Secretive in Sacramento

by Marie Higgins

  Sitting sideways on his lap, Justina’s face pressed against his chest as she clung to his waistcoat. Her body trembled through her fast breaths. Instinct told him to comfort her in some way, so he caressed her back, but part of him wanted to withdraw. Her womanly curves were too close to him, and the flowery scent drifting from her hair reminded him of days gone by. He really didn’t want to think about those times with her.

  After a few minutes, Justina blew out a slow gush of air against his chest before she straightened. Her gaze met his and didn’t move. Her eyes were so mesmerizing, but at least the color in her face had returned.

  “I suppose I should apologize,” she said in a raspy voice.

  “You should?”

  She nodded. “I had told you not to follow me home, and yet, if you had obeyed my request, that man would have succeeded in kidnapping me.” She swallowed hard. “Thank you.”

  “Are you all right?”

  “Yes.” She took another deep breath and exhaled it slowly. “I am now.”

  “That man,” Gavin glanced toward the direction the kidnapper had ran, “he didn’t fit your description from yesterday.”

  “No, this man was different.”

  “Am I to assume there are two men trying to kidnap you?”

  She shrugged. “It appears that way, but I don’t know why – unless they are working together.”

  “I’m sure that’s it.”

  Her gaze left his eyes long enough to drop to his mouth. Suddenly, his throat constricted and cotton had somehow taken up residency there. Seconds later, she turned her head away from him and glanced toward the crowd.

  “Oliver,” she whispered.

  “Oliver?” Gavin wondered why she would say his name, but then he heard the man calling her. Now Gavin remembered seeing him a few minutes ago.

  “Oh, Justina.” Oliver’s voice was tight as he tried talking in between fast breaths. “When I saw that man pull you out of the coach—”

  “Mr. Lennox saved me.” She glanced at Gavin again before returning her attention to the man standing next to the horse.

  Oliver lifted his gaze to Gavin and the man’s eyes widened. “It’s you!”

  Gavin nodded. “Yes, I had tried to help yesterday as well.”

  Oliver reached up to take Justina. She hesitated to take hold of his arms and she looked back at Gavin. It surprised him that she didn’t jump into the other man’s arms, since yesterday she appeared to be quite comfortable with Oliver’s arms around her.

  “Justina?” Gavin asked, “do you want me to take you to your coach?”

  She nodded. “Yes, please.”

  Oliver scowled. “But I can—”

  “Oliver, I’ll be just fine. Mr. Lennox is going to see that I make it back to my house without any more problems.”

  Gavin found it odd that she would rather be with a man who loathed her instead of with a man who obviously was very sweet on her. Confusion crept over him, and he wondered what she could possibly be thinking.

  “Mr. Lennox?” she asked calmly. “Will you please take me back to my coach? I can see Jacobs searching for me.” She gave Oliver James a nod. “A good day to you, Oliver.”

  Not wanting to make small talk with the other man, Gavin turned his horse and took her to the coach. The street looked to be almost cleared from the over-turned apple cart, which meant the street would be back to normal very soon.

  When her driver saw them, he placed a hand over his heart and sighed. Tears filled his eyes as he helped Justina down from the horse.

  “Oh, Miss Bradford, I can’t believe I didn’t... I couldn’t hear you... I didn’t see—”

  “Jacobs,” she said softly, touching his shoulder. “It’s quite all right. I don’t blame you.”

  He lowered his gaze. “If you feel that you need a more responsible driver, I’ll understand.”

  “I won’t hear of it.” Her voice lifted and she looked sternly at the driver. “You are a perfectly good driver, and I don’t want anyone else.”

  Jacobs helped her inside the coach. “Miss Bradford? If you don’t mind, could we have Mr. Lennox come home with us?”

  Her eyes widened and color faded from her face again. “Come home with us?”

  “Well, I mean, just ride with you until we reach home. I’d feel much safer if he was making sure nothing happens to you while I’m driving.”

