Echoes in the Mist Page 17

  “Vanessa.”

  A deafening silence.

  “I read her suicide note.” Ariana raised her chin, valiantly confronting Trenton with the truth. “I never knew it existed.”

  Shutters descended over Trenton’s eyes, and his lips curled sardonically. “Well, well. Caldwell was even busier than I anticipated.”

  “You and I have to discuss—”

  “No.”

  Ariana’s chin came up. “Let me clarify my statement. We must discuss Vanessa’s death; there is no longer any alternative.”

  “I will not speak of your sister,” Trenton growled. “Not now … or ever. Listen to me, Ariana, and heed me well. Do not pursue this matter. You don’t know what you’re talking about … or what the consequences could be.”

  Prickles of fear ran up Ariana’s spine as she studied the biting hatred on her husband’s face. Fox. a fleeting instant she saw Trenton as Vanessa must have: as a man who was, beyond the shadow of a doubt, capable of murder.

  Trenton correctly interpreted his wife’s apprehensive expression, and the realization that she so profoundly feared him splintered the last of his control. Striding forward, he grabbed her elbow, jerking her roughly against him. “You’re my wife, Ariana! Loathe it or not, you belong to me. And no evils of the past can alter that.”

  The color drained from Ariana’s cheeks and she voiced a token protest, shaking her head haltingly from side to side. With a muffled curse, Trenton brought his mouth down on hers, bruising her lips with the violence of his kiss. “Damn her to hell,” he muttered, ravaging Ariana’s mouth with his own. “Damn each and every bloody Caldwell to hell.”

  He crushed Ariana to his chest, forcing her to accept his brand of total possession. His tongue thoroughly plundered her mouth, his arms held her captive with a grip of iron. Fiercely, he used his brutal kiss to proclaim her as his until at last, unable to conquer the assault, Ariana went limp and unresisting in his arms.

  Feeling his wife’s struggles cease, Trenton tore his mouth away, dragging air into his lungs, desperately trying to still the red haze of fury that had accosted him. Panting, he stared down into Ariana’s ashen face, scrutinizing her to see if her terror of him remained.

  Tears glistened in her eyes, on her cheeks. “Are you finished?” she asked quietly. “Or do you plan to hurt me too?”

  Abruptly, he shoved her away from him. “Get out of here,” he ordered, veering away. He crossed the room, slamming his fists against a marble pillar. “Just get out of my sight—now!”

  Ariana needed no further invitation. Gathering her skirts, she raced from the conservatory, never looking back.

  Trenton listened to the sound of his wife’s heels echoing down the hall until they faded and finally disappeared altogether. Slowly, he averted his head, staring at the empty doorway, the tormented fires of hell raging in his soul. It had been years since he’d lost control like that: striking out at a woman without thought or sanity. The last time had been six years ago—and the consequences had been fatal.

  But his motivation this time was drastically different.

  And that difference sent warning bells clanging through every nerve cell in his body.

  Trenton raked his fingers through his hair, the sweetness of his wife’s reluctant mouth still lingering on his tongue, her anguished tears still etched in his mind. He wanted to choke Baxter Caldwell with his bare hands for showing Ariana that letter.

  And the letter was only the beginning: merely one layer of the monstrous past for Caldwell to peel away.

  “Why am I not surprised to find you here?” Dustin teased, leaning against the stable wall.

  Ariana looked up from where she sat, amid a tall pile of hay on the stall floor. Tenderly, she stroked the soft head of a small yellow chick that sat contentedly cradled in her hands. “Were you looking for me?”

  Dustin frowned, taking in Ariana’s tear-streaked face and wide, haunted eyes. “What’s happened, sweetheart?”

  She lowered her head. “Nothing I want to discuss.”

  Dustin crossed the stall and lowered himself beside her, lifting her chin and forcing her to meet his gaze. “Is it Trent?”

  Ariana gave a hollow laugh. “Isn’t it always?”

  “No, not always,” he countered softly. “There are times when he makes you look positively radiant.”

  Pink-cheeked, she turned away. “That’s because I’m a romantic fool.”

  “Romantic yes. A fool, never.”

  “You’re wrong, Dustin. I’m the very worst of fools. In letting my instincts guide me, I’m afraid I’ve allowed myself to fall victim to a heinous lie.”

