Preston’s eyes took in the pallid, exhausted figure, so different from the vivacious beauty he recalled. Guilt sliced through him as it occurred that perhaps his brother’s absence was even more heart-rending to this woman. Funny... Even while making the first tentative steps toward his brother, Preston never once asked Nigel about his relationship with Sydney Fox. Were they mere colleagues and friends, or were they in fact involved on a more personal level?
Her dark brown breeches and vest fit close to her skin, showing off a slim but very feminine figure. The snowy poet’s shirt spilled out from the vest in billowing white sleeves and a rounded neckline that paralleled the curve of her breasts. No matter her condition, Sydney Fox was a stunningly beautiful woman. Surely Nigel knew that, too.
Without a word, he drew her inside, nodding approval to the dark-haired man behind her. Even in his sheltered life, Preston Bailey knew the look of a law-enforcement officer. By the cut of his suit, this one was American. Sydney’s reaction to her companion – or rather, her lack thereof – was in itself telling. She knew this man, trusted him insofar as his job involved, and not one whit further.
"Come in. I only just got the ransom demands." The words hung in the air, echoing through his consciousness. The syllables sounded so harsh, so detached. He supposed Sydney would think he didn’t care about his younger brother at all, when nothing could be further from the truth.
But the darkly exotic woman laid a hand on his forearm, and her brown eyes poured genuine sympathy over him. Only then did he expel the breath he’d been holding.
"I’m Preston Bailey, Nigel’s brother," he explained to the government man. "You’re with Sydney, so I assume you know what’s going on." He glanced at Sydney, then averted his eyes. He couldn’t bear facing Nigel’s colleague and friend, not just now. His own grief was difficult enough. Hers would tip him over a precipice from which he couldn’t return.
"Derek Lloyd," the government man replied in clipped tones, offering no further clarification. "Yeah, I know plenty. And I wish I knew more." Lloyd nodded toward Sydney, who literally looked like she might faint at any minute. "I think Syd needs to lie down. She’s not supposed to be up and about. She’s supposed to be in the hospital."
For that revelation, Sydney shot Lloyd a look that threatened bodily harm. "I’m fine," she snapped.
Her protests notwithstanding, her face was gray and she shivered in the unheated entry. "Come on, I’ll warm a pot of tea. I presume you and your friend, Mr. Lloyd, will want to see what I’ve got." Preston took Sydney’s elbow and steered her to an oversized paisley chaise lounge in the family area. Ignoring her rather feeble arguments, he tucked a pillow behind her and drew a soft, creamy Irish wool shawl over her. Her body reclined automatically, an indication that she truly was not well. "I don’t want Nigel coming back to find you ill," Preston remarked, oblivious to the contradiction. He was still operating in a daze, himself, hardly aware of his actions or words.
Lloyd ignored the exchange. The agent moved to the packages, glancing at the frozen television screen, picking up the letter and skimming through it. Preston handed over the remote to the telly, letting Lloyd press the button to release the videotape from its paused state. Watching it a thousand times would change nothing. There was no doubt that the half-cognizant creature on the tape was Nigel; nor that Nigel was drugged; nor that he was a half a world away.
Making tea was such a trivial thing, yet Preston focused on the task, as it kept him occupied. Walk to the kitchen, set the china and silver out in perfect order, spread out on the sterling tray. It took him mere moments to accomplish the job and distribute the steaming cups, sugar, and cream. Then he was left with nothing to do but sit back in the oversized chair he’d claimed so many years ago. "This Viper, he can have the money. I just wanted you to know that. I will give up whatever it takes. If he likes, he can trade me for Nigel. I suppose that would be its own justice, all things considered."
"That’s not what we’re going to do." Lloyd’s voice was firm. "The money won’t make a difference. He wants this Ichriem, and that’s our only leverage."
Preston’s jaw dropped. "Ichriem?" he squeaked, hardly able to believe his ears. "He wants Ichriem??? That’s not possible. There’s no such an artifact. It’s pure balderdash wrapped up in legend. There’s no more a real Ichriem than there is a marriage license for Queen Elizabeth and Paul McCartney. It’s absolutely bogus, all nonsense!"
"Yeah, I know," sighed Sydney. "But the Viper doesn’t believe that. He believes we have the thing and that we’re going to hand it over. If we don’t come up with Ichriem, he’ll kill Nigel."
"But there is no Ichriem!" wailed Preston.
"Actually, I think there is."
The new voice came from behind them all. It sounded a little like Betty Boop on helium, and it came from a darling, tiny wisp of a blond girl.
Preston knew he should focus on his brother. Nigel was missing. His brother’s life was almost certainly hanging in the balance. It was just so hard to focus on Nigel when facing the lovely young woman who walked through his door.
"Hello," he greeted, striding toward the vision of femininity. "I’m Preston Bailey. And you…"
The little blond gave him a lopsided smile that melted his heart. "My name is Claudia. I’m here to see Sydney. It’s about that fable? It’s not really a fable. See, I got this package in the mail. Well, I didn’t get the package, Sydney did, but that’s not important. What’s important is that it’s about Ichriem, and the guy that called said he wanted Ichriem, and so I knew it was important. I had to bring it to Sydney, and I figured Sydney was here. You're Nigel’s brother? Funny, you don’t look at all like him. You’re really an interesting man, not at all like Nigel. I don’t mean that there’s anything wrong with Nigel, but you aren’t anything like him…" She handed a large, awkward package to Sydney, without a missing a single beat in her discourse.
As Claudia continued her bubbly monologue, Preston decided it was the real thing this time. He was madly in love. And in his heart of hearts, he knew that this bubbly, angelic blond creature was going to help him rescue his baby brother.
End of Part Eighteen
Go to Part Nineteen.