“Oh, my love. I’ve been so afraid…” He gathered her to him and kissed her gently. His warm mouth breathed life into her. “But why go down there, for God’s sake?”
She must tell him about the man in the room. She would in a minute. With a sob, she wiped away the tears that coursed down her cheeks. “The tide took me to the causeway. I had to climb over it.”
“Good God. My brave love.” Nathaniel pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped her tears. “Those cuts must be cleaned and dressed. I’ll help you into a dry nightgown and send for the doctor.”
“Is that necessary? Can’t it wait until tomorrow? I just want to sleep, Nathaniel.”
“Yes, it is necessary. Oyster cuts can be nasty. Tomorrow then.” Nathaniel opened a drawer and returned to tug a fresh nightgown over her head. His deft fingers tied the bows at the neck. Going to the panel, he disappeared into his room. Minutes later, he returned with a tumbler of brandy and supported her shoulders with his arm. “What made you look for me, Laura?”
“Something woke me.”
Laura took a deep sip and choked. The fiery liquid burned its way down her sore throat, warming her frozen insides. After another sip, she gave him back the glass and rested her head on the pillow. More hot tears traced a path down her cheeks; she didn’t seem able to stop them. She began to talk, her explanation sounding garbled even to her ears, while Nathaniel held her hands.
“You found a man in Amanda’s room weeping?”
She nodded, fightingsleep.
His concerned eyes darkened with hurt. “And you thought that man was me?”
A sob rose in her throat. “Don’t chastise me, Nathaniel. I can’t fight with you now.”
“Chastise you? What sort of brute do you think me?” He chafed her hands between his large, warm ones. “It’s my fault.” He shook his head. “All my fault. I thought with Mallory gone this was over. It isn’t.”
Confused, Laura frowned. “But who was in that room?”
“Someone who can get into this house. I will find him, Laura, and when I do…”
“It must be Rudge. He was obsessed with Amanda. He dislikes me.”
“But Rudge isn’t here. I gave him the night off. I saw him leave, and once the tide rose over the causeway he couldn’t have come back.”
“Not even by boat?”
“Rudge in a boat? He’s from up country. He isn’t happy on the water.”
“You can’t be sure of that.” She put a hand to his cheek. “Who was the man who attacked me then? Who was weeping in that room?”
“I don’t know, sweetheart.”
She studied him. Was he telling her everything? “And why would anyone want to kill me?”
“It makes no sense. To get at me, I suppose.” Rising from the bed, he pulled the bell. “I believed after Amanda died that I shouldn’t marry again. But Mallory had been gone two years, and I wanted you with me.” His breath caught. “I love you, Laura. I didn’t believe I could love anyone like this again. I was miserable without you. I can’t do it again.”
“That’s just as well because I’m not leaving without you.” She stroked his cheek, his declaration bringing intensejoy.
Despair haunted his eyes. “I was certain that Mallory had killed Amanda. I suspected they were having an affair, although she denied it. I didn’t want to face it. I shut down, buried myself in my work. Then after Amanda died, the police couldn’t find anything to link him to the smugglers or Amanda’s death. Then he left Wolfram. I sensed we weren’t done with him. His mother was here, and I feared he would come back oneday.
“Once I brought you to Wolfram, I realized I needed to keep track of Mallory. Roe at The Sail and Anchor found someone for me. And then Mallory turned up. I tried to have him put behind bars, but he was a slippery fish. He’d thought by giving the police a few names, he could disappear again. He outwitted himself, however. His arrogance was his downfall. I thought it was over when he died.” He cradled her head in his hands and kissed her. “Oh, my love, I might have lost you.”
Her breath caught. “You do love me then.”
“Love you? More than my life. I did try not to get too close, Laura. I didn’t think I had it in me to love like this. I’ve been so very wrong.”
“Did Amanda hurt you so dreadfully?”
“At first perhaps. But Amanda merely confirmed my belief that women were never to be trusted.”
“You thought I was seeing Howard behind your back.”
