WindSwept Narrows: #14 Daphne Paddington Read online

  “What’re they doing?” She asked when Anca greeted her.

  “We’ve been contracted by Logan,” she said with a nod and chuckle. “That expanse of track that you run…it should be visible, less trouble that way. We are clearing the brush, using it for burning here in the camp and removing trees in a neat line to grant visibility. A very smart decision.”

  “The trees will come in handy,” Daphne said quietly. “The paperwork is complete.”

  “You place a great deal of faith in me, Daphne, that I can convince my brothers to accept this property,” Anca exhaled slowly.

  “I owe your family for what they’ve done for me, Anca,” Daphne had saved this last bit for her final pitch. She sighed, pacing the ground. “I would hope that your brothers would understand. I feel the debt I owe their family as important to me as anyone’s pride and honor, surely they wouldn’t deny me that chance. It is not a gift. It is not charity. It will be a mutually favorable business arrangement for us both,” she exhaled slowly, facing the woman quietly, her lower lip pulled between her teeth. “Please. All I ask is that you try on my behalf.”

  “You present a good argument, Daphne,” she nodded, her smile soft.

  “What they did denying you the property was wrong, Anca,” Daphne said simply. “This is what I can do to make it right.”

  “I see you have healed,” she commented, pouring a cup of the tea her new friend liked and extending it to her. She watched the long legs curl beneath her like an elegant deer would, settling on the large comfortable pillows.

  Daphne sipped the warm flavorful spice tea and sighed. “Bruises and cuts heal. The man…they fired him. He’s being held in prison because this was the second time he was warned about his behaviors. I don’t like being afraid…I suppose the only thing worse would be if I feared for another. The attorney will try and make certain I know when he is released,” she shrugged absently.

  “I’ve never understood violence just because you’re larger or because you want something someone has denied you…humans are a confusing lot,” Anca said easily, lifting the folder and rising to her feet. “Will you wait here while I speak to my brothers?”

  “I…I’m afraid to…but, yes,” Daphne nodded and lay back on the comfortable stack of pillows. She closed her eyes, trying to form another plan if it all blew up in her face. Only there was no other plan.

  Zora nodded to Anca, pausing outside the smaller tent to introduce the man at her side. They entered the tent together, the elder brothers sitting back, waiting. Anca had four brothers, all were in attendance, including Andrei and his wife, Valerie, Vlad’s parents. She saw the clenched jaw line of her nephew and knew instantly that he had been told of the situation.

  Anca spoke clearly, outlining what Daphne wanted to do with the property. That there would be a percentage of food grown provided to the Emporium restaurant; that in five years time, the property would fully and completely belong to the family.

  She listened to their argument. She listened to their male pride that refused to see the benefit. They listened when she argued for Daphne’s pride and honor, repaying what she believed was a debt owed. She had hopes when they huddled together, whispering, arguing. So she had won at least one of them over.

  Martin Paddington stepped forward when the men stopped talking.

  “You would accept the property as a dowry,” Martin said quietly, looking from one to the other, sighing at the answer he saw in their faces. He knew how very important this project was to his daughter, he just hoped she understood his actions.

  Vlad ground his teeth and stepped forward, looking at each of the elder men carefully. He’d spent three hours the day before talking with Martin Paddington about his daughter and her plan for the property. Together they had agreed to this solution if things didn’t go well.

  “Then accept the property as a dowry from my future wife’s family to ours.”

  Surprised murmurs rippled through the people in the room. Andrei looked closely at his eldest son. “Is your future bride aware of this, Vlad?”

  “She will agree,” he said tonelessly. “Her father has given you his word on the marriage. He has agreed to the union on her behalf. Her honor is important to her and to me. Giving this property to our family, is important to her. Will you agree?” Dark eyes looked from one to the other, their heads bent and whispers heated.

