to his great-grand-nephews, her brother’s children. Her sister-in-law wouldn’t allow the spider in her house, so Harvey stayed at the estate. Rae suppressed a shiver, realizing for the first time that she’d been deeded custody of the pet along with everything else. She wasn’t exactly crazy about Harvey either, but the boys loved him. The inner tension that had given her the stamina to get home now drained out of her, and she suddenly felt tired and apathetic. Hearing the passenger car door open, she acknowledged that she just didn’t have the energy to face her kidnappee. “I’ll leave Jed to you, Burrows. I’m going to bed.”
As she stepped into the warmth of the house, she vowed that the next time she kidnapped someone she’d bring Harvey along as an accomplice. A tarantula was sure to liven things up.
The next morning, Rae sat in the breakfast nook in the kitchen and stared at the cup of coffee cradled in her hands. Before she turned in last night, Burrows had tapped on her door and informed her that Jed had settled into the trophy room with very little complaint. She had yet to see him this morning. Thank heaven for that, she thought, unconsciously hunching her shoulders in shame.
The same thoughts she’d had during her restless night returned, and she wondered where the hell her common sense had been the night before. How could she have even seriously considered kidnapping Jed? What if he had her arrested? She shuddered at the thought, knowing that the crime was a felony. What had possessed her to do it?
She would be facing him at any moment, and she had no idea how to explain her insane actions. She never would have conceived of the kidnapping, if he had truly been a stranger. That was the problem, she decided. She kept forgetting herself with him. Maybe her best bet would be to apologize for any inconvenience, and hope he would think it was all a joke.
Grasping at the idea, she bolted upright in her chair. That was it! Just treat the whole mess as a joke. He’d probably be annoyed with her, but he surely wouldn’t think of going any further than that.
Hearing footsteps, she glanced sharply at the doorway then slumped in relief as Burrows strode into the room.
“I believe our ‘prisoner’ will be downstairs shortly,” he said, as he moved to the ten-burner range. On its own island in the middle of the work area, the range was the focal point of the kitchen. Burrows lifted a copper pan down from among the cookware hanging over the stove. “Might I suggest mulberry pancakes, miss.”
“No thanks,” she mumbled, her stomach flipping at the thought of food. “I’m not hungry. Jed would probably like some, though.”
“I believe, miss, that haute cuisine is unacceptable fare for a kidnap victim. I have taken the liberty of preparing bread and water for Mr. Waters. You, however, must eat something more substantial.”
“Burrows!” she gasped. “I did not kidnap Jed—”
“Could have fooled me,” Jed said, coming into the kitchen.
Rae whipped around to face him. He had on the pants and shirt from his tuxedo. The silk sleeves were rolled up to expose the corded muscles of his forearms. His hazel eyes were gleaming with amusement, and the grin under his mustache was positively rakish. He took the seat to the right of her. Inhaling the clean sharp scent of him, she swallowed back a wave of butterflies. “Jed. I was just kidding last night about kidnapping you. It was only a joke, and—”
She interrupted herself as Burrows set a plate with several slices of bread on it and a glass of water in front of Jed. “Your repast, sir.”
Jed glanced up at the butler. “You’ve got to be kidding, Burrows. How can Rae return me in good condition if I don’t eat properly?”
“I’m sorry, sir. I hadn’t realized. Of course, if your stay with us is to be a short one …”
Burrows’ voice trailed off, and both men turned questioningly to Rae. Jed asked, “How long will it take to get
As she stepped into the warmth of the house, she vowed that the next time she kidnapped someone she’d bring Harvey along as an accomplice. A tarantula was sure to liven things up.
The next morning, Rae sat in the breakfast nook in the kitchen and stared at the cup of coffee cradled in her hands. Before she turned in last night, Burrows had tapped on her door and informed her that Jed had settled into the trophy room with very little complaint. She had yet to see him this morning. Thank heaven for that, she thought, unconsciously hunching her shoulders in shame.
The same thoughts she’d had during her restless night returned, and she wondered where the hell her common sense had been the night before. How could she have even seriously considered kidnapping Jed? What if he had her arrested? She shuddered at the thought, knowing that the crime was a felony. What had possessed her to do it?
She would be facing him at any moment, and she had no idea how to explain her insane actions. She never would have conceived of the kidnapping, if he had truly been a stranger. That was the problem, she decided. She kept forgetting herself with him. Maybe her best bet would be to apologize for any inconvenience, and hope he would think it was all a joke.
Grasping at the idea, she bolted upright in her chair. That was it! Just treat the whole mess as a joke. He’d probably be annoyed with her, but he surely wouldn’t think of going any further than that.
Hearing footsteps, she glanced sharply at the doorway then slumped in relief as Burrows strode into the room.
“I believe our ‘prisoner’ will be downstairs shortly,” he said, as he moved to the ten-burner range. On its own island in the middle of the work area, the range was the focal point of the kitchen. Burrows lifted a copper pan down from among the cookware hanging over the stove. “Might I suggest mulberry pancakes, miss.”
“No thanks,” she mumbled, her stomach flipping at the thought of food. “I’m not hungry. Jed would probably like some, though.”
“I believe, miss, that haute cuisine is unacceptable fare for a kidnap victim. I have taken the liberty of preparing bread and water for Mr. Waters. You, however, must eat something more substantial.”
“Burrows!” she gasped. “I did not kidnap Jed—”
“Could have fooled me,” Jed said, coming into the kitchen.
Rae whipped around to face him. He had on the pants and shirt from his tuxedo. The silk sleeves were rolled up to expose the corded muscles of his forearms. His hazel eyes were gleaming with amusement, and the grin under his mustache was positively rakish. He took the seat to the right of her. Inhaling the clean sharp scent of him, she swallowed back a wave of butterflies. “Jed. I was just kidding last night about kidnapping you. It was only a joke, and—”
She interrupted herself as Burrows set a plate with several slices of bread on it and a glass of water in front of Jed. “Your repast, sir.”
Jed glanced up at the butler. “You’ve got to be kidding, Burrows. How can Rae return me in good condition if I don’t eat properly?”
“I’m sorry, sir. I hadn’t realized. Of course, if your stay with us is to be a short one …”
Burrows’ voice trailed off, and both men turned questioningly to Rae. Jed asked, “How long will it take to get
Similar Books
