Chapter Thirty-Five
Bryony spoke to the mind of the man she had preyed on and sent him away.
It got a little easier every time, she mused.
She still missed eating, missed the taste of apples and plums, the warm comfort of a cup of hot cocoa, the sweetness of sugar cookies and strawberry tarts.
But the blood was satisfying in a way that other things had never been.
Stefan had been teaching her how to use the preternatural powers that were now hers.
She could run faster than the human eye could follow, transport herself across the street or across the country, dissolve into mist. It was exhilarating and frightening at the same time.
Of course, there were downsides, she thought, as they made their way back to Stefan’s lair.
She couldn’t wear her favorite silver necklace.
She wouldn’t be able to go to church with the family on Easter morning or attend any family functions during the day.
She would never have a child. That was the hardest one to bear.
She consoled herself with the thought that Veronica and Eli would have children that she would be able to love and cuddle.
Thinking of Veronica reminded Bryony of the wedding they never had.
Veronica still wanted a double wedding. If they were going to do it, it would have to be soon.
No doubt Robert was getting anxious, she thought, and then paused.
She was supposed to be grieving for her betrothed.
. How could she explain getting married so soon after the funeral?
The gossips would likely think she was pregnant.
Well, let them think what they wanted! No doubt they would count the months and be disappointed when no baby arrived early.
Bryony glanced at Stefan. He sat beside her, reading a book on the history of Rome. Feeling her gaze, he looked up.
“Did you want something, love?” he asked, laying the book aside.
“Are we going to get married soon?”
“Name the day.”
She smiled at him. “Can we go visit Veronica so she and I can make plans?”
“Of course, love. When do you wish to go?”
“Tomorrow night?”
He nodded, though he didn’t look forward to being in the Barrett house. It was all he could do to keep from locking Leyton Barrett up in that damnable cage and leaving him there to starve for a few days.
Bryony’s nerves were on edge when they reached the front porch. It had been two weeks since she had seen her family. She had heard about Bloodworth’s funeral but couldn’t summon the least bit of regret for his death, only relief that she hadn’t been able to attend.
Stefan knocked on the door. It was opened moments later by Alistair, who ushered them into the back parlor. There was a tense moment when her father and Stefan exchanged glances and then her father left the room.
Veronica smiled as she hugged Bryony. “I’m so glad to see you. I’ve been wanting to talk to you but I didn’t know how to reach you.”
“Well, I’m here now. Where’s Eli?”
“He’s visiting Amy.”
“Of course,” Bryony said, with a grin. “I should have known.”
“I hope you’ve come to talk about the wedding,” Veronica said, taking a seat on the couch and pulling Bryony down beside her.
“I was afraid you might have changed your mind,” Bryony said, trying not to notice the enticing scent of her sister’s blood.
“Of course not! But I hope we can make it soon.” Lowering her voice, she said, “Robert is getting impatient, if you know what I mean.”
He wasn’t the only one, Bryony mused. And then frowned as a new thought occurred to her. Leaning closer to her sister, she whispered, “Have you told Robert about me and Stefan?”
Veronica nodded. “He was pretty shocked at first, but he knows how close you and I are and that nothing will ever change that. And then he said if it doesn’t bother me, it’s all right with him,” she confided, with a grin. “But he asked me not to tell his parents or anyone else in their family.”
Maida sighed as she glanced from one daughter to the other. “Girls, I’m not sure about planning another big wedding.”
Veronica frowned. “Is there a problem?”
“Yes, but I’d rather not discuss it now. Let’s just say that after the debacle of the last one, I think this one should be smaller, just family and close friends.”
“That’s fine with me,” Bryony said, thinking she wouldn’t be able to partake of any of the food or drink anyway.
Stefan, who had been standing by the fireplace, cleared his throat. “I would be happy to pay for the wedding, since I feel responsible for what happened, or didn’t happen, at the last one.”
“Are you certain?” Maida asked.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Oh, Stefan,” Veronica gushed. “That is so kind of you!”
“Yes,” Maida said. “Kind.”
Stefan grinned inwardly. He hadn’t missed the fact that Bryony’s mother sat as far away from him as she could get.
Veronica, however, didn’t seem to have a problem being around him or Bryony, or object to having him for a brother-in-law.
Feeling the older woman’s discomfort, he said, “If you don’t mind, I’ll leave you ladies to discuss it. ”
Bryony looked at him, her brow furrowed. Where are you going?
Just out for a walk. My presence is making your mother uncomfortable. Call me when you are ready to leave.
All right.
With a nod at Maida and Veronica, Stefan left the house. He swore softly when, five minutes later, Barrett stepped outside.
“Save your breath,” Stefan said, when the man started to speak.
“I am guessing the ladies told you I am willing to pay for the wedding, so let them make it as extravagant as they wish. As for your trouble with the Bloodworth estate, I met with his solicitor and the debt has been paid. You can pick up the paperwork at your leisure.”
Barrett swallowed hard, thinking he had never been so humiliated in his life. He’d always paid his own way. He clenched his fists and then, not quite meeting the vampire’s eyes, muttered, “I’ll pay you back if it’s the last thing I ever do.”
“I have no need of your money. Just tell the Guild to leave me the hell alone and we will call it even.”
