"He told me you were downstairs," his father said. "You were so young and impressionable and Nathaniel threatened to bring you up so you could see what your father had become. Needless to say, the threat sobered me up. I would rather have died than let you see me in such a humiliating condition."
No one said a word for several minutes. Caine didn't have any memory of his father's drinking days. "How old was I?" he asked.
"Almost five."
"If I was that young, I probably wouldn't have remembered if I had seen you drunk," he remarked.
"Nathaniel knew how much I loved you," his father said. "Oh, he was clever, all right. It was my darkest hour, my turning point as well."
"What was done about the debts?" Colin asked.
His father smiled. How like Colin to be the one to ask that question. His younger son was the most practical member of the family—the most disciplined, too.
"Nathaniel went to all the moneylenders. He purchased the notes. In less than one day, I was completely out of debt. He tried to give me the notes, but I refused his charity. I wouldn't let him tear them up either. I wanted him to hold on to them until I could repay. I even insisted he add interest."
"And has the debt been repaid?" Caine asked.
"No, it hasn't. Nathaniel took his wife back to Stone Haven. He gave me that beautiful treasure before he left," he said with a nod toward the castle perched on the mantel "Imagine that, giving me a gift after all he'd done. We kept current through letters, of course, and the next time he and his wife came to England, they had Alesandra with them. I tried to give him half of what I owed, but he wouldn't take it. It was damned awkward. Because he had acted so honorably with me, I couldn't ask him where the notes were. He died the following winter. Lord, I still mourn his passing. He was my dearest friend."
Both sons agreed. Nathaniel had been a good friend.
"Who holds the notes now?" Caine asked.
"That's the dilemma, son. I don't know."
"Have you asked Alesandra?" Colin wanted to know.
"No," his father answered. "I doubt she knows anything about the transaction. As her guardian, I have access to some of her accounts. Dreyson, her agent, takes care of investments, but I don't believe he knows anything about the notes either."
"Would you be able to repay the full amount if the notes and interest were called today?" Caine asked.
"Not all of it," his father replied. "But I'm in a strong financial position now. If the notes were called, I could borrow what I need. I don't want to give either one of you the impression I'm worried. Nathaniel was a methodical, careful man. He put the notes in a safe place. I'm just curious to know where they are."
"I'm curious, too," Caine agreed.
"The purpose of my confession is twofold," their father continued. "First, I want both of you to know the kind of man Alesandra's father was, and to understand the debt I owe him. Second, I want you to understand how I feel about his daughter. She's all alone in this world now and it is my duty to see she's protected from harm."
"It is our duty as well," Caine interjected.
Colin nodded agreement. The three men lapsed into silence again, each caught up in his own thoughts.
Colin tried to consider all the ramifications.
He had nothing to offer her. He had an empire to build, damn it, and there simply wasn't room or time for a wife.
She would drive him to distraction.
But there was the debt to be repaid, and all three of them were bound by honor to look out for Princess Alesandra.
His father was too old to take on the duty of keeping her safe. He didn't have the experience dealing with bastards either, Colin decided.
And then there was Caine. His older brother was busy running his own estates. He was married, too, and had his own family to consider.
There was only one son left.
Colin glanced up and noticed both his father and his brother were staring at him. He let out a loud sigh. They had known all along, of course, and were only waiting for him to come to the same conclusion.
"Hell, I'm going to have to marry her, aren't I?"
Chapter 7
Colin's father wanted to be the one to break the good news to Alesandra. Colin wouldn't let him. He thought he should be the one to tell her what had been decided.
"May I offer a word of advice, brother?" Caine asked.
He waited for Colin's nod, then said, "I don't believe you should tell her anything…"
His father wouldn't let him finish. "She'll have to know, Caine."
His son smiled. "Yes, of course she'll have to know," he agreed. "However, from my rather limited experience with women I've still been able to surmise that they don't like being told anything. Colin should ask her to marry him."
"Do it at the dinner table then," his father suggested.
Colin smiled. "I'll decide when and where," he announced.
"Will you promise me you'll have it settled before the night is over?" his father demanded. "I can't say a word until you've asked. And Gweneth will have to start work on the arrangements."
"Mother has already seen to everything," Colin replied.
His father stood up and rubbed his hands together. "I can't tell you how pleased I am, and I'm certain Alesandra's going to be thrilled."
Because his father was looking so proud of himself, neither Colin nor Caine reminded him that less than an hour ago he'd been against a marriage between his ward and his son. He'd believed they were completely unsuited to each other.
Caine wanted to have a private discussion with Colin but their mother came hurrying into the salon then, demanding everyone's attention.
The Duchess of Williamshire was a petite woman with blond curls and hazel-colored eyes. Her husband and sons towered over her. The years had been very kind to the lovely woman. She had very few wrinkles and only a hint of gray in her hair.
Gweneth was actually Caine's stepmother, but no one paid any attention to that distinction. She treated him as one of her own, and Caine had long ago accepted her as his mother.
"Jade and Alesandra will be down in just a moment. Do come into the dining room. Supper will get cold. Boys, give your mother a kiss. Heavens, you've lost some weight, Caine, haven't you? Colin, dear, how is your leg? Is it paining you?"
Her sons understood that their mother didn't really expect answers to her questions. They understood she liked to coddle, too, and put up with the show of motherly concern without even a hint of a reminder that they were both fully grown men now.
Gweneth was the only one who dared inquire about Colin's leg. Everyone else understood they were to ignore the affliction.
"Caine, Princess Alesandra is the most delightful young woman."
His wife made that remark as she came strolling into the salon. She paused on her way to her husband's side to give his father a kiss in greeting, then stopped again to kiss Colin on his cheek.
"Are you enchanted by Alesandra, Dolphin?" she asked Colin, using the nickname he'd earned from his days on the seas.
