Chapter Twenty-Nine
Days went by. Bryony did her best not to think about what would happen if her father continued to refuse Stefan’s offer.
Her father had withdrawn Stefan’s invitation to call so, each night, she invited him into her room where they spent a quiet hour or two in each other’s arms. Each time, it grew harder and harder to tell him good night, to pull away when all she wanted to do was explore every inch of him.
To run her hands over his broad chest and shoulders, let her fingers explore his hard, flat belly, feel the strength of his arms around her.
He was so big, so male, from the top of his head to the soles of his feet.
She dreaded the dawn of each new day. Unaware that anything was wrong, her mother and Veronica continued to make plans for the wedding.
They insisted Bryony participate but she had no heart for it.
When the invitations arrived, she stared at them in horror when she saw her name linked with Bloodworth’s.
What was she going to do? When one of Veronica’s best friends gave a party to celebrate their upcoming nuptials, Bryony forced herself to go.
She endured the final fitting of her wedding gown.
“Oh, Stefan,” she wailed that night. “What are we going to do?” It was two weeks until the wedding.
Last night, she had talked to her father about the debt, asking if he would please accept Stefan’s offer as a loan rather than a gift.
Again, he had refused. She’d never known such a stubborn man!
He was going to let himself be arrested rather than accept help.
With the pads of his thumbs, Stefan wiped her tears away. “Do not weep, beloved. I will go see Bloodworth tomorrow night and repay the loan.”
His offer released a new flood of tears.
“No one else will have you, my fair Bryony,” he murmured, as he rained kisses on her brow, her cheeks, the top of her head. “No one.”
It was well after midnight when Leyton Barrett slipped quietly out of bed, dressed in the dark, and left his bedchamber.
Moving quietly down the stairs, he unlocked the front door, stood back as six men, all attired in unrelieved black, filed into the house and padded silently up the stairs.
Barrett remained in the hallway while the men entered Bryony’s bedchamber.
One of the hunters shook her shoulder. She woke instantly, a frightened cry rising in her throat when she saw the six shadowy figures surrounding her bed.
She screamed when a man grabbed her arm.
She was struggling to free herself when Stefan materialized in the room.
And the six men sprang into action. One held her down while the other five attacked Stefan with holy water and silver bladed daggers, driving him to the floor, binding him with thick silver chains that left him helpless and writhing in agony as the holy water scorched his skin and the silver shackles ate into his flesh.
It took all six of them to carry him out of the room and out of the house.
“No!” The scream of denial that rose in Bryony’s throat aroused the rest of the household.
Barrett ran into the room. “What is it?” he cried, glancing around. “Bryony, are you hurt?”
“They took him!” she wailed. “They took Stefan!”
“Who? What are you talking about?” Barrett asked.
“What’s going on?” Maida asked as she hurried into the room pulling on a robe, followed by Veronica and Eli and several of the servants.
Bryony sat up, glaring at her father. “Did you have anything to do with this?”
“Do with what?” her mother asked, glancing from one to the other.
Eli lit the lamp beside Bryony’s bed. Veronica sat beside her and took Bryony’s hand in hers. “What’s going on?”
“I’ll tell you,” Barrett said, not meeting Bryony’s eyes. “Stefan is a vampire.”
“What?” Maida stared at him, eyes wide. “I don’t believe you.”
“Ask her,” Barrett said, jerking his chin at his youngest daughter.
“Is it true, Bry?” Veronica asked, her voice edged with mingled horror and excitement. “Like in that painting?”
Bryony nodded. “Yes. It’s true. And I love him,.”
“What are you saying, child?” Maida exclaimed. “Don’t you remember what happened to your Aunt Celeste? How she was killed by one of those things? Wherever did you meet such a creature?”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Bryony said, tears leaking from her eyes. “Ask your husband. He knows. Now, get out of here, all of you.”
Murmuring to one another, her family filed out of the room. Her father was the last one. Turning to face Bryony, he said, “I only did what had to be done.”
She glared at him. “How could you? You lied to me,” she cried, her voice rising with every word. “You promised I could marry whoever I wished. You promised!”
“You’re my daughter. I did what I thought was best for you, just as I always have.”
