Out of the Ashes

by Emilie Richards

  She remembered nothing else.

  "The house," she croaked. The words set off another coughing spell, and Matthew weathered it with her until she was silent once more.

  The wail of a siren answered before he could. "I don't know more than what Harry told me," he said, holding her so that she wouldn't try to rise. "He thinks that it's mostly just the porch and the bush in front of the house that are burning. Now that the brigade is here, they should be able to put it out without further problem. But you're staying here. They don't need your help."

  Alexis thought of the few personal belongings she and Jody had inside. Somehow the sparseness of their existence made the loss they would suffer worse. They had both chosen only the possessions they couldn't live without when they had packed to leave the States. On their travels, they had picked up souvenirs to brighten their new home as best they could. They had so little, and now they were losing that, too. She tried to suppress her tears, but they fell anyway, rolling down her cheeks to dampen Matthew's shirtfront.

  "Don't cry." Matthew rocked her harder. "Don't cry, Alexis. They'll get the fire out quickly."

  "My book."

  "We can buy you more copies."

  She shook her head. "The one I'm writing now."

  He understood then. His arms clasped her tighter. "Where is it?"

  "In my study. On computer diskettes." She tried to stand, but he wouldn't let her. "I've got to see if I can get back in and get it." The long sentence exhausted her, and she coughed again.

  "The brigade won't let you in. I'd try for you, but they won't let me in, either. You'll have to wait until the fire is out."

  "Why, Matthew?"

  He knew she wasn't asking why she had to wait. She was asking why this had happened to her. After everything, why this, too?

  The problem was that he didn't know. He had a terrible suspicion that it had been no accident, but until he spoke to the fire chief, there was no point in worrying her.

  "I don't know," he said, soothing her still. "A spark from the porch light, perhaps."

  "The light wasn't on. And Peter Bartow had all the wiring reworked before Jody and I moved in."

  "Mistakes can be made."

  "No." Her own questions had led her to the glimmer of an answer. She shied away from it, but it was too obvious to ignore. "Someone set the fire," she said after another spell of coughing.

  "You don't know that."

  "I do."

  Since he suspected the same thing, he couldn't continue to argue. "We'll have to wait and see. I know the fire chief. He'll get to the root of this."

  They heard someone coming down the path to the beach. "Matthew?"

  "Over here, Harry." When Alexis tried to move to the sand beside him, he just held her tight. He wasn't about to let go of her. She might not need the intimacy of his lap, but he needed her there. He had meant what he'd said to her. He had thought he'd lost her. And he wasn't going to lose her again.

  "How's she doing?"

  "Better," Alexis answered for herself.

  "Good on ya." Harry stood over them, watching the protective way Matthew held Alexis against him. "Is he letting you take a breath now and then, darling?"

  "Now and then."

  "I reckon he was right worried about you."

  "I reckon," Matthew said, warning Harry with his tone that he'd said enough.

  "The chief wants to see you when you're ready, Matthew. I'll stay with Miss Whitham."

  "I'm coming, too." Alexis succeeded in wrenching free of Matthew's embrace. She stood on legs that threatened to give way but didn't. "I want to hear whatever he has to say."

  She saw the men exchange glances, but in the darkness she couldn't tell what they were thinking. "Damn it, it's my house that's burning."

  "It's about out," Harry assured her. "The damage isn't extensive. Most of the house is untouched, but the porch won't be the same for a long while."

  She couldn't ask for particulars. She was afraid to hope that her meager belongings and precious diskettes were safe.

  "Can you walk?" Matthew asked.

  "I can manage."

  Matthew put his arm around her waist, and they started up the path, with him doing most of the work for both of them.

  Smoke still drifted to the sky, but the flames were out by the time Alexis and Matthew reached the clearing. He guided her to his ute and lifted her to sit on the hood, away from the smoke.

  "Stay here and I'll get the chief."

  She nodded, saving her breath.

