Savage Destiny (The Hearts of Liberty Series, Book 1) (33 page)

Elliott's shoulders slumped slightly. "It was just a hope."

"Save your hopes for Christian. I'm going to ride into town to see him. Do you want to come with me?"

"I guess it's high time that I took at look at him, isn't it?"

"You are his uncle."

"I'd forgotten that. Let's go."

Alanna was grateful for his company, and for the next week, the pair were the only visitors little Christian had. Byron asked about the little boy, but his grandparents did not. They appeared to be taking their cues from Ian, who asked no questions about anything, and when spoken to, replied with silent shrugs. When they all gathered for meals, he ate barely enough to survive. He got to sleep each night only with the aid of brandy.

* * *

Graham Tyler stayed away longer than he knew he should, but a week following the funeral, he finally came out to see when Ian would be returning to duty. Attentive servants had kept the young widower neatly groomed and dressed, but Graham was nonetheless astonished by the changes in his friend. Ian had always been such a good-natured man, but now his detached and sullen mood gave no hint of his former charm. When Ian made little attempt to follow his conversation, Graham hurriedly went to find Alanna.

"Ian isn't doing at all well," he complained.

"Yes, I know. We're very concerned about him."

"Has he seen his son?"

"No, not yet."

"Well, he can't just sit and stare off into space, while the boy grows up. Maybe if we took him into town and put his son in his arms, he would respond with a renewed sense of purpose."

"You're a very thoughtful friend, Captain, but your suggestion might simply create more problems. If you want to help Ian, why don't you just concentrate on him?"

"I thought I was."

"Well yes, of course you were. The weather's nice today, why don't you just encourage him to go out for a walk with you? Perhaps Ian might even like to go for a ride."

"Yes, it would do him good to get some exercise, wouldn't it?"

"Yes, I think so."

Wanting desperately to please her, Graham flashed a ready smile. "If I amuse Ian for an hour or two, will you have some time to spend with me?"

"Is this some kind of a bargain?"

"No, I really did come to see Ian, but I want to see you, too."

"Then yes, I'll invite you to stay for tea."

"Good." Pleased with himself, Graham not only succeeded in getting Ian to leave the house, he got him to agree to taking a ride. While Graham tried innumerable subjects in hopes of inspiring conversation, Ian remained listless. Finally deciding his original plan had been the best, Graham led his friend down the road into town. He had taken Alanna to Charity Wade's on the day of Melissa's funeral, and had no difficulty finding her house again.

"Come on in," he encouraged. "There's someone here I want you to meet."

Ian at first mistook the dwelling for a new tavern and, eager for a drink, swung down from his saddle, but after they had walked through the gate, he realized his mistake. "Wait a minute. I'm not up to meeting anyone."

"I promise this will be a brief visit. Come on, we can leave whenever you like."

"I want to leave now."

Graham Tyler was not easily discouraged. "Just a few minutes, Ian. You've got the time."

"I've nothing but time."

"No, you've something more." Graham had succeeded in getting Ian up on the front porch; he rapped lightly at the door. When Charity appeared, he quickly introduced himself as a friend of the Barclays. "This is Christian's father, Captain Ian Scott. May we see the boy?"

"Oh yes, do come in." Charity was delighted to invite the two handsome officers into her home, but when Ian removed his hat, she was startled by his bright red hair. "Forgive me, I didn't mean to stare. I'd assumed Christian resembled you, but now I see he must favor his mother."

Touched by that thought, Ian followed her into the bedroom, where Christian lay sleeping in the cradle. Charity pulled back his blankets slightly, so Ian could see him more clearly. "Would you like to hold him?" she asked. "He's a very good little boy, and spends most of his time sleeping."

Ian bent over the cradle, took one look at the precious infant, and straightened up abruptly. Thinking Charity must be caring for two babies and had confused them, he glanced around the room searching for another cradle but there was only the one. "There must be some mistake. This can't possibly be my child. Who told you that he was?"

Taken aback by his question, Charity grew flustered. "You were Melissa Barclay's husband, weren't you?"

"Yes, now answer me. Who brought you this child?"

"Alanna Barclay and Dr. Earle. I've had him since the day he was born."

"And when was that?"

"November eleventh."

Ian called for Graham, who had waited in the front room. When he entered, Ian pointed toward the cradle. "Do you have any idea whose child this is?"

As astonished by the golden-skinned, dark-haired baby as Ian, Graham shrugged helplessly. "Well, he certainly isn't yours."

"Gentlemen, you're frightening me. Miss Barclay visits the child every day. She was here this morning with her cousin Elliott. Byron has been here, too. None of them seem to think there's anything wrong."

"Oh, there's something wrong, all right," Ian assured her. "Alanna bears a close resemblance to my late wife."

Charity's eyes grew wide, for she had never known a blond woman and a red-haired man to produce an infant whose coloring presented such a stark contrast to them both. "I'm sure there must be some explanation," she mumbled.

"Yes, indeed, and I can't wait to hear it." Ian leaned down, scooped up the baby, and, holding him pressed close to his chest, carried him right out of the house.

"Captain Scott!" Charity called. "Be careful, Christian's not even two weeks old! Where are you taking him?"

Ian replied with a threatening glance that silenced any further objection, deftly mounted his horse, and urged him toward the plantation at a gallop.

Now understanding why Alanna had discouraged him from bringing Ian to see his son, Graham caught up to his friend. He tried to get him to slow down, but Ian was bent low, shielding the babe from the wind, and neither heard nor saw him. Mortified that his friend would so thoughtlessly endanger an infant's life, he stayed close, silently vowing to do whatever he could to save the lad, if need be.

