Something Borrowed, Something Blue

"Do you think my assassin would actually leave any kind of evidence that will help us identify him?" Tasha met Bracken's inflexible glance. She felt sure men of the 19th Century didn't change their minds when a mere woman voiced a different opinion than their own, but she'd try nonetheless. She truly wasn't up to traipsing in the grass in the cloth slippers women of this era called shoes. She was also more than a little sore from her encounter with her knight-in-shining-armor when he'd tackled her onto the floor. Not that she hadn't enjoyed the encounter.

"You'd be surprised what some fools can and do leave behind in the heat of battle." He motioned again toward the open doorway.

"All right, let's say we find the man who shot at me." Once again, Tasha felt a warmth come over her and began to perspire. She felt as if all her energy was draining out through her pores. "What about the poisoned tea? Do you believe the same person who tried to kill me and shot at me through the window also tried to poison me?" She wanted to stomp her foot and tell the much too handsome Bracken she didn't want to go out into the garden unless he was going to make passionate love to her. But truly all she wanted at this moment was to go to her room and and to her bed.

"Let's take one thing at a time, Poppy." Bracken stood none too patiently at the door.

With his straight dark hair combed away from his brow and the gleam in those dark eyes, Bracken reminded Tasha of a racehorse chomping at the bit in anticipation of the challenge to come. She moved toward the door and her pretend fiancee. Who knew? Maybe they'd find some clue to the indentity of the shooter. Once she found the identity of Poppy's murderer, she'd be on her way to another body and another mystery.

Tasha moved by the tall man and even in her tiredness she felt her heartbeat move up a notch. But she wasn't expecting the dizzy spell that followed. She moved a hand to her forehead. Her legs suddenly felt as if the bones had been removed and she staggered. She tried to regain her balance but it was no use, her legs wouldn't hold her up and she began to crumble toward the floor.

"Bloody hell." Bracken sounded more than a little peeved.

Tasha saw his arms move toward her to keep her upright. One of his large warm hands moved against her spine while his other pressed her lower chest pulling her into his solidness.

"I've got you Poppy." His tone had completely changed. His words were almost tender. "You're not going to fall."

Bracken's soothing words traveled straight to Tasha's love parched heart. But his comforting words were forgotten as the hand pressing near her abodomen became a hot piece of steel burning through her protective layers of clothing. It burned into her and into her unprotected midsection, boring a raw hole. A loud groan escaped Tasha's lips as a wave of indescribable pain hit her.

"Damn it, Poppy." Bracken looked down at his hand covered in blood. Poppy's blood. "You've been shot!"



Tasha awoke to see a pair of dark eyes filled with concern staring at her. "Hello." She smiled. She'd never in her entire life had anyone look at her in quite that way.

"We were worried about you." He continued to stare at her as if there was some bad news he didn't want to tell her. "Are you in pain?"

"Not much ... " She tried to move and realized it was a lie and amended her statement. "If I lay perfectly still." Would this be the first time she'd be unable to find out who'd killed her subject? It had to be about the money. Money and power brought out the worst in people. But who wanted it enough to kill for it. She gazed at Bracken's somber face. "Am I dying?"

"No ... no ..." He tried to smile but failed miserably. "I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong impression with my somber appearance. It's just that you've been unconscious for a good three hours. We were getting a little worried." He almost smiled this time. "It's not a serious wound as gunshot wounds go. A flesh wound, a glancing shot as it were. It merely grazed the skin. You've lost some blood but you're young and healthy. You'll survive. I'm hazarding a guess that all those layers of clothing you ladies wear most likely saved your life."

Tasha was light-headed with relief. She wasn't leaving him, umm, here ... not yet, at least. When she'd tried to move she realized she was wearing a nightgown beneath the bed covers. She felt like teasing him and removing some of that worry from his face. Her eyes widened in mock horror. "Do you realize this is the second time you've removed my clothing?"

"It was quite properly done. Your housekeeper assisted me. In fact, she has quite an apothecary. You're lucky to have her." He raised a dark brow in inquiry. "I think the next time I endeavor the task of removing your clothes, we should be alone. What do you think?"

As she gazed at the gleam in Bracken's eyes, Tasha suddenly pictured herself and the large muscular individual staring down at here, naked, disheveled and entangled in silk sheets. She saw a flash of white teeth. Could he read her mind? She felt the heat move up her neck and onto her cheeks. She was blushing. Blushing for goodness sake! She never blushed!

"I'll stop teasing you." Bracken smiled as he straightened and moved away from the bed. "You should began to feel better in a few days." He walked toward a large window and gazed out.

"Unless I'm poisoned before I improve." Tasha spoke her fears aloud. But she also wanted Bracken to be reminded she was still in danger. She had to find the killer before he succeeded ... again.

"Not if I have anything to do with it." He walked back toward the bed, lifted her hand and held it between his. "Do you trust that I'll help you find the person responsible?"

"Yes, I trust you." Tasha gazed into Bracken's eyes and knew she spoke the truth. She could count on one hand the people she'd trusted in her life. "And because I trust you, will you grant me a wish?"

"And what would that be?" Bracken smiled but it was a little hesitant.

"I want you to marry me. Now. Today." Tasha watched a look of pleased surprise light Bracken's face. She knew now what she'd been sent here to do.