Page 100 of His Improper Lady

“She’s utterly mad,” Tom murmured.

With luck, the rickety structure would fail. But Desiree never depended on luck. She took off running. As they approached the large boulder, they could see that a narrow strip of sand lay between the rock and the ocean. Water was lapping closer with each wave; clearly the tide was coming in, crashing around the line of large, dark stones that lay farther out.

They slipped around the rock. A narrow inlet of water cut across their path and disappeared into a wide, dark hole in the cliff.

“A cave,” Desiree breathed. “This is it.” She started toward the opening in the cliff, drawn inexorably toward it. The premonition that had driven her for weeks swelled inside her, stretching into the cave, pulling her with it, seeking...she wasn’t sure what.

“Desiree?” Tom followed her. “What is it?”

“Where I’m meant to be.” Her steps hastened as the power pulling her grew stronger, more insistent.

“You think it’s better to hide here?” Tom’s tone was tinged with doubt.

“I don’t know. I just know it’s why I came.” Desiree walked into the mouth of the cave, and Tom came up beside her.

The inlet of ocean ran into the cavern, and they walked along a narrow ledge of rock beside the water. A few yards inside, the backwash of ocean ended as the stone floor began to rise, flattening out as it joined their ledge. A few feet farther on was a small pool of water. Beyond that was only looming darkness.

Tom and Desiree stopped when they reached the pool, deep in the shadows. Desiree’s heart pounded and her breaths came short and fast. The darkness seemed to pulse, reaching out to wrap its cold tendrils around her, push its way into her.

“I’m scared,” she whispered.

“I know.” Tom released her hand and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close. “But I’m here with you. I love you, and I intend to marry you. I’m not about to let anything take you from me.”

Warmth flooded Desiree at his words, pushing back the cold fingers tangling through her. Whatever awaited her, they would face it together. She smiled up at him. “I love you.”

They clung together for a moment, then Tom stepped back and dug into his pocket. “Let’s light a match. See what’s here. Maybe we can get far enough back she won’t find us.” He struck the match and lifted it up to peer into the darkness.

As Desiree turned to look back at the mouth of the cave, she glanced into the pool beside them. “Tom!” Frozen, Desiree stared down into the shallow water.

At the bottom of the pool lay two skeletons, side by side.

Their clothes were mere tatters, their flesh rotted away. One skeleton was smaller than the other, and each had a rope around its chest, binding it to a large rock. Bits of gold glinted beside the smaller frame’s skull and on its neck and wrist.

Tom, following her gaze, let out a startled curse.

“It’s them,” Desiree whispered. “My parents.” The dark turmoil that had permeated Desiree for weeks drained out of her.

The flame of the match reached Tom’s fingers, and he dropped it. Immediately he pulled out another. The little flare of light revealed the same scene.

“They’re both—he didn’t kill her.” Emotions surged in Desiree—relief, sorrow, horror, anger—all too fast and intense to separate.

“No. Somebody—” Tom’s voice cut off, and he and Desiree stared at each other.

“It was her. Tabitha killed them!” Desiree’s voice rang out.

“Of course I did,” Tabitha said.

Desiree and Tom jumped and whirled to face Tabitha. She stood at the mouth of the cave, once again pointing a gun at them.

“You killed my mother!” Desiree took a step forward, too filled with rage to consider the danger, but Tom grabbed her arm and held her in place.

“Well, at least you’re braver than she was.” Tabitha switched to a high, mocking tone. “‘Oh, please don’t kill me. My babies! Yes, I’ll do whatever you say. I’ll go down to the beach with you. Just don’t kill me.’ Anyone with a grain of sense would have known she was never leaving this place.” Her lips twisted in scorn.

“You heartless bitch!” Desiree’s hands curled into fists, and it was all she could do not to fling herself at the other woman.

“She took everything away from me—even this place. It was mine. I loved it. Papa brought me here as a child. I knew every inch of that beach. That’s why Papa made it part of my dowry. But she took even that from me. Persuaded Alistair to turn it into a love nest. My cottage!”

“You didn’t have to kill her!” Desiree shot back. “You were his wife, the mother of his heir. She could never have taken that away from you.”