away.”
“At last we agree,” Lily said.
“It won’t damage her?” Quenby asked hesitantly. Andrew’s lips tightened. “I doubt if she’ll even know we’re there.”
“Oh, my Lord,” Quenby whispered.
“What are you saying?” Lily asked, gazing from Quenby’s horrified expression to Andrew’s stern one. “How can you know any—” She stopped, trying to gain control. “This isn’t fair. I need to know.”
Andrew nodded. “I know it’s not fair, but Cassie will be all right. I promise you, Lily.”
“And I’m supposed to believe you? I don’t want to have to rely on anyone’s word. I want to help. I want to go with you.”
Andrew shook his head. “They’d recognizeyou, and that would endanger Cassie. Gunner can handle it.”
“Gunner’s only one man.” Lily turned to Quenby. “Aren’t you afraid for Gunner?”
“Not against only two men.” Quenby smiled. “It took me a long time to accept Gunner’s vocation, but I’ve finally come to terms with it.”
“But these are violent men.” Lily raised her hand to her cut, bruised temple. “Gunner should have help.”
“I’ll be along,” Andrew said quietly. “Did you think I’d let him go alone?”
Fear sleeted through Lily. “No!”
“You want to go yourself but you’d deny me the pleasure?” Andrew smiled sadly. “Perhaps you don’t resent me as much as you think you do.”
“I don’t want anyone hurt.”
“I assure you Gunner won’t let me do anything interesting. He’s very selfish when it comes to adventures like this. I’ll just go along to run interference with Cassie. She may need someone to block …” Andrew’s voice trailed off. “Gunner isplanning to take them when they call room service for dinner.”
Quenby nodded. “He has someone in the kitchen waiting for the call. They phoned for lunch at three, so it will probably be eight or nine before they order dinner.”
“So we wait,” Andrew said wearily. “Will you tell Gunner when he comes back that I’ll need a uniform too?”
Quenby nodded. “He’s probably already arranged to get you one. You’re going to rest?”
“I have to try to relax. Cassie can’t stay like this. We have to bring her back right away.” Andrew turned and went back to the bedroom and closed the door.
“I don’t want him to go without me,” Lily whispered.
Quenby smiled. “He’ll be safe with Gunner.”
Lily gazed at Quenby in helpless silence.
“Why don’t you admit to yourself that you care for him,” Quenby said gently. “It would make it so much easier for you.”
“I don’t love him. I don’t love anyone but Cassie.”
“Then why are you all tied up in knots at the thought of anything happening to him?” Quenby reached over and covered Lily’s hand with her own. “Listen, Andrew is very special, and he’s worth loving, dammit. I don’t know anyone who gives more to others than he does. He deserves to get something for himself, for once.”
“I told him I couldn’t give him what he wants.”
“I think you’ll change your mind.” Quenby’s clasp tightened affectionately. “You’re not as tough as you pretend, and there will come a time when you’ll want to be able to reach out and help Andrew.” Her expression clouded. “If you can. Heaven knows, we’ve all tried to help him. He’s so damned alone.”
“We’re all alone.”
“Within ourselves, maybe. But sometimes something wonderful happens.” Quenby’s face was suddenly glowing. “Someone special comes along and the loneliness goes away. And when that happens you’re a fool if you don’t reach outand grab it, then hold on tight.” She sat down and leaned back in her chair. “And you’re no fool, Lily.”
Lily’s gaze went to the doorway of the bedroom. “I don’t know. I thought I was a fool to trust him. Now you say I’m a fool if I don’t.”
“What do your instincts tell you to do?”
The faintest smile touched Lily’s lips. “Not you too?
“At last we agree,” Lily said.
“It won’t damage her?” Quenby asked hesitantly. Andrew’s lips tightened. “I doubt if she’ll even know we’re there.”
“Oh, my Lord,” Quenby whispered.
“What are you saying?” Lily asked, gazing from Quenby’s horrified expression to Andrew’s stern one. “How can you know any—” She stopped, trying to gain control. “This isn’t fair. I need to know.”
Andrew nodded. “I know it’s not fair, but Cassie will be all right. I promise you, Lily.”
“And I’m supposed to believe you? I don’t want to have to rely on anyone’s word. I want to help. I want to go with you.”
Andrew shook his head. “They’d recognizeyou, and that would endanger Cassie. Gunner can handle it.”
“Gunner’s only one man.” Lily turned to Quenby. “Aren’t you afraid for Gunner?”
“Not against only two men.” Quenby smiled. “It took me a long time to accept Gunner’s vocation, but I’ve finally come to terms with it.”
“But these are violent men.” Lily raised her hand to her cut, bruised temple. “Gunner should have help.”
“I’ll be along,” Andrew said quietly. “Did you think I’d let him go alone?”
Fear sleeted through Lily. “No!”
“You want to go yourself but you’d deny me the pleasure?” Andrew smiled sadly. “Perhaps you don’t resent me as much as you think you do.”
“I don’t want anyone hurt.”
“I assure you Gunner won’t let me do anything interesting. He’s very selfish when it comes to adventures like this. I’ll just go along to run interference with Cassie. She may need someone to block …” Andrew’s voice trailed off. “Gunner isplanning to take them when they call room service for dinner.”
Quenby nodded. “He has someone in the kitchen waiting for the call. They phoned for lunch at three, so it will probably be eight or nine before they order dinner.”
“So we wait,” Andrew said wearily. “Will you tell Gunner when he comes back that I’ll need a uniform too?”
Quenby nodded. “He’s probably already arranged to get you one. You’re going to rest?”
“I have to try to relax. Cassie can’t stay like this. We have to bring her back right away.” Andrew turned and went back to the bedroom and closed the door.
“I don’t want him to go without me,” Lily whispered.
Quenby smiled. “He’ll be safe with Gunner.”
Lily gazed at Quenby in helpless silence.
“Why don’t you admit to yourself that you care for him,” Quenby said gently. “It would make it so much easier for you.”
“I don’t love him. I don’t love anyone but Cassie.”
“Then why are you all tied up in knots at the thought of anything happening to him?” Quenby reached over and covered Lily’s hand with her own. “Listen, Andrew is very special, and he’s worth loving, dammit. I don’t know anyone who gives more to others than he does. He deserves to get something for himself, for once.”
“I told him I couldn’t give him what he wants.”
“I think you’ll change your mind.” Quenby’s clasp tightened affectionately. “You’re not as tough as you pretend, and there will come a time when you’ll want to be able to reach out and help Andrew.” Her expression clouded. “If you can. Heaven knows, we’ve all tried to help him. He’s so damned alone.”
“We’re all alone.”
“Within ourselves, maybe. But sometimes something wonderful happens.” Quenby’s face was suddenly glowing. “Someone special comes along and the loneliness goes away. And when that happens you’re a fool if you don’t reach outand grab it, then hold on tight.” She sat down and leaned back in her chair. “And you’re no fool, Lily.”
Lily’s gaze went to the doorway of the bedroom. “I don’t know. I thought I was a fool to trust him. Now you say I’m a fool if I don’t.”
“What do your instincts tell you to do?”
The faintest smile touched Lily’s lips. “Not you too?
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