few.”
****
Martin watched the women head down the hall, and then let out a deep breath. “Why did you let her bring Mom and Dad into this?”
Vance lowered his voice. “Did that bump on the head from the accident take away all your senses, man? You’re meant to be protecting her Ladyship, not marrying her.”
“That’s exactly what I am doing. We are going into this with our eyes open. I need you to help me, here. If anyone finds out this marriage is in name only, then it’s all for nothing.”
“Peggy will be hurt. She’s really happy for you.”
“I know and I hate lying to her, but I have no choice. Someone killed Raleigh, and then tried to kill us. Until I get to the bottom of this, I want things done this way. Are there any leads on the necklace yet?”
Vance shook his head. “No, I don’t know where it is, but it’s worth a whole lot more than you think it is. I’ll show you what I’ve discovered. The file’s upstairs.”
Martin followed him and laid Tamlyn’s dress, still in its carrier, and his suit on the bed. He took the file and opened it. “That’s it,” he said looking down at the photo. Then he took a deep breath, his jaw dropping and eyes widening. “It’s worth how much?”
“Keep reading. The estate is almost insolvent. Several bad investments over the years have left Lord Bradshaw almost bankrupt, even with Daniel Haynes buying half the estate. That gold cross would clear the rest.”
“It belongs to Tamlyn, not the estate. She wants it back.”
Vance nodded. “You marry her and you’re a bigger target than you are protecting her. They already tried to kill you once, Martin. They won’t hesitate to do it again. You can’t go through with this.”
“I have to, Vance. I know I’m working, but, so help me, I have fallen for her. If doing this protects her, then that’s what I’ll do.”
“Even if it kills you?”
Martin looked straight at him, not skipping a beat before answering. “Even if it kills me.”
****
Tamlyn grabbed Martin’s hand in relief as he reappeared.
Vance smirked. “She’s got it bad for you, bro.”
Martin scowled. “Maybe you scared her. So what time are Mom and Dad arriving?”
The doorbell rang. “About now.” Peggy headed out, Vance behind her.
Tamlyn glared at Martin. “Don’t you leave me, again. Your sister wanted to know how long I’d known you.”
“What did you say?”
“I said a while.”
Martin nodded, forcing a smile as his parents came into the room. “Mom, Dad.” He hugged them and rolled his eyes over their shoulders at his sister, then pulled back. “I’d like you guys to meet Tamlyn Bradshaw, my fiancée. Tam, honey, these are my parents, Hank and Casey Ames.”
Tamlyn found herself hugged by two more total strangers. What was it with Martin’s family and hugs? She’d had more hugs in the space of an hour than in the past ten years. She listened as Martin skillfully wove a plausible back story. His whole family seemed to have taken to her, his mother in particular. She’d break their hearts when this ‘marriage’ ended.
“So how are you wearing your hair?” Casey’s voice dragged Tamlyn out of her thoughts.
“I have a flower for it.”
Martin glanced at his watch. “We should change, don’t want to be late.”
Tamlyn followed Peggy upstairs to the bedroom. She wanted to change alone, but Peggy and Casey both insisted on helping her.
“You look like a million dollars,” Casey said, fixing the flower in her hair.
Peggy frowned. “Wait, Marty’s not supposed to see your dress before the ceremony.”
Tamlyn smiled. “He chose it. Well, he pointed to the rail and said, ‘how about one of those’. I picked out this one. He doesn’t know which color is it.”
There was a knock on the door and Martin’s voice came through it. “Are you ladies ready? We need to go.”
Peggy opened the door. “My, don’t you look handsome, little bro.”
Tamlyn gazed at the figure
****
Martin watched the women head down the hall, and then let out a deep breath. “Why did you let her bring Mom and Dad into this?”
Vance lowered his voice. “Did that bump on the head from the accident take away all your senses, man? You’re meant to be protecting her Ladyship, not marrying her.”
“That’s exactly what I am doing. We are going into this with our eyes open. I need you to help me, here. If anyone finds out this marriage is in name only, then it’s all for nothing.”
“Peggy will be hurt. She’s really happy for you.”
“I know and I hate lying to her, but I have no choice. Someone killed Raleigh, and then tried to kill us. Until I get to the bottom of this, I want things done this way. Are there any leads on the necklace yet?”
Vance shook his head. “No, I don’t know where it is, but it’s worth a whole lot more than you think it is. I’ll show you what I’ve discovered. The file’s upstairs.”
Martin followed him and laid Tamlyn’s dress, still in its carrier, and his suit on the bed. He took the file and opened it. “That’s it,” he said looking down at the photo. Then he took a deep breath, his jaw dropping and eyes widening. “It’s worth how much?”
“Keep reading. The estate is almost insolvent. Several bad investments over the years have left Lord Bradshaw almost bankrupt, even with Daniel Haynes buying half the estate. That gold cross would clear the rest.”
“It belongs to Tamlyn, not the estate. She wants it back.”
Vance nodded. “You marry her and you’re a bigger target than you are protecting her. They already tried to kill you once, Martin. They won’t hesitate to do it again. You can’t go through with this.”
“I have to, Vance. I know I’m working, but, so help me, I have fallen for her. If doing this protects her, then that’s what I’ll do.”
“Even if it kills you?”
Martin looked straight at him, not skipping a beat before answering. “Even if it kills me.”
****
Tamlyn grabbed Martin’s hand in relief as he reappeared.
Vance smirked. “She’s got it bad for you, bro.”
Martin scowled. “Maybe you scared her. So what time are Mom and Dad arriving?”
The doorbell rang. “About now.” Peggy headed out, Vance behind her.
Tamlyn glared at Martin. “Don’t you leave me, again. Your sister wanted to know how long I’d known you.”
“What did you say?”
“I said a while.”
Martin nodded, forcing a smile as his parents came into the room. “Mom, Dad.” He hugged them and rolled his eyes over their shoulders at his sister, then pulled back. “I’d like you guys to meet Tamlyn Bradshaw, my fiancée. Tam, honey, these are my parents, Hank and Casey Ames.”
Tamlyn found herself hugged by two more total strangers. What was it with Martin’s family and hugs? She’d had more hugs in the space of an hour than in the past ten years. She listened as Martin skillfully wove a plausible back story. His whole family seemed to have taken to her, his mother in particular. She’d break their hearts when this ‘marriage’ ended.
“So how are you wearing your hair?” Casey’s voice dragged Tamlyn out of her thoughts.
“I have a flower for it.”
Martin glanced at his watch. “We should change, don’t want to be late.”
Tamlyn followed Peggy upstairs to the bedroom. She wanted to change alone, but Peggy and Casey both insisted on helping her.
“You look like a million dollars,” Casey said, fixing the flower in her hair.
Peggy frowned. “Wait, Marty’s not supposed to see your dress before the ceremony.”
Tamlyn smiled. “He chose it. Well, he pointed to the rail and said, ‘how about one of those’. I picked out this one. He doesn’t know which color is it.”
There was a knock on the door and Martin’s voice came through it. “Are you ladies ready? We need to go.”
Peggy opened the door. “My, don’t you look handsome, little bro.”
Tamlyn gazed at the figure
Similar Books
