Annie's Song
Chapter 13 : Between the two of them, they outlined some safeguards they could enforce that would di

Between the two of them, they outlined some safeguards they could enforce that would discourage, if not prevent, Annie from sneaking outside again, the most important being that, henceforth, all the exterior doors would be kept locked from the inside, day and night, and only Alex or Maddy would have the keys. The first floor windows, equipped with interior latches instead of locks, presented a bit more of a problem. It was decided, however, that if they were all kept closed and latched, Annie's use of one of them as an escape route would be easy to detect. Once outside, the girl would be unable to relatch the window she'd used, and they would know for certain she had left the house. In that event, Alex could initiate an immediate search of the surrounding woods for her.

Comfortable with the preventive measures they were taking, Alex drifted off to sleep that night, confident that Annie was safe. Beginning tomorrow, he promised himself, he would set aside an hour or two every afternoon so he could spend some time with her. Doing what, he wasn't certain. How did one entertain a feebleminded girl?

Ah well... Maddy seemed to think it was important that he and Annie become better acquainted, and to that end, Alex would happily sacrifice a bit of his time. Not that it would be easy. He usually spent his mornings doing paperwork in his study, and during the afternoons, he saw to the care of his thoroughbreds and the farm, or went to the rock quarry. As it was, he sometimes felt he was burning his candle at both ends, especially during the summer.

Nonetheless, the last thing he wanted was for Annie to feel frightened in her new home. If he could a.s.suage her fears by spending an hour or so with her each day, it would be well worth the effort.

Alex's plan proved to be a little more difficult to execute than he hoped. He juggled his schedule to make time for her the next day, but when he arrived at the house, Annie was nowhere to be found.

"What do you mean, she's disappeared?" he demanded of Maddy.

"Well..." The housekeeper's green eyes sparkled with unshed tears. "It's just like yesterday, Master Alex. One minute she was there, and the next she wasn't. Frederick was just leaving to go tell you."

Spinning on his heel, Alex asked, "Have you checked the windows?"

"Yes. We checked 'em all. Nary a one is unfastened."

The housekeeper's response brought Alex to a quick halt.

He turned to regard her. "None of them? Are you absolutely sure?"

"Nary a one."

"Then she has to be in the house somewhere."

"So one would think. Only she isn't. We've looked everywhere, Master Alex. It's like as if-" She broke off and hugged her waist. "It's like as if she disappeared into thin air."

Alex had seen that expression on his housekeeper's face before and knew it boded ill. "Now, Maddy. Don't let your Irish imagination get the best of you. The girl is flesh and blood. She can't disappear into thin air any more than you or I."

"Are ye sure?" she whispered. "There's no denyin' she's a bit fey. Like that business of her searchin' her beddin'. Did it again this mornin', she did. Beyond peculiar, if ye ask me, a body searchin' fer somethin' she hasn't lost." She s.h.i.+vered slightly. "I know fer a fact that fey folks aren't like the rest of us. Sometimes they see things we can't, and they got talents that border on magic. Ye've heard the stories about how she tames the wild animals in the woods. That isn't normal, and ye can't argue it is."

"I'm not saying she's normal. I'm just saying that, for all her differences, she's still very much human, Maddy, and thereby limited in what she can do. Disappearing into thin air? That's silly. She's either found herself a hidey-hole somewhere in the house, or she's exiting by an upstairs window."

"An upstairs window?" Maddy gasped and crossed herself.

"Dear Lord, if she fell, she'd break her fool little neck!"

"Exactly." Alex headed for the stairs. "From now on, all the windows on the second and third floors must be kept fastened, too. We'll attend to that right now. Then I'll gather up some men to help me comb the woods. She's probably wandering around out there, happy as a clam and completely oblivious to the panic she's causing us."

Ten minutes later, Alex was checking window latches in the ballroom, situated on the third floor, when he sensed a presence behind him. Skin p.r.i.c.kling, he looked over his shoulder to see Annie standing in the open doorway. As had been the case yesterday, her shapeless frock was smeared with dirt, and there were smudges of dust on her cheeks. Since Alex knew she couldn't possibly have gotten so dirty inside the house, he could only surmise she'd done as he suspected and climbed out a second- or third-floor window. Just the thought made his pulse skitter. While doing roof repairs in the recent past, he had learned the hard way how treacherous some sections of that slate could be. One false step was all it might take. In most places, there was nothing to break a person's fall. He had a good mind to drive nails through all the bottom window rails.

