Wings of a Dove (55 page)

    He assessed James through narrowed eyes. Case hadn't changed very much. There were new lines in his face and his clothes were a bit seedier now, but his self-righteous judgmental attitude was still apparent and still managed to get Delaney's back up. But whatever his personal feelings about James, he knew the fellow's feeling for Allie had never been in question. There was no denying Case's concern or his right to be in Delaney's home but that did not mean he had to like it.

    Dispensing with the amenities, Delaney said concisely, "Allie's upstairs."

    Fully aware that he had not invited James to follow, Delaney turned and started up the staircase. A muscle ticked in his cheek at the sound of James's step behind him. Waiting on the upper landing, Delaney turned, unsmiling.

    "There are some things you should know before you go into Allie's room. The first is that Allie has a severe concussion and Dr. Willis feels she shouldn't be moved. Her other injuries aren't serious but they're painful and they compound the dangers of her concussion, as do any agitations she might suffer. The only treatment the doctor has prescribed is rest and quiet." Delaney's frown tightened. "There's no love lost between us, Case. There never has been, but whatever you think of me, or whatever your    objections to Allie's presence in my house, you'll do well to keep your thoughts to yourself for her sake. If you doubt the truth of anything I'm telling you, you can speak to Dr. Willis yourself when he arrives. Until then, you have no choice but to accept what I say and conduct yourself accordingly."

    James remained silent, his face flushing with resentment. Experiencing a heightening of his dislike for the man, Delaney took a firm hold on his control at Case's intentionally noncommittal response.

    "Which room is Allie in?"

    Bastard.

    Delaney took the few steps to Allie's door and rapped lightly. At a soft response, he pushed the door open.

    "Papa!"

    Margaret's joyful exclamation echoed in the silent room as she limped past Delaney and threw herself into her father's arms. Delaney saw Allie's face whiten. Concerned, he went immediately to her side.

    "Are you all right, Allie?"

    "
Yyes
." But Allie was breathing unevenly, and had obvious trouble with her simple response.

    "Mama, Papa's here! Now everything is going to be all right."

    The happiness in Margaret's voice cutting deeper than he cared to admit, Delaney turned as the child pulled her father toward the bed. The silence while James stood motionless at Allie's bedside was broken by his low voice murmuring her name as he crouched beside her and drew her into his arms.

    A familiar pain stirred anew inside Delaney, cutting deep into his heart as Allie closed her eyes and slid her arm around James. With supreme strength of will, Delaney turned and walked out into the hallway and pulled the door closed behind him.

    Delaney disappeared through the doorway as Allie looked up into James's emotion-filled face. She saw the love there. She had felt it in his kiss, still warm on her lips, and heard it in his voice. Myriad emotions assailed her, confusing her. In the few moments James and Delaney had stood side by side in the doorway, she had sensed the tension between them, and a familiar despair returned.

    "I'm sorry, James. I don't know how this all happened. There was an accident, and when I woke up, Delaney was there. Margaret said I was pinned by some wreckage, and when she went to find help, he was the first person she saw. She led him back to help me, but"

    "I wish I never saw him. I hate him, Papa."

    "Margaret!"

    Ignoring her mother's gasped reaction to her impassioned statement, Margaret continued with a heated fervor, "And he hates me, I know he does. You're going to take us away from here, aren't you, Papa? I don't want to stay here anymore. I want to go home with you."

    The irony in James's glance was almost more than she could bear, and Allie turned toward her daughter's flushed face.

    "Margaret, your father's tired and hot. Why don't you go down to the kitchen and bring him back something cool to drink?"

    "Mama, I want to stay here."

    "I
am
thirsty, Margaret"James's soft interjection turned Margaret toward him “and your mother and I need a few minutes to decide what's best for all of us. Do as your mother asks, like a good girl."

    Accustomed as she was to obedience, Margaret moved reluctantly, halting at the doorway. "I'll be back in a little while, Papa, and when Mama has to rest again, you can come to my room."

    James's smile touched Allie's heart. "That'll be just fine, dear."

    Waiting only until Margaret had cleared the doorway, James turned back to Allie. There was only a moment's hesitation before his mouth found hers in an unrestrained kiss and Allie closed her eyes to its deepening warmth. His hands cupping her cheeks, James kissed her again, more passionately, his breathing ragged as he drew back with a low murmur of apology.

    "I love you, Allie. When the wire came and I read you were injured, I was never so frightened in my life." James touched the bandage on her forehead lightly. "This is all my fault. I never should have let you and Margaret travel alone."

    "It was no one's fault, James. We didn't have a choice. It's just that the situation is so complicated now."

    The sound of a step at the doorway interrupted Allie's statement and made James turn toward Dr. Willis's stooped figure as he entered the room. The doctor approached the bed, Delaney a few steps behind him, and extended his hand in greeting.

    "My name is Dr. Willis, Mr. Case. I've been treating your wife. It's my guess you'd like to know more about her condition."

    James shook Dr. Willis's hand as the older man continued. "Your wife's condition has improved considerably since she first arrived in this house. I must say I credit Mr. Marsh's quick action with saving her life. By the time she arrived here, she was suffering serious reaction to the trauma. Had she remained at the site of the wreck unattended for any period of time, she might not have survived."

    James's face whitened, and Dr. Willis patted his arm consolingly. "You needn't worry about that now, Mr. Case. That's all in the past."

    "I want to take her home."

    Dr. Willis shook his head. "I wouldn't advise it at present."

    "But"

    "Mr. Case, your wife's concussion is improving, but she's not entirely stable. She still has moments of disorientation, dizziness lapses and her strength is only gradually returning. That should be apparent to you. What you cannot so readily see is that she is severely bruised, has a broken ankle, a traumatized shoulder all injuries, that while they are more painful than dangerous, contribute to the seriousness of her condition."