“You used me as bait to trap Stefan.” Scrambling out of bed, her eyes filling with tears, she pummeled his chest with her fists. “Your own daughter!” she shrieked. “How could you?”
Grabbing hold of her hands, Barrett shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other. He wanted to argue, to defend his actions, but how could he when everything she said was true?
“What are they going to do with Stefan?” she asked, wrenching her hands from his grasp.
“Nothing. As long as you marry Bloodworth in the morning.”
Bryony stared at him, aghast. “Tomorrow morning?”
He nodded. “Bloodworth decided he didn’t want to wait any longer.”
“He couldn’t wait a few more days?” she asked, drying her eyes on a corner of the bedsheet.
Barrett shrugged. “He’s afraid you’ll change your mind. Or run away again.”
“I will never forgive you for this,” she said, her voice as cold as winter ice. “Not as long as I live.”
There was nothing but confusion in the morning as Maida and Veronica fussed over Bryony.
Since her father refused to let her wed the man she loved, she refused to wear her wedding dress.
Instead, she wore the gown her mother had worn.
It was lovely but it might have been made from dirty rags as far as Bryony was concerned.
She couldn’t believe her father was forcing her to marry Bloodworth, but she would have married the devil himself to save Stefan’s life.
Of course, she had no proof other than her father’s word that Stefan was still alive.
Or that he would survive after the wedding.
She should have asked Stefan to repay the loan as soon as he offered.
No doubt her father would have fussed and fumed but once the loan was repaid, it wouldn’t have mattered.
She wondered if her father would have refused the money if Stefan had arrived with cash in hand.
There was no way to tell. She should have just run away with Stefan when he suggested it. But it was too late now.
She stared at herself in the mirror, thinking she was the unhappiest-looking bride she had ever seen. Stefan, Stefan, where are you?
Bryony.
Stefan! You’re alive!
For now.
Where are you?
I am not sure. Your father is a far more formidable foe than I gave him credit for.
I told him you were willing to pay off the debt but he said he refused to be indebted to you.
A harsh laugh echoed in her mind.
What are we going to do? she asked, fighting back her tears.
I fear that decision rests with your father, my best beloved one.
She bit down on her lip when she heard him groan. What were they doing to him? He had always been so strong, so seemingly indomitable, she could not believe he was now at the mercy of the Guild. Where was he? Would they kill him after the wedding?
You worry too much, love.
I can feel your pain. She felt the sting of helpless tears and blinked them away. He was suffering terribly and there was nothing she could do to help. How can you endure it?
I have no choice at the moment. His captors were savvy hunters. They knew better than to look him in the eye or get too close. The blood he had lost left him weak, drained his power, his ability to force them to do his will. Without fresh blood, he would weaken a little more each day.
Stefan, what can I do? There must be something!
Not at the moment. He was in a small, dark cage, his arms bound behind him with silver chains.
Other vampires had been here before him and died.
The scent of death was strong, but not fresh.
From time to time, he overheard them talking, planning how best to destroy him when the time came.
At the moment, the only thing keeping him alive was Bryony’s promise to marry Bloodworth. Once that was accomplished…
Stefan?
I am here.
I have to go. I love you.
As I love you.
Please don’t die.
He laughed in spite of the constant pain that was his only companion. I will do my best.
An hour later, Bryony stood under an arbor in the garden with Lord Timothy Bloodworth at her side.
Veronica stood next to her, eyes swollen from the tears she had shed as she watched Bryony take her place beside Bloodworth.
There were no guests present, only the family.
The double wedding with all the festivities would take place as planned.
Bryony and Bloodworth would wed again, alongside Veronica and Robert.
The ceremony was brief. The bride refused to kiss the groom, refused to speak to her father.
She hugged her mother, her sister, and her brother, then hurried into the house and ran up the stairs to her bedchamber and locked the door.
Since this wedding was to remain a secret, she would not yet live under Bloodworth’s roof, since it would be unseemly.
Bloodworth apparently had no problem with that.
When everyone but Barrett had returned to the house, Bloodworth took him aside. “Remember, she must consummate the marriage to fulfil our bargain,” he said.
“I remember. I trust you will treat my daughter with the respect she deserves,” Barrett said.
“Of course,” Bloodworth replied. “She will want for nothing.” He laughed softly. “And neither will I.”