by Bobbi Smith
Peri allowed herself to consider the unthinkable. Was it possible? Could Jordan and Philip really be lovers? She tried to reason it out, but her emotions were too involved. Her fear gave way to anger, and she knew she had to find out the whole truth. Without hesitation, she ran down the path that led to Philip's office. There would be no waiting and endless worrying. She was going to find out the truth right now, one way or the other.
Philip was busily working at his desk when he heard someone approaching. He glanced up to see Peri storming through the door.
"Peri? What are you doing here?" He came to his feet, surprised and more than a little pleased by her presence.
"I came to talk to you, Philip Montgomery. I want some answers from you, and I want them now," she declared fiercely, drawing a stunned look from him.
"What kind of answers?" he asked, suddenly wary as the fear that Jordan's and his real identities had been somehow discovered overcame him.
"The truth. I want the truth from you."
"What truth?"
"I love you, Philip. You know that."
He breathed a little easier. "Yes, I know how you feel, Peri, but I also know that a relationship is impossible between us."
"I want to know why you think that, Philip," she demanded, her hands on her hips as she confronted him.
He stared at her, taking in her flushed cheeks and flashing eyes, and knew at that moment that he loved her deeply and would never stop loving her. He also realized that despite the fact that he was now a free man, he was still dirt poor and completely involved in Jordan's dilemma. He couldn't marry her and drag her down with him. He cared too much about her to do that to her.
"I'm a nobody, Peri. I'm without funds or family. I have nothing to give you."
"You don't know me very well, Philip. If you did, you'd know that money's not that important to me. You would have realized, too, that all I ever wanted from you was your love. Can you give me your love?"
"Peri, I..." He hedged. He wanted to blurt out that he loved her more than he'd ever dreamed it was possible to love someone. Instead he said nothing.
"I asked you a question, Philip. I'm tired of your evasive answers. I want the truth from you. Do you love me or is there someone else you care for?"
"Someone else?" He was dumbfounded by the suggestion. "What are you talking about? Where would you even get such a crazy idea?"
Peri straightened her shoulders as she looked him directly in the eye. "I got the idea from Nick. He told me that you and Jordan were in love. Is it true?"
Philip was as close to panic as he'd ever been. So, Nick still thought they were lovers.. .He hadn't talked to Jordan since her wedding night, but he'd thought things had worked out for them then. Obviously something had gone seriously wrong.
He began cautiously. "What Jordan and I share..."
"Then you admit it!?" Her eyes flared with pain and disillusionment.
"I admit that Jordan and I are close, but we are not lovers!" he denied hotly. "We never have been, and believe me, we never will be."
"Then where would Nick get such an idea?"
"I don't know. What Jordan and I have is a very special relationship that's been forged over a long period of time. She trusts me and I trust her. I love her, but not in the way you're thinking."
"I don't understand..."
"I know you don't. But right now there's nothing more I can say or do to convince you otherwise. Someday, maybe the truth will be known, but that will be Jordan's decision, not mine. For now, I'm asking you to trust me and believe in me."
"Philip..." She gave him a pleading, desperate look. This was all too confusing.
Philip knew defeat when he faced it. He stepped around the desk quickly to take her in his arms. "Peri, there's only one woman I love as a man should love a woman."
She lifted her brilliant gaze to his and leaned toward him ever so slightly. He needed no further invitation, and his mouth moved over hers with possessive force.
"I love you, Per. .God knows, I do..." he told her when he'd broken off the kiss.
"I love you, too, Philip."
They embraced again, this kiss even more desperate than the last. The dams of Philip's resistance were swept aside by the tidal wave of their passionate devotion. He clasped her to his chest, kissing her over and over again, wanting her to know that he loved her, no matter what. Worries about the past and his lack of funds dissolved in the surging rush of emotion that set him free.
"Peri, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife? Will you marry me?"
Peri's eyes were filled with tears of joy as she hugged him. "Oh, Philip! Yes, I'll marry you!"
He kissed her once more, then held her slightly away from him. "You know it won't be easy, living on my salary..." he ventured seriously, wanting to discourage her now before things went any farther.
"It doesn't matter. I'll be content as long as I have you," she vowed passionately. "I just can't wait to tell everyone."
"Do you think that's such a good idea? I mean, with your uncle as sick as he is, don't you think we'd be better off to wait."
Peri knew he was right, and she felt ashamed to have forgotten the seriousness of her uncle's illness in her happiness. "You're right, Philip. I wasn't thinking. It would be better if we waited."
"Is he improving any?"
"No, he's not, and there's nothing more we can do for him except be there for him and love him."
"I'm sorry."
"So am I. I love him very much."
"Peri, you know if you ever need me I'll always be here for you. Knowing how Nick feels about me, I think it's best if I stay away from the big house."
"I understand. I'll come to you..." There was a twinkle of mischief in her eyes.
"Whenever you can..." he invited. He loved her, and he knew that somehow they would find a way to make it together.
They kissed again in tender recognition of the depth of their caring, and then they moved apart, stung by embarrassment, for they hadn't even considered that someone might walk right in while they were embracing. They both realized that in the future they would have to be more careful.
