An Unsinkable Love

chapter 23


Malcolm limped in an hour after he was expected. He knew his mother would be fretting about dinner being ruined. He had intended to sneak in, change his clothing, and wash the blood from his face before appearing before Bree and his mother. But old Murray from the stable saw him and made a beeline for the kitchen. The whole house would know something happened within minutes. He didn't want Bree and his mother to find out from a servant.

He glanced at the parlor doorway and saw Bree's smile die, replaced by a look of horror. She ran toward him, Elizabeth right on her heels.

"Malcolm!" she cried.

He held up a hand and shook his head. "It's not as bad as it appears. I'm fine." The look on his future wife's face told him she begged to differ.

"But what happened?" Elizabeth asked.

Malcolm's shoulders slumped and he hung his head.

"Someone shot Soldier." Shocked gasps greeted his harsh statement. Before either woman could ask the multitude of questions he saw in their eyes, he said, "Please. Give me a moment to clean up and change. I'll be right back down to tell you the whole story. Mother, dear, perhaps you'd have Anderson bring a stiff whiskey and soda to my room." He smiled reassuringly and slowly made his way up the stairs to his room, suppressing a groan of pain to keep up the pretense.

166

An Unsinkable Love

by Terri Benson

The women sat pensively in the parlor as he returned a quarter of an hour later. Another glass amply filled with caramel-colored liquor sat on the table, a soda siphon and tall cut glass decanter on a tray ready for a refill. He took a hefty slug of the drink, closing his eyes as it burned its way to his stomach. Knowing he couldn't put it off any longer, he sat and snuggled a pale-faced Bree close.

"I rode the north trail."

Elizabeth nodded.

"By the time I heard the shot, Soldier was already going down. I was lucky. We were steps away from the creek. I ended up in a patch of moss, instead of coming down on jagged granite. Other than a few bruises and some scratches, I'm fine. Soldier's gone, though."

"Oh, son, I'm so sorry." Elizabeth turned to Bree and explained, "He raised that horse from a colt. I remember him sitting up all night with Murray the night old Soldier was born."

Bree turned to Malcolm, "But who shot at you?"

"That's something I intend to find out. I'll talk to Murray after dinner and have him put the word out. If anyone was hunting in the woods, the men will find out."

"You need to talk to Ernie too," his mother added.

As Bree raised a questioning eyebrow, Malcolm explained,

"Ernie Fletcher is the chief of police in Linton. I've known him all my life. He grew up with my father and Eldon." He turned to Elizabeth. "It will wait until tomorrow. Now, is dinner totally ruined, or do you think we have a chance?"

167

An Unsinkable Love

by Terri Benson

He could tell his mother was annoyed by his cavalier attitude as she stood and led the way to the dining room.

After dinner, Malcolm suggested he take Bree on a moonlight tour of the gardens. As they slowly meandered the paths, he asked her about her childhood and home, pointedly avoiding any discussion about his accident. Bree played along, described the emerald green hills and dells, and the lonely sound of waves crashing on shore during winter storms. She told him about the Rothberrys and their manor house. He drew her closer, jaw flexing, as she averted her eyes and gave him a brief recap of the disgusting suggestions the lord made the night before she escaped to the Titanic. His mouth turned down at the corners as she haltingly spoke about the small cottage she called home and the death of her mother. Much as he wanted to know what kind of family produced such an exceptional daughter, he accepted it would take time before he knew everything about her, just as it would for her to learn about him. Well, they had a lifetime ahead of them, didn't they?

"It was an accident today, wasn't it Malcolm?" Bree suddenly asked, unable to ignore his limping progress.

"Of course. Why would you think anything else?" Malcolm had his own doubts whether it was an accident but didn't want to frighten Bree or his mother. He fully intended to do some serious investigation to find out exactly what happened.

And why.

"No reason, I guess."

She was very subdued the rest of the evening and, as he escorted her up to her room, he suggested, "Come to town 168

An Unsinkable Love

by Terri Benson

with me tomorrow. I'll show you around and introduce you to some of our friends and employees. And we need to talk to Mother about an engagement party. I want to make sure everyone knows you're already spoken for."

"I'd like that very much, but right now I'd like something else even more." She gazed up at him, eyes bright, lips puckered.

Desire flared in his groin as he obliged, bending down and pressing his lips to hers. Bree's body melted against him. She tasted like the cherry cordial his mother served after dinner.

He pulled her closer, his mouth welded to hers with an increasing heat. He felt her sigh against his lips. Hands shaking, he pulled back and looked down at her pale face. Her eyes flickered open, like she awakened from a dream. He saw a faint tremble in her rose-hued lips. She blinked, her green eyes glazed with longing.

"Was that what you had in mind?" he teased to diffuse the sensual tension.

An impish smile touched her face. "It'll do in a pinch," she said as she skipped though the doorway.

"I'll give you a pinch, you little vixen." But before he could pursue her, Bree slammed the door shut. He heard her amused giggle from the other side.

"Goodnight, my love," she called.

Malcolm answered in kind and, shaking his head at her antics, made his way to his room.

As he readied for bed he was made aware of a myriad damaged muscles from his fall. By morning, he'd be lucky if he could get out of bed.

169

An Unsinkable Love

by Terri Benson

He lay down, hands behind his head, thinking over the events right before Soldier went down. They'd been cantering casually along a well-known trail. The track narrowed as it passed between a huge old pine and the steep slope where the creek cut away the bank. The shot caught Soldier dead on his chest, and he'd probably taken only a step or two more before going down on his forelegs and tumbling over the bank. Malcolm mused, "Anywhere but the bed of moss and I'd likely have broken my neck. No one would have heard me cry out, unless they were right there on the trail." If none of the locals admitted to hunting deer out of season, he would ask Ernie to check on visitors from out of the area. The unwelcome thought that the shooter might have been hunting something besides deer niggled around in his head, and it was a long time before he found sleep.

[Back to Table of Contents]

170

An Unsinkable Love

by Terri Benson