Taken By Storm(54)
“Which we can learn from her,” he said with a wave of his hand.
“I don’t think that is a wise course of action. Foreigners asking too many questions aren’t well received. What we need to do is piece together what we already know and add to it. Then we can make a better judgment call.”
Burke stripped off his waistcoat and rolled up his sleeves. “What do we have?”
Storm’s glance gently fell over Burke. He was so very different from her Daniel in features, but alike when it came to protecting her. Burke had certainly taken a firm stance on that when he had stepped in front of the man with the whip. He had made it clear that no one would hurt her and he had done so with confidence.
At that very moment when he had stepped around her, blocked her from harm, she realized that he would do anything to keep her safe, even placing his own life in jeopardy.
“Storm?”
She stared up at him as he stroked her arms.
“Are you all right? You looked to have drifted away.”
His tender touch sent a tingle through her. It spread a warm heat throughout every part of her body, warning that passion was close behind.
She stepped away from him. “I’m fine. Lost in thought is all.”
“Good thoughts?”
His crooked smile warned that her answer could prove to sidetrack them from their present conversation. While her body alerted her to its readiness, her mind cautioned that the matter of his brother needed attention now.
“Your brother’s name was finally mentioned, so it tells us that he has been or may still be in the area.”
“You’re right. This is the first time someone actually has mentioned him by name.” Burke rubbed his chin. “Peter mentioned that I resembled the prisoner and Lady Alaina spoke of my resemblance to Cullen. That means the two very well could be one. Cullen must be the man being held prisoner by the Earl of Balford.”
“Did you notice the tears in Lady Alaina’s eyes when she spoke Cullen’s name?”
“Yes, I did,” Burke admitted anxiously. “She’s obviously upset by his imprisonment. Perhaps they were friends.”
Storm shook her head slowly. “There’s only one reason a woman would shed tears when speaking of a man.”
“And that is?”
“Love.”
Burke dropped down into the chair. “Something invaluable was stolen from the earl, isn’t that what we were told?”
Storm sat on the cushioned stool beside Burke. “His daughter’s heart was stolen. She must have fallen in love with Cullen, a man beneath her station.”
“But why imprison him? Why not just ship him off to another country?”
“I don’t know, but keep your distance from the Earl of Balford until we can figure this out.”
“Why?” Burke asked. “I could offer to take Cullen back to America with me and his problem would be solved.”
“Would you leave the woman you loved if presented with such an offer?”
Storm grew uneasy with the way his dark eyes rested on her, holding firm as if they refused to let go.
“Never!”
“Then I think we can safely assume that your brother would have an identical response. If he and Lady Alaina truly love each other, one is not going to let the other go. They will fight for their love, and the only victor in this battle will be the Earl of Balford.”
“You’re sure of that?”
“Believe me. I know the earl well.”
Burke’s eyes narrowed. “Lady Alaina thought you looked familiar as well. Why is that?”
Storm clenched her hands as that storm-ravaged night came back to her in full force. Before she could find her voice, Burke stood, took her hands in his, and gently guided her to the chair. Then he sat on a stool he pulled in front of her.
“Tell me, Storm.”
He squeezed her hand, offering comfort and courage, and she began her story.
“My husband, Daniel, and I had a small plot of land. We were happy, content in our own world, with ourselves. Then one day the landlord claimed that half of our land did not belong to us. The land he proposed to rob us of was ready for harvest and would have provided us with sufficient food for the coming winter and enough to pay our tenant rent.”
She took a breath, and she was relieved that Burke kept hold of her hands. His touch was warm and so very comforting.
“Naturally, Daniel protested, but the landlord had him imprisoned for a ridiculous charge. Fees for his imprisonment mounted, and without the harvest to sell at market, I was penniless.”
She choked on her words and the memories they evoked.
“Take your time,” Burke encouraged.
“The landlord took pleasure in making his prisoners suffer and more so if the family did not provide him with extra coins.” Tears welled in her eyes and she sniffed them back. She had cried endlessly then; she didn’t want to cry anymore. It did her no good, served no purpose, and hadn’t brought her husband back to her.