"I'd better get back..." Peri said breathlessly.
"I'll be waiting to see you later."
She nodded, gave him one more quick kiss, and then hurried from the office. Her heart was singing as she made her way back to the house. She loved him and she trusted him. She believed him completely when he'd said that he wasn't Jordan's lover, and she wanted to tell Nick the good news right away. Maybe if Nick knew Philip's side, then things would smooth out between him and Jordan. Peri entered the house and found him at his desk, deeply immersed in paperwork.
"Nicky! I need to talk to you." The excitement was obvious in her voice as she stood in the doorway waiting for him to invite her into the room.
Nick looked up. "What about? I'm busy."
"I can see that, but this is important." When he waved her forward, she quickly came to stand before him. "I just had a long talk with Philip, and I..."
"You what?!"
"After we talked I went to see Philip. I had to ask him about what you'd said. I had to know the truth," she rushed on. "He vehemently denies that there's anything between him and Jordan."
Nick came to his feet as he snarled, "What the hell did you expect him to say?! Did you expect him to confess to adultery?!" Then, his fury vented, his expression changed and he looked disconsolate. "I know what I know, Peri," he said in a flat, dull voice. "Now, get out of here and let me get back to work. This is something I don't ever want to talk about again."
She stared at him, unable to believe his anger. She understood then just how much Nick was hurting and how much he must truly love Jordan. As she turned and quietly left the room, her thoughts were confused. Philip had admitted that there was something between him and Jordan, but he'd sworn to her that it was innocent. Because she loved him she trusted him, and she hoped with all her heart that whatever the trouble was between Nick and Jo
rdan, they'd be able to work it out.
Nick watched her go, then slumped back down in his chair. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desktop and his head in his hands. His mind was racing, his thoughts in turmoil. A part of him wanted to believe what Peri had told him, but he knew the truth. The memory of her leaving his bed to run to Montgomery in the middle of their wedding night stabbed at him like a deadly blade. At the same time, the fact of her innocence remained to torment him.
The more Nick tried to make sense out of everything that had happened the more confused he became. In the end, he drew upon his substantial willpower to put the whole tangled web of deceit and lies from him. After all, Jordan was the one who had come to him that following morning to ask for Philip's papers. It was she who had agreed that things had gone too far between them and that they would have to be more careful in the future. Since that time, Jordan had made no overture to him, just as he'd made no overture to her. It was obvious that that night had been a mistake for the both of them, for Nick was certain that, had he not made love to her, he would have been free of this demon that haunted his heart and thoughts night and day.
When Weddington knocked at the door a few minutes later to tell him that his father had awakened again and wanted to see him, he was more then glad for the interruption.
Nick was torn. The day of the big meeting with Kirkwood had come, and the fierceness of his determination to catch the owners of the Sea Demon was warring with his need to stay close to home for his father. When Slater showed up that morning, he still hadn't made a decision whether or not he should leave.
"Are you ready to go?" Slater asked as he followed him into the parlor.
"Do you think you can handle it without me?"
"You can't go?" Slater was dismayed by his request. "What's happened? Is your father worse?"
"He's getting weaker every day. The doctor said it could happen at any time now..."
Both men were pensive as they considered what Kirkwood's reaction might be if one of them didn't show up.
"I'd like to think that he wouldn't balk, but as cautious as Kirkwood is, I can't be sure," Slater told him slowly. "The whole deal might fall through if he has the slightest doubt about our sincerity."
"That's what I was afraid you were going to say." Nick gave a resigned shake of his head. "I'll leave word where we're going to be, that way if there's any change they'll be able to find me."
"Mitchell's Tavern is only about a half an hour's ride. If he's on time and we get straight down to business, you could be back by mid-afternoon."
Encouraged by the knowledge that he'd be back so soon, Nick sought out Jordan to tell her that he was leaving and to give her directions to where the meeting was taking place. He was surprised when he found her on her hands and knees working in the garden.
"What are you doing out here?" he asked incredulously. "We have servants who can do that."
"I know," she replied, sitting back on her heels to look up at him. An ache grew in the emptiness of her heart as she thought of how handsome he was. "But I enjoy it." She looked away, wiping her brow with the back of her hand, leaving a smudge of dirt on her face.
Nick continued to stare at her, unable to believe how desirable she looked to him. Her hair was pulled back straight away from her face and plaited in a long single braid. She had obviously borrowed an old dress from someone who was bigger than she was, for it hung on her very loosely, giving her the appearance of an unruly child at play. Dirt stained her skirts where she'd been kneeling, and she'd unbuttoned several buttons at the bodice to help keep cool. There was nothing remotely childish about the glimpse of pale, smooth flesh he had seen while she'd been bent over working.
Nick's expression was so strange that when he didn't speak right away she immediately assumed something had happened with Charles. She got to her feet and wiped her hands negligently on her skirts. "Nick... Your father, is he all right?"
