CHAPTER 31

C HAPTER 31

B ran gave a whoop and surged forward to Cade with a rib-crushing hug. “Damn, I’m glad to see you! I wasn’t sure if I’d ever lay eyes on either of you again!”

They weren’t usually so affectionate, but Cade hugged his brother back with all his strength. He felt the pain and anxiety that Bran had endured, and now this rush of relief. The embrace reminded him of when they were small children escaping certain death at the baby farm. Cade had known how to fight, but Bran was the one who created hope. They had become true brothers then and forever.

“It’s a great relief to see both of you.” Bran released Cade and pulled Tamsyn into his arms. “Tam, you’re a miracle worker!”

Not afraid of tears, she hugged him back and said in a choked voice, “How did you find us?”

He grinned. “I was taking a quick trip to Portsmouth, and it was time to stop for the night. I had a feeling that there was someplace I should be. And it was here.”

“That’s how intuition works,” Tam said with amused understanding.

Moving out of Bran’s embrace, she caught Andre’s arm and pulled him forward. “Bran, meet Andre Jameson, a gifted young gentleman whose remarkable grandmother was instrumental in freeing Cade and getting us safely back to England. Andre, this is my brother Bran Tremayne.”

Bran turned and caught Andre’s hand. “Welcome! Are you a new addition to the Tribe of Tremayne?”

Andre smiled as they shook hands. “Perhaps not a full Tremayne but maybe a cousin? Meeting your brother and sister has been remarkably interesting.”

For an instant Cade saw something quick and unexpected as Bran’s gaze flicked from Cade to Tamsyn, but when he spoke, it was to Andre. “All Tremaynes are interesting. It’s a requirement. Along with being gifted.”

“Andre definitely qualifies,” Tam said. “Since he grew up in India, I want to hear about elephants!”

“Then your timing is excellent,” Bran said. “Mrs. Williams, who owns the King’s Arms with her husband, is preparing dinner now and there are rooms available as well. We can discuss our adventures, including elephants, over dinner.”

Tam took his arm. “Lead on, Bran! A clean room and good dinner will be most welcome. I can even put on a dress again! But where’s Merryn? Aren’t you still on your honeymoon?”

“We should be, but needs must,” he said regretfully. “Rhys really wanted me to make this visit to Portsmouth. Merryn and I reached London three days ago. We’re staying at Tremayne House so she can become better acquainted with the younger Tremaynes. I considered bringing her along to Portsmouth, but Gwyn persuaded us that she and the younger sisters needed to introduce Merryn to the delights of the metropolis.”

Tamsyn chuckled. “You’re wise to stay away.”

“Very likely you’re right, but I miss her!”

As they reached the entrance to the inn, Cade said, “You’ve become the Home Office’s official expert on possible dangers in the Royal Dockyards?”

“Apparently. Portsmouth is even larger than the Devonport Royal Dockyard,” Bran said. “I’ll tell you more about that later.”

As he opened the door to the inn, he said more seriously, “I’ve been rather worried. For a while earlier you both seemed to . . . to disappear from my mind. Usually, I have a sense of both of you, so losing that sense was . . . disturbing.”

Cade thought a moment. “Perhaps that was when the three of us and three gifted sailors on the smuggler’s cutter worked to wrap the ship in stealth, for lack of a better description. We were being pursued by a French naval vessel that we couldn’t outrun. The stealth worked on the French, but it didn’t occur to me that the effect would be so broad.”

Bran’s eyes widened. “I definitely want to hear more about that!” He glanced around the entry hall. “I’ll go find the Williamses. I believe there are two vacant rooms, one each for Tam and Andre. There are two beds in my room so Cade can stay with me and we can talk all night.”

“Just like old times,” Cade said with a smile, though he hated the idea that he and Tam wouldn’t be together. How quickly he’d become used to sharing a bed, or a bunk, with her. To being able to touch her and feel her warm spirit.

After Bran left in search of the proprietors, Andre asked, “Does he always have that much energy?”

Tam laughed. “Bran likes organizing things.” She sank into one of the wood chairs in the hall. “I’m more than happy to leave matters in his hands.”

Her faith wasn’t misplaced. It was only a few minutes before Bran returned with the proprietors. “Mr. and Mrs. Williams,” Bran said, “Let me introduce you to my brother and sister, Tamsyn and Cade Tremayne, and our cousin Andre Jameson.”

“Welcome to the King’s Arms!” the landlady said warmly. “You’ve just enough time to take your belongings to your rooms and wash up before dinner is served. Come along with me, lass.”

As she escorted Tamsyn upstairs, Mr. Williams took charge of the men. Andre was given a small but spanking clean room of his own, and Bran took Cade to their larger shared room.

When they entered, Cade pulled his battered carry bag from where it was slung across his chest. “I presume you took the bed by the window, as is your custom?”

“Of course,” his brother said.

Cade dropped his bag on the nearer bed and turned to the washstand. “It’s so good to be back in England, where all we have to worry about is spies and saboteurs instead of imprisonment and torture.”