  The chief arrived quickly. He was about Harry's age, and obviously weary, but he was still every inch a man in charge. "We're going to have one of our men check you over," he said, motioning for a firefighter. "He's trained. If he sees any problem, we'll have you into the hospital in Kingscote."

  "I'll be fine." She waved off the man who was gathering a kit of medical supplies. "He can check me later. I want to know about the fire."

  The chief didn't look as if he liked having his decisions questioned, but he nodded. "All right. There's extensive damage to the porch, and both of the rooms in front have some smoke and water damage, but most of your possessions can probably be salvaged. The fire commenced in the shrubs at the front of the house and spread to the porch. It we hadn't been called so quickly, and if the rangers hadn't gotten here first to beat out what they could, the house would have gone up, too. It's old enough that, once engaged, it would have gone quickly."

  She drew a deep breath and tried to forget that her life could have been lost, too. "The fire started in the shrubs? How?"

  The fire chief was silent.

  "I want to know," she insisted.

  "Do you make a habit of wiring your back door closed?"

  Alexis was taken aback, but she understood immediately what he must mean. "No," she said softly, wishing that she were back on the beach in Matthew's arms.

  "Someone else wired it, then."

  "The same person who set the fire."

  The chief didn't answer.

  "Do you have any clues who?" Matthew asked, trying to keep his rage from his voice. "Or how?"

  "We'll have a better idea in the morning how it was done. I was hoping you or Miss Whitham might know who. I know about the poaching. And I know that one of the poachers wasn't caught."

  "A young woman," Alexis said. "I saw her face, and she saw mine."

  "I just had a chat with the police over my radio. They say the two men they took into custody wouldn't give any information about the woman. And the men hadn't been on the island long enough for anyone to remember seeing them with anyone. Isaac Bates up near Castle Hill had hired them to help him on his land, but Isaac didn't know anything about a woman."

  "You think it was revenge?" Matthew asked.

  "It's possible."

  "Alexis?"

  She shrugged hopelessly. It was certainly possible. Anything was. It was even possible that the man she had once vowed to love, honor and obey had just tried to kill her again.

  "We'll have our man check you over now," the chief told her when she didn't respond. She nodded, too tired suddenly to protest. "Then we'll take you into town and find you a place to stay."

  "She'll be staying with me," Matthew said. "Until the house is repaired."

  Alexis waited until the chief had gone to find his medic before she objected. "I'm not going to put you out, Matthew. Jody's with Julianna and Gray in Kingscote. I'll get a room at their hotel."

  "You're coming with me."

  She shook her head. "You made it clear tonight that I was getting too close. How will you feel with me underfoot? You know I can afford a hotel room for as long as I need one."

  "That's not the issue."

  She shook her head again. She hadn't had time to make plans, but one formed as she spoke. "I'm not going to take any chances with Jody's safety. Julianna and Gray are going to visit a friend of ours tomorrow. I'll take Jody and go with them. We can stay there while the house is rebuilt. Then, if it looks safe, w
e'll come back. If it doesn't. . ."

  "What happened to the woman who wasn't going to run away?"

  "I didn't think Jody's safety was at stake!"

  "Then send Jody with Julianna and Gray to wait it out." He stepped forward and held her head still, a palm on each cheek so that she couldn't shake it again. "Stay here with me. I'll protect you. Let Jody visit your friends. School holiday is almost here, anyway. By the time it ends, we should know who's done this, and we'll know better what to do to keep both of you safe."

  "Why should I stay?" Her eyes rose slowly to his. She was afraid of what she might see and what she might not.

  "Because I want you to."

  She stared at him, trying to fathom his feelings.

  "I want you," he said.

  "You didn't earlier."

  He rested his cheek on the top of her head, aware that he was going to have to tell her the truth. The words were hard to push from his throat. "I was afraid. I still am. But I found out tonight that I'm more afraid of losing you than of having you. Stay with me until we're certain you're safe. Let me take care of you."