He realized then that he'd been staring at her, and he quickly cleared his throat and tried to be businesslike. "No, no, he's the same, I just came out to tell you that I'm leaving with Slater now for my meeting." He paused, his gaze settling on the dirt on her face. He wanted to wipe away the dirt and kiss the spot where it had been, he wanted to finish unbuttoning that gaping bodice and caress the satiny orbs he knew were concealed there. Jarred by the direction his thoughts were taking, he brought them up short. "I wanted to tell you where I'm going to be, just in case you might need me for anything."
He quickly gave her the directions to the tavern.
"I hope there won't be any need to disturb you," Jordan said. "I checked on him before I came outside, and he was resting comfortably."
"Well, regardless, I should be back by three at the very latest."
"Fine."
He stood there a moment longer, then turned and headed back into the house to get ready to leave.
It was over an hour later that Jordan went back into the house to get cleaned up. She washed and changed into one of her pretty new dresses, then started down the hall to Charles's room. Peri had volunteered to sit with Charles that morning, and she was just coming out as Jordan approached.
"How is he?" Jordan asked, hoping for good news.
Peri's downcast expression gave her the answer. "It's just awful, Jordan," she confided, pulling the door closed so they could talk in the hall without disturbing Charles. "He rarely wakes up, but when he does, he's not coherent. He didn't even know me the last time. He called me...Andrea." She bit back a small sob, and Jordan gave her a reassuring hug.
"I know ...It's so sad, but we have to be strong," she encouraged. "Why don't you go get something to eat or maybe just go outside for a while? It's a beautiful day, and it might lift your spirits."
"All right," Peri agreed, drawing a shaky breath. "You'll call me if you need me?"
"Of course, I will," Jordan promised. "I'll stay with him now until Nick comes back from his meeting. He said he'd be home in a few hours."
Jordan entered the bedroom to begin her vigil while Peri left, feeling confident that her uncle was in good hands. Food held no appeal for her, but Jordan's idea of a walk outside sounded wonderful. She knew exactly where she wanted to go and who she wanted to see. She hadn't really spoken to Philip since the day before, when he'd proposed, and the thought of being with him again lightened the burden of her despair over her uncle.
Peri made the trek to his office on winged feet, but to her disappointment she found it deserted. There was no one around to ask where Philip might have gone, so she took a bold chance and went to his quarters to check.
Philip had thought of nothing but Peri since she'd left him the day before. He knew the future was going to be hard for them, but he also knew that he could handle anything as long as he had her by his side. He'd completed his work for the morning ahead of schedule and had gone back to his small, tworoom house to relax and dream for a while. He was stretched out on his lonely bunk, longing for Peri to come to him, when he saw her come up the steps to the porch and knock on the door.
"Philip?"
Philip nearly vaulted from the bed in his excitement. He flew across the room and threw the door wide open to let her in. "I can't believe you're here," he whispered, giving her no time to speak as he held her close and kissed her thoroughly. "I've been thinking about you all day..."
"And I've been thinking about you," Peri responded, returning kiss after abandoned kiss with equal enthusiasm.
When the first thrill of their reunion passed, they laughed with easy delight at being together again.
"You know, it's not wise for you to come here alone like this," he told her, pushing the door shut without releasing her.
"Why? Do you think people will talk?" Peri sounded like a conspirator, and her eyes were twinkling with happiness.
"Definitely," he answered, kissing her once more with hungry haste. "And it's important that we protect your reputation...
"You're going to make an honest woman of
me, aren't you, Mr. Montgomery?" she queried playfully.
The use of his alias stung Philip, and he wished he could be completely truthful with her. Circumstances as they were, though, he had to remain silent. "I'm going to marry you just as soon as possible."
"Oh, Philip, I can hardly wait..."
The thought of being together forever thrilled her, and she melted against him, seeking his lips in a passionate exchange that spoke of enduring devotion. Wrapped in each others' arms, they clung together, famished for a taste of true love. Philip alone had a shred of reason left, and he tried to control the raging need he had for her.
"Peri..." he murmured her name in between kisses. "Peri, we have to stop. You shouldn't be here, you've got to go before something happens..."
She looked up at him, her eyes aglow, a small smile curving her lips. There was a fiery ache burning deep within her, and she instinctively knew that there was only one thing that could assuage it. "I was sort of hoping.. .that something might happen..."
He gazed down at her in wonder. "You don't know what you're saying..."
"Oh, yes, I do," Peri replied firmly. "I've loved you since the first day I saw you, and I'll never stop loving you. We're going to be married soon, aren't we?"
"Yes, but..."
"Philip, I need you...I need you now.. .this moment..."
Her sensual entreaty sent an electrical jolt of passion charging through him.
"Oh, God, Peri..." He clasped her to his chest, holding her as close as he possibly could. When they'd fled England he had thought that his life was over, but now this wonderful woman in his arms was offering him paradise. He wanted her and needed her, too. Every tempting curve of her perfect figure was pressed tightly to him, and he couldn't deny his arousal.
"Philip, please..."
Thoughts of waiting slipped away as he grew lost in the hazy mist of desire that enveloped them. Alone in the heat of the afternoon, they came together in rapturous splendor. Philip kissed Peri tenderly, then took her by the hand and led her to his small bedroom. With the utmost care he began to undo the buttons on her blouse.