Julie Garwood - Castles

"The poor devil," Colin said. He shook his head, then asked, "Did he tell you what the argument was about?"

"He was certain she'd taken a lover," Caine answered. "She was receiving gifts and Harold jumped to the conclusion she was involved with another man."

"Hell."

"He still hasn't figured it out, Colin. I told him about the gifts our wives received but he was too sotted from drink to understand the ramifications. He kept saying his anger swayed Roberta into running away with her lover."

Colin leaned back in his chair. "Did he have anything helpful to add?"

"No."

The brothers lapsed into silence, each caught up in his own thoughts. Colin pushed his chair back and bent over to take his shoes off. He tossed off his left shoe, then his right, and was about to straighten up again when he noticed the lining protruding from his left shoe.

"Damn," he muttered to himself. His most comfortable pair of shoes were already wearing out. He picked up the shoe to see if it could be repaired. The thick insert fell into his hands.

He'd never seen anything like it. He immediately picked up the other shoe and examined it. Flannaghan chose that moment to walk into the study with a fresh decanter of brandy so that Caine could have a drink if he was so inclined. He took one look at what Colin was holding in his hand and immediately turned around to leave.

"Come back here, Flannaghan," Colin ordered.

"Did you wish a drink, milord?" Flannaghan asked Caine.

"Yes," Caine answered. "But I want water, not brandy. After seeing Harold tonight, the thought of a hard drink turns my stomach."

"I shall fetch the water at once."

Flannaghan tried to leave again. Colin called him back.

"Did you wish some water?" the butler asked his employer.

Colin held up the insert. "I wish to find out if you know anything about this."

Flannaghan was torn between his loyalties. He was Colin's servant, of course, and was certainly loyal to him, but he had also promised his princess not to say a word about the bootmaker.

Flannaghan's silence was a bit damning. Caine started laughing. "From the look on his face, I would say he knows a great deal about something. What are you holding, Colin?"

He tossed the leather insert to Caine. "I just found this hidden under the lining of my shoe. It's been specifically made for the left foot."

He turned his gaze back to his butler. "Alesandra's behind this, isn't she?"

Flannaghan cleared his throat. "They have become your favorite shoes, milord," he hastened to point out. "The insert made your shoe fit your heel much better. I pray you won't become too angry over this."

Colin wasn't at all angry, but his butler was too young and too caught up in his worry to realize that fact.

"Our princess realizes that you are a bit… sensitive about your leg," Flannaghan continued, "and for that reason she did resort to a little trickery. I do hope you won't berate her."

Colin smiled. Flannaghan's defense of Alesandra was pleasing to him. "Will you ask 'our princess' to come in here? Knock softly on her door, Flannaghan, and if she doesn't immediately answer, assume she's asleep."

Flannaghan hurried out of the study. He realized he was still holding the decanter in his hands and quickly turned back to the study. He put the brandy on the side table and once again left.

Caine tossed the insert back to his brother. "Does the contraption work?"

"Yes," Colin answered. "I didn't realize…"

Caine saw the vulnerability in his brother's eyes and was amazed. It wasn't like Colin to let anyone see beyond the smile. He suddenly felt closer to his brother, and all because Colin wasn't shutting him out. He leaned forward in his chair, his elbows braced on his knees.

"What didn't you realize?"

Colin stared at the thick heel of the insert when he answered. "That my left leg was shorter than my right. It makes sense. The loss of muscle…"

He forced a shrug. Caine didn't know what to say to him. This was the first time Colin had acknowledged his condition and Caine wasn't certain how to proceed. If he sounded too nonchalant, his brother might assume he didn't care. Yet if he sounded too earnest and prodded him with questions, Colin might slam the door on the subject for another five years.

It was damned awkward. And in the end he didn't say anything. He changed the topic. "Have you talked to Father about Catherine yet?"

"Yes," Colin answered. "He promises to be on his guard. He's alerted his staff, too. If anything else is delivered, Father will see it first."

"Is he going to warn Catherine?"

"He didn't want to worry her," Colin replied. "I insisted. She needs to understand this is a serious matter. Catherine's a bit… flighty, isn't she?"

Caine smiled. "She isn't completely grown up yet, Colin. Give her time."

"And protect her until she does grow up."

"Yes."

Alesandra appeared in the doorway with Flannaghan at her side. She wore a dark blue robe that covered her from chin to slippers. She walked inside the study, smiled at Caine, and then turned to her husband. Colin held up the insert for her to see. She immediately lost her smile and started backing out of the room.

She didn't look frightened, just wary. "Alesandra, do you know something about this?"

She couldn't tell from his expression if he was angry or merely irritated with her. She reminded herself that her husband had vowed his love for her just minutes before and took a step forward. "Yes."

"Yes, what?"

"Yes, I know something about the insert. Good evening, Caine. It's good to see you again," she added in a rush.

She was deliberately being obtuse. Colin shook his head at her. "I asked you a question, wife," he said.

"Now I understand your question," she blurted out. She took another step forward. "Just before you left my chamber you asked me if I had something to tell you and now I realize you'd found the insert. All right, then. I'll tell you. I interfered. Yes, I did. I had your best interests at heart, Colin. I'm sorry you're so prickly about your leg, and if you weren't, I could have discussed my idea with you before sending Flannaghan to the bootmaker. I had to force your man to take on the assignment. He's most loyal to you," she hastened to add lest he think Flannaghan had somehow betrayed him.

"No, Princess," Flannaghan argued. "I begged you to let me take on the assignment."

Colin rolled his eyes heavenward. "What made you think of the idea?" he asked.

She looked surprised by his question. "You have a limp… at night, when you're tired, you do tend to limp a little. Colin, you are aware you favor your right leg, aren't you?"

He almost laughed. "Yes, I'm aware."

"Do you agree you're a fairly intelligent man?"

She was turning his words back on him. He held his frown. "Yes."

"Then why didn't you try to reason why you were limping?"

He lifted his shoulders in a shrug. "A shark took a bite out of my leg. Call me daft, Alesandra, but I assumed that was the reason I limped."

She shook her head. "That was the reason for the injury," she explained. "I looked at the bottoms of your shoes. The left heel was barely worn on each pair. Then, of course, I knew what to do." She let out a sigh. "I do wish you weren't so sensitive about this issue."

She turned to look at Caine. "He is sensitive, though. Have you, by chance, noticed?"

Caine nodded.

She smiled because she'd gained his agreement. "He won't even talk about it."

"He's talking about it now," Caine told her.

She whirled around to look at her husband. "You are talking about it," she cried out.

She looked thrilled. Colin didn't know what to make of that. "Yes," he agreed.

"Then will you let me sleep in your bed every night?"