Fire's Lady

by Bretton, Barbara

  She passed one closed door after another and had she not bumped into another maid, she would never have found the facilities. The maid explained that the sixty-year-old house had been an anomaly when it was built, boasting running water on all three stories, and in order to accomplish that miracle, the stories had all been truncated. That illusion of the windows being closer to the ground had been no illusion at all. The low ceilings were testament to that fact.

  Alexandra carried the pitcher of fresh water back to their suite of rooms. A woman's voice trilling a lullaby floated out from the nursery and she smiled. Janine was a godsend, truly a—

  She stopped in the doorway, her mind filling with horror. Katie, wrapped in a warm blanket, was in Madolyn McKenna's arms.

  "Is the baby all right?"

  Madolyn said nothing, just continued to sing to the child.

  "Put her down," Alexandra said, her voice a study in self-control. "She is feverish and needs her sleep."

  Madolyn had beautiful eyes of china blue that stared through Alexandra. Dear God in heaven, she thought. Tell me the right thing to do. Her heart pounded as if trying to break through her ribcage.

  "It is late, Madolyn," Alexandra said quietly. "The baby should be in the crib."

  Madolyn blinked and seemed to notice Alexandra for the first time. Gently she put the baby back in the cradle then slumped to the floor in tears.

  What on earth was happening? Alexandra ran to the doorway and called out for the upstairs maid who expertly helped Madolyn to her feet as if this were an everyday occurrence.

  "You were right, Matthew," she said when he joined her a few minutes later. "We should not be here." Quickly she told him what had transpired. "She is mad! I saw it in her eyes. Please, have them bring the carriage around and we'll—"

  Matthew put a hand on her forearm to silence her as a stream of sleepy stable boys put their luggage in the front room. Janine was in her element, ordering the boys about, and if the situation were not so desperate, it would have been quite amusing.

  "Do not unpack, Janine," said Alexandra as soon as the door closed behind the stable boys. "We're going to leave for Mr. Strawbridge's house soon as the carriage is brought round."

  "Continue with your work, Janine," said Matthew, overriding her.

  Alexandra spun around to face him, fury rising in her breast. "Haven't you heard one word I've said? Katie is in danger! We must leave and the sooner the better."

  "I agree she should not be near Katie, but I fail to see this madness you speak of, Alex."

  "I sense it, Matthew. I can feel it in my very bones." She searched for the right words to make him understand but could find none to explain a mother's instinct. "You must believe me when I say we must leave."

  "We can't leave, Alex."

  "What do you mean, we can't leave? Surely they cannot hold you prisoner!" She gestured toward the baggage in the middle of the room. "Forfeit our belongings. I don't care about anything except getting away from here." The memory of Madolyn with Katie in her arms filled Alexandra with terror.

  "The coach is gone. We're fifteen miles from the nearest house."

  "Take one of their coaches. My God, they are half yours, are they not?"

  "The coaches are all out, Alex. For the moment, we're at Stephen's mercy."

  She and Janine stood there and listened as he explained the situation.

  "When I do not return to San Francisco on Monday, Edward will spring into action," he said, in an obvious attempt to comfort her. "We just have to hold on until then."

  "I have such a terrible feeling about this, Matthew. If you had seen her with Katie—"

  "They are watching us, Alex. Right now they have servants outside the door making sure we stay put."

  "Tomorrow night then," Alexandra persisted. "Once the party starts, we could slip away."

  "Walk fifteen miles with a sick infant? Be reasonable, Alex." He paced the room angrily.

  "There are horses in the barn," Janine piped up. "I saw them when I went with the parlormaid to fetch the stable boys for the trunks."

  "The same problem remains, Janine," said Matthew. "If Alex or I disappear, the game is over."

  "But if I am the one who disappears, who would notice?"

  "It would have to be at night, Janine," he said. "I'd give you the best directions possible, but it's been years and the terrain can be difficult."

  Janine straightened her shoulders proudly. "I would be willing to try. I love that little babe same as I love my brothers and sisters and I would do anything to keep her safe."

