In Like Flynn (Molly Murphy Mysteries, #4)

“It’s going to be a long, weary night unless somebodyfindsus,” I said. “This is the second time in one day that I've been soaking wet. I'll be lucky if I don't wind up with pneumonia.”


“Here, come and sit beside me,” he said. “I can put my good arm around you.”

I sat. His arm came around me and he pulled me close to him. “I'm glad you're here with me,” he whispered, and kissed me gently on the forehead.

“I don't think we should start that kind of thing,” I said. “Maybe I should move away.”

“I don't want you to move away from me, ever,” he said.

“I don't think Miss Norton will welcome my presence in your happy home,” I said stiffly.

“Damn Arabella Norton! I want you, Molly. I've wanted you from the moment I saw you.”

Then he was kissing me and it was no gentle kiss on the forehead this time.

“What about your shoulder?” I whispered.

“Damn my shoulder.”

I'll have to put the rest of what happened down to my weakened state and the heightened emotion of the day. For next thing I knew I was lying in his arms, his lips crushed against mine, feeling his heart thudding through the wetfabricof my dress. I was giddy with desire as his lips moved down my throat.

“We shouldn't,” I whispered, but I could hardly make the words come out.

“I'll tell her, I promise,” he whispered back as his hand moved down my thigh and pulled up my skirts. I think I helped him get them out of the way. I know I didn't protest enough.

When Irealizedthe next step was inevitable, a brief thought flashed through my mind that twenty-four was awfully old to be a virgin anyway. Then a moment of fear and uncertainly and then it wasn't at all like the old wives had whispered. When I cried out, it was in pleasure, not pain.

“I love you, Molly Murphy,” were the last words I heard before I fell asleep in his arms.

I awoke to a bright shaft of sunlight falling across my face. It took me a moment to realize where I was and when Daniel sighed gently in his sleep, I jumped a mile. He was lying beside me, looking so peaceful that I just stared at him. Then, of course, the full memory of last night returned. A silly grin crossed my face. I was with Daniel Sullivan and everything was going to be just fine.

When he awoke and gazed at me, a big smiled crossed his face too.

“Don't look at me. I must look awful,” I said. “I've no hairbrush and I fell in the mud and…”

“You look beautiful,” he whispered and kissed me tenderly.

When we went outside, we discovered that the trees behind the bam concealed a farmhouse. In no time at all we were riding in the farmer’s wagon back to civilization, where we learned that the horse and buggy had been found, unharmed, and there had been a search going on for us during the night. I was rather glad they hadn't found us.

By midday we arrived back at Adare.

“Why don't I wait out here at the gate while you give Barney the news?” I said, loathe to have tofacethe embarrassment of seeing Barney again.

“You've just found out that his son is still alive,” Daniel said. “Who could remain angry with news like that? You should be the one to tell him.” He took my hand. “And when were you ever afraid of an angry male?”

So I had no option. I was feeling distinctly nervous as Soames opened the front door, but I need not have worried. Bamey seemed as anxious as Belinda and Clara and grateful to know I was still alive. Only patchy news hadreachedthem of Joseph Rimes’s drowning and my apparent disappearance. As we gave Bamey the news about Brendan, a look of wonder spread over his face.

“My son alive?”

We nodded. “We have every reason to hope so.”

“My son alive,” he said again, then he sank his face into his hands and started to weep.

“Poor Theresa. If only she'd been alive to hear this. That rat Rimes—may he rot in hell for this.” I realized then that he cared for his wife more than I had thought. When he looked up, his face was resolute. “I'll find him, Sullivan. I don't care how much time and money it takes. I'll search this country from top to bottom. I'll offer the biggest rewardin the history of mankind, but I'm going to find my son again.”

His gaze focused on me. “You brought this about,” he said. “I said terrible things to you yesterday, but now I'll forever be in your debt. There will be a welcome for you at my home any time.”

“Thank you,” I said, noting that he had conveniently forgotten the circumstances under which Joe Rimes discovered us. If I came to his home again it would be under the escort of a good strong male, preferably Daniel.

“You are certainly some investigator, for a woman,” he added. “I don't know what gave you the idea my son was still alive and how you tracked him down.”

“Albert Morell’s character,” I said. “He loved children. And I always thought there had to be a mastermind behind the kidnapping—although I have to confess that I suspected your secretary.”

“Desmond?” He sounded surprised.