The Scent of Jasmine (Edilean 4)

“He kissed the woman,” Tally said angrily.

“If by ‘the woman’ you mean his wife, then he had a right to, didn’t he?” Nate said.

“In front of Cay?” Tally shot back.

“If you had kept proper vigilance, she wouldn’t have been concealing herself behind some cabinet doors and seen it all.”

“Since when am I her sitter?”

“Stop it!” Adam said. “I want to know what happened between Alex and that woman.”

Tally and Nate looked at each other, then at Adam.

“We don’t know,” Nate said. “We were more concerned about Cay. We got her to my room, I revived her with smelling salts, and she . . .” Nate didn’t like great emotion and he especially didn’t like to see his sister crying in such pain.

Tally continued. “When I got back to the room where McDowell was to meet his wife, they were gone. Think they’re on their honeymoon by now?”

“If they’re in this city, I can find them,” Nate said.

“No,” Adam answered. “What’s between them is none of our business. Tally, I want you to take Cay home. Let Mother deal with her tears. She’ll know how to handle them.”

“Our father will be very angry,” Nate said.

“Yeah, won’t he?” Tally said, grinning. “He’ll skin McDowell alive and nail his hide to the barn door.”

“Tally,” Nate said, “I really don’t think there’s a need for your bloodthirsty declarations.”

“I’d like you to take care of our sister,” Adam said to his youngest brother.

“Gladly!” Tally stood up. “I want her as far away from McDowell as possible.”

Nate remained seated, looking at Adam. “What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to wait here for Alex to come to me.”

Nate couldn’t repress a smile. “He will come.”

“Yes,” Adam said, “I’m sure he will. My fear is that after we talk, he’ll go to Cay, and she’ll forgive him everything, then we’ll have a war on our hands. Now, while she’s angry at him, I want to get her out of here.”

“You’re going to talk to the bastard?” Tally asked.

“I’m going to listen to every word he has to say. I think it’s time that someone listened to him. Now go and get Cay while she’s still upset. When she comes to her senses, I want her to be in Edilean and under Father’s care.”

“I like this plan,” Tally said as he headed for the door, but he stopped and looked back at Nate. “And what do you plan to do?”

“After Merlin . . . Alex talks to Adam, I am going to help him however he needs me.”

“You’re going to choose that bastard over your own family?”

“No,” Nate said calmly. “I’m going to—”

“Tally,” Adam said, “would you please see to Cay and do what you can to calm down? And Nate—”

But Nate was already on his feet and ready to leave with Tally. “I’ll give you time alone with him. I hope that you’ll . . .”

“I’ll be fair and I’ll listen,” Adam said. “The man was falsely accused and convicted of murder. I can’t imagine what that must have done to him.”

After giving a quick nod, Nate left Adam’s hotel room.