Funny thing about being happy. It made you want everyone else around you to be happy, too. So of course he'd be concerned about his son's dilemma. She was just as concerned about what was bothering Marian, but she figured it was related to where they were. Marian had a lot of unpleasant memories associated with this town. Kathleen did, too, but she'd been away long enough for it not to affect her. Not so for Marian.

What she didn't think, was that Marian's sudden bad temper had anything to do with Chad. She'd done too good a job of ignoring him. She was afraid Chad was going to be flat out of luck where she was concerned, that any feelings involved were completely one sided. Which was too bad.

He should have told her how he felt about her sooner. He should have at least let her know what really happened in that stable, that he'd thought it was she with him that day. But he'd let too much time go by without telling her about his feelings. Just like a man, to prevaricate too long.

Kathleen blushed with the thought. She'd done the exact same thing by not letting Stuart know about her love for him. He'd scolded her thoroughly for that. If he hadn't tried to distract her from worrying about Marian the night of the barbecue, they might never have realized that their feelings were mutual.

She hugged him, tightly, for what she might have missed out on. Her present happiness still dazed her. And she was enjoying this trip back to Haverhill immensely—because Stuart was with her.

"You getting emotional on me again, Red?" Stuart guessed, chuckling.

Kathleen leaned back, grinning at him. "It's a good thing you don't mind."

His arms gathered her closer. Their lips met, gently at first, then with a great deal of passion. Soon, they were oblivious to their surroundings, aware of nothing but each other. Making love with Stuart was like making love for the first time. Kathleen would never have guessed just how wonderful it could be—with the right man.

* * *

Marian wasn't a bit surprised to find she'd wandered toward home without paying attention. Her old home.

She stood in front of the large three-story house for the longest time, just staring at it. It wasn't vacant. New drapes adorned the front windows. Someone had redecorated, and was living in it. Albert? She could at least hope so. That would mean it hadn't been sold, and they might be able to recover it.

"Excuse me," a female voice said. And then a bit more harshly, "Excuse me, you're blocking the gate."

Marian finally heard the woman next to her and blushed, quickly stepping out of the way. "I'm sorry. I'm afraid I was lost in thought."

"An odd place to stop and think," the woman huffed, and moved the baby stroller she was pushing forward so she could open the short gate at the pathway that led up to Marian's house—her old house.

Marian frowned when it was obvious the woman and child were going to enter the house. "A moment, please," she said, quickly following her up the path to the door. "Do you know who lives here?"

"I do," the woman said impatiently.

"Oh," Marian returned in disappointment.

So much for thinking the house might be recovered. The woman wasn't a servant. She was dressed in the height of fashion. While some servants could afford fashionable clothes, they couldn't afford fashionable clothes made out of such rich materials as this woman was wearing. Besides, she was much too snippy to be a servant.

Marian turned to leave, but then thought to ask, "Do you know Albert Bridges?"

"Certainly. He's my brother."

Marian caught back the gasp before it escaped. So she had been right. Albert was living there and had apparently moved in his whole family—sisters, brothers-in-law, nephews, and who knew who else.

The woman was tapping her foot. The baby was starting to fuss.

"I'm sorry to have bothered you," Marian offered, and turned to leave again.

"Just a minute," the woman demanded. "What do you want with Albert?"

Marian decided a fabrication was in order, so as not to cause any suspicion. She quickly offered one.

"My husband wishes to retain Mr. Bridges's legal services. He went by his office, but was told he was presently out of town."

"And so he is. He's not due back until the end of the week."

"I'm not sure we can wait that long. The matter is rather urgent."

"Hardly my concern," Albert's sister said tersely. "Either have your husband get an appointment at Albert's office or find another lawyer. But in either case, stop bothering me. Good day."

The door was slammed shut on Marian. What a rude, unpleasant woman. She wondered if she'd always been that way, or maybe guilt over what Albert had done had turned her into a shrew.

