This is the moon peeking through the clouds. For every star, you have one wish, to be made at midnight with an open heart. That"s the custom in the village I visited in Bali. Since I"ve always thought of Dunraven towering beneath a midnight sky while magic walked abroad, the night sky and stars seemed appropriate."
"Where magic walks-you"re right in that. I"ve felt the enchantment in this castle since the first moment I saw it," Kara whispered. "Duncan will be beyond words. I don"t know how you managed to capture such magic."
Jamee shifted restlessly. "If you"d like me to change the layout, I can. Even the colors."
"There"s no way that Duncan or I will let you have this back, my dear. This goes in the place of honor at the foot of the stairs. There"s a single light that will pick up the gold flecks of the stars. And we"ll be very careful how we use our wishes, I promise."
"What wishes?" Duncan appeared at the foot of the stairs, then halted at the sight of Jamee"s weaving. He studied the layered tones of blue dotted with tiny spots of gold and inhaled slowly. "I don"t know what to say, Jamee. It"s enchanted. Is that actually how you see Dunraven?"
Jamee nodded. "Ever since my parents described it to me. I can see why they loved staying here. But I was afraid you"d want something more...realistic."
Duncan touched the textile reverently. "I don"t know when a piece of art has moved me more."
He looked at Kara. "Shall we hang it now?"
"Yes, let"s."
Dozens of tiny fiber stars gleamed beneath the single hall sconce as Duncan hung the weaving at the foot of the stairs. Fabric met stone in a primal complement of textures as old as woman against man, the result as natural as if the blue fabric had grown against the wall rather than been shaped by Jamee"s hands.
"I can"t thank you enough," Duncan said. "Your gift of vision changes this whole space."
"My other piece is very different," Jamee said, pleased with how the muted blues blended with the weathered granite wall. "The colors are extraordinary, all yellows and reds and peach. But I need to be more familiar with the castle before I can decide the bottom half of the design."
"Take your time. Every room is open to you, and I"ll be delighted to show you through anytime. On the other hand," Duncan added with a gleam in his eyes, "Ian knows his way around Dunraven almost as well as I do."
"I wouldn"t want to bother Ian," Jamee said stiffly. As she spoke a current of air brushed her neck.
"But I insist that you bother me." Ian moved behind Jamee. "And I"d like nothing better than to give you the grand tour. But first, your brother wants to talk to you. He"s on the phone."
He took Jamee"s arm, guiding her to Duncan"s study. As they neared the door, Ian added, "I told him about what happened at the cottage. I suspect he wants you to go home."
Jamee stared at Ian, unable to read the expression in his eyes. "What about you? Doyou want me to go?"
"It might be safer, Jamee. So far we haven"t come up with much."
"That"s not what I asked, Ian. I asked what youwanted. "
"What I want doesn"t matter," Ian answered. "If you"d feel safer back in the States, you should go."
She was torn by the thought. If she left, Ian would no longer be a target and she could begin the hard work of reclaiming her independence. But if she left now, there would be no resolution, and Jamee was no quitter.
He was making it too easy, she thought. Out that door and vanish, then their paths would never cross again. Someone else would escort her home; someone else would guard her until the kidnappers were finally cornered.
So easy.
"No," Jamee said tensely. "I"m not running away now." She caught the phone from the desk.
"Adam?"
"Jamee, are you okay over there?" Adam Night"s voice was edged with worry. "Duncan told me about what happened at the cottage. I"m not certain this man McCall can be counted on to keep you safe."
"Ian saved my life. Without him I would either be a captive now or I"d be dead in that fire."
"He told you exactly what"s happening?"
"He told me."
Adam muttered harshly. "Come home, Jamee. I"ll have someone travel with you, and I"ll meet you myself in London. There are too many risks this way."
"There are always risks, Adam. Even in crossing the street. Terence could tell you that." For a moment Jamee"s eyes blurred as she thought of her brother"s carefree grin and the off-key tunes he always whistled. "No, I"m staying here. Ian has a few ideas."
Adam cleared this throat. "Jamee, there"s one more thing. Something you don"t know about Ian."
She turned, studying the man standing in the doorway. "What about him?"
She saw Ian"s eyes narrow at her words. He strode across the room and pulled the receiver from her hand.
"I"ll talk to him now." He lifted the phone. "Night, this is Ian. Your sister seems to have made her choice. It"s up to me to back it up."
"Dammit, McCall, they nearly got her at the cottage. How many chances are they going to have?"
"No more. She won"t be out of my sight again. Now it"s your job to get some answers. Who made those inquiries? Where are they now?"
"Still no luck. We"re trying everything, but-"
"Then try harder," Ian snapped. "I"ll expect your call tonight, and I"ll expect some answers."
He shoved the phone down.
"What did he mean?" Jamee said slowly. "What aren"t you telling me, Ian?"
"Nothing that matters." He crossed his arms. "Let"s get some rules straight. From now on I know where you are every second. And you don"t leave the house unless Duncan or I go with you. Understood?"
"You can"t-"
Ian ignored her interruption. "If you make any change in schedule, I"ll expect you to check in immediately. Otherwise, I"ll come after you and I"ll be assuming the worst." His hand eased into his pocket and Jamee saw the glint of metal.