  "I won't forget this, Janine," said Alexandra softly. "Not in a thousand lifetimes."

  They sat down to formulate their plan.

  #

  Two hours later the bedroom was dark save for the candle flickering on the nightstand. From the room next door came the sounds of Janine's snoring and the soft sibilance of Katie's even breathing and Alexandra thanked God for the medicinal herbs Dayla had thought to pack.

  Matthew had assured her no danger could possibly befall them that night and she believed him. The country house was still and with the door to the suite securely bolted Alexandra felt safe.

  Warmth, liquid and sweet as honey, flooded her veins as he slowly walked toward her, unbuttoning his shirt with sensual deliberation.

  "No," she said, her voice low and urgent. "Let me."

  He lowered his hands to his sides and inclined his head toward her.

  She undid the oval buttons and slid the shirt off his broad, well-muscled shoulders and onto the floor.

  "Never again," she whispered, pressing a kiss along the side of his neck. "I'll never allow us to be separated again."

  He reached behind her and smoothly undid the hooks on her dress and in an instant it slithered to the floor next to his shirt. He touched the curve of her shoulder with his finger and she wondered that she did not dissolve in the heat.

  "I have changed," she said, her fingers hesitating at the laces of her corset. "I may not be all you remember."

  "You are a miracle come true, Alex. Nothing can change that."

  She hesitated, her body flaming with a combination of fear and wild desire. "The baby..."

  Swiftly he undid the laces of her corset and she stood there naked before him.

  His gaze burned across her hips, the slight swell of her stomach, the proud fullness of her breasts.

  "Matthew? Say something before I—" But then he dropped to his knees before her and the tears she felt against her skin filled her heart with joy.

  "There is something we must talk about, Alex." He rose and stood slightly away from her. "Something of vital importance."

  "I realize how much you have given up for me."

  "Matthew, I—"

  He placed a finger against her lips to silence her. "I'm not a fool, Alex. I know how you've longed for a church wedding, to say our vows before God. I know full well how much you have sacrificed because of my situation."

  "I could not do otherwise. I love you. I shall always love you. It is as simple as that."

  "I want to marry you, Alex."

  Why would he even broach the topic? Didn't he understand that wishing for the impossible only made reality more painful?

  "Perhaps one day things will change," she said, wishing she could believe her own words. "Perhaps Madolyn will come to her senses and—"

  "You don't understand, Alex. I want to marry you tonight."

  "Perhaps we should get some rest. It has been a long and trying day."

  "I haven't been drinking."

  She didn't try to deny what she'd been thinking. "It was a natural assumption."

  He took her hands in his, strong fingers enveloping hers in his grasp. "There is so much I cannot offer you now, Alex. Let me give you what I can." Releasing her, he reached inside his jacket and withdrew a small square box.

  "Please, no!" she said, shaking her head. "I don't need diamonds to prove your love."

  His beautiful eyes were dark
with emotion. He pressed the box into her hand. "Open it."

  She lifted the top and stared in amazement. No flash of diamond or sparkle of emerald. Resting inside was a simple ring of burnished gold. Puzzled, she met Matthew's eyes.

  "It's a wedding ring," he said, taking it from its nest of black velvet. "My mother's and her mother's before. Now it is yours."

  Her eyes filled with tears. "I do not know what to say."

  "Say yes, Alex. Wear this ring."

  The gold was smooth and cool against her skin as he slipped the wedding band on the third finger of her left hand. Ducking his head, he pressed a tender kiss against her lips.

  "You're my life, Alex." He touched her cheek. "You and Katie. Nothing can part us."

  That night by the glow of the waning candlelight, they pledged their love and fidelity and asked the Almighty to bless their union and Alexandra offered up a silent prayer that soon they would be safely back at Sea View where they belonged.

  Chapter Twenty-five

  The strains of a Strauss waltz filled the immense ballroom of Matthew's home the next evening, catapulting Alexandra back to the night of the Silver Lake Quartette's musicale a hundred lifetimes ago.

