Wild Passion (6 page)

He merely stood there, staring at her. Adelaide
wasn’t sure if she wanted to laugh or cry. “Father, you must go,
now! Before they arrive.”

He nodded quick jerky movements of his head. He might
not understand what she asked of him, but he understood the
direness of the situation. “God be with you,” he whispered.

The young man spun around in a flurry of robes and
raced down the aisle, disappearing into a corridor. The sound of
his footsteps faded. Silence settled. She was alone once more.

Adelaide started forward, her leg’s trembling. She
must escape before… a shiver of unease made her blood cold. She’d
heard no footsteps, but she knew someone was there and it wasn’t
the Father returning.

“Where do you think you’re going?” a man asked, a
familiar voice. A voice she’d heard only once before but the sound
had been implanted in her memory. Lord Emery.

Adelaide resisted the urge to shiver. Slowly, she
turned. He looked as elegant and well-dressed as he had at the
ball. And those eyes…yes, those eyes were still just as cold. “Lord
Emery.” She realized, with some relief, that he had come alone.
Perhaps she could outwit this man. Perhaps she could play dumb. And
if that didn’t work, there was always running.

“Where is it?” he demanded.

She knew what he wanted. Had James told him she had
the statue? She felt the sting of the man’s betrayal like a knife
to her chest. “I don’t know.”

He released a humorless chuckle. “You don’t know? Why
do I find that hard to believe?”

Suddenly Adelaide slammed back against a pew. The
edge dug into her back, the pain almost unbearable.

“So damn stupid, just like your father.”

“How would you know my father?’ she hissed, her
muscles flexing, but her limbs wouldn’t budge. Why couldn’t she
move?

He smirked, strolling toward her. “We shared parents.
He was my brother.” He shook his head. “We had abilities… abilities
that we could have used to our benefit. But he refused, mad about
his treasure hunting. Insane bastard.”

The entire room spun. She heard his words, yet
couldn’t seem to understand. This man was her uncle. This man had
abilities… some sort of perverse ability to control her body.

He turned, facing her. “Listen and listen well.
Return the statue or you die.”

Adelaide couldn’t breathe. He was her uncle, surely
that should have counted for something. But she knew in this greedy
world, with this statue that men fought over, her own uncle would
kill her. “It’s gone.”

Her entire body lifted, hovering over the stone
floor. Adelaide gasped, but she could do nothing. Suddenly she was
flung backward by unseen hands. She landed to the hard, stone
floor, unable to hold her arms forward to take the impact of the
landing. Her skull bounced against the stone, pain shooting down
her neck and back. She bit her lip to keep from crying out, but she
couldn’t stop the tears from forming in her eyes. Pinned to the
ground, useless, unable to move her arms or legs. From far away,
someone screamed, but her uncle didn’t mind that there were
witnesses.

He knelt before her, and smiled. “Helpless.”

“Maybe for now,” she whispered. “But I have a power
you don’t.”

He narrowed his eyes. “I know all about your powers,
Dear. Why do you think I’ve hunted you down? I’ve been doing my
best to find all of my nephews and nieces. So tell me, what is my
future?”

“I know you’re going to try to kill me. I also know
you’re going to die in the process.” She was lying. She hadn’t a
clue what would happen, but he didn’t need to know that.

“You think to frighten me?” He laughed, looking
thoroughly amused. “Well then, if it’s going to happen, we should
start the process, shall we?” His hands were at her neck, cold
fingers pressing down on her throat. The face that hovered over
hers was hard, those blue eyes lacking a soul. The air was cut from
her body. Stars danced along the edges of her sight, her lungs
burned, her throat aching. In her mind she clawed at his hands,
kicked at him. In reality, she did nothing. Adelaide tore her gaze
from him and focused on the stained glass. The blues and purples in
the window blurred together.

The light faded. She closed her eyes, attempted to
see her future, but she could see nothing.

The world went quiet. The pain faded. Adelaide
floated in nothingness.

“Adelaide?”

Someone called her name. He sounded so far away,
barely audible.

“Adelaide, come back.”