"Annie," he said weakly. "Honey, where have you been?"

At the question, she retreated a step.

"Don't be afraid. I'm not angry with you. Just concerned. I know you've been outside somewhere, and if you went out through one of these windows, you might have fallen."

She backed up another step.

Moving slowly, Alex tried to close the distance between them. He had covered only a few feet when she bolted.

"Annie! Come back here. I won't hurt you."

His words fell on empty air. Alex heaved a disheartened sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. So he was supposed to spend time with her, was he? And how, exactly, was he going to accomplish that? By tying her to a chair, perhaps?

He followed the third-floor corridor to the landing. Grasping a newel post, he swung his weight onto the stairs and took the descent three steps at a time. Once on the second level, he headed directly for the nursery. Maddy, who was busy scolding Annie and checking her for injuries, didn't notice when he entered the room.

"Oh, la.s.s, ye can't be takin' off like this!" the housekeeper cried. "Me old heart won't take it, ye understand? What did ye do? Go out an upstairs window? Lord help us! Ye could've broke yer silly neck. Don't ye realize that?"

Alex made his way to the table where Annie was sitting.

Hunkering in front of her chair, he gazed solemnly into her eyes. The emotions he read there baffled him. She was afraid of being punished, that much was clear. But she also looked confused and a little self-righteous, as if she were being unjustly accused.

Alex gave her a thorough inspection, starting with her hair, which had bits of what appeared to be cobwebs clinging to the tendrils, and ending with her white stockings, which were smudged with dirt. Grayish colored dirt. Not red. Most of the soil thereabouts was a rust-red clay.

"Maddy, is there anyplace inside the house-say a closet or a storage room?-that might be filled with cobwebs and dust?"

Maddy sputtered at the suggestion. "Only the attic, and ye know very well it's always kept locked. I have the only key, and I haven't let it out to anyone since ye bought the new safe after Douglas left."

Alex frowned. "You're sure it's locked?"

"Positive. With all those spiders and mice thereabouts?"

She shuddered. "It's always kept locked."

"Someplace else then?" Alex pointed out the smudges on Annie's clothing. "If she'd been outside, the dirt on her frock would be reddish." He touched a smudge on her knee. "This looks more like dust to me."

"Dust?" The housekeeper glared at him. "I'll have ye know that every crack and cranny of this house gets a thorough and regular cleanin', no exceptions. I'd never allow any room, closet or otherwise, to get so filthy."

Alex knew that to be so. But he still couldn't put his suspicions to rest. Had Annie found a hidey-hole somewhere that Maddy had overlooked? "Tomorrow, I want you to keep a closer eye on her," he instructed the housekeeper. "If you have to, enlist the help of a maid or two. When she slips away again, I want to know which direction she takes."

Maddy's Irish brogue became more p.r.o.nounced with her building indignation. "She went out! Just look at her, all covered with dirt. She couldna get so soiled inside me house!"

Alex pushed to his feet and patted the older woman's shoulder. "I'm sure she couldn't, Maddy. But all the same, do as I ask, hmm? I'd really appreciate it. And meanwhile, when I'm up at the stables working, I'll keep an eye on the exterior of the house to see if I can spot her sneaking out a window."

Returning his gaze to his wife, Alex considered the situation and possible solutions. Because the girl had been allowed to wander at will when she lived at home, she probably found her existence at Montgomery Hall pretty confining in comparison, and he couldn't really fault her for that. Arrangements needed to be made so she might have daily outings. Maddy didn't really have time to accompany her. For that matter, neither did Alex.

He sighed with resignation. Annie was ultimately his responsibility and no one else's. If she needed to be taken for daily walks, which she obviously did, then he was the likely candidate. Now that he'd decided to make her a permanent resident at Montgomery Hall, he couldn't avoid being thrust into situations where he would be alone with her. Not indefinitely. To even try would be ludicrous. A marriage in name only or not, they were still married, and though his role as such would be limited, he was her husband.

A little self-control was in order, he thought determinedly.

If he didn't have a good measure of that at his disposal already, then he'd d.a.m.ned well better acquire some.

Eleven.

When Alex suddenly grasped Annie's hand and drew her up from the chair, she couldn't have been more surprised. On the heels of her surprise came dread. He meant to take her somewhere? It didn't require a great deal of thought to guess his intentions. Both he and Maddy mistakenly believed she had sneaked outdoors and were upset with her. To ensure she wouldn't break the rules again, Alex obviously meant to punish her.

