Edge of Time (Langston Brothers Series) (35 page)

“Yo
u and James were discussing
Kirsten last night, weren’t you?” she asked. “When you sent me away to get broth.”

             
“
Yes.” His jaw flexed and again he just felt… drained. So much for being forgiven. “Marissa I’m really in no s
hape to fight about this
.”

“I don’t want to fight either. Let’s just talk.”

“Please believe me when I swear that I love you and no one else,” Craig said, keeping his gaze steady on her dark brown
eyes
, willing her to see the truth, to understand it, to believe it, once and for all. “Kirsten is a selfish, spoiled brat and looks out for no one but herself.”

For a long time she
was quiet. Thinking.

Her silence went on too long for his liking. “Damn it, Marissa!” He tried to take a deep breath, but pain stabbed him. “I believe without a shadow of a doubt that you are not a Union spy. I believe that you tra
veled one hundred and forty-odd
years into the past so that I could find you. I believe the impossible for you, because I love you. Why can you not extend that same trust to me?”

She still said nothing and he plunged on, “Don’t you ever consider how hard it was for me to find out my wife was not who I thought she was? You talk about amazing things from the future that I cannot even begin to comprehend. Sometimes it makes me feel totally inadequate, and all I can wonder is if I am nothing more than what you had to settle for when you found you couldn’t return to you old life.”

“Hard for
you
?” Her voice was incredulous. “How dare you insinuate that I am spoiled, and ungrateful, and casting
you
in an unfair light.”

“That isn’t what I meant Marissa.”
             

“Oh, I think it is. Do you realize that you have never once asked me about my family? Did you know that I have three older brothers or that my mother’s name is Anne?”

He gulped, damn it, but she was right.

“You do believe the impossible for me, and I love you all the more for it. You have nothing to feel inadequate for because people now are no different than people one-hundred years in the future or one-hundred years in the past. I’m sorry I lied to you but you’ve obviously never thought that
my
life changed in a way that no one could ever expect. I didn’t settle for you Craig. I stopped trying to find a way back home. For you. I chose you. And if a way should turn up tomorrow, I’d choose you again.” A glossy sheen of tears spread over her eyes. “I have accepted that I will never see my parents or brothers again, and you will just have to accept that I
did
lose a lot that was important to me when I was torn from my old life.”

“I’m sorry.” The harsh features of his face softened. “It’s just that I don’t want to be forever trying to rectify the wrongs some man in your past
did you. I realize I look damn guilty
,
but I will not stand by and watch you regret our life together because you believe you could have had better in another time and place with that other man.”

All anger drained in the face of his words.

“
You can’t possibly believe it’s Brian I want?
” Her heart melted. “Craig, I don’t want him! That relationship was over, dead and buried
,
before I came here
.
N
o lifetime could be complete without you.” The floodgates opened and she gave her heart to him all over again. “I believe you.”

No other words were necessary.

He pulled her back against him, burying his face in her sweet smelling hair. For so long he’d longed to hear those words and reclaim the happiness he’d found with her. His wife.

“Come on, let’s get you laid back down,” she s
aid. He nodded and let her ease
him back onto the pillows. “Sleep for a while, then I’ll feed you more broth.”

“Don’t leave me, Mar
issa.
” Craig caught her wrist and turned her toward him.

“I will never leave you,” she vowed.

He smiled, and slept as she curled tenderly against his uninjured side
.

Edge of Time
230

Eighteen

Standing outside of Major Bernstein’s office James Rowe gnawed at
wad of tobacco stuffed in his cheek
. His conversation with Craig Langston had left him deeply troubled and he now sought the counsel of his commanding officer. The major would know the best course of actio
n, or so James sincerely hoped.

“What can I help you with, Captain Rowe?”
             

Closing the door behind him James turned to the major. “Sir, I think I can blow this whole situation with Craig and Marissa Langston out of the water, but I’m going to need your help doing it.”

“Really. Take a seat and tell me more.”

*     *     *

That evening James returned to check on Craig with Major Bernstein and the man Marissa had met the afternoon before.