  "Do you remember?" she asked Matthew as he swept her into his arms and led her onto the floor.

  "We danced in the hallway at Sea View." He held her close to still her trembling. "We'll dance there again, Alex," he whispered into her ear. "I promise you that."

  She wanted nothing more than to rest her head upon his shoulder and forget everything but the music and the wonderful feel of him but that was a luxury forbidden to her tonight.

  At Matthew's insistence, she had spent the day in their suite of rooms, venturing into the hallway only to fetch water for Katie who had responded well to the concoction of herbs brought from Sea View. Leaving the baby to attend this ball had been a triumph of need over desire for the last thing on earth she wanted was to spend any more time in this house than necessary.

  The upstairs parlormaid had proved to be a most cooperative young girl and Janine's story about a clandestine meeting with a secret lover had captured the girl's romantic heart. Eager to be part of Janine's rendezvous, she had readily agreed to care for Katie while Janine was gone.

  One hour ago Janine had lowered herself out the second story window and climbed down the trellis to the ground. If the Almighty was with them, the young red-haired maid was halfway to the Miller estate by now where she would deliver a handwritten letter from Matthew, complete with wax stamp, containing his urgent request for assistance.

  As Matthew twirled her around the ballroom, Alexandra felt as if she were suspended between two worlds: the real world of danger and deception and this fairyland world of wealth and glamour beyond imagining. All around her danced the most elegant couples in northern California: Goulds and Stanfords, Hearsts and Athertons mingled with lesser-known luminaries whose stars were ascending higher in the San Francisco sky.

  It was a tribute to Madolyn's social-climbing skills that she could attract such a splendid array of guests to such an out-of-the-way place and Alexandra was duly impressed.

  At another time, in another place, she would have thrilled at the sight of the elegant ladies with their velvet trimmed Figaro jackets and their jeweled lace overskirts. White aigrette feathers delicate as spun glass adorned intricate coiffures that surely took all afternoon to assemble in such artful disarray.

  And Madolyn was the most stunning hostess imaginable. As beautiful as a porcelain doll, she played up that delicate fragility by wearing an exquisite gown the color of the palest English rose with a low bodice finished with a fichu of crepe de chine. She was witty and graceful and charming to everyone and had Alexandra not seen her behavior of the previous night with her very own eyes, she would not have believed it possible.

  Stephen, of course, was impeccably turned out in a black evening jacket and snowy white shirt of French batiste. His ubiquitous flower bottle was pinned to the lapel and, instead of daisies, he sported one perfect hothouse violet.

  Alexandra doubted she would ever be able to enjoy the scent of violets again.

  "Smile, Alex," Matthew said, following his own advice to the letter. "Let everyone see what a wonderful time you are having."

  Let the Millers be at home... let them believe Janine... let them hurry!

  A second hour passed.

  Matthew disappeared upstairs to check on Katie and reported the parlormaid to be quite engrossed in the latest copy of Godey's Ladies Book.

  A third hour vanished and still Janine did not appear.

  Alexandra knew her panic showed in her eyes for she saw it reflected in Matthew's, as well. The ballroom was so crowded that it was difficult to keep track of both Stephen and Madolyn.

  Ah, yes. There was Stephen, flirting shamelessly with a tiny brunette who looked to be at least a decade too young for him. But no Madolyn.

  "Matthew! I do not see Madolyn anywhere."

  "In this crush that is not surprising," he said soothingly, but she could feel the acceleration of his heart against her breast.

  Matthew navigated them around the circumference of the dance floor. Madolyn was nowhere to be seen.

  "Janine," Alexandra said, tugging at his sleeve. "She is taking too long, Matthew. Something has gone wrong—I can feel it in my bones."

  "You are tired. Your imagination is running away with you."

  "I beg you, go outside and see. Janine would not disappoint us this way."

  "Stay here," he ordered, dancing her over to a seat near a potted Areca palm.