  Alexis could feel the tension in his body. She knew, somehow, that this was the first time in Matthew's life that he had ever admitted to fear. Her arms went around his waist. She didn't know what to say.

  "Will you stay?" he asked at last.

  "I'll stay."

  "Jody's welcome, too, if you don't want to send her with Julianna and Gray."

  Alexis considered her choices. She could hear the steady beat of Matthew's heart against her ear and feel the strength of his arms around her. Suddenly she was very, very glad to be held by him.

  "I'll call the hotel tomorrow morning early and talk to Gray," she said at last. "If he agrees, I'll send Jody with them. I trust you to help protect us, but I want her out of here. You can't be everywhere at once. If Charles has found where we've gone. . ."

  "Do you think it was Charles?"

  She didn't know what she thought. She would talk to Gray about that, too. Ron should be alerted.

  "It could have been," she said as footsteps came closer. "But it's not his style. If Charles had done this, no one would have thought it was anything but an accident." She looked up to see the young medic, equipment ready. "I'm fine now," she told him.

  "We'll just see." The young man lifted a stethoscope to his ears. "I'll have a quick listen."

  "I'm going inside to see if your study was damaged," Matthew told her. "And to get your diskettes."

  "And computer."

  He nodded. "Anything else?"

  "Jody's baby pictures."

  He thought of everything else she could have asked for, but her request didn't surprise him. He would have expected exactly that. "Where are they?"

  "They're in a lockbox under my bed."

  "I'll bring some clothes, too."

  "Don't bring too much. Surely it'll be safe for me to move back soon."

  He wondered if the show of optimism was for his sake or hers.

  He knew neither of them believed it.

  Chapter 13

  JODY HUGGED HER mother, fitting her body to Alexis's as if she never wanted to let her go.

  "You be good," Alexis said, blinking back tears.

  "You come, too, Mommy."

  "This is best for now." Alexis held Jody at arm's length and forced her to look up. "Dillon and Kelsey are thrilled that you're coming. Kelsey says you can be in her karate class, and Dillon says he'll teach you to mine opals."

  "I want to stay here with you."

  "You can't."

  Gray stepped forward, as if on cue. "We'll have a good time on the trip, shrimp. You'll be staying in an underground house, and that'll be something to tell your mother about."

  Alexis appreciated Gray's support, especially since she knew he had his own doubts about the wisdom of her remaining behind. Even more, she appreciated the support of the man who put his hand on her shoulder and spoke next.

  "Jody, I'm going to take good care of your mother. Nothing will happen to her." Matthew left his hand on Alexis's shoulder, a physical sign of the claim he'd made.

  "And when you come back, the house will be all fixed up again."

  But it was Julianna who knew best what had to be done. She walked toward them from the ticket counter, holding Colly over one shoulder. "Jody, I'm going to have to have some help with Colly on the plane, and Gray's got some reading he has to do. You sit beside me and once we're up in the air, maybe you can take Colly on your lap for a while. You're so good with her."

  Jody looked like a child who knew she'd been had, but couldn't figure out what to do about it. "All right," she said, giving her mother one last, tearful glance. Then she turned and followed a chattering Julianna.

  "Don't worry. She'll be fine." Gray gave Alexis an encouraging smile. "You're the one I'm worried about."

  "No worries about that." Matthew pulled Alexis into the crook of his arm.

  Gray assessed the other man silently; then he nodded. "You'll take care of her."

  Alexis's laugh was throaty with tears. "You fine gentlemen might remember that I've done quite a bit of taking care of myself."

  "More than anyone should have to." Gray leaned over and kissed Alexis's cheek. "Just keep up the good work." He turned and followed the others.

  Matthew had been fighting his own struggles with emotion. Now the fight began to overwhelm him. "There's nothing more we can do here, Alexis. Let's go."

