Who Brings Forth the Wind (Kensington Chronicles) (31 page)

Her hands were balled so tightly in front of her that they were

white. She was trembling from head to foot, her face flushed

with rage.

"You'll not take my son. He needs me, and I won't let you

take him. I won't go with you. You can't make me. You'll not

take my son from me." Her voice was furious and desperate,

and in just a few strides Tanner covered the distance between B them, his own anger completely gone, replaced by something

he could not define.

"Stacy," he spoke with more calm than he felt, his hands

grasping her upper arms. "I won't take the boy."

"No, you won't!" Stacy was still beside herself.

"I won't separate you from your son."

"I won't let you. I won't let you hurt him."

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"I won't hurt the boy or take him from you."

Stacy stopped long enough to listen to him and study r

eyes. She went on, still boldly, but her tone was calming.

"Promise me, Tanner. Promise you'll not take him fr

me."

"I promise, Stacy." He gave her a little shake to make sun

she was listening. "He can come with you to Winslow, and I'l

not hurt him."

Stacy took a deep breath and tried to relax and believed

him. Tanner felt her nearly violent trembling under his hands,

and grew angry at himself for wanting to enfold her in nisi

arms. He had thought it would be such a pleasure to hurt her as

she'd hurt him, but it was not turning out that way at all.

With another abrupt movement, he dropped his hands

and turned away. "You and the boy will be ready to leave in

two hours."

Stacy's hand flew to her mouth.

"Tanner." Her voice was now fearful and subdued.

"What?" He turned back with his hand on the door, his

brow lowered menacingly,

"I'm not certain I can leave just now."

"Are you telling me no, Anastasia?" His voice was so low

and angry that Stacy could barely force the words from her

throat.

"No, it's just that I need to tell Roddy and Lucinda goodbye

and explain where I'm going. They're not here right now."

Tanner seemed to consider the idea. "When will they

return?"

"Not for several hours."

Again Tanner paused. "A coach will be here at 8:00 tomorrow

morning. Be ready, Stacy. I don't want to have to tell you

again."

He didn't wait for an answer this time, and since Stacy's

legs gave out as soon the door closed, she was glad the chair

was directly behind her.

"He terrifies me just as he always has," Stacy said out loud

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rthe Lord "I haven't changed at all. I was going to be so

)ng, Lord, and I was terrified."

Defeat washed over Stacy as she prayed and tried to calm

self. She had asked God to open a door, but she never

imed it would be like this. This door had brought the north

rind As Stacy quieted, God reminded her of His sovereignty,

mer's arrival was no mistake. This was the door God in-;nded,

cold wind and all. Believing that, Stacy would meet

ic challenges beyond that door with hope.

She sat for only a moment longer until she realized how

jmuch work needed to be done. She gathered both Hettie and

$Rayna in order to explain the situation. Hettie was to travel

with her, but not knowing what Tanner would want, Stacy did

not feel at liberty to ask Rayna to accompany them. Both

women were clearly disapproving of the move to Winslow, but

Stacy, needing both of them to pack for her and Drew, ignored

their looks. Her husband wanted her back. She had no illusions

of paradise, but at least Tanner wanted her at Winslow.

Tanner suddenly found himself with nothing to do. For

over an hour he paced the study floor at his town house. He

would not leave London until he was certain that Stacy was on

her way to Winslow. He now wished he'd forced her to leave

on the spot so he could get on with his life. He was a fool for

letting her change his mind.

The smell of her skin and bath oil suddenly assailed his

senses, and Tanner looked down at his hands. She had felt as

wonderful as ever. Her eyes, so huge and blue, had been just as

he remembered--with a mixture of wonder and innocence.

Not wanting to dwell on this, he forced his mind to move on.

Her reaction to a comment he hadn't meant scared him.

He'd never seen her that way. He'd heard that motherhood

could do that to a woman the way nothing else could, but he

had not been prepared for her response.

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"She must have loved the boy's father," Tanner ht ^

himself say out loud and stood still as rage and agony ripped-through

him. He knew then that he would have to be very

careful. The last thing he wanted was another's man child

beneath his roof, but if that's what he had to put up with to

have Stacy, he would do it. He had seen her, and that was all it had taken to make him admit to the truth, infuriating as it was.

He wanted Stacy. Right now nothing else mattered.

x*^^^4 f

Q/w^oAm

a

the next morning LuciNDA stood still and forced her

hands to her sides. The sight of Drew coming down the stairs

with his train and bear was enough to make her wring her

hands.

She had come home the day before from a marvelous but

tiring day with Roddy, only to be met with Stacy's news.