“I can only imagine just how good that feels,” Bran said seriously as he sat on the edge of his bed. “I presume you never want to set foot in France again.”

“Too right!” Cade went to the washbasin to scrub, then dry his face. “But I definitely want to discuss the interesting results we’ve been getting by energy sharing.”

He combed his hair and made a half-hearted attempt to straighten his travel-worn clothing. Then the two of them headed down the stairs, closely followed by Tamsyn and Andre. Tam had donned a simple blue gown and looked modest and maidenly, though rather wrinkled. Completely and irresistibly adorable.

They were directed to a small dining room, which they had to themselves, and were soon indulging in a thoroughly British meal of cheddar cheese soup and a large and very tasty shepherd’s pie, accompanied by bread and cheese and pickled onions.

Cade had enjoyed the wine that was always available in France, but a fine English ale tasted very good tonight. Andre approached the meal a little warily. But being young, hungry, and adventurous, he ate his share with gusto after the first tastes.

When the first rush of eating slowed, Cade asked Bran, “Is there a particular danger threatening the Portsmouth Naval Yard?”

“Not that I know of,” Bran said as he buttered a piece of bread. “But now that war has resumed, all military installations are at risk of damage from French agents. The Commissioner of the Portsmouth Yard is interested in whether someone like me can train gifted members of his forces to better detect potential danger.”

“An interesting question,” Tam said thoughtfully. “Do you think you can provide effective training?”

“I have no idea,” he said. “But it will be interesting to find out. Now I want to hear how you used shared energy so effectively that the enemy lost sight of your smuggler’s ship.”

“It might be easiest to demonstrate,” Cade said. Tamsyn sat on his left and Andre on his right, so he joined hands with both of them. “Bran, close your eyes while we try invoking stealth. You can tell us what you sense and then what you see.”

Bran obediently closed his eyes. Cade glanced at Tam and Andre as he shared energy with them and then summoned stealth. It was easy compared to the hard work they’d done to protect the Sea Swan .

After a couple of minutes passed, Bran gave a soft whistle. “Interesting. Even with my eyes closed, I could sense all three of you. And then you slipped out of my mind. Andre first, probably because I’ve only just met him. Then Tam, then you last of all, Cade.”

“Presumably because you’ve known me the longest,” Cade said. “What happens when you open your eyes?”

Bran’s eyes opened. Looking bemused, he said, “I can see all three of you, but if we weren’t all sitting at the same table only a few feet apart, I think my gaze would slide away from you. Very interesting.”

“The next best thing to invisibility,” Tam observed. “I wonder if any of us can do this alone, or if Cade has to be part of the link?”

They experimented further. Cade definitely had the strongest gift for this particular action, but all of them had some ability now that they knew how to tap into it.

The dinner ended when Mrs. Williams provided a large pot of tea and a plate of small currant cakes. Another round of eating and drinking followed. When they were about to break up, Andre said, “Dining with the Tribe of Tremayne is amazingly educational and entertaining! Are all of your meals like this?”

Bran laughed. “Not usually, but we’ve had much to discuss.” He considered. “Do any of you three want to join me on my visit to the Portsmouth Royal Navy Yard? It would be interesting to see if this energy-sharing technique might be useful in detecting potential threats to the facility.”

“Thank you for the suggestion, but I want to go home! We should be getting back to London,” Tam said firmly.

“You can send a message to Rhys and Gwyn that you’re both safely back in England and that you’ve found a new cousin,” Bran said persuasively. “You’ll only be delayed a couple of days.”

Tam stood and covered a yawn. “I’ll sleep on it. For now, Mr. Williams has promised me hot water for washing up, after which I’ll collapse on that very fine bed in a place where Cade and Andre and I can all feel safe !”

“Can’t argue with that!” Bran said with a smile. “We can discuss the possibility of Portsmouth in the morning.”

Cade trailed the others up the stairs to their rooms. He’d hope for an unobtrusive private moment with Tam, but that didn’t turn out to be possible. They exchanged glances when she turned at her door to say good night, and her smile made it almost like a kiss. Alas, not close enough.

He followed Bran into their shared room and immediately pulled off his coat and boots. Bran did the same, saying, “I know you’ve had a very difficult time. I want to hear as much as you want to talk about, which probably isn’t everything.”

Cade thought back through the eventful weeks since Bran and Merryn’s wedding. He’d known excruciating pain and bone-deep fear . . . and so much more. “You’ve always been an excellent listener. But much of what happened you already know, and some things really shouldn’t be talked about.”

Quietly Bran said, “Does that include you and Tamsyn?”

Cade froze. “Is it so obvious?”

“It is to me. We each have things we don’t care to talk about, but we’ve never really kept secrets from each other.”

Cade straightened up and studied his brother’s expression. “Are you horrified?”

Bran’s brows drew together. “My first reaction was shock and surprise. My second was not to be surprised. When Gwyn and Rhys brought us to Tremayne House, frozen and half starved, Tam welcomed us to the family with open arms. She was wonderful and I knew I would love her as my sister forever. You had your own relationship with her that was equally strong, but different. Unique to the two of you. Looking back, I realize that you’ve always loved her, but not as a sister.”