  "I want to see them take off." Alexis broke free from his grasp and went to the windows overlooking the small airfield. Seeing that the takeoff went well was less important than just needing to make a transition. Watching Jody's plane disappear would help her prepare for the days ahead when her daughter was no longer there to touch and hold.

  Matthew didn't join her, but she was so engrossed in her own battle with tears, that she didn't think why. She only knew that he wasn't there, but he didn't understand what she was feeling. She pressed her nose to the glass, glad that it was cool, because her cheeks were flushed with her effort not to cry.

  The ferry plane was small. Jody had never flown in a small plane before. They had taken the car ferry to the island. Alexis wondered how she felt, if she would be too sad to enjoy it, or if the lure of holding Colly would make her forget. She wondered if the plane would be buffeted by the wind. The day was clear, and Alexis guessed the ride would be smooth. The planes flew frequently, in good weather and bad, and the crossing was short, only forty minutes, so there was nothing to really be concerned about. Accidents were so rare they were almost unheard of.

  Except that Matthew's wife and child had died on one such plane.

  Alexis whirled and found that Matthew had come up behind her. His face was pale, and there were beads of sweat on his forehead, but he was standing there, waiting for her. As though his wife and child hadn't died the last time he had seen them off in this airport. As though he weren't in agony.

  "I didn't think," she said, slipping her arms around his waist.

  He didn't ask what she meant, because he knew. He couldn't answer, either. He looked down at her hair, watched the way the pale gold strands reflected the sunshine streaming in through the window. He could not watch the plane take off, but he could look at her hair and hold her.

  Alexis waited for him to say something, but when he didn't, she squeezed him in silent commiseration. "Let's go."

  "I can wait."

  She pushed away from him. "There's no need. I've said goodbye. Staying won't change the fact that Jody's leaving."

  "She'll be back."

  This time Alexis couldn't answer.

  * * *

  MATTHEW HAD THE rest of the day off, so they lingered in town, shopping together, then having a quiet morning tea in a quaintly attractive tearoom before they headed to the Hanson Bay farmhouse to survey the damage.

  By day the damage didn't seem sinister, only pathetic. The house, which for half a century had proudly held a loving family, now seeme
d like an old woman, abandoned and alone, with not so much as a good memory left to warm her last days.

  "We brought evil to the house," Alexis said, looking away to compose herself.

  Matthew turned off the engine and gathered her close. "You brought love and laughter again. Someone else brought evil. We'll find out who and make them pay for what they've done here."

  "If we can," she said, not at all sure it would be possible.

  "We will."

  Outside, the air still smelled of smoke despite the strong breeze from the bay. They walked around the skeletal remains of the shrubbery and up the walkway to the back of the house, climbing the stairs with reluctance.

  They entered through the back door, which swung mournfully on its hinges, damaged by the men who had frantically sought entrance to find Alexis and Jody. The kitchen itself was undamaged, smoky and smudgy, but otherwise untouched.

  "So far, so good," Matthew said, trying to cheer a very pale Alexis.

  "The kitchen is the heart of this house. Sometimes I used to feel the love that was here."

  "If the heart is healthy, the rest of the house can be healed."

  She flashed him a weary smile. "If Peter wants it healed. He only keeps the land as investment property. I'm sure eventually he'll sell, and the house will be torn down to make way for something more modern. He may not want this expense."

  "Did he say that when you spoke with him this morning?"

  Alexis thought of the telephone call. Peter had been distressed over the fire, much more because of the danger to Alexis than because of property loss. He had assured her that he would have the damage repaired, and that he would fly in on the weekend to survey it and make arrangements for work to begin immediately.

  Alexis wondered just how long she could continue to accept the goodwill of others. What was it costing the people who had so willingly given of themselves to help her? Time, money, security?

  Matthew could almost read her thoughts. "Bartow said he was going to fix up the house, didn't he?"

  She nodded.

  "Then he will. Don't forget, this might have happened even if you hadn't been here."

  Her look told him what she thought of that theory.