Free To Love a Stranger by Adrianne Byrd Page B

marriage edged by a small spark of physical attraction. “It was combination of things.”
    He nodded but his gaze seared straight through her. “Mind if I ask you a question?”
    â€œYou just did.”
    He finally flashed a genuine smile, however, it didn’t stay long. He seemed to struggle with his next question. “Madeline, did you marry me for the money?”

Chapter 10
    â€œW hat did you tell him?” Lysandra asked, eyes as wide as silver dollars. “C’mon, you’ve left me hanging for two days. You’re killing me. Just tell me!”
    Madeline marched across her office to her door and glanced around to make sure no one had overheard her excited cousin. A few curious eyes drifted her way, but the staff had been eyeballing her all morning. Everyone was dying to question her about Russell’s miraculous return. Let them stew. She closed the door and turned to her cousin. “Keep your voice down.”
    â€œWell?” Lysandra persisted. “Don’t give me the story in piecemeal. Spit it out.”
    Madeline crossed her arms, still feeling Friday night’s cold chill. “I told him the truth. What else could I do?”
    Lysandra dropped into one of the room’s empty leather chairs. “You could’ve lied,” she offered weakly. “Have you forgotten what’s at stake here?”
    Madeline hands exploded up into the air. “How can I with you, Mother and my conscience driving me up the wall every five minutes?”
    â€œThen why in the hell did you tell him the truth?”
    â€œWhy lie?” She returned to her cluttered desk, unsure of which pile of sketches, swatches or financial spreadsheets to dive into first. “I married for security and Russell married a trophy wife to produce a couple of kids to carry on the Stone family name. The old Russell understood these things. If I was ever confused, his endless parade of girlfriends quickly put me in my place. You know. You were there.”
    â€œAnd the new Russell?”
    He looked crestfallen, Madeline thought, but said, “It doesn’t matter.”
    â€œBut the line—”
    â€œWill be fine,” Madeline snapped. “You know there’s still a chance we’re dealing with an impostor and in that case we’re just spinning our wheels for nothing,” Madeline said to her cousin.
    â€œDo you still believe there’s a chance he’s an imposter?”
    No.
    â€œI’m saying that we have ten months before we launch and I’d rather concentrate on that right now. I’ll deal with everything then. When the blood test results come in. My biggest headache right now is how to explain all of this to the children. It’s bad enough I kept them out of school today, but I will have to give them some kind of explanation.”
    Lysandra opened her mouth to argue, but Madeline had perfected her mother’s highbrow stare and her cousin exhaled a long breath and then heaved herself out of the chair. “Fine.” She strolled to the door. “I just hope you know what you’re doing.”
    â€œClose the door behind you,” Madeline ordered. Once alone, she slumped back in her chair and rolled her eyes toward the ceiling.
    Do I know what I’m doing?

    Russell couldn’t keep Madeline out of his mind—not that he was trying that hard. He found everything about her fascinating. She had beauty, brains and, above all else, honesty. When he’d ask whether she married him for money, he fully expected her to be outraged by the question. Then after a brief pause, he wanted her to deny it. But when she calmly told him “yes,” he could only respect her.
    A knock on his bedroom door jarred him from his thoughts and his shoulders slumped at the prospect of Christopher probing his already taxed brain to force memories into his consciousness that simply eluded him.
    â€œWho is it?” he inquired, crossing