Part 18 (2/2)

”Then you deny it.”

”Meaning no disrespect,” Perry said, casting a swift glance at Mac, ”but I'd remember such an acquaintance.”

”And you, Mac?” Liam said. Suddenly he was close behind her. ”You haven't met Mr. Sinclair before?”

Mac turned to face him. ”Unfortunately, I've never met your friend in my life, and he's certainly never met me.”

The mockery faded from Liam's gaze. ”Don't play his game, Mac. I only want the truth. Whatever it is, I won't hold it against you.”

”Unusual att.i.tude on your part, old man,” Perry said. Liam wheeled on him, fists clenched.

”Hold it!” Mac wedged herself between them. ”I'm not exactly thrilled at being a p.a.w.n in this little chess match. So let's get this straight, shall we?” She glared at Liam. ”I don't suppose you've told him why you brought him here, have you?” She turned an equally fierce gaze on Perry. ”And you have absolutely nothing to feel guilty abouta”except for the fact that you left Liam in the jungle. Is that right?”

The two men looked at each other, one convincingly puzzled and the other close to explosion. Perry's expression cleared. ”Liam said he met someone in the jungle,” he said to Mac. ”He gave no details. Apparently you know about our unfortunate argument. But I don't understand how you are involveda””

”Don't you?” Liam interrupted. ”She was the one who found this.”

He pushed his hand into his coat pocket and brought it up holding something round and silver and trailing a broken chain. Perry's watch, which Mac had last seen lying in the dust in Liam's tent. He hadn't forgotten it.

Liam stared at Perry; Perry gazed at the watch, and glanced from Mac to Liam with drawn brows.

”I'd wondered where I lost that,” he said.

”Lost it. Careless of youa”old friend.” Liam dangled the watch from its chain, swinging it back and forth like a hypnotist's prop. He spoke to Mac without taking his eyes from Perry's face. ”I never told you the history of this watch. I gave it to Perry years ago, when we returned from our first expedition together. It was in the Himalayas, and he was wounded pus.h.i.+ng me out of the path of a boulder.” He smiled. ”It was always an unlikely friends.h.i.+p. I was the American provincial with no taste and money to burn, and he was the fine Englishman with little more than an excellent education and a long list of blue-blooded ancestors behind him. Can you imagine it, Mac?”

”I regret the loss of that friends.h.i.+p far more than any watch,” Perry said. ”It was never my intention, Liam, no matter what youa””

Liam turned and hurled the watch across the room, striking the overstuffed chair by the fireplace with deadly accuracy. ”No,” he said softly. ”It was only your intention to kill me.”

Mac held her breath. Perry's face went white, and then he choked out a laugh.

”What?”

”It didn't work, Perry,” Liam said, his voice a rasp. ”Your guerrillas didn't do their job. And whatever hold you had on Mac wasn't enough. She saved my life, and she brought me the proof I needed.”

”Proof?” Perry stabbed the tip of his cane into the carpet. ”What in G.o.d's name are you saying?”

”All's fair in love and war, isn't it, Perry?” Liam said. ”It wasn't enough to abandon me. You had to make certain I never returned, so you'd have Caroline's fortune uncontested.”

Perry's face lost its shock. ”My G.o.d,” he said. ”You Irish b.a.s.t.a.r.da””

The tension in the air stretched to the breaking point, and suddenly Mac knew she was the only rational being in the room. G.o.d knew someone had to be. Her body felt like a fragile barrier between two angry men, but it was the only weapon she had. Along with simple desperation.

”Listen to me,” she said. ”I'm just as interested in getting to the bottom of this as either of youa””

”Stay out of it, Mac,” Liam growled.

”It's a little late for that.” She met Liam's glower and turned to Perry. ”Let me lay it out for you, Mr. Sinclair. Liam thinks you used the watch to pay guerrillas to attack him in the jungle, and that I was working for you as well. He brought me here as a trap for you, expecting us to betray each other.”

”She turned up in the jungle, alone, just after you disappeared with the bearers and supplies,” Liam added. ”And she had the photograph.”

Perry either thought Liam had gone mad, or he was doing an excellent approximation of confounded disbelief. ”What photograph?”

”You know b.l.o.o.d.y well. Were the crazy stories of traveling through time her idea, or yours? Did you expect me to swallow such blarney? Oh, she played the damsel in distress well enough, but I didn't think even you could stoop so low as to put a woman in danger to serve your ends.”

Perry's lean frame was as taut as a strung bow. ”This is preposterous,” he said. ”Trust me, old man. If I wanted you dead, I'd go about it in a much more efficient fas.h.i.+on.”

The bluntness of his speech was as effective as a bucket of cold water. Perry straightened his waistcoat and stroked the tips of his mustache with precise, deliberate motions. ”Let me make myself clear. I do not know Miss MacKenzie, and I did not hire anyone to kill you.” He held Liam's gaze. ”Yes, I left you in the jungle, knowing you'd be delayed in returning. I wanted to get to Caroline before you. You simply wouldn't listen to reasona””

”Reason!”

”But I ask you to listen now. For G.o.d's sake, we've saved each other's lives more than once. Think, Liam. If you know me at all, you know I wouldn't do this.”

Liam made a sound of disgust and strode away, then turned suddenly and looked straight into Mac's eyes. ”Well, Mac?” he asked with unexpected gentleness. ”Do you believe him?”

She couldn't read Liam's expression, or the strange light in his steady gaze. ”I've never met Mr. Sinclair before,” she said, ”but I believe he's telling the truth.” She swallowed. ”If I thought he'd tried to kill you, he'd be my enemy as much as yours.”

He came to her then, holding her more surely with his unwavering regard than with any physical restraint. ”Would he?” He raised his hand; she s.h.i.+vered as his fingers brushed her cheek. ”And what is it they say about the enemy of my enemy?”

”I'm not your enemy, old man,” Perry interposed coolly. He looked at Mac. ”Liam's life was never in any danger from me.”

Liam dropped his hand, his expression hardening. ”Then you can prove your good faith,” he said to the Englishman. ”Stay away from Caroline.”

Perry walked to the window, leaning on his cane as he gazed out on the city. ”You know that's impossible.”

”I know that nothing has changed, whatever happened in the jungle.” Liam smiled without a trace of humor. ”There are less than two weeks left until her birthday, and you won't be getting any more chances to deceive her with your flattery and corrupt her innocence.”

”Corrupt her?” Perry spun around, cane raised like a weapon. ”You're deceiving yourself. You don't care about her happiness. You don't love her. Why are you so afraid to let her make her own decisions?” His eyes narrowed. ”Or is there something else you feara””

Liam strode to the door and flung it open. ”Get out of here, Perry, before I decide you're a b.l.o.o.d.y liar.”

Perry took up his cane and sauntered unhurriedly across the room. ”This isn't finished, old man.”

”You're right.” Liam all but shouldered Perry out the door. ”I'll be watching you. Keep that in minda”old friend.” He glanced back at Mac. ”Don't worry. I'm persuaded of your innocence. I keep my promises.”

”Wait,” Mac said. ”We haven'ta””

Without another word Liam followed Perry and shut the door behind them.

For a painful stretch of time all Mac could hear was her own pounding heart. She backed up until her legs. .h.i.t the bed, and sat down.

Great. Just wonderful. Liam had walked out on her again, and nothing was resolved. She laughed weakly and rubbed at her forehead. Maybe she should be grateful for a little peace and quiet to think, because she seemed to be back at square one.

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