“They don’t answer to me,” Barrett said. “Not since I quit. I have a little influence with Charles but that’s all. He’s the second-in-command. But he doesn’t make the final decisions. The Guild isn’t likely to forget that you’ve killed several members.”
Stefan grunted softly. “If they come after me,” he warned, his voice laced with menace. “I will come after you. And not even Bryony will be able to save you. Do we understand each other?”
Barrett nodded curtly then turned on his heel and returned to the house.
Stefan stared after him, wondering if he would have the nerve to carry out his threat against Bryony’s father should the hunters come after him again.
And what of Bryony? Would the Guild members consider her fair game now?
The thought made his stomach churn with dread.
But surely Barrett would do everything in his power to protect his daughter from his former associates.
And if he couldn’t, by damn, Stefan surely would.
After much discussion, it was finally decided that the guest list for this wedding wouldn’t be as large as the previous one.
People who had been invited as a mere formality had been cut.
But the wedding and the celebration afterward would remain the same.
The date had been set, the church again reserved.
Bryony could hardly wait and yet, mingled with her excitement was the knowledge that her father would never truly approve of her marriage or her choice of a husband.
In spite of the fact that Stefan had saved her life, her father’s feelings toward him had not changed.
Even the knowledge that Stefan had repaid the loan in full had not softened her father’s dislike.
She couldn’t help wondering if, deep down, her father still loved her.
Once, she had been his favorite. Now, there were times when she wondered if he even liked her.
He had originally been filled with joy and relief to know she was still alive but now she wasn’t sure he felt the same.
She told herself she was being foolish, imagining things.
But, deep down, she couldn’t shake the feeling.
Was it because she hadn’t moved back into the house?
She glanced at Stefan, sitting on the couch beside her.
She had intended to move back home until the wedding, but Stefan had advised against it.
She knew it was because he didn’t trust her father, or the Guild.
And after she thought it over, she had decided he was right.
“I am always right,” he remarked, slipping his arm around her shoulders.
They were relaxing in front of the fire in the castle in Ireland. Stefan had bought a new couch, and a pair of matching armchairs, along with some side tables. He had also purchased a bed. Some of her clothes hung alongside his in the wardrobe in the large bedchamber upstairs.
She glanced at him and shook her head. “Are you reading my mind again?”
He shrugged. “You have been quiet for so long, I got curious about your thoughts. Do you seriously think your father no longer loves you?”
She bit down on her lip, and then nodded. “I know he tries to hide it. I had hoped the two of you would become friends, but I guess that’s never going to happen.”
“He is a proud man. He does not like feeling indebted to me. He views me as his enemy and that only makes it worse. Were you still mortal, he would never have agreed to our marriage. Now, he has no valid argument against it. He hates me for that, too.”
Stefan had reservations of his own about their wedding, though he kept them to himself.
Knowing the Guild was still on the hunt, he couldn’t help being concerned about the wisdom of a large ceremony.
He would have preferred for the two of them to go away and be married in a private ceremony, but with everything that had happened, he hadn’t the heart to deny Bryony the wedding she had dreamed of.
With a sigh, Bryony rested her head on his shoulder. “Why does life have to be so complicated?”
“It is what it is.” He brushed a kiss across her cheek as he drew her closer.
It had taken every ounce of his self-control to keep from seducing her these past weeks.
But he had waited, partly because of Barrett, although the man wouldn’t know one way or the other unless he asked, and partly out of an old-fashioned sense of chivalry.
It was a good thing the wedding was only two days away.
He wasn’t sure he could restrain himself much longer.
She went into his arms eagerly, lifting her face for his kisses, her hands slipping under his shirt to caress his bare back. He groaned deep in his throat. Did she have any idea what her touch did to him? “Bryony, if you do not stop that, I am going to take you here, now, on this couch.”
She drew back a little, a teasing grin on her lips. “Are you really going to ravish me?”
Stefan frowned. “What game are you playing, wench?”
“What do you mean?”
“You know damn well what I mean! What mischief is going on in that pretty head?”
“I’m sorry. It’s just that I…”
“You what?”
“Nothing.”
“Bryony, do not make me read your mind again.”
“I made a bet with Veronica.”
“A bet?” He frowned. “What kind of bet?”
“That I could seduce you.”
He stared at her in astonishment. “Surely you knew you could win such a bet with little effort.”
“I thought so,” she said, with a frown. “Why did you stop?”
He blew out a sigh. “The truth? Because of your father. He thinks the worst of me and I am certain he is convinced that I have already defiled you.”
Bryony stared at him. “So, you would have seduced me if it wasn’t for my father?”
He shook his head because, deep inside, he wanted her to truly be his before he made love to her. “Two more days, fair Bryony, and then you will be mine forever.” He caressed her cheek with his knuckles and then, because he had to know, he asked, “What would you have done if I hadn’t stopped?”
“I knew you would,” she said, with a grin. “We’ve been alone many times and yet you’ve never taken advantage of me, even when I was willing.”
He ran his tongue along the length of her neck, and then he laughed. “To think, I could have had you months ago.” He kissed the valley between her breasts. “Perhaps I should take you now.”
“You won’t,” she said, threading her fingers through his hair. “And we both know it.”
Well, damn, he mused. Maybe he wasn’t the monster he had always thought he was.