Losing Control (18 page)

“Brisby, why did you leave us?”

“I did as I was ordered. The Mrs. has
paid me quite handsomely for many years. I feel obligated to obey her. But
after I left I kept thinking it was wrong to abandon you two out here with no
communication or a car. I was on my way back this morning when I saw the smoke
from the house. I called the police and waited for them over the hill.”

“We’ve got a lot of questions for
this woman, Ms. Hamilton, is it? And for you ladies as well. Why didn’t you
report the fire?”

“We had no phones. Brisby made sure
of that!”

“Please, Miss, I feel bad about this.
Certainly, I do. I’m very glad you’re both uninjured. But as I stated, I never
meant any harm.”

“Look at James and Inger’s house!
It’s destroyed! And you’re a party to that! Those creeps almost killed us!”

Fawn couldn’t hold the tears in any
longer. She wailed like a baby. June held her, wiped at her cheeks with a
tissue. A vehicle appeared on the road, a yellow Porsche, followed by a rental
truck and a caterer’s van. Fawn gasped.

“Taury!”

The car slid into the drive; he
jumped out, his gaze taking in the situation as he flew to her. June released
her. Fawn began to walk towards Taury, her unsteadiness subsiding at the sight
of him. He seemed paler than usual but still beautiful, dressed in faded jeans,
deck shoes and a red
Henley
shirt.

He reached her, their eyes met. No
words needed. He dropped to his knees, laid his head on her chest, wrapped
warm, strong arms about her hips.

Kent Brennan emerged from the car,
met his wife halfway. They passed worried glances, hugged.

They all turned their eyes to the
black, smoldering frame that had been the French cottage.

“Oh,
Kent
, it was a nightmare! I’m glad you
both got here, but I wish you had come sooner.”

“We had no idea! Well, I say that but
Taury was concerned, wanted to drive up here last night when he couldn’t reach
you by phone. I foolishly talked him out of it, thought you might have turned
off the phone to get a good night’s sleep. I guess I’ve lost the old instincts
I used to have about you and Fawn. Once I could tell if you needed me just by
thinking of you.”

“It’s hard to separate the tangle of
worries in your mind when you have so many.”

“Mrs. Brennan?” the cop interrupted.
“We’ve had a report that the two men in question have been located in
Oakland
. One is in critical condition in a
local hospital.”

Taury stood up. “What two men?”

“It was Greg and Henry. They tried to
kill us, Taury.”

A dark look crossed his face that
frightened her with its intensity. He kissed her forehead, started for the
Porsche.

“Where are you going?”

“She’s going to pay for this!”

“No, Taury, don’t go there! Let the
police handle it.”

“I have to see her, to make her admit
what she’s done!”

“Then … take me with you!”

He stopped, stared at her. “Can you
handle the drive?”

“I can handle anything, as long as
you’re with me!”

“Officer, is she cleared to leave?”

“Yes, sir, Mr. Trahern. The woman
Brisby here will give us most of what we need to know, though I would like to
get some statements later.”

“Brisby? What the hell…”

“It’s true, love, I didn’t mean for
this to happen but I must take responsibility for it.”

“I can’t trust anyone! How much did
she pay you? Was it worth jail time? Don’t answer that! Come on, Fawn!”

“We’ll go with you, son!”
Kent
decided then he ushered June towards
the Porsche. “Not much leg room back here, I’m afraid.”

“You drive. Fawn and I will curl up
in the back seats, if you can call them that! I should’ve brought the Bentley!”

After Taury dismissed the rental
truck driver and the caterers they configured themselves accordingly in the
Porsche and sped off. Brisby stared after them, still crying. Fawn wanted to
feel sorry for her but then she looked again at the sad wreck of a house and
shook her head.

“I can’t believe it’s gone,” she
sighed.

“My dad loved that house. Losing it
is almost like losing him twice!”

Fawn clasped his hand; Taury kissed
hers. The loving gaze in the deep set blue eyes bolstered her strength, made it
easier to stand the pain that tore at her back muscles. Then a sharp bump in
the road made her grimace.

“You okay? We can stop, if it’s too
much.”

“No, just get me home somehow, Taury.
That’s all I want.”

“Me, too. And that’s where we’re
going, as soon as this mess is cleared up! I can’t believe
Elizabeth
did this! I knew she was determined
to get her own way, but to actually hire two goons to burn down a house with
you and your mom in it? Damn, that’s insane!”

“You know, son, if we can prove
Elizabeth
hired those two to commit murder,
she hasn’t a chance of getting control of the company.”

“I wasn’t thinking about that but I
suppose it’s true.” He grew quiet for a long while. Fawn squeezed his hand, he
smiled at her though his eyes were filled with sorrow.

“Your dad’s house is still on your
mind, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, I can’t imagine it being gone.
The flowers and the furniture and the paintings…”

“Oh, the paintings!” Fawn reached
into her pocket, pulled out the tiny portrait. “This one is okay! See?”

He glanced at it; tears formed in his
eyes. “How’d you manage to save it?”

“It’s all I could carry. Oh, I have
this, too!”

