8
It was late afternoon, almost evening, by the time she got home, and the sun had already set. She climbed the stairs to the bedroom, eager to wash the stench of alcohol from her body. After her father had spilled the foul liquid on her dress and feet, he’d proceeded to touch her more than he had ever done in her life, leaving in his wake the foul odor of day-old liquor. Week-old, perhaps.
No doubt she smelled of the streets.
Upon entering their bedroom, she found Derrick sitting and staring at the door with a dark scowl across his face. His eyes landed on her, and he immediately stood.
“I’m trying hard not to yell at you right now. I’m very angry, but I do not want to frighten you. You’ve spent too much of your life being afraid.”
She said nothing, simply stood there.
“Where the hell have you been?” His words came out in tight clips, squeezed between his teeth.
“First tell me why you are angry,” she cautiously answered.
“Because I asked you to stay here. And if you had to leave the house, only to go and visit Poppy. Well, I know you weren’t there, because I checked myself. Where were you, Claudia?”
“I went to see my father. He sent letters while we were away, begging me to come home. He said he was ill, that he needed me.”
“Was he ill?”
“Not precisely. Inebriated is more the term, I believe.” She pulled her gloves off, then began unpinning her hat.
“I see.” He took three deep breaths before he continued. “And what did you discuss?”
She didn’t want to lie to him, yet she didn’t want to tell him that her father suspected him of Richard’s murder. She didn’t see any reason to fuel their hatred of each other. “He’s still not accepted our marriage. He asked me to come home.” She placed her hat on her dressing table and the pins in the crystal bowl.
He laughed a humorless laugh. “And what did you tell him?”
She turned to face him. “I told him no. That I was your wife, and I belonged with you.”
He nodded, clearly approving her response. “Did he have anything else to say?”
“Only that he missed me and needed me. Which is odd, considering he’s never been an affectionate man. I assume it was the drink that made him act so peculiar. I had a bath drawn for him and instructed the staff to make him eat and rest. I will check on him tomorrow.”
“No.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“I said no. I don’t trust the man. I don’t believe he has your best interests at heart, and I can’t help but think, with his new attitude toward you, he has an ulterior plan.”
“So it is unfathomable that he might have realized he loves me and needs me after I left his life?”
“That’s not what I said. Nor what I meant.” He led her to the chair and brought her down on his lap once he sat. “I don’t want you harmed.”
“He would never hurt me.”
“You know that for certain? Has he ever struck you?” He began removing the hairpins that secured her coiffure.
“No.”
“What about your mother?”
“Not that she ever admitted, but I was always suspicious.”
“If a man can strike one woman, he can strike another. Drinking can bring out the worst in a person.”
Her hair fell about her shoulders in a wave. Not having her hair tightly bound to her head relieved a throbbing pressure she hadn’t noticed before. “I suppose that makes sense. Well, then what do you propose I do? I cannot very well desert him. He was in the worst shape I’ve ever seen him.”
Derrick’s fingertips rubbed her aching scalp. “I don’t care for your father, we’ve established that, but I know you will hate me if I ask you to walk away from him. In the future I will accompany you to see him.”
“That will not work.”
“Why not?”
“Because he will not allow you in his house. Told me so this afternoon.”
“Bloody hell he won’t. Either he will see both of us, or he will not see you. That’s the rule.”
“Derrick, he’s my father. How can you be so unreasonable?”
“I’m not being unreasonable. I’m being cautious. I need for you to trust me on this. I’m not trying to imprison you. I want to investigate all possible avenues regarding Richard’s death.”
“And you think my father is a potential avenue?”
“I’m simply not ruling him out. Your father and Richard were more than acquaintances. Arguments happen.”
“Well, I’ll have you know he said the same thing about you this afternoon. It’s so nice to be caught between my husband and father while they toss ludicrous accusations at each other, as if their words have no consequences. Neither of you acknowledges that my heart is in the middle of your childish dispute.”
“He suggested to you that I killed Richard?”
“Yes.”
“What did you tell him?”
“That you were with me the entire time. That it was probably a burglary.”
“I’m only being cautious.” He turned her chin so that their eyes met. “I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
His hand rubbed against her back, soothing her doubts. Derrick cared about her. He might not be in love with her, but he cared about her, was concerned for her safety. That’s why he’d been angry. That’s why he was suspicious of her father. It didn’t make her feel any better about the latter, but she understood.
* * *
Today when he’d come home and she’d been gone, he’d thought the worst. It had terrified him. He’d gone to Poppy’s to try to find her, only to be told Poppy hadn’t heard from Claudia all day. He should have known she’d go to see her father. Derrick could have gone to check for himself, but he’d wanted to know if she would come back.
She had come home. And she’d been honest with him. He pulled her tighter to him, loving the crush of her body next to his and the smell of her hair as it tickled his nose. He loved the gentle curve of her neck and her big, amazing eyes that nearly made him forget everything else around him. He loved her excited chatter and the passion she saved for only him. He loved her ridiculous hats and the way she bit down on her lip to concentrate. He loved ... everything about her.
He loved her.
The thought hit him so hard he nearly fell over. His heart raced, and he had to bite his tongue to keep from saying it aloud.
He’d thought he’d loved Julia, but now he saw how limited those feelings had been. With Julia he’d been giddy and starry-eyed and so hopeful for the future. But with Claudia, the feelings had snuck up on him. She’d silently wormed her way into his heart, into his very soul, and the feelings ran much deeper and stronger than the foolish infatuation he’d had for his first bride.
Claudia was different from Julia, and their marriage was different. But still, a man stood between Derrick and his wife.
Which was why he couldn’t tell Claudia about his feelings now. Not until he knew the truth about her father. Not until he was able to tell her everything about his past. But he could show her. He took her mouth and kissed her passionately, releasing all the worry he’d felt all day.
She put her arms around his neck and kissed him back. He brought them both to a standing position, and his fingers worked the buttons of her dress, trying to get her undressed as quickly as he could. Finally he was able to free her, and the dress pooled at her feet. They made it to the bed between kisses and the removal of their clothes.
Tonight there wouldn’t be slow, patient love- making. Tonight it would be hot and hard and hurried. Her hands were all over him, driving him mad with desire.
They were both so ready by the time he entered her that it took only a few thrusts before they both climaxed. Her moans echoed in the room, and he hugged her close.
As much as he’d tried to protect his heart, he’d failed. He loved her, and now he’d have to do the one thing that would probably lose her to him forever.
Go after her father.