  Dustin was silent for a moment, sifting a handful of hay through his fingers. “Trenton’s feelings are no lie, Ariana. He cares for you … a great deal. Probably more than he knows, definitely more than he cares to admit.”

  “To the contrary, Dustin, the only feeling your brother has for me is contempt. He loathes me for being a Caldwell, and married me out of some obsessive need for vengeance.” She buried her face in the chick’s downy feathers. “Although why in heaven’s name he should seek retribution, when it was my sister who died, is beyond me.”

  Dustin’s jaw set. “You’ve been at Winsham?”

  Ariana’s head came up, her brows arched in surprise at Dustin’s icy tone. “Yes … today, as a matter of fact.”

  “Then that explains whatever stormy encounter you had with Trent.”

  “Why?” she asked incredulously. “Surely Trenton didn’t expect me to break off all ties with my brother simply because I married a man who despises him. Why would my visit to Winsham enrage him so?”

  Uneasily, Dustin smoothed his mustache, measuring his reply. “Trent has his reasons,” he said at last.

  “What are they?”

  “I’m not the one you should be asking, Ariana.”

  “But I am asking you,” she pleaded, clutching his arm. “Please, Dustin … You’re the only friend I have at Broddington. Won’t you give me some insight into the past?”

  Dustin stared at the small hand gripping his arm, torn between loyalty and compassion. When reason interceded on the side of compassion, reminding him that Trenton’s future happiness hinged on the eradication of his past, he made his decision. “Baxter and Trent go back many years,” he explained cautiously. “Since they were in their late teens.”

  “Before Vanessa and Trenton were …”

  “Yes.”

  Ariana blinked in surprise. “I didn’t know that. How did they meet?”

  “They were both competitors for an investment in a small manufacturing firm. The details don’t matter anymore. Suffice it to say, they had different methods of attaining their goals. Their antipathy was rapid and mutual.”

  Ariana scooted the chick off her lap and drew her knees up, resting her chin thoughtfully atop them. “Was Baxter unethical?”

  Silence.

  “Dustin, I know my brother … quite well, in fact. I have no false illusions about his character.” Seeing Dustin’s startled expression, she hastened on, qualifying her statement. “Baxter loves me; I know he does … in his way. But he will go to great lengths to retain his material comforts or, as is too often the case, to regain them. So if he stooped to somewhat shady methods to achieve his ends, it wouldn’t surprise me.”

  “You surprise me,” Dustin replied, shaking his head.

  “Why? Because I’m objective about those I love?” Ariana shrugged. “To me, love means recognizing someone’s flaws and caring in spite of them.” Tilting her head, she gave Dustin a searching look. “Isn’t that what you do?”

  His lips curved slightly. “I suppose I do. My, my … And here I thought I was the one teaching you.” Tenderly, he wrapped a strand of her hair about his finger and tugged. “For one so young, you’re very wise.”

  Ariana smiled back. “Wise, perhaps, but not terribly worldly. I know enough about your brother to guess that he is rigidly principled in his business dealings. I can
see why that would create conflict with Baxter. What I don’t see is how Vanessa fits into—”

  “Let’s say that Trent’s and Baxter’s differing philosophies extended to women as well.”

  “Women? But Vanessa was our sister!”

  “Prior to Vanessa. As far back as I can remember.” Dustin released Ariana’s lock of hair, holding her gaze with his. “As you are well aware, Trent is a handsome, titled, and extremely wealthy man. Needless to say, women flocked to him in droves.”

  An unexpected twist of jealousy gripped Ariana’s heart.

  “There were many women over the years,” Dustin continued. “Some were coveted by others, but were drawn to Trenton nonetheless.”

  Comprehension dawned on Ariana’s face. “What you’re saying is that Baxter and Trenton traveled in the same circles, and that the desirable ladies pursued Trenton, rather than Baxter.”

  Dustin nodded. “Yes, that’s what I’m saying.” Abruptly, he averted his gaze. “Your brother didn’t take kindly to the situation. He took his affections elsewhere … and his investment funds as well. His resulting way of life diametrically opposed Trent’s.”

  Ariana gave a resigned sigh. “In short, Baxter gambled excessively and had indiscriminate affairs with married women. … Trenton did not.”