  He disappeared through the arched doorway and Alexandra sat perfectly still, watching the dancers whirl by as she concentrated on keeping a pleasant smile upon her face. Still no sign of Madolyn. The tension within her grew more intense and once she actually thought she saw the upstairs parlormaid peer into the ballroom. Before the second waltz ended the need to check on Katie could not be denied. Matthew would simply have to understand.

  She raced at breakneck speed through the long corridor leading to the main staircase. The vision of Madolyn's vacant China-blue eyes as she held Katie in her arms danced before her.

  Let Katie be all right, she prayed as she kicked off her slippers and ran up the winding staircase. Let her be sleeping soundly, dreaming of her own room in her own house with her own things around her.

  The door to the suite was slightly ajar. Hands trembling, Alex pushed it open and stepped inside. All seemed well. She approached the nursery and was staggered by an icy wind blowing through the broken windows by the crib.

  That icy wind, however, was nothing compared to the icy fear that gripped her when she saw Madolyn standing near that open window once again with Katie in her arms.

  "Madolyn?" She struggled to keep her voice calm, even though her pulses hammered at the sight of broken glass at the woman's feet "What happened?"

  "It is so cold in here," Madolyn said, holding the infant close to her chest. "He's so cold."

  "Come here," Alexandra said, forcing her voice to stay cool despite her galloping fear. "It is warmer by the door."

  Madolyn hesitated then stepped closer to the window. Katie let out a cry of displeasure as the cold air whipped through her light pink sleeper.

  "He is so cold," Madolyn crooned. "Christopher is so cold..."

  Alexandra became aware of a third person in the room.

  "Hello, darling girl," drawled the familiar voice of Stephen Lowell as he stepped from behind the Chinese screen at the far end of the nursery. The look he gave Alexandra was one of pure hatred. "This isn't exactly what I had planned, but it will have to do."

  Madolyn looked at him and smiled. "I can't get him warm," she said, wrapping her stole around the infant. "Christopher is just like me. He feels the cold so."

  Heavy footsteps grew closer and closer and she heard Matthew call out her name.

  Stephen ducked behind a large dresser and in the candlelight she caught the deadly gleam of a pistol.


  She glanced quickly at Madolyn, relieved to see Katie still held close to the woman's breast. Stephen aimed his pistol toward the doorway and she leaped for him, praying to knock the gun from his grasp.

  The explosion screamed through the air and dimly she heard the sound of a body slumping to the floor. No! Don't think about it. It isn't really happening. Dear God, please do not let it be Matthew...

  "Too much noise," Madolyn said. "This is a terrible room."

  "Don't worry." Stephen's voice once again shattered her hopes. "I can help you, Madolyn."

  He bent down by the bottom of the screen and suddenly orangey-red tongues of flame leaped up to devour the silk fabric and began to blaze their way toward the rest of the room.

  "Madolyn, why don't you and Christopher come with me," she said, praying she could reach whatever part of the woman capable of responding. "The fire is so warm over here, so cozy and nice..."

  She shuddered as the flames destroyed the wooden cradle where her daughter had just lain. Soon the fire would be out of control and—

  Stephen pushed her down to the floor then raced from the room, slamming the heavy nursery door behind him. The sound of the brass lock being turned echoed in her mind, a terrifying counterpoint to the crackling of the fire as it devoured the antique dressers and toys.

  Through the broken windows she heard a commotion in the courtyard below. Then, clearly, blessedly she heard Janine's voice rise above the rest.

  "Janine!" The cry came from the depths of her soul. "Get help! There's a fire!"

  Her attention had been diverted for but a second but in that second Madolyn moved to the windowsill and had Katie balanced precariously on the edge.

  Alexandra's stomach tightened and she grabbed her middle to keep from retching.

  "Madolyn, come here now! Both you and Christopher! Come here this minute!"

  "You lie to me," Madolyn said in a childlike voice. "Christopher is dead. Did you not see the carriage? The blood..." Grabbing Katie's tiny wrists, she held the baby out in space.