"You what?" Thaddeus exclaimed, looking horrified.
"Partly my fault, I'm afraid," Alicia said, rushing to Charlotte's defense. "The Farnsworths are an upstanding family, or so I always thought."
"Of course," Charlotte jumped in, "I never would have accepted his invitation if Aunt Alicia hadn't vouched for him. Besides, he was persistent. I had no idea why he was so determined to spend time with me." She glanced over at Reed, hoping he didn't think her an utter twit.
"Even if you hadn't acquiesced to his invitations willingly, Farnsworth would have caught up with you," Reed agreed, "as soon as he understood what a threat you were, sticking your pretty neck into both the police department and the Lunatic Hospital."
"Which, by the way, was where Farnsworth stored many of the illicit goods for dispersal—with George Mason's approval and complicity, of course," John chimed in. "What better place? It is private, has cells that no one ever looks into, no one thinks twice about the comings and goings of wagons, and it is close to the train depot."
Reed looked pointedly at Charlotte. "While Farnsworth was showing you around Boston, Charlotte, he could at least keep his eye on you. But he was probably planning how to kidnap you, even before you saw your brother. It was sheer luck that you happened upon him."
"And he was about to make certain that Teddy and I drew our last breaths before being dumped at sea," she added, thinking of those frightening minutes in Jason's counting room.
Reed took a swig of brandy as if fortifying himself against the day's happenings. "I guess we had more luck than we knew. After I met up with John again, we came here to inform you that Thaddeus was no longer at the hospital, only to find that you were gone, too."
Charlotte looked sheepish at her own stupidity, but Reed continued without condemnation. "When we spoke to Mrs. Randall, she was almost certain it was Farnsworth she'd seen take you away, then it was clinched. We went straight to Farnsworth's house. Empty, of course."
Reed looked over at John, who nodded. "That was a dicey moment. However, it wasn't difficult to figure out that Farnsworth would never involve his family, who I'm sure know nothing of his dealings, so the next logical place to hide people—or bodies—was the warehouse."
"But how did you know which one?" Charlotte asked.
"I didn't really, but Farnsworth didn't seem all that smart to me. He uses his money, not his brains. So, we just went to where Arthur Harvey's body was picked up, and you weren't far away."
"And there were almost two more bodies," John added. "I don't mind admitting I wouldn't have felt so brave if we hadn't had the police with us, but Reed knocked out that one brute with a single sockdoggler before splintering that door. I was quite impressed." Reed colored slightly.
"And then there was the gunshot," Charlotte recalled.
"Gunshot?" Alicia repeated. "Oh my." She, too, took a long draught from her snifter.
"Farnsworth picked up a gun as I entered, but I was moving forward so quickly I couldn't stop," Reed admitted. "In an instant, we were locked together, and, to tell you the truth, when the gun went off, I wasn't sure who'd been hit, then he crumpled."
"Reed," Charlotte exclaimed, standing up. "You could have been killed!"
Given the danger that everyone had been in, and her more than anyone, all the men burst out laughing.
"We've all had enough for one day, have we not?" Reed said when the laughter had died down.
"Hear, hear," said John, getting up from his chair. "I'm going home to sleep."
He kissed Charlotte on the cheek, shook hands with Thaddeus, who professed his gratitude, and took his leave.
Alicia stood up next. "I assure you, Thaddeus, you'll find your room under my roof a most comfortable one."
After kissing both her niece and nephew on the cheek, she declared her intention to retire. Just as she reached the door, she turned to give Reed a warm glance.
"Thank you, Mr. Malloy."
"My pleasure, Madame." He gave her a small bow of his head.
"Is it truly over?" Charlotte asked, hugging her brother but looking at Reed.
"There are a few legal matters to attend to regarding your brother that we'll sort out with the court, but the police do not expect your brother to sit in a cell while we do it."
"How gracious of them," Thaddeus said, his countenance unsmiling, though he returned Charlotte's hug in kind.