Cade sank down on the chair beside his bed. “You notice too damned much!”

“One of the downsides of being gifted,” Bran said dryly. “I’m guessing that you never spoke about your feelings to Tam or anyone else.”

Voice hard, Cade said, “Of course not. But Claude Bastien, my unwanted half brother, thought we were married and said as much to me. In my addled state, I believed him. After Tam rescued me, I kissed her as if she was my wife.”

Bran’s brows arched. “That surely set the cat among the pigeons!”

“Much mutual confusion followed,” Cade agreed, thinking back to the satisfaction and shock of that kiss. “I apologized for the kiss, but . . . we found that what I’d said changed . . . everything. Yet I can’t see a future for us because of the damage our relationship would cause to the rest of the family.”

Bran nodded gravely. “What does Tam think?”

“She’s more optimistic than I am.” Cade smiled involuntarily. “She always has been. One of the many reasons I love her.”

“She’s very lovable,” Bran said. “But as you both know, the situation will be . . . challenging.”

“I’m all too aware of that.” Cade drew a deep breath before asking the hardest question. “What do you think will happen in the family if Tam and I say we’re in love and want to marry? Will Rhys and Gwyn forbid me to ever enter Tremayne House again?”

“Nothing so drastic,” Bran said reassuringly. “I think they’ll be surprised, or at least Rhys will. Gwyn is less likely to be because she has a better sense of the emotions of all her children.”

“Whereas Rhys is a protective father to all of us and might disown me for taking advantage of his beloved eldest daughter,” Cade said flatly.

“Anyone who believes that Tam can be taken advantage of doesn’t know her very well,” Bran said dryly. “I expect that after the first shock, Rhys will see reason. If there’s going to be trouble, it will be among the younger members of the family, particularly the girls. They all adore Tam and have her firmly on a pedestal. Some might have trouble seeing her as a woman in her own right rather than as an icon.”

Cade frowned as he thought of the younger Tremayne brothers and sisters. “I think you may be right. They’ll surely blame me for behaving badly where Tam is concerned.”

Bran nodded. “Some will think it’s romantic, others will be appalled.”

“What about Cameron? I’ve always suspected that he might be half in love with Tam himself. That makes me the villain again.”

“Perhaps, but he rather idolizes you. He might think that you’re a worthy mate for the Tremayne golden girl.”

Taken aback, Cade said, “Why would he idolize me? That’s ridiculous!”

“You underestimate the effect you have on others.” Bran’s expression became troubled. “I think there’s a reasonably good chance the family will eventually accept a marriage between you and Tam, but I have no idea how any given family member will react, nor how long acceptance would take.”

Cade wished Bran’s analysis was more optimistic, but it sounded realistic. Bran was always honest with him. He asked quietly, “How do you feel, Bran? Your opinion matters more to me than anyone else’s.”

“I want you to be as happy as Merryn and I are,” Bran said, his gaze direct. “If you and Tamsyn are right for each other, I hope and pray that you can find a way to be together that everyone can accept.”

“Thank you,” Cade said awkwardly. “It would be very hard if you disapproved.”

“This brings up an important question,” Bran said slowly. “Is she as committed to you as you are to her?”

Cade’s first reaction was to retort that of course she was, but then he forced himself to be objective because that question was critically important. Leave it to Bran to ask it. “I think so, but I’m . . . not quite sure. I’ve been in love with Tam for years, but this is new for her.”

Though the mutual attraction was strong, he wondered uneasily if Tamsyn might be confusing the discovery of passion with deep, lasting love. He hated that thought, but in fairness to her, the issue must be considered. “With everyone in the family gifted, I suspect that she and I can’t even talk to each other without other Tremaynes noticing now that we’re back in England.”

Bran’s expression became thoughtful. “There may be a way around that. Your gift for stealth. If you want to go to her room tonight to talk or anything else, you should be able to do so unnoticed.”

Startled, Cade said, “I hadn’t thought of using stealth in such a personal way.”

“Why not? It could be a useful way to give you and Tam the chance to work out your future without having an audience watching and judging.”

“An excellent idea.” Cade smiled a little. “Ideas have always been your specialty.”

“Here’s another one. Don’t call on Tam until she’s had time to wash up.” Bran laughed. “She’s surely cherishing having hot water and won’t want to be interrupted. And get that expression off your face!”

Cade groaned. It was hard not to imagine Tam blissfully enjoying the hot water as she washed her bare curves. Her blond hair would be pinned on top of her head and a few silken tendrils would curl around her neck. “You’re right. And now that you mention it, I could use a good washup, too. I’d love fresh clothes as well, but I don’t have much with me.”

“I brought along a change of clothing for you,” Bran said.

Cade stared at him. “You were that confident you’d find me?”

“Not exactly confident, but hopeful.” Bran reached under his bed and pulled out his traveler bag. “If you want to go down to order some hot water, I’ll unpack the outfit I brought.”

“You are the best of brothers!” Cade exclaimed.

Bran laughed. “Indeed I am!”