Full Bloom

Ravenscroft had been happy to oblige and had supplied Jacob to do the job. Jensen had been suitably grateful to both RI and to Jacob.
    "You're with Gifford's daughter, Emily, aren't you? I thought I saw her a few minutes ago," Jensen said helpfully, although his eyes were speculative. "She was with her brother."
    "Thanks. I'll find her." Jacob started into the crowd. He was becoming very familiar with the kind of speculation he had seen in Jensen's gaze. That look had been in a lot of eyes tonight, including three sets of dark, brooding Ravenscroft eyes.
    It had been apparent from the moment they walked into the paneled front hall of the Ravenscroft home that Emily had not bothered to tell her family in advance about Jacob Stone's new role in her life. At the time Jacob had not been sure if Emily's reticence had been due to nervousness or to her desire to shock her relatives. Whatever the reason, he had been mildly irritated. Several hours had passed, and he was still not sure why she had decided to spring their affair on her family without warning. He intended to pin her down about it after the party.
    There had been a kind of gritty pride in the way Emily held her sleek head and in the straight line of her back as he had escorted her through the front door. Jacob had been both amused and proud even through his irritation. He knew what it took to confront a pack of Ravenscrofts. Emily had looked so cool and regal dressed in a long-sleeved, figure-hugging gown of dark turquoise silk. She had appeared totally unintimidated by her family but Jacob had felt the tension in her at the moment her mother had come forward to greet her.
    There was no doubt but that everyone had been taken by surprise at the sight of Emily on Jacob's arm.
    Jacob had stood quietly by as she had greeted her family, assessing the quick astonishment and the cool appraisal that had flashed in the expressions of Drake, Catherine and Gifford.
    Everyone had been polite and welcoming, of course. Gifford and Drake had greeted Jacob cheerfully and had offered their hands. Catherine had given him a small peck on the cheek and a warm smile. The Ravenscrofts might be ruthless on occasion, but they were nothing if not civilized on the surface. Jacob was not really certain how the Ravenscrofts had reacted to the knowledge that he was escorting their heretofore well-protected daughter. The truth was, he didn't really care.
    But he did care about how Emily dealt with the situation, and he decided it was not a good idea to leave her alone with her family for very long. As he edged through the crowd, Jacob glanced at his watch. Emily had only been gone a few minutes. With any luck, not too much harm would have been done by the time he located her. She would probably welcome rescue by now.
    Jacob smiled faintly at the thought.

    The door to Gifford Ravenscroft's study closed silently behind Emily. It seemed to her there was something very ominous about that silence. It reminded her too much of the way the Ravenscrofts exercised their considerable power—quietly and with a great deal of finality. Drake, who had steered her into the room, dropped her arm and went to the teakwood bar at the far end of the study.
    Emily steadied herself for the confrontation she knew was upon her. She had been mentally preparing for it since the morning Jacob had told her he intended to escort her to her father's party.
    "Good heavens, Drake, we're alone. Where are Mom and Dad? I expected to have to face the entire assembled fleet, not just you." Her smile was bright and challenging as she made a pretense of strolling casually toward the window.
    Her brother didn't glance up as he splashed whiskey into a glass. "I thought I'd talk to you first, Emily. I want to find out exactly what's going on between you and Jacob. You must have realized you gave Mom and Dad a real shock tonight when you sailed through the door on Stone's arm."
    "What about you, Drake? Don't tell me you weren't a little surprised yourself."
    Drake appeared to consider that as he recapped the whiskey bottle. "Initially, but not now that I've had a chance to think about it. I should have guessed what was in the wind the night Stone insisted on driving you back to Seattle. Hell, I should have seen it coming when I first contacted him and asked him to find out everything he could about Morrell. It was obvious he was taking on the job for personal reasons, not just as a favor to RI."
    "Is that right?" Emily asked