Jostled awake and thoroughly terrified by the wild ride, Christian was screaming with all his might by the time Ian reached his in-laws' home. The outraged Englishman leapt off his horse and strode through the front door, where the whole family swiftly gathered to greet him, drawn by Christian's frantic shrieks. Rather than attempt to quiet the infant, Ian simply raised his voice to be heard above him.

"Whose child is this?" he shouted. "Surely he isn't mine and Melissa's."

As horrified as the dear babe, Alanna rushed forward to take Christian, but Ian held him aloft. "Oh, no, you don't. First you tell me where you got this child, because he sure as hell isn't mine!"

Rachel began to cry in a wail only slightly less pathetic than Christian's, while John stared at the screaming baby in shocked disbelief. Elliott hurried to Alanna's side, while his brother hung back. It was the most disgraceful scene imaginable, but Byron knew he wasn't the one to stop it.

"Ian's laid this one at your door, Father," he said. "If you can face the truth now, it's time you shared it with him."

John Barclay stood transfixed, unable to tear his gaze from the ebony-haired babe Ian now dangled in front of him. The child's face was bright red from the exertions of his screams, but his thick black hair provided clear confirmation of the scandal his grandfather had refused to believe.

"Give him to me!" John yelled, but Ian lifted Christian out of his reach, leaving the older man to claw the air wildly.

Appalled by the hatred that contorted his father-in-law's features, Ian turned to block him with his shoulder and laid the exhausted babe in Alanna's arms. "Here, you tend him. Come on, John, let's go into your study, where we won't have to listen to the noisy brat."

Ian grabbed his father-in-law's arm as he started down the hall. Wanting to make certain his father told the truth, Byron hurried to join them. Elliott dropped his arm around Alanna's shoulders and urged her to carry Christian into the parlor, but before she turned away, she sent Graham a glance which conveyed a lifetime of disappointment. Left in the hall with Rachel, who was now sobbing softly, Graham had no idea what to do. He knew he really ought to leave, but certain that the excitement had just begun, he helped Rachel into a chair in the dining room, sent a servant for tea, and prepared to remain for as long as it took to find out what had become of Ian's son.

Chapter 15

While casting many an anxious glance toward the doorway, Alanna patted Christian's back gently and sang to him softly, until, soothed by her familiar voice and touch, he at last grew calm and fell asleep. She and Elliott couldn't overhear the conversation taking place in the study, but praying it was going well, she laid the baby across her lap and combed his hair through her fingertips.

"How could Ian have treated him so roughly?" she asked in a hushed whisper.

Elliott moved his chair closer to his cousin's. "Do you think Christian is all right? Should we take him to Dr. Earle's?"

"He was wrapped in his blankets, so he doesn't seem chilled, and he's breathing easily. I don't think he's suffered any physical harm, but it couldn't have done him any good to be frightened so badly. Babies need comfort and love, not to be tossed about and dangled in the air, like a tasty morsel meant for the hounds."

Elliott reached out to pat the sleeping infant's bottom. "He's still so tiny."

"Yes, and he's unlikely to get any bigger if Ian gets hold of him again."

"Perhaps we should take him back to Mrs. Wade's. He'll be hungry when he wakes, won't he?"

"Poor baby, he'll probably sleep all afternoon."

"Just to be safe, I think we ought to leave as soon as I can have the horses harnessed to the carriage."

"What could Ian have said to Charity? What if she's too upset to accept Christian back into her home?"

"Then we'll find him another wet nurse, but there's no point in fretting over problems that might not exist. For the time being, all we need do is—"

Elliott fell silent as Ian began to yell so loudly that they could hear him clearly through the study door. He was shouting at Byron, calling him a liar. Fearing the babe might again be snatched up to become part of what was clearly a heated argument, Elliott rose and helped Alanna to her feet. "Come on, let's get out of here while we still can."

Unfortunately, Ian was far more swift, and come running into the parlor before they had reached the door. "I can stand it if my baby died, but Alanna, please, please, tell me that's not Melissa's child!"

Tears were streaming down Ian's cheeks, and Alanna wished with all her heart that she could ease his torment, but she couldn't do it with convenient lies. "Melissa loved you. I truly believe she thought you would accept her child and raise him as your own."

Ian swayed slightly, and for a terrible instant, Alanna thought he might faint. Sharing her fear, Elliott rushed to his brother-in-law's side, but Ian shoved him away with a force that sent him reeling. "How can you speak of love after what that bitch did to me?" Ian asked. "Melissa was such a cunning liar, I never realized I didn't really have a wife. It's plain now it was all lies: the elopement, that night, our marriage. She made a mockery of our wedding vows, before they'd even been spoken."

"Oh Ian, you mustn't say such horrible things about Melissa," Alanna begged. "She loved you!"

Ian responded with a disgusted grimace. "I'm glad she's dead, or by God, I'd kill her for what she's done to me." He turned, and seeing Rachel and Graham standing in the hallway, he pointed at his mother-in-law. "Your daughter deserves to burn in hell forever," he shouted, "and you and everyone else in this house with her!"

Stunned by the sheer brutality of Ian's words, no one tried to stop him when he ran out the door. He leapt on his horse's back and rode away, leaving none of them untouched by his pain. John rushed to his wife's side and helped her to a chair in the parlor. Byron walked by Graham, and then gestured for him to follow.