The Promise

“Can you stand?”

She nodded and he helped her to her feet. She didn’t realize she was still crying until he brushed his thumb across her cheek, as if to stop the flood. “I want you out of here,” he said roughly.

She wanted nothing more than to run away and hide—forever, if possible. “How can I leave you now? After what happened? I can’t stop thinking about…him.”

“In time you’ll forget—we both will,” he said, not meeting her gaze.

She knew Alexi well enough to know neither one of them would ever forget—he was lying to her, to make her feel better. “Yes. Because it was an accident.”

He met her gaze abruptly, and she thought about the fact that the men had been shipmates and friends—and that the pilot had saved Alexi’s life. Stricken with guilt, she looked away.

“I need to think, Elysse.” Alexi’s tone was rough and raw. “Montgomery is dead—and the body is outside.”

And suddenly her mind came to life. Could Alexi be accused of murder? Could he wind up in prison? The future flashed vividly in her mind—a sensational murder trial, her reputation in ruins, Alexi behind bars.

“Stay here. Don’t move. I mean it!” He whirled for the door.

Elysse followed him nervously. “Where are you going?”

“I’m going to get my father—and yours.”

She seized his arm. “My father can’t know!”

He faced her and said, “Devlin has to know.”

Elysse gasped as Alexi strode from the library. Then she shut the door behind him, leaning on it, breathing hard. What were they going to do? Alexi couldn’t be charged with murder! It had been an accident!

But she was the only witness to the fight. Everyone knew how close Alexi and Elysse were and how close their families were. She might not be believed. How had this happened? She had liked William Montgomery. She thought of his forceful kiss, his disgusting touch. Hadn’t he known she wanted him to stop? More tears welled. She should have never walked outside, alone, with him!

“Elysse,” her father cried, stepping into the room. “Alexi said there is a problem!” As his glance moved over her, he paled impossibly.

Her mother, Cliff and Alexi were with him. Alexi shut the door and locked it.

She somehow straightened, clutching her churning abdomen, more tears falling. Speech was now impossible.

Her mother ran to her, embracing her, and Elysse sagged in her arms. Devlin choked, his eyes wide with shock as he stared at her hair, her face, her dress. “Who did this? Who? Wait.” His handsome face enraged, he turned to look at Alexi. “Where’s Montgomery?” he snarled.

“He’s outside,” Alexi said harshly. “And he’s dead.”

Virginia gasped. Cliff strode forward, seizing Alexi by the shoulder. “What the hell happened?”

“It was an accident!” Elysse cried, before Alexi could respond. “It was my fault. I encouraged him. I have encouraged his attentions all week. Alexi found us…kissing.” She thought she flushed. “They fought.” She looked at her father, begging him now. “It was an accident, Father. They fought and he fell and hit his head. Please, you have to protect Alexi!”

“What did he do to you?” Devlin demanded.

“I’m not really hurt,” Elysse cried.

“Not now,” Virginia warned her disbelieving husband. To Elysse, she said, “Darling, we are going home. We’ll go out the back. And you needn’t worry about Alexi.” She smiled reassuringly at her.

“I am not going home, not until this is all sorted out! He is dead, Mother, and—” She stopped. “And it was my fault, not Alexi’s.”

“If Alexi fought Montgomery, then he was hurting you,” Devlin roared. “I want to know what happened!”

“It was just a kiss, a terrible, disgusting kiss!” she shouted back.

A silence fell. Virginia pulled her closer to her side. Elysse wiped the incessant tears, wishing she hadn’t spoken so openly. Finally Alexi said, his tone firm, “The pilot was making improper advances. Elysse was rudely accosted, but nothing more. Nothing else happened.”

Devlin jerked to stare at him, clearly uncertain of whether to believe him or not.

Elysse flushed as Cliff demanded sharply, “Where is Montgomery’s body?”

Alexi’s gaze was unwavering on her. Elysse trembled in her mother’s arms. He said flatly, “The body is outside on the terrace.” Alexi added in a grim, matter-of-fact tone, “We fought hand to hand and he hit his head on the stone steps.”

Devlin said, “So they were on the lawns, not the terrace?”

Alexi looked coolly at him.

Devlin was red. “Where was he taking you?” he asked Elysse.

“I don’t know—I didn’t want to leave the terrace!”

“When I saw them, I wanted to kill him.”

Cliff paled. “Did anyone else see anything?”

Elysse bit her lip. She didn’t want to bring up the two women in the corridor now.

Alexi apparently agreed, as he sent her a cautioning look. “We can’t go to the authorities.” Alexi spoke rapidly and firmly. “If we do, the events of this evening will be made public, sooner or later, during an investigation and maybe even a trial. Elysse will never recover from that.”

She knew he would do anything to protect her now.

Cliff turned to Devlin. “We need to get rid of the body.”

Devlin nodded, his face ruthlessly set. “Agreed.”

Virginia whispered, “They will fix this, darling. Alexi will be fine and so will you.”

Elysse prayed that her mother was right.

Devlin and Cliff locked gazes. Devlin said, “We’ll bury Montgomery at sea. No one will ever know.”

HE HAD JUST KILLED A MAN.

It was half past four in the morning and Windhaven was silent now, its women soundly asleep on the second floor. Alexi followed his father, Devlin and Jack into the kitchens, the four men having surreptitiously entered the house from the back. He had shed his tailcoat long ago and his white ruffled shirt was black with dirt and oil, his sleeves rolled up to the elbows. It remained difficult to think clearly. What he was aware of was the pounding pain in his chest, the hammer in his temples. Even his ribs hurt, as if they were bruised or broken, so much so he’d had difficulty breathing the entire night.

William Montgomery was dead.

But Elysse was all right.