“Captain Langston. It is good to see you again, though I wish it were under better circumstances.”
Colonel Briggs extended a hand.

“Yes, sir
,” Craig eyed the group warily.

“Some evidence has come to the attention of Major Bernstein in regard to recent accusations against you and your wife. As we discussed before, I w
ill be overseeing this matter.”

“Are we b
eing placed under arrest, sir?”

“Nothing of the sort, young man.” Gesturing to the bandage encircling Craig’s waist he asked, “Do y
ou know who did this, Captain?”

Craig shook his head
. The memory had yet to return.

“Do you have any idea w
ho would have wanted you dead?”

He let his breath out in a short, ironic laugh. “I have a few ideas, sir, but among them are half of the Confederacy who would believe the ridiculous rumor that my wife is a Yankee informant.”

“Quite right,” Briggs nodded thoughtfully. “Well, you rest up and we’ll see if we can’t get this mess straightened out before the end of the week.

Major Bernstein stepped forward and lightly dropped a hand to Craig’s shoulder. “I’ve taken the liberty of posting a twenty-hour hour guards around your house so no one will think to pull another stunt like what happened yesterday.”

“I appreciate everything you’ve done.” Shifting uncomfortably Craig continued. “Colonel Briggs said some new evidence has come to your attention. What is it?” These officers were not treating him like a fugitive and a small kernel of hope was beginning to rise. He clung to it.

The reply was cryptic. “You just worry about getting well and let me take care of sorting through this nonsense. If you need anything, Craig, please let me know.”

“Of course, sir, but I think I’m in more than capable hands.”
He cast a smile toward Marissa.

Even the major smiled. “Very good, but I’ll be by to check daily just the same.”

The men shook hands. “I appreciate that.”

When the men left Marissa turned to him. “Dare we hope that this new evidence will exonerate us?”

A touch of sadness skimmed the surface of her eyes and Craig reached
a hand out to stroke her cheek.
“Everything
will work out. Just wait and see.”

*     *     *

When word of Dr. Langston’s injury circulated through Charleston the societal paradigm shifted and a renewed sympathy for the young couple became apparent as they were inundated with visitors calling at all hours of the afternoon and evening. Fortunately, Hodges let only a few
into parlor
at a time, and on
ly those he, himself, approved.

“I don’t even know who half of these people are!” Marissa exclaimed
, peering into the hall
as the Hodges closed the door behind yet another group of callers.

Her husband
, looking much improved,
raised broad shoulders in an indifferent shrug. “Neither do I. Let’s just tell Hodges to turn them all away.” He grinned devilishly at his
wife’s incredulous expression.

“We can’t do tha
t, Craig! It would be so rude.”

“Fine then, we’ll turn them away for the rest of the day.”
He stood, r
eaching for the bell-pull, he summoned Hodges.

The elderly but poker-spined butler quickly appeared. “How may I b
e of assistance, Dr. Langston?”

“Mrs. Langston and I will not be receiving any
more visitors this afternoon.”

“Very well, sir,” Hodges replied with a nod, and as if on cue, a knock sounded at the front door. The couple could barely contain hysterical laughter as Hodges deep voice intoned the message that Dr. and Mrs. Langston were not receiving any more visitors that day. The
doctor was still convalescent.

“You see,” Craig bent to look into her eyes, “that wasn’t so rude, was it?”

Marissa sagged against him and shook her head. The last few days and been blissfully happy for her. Pulling him to the settee Marissa let him recline against her. Lovingly she ran soft fingers through his thick blond locks and caressed his face.

“I’m sorry for ever doubting you,” she whispered running gentle fingers along his jaw line.

Fixing a bright blue gaze upon her Craig replied, “It is past us, love, no regrets.” With a playful tilt of an eyebrow, he let a hand slide into her blouse. “I don’t know about you, but I could certainl
y use a bath. Care to join me?”

“Is that a
proposition, Captain Langston?”

“It sure as hell is.” Standing with a swiftness she’d not thought him capable of, Craig called down for Hodges to have Mrs. Potts prepare a bath in the upstairs chamber.

