna. I believe you brought the bastards with you."

  #

  The parlormaid showed Alexandra to a large suite of rooms that was beautifully appointed in English country decor. There was a sitting room, a large master bedroom, and a nursery complete with a crib for Katie and a bed for Janine.

  The parlormaid bade them goodnight and the first thing Alexandra did was strip the baby of her clothes and sponge off her body. She had only a clean blanket from the crib to bundle Katie up in so she sent Janine downstairs in search of their trunks.

  Fortunately Alexandra had kept a sampling of Dayla's herbal remedies in her handbag and she lay Katie down in the crib then hurried into the sitting room to search them out. Measuring out a portion of the fever concoction into a shot glass, she realized she needed water and hurried down the hall on the offchance the house possessed upstairs plumbing.