"It could have been worse," Reed told him. "If the judge had not had some suspicions, you could have been sent straight to the gallows or to the state penitentiary, and your indomitably inquisitive sister here would never have happened upon you."
Thaddeus squeezed her shoulders again, and then, to her amazement, he switched topics entirely. "Now, why don't you tell me what's going on between the two of you?"
Reed barely blinked at that, having already seen that her brother was an astute individual and knowing he'd caught their glances going back and forth across the room.
It was Charlotte who looked indignant. "I hardly think that's an appropriate topic of conversation."
"It is if Mr. Malloy has intentions toward you. It's my job to make sure nothing untoward goes on. Why, I didn't even know where you were living for the past couple of months."
Charlotte bristled, stepping out of his embrace. "All this time, Teddy, you knew exactly where I was, in Spring City."
"In Spring City?" he repeated, crossing his arms on his chest. "Safely having supper with Doctor and Sarah Cuthins?"
"Well, I was," she insisted. "You took far too long between visits." She felt herself tear up and then inwardly chided herself for being overly emotional.
"You're right, Charlie," Thaddeus admitted. "I was off having some grand adventures. But I was also hoping to make a decent amount of money and bring it home to you." Then he looked at Reed. "I kept my eye on her from time to time; even had other people check up on her when I couldn't get home."
"What she needed," Reed returned, his voice sounding hard through his weariness, "was companionship. Even brotherly company would have been better than your checking up on her from afar."
Thaddeus frowned, dropping his arms and addressing Reed squarely. "There are plenty of people in Spring. I figured she'd stop writing long enough to be social once in a while with some of them. In any case, I didn't think she'd catch a man with her baby brother hanging around."
The two men looked as if they were going to come to blows, just when Charlotte thought the day couldn't get any stranger.
"I am growing exceedingly tired of you two talking as if I don't exist, so stop it." She looked at each one in turn. "Reed, my life was not as pathetic as you make out. Before you and the children came along, I was used to being alone."
Then turning to Thaddeus, "I never expected you to look after me, Teddy, but perhaps more than a yearly visit would have been appreciated. But now I have a new life here in Boston," and a man, she added silently, "so what do you say to that?"
To her surprise, he smiled. "Amen, Charlie. You deserve it, as long as you don't mind my sticking around Boston for a while." He relaxed and put an arm around her shoulders. Then he smiled at Reed. "Besides, I bet Mr. Malloy can introduce me to a grist of gorgeous women."
"Thaddeus!" Charlotte said appalled, both at the image of her baby brother with a young lady and at his assumption that Reed knew so many females.
Reed looked innocently at both of them for a moment. Then he said, "Perhaps I do know some."
"Reed!" she exclaimed in the same tone she'd used with her brother.
Both men chuckled again, but Reed had no smile on his face when he added, "I'm afraid that you'll be disappointed, though, Thaddeus, for none are nearly as beautiful as the woman I met in Spring City."
Seeing the expressions on both his sister's face and Reed's as they looked at each other, Thaddeus discreetly retired from the room.
"Nothing untoward," he murmured as he left, determined to make friends with sweet Bridget and obtain a little late-night sustenance before be
d.
As soon as the door closed behind Thaddeus, Reed enveloped Charlotte in his arms and kissed her on her startled lips.
"Ow," she said.
"Sorry," he murmured, tracing her slightly swollen and injured lip with his thumb. Then he pressed his mouth to the top of her head, her forehead, her nose, her cheeks, and her chin.
"I have never been so terrified as I was today when I discovered you missing from what I thought was a safe haven. I swear, I thought I would go insane."
"My aunt's house is safe, Reed. I was an idiot for venturing out of it. What happened with Jason was mostly my fault."
He looked grave at the mention of Farnsworth. She could see he was troubled by something as he took her hand in his. His voice was extremely gentle as he began, "I didn't want to discuss this in front of your aunt and the others, but I want to ask if you're unharmed. Beside your lip, I mean. When I found you at the warehouse—"
Charlotte knew what he was asking. She shook her head before Reed could continue. "Jason Farnsworth did no more than tear my clothes and frighten me half to death."
