Shannon's Daughter (46 page)

She
melted against him, her fingertips digging into his back.
 
“Why have you always been so good to me?”

“Must
be love.
 
It certainly couldn’t be because you’re
brighter, and more beautiful, and stronger than any woman I’ve ever run
across.”

“Am
I?
 
Or was that Michael Shannon’s
daughter who was all those things?”

Firmly
cupping her chin, he forced her to meet his gaze.
 
“Stop that, Peg.
 
I don’t care who your parents were, it
doesn’t change the woman you’ve grown up to be.
 
You can doubt or despise them all you like, but don’t let them shake
your belief in yourself.”

She
looked away and he felt keenly that she was shutting him out.
 
“You’re right.
 
I need to rest and let you take care of
me.”
 
Stepping out of his arms, she took
her seat again, toying with her food.
 
“I
think I’d like to take that walk.
 
I love
your flat, but a little change of scene would be nice.”

“Of
course.
 
And on the way home we’ll shop for food.
 
I need to stay in town for a few days, but
Friday afternoon we could head out to Hertford, if you’d like.”

She
nodded.
 
“I would.”
 
Another hesitation, a long ragged sigh, and
she went on, ‘There’s something I should tell you.”

“What’s
that?”

“I
don’t have much money with me.
 
And I
didn’t want to ask the bank to wire me any here.
 
At least not until they find me.
 
Will that be a problem?”

He laid
a hand on her hair, touched by the vulnerability revealed in her
confession.
 
“Not at
all.
 
Remember, I’m better off now
than the average struggling musician.
 
Unless you decide to go on a shopping spree, we’ll manage just fine.”

She
smiled weakly.
 
“No shopping sprees.
 
But I do need to pick up a few things I
forgot to bring.”

“Such
as?”

“Somehow,
I managed to pack everything but something to sleep in.”

He
chuckled.
 
“Is that all?”

She
actually blushed.
 
“No.
 
I forgot a couple of other essentials, like
underwear.”

The
chuckle became a bark of laughter.
 
“So
you’re telling me we need to plan a shopping trip to pick up nighties and
knickers?”
 
He inwardly cringed until her
face cracked into a smile at his pathetic attempt to lighten the mood.
 

“I
guess that about sums it up.
 
Do you
mind?”

“Oh,
no.
 
We can stop in at Selfridges on our
walk.
 
Maybe you can find something in
their bargain bins.”

Peg
stood and put her arms around his neck, still chuckling.
 
“Thank you.”

“For
what?”

“Everything.
 
Sometimes I wish, if things were different. . .”

“Yes?”

“I wish
we could be two ordinary people with a future in that ivy covered cottage.”

He
pulled her closer.
 
“I know, love.
 
But at least we can enjoy what we have.
 
Now let’s take that walk.”

Chapter
Forty-two

For the
next several days Kendall watched Peg closely.
 
While she ate when he suggested, walked when invited, and at least
appeared to sleep at night, he was wary of her outward calm.
 
Those moments when she seemed to forget he
was there, when he caught the fear and confusion in her far-off gaze, kept him
on guard.
 
Deeming it best to pretend he was
unaware of her suffering, he went about their routine never once broaching the
subject, waiting for her to bring it up if and when she felt ready.
 

When
Michael’s call had come two days after Kendall’s return to London, Peg had serendipitously
been soaking in the bathtub.
 
He’d gone
so far as to take the telephone onto the landing for the conversation.
 

Before
Michael could ask, Kendall said simply, “She’s here, sir.”

“She
told you?
 
All of it?”

“Yes,
sir.
 
She needed to confide in someone.”

Michael
took an audible breath and released a sigh of obvious relief.
 
“I hoped she’d run to you.
 
I haven’t called the others, Addie or
Patrick, because I doubted she’d turn to them the way she’s feeling just
now.”
 
There was a pause on the line,
before he went on in a softer tone.
 
“Is
she well, Kendall?
 
I know she’s in a
state, has been for weeks.
 
My greatest
concern at the moment is that she doesn’t make herself sick, too.”

“She’s
a bit rundown.
 
I’m trying to get her to
eat and rest.”
 
He weighed his words
carefully.
 
“She says she feels safe with
me.
 
I think it would be best if no one
else knows she’s here, at least for now.
 