But Marian didn't tarry any longer. She walked back to the hotel, passing through the busier areas of town, lost in thought again. She had to decide whether to confess to the others that she'd gone out, when she'd been warned not to. She'd have to if she was going to tell them what she'd found out. Or she could just say nothing.

It wasn't really pertinent, after all, that Albert was living in their old house. Only Amanda would be glad —or enraged—to hear it. And she was sure that before Friday one of the men would find out where he lived, since they would want to cover his office, his home, and the train station on the day he was due back, to make sure they didn't miss him.

And she'd already done the most that she could do to help to apprehend him. She'd painted each of the men a small portrait of Albert from memory, so they'd know who they were looking for. Albert really didn't stand a chance of eluding them—if he returned to town.

Chapter 53

CHAD KNOCKED BRISKLY ON the door. The moment of truth was at hand, and he couldn't remember ever being quite so nervous. But, then, his future happiness was at stake.

He was going to lay his cards on the table and tell Marian everything. The delay in confronting Bridges had decided him. Three more days at loose ends with nothing to occupy him except his regrets. No thank you. So he knocked on her door. She'd either tell him to go to hell or—or make him a very happy man.

It finally broke through his nervousness that he'd been knocking for a very long time with no answer. He tried opening the door. It wasn't locked. And the room was empty. Well, what the hell?

He knew she wasn't with Red. He tried Amanda's room, but got an annoyed shout from Spencer inside, "Go away, we're sleeping!"

Yeah, right, it was obvious what those two were doing, but that meant Marian wasn't with them either. So where the hell was she?

He went downstairs to check the lobby. Mostly empty. He checked the hotel dining room. Completely empty, but then it was midafternoon, long past Iunchtime and too early for dinner. Worry began to set in.

He paced about in the lobby for a while, trying to decide whether to go out and look for her in a town he didn't know at all—meaning he wasn't likely to find her—or to wait there in the lobby and catch her when she returned. She walked through the front doors before he reached a decision.

He recognized her even with the veil. There probably wasn't anything she could do to disguise herself from him anymore. But then he'd gotten into the habit, from the day she'd removed her spectacles for good to view all of her, not just the obvious. He'd never again be in doubt of which sister he was dealing with. Other than wearing the same faces, they weren't identical at all.

She didn't notice him approaching her until he blocked her path. "I was about to send out a posse."

"Very funny," she replied, and tried to move around him. "I haven't been gone that long."

He blocked her again. "You weren't supposed to be gone at all."

She stiffened with that reminder, and told him, "I took precautions, or do you think I like looking at the world through black lace."

"I think you like driving me crazy with worry," he gritted out.

"How so? When I barely give you a thought?" she shot back dryly.

He growled, "Come with me," took her hand, and started dragging her out of the hotel.

"No! Stop it!"

He didn't. And it was all he could do to keep from being as snappish as she was. He didn't know why she was that way. He sure as hell knew why he would be. He said not another word. Instead he hailed a passing hack. He shoved her into the enclosed carriage the moment it pulled up to the curb. Marian sat on the seat opposite him and glared.

"Just where do you think you're taking me?" she asked in a tightly contained tone.

"Nowhere in particular, just somewhere we can talk without being interrupted."

"Well, you might want to give the driver directions. He's not going to budge without them."

He noted her smirk. She wasn't going to make this at all easy.

"This is your town, not mine," he said. "Do you have any suggestions?"

"I'd suggest you stop trying to abduct me and let me return to my room to rest before dinner."

He ignored her dramatic interpretation of what he was doing, said, "Actually, your room sounds about perfect. Shall we?" and he opened the carriage door again.

"Oh, now you're asking?" she snapped, and stepped back onto the curb, then threw back, "It's perfect for me, but you aren't invited."

She marched back into the hotel without him. Chad clenched his teeth, tossed a few coins at the driver with his apology, and hurried after Marian. She was rushing up the stairs, trying to beat him to her room so she could no doubt lock the door on him. He did some rushing of his own to catch up to her and actually had to run the last few steps down the corridor to get to her door first.