A short while later Marissa tightly bound a new dressing over Craig’s sutures and tried in vain to convince him not to soak in the water. “Craig I wish you wouldn’t take a bath. I wasn’t thinking earlier. It could open you up for an infection.”

Grumbling a myriad of curses under his breath Craig brushed off her concerns and sank into the steaming
water. “Are you coming or not?”

“Getting in the water would only be condoning what I specifically asked you
not
to do.” Marissa stubbornly placed her hands on her hips and was caught totally by surprise when Craig swiftly snagged her with his right arm and pulled her into the water with a resounding splash. “Damn it, Craig!” The unladylike oath spluttered with a gasp as her head resurfaced.

Unable to keep a pleased grin from his face Craig raised a hand as though in concession. “I’ll let you thoroughly inspect and cleanse my wound when we’re finished in the bath, but until then not you or a tho
usand rampaging horses could
pull me out of this water.” Without further ado, he put an arm behind his head and watched
appreciatively as Marissa
stood and stepped
dripping wet
from the tub. Disappointm
ent etched his
handsome face
.
“Aren’t you staying?”

Turning to him she wrinkled her face
.
“Of course I’m getting in. I would just prefer not to bathe with my clothes on.” She shed the sopping garments and twisted the thick expanse of her hair onto her head before stepping into the bath. With a contented sigh, she leaned against the broad expanse of her husb
and’s chest. “This feels good.”

“You know what would feel better?” Craig asked nibbling playfully at her ear.

Relishing the
rough expanse
of his hands on her skin she closed her eyes and melted beneath
his fingertips. “You tell me.”

“I think I’d rather show you.” His tongue dipped into her ear. “After we
finish in the bath of course.”

“I thought nothing could get you out,” she said, and
stood, water streaming off her.

“Well, when you put it that way...” Craig eased him
self from the tub
and drew her, still wet, to the bed.

“Stop,” she ordered, giving him The Look. “You cannot stay with that wet dressing on your wound.”

He allowed her to change it, then, lying on his back, pulled her astride him. “This time, you get to do all the work.”

*     *     *

A light knock on the door intruded upon the magic of the afternoon. “I said we weren’t to be disturbed,” Craig called over his shoulder as he tracing a hand along his wife’s flat stomach
, he
touched
his lips gently to her own.

“I’m sorry to interrupt, Dr. Langston,”
sounded the efficient voice of Hodges, “but a Major Bernstein is here to see you. He said that it is quite urgent, and your father is with him.”

With a sigh Craig bent his head to steal another moment of bliss before reentering the nightmare they’d blessedly avoided for the last few days. “I’m on my way Hodges. Ask the Major and my father to wait in my study.” Reluctantly Craig pulled away from his wife. “Well, I think the vacation is over. Bernstein must have some news for us.”

Nodding Marissa tried not to look apprehensive before her husband, but she had no idea what to expect. “Craig, what will happen if I’m convicted of treason?”

I
nst
antly he took her into his arms. “L
et’s not get ahead of ourselves, all right? You haven’t even been arrested. Besides I already have a plan for that.”

“You do?”

“Of course.
You can’t believe I’d let them hurt you?”

She smiled weakly.

“If they try to arrest you we’ll flee to Montana.”

“Be serious, Craig.”

“I am being serious. I’ve heard there is a great need for doctors in the western territories.”

She gave him a wobbly smile. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

A few minutes later the couple entered the study hand in hand.

Craig nodded to his father. “Pa
? What are you doing here?”

Robert stepped forward to grasp his son in a fatherly embrace, but Craig felt how gently he held him, as if afraid of hurting him. “Genie wrote me about yer troubles lad.” He cleared his throat gruffly and stepped back. “The thought of losin’ another son was more than I could bear. I went straight to Major Bernstein when I arrived this afternoon.”

“Genie?” Craig asked returning the embrace. “Genie Harris wrote you?”

“Aye,” his father nodded. “We’ve been keepin’ in touch since I came for that farce of a weddin’.”