I’m going to take her to the house in Hertford this weekend and we’ll
stay there for a while.
 
Will you trust
me to take care of her?”
 

The
answer was immediate.
 
“Of course I will.
 
You’re the best thing for her, I’ve no
doubt.”

“Thank
you, sir.
 
I’m sure in time she’ll be in
touch.
 
Just be patient, if you
can.”
 
He heard the door to the bathroom
open.
 
“I should go now.
 
Try not to worry.”
 

Peg
appeared in the doorway, her brows arched quizzically as she stared down at the
cord snaking out onto the landing.
 
“Kendall, what on earth. . .”
 
Her
eyes went to the handset he had pressed to his shoulder, and her face paled as
she backed away.
 

He
tried to relay his reassurance as he returned to the call.
 
“Thank you for calling.
 
I’ll be in touch.”

“Tell
her I love her, will you?
 
If you get the
chance, I mean.”

“I
will.”

Rushing
after her when she retreated into the flat, he found her standing at the window,
staring into darkness.
 
“Peg?”

“How is
he?”

“Fine.
 
Worried.
 
But he seemed relieved to know you’re here.”

Her
shoulders were so stiff and straight, her head held so high, he wasn’t sure how
to approach her.
 
“How are
you
?”

“Confused.
 
I know I have nothing to fear from him.
 
But just the thought of him on the other end of the line sent me into a
panic.”

Reaching
for her, he was encouraged when she turned into his arms.
 
“He just wanted to be sure you were safe.
 
He said he thought this was the best place for
you, here with me.
 
So you see, he understands
your need for time, sweetheart.
 
He won’t
push you.”
 
He hesitated, holding her
closer as she started to relax against him.
 
“He asked me to tell you he loves you.”

Peg
went still.
 
She seemed to hold her
breath for a long moment before a shuddering sob welled from deep within.
 
“Oh, God!
 
What am I going to do?”

There
was no need to respond.
 
It was all he
could do to hold her as the storm raged, leaving her clinging to him when the
sobs finally subsided to soft whimpering.
 
Spent and trembling, she hid her face in his shoulder, refusing to meet
his gaze as he lifted her chin gently.
 

“What
do you want to do?”

Her
eyes, huge and brimming with tears, searched his face.
 
“Stay with you.”

“Then
that’s what you’ll do.”

They
hadn’t spoken of the matter since.
 
While
he knew it was always on her mind, the reason for her long silences and lack of
concentration, he left her to her thoughts.
 
His job, as he’d outlined it for himself, was to see to her physical
needs, to make her feel safe and loved, and to watch for signs that the
pressure within was becoming too much.

Rain
was pouring when they arrived in Hertford on Friday evening, and they were both
soaked by the time they made the dash from the cab to the front door.
 
Kendall headed straight for the kitchen,
insisting Peg get out of her wet things while he found them something to
eat.
 
“I moved into the master
bedroom.
 
There should be towels in the
bath.”
 
He watched her trudge up the
stairs with her bag, water dripping from the hem of her skirt.
 

Running
a hand through his wet hair, he glanced at the mail on the hall table and then
made for the kitchen.
 
Mrs. Beatty would
have left enough food for an army, he knew, since he’d warned her he was bringing
a guest for the weekend.
 

By the
time Peg returned, dressed in slacks and sweater with her damp hair spread on a
towel around her shoulders, tea was steeping and he’d laid out a plate of apple
tarts.
 
“We’ll have a snack here and with
any luck the rain will pass and we can go into town for dinner.”
 
He lifted a strand of hair from her
forehead.
 
“Unless
you’d rather stay here?
 
There’s
plenty to eat, if you’d prefer a night in?”

She
took a bite of tart and rolled her eyes before answering.
 
“Um.
 
These are so good.
 
Mrs. Beatty hasn’t lost her touch.
 
A night in, especially if the rain
doesn’t
pass, would be nice.
 
I’d almost forgotten how peaceful it is
here.”

“Then a
night in it is.
 
We can cuddle by the
cold fireplace and listen to the radio like two old homebodies.”

“Sounds
perfect.”
 
She paused, gazing around the kitchen.
 
“Thank you for bringing me here.”

He
cocked his brows in surprise.
 
“Well, I
wasn’t about to leave you on your own in London.”

“That’s
not what I meant, and you know it.
 