  Again, Dustin started. “So you did know!”

  “About Trenton? No. About Baxter, of course I knew, I love my brother, but I have no misconceptions about his questionable values. I simply accept them as part of him.” She chewed her lip thoughtfully. “If Baxter disliked Trenton all those years, why would he allow Vanessa to become involved with him?”

  “It wasn’t Baxter’s choice.”

  “So that’s why Baxter and Vanessa argued,” Ariana murmured, remembering how surprised she’d been to overhear her brother’s and sister’s sudden, relentless shouting matches. Until then, Baxter had never raised his voice to Vanessa; to the contrary, he’d perpetually indulged her as his most beautiful and prized asset.

  “On your brother’s behalf, Trent had, by that time, acquired a rather extensive reputation with the ton’s unattached young women,” Dustin added, attempting to soften some of the day’s upsetting revelations. “So I’m sure that added fuel to Baxter’s fire.”

  “Was Trenton’s reputation earned?” Ariana heard herself ask.

  Dustin’s brows rose. “I’m not sure I should answer that question.” Seeing the unmistakable distress and confusion in Ariana’s eyes, he enfolded her hand between his. “Sweetheart, Trenton is much older than you: It’s only natural that he—”

  “I’m well aware of that, Dustin,” she interrupted, pushing her nagging jealousy to the far recesses of her mind. “I’m not questioning the reasons for Trenton’s past relationships. But he’s so formidable, so menacing. Weren’t women afraid of him?”

  “Ariana …” Dustin stared down at the small hand clasped in his. “Trent is not the same man he was years ago. Oh, he’s always been the intense sort, deeply passionate about what he believes in. But in his twenties he was more congenial, charming, sociable … with none of the bitterness you see now. His natural magnetism and self-assurance, combined with that overwhelming sense of power he emanates … No, Ariana, women weren’t afraid of him. Quite the contrary, actually.”

  “What happened to change him?” Ariana persisted, fighting the jealousy that once again reared its ugly head.

  A pained expression tightened Dustin’s face. “Our father died.”

  Ariana leaned closer, feeling she was hovering at the brink of a crucial precipice. “You told me Trenton and your father were very close.”

  “Very. Trenton ran all the family businesses and estates during the last years of Father’s life. He gave up much of his youth, his education, his dreams. He was the most bloody devoted son I’ve ever seen.”

  “Was your father’s death sudden?”

  Harsh memories slashed across Dustin’s face, drawing his mouth into a grim line of sorrow. “He had been weak for some time. But yes, his death was sudden.”

  “Was it precipitated by the shock of what Trenton did to Vanessa?” Ariana blurted out.

  Dustin flung her hand aside as if her touch burned. “What Trenton did to Vanessa? Hell. Ariana,Trenton did nothing to Vanessa. … It was very much the other way around!” Raking Ariana with condemning eyes, Dustin demanded, “Don’t you realize my brother could never have lived with himself if he’d actually caused Father’s death? As it is, he’s torn apart. I thought I knew you, Ariana, but it appears that I don’t. Not if you really believe what you just said.”

  Dustin’s biting accusation pushed her over the edge.

  Shattering into raw fragments, Ariana burst into tears, burying her face in her hands and shaking uncontrollably. “I don’t know what to believe,” she sobbed. “I’m so confused. … Help me, Dustin, I don’t know what to do. Please, help me.”

  Regretfully, Dustin gathered her against him, pressing her head beneath his chin and stroking her back in soothing circles. “Shhh,” he murmured, feeling her tears drench his shirt. “Of course I’ll help you. Poor sweetheart, you don’t know truth from lies at this point, do you? I’m sorry … I didn’t mean to explode like that It’s not your fault; you’re too young to remember, too innocent to protect yourself. Don’t cry, little one, I’ll help you.”

  “If my wife needs assistance, I’ll provide it.”

  Ariana froze at the sound of Trenton’s frigid words, her heart hammering frantically in her chest. The aftermath of her husband’s violent assault still lingered on her lips, in her mind, and instinctively she burrowed closer to Dustin, seeking protection and comfort Simultaneously, she realized how compromising they must look, clasped in each other’s arms on the stable floor, clinging together as if they were involved in some sordid tryst.