  “Are you sure of this path, Vlad?” Andrei rubbed his neck, looking down at the ground after his son offered a curt, brusque nod. As much as his son bucked traditions, he knew what he was in his heart. He also knew why he had never found a bride on his own. “Then we will accept the property with the terms Anca has agreed to. Congratulations on finally choosing a bride, Vlad.”

  “Yeah…smart me,” he said sourly, striding angrily from the tent. He knew he should have stopped and spoke with his father. But he was too angry at the moment to keep his temper. He didn’t like having his hand forced and he knew from the first that running Daphne Paddington to ground would take a great deal of patience. Now achieving his goal would be twice as difficult.

  Vlad stood in the entrance to Anca’s tent for a long minute staring down at the woman curled against the coverings and pillows on the floor. He wanted her out of here for now. Until he had time to explain what had gone wrong with her plan.

  “Daphne…” He dropped to his heels, meeting the wide blue circles in the dim light of the tent. “We need to leave the camp.”

  “Leave?” She pushed herself up with a slight groan. “I think I must have dozed off. I can’t leave. I’m waiting for Anca.”

  “You and I need to talk. It’s about the property,” he said.

  “I…you know?” She pushed against the ground and stood up, looking down at the palm gripped firmly in his. He was leading her out the side, away from the camp to where some vehicles were parked in the quickly fading daylight. “You know what I wanted to do?”

  “I know,” came the short response.

  “Well…wait a minute…will you please stop pulling me…”

  “Then stop dragging your feet,” he pulled a set of keys from the pocket of his jacket and aimed them at the SUV, opening the door and wedging her against the seat. “You and I need to go someplace quiet and talk, Daphne.”

  “Alright…it’s quiet here. Talk,” she answered, a shiver running through her only she wasn’t sure it was from the chill in the night air. “This had nothing to do with you. Anca told me you’re in business with Brady O’Conner, an engineer. You’ve no interest in the farm so why am I talking to you? Are you one of the elders making the decision?”

  “I am an engineer. I am in a partnership with O’Conner. I can’t grow a turnip if my life depended on it,” his grin was crooked, a little relief at the smile she offered, the tension in her easing some. “I am not one of the elders.”

  “How did you know?”

  “Anca spoke with me. She wasn’t as convinced she could make them accept as you were. And she wanted a back-up solution. I can make the decision turn in your favor.”

  Her shoulders slumped. “They turned it down?”

  Vlad felt her disappointment, saw the dismay in her eyes. “The honor thing was a good gambit, but they felt your offer far too generous for the debt you believe you owed to our family.”

  “Anca spoke to you because she thought you could help us?” She asked after a quiet minute, staring into the dark circles above her. She closed her eyes, wanting to scream. “It’s wrong. It’s wrong they were denied the chance at the property. I only wanted to make it right.”

  “Let’s go for a ride, Daphne,” he lifted her to the seat before she could respond, closing the door and quickly crossing in front of the SUV to climb behind the steering wheel.

  “My car is over there,” she said, frowning at the camp disappearing behind them.

  “Your car will still be there in the morning.”

  “In the…exactly where are we going? And why?”

  “We’re taking a drive
, Daphne. How badly do you want to make that property gift happen?”

  “It was not a gift,” she answered tartly, shifting to the side, her small purse resting on her lap. “All I wanted to do was set it up in kind of a…a holding pen, if you will. So the idiotic owners…” She exhaled deeply. “Stupid world where men are involved in everything,” she threw herself against the door, arms up and crossing over her chest.

  “Yeah…” Vlad had to smile even though he had a feeling things wouldn’t remain smooth.

  “Anca and I would have this whole thing nicely arranged. The fence is almost complete. Tomorrow Eloise and I will wire the security system…” Her arms unwound, palms out in front of her. “It’s just wrong…”

  “Are you interested in a solution?” Vlad let the silence surround them for a few minutes.

  Daphne had been watching the highway signs. They were headed north. Then he took the exit that put them on the wide bridge expanse heading them east.

  “Where are we going?” She asked quietly. Again.