Lucinda cried herself dry before falling into an exhausted

sleep. She woke early, before 6:00, knowing that Stacy would

be up and readying herself to go. And now, even though it was

just a little before 8:00, she felt utterly drained

Stacy had shared about her faith in God, but Lucinda was

too angry to trust. What kind of God took a person's family

away? She had been planning to visit her brother that very

summer, but God had taken him in the spring. Lucinda would

never have admitted to herself that her own selfish lifestyle

had kept her from visiting Andrew more regularly.

Now Drew and Stacy were leaving, and after just a few days

too, making Lucinda more bitter than ever. They needed her,

she was certain of that. And she needed them.

Roddy stood beside her while all of this ran through

Luanda's mind. He shared Lucinda's grief, but he would not

say anything that would stand in the way of Stacy's happiness.

Lucinda was quite certain that Tanner would not do right by

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I

his son, but Roddy believed differently. Just as he'd known that

Tanner would once again be taken with his wife--after all,

he'd ordered her to Winslow just moments after he arrived-- Roddy also believed that one look at his son and Tanner's

heart would be lost.

"Well, we're ready," Stacy said as she finally gained the

foyer. "Thank you for everything, Roddy and Lucinda. I don't

know when we'll be back to London, but I hope you'll come

and see us."

"No one can keep us away," Lucinda stated as she put her

arms around Stacy. Each knew that her no one referred to

Tanner.

"Goodbye, my precious." Lucinda's voice wavered as she

hugged Drew, and she didn't tarry long with her embrace.

Lucinda stood at the door with her sodden handkerchief,

but Roddy scooped Drew up in his arms and walked them

down to the carriage. Hettie climbed aboard with a sour

comment about her old bones, and Stacy turned to her dear

friend

"Will Lucinda be all right?"

"I think so. It might take some time, and we will need to

visit or she'll be miserable."

"Please do, Roddy. I don't want to fight with my husband,

but if Tanner isn't going to let me see my family, I won't stay."

Stacy paused and then looked chagrined. "Of course, I say that

now, but the minute he looks at me I'll shake."

Roddy smiled at her words. "You'll do fine, and we will

come to visit even if we have to charge the castle gate."

"What castle?"

Stacy looked stunned. At times it was so easy to forget that

Drew was present and taking in every word

Roddy kissed the little boy's cheek and handed him over

to his mother. Stacy passed him in to Hettie and then turned

to embrace Roddy. They didn't say another word to each other,

but Stacy waved from the window as soon as she was inside.

She couldn't be certain, but it looked as if Roddy's eyes were

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T

J wet. Stacy smiled into his eyes as the carriage moved away to

tucinda's cries of goodbye and I love you.

Stacy had completely forgotten how long the ride to Winsow

could be. The carriage stuck in the mud on two occasions,

and each time it took considerable maneuvering to get them

moving again. These interludes were a delight to Drew, who

.was rather bored with the bumpy ride and had nothing to play

with save his train and bear.

Stacy wouldn't have minded the ride so much, except that

she'd been under the impression that Tanner would be with

them. When he hadn't been with the coach that morning at

8:00, Stacy thought they would be meeting him. Now they were

only about 45 minutes from Winslow, and there had been no

sign. Stacy decided to sit back and not worry about it.

Just short of an hour later, Winslow came into view. Not

even Hettie could find a negative word for its grandiose

beauty. Stacy's chest heaved with pleasure at the sight of it. She

had truly loved their home.

Let this be a beginning, Father. I don't know why Tanner

came ahead of us, but let this be a time of repair for this

damaged marriage. Help Tanner put his pride away and

accept Drew so we can be a real family.

"Mumma."

"Yes, dear."

"I'm hungry."

"All right, darling. We'll be inside in just a moment."

And indeed they were, but it was not the warm welcome

Stacy had expected. It was Jeffrey and not Tanner who was at

the door to meet them, and his manner was even more frigid

than Stacy had remembered.

"Hello, Jeffrey. Is Lord Richardson here?"

"No, he is not."

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"Oh." Stacy was starting to feel alarmed "Is he out riding?"

"No." Joffrey's voice clearly said it was none of her business,

but he still explained "Lord Richardson is still in London.

When he plans to return I do not know. I did receive word that

you were coming, but since his lordship is not here, maybe

you should return to London."

"My orders were to bring her ladyship here," a gruff voice

spoke up from behind Stacy. It was the grouchy old carriage

driver, Stacy smiled at him gratefully, but he didn't return the

smile.

He had not come inside for Lady Stacy, but for himself. He

was tired and nothing could make him drive all the way back

to London right now. Knowing Joffrey as he did, he'd come

inside just to make certain that the self-seeking head of staff