"Where is she?" Colin asked.
"In your father's library," Jade answered. Her green eyes sparkled with amusement. "She caught sight of all his books and almost swooned with joy. When I left her, she was looking through his journal on the latest shipping innovations."
Gweneth immediately turned to the butler and requested that he go upstairs and tell Alesandra dinner was waiting.
Jade linked her arm through her husband's. She was dying to ask him what had been decided at the family conference, but couldn't because Colin and their parents were standing so close.
Caine brushed his wife's deep red hair back over her shoulder and leaned down to kiss her.
"I believe we should go on in," Gweneth announced. She took her husband's arm and walked by his side out of the salon. Colin followed until Caine called out to him. "I want to talk to you in private later," he requested.
"There isn't anything to talk about," Colin countered. He could tell from his brother's expression he wanted to discuss Alesandra again.
"I believe there is," Caine countered.
"Do forgive me for interrupting," Jade said then. "But I've just come up with a wonderful suggestion for a suitable husband. Have you considered Johnson? You remember him, Colin. He's Lyon's good friend," she reminded her brother-in-law.
"I remember him," Colin agreed.
"And?" Jade prodded when he didn't continue.
"I can tell you right now he won't do," Caine drawled out.
"Why not?" Jade asked. "I like him."
"So do I," Caine agreed. "But Colin will find something wrong with him. Besides, the matter has already been settled."
Caine shook his head at his wife when she started to protest, added a wink so her feelings wouldn't be injured, and then whispered, "Later," to let her know he would explain everything when they were alone.
Colin turned around and walked out of the salon. He didn't go into the dining room however, but started up the steps.
"Go ahead without us," he called down to Caine. "I must speak to Alesandra for a few minutes."
Colin didn't think it would take him any time at all to explain to Alesandra he was going to marry her. No, that announcement wouldn't take more than a minute. The rest of the time would be spent on expectations. His.
The library was down at the end of the long corridor. Alesandra was standing in front of the window, looking out. She held a thick book in her hands. She turned when Colin walked inside.
He shut the door behind him and then leaned against it. He frowned at her. She smiled at him.
"You are finished with your conference?" she asked.
"Yes."
"I see," she whispered when he didn't continue. She walked over to the desk and put the book down on the ink blotter. "What was decided?" she asked then, trying desperately to sound only mildly interested.
He started to tell her he was going to marry her, then took Caine's advice and put the decision into a question.
"Will you marry me, Alesandra?"
"No," she answered in a whisper. "But I do thank you for offering."
"After the wedding, you and I… what do you mean, no? I'm going to marry you, Alesandra. It's all been decided."
"No, you aren't going to marry me," she countered. "Quit frowning, Colin. You're off the hook. You asked and I turned you down. You can start breathing again."
"Alesandra…" he began in a warning tone of voice she completely ignored.
"I know exactly what happened downstairs after I left," she boasted. "Your father cleverly manipulated you into agreeing to have me. He told you about the gift my father gave him, didn't he?"
Colin smiled. Alesandra was really very astute. "Yes," he answered. "It wasn't a gift, however. It was a loan."
He moved away from the door and walked toward her. She immediately started backing away.
"It was a loan only in your father's eyes," she argued.
He shook his head. "Forget the loan," he ordered. "And start making sense. You need to get married, damn it, and I've agreed to become your husband. Why are you being so difficult?"
"Because you don't love me."
She'd blurted out that truth before she could stop herself. Colin looked astonished. She was so embarrassed now she wished she could open the window and leap out. That ridiculous notion made her want to scream. She really needed to get a better hold on her emotions, she told herself.
"What does love have to do with anything? Do you honestly believe any of the men on your list would love you? Hell, whomever you chose wouldn't even know you well enough to form an opinion…"
She interrupted him. "No, of course he wouldn't love me. I wouldn't want him to. It was going to be a purely financial arrangement. You, however, have made it perfectly clear you won't touch my funds. You told me you were determined to make it on your own, remember?"
"I remember."
"And have you changed your mind in the last five minutes?"
"No."
"There, do you finally understand? Since you have nothing to gain from marrying me, and since you don't love me, which would be the only other reason for marriage, then there really isn't any point to your noble sacrifice."
Colin leaned on the edge of the desk and stared at her. "Let me get this straight," he muttered. "You actually believed you could buy a husband?"
"Of course," she cried out in exasperation. "Women do it all the time."
"You aren't buying me."
He sounded furious. She let out a sigh and tried to hold on to her patience. "I know I'm not buying you," she agreed. "And that puts me in a weaker bargaining position. I can't allow that."
Colin felt like shaking some sense into her. "We're talking about marriage, not contracts for hire," he snapped. "Were you planning to sleep with your husband? What about children, Alesandra?"
He was asking her questions she didn't want to answer. "Perhaps… in time. Oh, I don't know," she whispered. "It doesn't concern you."
Colin suddenly moved. Before Alesandra had time to guess his intent, he pulled her into his arms.
He held her around her waist with one arm and forced her chin up with his other hand so she would look at him.
He thought he might want to shout at her, but then he saw the tears in her eyes and he forgot all about arguing with her. "I'm going to be touching you all the time," he announced in a gruff whisper.
"Why?"
He took exception to the fact that she looked so surprised. "Call it a benefit," he drawled out.
He probably would have only given her a chaste kiss to seal his commitment to wed her, but she goaded his temper again when she whispered her denial.
"Yes," he whispered back just seconds before his mouth descended to hers. The kiss was meant to gain her submission. It was hard, demanding, thorough. He felt her try to pull away with the first touch of his mouth on hers, but he ignored her struggle to get free by tightening his hold on her. He forced her mouth open by applying pressure on her chin with his hand, and then his tongue swept inside to rid her of her resistance.