    "What are you trying to tell me, Doctor?"

    Dr. Willis smiled at James's confusion. "I'm sorry, Mr. Case. I've said too much too fast. Suffice it to say that Mrs. Case cannot be moved at the present time."

    James's sharp glance in Delaney's direction did not go unnoticed by Allie.

    "When do you think I'll be able to take her home?"

    "Mr. Case, I realize you're anxious to get your wife back to the safety of your own home, but it's impossible to answer you precisely. A few weeks, perhaps a month, maybe more."

    "My wife can't stay here that long!"

    Dr. Willis darted a confused glance at Delaney and then at

    James, seeming to notice for the first time the tension between them.

    "It would be inadvisable for Mrs. Case to travel at this time, even as far as a few city blocks. Mr. Marsh has agreed to oversee her care. He has also asked me to contact Dr. Lindstrom for a consultation regarding Margaret's hip."

    James's response was immediate. "He has no right to act in Allie's or Margaret's behalf!"

    Looking toward Allie with concern, Dr. Willis shook his head. "It won't do to upset your wife, Mr. Case."

    Realizing for the first time that she was trembling, Allie attempted a smile. "I'm all right. I'm tired, that's all."

    Dr. Willis touched Allie's cheek lightly. "Yes, I suppose you are. We'll continue this discussion outside, shall we, gentlemen?"

    Allie shook her head. "No, please, I'm fine."

    Dr. Willis squeezed her hand lightly. "My dear lady, you may rest assured this dispute will be settled expeditiously because I will counsel these two foolish fellows who are both so concerned about your welfare that they risk your health in debating the best way to care for you."

    "I haven't said a word, Doctor." Speaking for the first time, Delaney held Allie's gaze as she glanced toward him. "I'm satisfied to follow your advice as to what's best for Allie."

    James's sharp glance caused Dr. Willis to take a quick step between the two men.

    "Outside, please, gentlemen. I'll be finished here in a few minutes, and then I'll join you."

    When the two men had disappeared through the doorway, Allie turned toward Dr. Willis as he picked up a pitcher and filled a glass with water. He shook the contents of a medicine packet into the glass. Her heart pounding so rapidly that she had difficulty catching her breath, Allie attempted to ignore the growing pain in her temple.

    "Dr. Willis, I would like to leave here as soon as possible."

    "All in good time, dear." His voice gaining a firmness she had not heard before, Dr. Willis raised Allie gently on his arm. "Drink this. It'll calm you and allow you to rest."

    "But, Doctor"

    "Drink."    

    Realizing she had little choice, Allie emptied the glass, her gaze fixed on Dr. Willis's sober expression as he lowered her against the pillow and ordered softly, "Now go to sleep."

    Allie closed her eyes, her hand unconsciously seeking the comfort of the medal beneath her sleeping garment as the sedative began taking effect. The throbbing pain in her head and images of tense, angry faces vied with a slowly encroaching stillness. She saw a familiar outline in that silence. It was the Lady's face. She saw her smile as a voice crept into the darkness that was overwhelming her.

    "Downstairs, gentlemen. We have some things we must discuss."

    The sun was past its zenith when Dr. Willis walked out of the house at last. The front door clicked closed behind him and he released an exhausted sigh as he started down the steps. The unexpected animosity between Delaney Marsh and James Case had made matters extremely difficult.

    Shaking his head as he turned toward his home a few houses down the street, Dr. Willis was grateful that he did not have far to walk. The antipathy between the two men had gone unexpressed, but its presence was almost physical, inhibiting their power to reason. The only common ground between them appeared to be their mutual concern for the lovely Mrs. Case. That concern had finally convinced Mr. Case to entrust his wife to Delaney Marsh's care and to abandon his plan to take her with him when he returned home in a few days.

    Pushing open the gate in front of his residence, Dr. Willis climbed the steps to his front door. A pensive expression on his lined face, he shook his head. After all these years, the vagaries of the human spirit still continued to amaze him. One clear but unspoken fact had emerged from the discussion that had just ended. Both of those men loved that woman.

    It was unfortunate, but only one of them could have her.

    Delaney glanced at the clock in the foyer, then opened the front door and looked out into the street. His attention drawn by the hack pulling to a halt in front of the house, he paid little attention to the bright sunlight which etched a lacy pattern on the sidewalk and responded with absentminded courtesy to a

    strolling couple's greeting. Signaling the driver of the hack to wait, he started up the staircase to the second floor, his brow knitting in a frown as snatches of a soft conversation from Allie's room met his ear.

    He strode toward the voices, aware that this was the first time in the several days since James's arrival that he had not deliberately avoided the room while James was present. Pausing in the doorway, Delaney said, "The hack has arrived."

    "I'll be there in a minute."

    His gaze on Allie's pale face, Delaney gave a perfunctory nod to James. He didn't like the way Allie looked. Miss Hatcher said Allie hadn't rested well or slept through the night since James arrived, and it was for that reason as much as his own desire to have James out of the house that he was glad James had to return to the farm. The situation was too much of a strain for Allie in her weakened state. Once Case was gone, Allie and he would be able to assume a comfortable relationship that would not impede her recovery.

    At present he could not and would not think any farther than that.

    Looking toward Margaret, who sat at her mother's side, Delaney saw open dislike in the child's eyes as she returned his glance. The girl looked like Allie, but she was obviously her father's daughter. She was not about to let him forget it.

    Turning on his heel, Delaney left the room. In a few minutes his patience would be rewarded and James would leave. It could not be soon enough.