In the past, Annie had endured her share of lickings, most of them meted out by her father in his study, all with his razor strop. From experience, she knew that the sting only lasted for a short while and that the bruises would go away within a few days. But that had been when her papa punished her. Alex Montgomery was twice his size and far stronger.

For the s.p.a.ce of a heartbeat, she seriously considered running from him. But before she could act on the urge, she remembered the baby she was supposedly carrying. If, as she suspected, it was enclosed in a fragile egg, she couldn't take any chances. Trying to run from Alex Montgomery would definitely pose a risk. His legs were long and powerfully muscled. In a footrace against him, she wouldn't have a prayer.

And when he caught her? That didn't bear thinking about.

Eggs, Annie knew, broke very easily. She doubted hers could withstand the crus.h.i.+ng force of his arms around her waist.

As he led her out into the hall, she frantically searched her mind for some way she might tell him she hadn't sneaked outside. All she'd done was go to the secret place for a little while. Where was the harm in that? At home, she'd done it all the time. Nearly every day during the rainy season. Her mama had never cared, let alone been angry.

Pulling her along behind him, Alex walked with a loose-hipped, powerful stride that made her blood run cold.

Watching the sway of his shoulders, she recalled the morning she'd seen him without a s.h.i.+rt. All that strength, and now he was about to unleash it on her.

Annie expected him to take her to his study as her papa had usually done. Instead, when they got downstairs, he headed straight for the entry doors. Keeping a firm hold on her wrist, he used his other hand to fish in his trouser pocket. Within seconds, he had drawn out a key, unlocked the doors, and pulled her onto the porch.

Guessing his intent, Annie's heart began to kick violently against her ribs, and she glanced wildly around. Where did he plan to take her? In her estimation, there could only be one reason why he was taking her outside; he didn't want anyone in his household to see how severely he punished her.

Oh, G.o.d... Annie was so frightened she could scarcely think.

She threw him a pleading glance, but he was too preoccupied with looking around to notice. Suddenly he smiled, his expression decisive, and led her down the front steps, angling right when they struck the drive. As they went around the corner of the house, they entered a beautiful garden, artfully crisscrossed with white stone paths. Roses bloomed in profusion, the varying shades of pink and red making brilliant splashes against the deep green backdrop of sculptured shrubs and gra.s.s.

Drawing her abreast of him, he slowed his pace, for all the world as though he wanted her to enjoy the stroll. All Annie could think about was the beating that was in store for her.

Sneaking glances at hie dark face, she saw the breeze catch his molten hair, whipping it into lazy waves across his high forehead. As though he sensed her regard, he turned and caught her studying him. She quickly looked away, then jumped with a start when he brushed gently at her cheek to push a tendril of hair from her eyes.

Their gazes locked. Annie's feet suddenly felt numb. If she didn't watch where she was going, she knew she might stumble. But for the life of her, she couldn't look away from his gleaming amber eyes.

"Do you like roses, Annie?"

Roses? He was taking her someplace to beat her, and he expected her to admire his roses? Her attention became fixed on his smile-a lazy, slightly crooked grin that flashed his white teeth and deepened the creases at the corners of his mouth. He didn't look angry, not in the least, and that frightened her more than anything else. A man had to be utterly coldhearted to inflict pain on someone when he wasn't even mad at her.

Averting her face, Annie saw the stables up ahead of them, and her footsteps faltered. Once, a long time ago, her papa had taken her to the woodshed to punish her. In her recollection, that trip to the woodshed had preceded the worst licking of her life. A watery sensation attacked her legs. Between that and the numb feeling in her feet, it was difficult for her to remain standing, let alone walk.

As she expected, Alex headed directly for the outbuildings.

When they reached a long, narrow structure with an open-ended alley running lengthwise through its center, he turned to her and said, "I understand you like animals."

Only if they had four legs, she thought acidly, and caught the inside of her cheek between her teeth, hoping the pain might distract her from worrying about what he might do to her. The entrance of the building yawned before her like a gigantic mouth. A little hysterically, she remembered the story her mother used to read to her years ago about Jonah being swallowed by a whale.

