That caught her by surprise. Luke had gone through the motions of being devout while imprisoned, but she had expected it to fade quickly now that he was out. He had always been an irreverent rascal, but he wasn’t pulling her leg. He seemed completely genuine.
“That’s a change in attitude. It looked like you wanted torip Nathaniel’s head from his shoulders when they carted you in here.”
“Oh, I did!” he said, his irreverent grin back. “Then I had a few minutes to walk back from the ledge, pray, and see things in a bigger perspective. I was able to cut the head off the beast. Nathaniel and the others at the Secret Service can take over to track down the third man. Maybe they’ll get him, maybe not, but I can honestly say I did my best.”
She nodded, relieved that Luke seemed genuinely at peace with what had happened. “I need to wire Gray about everything. I wired him the day after you returned home but never got a response. I should send another. What shall I tell him?”
“Tell him to get that farm sold and get back to Washington. I miss him.”
She nodded and couldn’t help marveling that in the past year, her brothers had finally learned to accept each other despite their stark differences in personality, and despite the ignominy of Luke’s arrest.
Or maybe because of it. She wouldn’t want to relive the horror of this past year for anything in the world. Last month a few strands of gray hair had appeared at her temple. She’d yanked them out, but she knew who had caused them, and her name was Annabelle Larkin.
Or Annabelle Delacroix, now that Gray had married her. Whatever her name, it was Annabelle who had betrayed them all when she turned Luke in last summer.
Now that Luke was out, they would have to figure out how to cope with what had happened, for Caroline couldn’t imagine they could all share the townhouse, not with this much animosity between them.
“Gray is quite taken with Annabelle,” she began hesitantly.
“I should hope so, she being his wife and all.”
“We’re going to have to find a way to deal with her. If you’d prefer not to live under the same roof—”
“Stop right there,” Luke said, a spark of energy returning. “I don’t resent Annabelle. She’s a loyal American. She thought I was a spy and followed her conscience. How can I resent her for that?”
“Fifteen months in a Cuban jail didn’t teach you that?”
Luke managed a weak shrug. “I wasn’t making much progress before my arrest. I didn’t gain Mateo’s trust until we were locked up together. If not for Annabelle’s actions, I’d probably still be floundering. Those months in jail did me good, and I’m not just talking about figuring out Holland’s identity. I’m talking about the isolation and forced self-examination. I found pieces of my soul I didn’t know existed. I see God’s hand in that, and I’m grateful for it. I’ll never resent Annabelle for what she did.”
Caroline straightened her spine. “Perhaps you can forgive her, but I never will.”
“You don’t need to sound so proud about that,” Luke said, mild disapproval in his tone. It took her aback. In all their years, Luke had never scolded her, and it hurt.
“What do you see in her?” she burst out in frustration. “We have nothing in common with her. All she’s done is bring chaos into our lives.”
Luke glanced away, his eyes pensive and a little sorrowful. When he finally answered, his voice was low and sad. “I like the way she looks at Gray. It’s obvious how much she adores him, and not because he’s rich or powerful. She loves him for who he is. She is utterly pure and good. I’d give anything to have a woman like Annabelle look at me like that.”
Luke’s blatant admiration for her despised sister-in-law was troubling. Luke was supposed to be onherside, not Annabelle’s.
The door opened, and the pretty redheaded nurse came inside, blushing gorgeously as she set a pitcher of water at Luke’s bedside.
“Is there anything else I can bring you? Just name it, and I’ll find it.”
“Thanks, Nellie,” Luke said. “I’ll be fine.”
The nurse hesitated. “If you’re sure, then....” The sentence dangled while Nellie looked at Luke with her heart in her pretty blue eyes. When Luke shook his head, she left the room, disappointment on her face.
Caroline lifted a brow at him. “You’re an emaciated wreck and can still charm any woman within ten yards of you. Don’t go getting mopey because no woman will want you. Did you see how that nurse looked at you?”
Luke’s eyes gleamed. “I saw her, but she didn’t see me. Not really. I can flirt and tease and flatter. No matter how good I try to be—and trust me, in the past year I have tried extraordinarily hard to be good—at my core, I’m still a lousy rat. Nellie didn’t see that part.”
If he wasn’t a gaunt skeleton wrapped in bandages, she’d want to smack him. Yes, Luke had always been the naughty one, but he was also charming and generous. She knew him better than anyone, but a part of what he said was true. He had demons inside, and it was anyone’s guess if he’d be strong enough to conquer them now that he had a new lease on life.
Caroline pulled her cloak tighter as she stepped outside the hospital. The blustery wind was chilly, or perhaps she was simply more fragile than usual. Exhaustion tugged at her as she wondered if she should buy a new cloak. She fiddled with the tie. The cord seemed to have frayed since last autumn.
Distracted, she almost bumped into a man coming up the hospital steps.
“Gray!” she gasped. “Where have you been? You didn’t respond to my telegram!”
