Caroline Chadwick set her teacup aside and gave Marianna Lord a shrewd look. “It occurs to me, Marianna, that you know much more about all this than you’re letting on.”
“Oh?” Marianna asked archly, her eyes twinkling merrily.
Margaret agreed with Caroline. “Marianna, if you know something about what’s happened to CC, for heaven’s sake, tell us! It’s been almost six weeks since she disappeared. You know how worried we’ve been about her!”
Marianna faced her two friends, knowing that she could delay no longer in relaying what she’d just heard. “I’ve been sworn to secrecy…”
“Yes, yes,” they goaded her excitedly, hoping for some news of their friend. “You know you can trust us completely.”
“Well, I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone, but I got a letter…”
“A letter? From CC?”
At Marianna’s positive nod, they were beside themselves with curiosity.
“Well, tell all, Marianna! For heaven’s sake, you know how worried we’ve been about her ever since she disappeared that night!” Caroline snapped in irritation.
“It was positively horrible. Why, I’ve imagined all kinds of terrible things!” Margaret shuddered.
“Well, darlings, what happened to CC is far from terrible!” Marianna smiled knowingly.
“What happened?” Caroline and Margaret were both on the edge of their seats waiting to hear.
“Did you happen to notice that CC disappeared the day after Lord Kincade broke out of jail?” Marianna asked enticingly, allowing them to draw their own conclusions.
“You don’t suppose…?”
“Lord Kincade and CC?”
Margaret and Caroline exchanged amazed looks as Marianna nodded in confirmation. “Thank goodness she wrote me this short note. I just got it yesterday; that’s why I sent for you both. I know how desperate we’ve all been for some word about her. Her father’s been horrendously closemouthed about the whole situation. He’s become a regular recluse these past weeks.”
“I know. I stopped by for a visit, but he wouldn’t see me,” Caroline offered, miffed at having been slighted. “Did she really run off with Lord Kincade? How exciting! The man is so devilishly good-looking! Why, if he’d asked me, I would have gone, too!”
“I know,” Margaret sighed. “Noah Kincade is so wonderful. I couldn’t believe it when they told me he’d been arrested for Geoffrey’s murder. It just didn’t seem possible.”
“I don’t believe for one moment that he shot Geoffrey down in cold blood. Whatever happened between them that night, it wasn’t murder,” Marianna declared supportively.
“I don’t suppose we’ll ever learn all that happened. Frankly, I’m just glad the man got away. I wouldn’t have been able to bear it had he been convicted and sentenced to hang. Why, I might have been tempted to break him out of jail myself!” Caroline chuckled.
“You would have had help, darling,” Margaret laughed. “But tell us, Marianna, what’s happened with CC?”
“She couldn’t go into detail, for obvious reasons. All I know is that they left Boston together and were married…”
“An elopement…how exciting! CC and Lord Kincade!”
Margaret sighed. “How romantic.”
“I know. They’ll make a handsome couple, all right.”
“Did CC say where they were going or what they were going to do?”
“No. She just wanted to let me know that she was safe and ecstatically happy.”
“I’ll bet she is,” Caroline agreed. “Perhaps one day the charges against him will be dropped, and they’ll be able to return.”
“I hope so. There’s a new investigation going on now regarding that night. It seems that two men were arrested shortly before Geoffrey was shot. Apparently they were hired indirectly by a servant of Geoffrey’s named Bartley to kill Kincade. They attacked him and his brother, Matthew, but luckily, didn’t succeed. Matthew Kincade turned them over to the authorities.”
“Geoffrey wanted Noah Kincade dead?”
“Evidently. Now, the most startling revelation of the whole thing is that this Bartley, who hired the killers, is the same one who swears Lord Kincade killed Geoffrey in cold blood. I don’t know what’s behind all this intrigue, but I feel sure that when they get to the bottom of the whole thing, Noah Kincade will be vindicated.”
“It would be wonderful. I’d love for CC to come back as Lady Kincade,” Marianna said dreamily. “Wouldn’t Eve Woodham just see green?”
“She certainly would,” Caroline remarked. “Have you noticed her lately? She’s gotten so outlandish! She’s chasing any and every man with well-lined pockets.”
“I don’t doubt it. With Geoffrey dead and Lord Kincade gone…why, the poor woman must be just inconsolable!”
“I’ll bet there are a lot of men willing to try to console her.”
“I wonder how much consolation she’ll need?”
“Plenty!”
The three friends laughed together.
“Someday soon that woman is going to get what’s coming to her, and when she does…”
“We’re all going to enjoy it,” Caroline concluded.
“Indeed we will.”
CC raised up on one elbow to gaze down at her beloved husband, studying his handsome features with sensual appreciation. “You know, we’ve been married for almost six weeks now. Does that make us ‘old married folks’?”
“Hardly,” Noah drawled as he drew her down for a soft kiss.
“Then you aren’t tired of me yet?” CC’s emerald eyes were glowing with love for this man who was now her husband.
“No, not yet,” he teased, bringing her down full upon him and relishing the feel of her soft, naked breasts crushed against his bare chest.
“Good,” CC murmured as her lips explored his in a slow, sensual caress.
“CC…” Noah’s tone had gone from lighthearted to serious as he considered the decision he’d made about their future. CC had seemed happy just being with him during the long weeks of flight from Boston and subsequent secret rendezvous with the Lorelei in New York, but he knew these last few idyllic days of living safely aboard the ship could not last forever. The news he’d received from Lyle about the state of affairs in Boston had not been good. War was imminent. Noah knew they could never remain casual bystanders when their help would be so desperately needed by their friends.
CC gazed down at him, noting the slight frown marring his handsome features, and a moment of worry sliced through the warmth of their loving embrace. “What is it, darling?”
“I spoke at length with Lyle today, and he told me that things are not looking good in Boston. Sanctions are a foregone conclusion, and the port is going to be completely closed down.”
“They’re going to close the port?” She was aghast. How would anyone survive? Boston, her home, was a shipping town… The port was its life’s blood. “My God, if they do that, war will be inevitable!”
Noah nodded and then spoke solemnly. “I know what this means to you, CC, and I’m sorry that we can’t go back to help…”
“Oh, Noah, please-” she interrupted, but he cut her off.
“Let me finish, love,” he insisted. “I’ve instructed Lyle to send word to Graves that we’re willing to transport whatever he needs.”
CC stared at him in amazement and for the first time understood the true depth of his love for her and the completeness of his transformation. “You have?”
“Yes. Our friends will be needing all the help we can give them.”
“Oh, Noah! I love you so much!”
“You don’t have any regrets about coming away with me?”
“Never.” She kissed him softly.
“You don’t miss your father or your life there?”
“I’d be lying if I told you that I didn’t. I do miss my father. I didn’t like leaving him that way, but, Noah, nothing is more important to me than being with you. You are the only person who matters in my life.”
“I love you, CC.”
“And I love you, my very dearest husband.”
The warmth of the moment surrounding them, they were lost in a haze of blissful ecstasy as they joined and mated in a joyous celebration of their devotion. Together they rode their desire to the heights, seeking, and ultimately finding, the rapturous enchantment of love’s greatest delight. When the thrill of passion’s promise had passed, they rested in peace-filled contentment, knowing that no matter what the future held, they would be happy as long as they had each other.