A gun.
Fear feathered across her neck. This was real. Handling guns and worrying about being jumped from behind had put the hard lines in Ian"s face and the shadows in his eyes.
Jamee didn"t want to hear any more. "I"ll do it. Whatever you say is necessary, Ian. But it makes me mad as hell."
Even worse, it made her afraid.
"Don"t be mad. Leave the anger to me." A smile twisted his lips. "I"m a lot better at it than you"ll ever be. Where are you going now?"
"I think I"ll do some work in my room. Angus brought my car up and carried in my bags. I"ve got a small loom set up."
"Get some rest. The weaving will wait."
"Is that an order?"
"No, it"s a suggestion." Ian"s hand rose toward her, then abruptly fell. "You look tired."
"So do you."
"I"ll sleep when I know you"re safe."
THERE WAS A TRICKto coming and going in physical form. Unfortunately, Terence Night still hadn"t mastered it.
He took shape in the middle of the front hall, as clumsy here as he was everywhere else.
White lights winked on the great tree as he sank to the floor and braced his chin on his palms.
"I"ve made a mess of everything. I thought they would be perfect for each other, but all they do is fight."
Something rustled at his feet. Terence looked up to see a gray cat stalking across the marble floor. "What do you think, Gideon? I"m open to any and all suggestions about now. I don"t want to ruin things."
The cat coiled about his feet.
"Do you really think that would work?"
The cat gave a soft meow.
Terence looked doubtful. "I don"t know, my sister is very independent."
The gray figure meowed again.
"Yes, I"m aware that other people would call her willful. It"s just that she"s out of her element.
She needs to feel in control. And I can feel the danger all around us. If only I could domore. "
The cat brushed against his foot.
"You can do that? Even finding the portrait?"
The cat"s eyes gleamed, very large and very keen.
Terence held up a hand. "No, I don"t think I want to know how." He frowned at the winking lights on the tree. "So you"re leaving it up to me. The choice has to be mine." Light filled the room as Terence paced back and forth, a shimmer of gold and a dozen other pastels. He stopped before the Christmas tree and touched the wings of a satin angel. "It"s for her own good. Jamee needs someone with a heart, someone who will take care of her. She"s been alone far too long. Oh, she"s got Adam, William and Bennett, but it"s not the same. And I can see what Ian McCall feels for her. The man is a positive volcano of color when he"s around her.
Too bad she can"t see it." Terence sighed. "It all used to be so simple: wake up in the morning, worry about what you"re going to do that day, worry about what you would eat and worry about where you would go after you died." He laughed. "No one told me that dying would be like this. Where are the little cherubs with harps? Where are the clouds of white cotton and the gates of solid pearl?"
At his feet Gideon blinked.
"I know. I"ve no reason for self-pity. And I"ll stumble through this somehow. I just wish I could talk to Jamee, if only for a second or two."
The cat went still, his head tilted.
"I know it"s not allowed. She doesn"t believe in ghosts or angels anyway. And yes, your help would be most appreciated. I am grateful to Lord Draycott for letting you come along to help me." His form shimmered, picking up a silver glow as his spirits rose. "When do we get started?"
The cat pranced forward, his head proudly erect.
"You"re certain the portrait is still there?"
Gideon"s gray tail flicked back and forth.
"Maybe that will make them remember." Terence smiled and whistled the first off-key notes of his favorite Neil Diamond song. It was an odd choice for an angel, but Gideon didn"t seem to mind.
Then both figures vanished into the thick stone walls of the castle.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN.
"A CHRISTMAS TABLEAU?"
Ian scowled at his reflection in the bathroom"s full-length gilt mirror two hours later. Next door he heard the hiss of Jamee"s loom, just as he had for the last fifteen minutes.
He couldn"t think of a more difficult time for Kara"s dinner to take place. He needed to focus on the threat to Jamee, not prance about in a Victorian costume.
He bit off an oath as he fumbled with the ornate silk closing at the front of his smoking jacket, assigned to him personally by Kara. Ian only wished he"d had the heart to turn her down.
The loom went still.
When the door opened, Ian swung around, scowling. "Jamee, I don"t suppose you could help me with-"
"Ian, I can"t get this blasted thing closed."
Jamee spoke at the same moment, a similar irritation on her face as she tugged at a row of tiny satin buttons that ran down the back of her lavender Victorian tea gown of lace and satin, also courtesy of Kara.
The dress might have been made solely for her, Ian thought. The lace spilled over her shoulders and hugged her slender wrists. She would be a natural for the photo.
And at least Jamee"s frown reassured him that he wasn"t alone in his frustration.
"I don"t know how people wore these clothes," she muttered, plucking vainly at her back.
"Turn around," Ian ordered. "They managed only because they had an army of servants who did nothing but get them in and out of the bloody things."
Jamee stood rigidly while he worked the tiny buttons into their closings. Ian didn"t tell her that he had seen his mother wear elaborate lace gowns similar to this one, her hair caught high and not a single strand out of place, even on a sweltering July afternoon. She had loved dressing up for ornate tea parties in Glenlyle"s gardens.
He had also seen his fragile mother turn pale and hopeless as she waited for the Glenlyle curse to take its toll.