Taken By Storm Part 44

"Lady Alaina did not share the news with me. She insisted that I bring her directly to Burke."

Lady Alaina finally regained her composure. "I had to speak with you myself, Mr. Longton."

"Please call me Burke. After all, you will soon be my sister-in-law."

Lady Alaina pressed both hands to her chest. "How I wish that were true. Unfortunately, my father

intends to see Cullen and you dead."

"He never planned to honor our agreement?" Burke asked.

Lady Alaina shook her head. "After you left I made certain to remain near my father, though he didn't

know I lurked about. I learned when I was very young to become invisible to my father while watching his every move. It kept me safe."

She paused a moment and stared at Storm. "I know you and yet..."

"My wife," Burke reminded.

Lady Alaina shook her head. "No, you're the infamous Storm. If I remember correctly, my father was instrumental in starting your career."

"He was," Storm said and, wanting to spare the woman any more obvious discomfort, added, "but it is the news you have we wish to hear."

Lady Alaina nodded. "Yes. Yes, it is important. My father has no intentions of releasing Cullen and no intentions of giving up the gold mine you offer him. He intends for neither of you to live."

Chapter 33.

B urke maintained his composure though he would have much preferred to repeatedly punch something.

He was a fool for even thinking the earl would play fair. Now what choice was left to him?

"That leaves us only one choice," Storm said.

"Absolutely not. You're not going into Weighton," Burke said sternly, and the other men nodded in agreement.

Lady Alaina hurried to Storm's side, grabbing hold of her hand. "Do you think it could work? Do you

think you can really rescue Cullen?""I believe that we'd have a fair chance with someone on the inside. Once contact could be made withCullen, there'd be two who could work together on the escape. The others could secure the outside areaso that when we made our break, there'd be no one to stop us."

"It sounds as if it could work," Lady Alaina said hopefully.

"It's too much of a risk," Burke said, refusing to even give the idea thought and yet knowing that therewas no other choice. But how could he condone sending the woman he loved into harm's way?"It may be the only way," Tanin agreed reluctantly."Finally, someone who realizes the dire straits of our situation," Storm said."Sending you into Weighton could mean sending you to your death," Burke said angrily. He couldn't help it. He was so frustrated with the circ.u.mstances. He couldn't see how he would find the strength to standby and let Storm be captured and dragged off to prison. He'd want to kill any man who dared lay a handon her.

"Your brother faces certain death if we don't. At least with me going in he has a chance, which is more than he has now."

Reason certainly was her forte, not that the plan made sense, or made it any easier for him.

Burke suddenly got an idea. "There's no need for you to go into Weighton. I'll be going in to ransom my brother and that will put me right where I need to be to help expedite the escape."

Lady Alaina shook her head. "No, my father does not plan for you to ever reach Weighton. He actuallytook great pleasure in knowing he'd prevent a reunion between you and Cullen.""That's it. I go in," Storm said emphatically.

"What can I do to help?" Lady Alaina asked eagerly.Burke stood silent, though he felt the urge to shout out his anger. He didn't want this. He didn't want tochance losing the woman he loved to save his brother, and yet he knew without a doubt that Stormwould advise him that it wasn't his choice. It was hers.

"Keep listening," Storm advised. "Let us know of anything you think is of importance. Philip will remain nearby and stay in contact with you. He will also let you know when it is time to join us. You need to make certain your father believes that you are going away to visit friends or something so that he does not become suspicious."

"I will make a plausible excuse that he will not doubt since he keeps a watchful eye on me, which is why I must return now before he suspects something. Good luck to you all," Lady Alaina said and walked over to Burke. "I cannot wait to see the look on Cullen's face when he lays eyes on his brother for the first time."

"I daresay the look in his eyes when he knows that you will be going to America with him will far exceed it."

She smiled and kissed his cheek. "Thank you. Thank you for a chance at happiness."

Once Philip and Alaina were gone, the group continued discussing the plan in relative silence until near dusk, when they stopped for the night. It wasn't until later, when all but Burke and Storm were asleep, she taking the first guard as usual, that Burke got a chance alone with her.

"You know I don't like this," he said, sitting beside her on a slight rise that allowed a good view of the forest from various angles.

"I know," Storm said, and slipped her arm around his.

He asked a question he knew the answer to, but he had to voice his concern. "Tell me why I should let you do this."

"You don't have a choice."

"What if I said I love you too much to chance losing you?"

She hesitated, then answered. "I would think I am lucky to have someone who loves me so much, but it

would change nothing."

He took strong hold of her hand. "I will be relieved when this is over and we are sailing home to America."

Storm sighed. "Burke, you know I cannot go with you."

He would settle this dilemma once and for all. Actually, she had settled it once she had made the choice

to go into the prison to free Cullen. "Do you love me?"

She glanced at him with the most serene blue eyes he had ever seen, and he knew then and there just how much she loved him, though he wished to hear the words.

"I love you very much, Mr. Longton."

He smiled. "Then it is settled."

"Burke, please understand my-"

"No," he snapped. "You understand that now you have no choice in the matter as I have no choice in

deciding if you go into Weighton or not."

"What do you mean?" Storm asked confused.

"You are the infamous outlaw Storm. What do you think will happen once you pull off a successful escape from Weighton? Not only will you have doubled the earl's wrath, you will most likely have incurred the king's wrath, and the bounty on your head will surely double, possibly triple. There will be no safe place for you to hide. You will have no choice but to leave Scotland. You sealed your fate, my love, once you made the decision to enter Weighton."

Her silence told him that she weighed the impact of his words and knew them to be the truth.

"In my zeal to free your brother, I had not given the consequences thought. You are right. I will be hunted viciously, as will anyone a.s.sociated with me. No place will be safe."

"Give it thought now," he said. "And while you're thinking on that, think on this." He brought her hand to

his mouth for a kiss. "Storm, will you do me the great honor of becoming my wife?"

She stared at him.

"The choice is yours. I do not want you to feel that you must marry me in order to go to America. If you

don't wish to marry me, I will see you safely to America and I will provide for you until you get on your own feet. However, you do love me, so it would seem reasonable that you would want to marry me. Would you? Marry me, that is."

She smiled.

"A smile is a good sign. Let me remind you again of how very wealthy I am, how much you adore my sense of humor and how deeply I am in love with you."

Her smile grew. "You forgot your leadership qualities."

"See what a good catch I am." He grinned.

"There is only one thing that matters," she said softly.

"What is that?" he asked and leaned his face down near hers.

"Love, that you love me and I love you. Nothing, absolutely nothing else matters. Foolishly, I thought it

did." She shook her head. "I thought rescuing people was my fate, but I realize it's not forever. Life changes. It always does whether we're ready for it or not. I admit I'm not ready. I don't believe I ever would be, but it looks like fate has decided that my life is about to change." She kissed him.

The kiss was gentle and Burke favored it for it sealed their future, their fate.

She rested her cheek against his. "I can't believe I am agreeing to this. What will happen to my men, mygroup of people who depend on me? There's so much to consider. Is this really a wise choice?""I will offer pa.s.sage to America for all those who choose to go, and for those who do not, I will give them sufficient coin to go elsewhere."

"You would do that?"

"I would do that for you, for I know you would worry over their fate and I want you to leave Scotland

free of worry for those who choose to remain behind."