But she didn’t want to return. Returning would mean
pain, fear. Warmth surrounded her, giving form to her body once
more. She must return, she had no choice. Wrapped in a cocoon of
heat and safety, she suddenly found herself rushing through
air…through time. Through the darkness, a pinpoint of light was
coming closer…closer…

She slammed into something hard. Adelaide’s lashes
lifted. Cold air entered her lungs, too much, too soon. She gasped,
so startled she bolted upright. Concerned faces wavered around her.
Bea, the woman she’d met in India. Her brother’s wife. Then Colin
was there, her brother, a man she knew she’d see again, but hadn’t
realized it would be now, saving her life.

“Do you remember me?” Colin asked, his golden hair
like a halo around his handsome face. A veritable angel come to
save her soul.

Her hands went to her throat. The skin didn’t ache.
Apparently she wasn’t dead. “What…what happened?” she asked.

“Thank God,” Bea whispered, her amber eyes swimming
with tears.

Colin looked at Bea. “Take care of her.” He jumped to
his feet and turned. That’s when she saw James on the ground,
hunching over her uncle. Emery was still, his eyes closed, but that
didn’t stop James from slamming his fist into the man’s face.

Colin settled his hand on James’ shoulder. “It’s
over.”

But James didn’t pay attention, he lifted his arm and
slammed his fist into Emery’s face again and again. The man’s nose
was bent at an odd angle, blood trailing from his mouth and pooling
to the floor. His eyes closed, his body limp. Horrified, Adelaide
gasped. James couldn’t kill a man, at least not in a church! What
little soul he had would be destroyed. Adelaide stumbled toward
him.

“James! Stop!” She dropped to her knees, resting her
hand on his trembling shoulder.

James froze and jerked his head toward her. His gaze
was haunted, his breathing harsh. He wasn’t that confident,
smirking man she had come to know. The look on his face did
something to her, warmed her insides in a bizarre way she’d never
experienced.

“I thought…I thought he had killed you.”

Adelaide smiled. Happiness and relief combined,
sending tears to her eyes. He cared. “No. I’m quite alive.”

He surged forward, wrapping his steel arms around her
and holding her tight. So tight, she could barely breathe. Yet, she
didn’t push him away. She didn’t care that she hardly knew this
man. She didn’t care that touching him was completely
inappropriate. For one moment she snuggled into his hard chest,
reveling in the comfort of his scent. She wanted to sink into
James. She wanted him to hold her close, and never release her.

“Don’t cry,” he whispered, pressing his lips to hers.
She breathed in his scent, felt every inch of his body, felt the
very heat of his form. “He’ll never hurt you again.”

And she believed him.

“James, Adelaide,” Bea said softly. “We must go.”

Colin gripped Adelaide’s arm and pulled her away from
James. She had to resist the urge to reach for the man. She felt
empty, alone without him.

“We must leave before the constables find us.”

Adelaide and James stood staring at each other for
one long moment. Even when a door opened and they heard the shout
of a priest, horrified by what he saw, still they stood there,
unable to move for the emotion that held them captive.

“I…can’t,” James said softly.

She knew, somehow, knew he was going to say that. It
didn’t make his words any less hurtful. He was leaving her.
Abandoning her. She shouldn’t have been surprised.
Merde,
she felt like her heart had broken and crumbled to the floor.

“It’s best,” he insisted. “If we split up. His
friends will be looking for me and I won’t endanger you any longer.
Colin can protect you.”

Perhaps what he said was true. Or, perhaps he was
like her father and more interested in chasing after treasure than
knowing real love. How would she ever truly know?

She turned away from James. “Let’s go,” she whispered
to Colin.

She started forward, toward the large doors. A warm,
strong hand gripped her wrist and jerked her around. Firm lips met
hers. James kissed her there in the church, in front of her
brother, the priest running down the aisle, in front of God. Not
just a kiss, a thorough kiss that left her clinging to the man.

When he pulled back, there was a fierce determination
upon his face that sent shivers over her skin. “I will find
you.”

James let go, but the heat of his touch remained.
Before she could respond, he turned and disappeared behind a
column, leaving Adelaide to wonder if she would ever see him
again.

“How is your mother, dear?”