  Gavin gritted his teeth. He hoped she wouldn’t invite him to ride inside with her. The ride to her house would be long and tedious. Also, he wasn’t sure he could hold his tongue from spouting off the feelings of resentment that he’d harbored over the years.

  She met Gavin’s gaze. No words were said for a few moments that seemed to last forever. Finally, she licked her lips and cleared her throat.

  “Mr. Lennox, you are certainly invited to ride in the coach with me back to the house. It would not only make Jacobs feel safer, but me as well.”

  His thoughts scrambled with a polite way to refuse her, but when he opened his mouth, the different words spilled out. “Of course I’ll join you, Miss Bradford.”

  The rapid blink of her eyes and the confusion written on her expression described the exact same thing he was experiencing right now. “Uh,” he continued, “let me just tie my horse to your coach first.”

  She smiled at him, but it appeared to tremble. “Thank you.”

  Grumbling curses under his breath, he dismounted and tied his horse to the back of the coach. What was wrong with him anyway? He hadn’t allowed a pretty woman to turn his head – or make him blubber like a fool – since Justina had first taken his heart and fed it to the wolves. So, if it hadn’t happened in four years, why was it happening now?

  One thing was certain, he needed better control over his words and thoughts. I’m a professional, he reminded himself and he slowly walked to the door to climb inside. Justina was just his next assignment... that was all.

  As he climbed into the coach and closed the door behind him, he felt his soul being sucked from his body and he fought for breath. He looked at everything in the coach except her, and he was sure she copied his actions. Never had he been more uncomfortable in his life until now.

  Sitting back in his seat, he tried to regulate his breathing, but the interior walls of the vehicle continued to close in around him just as her flowery scent was filling him. There were only two ways to stop this. One, he could jump out of the coach and make up an excuse to why he needed to suddenly leave... or two, talk to her.

  Talking to her was out, obviously, so he needed to figure out an excuse for jumping mighty soon before he passed out due to suffocation.

  JUSTINA TWISTED HER hands in her lap, studying her fingers. The silence was awkward, but then, carrying on a conversation with him would be just as difficult. Yet, she couldn’t last the ten or fifteen minutes’ drive to her house without saying something. However, when she glanced up at him, she suddenly felt very... warm. Her bosom tingled with remembrance of her face against his chest when he pulled her up on the horse with him. It hadn’t taken her long to realize that he had more muscles than she remembered. The one thing that stayed the same was his smell – like sunshine on a new day as it hit the yard during her morning strolls.

  Of course, she would have to put her morning strolls on hold for a while, until the man who wanted to kidnap her was caught.

  Her mind flashed with the image of the stranger who’d just tried to abduct her not very long ago. He wore a hat, but she knew his hair was brown. He wasn’t as tall as the blond man from the cemetery. This one didn’t even try to talk to her, either.

  She glanced at her gown and noticed the rip where the stranger had grabbed the material in an effort to pull her out. Frowning, she ran her finger over the tear.

  “Did he hurt you?”

  Gavin’s deep voice startled her, and she lifted her gaze to his. He was looking at her ripped gown.

  “No, but I tried hurting him. I kicked, I clawed, but nothing seemed to help. I think he wa
s stronger than the man from yesterday.”

  “Did you notice anything different about this one? Any features that stood out more than the others?”

  As she thought back, she remembered something. His eyes... “Yes. His eyes were brown, but one was a darker color than the other. The one looked almost clouded.”

  “Clouded? Like he was blind in that eye?”

  “Yes, I think that’s what it is.” She sat forward. “That will make it easier to find him, right?”

  Gavin’s expression relaxed and he nodded. “Definitely.”

  Justina sighed as relief flowed through her. At least the awkward silence was gone. If she could just keep the conversation focused on the kidnapping, perhaps that uncomfortable dead space wouldn’t pass between them. However, she might have to be the one to keep communication going.