  Vlad lifted one hand off the wheel to rub his neck. This is where the fun begins, he thought cynically.

  “Daphne…do you want to make this property thing work?” He asked again.

  “Where are we going?” She countered once more, sitting up stiffly and turning to stare at him.

  “Let’s try another route…were you aware that your father was at the meeting with the elders?” He saw the flash of surprise on her face. “Or that I spent three hours with him yesterday discussing a solution so we could make this work.”

  “My father? Whatever for? This has nothing to do with him. I did this with my shares. I didn’t need his signature for anything!” She told him loudly, a sudden sense of panic in her. “Stop! Stop and…and turn around and take me to my car.”

  Vlad hurriedly slapped the door lock, his sigh tired.

  “I asked you if you wanted a solution to the property issue, Daphne,” Vlad repeat the question again.

  “I don’t like where this is going,” she said firmly, her head shaking and heart pounding.

  “Yeah, I’m not too thrilled with it either, believe me,” he said quietly, setting the cruise control and tapping in some peaceful music.

  “Why are you involved, Vlad?”

  “Because I’m the only way you can make it happen, Daphne.”

  “That doesn’t answer my question.”

  “Both of our families have a strong history, Daphne. They each have their own…standards…their own customs and traditions…a heritage that is older than both of us,” Vlad saw her hands clenched on her lap. Her jaw was set, her chin up and eyes defiant.

  “I seriously do not like where this is going,” she enunciated each word succinctly once more.

  Vlad drew in a long, slow breath.

  “The elders refused your offer of the property…on the original premise,” he said carefully.

  “But…”

  “But they will accept it on the terms you and Anca worked out, as a dowry,” Vlad held his breath, uncertain what her reaction would be. Bone chilling silence wasn’t what he was prepared for, but endured for several long minutes.

  “I see.” Daphne exhaled the words softly. “And you are involved in this because…”

  “I’m the eldest son. Because I believe in what you wanted to do and I think you’re logical and practical enough to make this work.”

  “You volunteered for this,” she said quietly, watching his profile in the darkness that had settled around them. “Are you the only single male in the clan? Or was there a…a card game or…or…oh, I don’t know…rock, paper, scissors….you know, some kind of loser gets stuck with the outsider?” Her voice had been steadily rising through each word, hands flying angrily in front of her.

  This, was what he expected, he thought ruefully.

  “For what it’s worth, yes, I volunteered. We both want the same thing, Daphne,” he pointed out, keeping his voice low and level. Spending four hours in the SUV with a hysterical woman had not been in his plans. “I want to see my family thrive and grow.”

  “Is there a blanket in here?” Came the demand, her hands opening the buckle at her side so she could hop onto her knees and peer into the backseat.

  “I…probably…will you…what the hell…” so much for level as the growl came out louder and louder. “Sit down, damn it!”

  “Got it,” she declared, buckling her belt and neatly folding the cover into a small, tight square.

  Vlad was still frowning, cautiously watching her movements. He watched her sit upright stiffly and bend forward, burying her face in the thick square of fabric. He sighed thickly, the very muffled sound immediately understood.

  “Can’t wait for a bathroom?”

  Daphne chose to ignore the sarcasm, throwing herself against the door and glaring out at the passing darkness.

  “You’re wasting your time. I won’t go through with this,” she said after several minutes, vaguely listening to the music.

  “Yes, you will,” he told her confidently.

  Daphne chewed on her lip, shifting her vision to view his profile in the front glass. She hated his confidence.

  “No, I won’t.”

  “You will and you will do it graciously and without kicking and screaming,” he informed her simply, continuing when there wasn’t a response. “Want to know why?”

  “I can’t very well say I do if I’m drugged…so I’m guessing it’s not that,” she answered flippantly. “So it must involve my being conscious.”

  “Your father gave his word to the elders,” Vlad said quietly, deciding he disliked seeing the slight slump in her shoulders. “I don’t know you well, yet, but I do know you would do nothing to break his promise.”