Adelaide folded the note and glanced up at Ella. Her
half-sister’s blonde hair was combed neatly into place, a smile
upon her lips. The perfect English lady. The mauve dress she wore
brought out the flush of happiness in Ella’s cheeks, while Adelaide
knew
she
looked pale and forlorn.

She’d liked the friendly woman the moment she’d
stepped on English soil and they’d met for the first time. They
didn’t exactly look alike, unless one looked into their eyes. All
the Finch children had blue eyes… eyes the color of the deepest
ocean. Eyes that hinted of something mysterious…something
otherworldly. Magic.

Adelaide smiled back, but her face felt brittle, her
body heavy. “Well, she’s well.”

Why was it when everyone else seemed happy, she felt
so melancholy?
Maman
was thriving in London; shopping, going
to tea with important woman, reveling in her new-found status. Leo,
Ella’s husband, was an Earl. Because he was important, if a tad
wild looking with his overly long hair, he had been able to
introduce her mother to important people. Leo and Ella were so
happy it almost hurt to look at them together.
Maman
was
finally happy. Colin and Bea were happy, Colin having made a
fortune somewhere in Africa and in the throes of early marriage.
Yet, she could barely seem to smile.

Adelaide glanced over her shoulder where Bea and
Colin snuggled on the settee and Leo stood near the fireplace. The
small group was deep in discussion, laughing and comfortable with
each other in only the way a family could. Would she ever feel so
comfortable with them?

Ella reached out, resting a delicate hand on
Adelaide’s shoulder. “You are well, aren’t you? You like it
here?”

Her sister’s obvious concern for her welfare warmed
Adelaide. “Of course. Yes.”

She’d been in England for months, getting to know her
new relatives. Yet, instead of feeling complete now that she had a
family, she felt restless. She hated not knowing her own future.
Hated sitting and wondering if she’d ever see James again.
Wondering, since he was English, if perhaps he’d visit his family
here and she’d happen upon him. And she hated herself for
caring.

Ella took her hand, her blue eyes twinkling. “I’m so
happy to have a sister. I’ve always wanted one.”

“Me, as well.”

It wasn’t a lie, she was so tired of being alone. But
Adelaide feared she may never meet her new family’s expectations.
She loved them, truly she did, but for so many years she’d been
alone, having to answer to no one. Ignoring society’s rules. She
didn’t want to sit in a drawing room all day and do watercolors or
gossip. She wanted to
be.
To feel. To see the world.

Ella and Bea had lived a full life already at their
young age. They were content now. Their dreams were fulfilled and
she knew they would only grow more content, happier, with age. For
she could see the future and she knew, when she took Ella’s hand,
that her sister would have five children. Ella and Leo would live a
happy life here, on their estate, surrounded by love and
family.

She knew when she took Colin’s hand that he would
have his first child soon. She knew that Colin and Bea would build
a home only a short distance from here and their children would
grow up together. Unfortunately, she couldn’t see where she would
fit into this tight knit group. The thought of being the spinster
aunt that everyone would feel sorry for sickened her. She was a
strong woman. She had lived her own life, made her own
decisions.

“My Lady,” a nursemaid entered the room, a bundled
golden-haired child in her arms. Ella quickly left Adelaide’s side
and scooped up the child, pressing kisses to her round face. From
the settee Leo smiled with such love that it actually hurt Adelaide
to witness their affection and know she would never have such a
marriage. She tore her gaze away and stared out the large floor to
ceiling windows. Sun shone brightly on a wildflower garden. She
knew her new family cared for her, but she wanted more. Needed
more.

Damn James and his promises to return! He’d left her
with a hope he never should have.

Feeling the sting of tears, Adelaide surged to her
feet. She couldn’t let her family see her cry. They’d think they’d
done something wrong and they’d only been so very kind. Before
anyone could call out to her, she stepped through the open doors
that led onto a flagstone patio. The air was warm, winter giving
way to spring. It had been six long months since she’d seen James.
Did he even think of her as she thought of him? Did he even
remember what she looked like? Or had he already moved onto another
woman, another treasure? Her hurried steps took her down the
shallow stairs and past a patch of daffodils, their fragrant scent
filling the air.