  “All day yesterday,” she said, “after the incident at the cemetery, I tried to think of who would want to kidnap me, but I couldn’t think of any person.”

  “Your father was a wealthy man. Do you think he had any enemies?”

  She shrugged. “Father kept me away from his company as much as he could. He thought his daughter shouldn’t be in the workplace. But, I didn’t hear of anyone who hated Father. He was always thinking of his employees and wanting to make them happy.”

  “What about friends or family?”

  “Father had many friends. I can’t see any of them wanting to hurt me as an act of revenge.”

  “And your family?”

  Family? Panic clutched at her throat. Father had been her only family.

  She’d met her father’s siblings when she was younger, but they had not kept in contact over the years... and rightly so. After all, her father had withheld a secret that could destroy his and Justina’s reputations. It was best that his family didn’t get involved, especially if they, too, were trying to hide what her father had done so many years ago.

  No, she couldn’t tell Gavin about that part of her life. It was best to keep it buried six-feet under the ground where it belonged.

  FIVE

  Justina shifted in her seat and dropped her gaze to her hands. “My family doesn’t live around these parts. They wouldn’t have anything to do with my attempted abduction.”

  Silence filled the pause, and after a few minutes, it became uncomfortable again. It was her fault and she should fix it, but she would not talk about her family and especially the horrible secret.

  Slowly, she lifted her focus to Gavin. He watched her through a narrowed gaze. His lips were thinned and his expression hard.

  “Justina,” he said in a tight voice, “if you expect me to catch the person behind your kidnapping, you’re going to have to share everything with me. You’ll need to trust me that I will do my job. I don’t want to be shocked with one of your many secrets again. This isn’t like four years ago, Justina. I don’t care if you’re betrothed or not now, but I need to find who is responsible for the attempted kidnapping.”

  She knew it! Fisting her hands in her lap, irritation grew inside her. She knew he would bring up the past eventually. Of course, it would be impossible to go this whole time acting as if nothing had happened between them.

  “Augh!” She threw him a glare. “This isn’t anything like it was four years ago.”

  “Justina, I’m not a fool any longer, thanks to you, and I can read people much better – another trait I owe to you. I can tell you’re hiding something, and if it has anything to do with this case—”

  “It doesn’t.” Her voice rose, and she quickly took a cleansing breath to try and gain control over her temper before it exploded.

  He arched an eyebrow, suspiciously. “So, you do have something to hide.”

  “Listen, Mr. Lennox, I assure you that I have told you everything I know that pertains to my kidnapping. If I knew who was doing this, I would have told you by now.”

  Nodding, his shoulders relaxed. “I would think that’s the best thing do to, however, I recall four years ago when I discovered you were betrothed and yet you hadn’t cared enough about my feelings to tell me beforehand.” He inhaled slowly before releasing the air through his flared nostrils. “All I’m saying is that I don’t like your surprises.”

  Her heart clenched and her memory opened briefly, reminding her of the hated words he’d spouted at her. “I clearly remember how you don’t like surprises.”

  “Then will you please be honest with me for once?”

  Her heart broke a little more. This was one of the reasons she hadn’t ever wanted to see him again. Why had fate decided to intervene?

  “Gavin,” she said calmly, “what happened four years ago is in the past. I would very much like to leave it to rest so that we can figure out who is trying to kidnap me.”

  The coach came to a stop and Justina glanced out the window. Home. She couldn’t wait to get inside her house and not have to look at him again today. But as she reached for the door, he grasped her hand, stopping her.

  She gasped and her gaze jumped up and met his. “Please remove your hand.”

  “Justina,” he said in a low growl, “this conversation is far from over. As much as I’d rather let the past rest as you so eloquently phrased it, we need to discuss this. If I’m to help you on this case, we need to break this animosity between us. Right here. Right now.”

  “Why?” Her voice cracked. “We both hurt each other so much, so why do we have to dredge up those feelings again?”

  “Until we can get this out in the air, it’ll be on both of our minds and neither of us will be able to concentrate on your case.”