She retrieved the will from her pocket,
passed it to Taury. He began to read it; the tears multiplied, he wiped them
away.

“This is my dad’s will! Do you know
how long we’ve been searching for this?”

“Is it legal? I thought there would
already be a probated will after all this time.”

“No, not in
California
!
It takes near forever to get one
probated here!”

“Well, maybe not that long,” her dad
said. “The average is five and a half years!”

“Connie’s didn’t take that long,”
June spoke up. She’d been half-asleep in the passenger seat.

“No, but she had everything settled
and ready. There was no room for error. Plus she only had limited possessions
and assets, and not one creditor. I wish everyone could live that simply.”

“Kent, Fawn says we can live in
Connie’s beach house, when you take the job in
Los Angeles
. If Taury approves, that is.”

Fawn glanced at Taury, he nodded.
“That’s a great idea! I won’t have to worry about it being kept up. You’re
welcome to it!”

They continued onward. Fawn leaned in
close. “Are you really okay with it?”

“Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?” He smiled
reassuringly, stretched his arm around her. “Sit back and sleep. We’ll be in
Frisco before you know it.”

“What’s going to happen when we get
there?”

“Well, I can’t promise I won’t slug
her, but I’ll try to restrain myself from throwing her out a window.”

“Don’t joke about it.”

“Who said I was?”

Fawn stared at him, afraid. He leaned
his head back, closed his eyes. She snuggled into the curve of his arm, and
breathed deep. The scent of him was exhilarating. How could she sleep knowing
he was so near? All she wanted to do was to watch his chest rise and fall in a
heavenly rhythm. But it was hypnotic, sent her off to sleep like a lullaby.

By the time they reached
San Francisco
the sun was high in the sky,
throwing out a warm, pallid glow that gave the city an unearthly aura. The
drive through the morning traffic was tedious, increasing the fractious mood of
the Porsche’s passengers.

They arrived at
Elizabeth
’s mansion; Taury banged an angry
fist on the big door. Jardin peeped out.

“Who is it?”

“It’s me, and you damn well better
open that door!”

“Madame has set out strict orders,
Mr. Trahern; she wants no visitors!”

“She’ll see me!”

“I think not. She especially
mentioned that I was not to let you in.”

“The hell with that!”

Taury pushed the door hard, knocking
the stiff butler for a loop after which he landed soundly on his starched
behind.

Elizabeth was sitting calmly at the
dining room table, dressed exquisitely as usual in a white linen suit, and
picking at a plate of quiche and watermelon.

Libby Trahern, an echo of her mother
with softer eyes and long, straight black hair, came out of the study, puzzled
at all the commotion. She obviously had been crying.

“Taurus, how lovely of you to join
us!”
Elizabeth
said as if nothing was wrong.

“You won’t think so once I’m done
with you, Elizabeth!”

“I expect you to call me Mother,
Taurus.”

“You are not my mother! I don’t know
what you did to my real mother, but I’m sure as hell going to find out! First,
I’d like to know how you thought you were going to get away with murdering my
fiancée?”

“I can’t imagine what you mean!”

“So you’re going to sit there and
tell me you had no idea that Henry and Greg were planning to burn down Dad’s
house?”

“What house?”

“You know perfectly well what house,
Mother!” Libby uttered. “I heard you talking to Brisby about it on the phone
yesterday.”

“Eavesdropping on your own mother? Is
that what you learned while you were in
Europe
? No wonder the Duke discarded you!”

“I discarded him, Mother! Taury, is
what you’re saying true?”

“I’d swear to it!”

Libby moved towards them, stood
beside her brother and Fawn. Kent and June were behind them.

“Hello, Fawn, I’m sorry our meeting
had to take place under these circumstances.”

“So am I.” Fawn hugged her.

“Traitors!”
Elizabeth
shouted as she rose to her feet.
“I’m surrounded by them! Well, at least I pulled one thing over on you! I sold
my shares to Allen Ainsworth! Now your stupid candy company will be ruined!”

“I don’t understand why you suddenly
hate the company! Weren’t you the one who bullied me into running it after Dad
died?”

She walked to the window; in the
harsh light she seemed much older, with make-up caked so thickly it was more of
a mask than an enhancement.

“I only wanted the money, and the
prestige. I assumed I would marry you and Libby off to royalty. I myself would
eventually marry into a wealthier family then I could sell the damned thing
off!”

“Well, you’ve been living under a
hell of a lot of false assumptions! And I don’t think you can sell those shares
since they don’t belong to you!”

She turned a wary eye on him. “Don’t
be absurd! Of course they’re mine!”

Taury held up the will. “I have proof
here that Dad intended to split those shares between me, Libby … and my mother,
Inger!”

Elizabeth
looked as though she was about to
have a stroke. “Don’t you dare mention that name in my
house!
”

“It won’t be your house for long,
Mother,” Libby decided, “if you had a hand in trying to harm Fawn.”

Elizabeth raised her regal head and
strode out of the room, passing them without a single glance or acknowledgment.
Jardin, ever her loyal pet, bowed to her, offered her his hand. She ignored
him, began to climb the stairs.