Night Winds by Gwyneth Atlee Page B

had tried to blame his friend . When neither plan succeeded, Ethan had wielded the power of the tantrum to get the head cook fired. Phillip shook his head at the memory. Even then, the young Lowell hated anyone interfering with his plans.
    That and a few other such incidents had convinced Phillip to steer clear of Ethan for years . It had come as a pleasant surprise when his old friend offered his support last month, just when Phillip most needed it. Since then, the two of them had enjoyed time spent together, often sharing a day’s relaxation sailing on the El Dorado or fishing from its decks.
    Because it was still fairly early, Phillip suspected he would find his friend on the yacht . He rode Cure toward the pier, all the while wondering how Ethan was handling his first bout of rejection.
    He found his friend lounging on a deck chair, enjoying a drink.
    “Come and join me,” Ethan invited. He didn’t get up, but gestured for Phillip to serve himself from the makeshift bar he’d set up on a small wooden stand nearby.
    Phillip poured himself a finger of bourbon, which he cut liberally with water . He intended to be perfectly sober when he saw Rachel tonight.
    Taking a seat, he sipped at his drink . “Consoling yourself, are you?”
    Ethan laughed, a harsh sound not unlike a bow scraped haphazardly across a violin’s strings . “Consoling myself? My friend, I’m celebrating!”
    Phillip chuckled . “So, you realized you’re better off without her. Good for you!”
    After a shake of his head, Ethan sloshed back the last of the amber liquid in his tumbler . When he had finished, he stood and moved back to the table for a refill.
    “I’m better off for certain, but I’m still going to have that girl.” He grin stretched past jubilant, toward smug.
    “You can’t mean you’ll still marry her after what she did.”
    Ethan flopped back into the chair with a lack of grace that led his friend to believe he’d been celebrating for some time . The grin broadened. “Oh, no. Now I’ll retain the opportunity to select a more suitable wife. I’ve another girl in mind already.”
    “But you just sai d ”
    “  I said I’d have Shae Rowan, not marry her. Meet Port Providence’s newest ‘patron of the arts.’ I’ve offered to put her into an apartment.”
    Phillip knew he shouldn’t care what Ethan did, but he abruptly recalled the look of devastation in Shae’s eyes last night as she knelt beside the ruined birdcage . “Surely, she wouldn’t agree to such a thing.”
    The blond shrugged expansively . “She will, soon enough.”
    “Perhaps you should know about her family situation . Last night I saw he r ”
    “  I know about the birds. She told me. Very distraught about the whole thing. It’s perfect, Phillip. She really has no other option. She may have been insulted when I brought it up this morning, but she’ll come crawling to me soon enough. By the time her father’s through with her, she’ll be more than sorry she missed her chance to be my wife. She’ll grovel for my help. I look forward to it. She’ll look so lovely begging.”
    “Does she truly understand what your help would cost her?”
    Ethan chuckled. “If she doesn’t know why a man puts a beautiful young woman into an apartment, then she’s hopelessly naïve. I’ll be doing her a favor to educate her on the point.”
    “But she’ll be ruined . And when her father learns she’s living in an apartment you own, he’ll be furious. The man’s a raving lunatic, from what I understand.”
    Ethan waved aside his friend’s concerns . “That damned Yank won’t dare fool with me. I could so easily destroy him. Besides, what do you care about some shop girl? Unless . . . why’d you go to see her last night? You take a fancy to her for yourself?”
    “Don’t be ludicrous . I simply wanted to be sure she’d made it home safely from the beach. I told you how I’d left her. And you’re taking unfair advantage, Ethan.