  As she stared into his eyes, she wished they weren’t so beautiful, and she also wished he wasn’t using them to plead with her. Breaking his heart hadn’t been what she’d wanted to do when they first met and started falling in love. Ultimately, she’d been the one at fault, but she hadn’t meant to hurt anyone.

  “Please, Gavin, not now.” Her voice trembled. “I promise we’ll talk about this soon, but not now.”

  Nodding, he moved his hand from hers and leaned forward to open the door. He climbed out before offering his hand to help her out. Hesitantly, she slipped her palm against his, and right away, her heartbeat took on a different rhythm. Warmth filled her, reminding her of how giddy she’d always felt when they were together.

  She climbed out of the vehicle and quickly pulled her hand from his touch. He looked toward her two-story home where she’d been born and raised, and his frown deepened. When he met her gaze again, sadness still coated his eyes.

  “Can I return later this evening?” he asked.

  That really wasn’t enough time, and yet, she couldn’t keep putting him off. “Yes.”

  “What time?”

  She should invite him to dinner. After all, any good hostess would do that. But she wanted to be able to eat her meal, and if he was sitting across from her during that time, her twisting stomach wouldn’t allow such pleasantries. “Is eight o’clock too late?”

  “No, that’s fine. I’ll be here at eight.”

  She turned and climbed the three steps to the wrap-around porch. Immediately, she glanced at the loveseat swing that her father had built. She and Gavin had sat together in that seat many times, cuddling, and discussing their future.

  Her heart twisted in sorrow as tears pricked her eyes. She hurried inside the house and closed the door. This heartache was difficult to bear, and tonight’s discussion would be even harder.

  She wandered to the sitting room. On the table was the newspaper and she rushed to pick it up. Lately, she’d been reading the paper more, especially when a certain column had captured her interest. A writer going by the name of The Lovelorn, answered subscriber’s questions about love and life.

  Justina moved to her cushioned chair near the hearth and sat, opening the newspaper to the page with the articles from The Lovelorn. As she read through each letter and then each response, a nagging feeling tugged at her. What if she wrote to The Lovelorn about her probl
ems with Gavin? Would the writer respond with the answers Justina sought?

  Quickly, before anything could distract her, she hurried to the table and took out some paper and a pencil. Once she’d gathered her thoughts, it didn’t take long to transfer her ideas to paper.

  Dear Lovelorn,

  I have been following your articles, and I must confess that I’m a disbeliever in love. I have been hurt too many times, and most of the men I meet aren’t completely truthful. Recently, a man who had once broken my heart has reentered my life. I don’t want to be around him and dredge up unwanted memories, and yet part of my heart is awakening to those happy times we’d once shared. I’m afraid of feeling that vulnerable again. I hold a secret that I don’t ever want him knowing because he’ll think differently about me. I need to protect my heart. Should I just let the past die as my heart had once done?

  Sincerely, Secretive in Sacramento

  She folded the paper and placed it inside an envelope. She’d have one of her servants send this today. With any luck, The Lovelorn would respond quickly.

  “OLIVER? WHAT ARE YOU doing here?”

  Justina wasn’t prepared to see her father’s friend standing at the door this evening. It was bad enough that her gut twisted painfully in anxiousness as she waited for Gavin – who wouldn’t be here for another half hour – but now she had to confront this man and hope to be polite about it.

  She wasn’t sure what her father ever saw in Oliver James. The man usually arrived around suppertime, uninvited. Father didn’t seem to mind, but Justina thought it was very ill-mannered of Oliver. Had he been raised with parents with no morals?

  Although she blocked him from entering the house, he seemed to move right past her. Perhaps it was time to let him know that she would not abide with such rudeness, even if her father had looked past it.

  “Justina, I’ve been so worried about you.” He stepped closer and took hold of her hands. “I know your Father would want me to look after you, and so that is what I’m going to do. I won’t take no for an answer.”