  She had no time to react before Trenton’s hand closed roughly on her arm, dragging her away from Dustin and to her feet. “Did you need something, Wife?”

  Ariana blanched beneath his blazing stare, his jaw clenched so tightly she thought it might snap.

  “Trent … don’t!” Dustin rose swiftly, stunned by the raw fury he saw etched on his brother’s face—at the same time fully aware of its true cause. “Stop now before you do something you’ll regret!”

  “Before I do something I’ll regret?” Trenton hurled back, his throat working convulsively. “I find my wife rolling around on the stable floor … with my brother, no less … and you want me to control myself!” His fingers bit into Ariana’s arm. “Did I come in at an inopportune moment?”

  Ariana winced. “You’re hurting me,” she whispered.

  “Am I?” He released her abruptly and, without thinking, she took a reflexive step toward Dustin.

  Thunder erupted in Trenton’s eyes. “Don’t push me, Ariana. I’m warning you, don’t push me.”

  She turned to Dustin, white-faced.

  “Go back to the house, sweetheart,” he told her, his disbelieving gaze on Trenton. “I want to have a talk with my brother.”

  “Dustin,” she protested, “I …”

  “Fear not, misty angel.” Trenton’s tone was caustic, savage. “I’ll restrain myself. … I won’t murder Dustin.”

  Ariana stared at him, taking in his rage, his jealousy, the full impact of his power. Then, sick at heart, she heeded Dustin’s suggestion and left the stable.

  “You really have lost your mind, haven’t you?” Dustin exploded the moment they were alone.

  “You’ve noticed?” Trenton countered, kicking a pile of hay from his path.

  “I’ve noticed a lot of things. It’s time you noticed them as well.”

  “Are you referring to your feelings for my wife?”

  “No … I’m referring to your feelings for your wife.”

  Trenton’s eyes narrowed menacingly. “At this particular moment I’d like to throttle her. And if I’m correct, she fully expects me to do just that. Or worse.”

  “I don’t blame he
r. You’re behaving like a ruthless maniac.”

  “And you’re going to save her from me, is that it?”

  Dustin snorted. “Enough of this idiotic drivel, Trent. We both know there’s nothing between Ariana and me.”

  “Then what is this about?”

  “It’s about the fact that you’re falling in love with your wife.”

  Shock, undiluted and profound, registered on Trenton’s face, altering quickly back to rage. Had Dustin been less observant or less adept at reading his brother’s reactions, he would have missed the fraction of an instant that bridged the two emotions; an instant in which absolute raw panic dominated Trenton’s expression.

  But Dustin was both observant and adept, so he just leaned casually against the wall, watching as Trenton slammed his fists against the stall door, shouting vehement denials, followed by a vivid stream of expletives.

  “The idea is less than acceptable, I presume?” Dustin inquired cheerfully over the din of his brother’s bluster.

  Trenton kicked the stall door wide and advanced furiously on Dustin. “Acceptable? It’s ludicrous! You know damned well why I married Ariana! She’s a Caldwell. The last Caldwell. And if by wrenching her away from Winsham I caused her brother endless suffering, it was worth the sacrifice.”

  “Sacrifice?” Dustin cocked a brow in Trenton’s direction, entirely unbothered by the dark inferno stalking him.

  Trenton came to an abrupt halt. “All right, perhaps sacrifice is too strong a word.”

  “I should say so.” Dustin’s teeth gleamed in the semi-darkened stall. “Considering the amount of time you and your sacrifice spend in bed.”

  “I’ve never denied wanting Ariana. She’s a beautiful woman. But what you’re seeing is lust, not love.”

  “Is it?” Dustin grew serious. “I think not. Be honest with yourself, Trent. Aren’t your feelings for Ariana surprisingly intense, considering the enmity that instigated your marriage?”

  “All my reactions to the Caldwells are intense.”

  “I’m not discussing your animosity.”

  Trenton’s anger hovered an instant longer, then ebbed into ambivalence. “She’s so damned innocent,” he muttered. “And she embraces life with such trusting faith. I suppose there’s a part of me that wants to shield her … from the demons of the past. …” His voice became low, his gaze haunted by indiscernible ghosts. “And from me.”