This is
such a
home.
 
It’s a good place to just relax and
. .
.
heal
.”
 

“I was
hoping it might be.”

Peg got
to her feet, standing in front of him almost timidly.
 
“What would I do without you?”

“Ah,
now a better question might be what would you do
with
me?”
 
He skimmed his
knuckles along her cheek, gratified by her smile.
 

When
she raised her eyes, they were shining with something close to mischief.
 
“Can we do that sort of thing here?”

“Of
course we can.
 
Where would you like to
start?
 
There’s a nice wide couch in the
study.
 
Or the carpet in the lounge is
quite plush.
 
Of course, there are the
conventional beds upstairs, but where’s the fun in that?”

Peg
laughed, the first honest laughter he’d heard from her in days.
 
Wrapping her arms around his waist, she rose
on tiptoe and brushed her lips across his.
 
“You get to choose the first time.
 
It’s your house, after all.”

“In
that case, I choose the study.
 
Less risk of carpet burn.”
 
He scooped her up in his arms, laughing at her startled squeal.

“Now?”

“Any
reason we should wait?”
 
He stopped in
the doorway, staring down at her sternly.

“No.
 
But I didn’t finish my tea.”

“That’ll
teach you to offer sex to a man on a rainy afternoon, or any afternoon for that
matter.
 
I’ll make more tea later.
 
Right now, we have better things to do.”
 

The
better things lasted until long past dark.
 
Making love to Peg, now that she was more herself than she’d been since
her unexpected arrival, demanded nothing less than his best.
 
He took his time, slowly undressing her before
allowing her to do the same for him.
 
With his entire focus on bringing her to ecstasy, he almost forgot the
small matter of protection, until Peg herself leapt from the couch and raced up
the stairs, treating him to the vision of her body shimmering in the fading
light as she made her slower descent.
 

“Now I
suppose I’ll have to arouse you all over again, won’t I?” she teased, eyeing his
obvious condition with a grin.
 

“Do
what you must, sweetheart.
 
I’m at your
mercy.”
 
Flinging his arms wide, he let
out a groan as she stood over him, tracing a meandering line down his body with
one fingertip.
 

“I like
the sound of that.”
 
When he grabbed her
wrist and pulled her down to his side, she laughed.
 
“Impatient, aren’t we?”

“I
can’t speak for you, but yes, I’m impatient.
 
You’re so beautiful, so desirable and so passionate.
 
But more than that, you’re mine.
 
You give yourself so completely, nothing held
back.
 
How can you
expect me to be patient when I know what’s waiting?”
 
He slid her beneath him, trailing his mouth
downward from her throat.
 

“Kendall?”
she whispered.

“Um?”

“I need
you.
 
I need you now, right this minute.”

He
raised his head, grinning down at her.
 
“Now’s who’s impatient?”

For the
first time since she’d revealed the reason for her flight from New York, Peg
seemed free of the desperation that had driven their lovemaking.
 
Nestled by his side in the halo of light from
a single lamp, he sensed she was not only sated, but more genuinely relaxed and
content than she’d been in days.
 

“Hungry?”
he whispered into her hair.

“Um.
 
Maybe.
 
But eating would mean letting you go, and I’m not ready to do
that.”
 
She wrapped herself closer,
pressing her lips to his shoulder.
 
“Have
I ever told you how wonderful you make me feel?”

“Not
in so many words, I don’t believe so.”

“Well,
that was a serious oversight.”

He
waited, until her breathing began to slow toward sleep.
 
“Hey, don’t leave me hanging.
 
Aren’t you going to tell me now?”

“Oh,
you mean you really want to know?”

“Of
course.
 
A man likes to hear of his accomplishments.
 
The old ego needs all the stroking it can
get.”

She
seemed to be gathering her thoughts, as she dragged her hand across his chest
in lazy circles.
 
“You make me feel
treasured.
 
As if I’m the thing you value
most.
 
I feel as though your whole being,
body, mind and soul, is focused just on me.”
 
Lifting her head, she studied his face for a long moment.
 
“I know people think I’m spoiled.
 
I’ve always gotten anything I wanted, just by
asking.
 
But you gave me something I
didn’t know how to ask for.
 
That first
time in New York, when you made love to me in the nursery, you showed me something
I never dreamed someone like me could have.”