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Authors: Jayne Castle
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it. It dawned on her that Adam thought she was the one getting married this morning but there was no chance to set him straight as he lashed out at her verbally. She wasn't at all certain but that he might strike her and mentally prepared herself for the blow.
"I told you that there was no possibility of a marriage between the two of you!" he stormed. "I swear to God you'll pay for this foolishness. What made you think you could try and trick me? Did you honestly think I'd let you get away with it? Did you?" he repeated, his voice rising.
"Adam, wait! Listen to me!" Janna pleaded.
"Save your words," he ordered. "You'll need them later! But I can tell you right now, they won't do you any good! You're a slow learner, woman, but by Heaven, you're going to have this lesson pounded into you...."
"Janna?" Lucy's soft, frightened tones came from somewhere behind Janna. "What's wrong? Who is this man? Shall I call Nat?"
"Stay out of this!" Adam snarled, glancing disinterestedly at the younger woman. "Janna and I have something to..." He broke off with such abruptness that Janna blinked, stunned.
"Who the hell are you?" he demanded of Lucy, who faced him bravely if uncertainly. He seemed to be unable to understand the white dress and veil.
"I'm Lucy Dalton and Janna here is a friend of mine. If you don't let her alone, I'll call my fiance who's waiting inside that church and he'll make you release her!"
"Your fiance?" Adam's fury was rapidly being replaced by a look of utter confusion. Janna took courage.
"Her fiance, Nat Halleck!" she clarified for him in chilling accents. "Lucy, meet your soon-to-be-brother-in-law, Adam Halleck!" She glared fiercely at Adam.
"He's awfully rough around the edges, Lucy, but he will soon be related to you. If I were you I wouldn't invite him for Christmas or Thanksgiving, however, until he learns to behave like a civilized human being!"
An incredible stillness descended on the three people confronting each other and on the group standing nervously on the church steps. It seemed as if the whole world was waiting for Adam's reaction. But it was Lucy who took the initiative. With a quick, warm smile she lifted her lacy white skirts and stepped toward the man who towered over her. Adam regarded her with a measure of fascination, one hand still holding Janna.
"Nat's brother will be most welcome at both Christmas and Thanksgiving," she whispered softly, holding out her small hand. "How do you do, Adam? I'm so very happy to meet you!"
"You're the one marrying Nat?" he growled, glancing from Janna's white face to Lucy's smiling one.
"Yes. I've been looking forward to meeting you. Nat said you wouldn't be able to make it to the wedding because of business, but...."
"I managed to fit it into my schedule," Adam said deliberately, pulling Janna fractionally closer. "It looks as if I'm just in time."
"Yes, you are. But you'll have to let go of Janna, I'm afraid. She's one of the bridesmaids. 1 can't imagine having the wedding without her!" Lucy dimpled as she glanced over at Janna.
"Lucy, my little sister-in-law, you can't imagine how happy I am to attend your wedding!" Adam drew a deep breath and turned to Janna. "I can wait until after the ceremony to pursue my discussion with Janna."
"Good. Let's get started, then. We're late," Lucy announced, turning back toward the church entrance. "Come along, Janna. You have to walk down the aisle ahead of me, remember?"
Janna ran a hand over her hair, trying to see if the yellow flowers were still in place. She had lost one and it lay at her feet on the grass. Before she could retrieve it, Adam bent down and closed his large hand around the fragile petals.
"Allow me," he whispered, gently tucking the flower into her hair. Janna stood silently while he arranged the blossom, fearing to meet his eyes and knowing that sooner or later the reckoning would come. Adam might be vastly relieved to know it wasn't Janna Nat was marrying, but he certainly wasn't going
"I told you that there was no possibility of a marriage between the two of you!" he stormed. "I swear to God you'll pay for this foolishness. What made you think you could try and trick me? Did you honestly think I'd let you get away with it? Did you?" he repeated, his voice rising.
"Adam, wait! Listen to me!" Janna pleaded.
"Save your words," he ordered. "You'll need them later! But I can tell you right now, they won't do you any good! You're a slow learner, woman, but by Heaven, you're going to have this lesson pounded into you...."
"Janna?" Lucy's soft, frightened tones came from somewhere behind Janna. "What's wrong? Who is this man? Shall I call Nat?"
"Stay out of this!" Adam snarled, glancing disinterestedly at the younger woman. "Janna and I have something to..." He broke off with such abruptness that Janna blinked, stunned.
"Who the hell are you?" he demanded of Lucy, who faced him bravely if uncertainly. He seemed to be unable to understand the white dress and veil.
"I'm Lucy Dalton and Janna here is a friend of mine. If you don't let her alone, I'll call my fiance who's waiting inside that church and he'll make you release her!"
"Your fiance?" Adam's fury was rapidly being replaced by a look of utter confusion. Janna took courage.
"Her fiance, Nat Halleck!" she clarified for him in chilling accents. "Lucy, meet your soon-to-be-brother-in-law, Adam Halleck!" She glared fiercely at Adam.
"He's awfully rough around the edges, Lucy, but he will soon be related to you. If I were you I wouldn't invite him for Christmas or Thanksgiving, however, until he learns to behave like a civilized human being!"
An incredible stillness descended on the three people confronting each other and on the group standing nervously on the church steps. It seemed as if the whole world was waiting for Adam's reaction. But it was Lucy who took the initiative. With a quick, warm smile she lifted her lacy white skirts and stepped toward the man who towered over her. Adam regarded her with a measure of fascination, one hand still holding Janna.
"Nat's brother will be most welcome at both Christmas and Thanksgiving," she whispered softly, holding out her small hand. "How do you do, Adam? I'm so very happy to meet you!"
"You're the one marrying Nat?" he growled, glancing from Janna's white face to Lucy's smiling one.
"Yes. I've been looking forward to meeting you. Nat said you wouldn't be able to make it to the wedding because of business, but...."
"I managed to fit it into my schedule," Adam said deliberately, pulling Janna fractionally closer. "It looks as if I'm just in time."
"Yes, you are. But you'll have to let go of Janna, I'm afraid. She's one of the bridesmaids. 1 can't imagine having the wedding without her!" Lucy dimpled as she glanced over at Janna.
"Lucy, my little sister-in-law, you can't imagine how happy I am to attend your wedding!" Adam drew a deep breath and turned to Janna. "I can wait until after the ceremony to pursue my discussion with Janna."
"Good. Let's get started, then. We're late," Lucy announced, turning back toward the church entrance. "Come along, Janna. You have to walk down the aisle ahead of me, remember?"
Janna ran a hand over her hair, trying to see if the yellow flowers were still in place. She had lost one and it lay at her feet on the grass. Before she could retrieve it, Adam bent down and closed his large hand around the fragile petals.
"Allow me," he whispered, gently tucking the flower into her hair. Janna stood silently while he arranged the blossom, fearing to meet his eyes and knowing that sooner or later the reckoning would come. Adam might be vastly relieved to know it wasn't Janna Nat was marrying, but he certainly wasn't going
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