  She turned her face to the side, using the folded blanket to hold tightly against her, trying to condense herself as far into the corner as possible.

  “I know you meant it as a purely altruistic gesture, Daphne, but life is rarely so uncomplicated,” Vlad advised after a few minutes. “Are you planning on sulking the whole trip?”

  Daphne closed her eyes, willing herself someplace far, far away. It never worked, but it was a nice exercise in imagination, she mused, deciding that being Alice wouldn’t be a bad place to play.

  A heavy sigh broke the silence. “I had hoped we could get to know one another. Believe it or not, I was planning to ask you to have dinner with me.”

  Pale lashes squeezed a little tighter, her mind conjuring up the landscape in Alice, only the obstacles popping into her path weren’t imaginary. And she hated the lone tear that managed to escape, swiping at it angrily, curling her body a little more into the locked door frame. She was a thirty four year old perched atop a wildly colored mushroom and staring off into space. Hoping an answer would fall out of the sky maybe, she thought with a soft sigh.

  “They wouldn’t have accepted it if I had just tried selling it to them,” she finally said.

  “It might have worked if it had been done immediately,” he admitted slowly. “But not now that it’s all in the open. I could try and explain the pride and history but I have a feeling you’re very familiar with that type of heritage.”

  “This is all my fault,” she whispered. “I’m sorry. I honestly thought…”

  “I will readily admit this wasn’t in my weekend plans,” Vlad said carefully, just wanting to get her talking.

  “Oh god…do you have a girlfriend?” Daphne burst upright, spinning to face him. “I am so…I’m the other woman!” Came the mournful exclamation, her head falling to the window once more. “This just keeps getting worse and worse…”

  “Do thirty-seven year old guys have girlfriends? I’m not part of a couple, so you can relax. You are not the other woman,” Vlad wasn’t sure how he managed to keep his laughter inside. “No guys that’ll be heartbroken?”

  “Oh, sure…just the nutcase who thinks stalking is part of the dating process,” she said dryly. “We’ve always been very careful about br
inging…dates…boys…guys…” she exhaled deeply.

  “We?”

  “My cousins…seems all the Paddington brothers had daughters. And we’re very aware of the rules of the house,” she said quietly, her head shaking. “Anyway…bringing anyone to the house was a sure death sentence, so we worked hard to make sure it never happened. Until recently…not sure what happens to your brain after thirty.”

  “Have you always been a teacher?” He asked, relaxing a little, watching as she slipped her boots off and tucked her legs beneath her.

  “I’ve always wanted to work with little kids,” she nodded. “I taught in one of the large Tacoma public schools for a long time before the position came open with the resort.”

  “Now you teach there?”

  “I’m the assistant director…with the kids, it’s easier not to bother with titles. Everyone’s a teacher to them,” she told him, her smile a little crooked. “I don’t want to talk to you. I want to be angry and sulk.”

  “How’s that working for you?” He asked casually, her head shaking slowly.

  “Pretty much like the rest of my nefarious plot…”

  “Good thing you have other skills,” Vlad slowed the vehicle, heading them to the gas station. “I need to fill up…water? Coffee?”

  “I’ll get it…what do you want?” Daphne, pulled her jacket closed and slipped her feet into her boots, sliding to the concrete and stretching, shivering in the winds whipping around them.

  “Large black coffee, please,” Vlad answered, watching her break into a light run into the well lit convenience store. Half of him expected her to run. The other half of him felt he knew just how strong her ties to her family. He was putting the cap on the tank when he looked up to see her carrying a large steaming cup between both hands, the top of a bottle of water visible from the pocket of her jacket.

  Chapter Six

  Daphne kept her eyes on the cup as she walked. She hated carrying hot things because inevitably they ended up on her fingers. Her eyes didn’t leave the cup until a pair of larger palms came out and covered hers, removing the cup. Suddenly she felt trapped, her hand out to touch the side of the cold car, pressing her palm flat.