Left with little choice because his grip on her hand was relentless, she followed him into the alleyway. As the shadows fell over them, Annie's nostrils were a.s.saulted by a strong but not entirely unpleasant blend of scents, that of animals and hay, grain and leather, all adrift on a current of fresh air. As her eyes grew accustomed to the dimness, she glanced nervously around. Hanging from large nails along the wall to her left were all manner of riding accessories and grooming tools-gig saddles, brushes, mane combs, blanket pins, muzzles, harnesses and lunging lines. Taking a fast inventory, she spotted several leather straps. A bead of sweat broke loose near the nape of her neck and trickled icily down her spine.

Her worst fear was realized when Alex released her hand and stepped over to the wall to take something from a nail. As he turned back toward her, Annie glimpsed a loop of leather dangling from his fist. When she jerked her gaze back to his face, she saw that he was smiling still, his expression oddly tender. That look chased away the last shreds of her courage.

If he meant to punish her, which he surely did, how could he stand there and smile at her that way?

Running was out of the question now. Her feet felt as if they had put down taproots. She settled frightened eyes on his shoulders-broad muscular shoulders that blocked out the wall behind him. The loose fit of his white s.h.i.+rt did little to conceal the defined contours of muscle across his chest and along his arms. She didn't want to think about how it would feel when he struck her, but unfortunately, her traitorous mind could focus on little else.

With no warning, he swung up the hand that held the leather.

Annie glimpsed the strap coming toward her face and reacted instinctively, bending forward and hugging her waist to protect her baby.

Alex was so startled when Annie jackknifed forward that for a moment all he could do was stand there and stare at her with his mouth hanging open. He'd been about to take her to the opposite end of the stable. Rosy, one of his mares, had recently dropped a foal. Though the horse was an incurable biter, her colt was a cute little b.u.g.g.e.r, all legs and ears, with a penchant for suckling on whatever caught his eye, b.u.t.tons, fingers, elbows, or anything else that looked as if it might yield milk.

Alex had thought Annie might enjoy seeing him.

"Annie?" he finally managed to say.

She didn't look up when he called her name. Judging by the way she was hugging her waist, it struck him that she might be in pain. His first concern was for the baby, and a dozen possibilities chased through his mind. Had she hurt herself while wandering in the woods? Horrible visions of her miscarrying right there in the stable swamped him. Dropping the muzzle he'd just taken from a nail, he grasped her slender shoulders and tried, with little success, to make her stand straight.

She was trembling. Trembling horribly. Alex threw a helpless look toward the house, wis.h.i.+ng Maddy were with them. When it came to female complaints, especially those involving pregnancy, he was at a complete loss. Should he carry her to the house? Make her lie down?

"Christ!"

Leaning sideways, he pushed ineffectually at her hair, trying to part the wildly curly tresses so he might see her face. He finally resorted to going down on one knee and craning his neck so he could look up into her eyes.

"Annie love? Do you hurt someplace?"

By her pallor, Alex knew she was frightened half to death.

Every awful story he'd ever heard about pregnant women miscarrying and bleeding to death came back to haunt him.

The thought of Annie dying-G.o.d, she was so sweet, so impossibly and wonderfully sweet.

Half expecting to see blood soaking through the pink cloth, he glanced in anxious torment at the knee-length hem of her frock. Nothing. That was a good sign, wasn't it? No hemorrhaging. Then again, maybe she just wasn't bleeding that heavily yet.

"Honey, where does it hurt? Can you show me?"

Blue eyes that rivaled the size of saucers stared out at him from her small, pinched face. Smoothing her hair back, he cupped her cheeks between his hands.

"Annie, did you hurt yourself? Show me, honey. Here?" He dropped one hand to touch her waist. "How bad does it hurt?"

She jerked violently away and executed an awkward sidestep. Then she froze, staring at something on the ground.

He followed her gaze to the discarded muzzle, his brain not making a connection until she jerked her eyes back to his hand.

His empty hand.

It hit Alex then. For an awful moment, his stomach knotted so violently he thought he might vomit. Reenacted in slow motion, he saw himself drawing her up from her chair immediately after Maddy had scolded her. Taking her downstairs. Outside. Through the garden. Into the stables.

When he had swung the muzzle toward her, he had only been pointing the way to Rosy's stall, but Annie had thought he meant to strike her.

Rage... It exploded inside Alex's head in blinding shades of red. If James Trimble had been within his reach at that moment, he would have killed him. He balled his hands into throbbing fists.