She saw no need to elaborate more on his assault and no point in placing in Reed's head the vile image of Jason touching her. After all, the man was dead and the memory would dim with time. She was not one to dwell on the past, and certainly wouldn't cower because of one horrific incident.
Reed looked hard into her eyes for a long moment but apparently accepted her response. She smiled, reaching up to touch the strong plane of his cheek with her fingertips.
"I knew you would be clever enough to find me, I just had to gain us some time. It nearly got out of hand except I—"
"You what?" He had pulled her close against him again; and his tone was becoming less serious, as he stroked her soft chestnut hair.
"I used psychology on him."
Reed looked down at her in surprise. "You are an amazing woman, Charlotte Sanborn. Most women would have been content to stay locked in the storeroom where your brother was. But you," he held her chin and tilted her head back, "you chose to face the danger head on. And what is your weapon?" He grinned at her. "Psychology! On a mad man, no less."
"Well, it worked and we're all safe." She breathed a happy sigh, to be once more in Reed's embrace and to have her brother safe and sound in Alicia's house. Teddy had briefly met Lily and Thomas, who displayed the same degree of shyness as upon first meeting her, but she knew they would warm to him. Yes, everything was right with the world at present.
Except Reed was frowning. "I'll never feel reassured where you're concerned until you are my wife, carry my name, and reside under my roof."
There it was, the marriage proposal again, thrown down like a gauntlet. She felt her smile die. He ran a hand through his hair, causing some of it to stand on end.
"The way should be clear for us now, but I know it's not. I can see by your face that your answer is the same."
Charlotte didn't know what to say. He smiled ruefully. "I ought to be nothing but miserable about that, but all I can feel right now is thankful. I don't think I could have stood it if I'd been too late. If I'd failed you...," he trailed off.
Charlotte knew instinctively that here was another key to his closed heart, another reason for his fear.
"It wouldn't have been your fault." Her voice was almost a whisper, as she envisioned how the end would have come if Reed had been too late. "It would have been my own and Jason's fault, of course."
"Sometimes things aren't that simple, Charlotte. The conscience has a way of holding one responsible for lack of action as much as for action itself."
"You're not talking about what happened today, are you?"
He smiled wearily. "No, lady writer, something long ago." He touched her cheek, his thumb barely grazing the small cut at her mouth. "Are you as tired as I am?"
"Yes, I guess I am," She knew he'd closed the subject on purpose, but she had to ask, "Reed, will you tell me soon about whatever happened long ago?"
She saw the doubt and the pain in his eyes—the same flickering shadow over his life that she'd seen before. He only nodded and with a last, lingering kiss, he was gone.
Chapter 30
The story Charlotte turned in to Charles Greene a few days later was not the one she'd originally intended to write, but it caught the attention of the city at once. Her article made the front page, her name was bandied about as if she were the most popular writer since Jules Verne.
Calling cards and invitations arrived from all walks of society, and a deeply felt apology from the Farnsworth family, who had massive black mourning wreaths adorning their residence. Most importantly, another writing assignment and then another came her way. Her writing career was assured.
Her relationship with Reed was not.
"I'm in the middle of... no, I'm actually causing hustle and bustle," she explained to Thaddeus over dinner one day, three weeks after their rescue. "The Lunatic Hospital is being investigated by the state, George Mason is in the Charlestown State Prison, and I'm busier than I thought possible. I seem to have more company and more new acquaintances than I would have made in a lifetime in Spring City, yet—"
"You're lonely as hell," he finished for her.
She grimaced. "No, not exactly. I know the way real loneliness feels. Besides I have you." What worried her was that Reed had neither brought up the subject of marriage again, nor done much to pursue her beyond an occasional clandestine kiss in his carriage.
