The Firstborn

Acting avuncular went against the grain. His body was not feeling anything close to avuncular. Without waiting, he scooped up her overnight case and set off through the trees, cursing under his breath. What was he doing? Rescuing maidens in distress wasn’t part of his job description. He was a loner and he liked it that way. Hayley had permanence stamped all over her.

As the trees parted and the house came into view, Bram was reminded of exactly why he was helping her. Heartskeep should have been an attractive old mansion. It wasn’t. Not only was it in need of major repairs, but a brooding air of menace seemed to hover over the place like a cloud. He wasn’t given to flights of fancy, but Heartskeep gave him the creeps.

HAYLEY HAD TO TROT to keep pace with Bram’s much longer legs. The arrogant man didn’t seem to notice or care. How could he be so nice one minute and such a jerk the next? Thank heavens he didn’t know about the fantasy that had run through her mind during their quiet meal. Utterly ridiculous, of course, but she couldn’t remember ever being more attracted to a man.

Or more annoyed by one.

Bram Myers was a dichotomy she couldn’t ignore. He certainly didn’t seem to be having any problem ignoring her—except for that one brief moment when their hands had touched. Hayley didn’t want to think about that surge of physical awareness. She was used to men finding her attractive, but she’d never felt such a strong reciprocation. He wasn’t even her type. She preferred preppy, outgoing blondes, not dark, brooding men.

Fortunately, as the house rose out of the darkness, her thoughts were pulled from the disturbing memory of her physical reaction to the man. She was relieved by his presence at her side as they drew closer. Bram might be a total stranger, but he offered her a much needed sense of security. Her gaze traveled to the window where she was sure she’d seen some sort of motion earlier. She didn’t like this scared, sick feeling she had.

Unlocking the door, she stepped boldly into the main foyer and felt around for the light switch. To her intense relief, the electricity was back on. Like everything else in need of repair around here, the huge, dirty chandelier had several burned out bulbs, adding unwanted atmosphere in the enormous front hall.

Hayley called out once more. There was no response.

“You can’t stay here,” Bram said bluntly. His gaze swept past the grand piano in the far corner and the wide staircase rising to the second floor. The massive living room loomed ominously dark beyond the stairs.

While she wanted to agree with him, she stubbornly shook her head. “I won’t be chased out of my own home. However, if you’d like a change of pace, you could spend the night here with me.”

She wanted to bite her careless tongue. Bram stared at her in total silence. She knew exactly what he was thinking.

“I didn’t mean with me,” she corrected, practically stumbling over the words. “I meant in a bed. There are several empty rooms. You can have your pick. I thought you’d appreciate a change from a sleeping bag on the ground. You know, since you’re worried about me staying here all alone.”

Oh, Lord, she was rambling like a schoolgirl on her first date. If she had an ounce of brains she’d get back in her car and leave. What was she doing, inviting a total stranger to spend the night with her? Despite his kindness, and her undeniable attraction, she wasn’t sure she even liked the man.

No, that wasn’t true. She liked him just fine. Maybe too fine. As weird as it seemed, for some reason she felt safe with Bram. She couldn’t say the same about staying in Heartskeep alone.

“Your father wouldn’t approve,” Bram said mildly.

Her hackles rose. “So what? I’m an adult, not a child. As I told you, he doesn’t own this house. I do.”

“Maybe so,” Bram said softly, “but he’s the one who hired me.”

Hayley wavered. Should she stay or go? She glanced around uneasily. She could never remember a time when Heartskeep had been empty. If her mother or grandfather hadn’t been home, Kathy or Mrs. Walsh had always been around. Why weren’t they here now? The housekeeper and her daughter were practically members of the family. This cold emptiness was all wrong. If only Leigh was with her.

She should leave, only it would take twenty minutes to drive to The Inn outside Stony Ridge. She was already exhausted from the drive down from Boston, and she’d had two cups of wine. Besides, what if The Inn was full? It often was. The Inn was the only accommodation close by.

Was she going to let a little imagination chase her away from home like a scared little kid? Surely someone would return any minute. She’d told Bram the truth. Marcus seldom left the estate these days, preferring to spend most of his time working with his roses.

The muffled ring of a telephone shattered the ominous quiet. Hayley gave a start and offered Bram a weak smile, relieved at the familiar sound. “Excuse me a minute.”

She hurried across the marble foyer to the library. Flinging open one of the heavy wooden doors, she hit the wall switch, relieved when the lights not only worked, but the familiar room sprang into view, exactly as she remembered it. The rest of the house might feel cold and alien, but there were only warm memories in this room.

She lunged for the telephone, afraid whoever it was would hang up before the answering machine kicked in. Even as she picked up the receiver, she was aware that Bram had followed her inside. He lingered near the door, staring around the richly paneled room lined with books.

“Hello?”

On the other end, someone inhaled sharply. Then a voice barked in her ear, “Who is this?”

Hayley recognized Eden’s nasal tone immediately. “This is Hayley, Eden.”

“What are you doing there?”

“Gee, Eden, the last I knew this was my home.”

Eden had worked as her father’s nurse since before Hayley was born. The woman had never been particularly friendly, but until Hayley’s mother had disappeared, she’d never been outwardly antagonistic, either.

“Put Mrs. Norwhich on,” Eden demanded.

“Who?”

“The new housekeeper.”

“Where are Mrs. Walsh and Kathy?”

Eden sniffed. “They quit. Is Mrs. Norwhich there or not?”

“When did they quit? Where did they go?”

“I don’t have time for this, Hayley. Put Mrs. Norwhich on.”

Hayley held on to her temper. “As far as I know, I’m the only one here.”

“Where’s your sister?”

“Leigh’s still in England.”

Eden sniffed again. “I gather the power is back on?”

“Yes.”

“Well, Marcus already went to bed. I’m not going to wake him. It was all I could do to convince him to stay at The Inn this evening as it was. There’s no telling how long the power will remain on this time. The electric company is having some sort of problem with a transformer or something. I didn’t pay attention to their excuses. We decided it would be best to come here, since The Inn has its own generators. I won’t have to worry about having warm water or hot coffee come morning. This has been very annoying, I can tell you. Odette must have decided to stay in town overnight, as well.”

“Who’s Odette?”

“Mrs. Norwhich,” Eden explained brusquely. “Your father and I will drive back after breakfast.”

“Wait! Is there anyone else staying here at the house?”

“No. It’s a nuisance, but until her lease is up, Mrs. Kerstairs only comes in to clean during the day. Of course, she hasn’t been able to do much this week. You can’t work without electricity.”

Eyeing the dust on the tabletop, Hayley thought Mrs. Kerstairs hadn’t been doing much in far longer than a week, but she kept that thought to herself.

“Oh. There’s also that man Marcus hired to put up the new gates. I don’t remember his name, but he’s camping out by the old barns.”

“Yes. I’ve met Mr. Myers.”

Eden sniffed again, this time in disapproval. “Well, if you don’t want to stay there by yourself tonight, you’ll need to drive out to the highway and find a motel. The Inn is completely booked. This annoying electrical problem has driven many of our neighbors from their homes. If Mrs. Norwhich returns, let her know we won’t be needing breakfast. I’ll tell your father you’re back.”