My Heart's Desire (Barrett 1)

“That someone is trying to kill you.”

Drake stared at her in stunned silence.

“How did you find out?” he managed at last.

“I overheard you and Smitty talking the day of your riding accident.”

“Why didn’t you tell me that you knew?” he demanded.

“For the same reason you didn’t tell me. I did not want you to worry about me or my reaction to your suspicions. And I knew you would, especially once I had told you about the baby. Instead, I decided to do a bit of investigating on my own.”

Drake scowled. “Why do I have the distinct feeling that I am not going to like this?”

“Because you never think I am capable of taking care of myself. Well, I am.” She shot him a challenging look.

“Spoken by the woman who disrupted my ship and was unable to climb down the fifty feet of rigging she had managed to scale.”

“Other than that time,” she hastened to qualify.

Drake decided not to dispute the point by reminding her of the other occasions when he had rescued her from oncoming disasters. “Tell me about your investigation.”

She nodded. “It seemed logical that only someone who was present at Allonshire could have cut that saddle. At the time the thought of any family member or servant doing such a heinous thing seemed impossible.”

Alex’s qualifying phrase, “at the time,” was not lost on Drake. But right now he wanted the answer to a far different question.

“So you decided it was one of the guests?” The light was beginning to dawn in Drake’s mind.

“Yes.”

“So that night at the ball, when I assumed you were flaunting yourself to all those men …”

“I was hoping to learn something … anything.”

Drake felt utterly disgusted with himself and, at the same time, very proud of Alex, proud of her courage and humbled by the depth of her love for him. He had accused her of being unfaithful when, all the time, she had been protecting him.

“Drake?” Her soft voice interrupted his self-chastisement. He stared down at her, the moonlight making her eyes glow a silvery gray. “I don’t blame you. Under the circumstances, I would have assumed the same thing you did.” She grinned. “I acted a bit out of character that night.”

“You have my word that I will never doubt you again,” he told her in a solemn voice.

Alex’s eyes twinkled. “I shall remember that promise when I next offer you advice at the helm, Captain.”

Drake chuckled, contentedly anticipating the numerous turbulent quarrels that would accompany them to sea … and the equally turbulent reconciliations. With sudden clarity he knew that his restless journeys were ended. Any sailing from now on would be with his wife and children. It was time for Allonshire to become a home.

But first there was a mystery to solve.

Carefully he asked, “What did you learn from our guests?”

“That most noblemen are lechers and most noblewomen, whores.”

“An accurate assessment,” Drake retorted dryly. “But not terribly enlightening.” He paused. “What did you mean when you said that ‘at the time’ the thought of a family member or a servant being guilty seemed impossible? Has something happened since to change your mind?”

Alex hesitated. “It seems too horrible even to consider,” she said at last, “but tonight, just before you burst into my room, Sebastian mumbled the oddest thing to me.”

At the mention of his brother’s name Drake’s mouth grew grim, his features tense with anger. “What did he say?”

“When I realized there was no escaping him, I told him that, if he did this unforgivable thing to me, you would kill him.”

“And I would have.” Drake’s voice was steel.