Do you blame her for Ava?”
“No. God.”
“Why blame yourself?”
“I couldn’t get out. I couldn’t get out of . . . myself, and help her. Even when I heard her screaming. In my head.”
“Thirteen people killed Ava. You weren’t one of them. Because you lived, we found them. Every one of them is locked up. Every one of them is going to pay. You lived, and you found me, Jack. I was in suite 606. I saw what was done to her. I had her blood on my hands. She was in my head, too, Jack. I’m telling you, she doesn’t blame you. She doesn’t want you to carry this.”
He put out a hand, took hers. “They’re going to pay?”
“Every goddamn one.”
“Thank you.”
She stepped out, and watched through the observation window as Roarke leaned over and kissed Mika on the brow.
“How is she?” she asked when he came out.
“Better. Better than I’d hoped, really. Mira said she has a strong mind. How about your Jack?”
“He’ll get there.”
Roarke took her hand. “Another long day, Lieutenant, with all your interrogations and reports and media conferences.”
“You had one, too, I imagine, making up for the time lost yesterday. Buying up wide chunks of the universe takes it out of a guy.”
“Yet I feel surprisingly . . . fresh.”
“Good, because I want to go home and sleep with my husband—in a much more active sense than last night.” She let him keep her hand as they walked away from the treatment rooms. “You know, I found this little bag full of stones and flowery things in the pocket of the jacket I had on yesterday. How do you suppose that got there?”
“Hmm. Magic?”
She gave him a shoulder bump and let it go. As far as she was concerned, the only magic she’d ever need was the good strong grip of his hand in hers.
Love Endures
MARY BLAYNEY
Maristeve and Curt Bradley
Suzy and Ronnie Kerns
Kit and Cliff Needham
Betsy and John Saunders
With thanks to Riggs National Bank
for bringing us together
One
LONDON 1814
“Mama! Mama! Wake up. Someone is knocking at the door.”
Summer Cassidy bolted upright in the chair, moving from sleep to wakefulness before her daughter finished the sentence. “What, Kitty? Someone is at the door? At this time of night?” The first flush of fear gave way to relief. “I am sure it is only your father. Without his key. Again.” Standing, she stretched the crick from her neck and drew a deep breath as though she could draw in vigor from the air around her.
“Shall I go and let him in, Mama?”
“No, darling, that is not a chore for a four-year-old.” She tucked the covers around her sweet baby. “Go back to sleep.”
“Have him come tell me a story,” Kitty murmured as her eyes closed. Summer watched her daughter for a moment, kissed her temple, praying she would have only the sweetest dreams.
The pounding echoed through the house again. Damnation. She glanced back at Kitty, who stirred but did not open her eyes.
Summer’s maid stuck her head out of the dressing room as Summer passed by. “Do you think it could be robbers?”
“No, Carroll, I do not.” Was this girl stupid or merely overly dramatic? “First, there is nothing here worth stealing. Second, I do not think robbers would knock first.”
Carroll nodded slowly as though she were trying to think of another, even more ghastly explanation for a late-night caller.
“Should I go wake Mrs. Rawley?”
“No, by the time you wake her, Reggie’s knocking will rouse the whole neighborhood. I will go down.”
“In your nightclothes?” Carroll’s shock was sincere enough to make Summer wish she could do without a maid completely.
“I am wearing a robe and slippers. The neighbors are either out or asleep so they will not be shocked, will they?”
The maid’s nod was not enthusiastic. As Summer hurried down the stairs she heard the clock chime. Only midnight? Reggie’s day had barely begun. He would not be home this early if he had won. Damnation. She
“No. God.”
“Why blame yourself?”
“I couldn’t get out. I couldn’t get out of . . . myself, and help her. Even when I heard her screaming. In my head.”
“Thirteen people killed Ava. You weren’t one of them. Because you lived, we found them. Every one of them is locked up. Every one of them is going to pay. You lived, and you found me, Jack. I was in suite 606. I saw what was done to her. I had her blood on my hands. She was in my head, too, Jack. I’m telling you, she doesn’t blame you. She doesn’t want you to carry this.”
He put out a hand, took hers. “They’re going to pay?”
“Every goddamn one.”
“Thank you.”
She stepped out, and watched through the observation window as Roarke leaned over and kissed Mika on the brow.
“How is she?” she asked when he came out.
“Better. Better than I’d hoped, really. Mira said she has a strong mind. How about your Jack?”
“He’ll get there.”
Roarke took her hand. “Another long day, Lieutenant, with all your interrogations and reports and media conferences.”
“You had one, too, I imagine, making up for the time lost yesterday. Buying up wide chunks of the universe takes it out of a guy.”
“Yet I feel surprisingly . . . fresh.”
“Good, because I want to go home and sleep with my husband—in a much more active sense than last night.” She let him keep her hand as they walked away from the treatment rooms. “You know, I found this little bag full of stones and flowery things in the pocket of the jacket I had on yesterday. How do you suppose that got there?”
“Hmm. Magic?”
She gave him a shoulder bump and let it go. As far as she was concerned, the only magic she’d ever need was the good strong grip of his hand in hers.
Love Endures
MARY BLAYNEY
Maristeve and Curt Bradley
Suzy and Ronnie Kerns
Kit and Cliff Needham
Betsy and John Saunders
With thanks to Riggs National Bank
for bringing us together
One
LONDON 1814
“Mama! Mama! Wake up. Someone is knocking at the door.”
Summer Cassidy bolted upright in the chair, moving from sleep to wakefulness before her daughter finished the sentence. “What, Kitty? Someone is at the door? At this time of night?” The first flush of fear gave way to relief. “I am sure it is only your father. Without his key. Again.” Standing, she stretched the crick from her neck and drew a deep breath as though she could draw in vigor from the air around her.
“Shall I go and let him in, Mama?”
“No, darling, that is not a chore for a four-year-old.” She tucked the covers around her sweet baby. “Go back to sleep.”
“Have him come tell me a story,” Kitty murmured as her eyes closed. Summer watched her daughter for a moment, kissed her temple, praying she would have only the sweetest dreams.
The pounding echoed through the house again. Damnation. She glanced back at Kitty, who stirred but did not open her eyes.
Summer’s maid stuck her head out of the dressing room as Summer passed by. “Do you think it could be robbers?”
“No, Carroll, I do not.” Was this girl stupid or merely overly dramatic? “First, there is nothing here worth stealing. Second, I do not think robbers would knock first.”
Carroll nodded slowly as though she were trying to think of another, even more ghastly explanation for a late-night caller.
“Should I go wake Mrs. Rawley?”
“No, by the time you wake her, Reggie’s knocking will rouse the whole neighborhood. I will go down.”
“In your nightclothes?” Carroll’s shock was sincere enough to make Summer wish she could do without a maid completely.
“I am wearing a robe and slippers. The neighbors are either out or asleep so they will not be shocked, will they?”
The maid’s nod was not enthusiastic. As Summer hurried down the stairs she heard the clock chime. Only midnight? Reggie’s day had barely begun. He would not be home this early if he had won. Damnation. She
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