The only real gain that Charlotte could see since the night of Jason's death was that Reed and Teddy had become friends. But as for her and Reed, she'd begun to despair of resolving their impasse.
"Welcome to the world of relationships, Charlie." Thaddeus took a sip of his ale. "But I don't see what's wrong. From what I can tell, you have Alicia's unspoken blessing where Reed is concerned. And he seems to be playing the dutiful chaperone whenever your exalted presence is requested at a party or a ball or a cotillion or a dinner or—"
"Teddy," she poked him in the stomach to stop his teasing. "But that's just it. Reed seems as if he is 'playing' or more precisely, acting. He picks me up in his carriage and escorts me out anywhere I want to go, and we dance every dance, and he's sociable to everyone."
She sighed. "It doesn't even bother me anymore when we run into Helen. Reed has this way of dismissing those collisions with a wave of his hand. But you would have to know how it was between us before."
Thaddeus took a bite of the roast beef in front of him. He chewed slowly. Charlotte could see he was still savoring his return to the real world, eating delicious food and—he burped loudly—drinking local beer. But he fixed her with his thoughtful green gaze. "More passionate, perhaps?"
She nodded miserably, unable to believe she was having this conversation with her brother. "It's as if he's being so careful around me because he's scared I'll break."
"What happened must have shaken Reed to his core," Thaddeus observed. "I know it did me. He loves you so much that he just doesn't want anything to happen to you."
Charlotte nearly choked on the wine she was sipping. "Loves me!"
"Of course." Then he looked at her with something akin to horror. "God, Charlie, don't you love him? Because I can tell you, I wouldn't want to be standing too close to you if you tell the man otherwise. I mean, look at how he handled Farnsworth. If you're trifling with his affections..."
He shook his head and shrugged as if it were too awful to contemplate.
"Of course I love him," she muttered resentfully. And she wanted to believe that Reed felt for her something akin to love, deep down, though perhaps he didn't know it or recognize the feeling. Or perhaps he just couldn't express what was in his heart. Or maybe Teddy was just plain wrong.
The lingering doubts weighed heavily on her mind. She sighed. At this point, she would settle for the sparks that used to fly, the way he used to reach for her at any given moment and then kiss her soundly. She had long given up watching for him at her balcony door.
; Charlotte set down her glass, deciding her only option was to tease Reed into some sign of the passion that she hoped still simmered below his calm exterior.
"What's that gleam in your eye, sis?"
She only smiled.
* * *
At every opportunity over the next week, she brushed up against Reed, sat close during their carriage rides, and did her best to be both charming and enticing. She thought she could see a reaction in him, in the way he looked at her, the way his pupils dilated when she leaned close, the way he sometimes stepped away from her as if scorched.
However, the very next time he entered Alicia's house, he picked up Lily and checked on her bruised knee, admired Thomas's big boy haircut, and even talked man-to-man with Thaddeus about boxing. But he did not sweep Charlotte off to his bed or come secretly to hers.
Charlotte thought she'd go out of her mind. It was worse than she feared. Not only did he not love her, but he didn't seem to want her anymore, either.
All she'd done was cause her own level of frustration to peak until she thought she'd scream. And Teddy watched it all with a smug and knowing look of amusement. She wanted to wring his neck, not to mention Reed's.
One afternoon, sitting in her aunt's garden, Charlotte made every effort to read over her most recent article in the newspaper. It was giving her little joy. The words were all running together. She put the paper down beside her and closed her eyes.
Her mind was on Reed, on the first time they'd made love after Drake's barn dance It had been magic, the way he'd touched her fevered skin, caressed her breasts, whispered her name—
"Charlotte."
"Mmm," she responded, her eyes still closed. She could almost hear him.
She felt warm lips brush her own. Her lids flew open.
"Reed." It was just the same as when she used to sit in her study, thinking of him, and he'd appear in the evenings. He sat down beside her.
"You look so peaceful out here among the flowers, I hate to disturb you, but you also look ravishing."
The Defiant Hearts Series Box Set Page 39