Diane T. Ashley (7 page)

Jasmine Anderson was far from perfect. She was headstrong. A grin formed on his lips. He couldn’t really blame her for that. None of the Anderson sisters could be described as wallflowers, despite their floral names. Lily was a riverboat owner. Camellia had spent part of the War Between the States nursing soldiers on a riverboat and had been at Vicksburg while it was under siege. He supposed Jasmine was simply following in her older sisters’ footsteps.

But did she have to trample on his heart at the same time?

“What did you think of the performance?” Marguerite’s voice startled him.

“Impressive.” He bowed to her. “Did the orphanage benefit?”

“Oh, yes.” Her dark gaze turned toward Jasmine. “Your Jasmine is quite the center of attention this evening.”

He could feel heat rising to his face. “I thought I told you there’s nothing between us. She’s not my Jasmine … apparently she never has been.”

Marguerite tilted her head. “I know what you said, but I can read the signs for myself. If you’re not careful, that girl will tear out your heart and leave you a bitter man.”

“I don’t think that’s any of your concern.” He regretted the cold words as soon as they left his mouth.

Marguerite’s eyes widened. Then she nodded. “I’m sorry if I overstepped the boundaries of our friendship.”

He put out a hand to stop her, but it was too late. Marguerite moved toward Miss Deborah and began gathering the children. He ought to catch up to her. Apologize. But he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Marguerite was getting too close to the truth for his comfort.

It was time for him to leave Natchez anyway. He should have headed to New Orleans a day or two ago, but he’d wanted to see the play.

With a disgusted shake of his head, David moved away from the crowd surrounding Jasmine. She would never miss his presence. She had more attention than any of the rest of the cast. Even “King Lear” had not received so many compliments.

Blake Matthews broke free of the crowd and moved toward David. “Lily sent me to invite you to dinner with us at the Bluff.”

“Thanks, but I don’t—”

“You really expect me to tell Lily you won’t come?” Blake put an arm around his shoulder. “Do you know how much discord your refusal will cause?”

David chuckled. “We can’t have that.” He would rather have returned to his room to brood over his wayward heart, but he didn’t want to upset Lily. She’d been so good to him over the years. “I’ll get my horse and meet you there.”

“Excellent.” Blake pulled his arm away and pointed at David. “If you don’t show up, I will have to come looking for you.”

Both men laughed. David’s spirit lifted a bit. If he could keep his distance from the star of the evening, it might be good for him to get out.

He retrieved his rented horse from a nearby stable and rode down Washington Street past stately homes. A dog raced along the length of one iron fence, barking until David and his horse passed the border of the home’s lot.

He arrived at the Bluff, a two-story building hunched on the edge of the bluff it was named for, overlooking the rushing waters of the Mississippi. Tethering his horse, he tugged on his neckcloth. Why had he agreed to come? He might have defected if not for the arrival of his hosts.

The restaurant looked as though it was being besieged, as at least a dozen people descended on it from the three carriages. Mrs. Champney was followed by her son, Jean Luc, and her daughter-in-law, Anna. Anna’s aunt alit and stood looking up at her escort, Jasmine’s father Henrick Anderson. Jasmine’s aunt Dahlia and uncle Phillip were the first to disembark from the next carriage, followed by Camellia and her husband, Jonah. The final carriage contained Lily and Blake and Jasmine, who seemed to be still riding high on her success.

David stepped forward to offer her his arm, but she swept past him, her little nose in the air.

Camellia rescued him from embarrassment when she put her hand on his arm. “We can always count on you to be the gentleman, David. I have missed you since you left us for California and Illinois.”

Recovering his wits, David smiled and answered the questions she peppered him with. By the time they were all seated, he found himself on Camellia’s left hand. Aunt Dahlia sat on his left. He could see Jasmine’s dark hair some distance away and drew a breath of relief. At least he would not have to worry about being snubbed again.

“Lily says you are a policeman.” Dahlia claimed his attention with her statement.

David shook his head. “I’m more of a detective.”

“What’s the difference?”

“Policemen are paid by the city. My employer is paid by the people who need his help.”

Her husband, Phillip, leaned forward. “So you are a mercenary?”

David supposed it was a fair question. Picking up his fork and spearing an olive, he considered how to answer the man. “Except that I am not a soldier, sir, I guess you can say that is a proper title for what we do.”

“David’s organization is quite famous.” Camellia joined the conversation. “He’s a Pinkerton.”

Both Dahlia and Phillip frowned at him as though they’d never heard of the agency at all. Camellia patted his hand. “I do miss you, though. No one can keep Jasmine in check like you can.”

“I don’t know about that. Jasmine is high-spirited, but she’s always known how to get what she wants.” David glanced toward the girl in question.

She threw back her head and laughed at that moment, showing the full length of her white neck.

The waiter standing nearby couldn’t take his eyes off her. David wanted to take the fellow out back and explain basic manners. A pain in his hand made him look down. His fork was no longer as straight as it had been.

He looked up and caught Camellia’s understanding gaze. “Your sentiments are nothing to be ashamed of, David. Jasmine is too naive to realize her effect on those around her. I’m afraid she is headed for trouble, but she will not listen to us. Perhaps you might have better luck.”

Wondering what he could say to Jasmine that might make a difference, David concentrated on the food on his plate. She would never listen to him, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to put himself in the position of being ignored or worse. “I’m leaving for New Orleans in the next day or two. I doubt there will be time for me to do much.”

Lily, sitting on the opposite side of the table, looked up. “You’re going to New Orleans? Then you must go with us. It will be like old times. We’ll have such fun reminiscing.”

“I thought you were going to Memphis.”

Lily shook her head.

Feeling like a butterfly caught in a windstorm, David shrugged. “How can I say no?”

He looked toward the far end of the table once more, and his gaze clashed with Jasmine’s. In them he read a challenge. A challenge he was loath to accept.

A
t least we’re not carrying many passengers this trip.” Jasmine smiled at her nephew Noah. “You won’t have as many chores as we used to have when your mama and papa had their first boat.”

“Papa says that’s bad news.” Noah’s bright blue gaze, so much like his father’s, watched her scrub a greasy spot from one of the dining tables.

“Your papa and your grandpapa are in agreement on that.”

The boy frowned. “Do they know about the chores?”

Jasmine laughed. She could understand why her sisters enjoyed having their children around them. “Maybe not.”

She moved to another table and bent over it, scrubbing with a strong arm. The smells from the galley made her mouth water. Picking up a fresh tablecloth from the stack she and Noah had brought into the dining room, Jasmine shook it out and spread it over the table with a deft move that came from years of practice.

“Why do you wipe the table if you’re going to put a cloth on it, too?” Noah pushed one of the chairs toward the table.

“So everything will be clean.”

He frowned as though trying to grasp the concept of cleaning what would not be seen. Jasmine laughed and ruffled his dark hair with her fingers. “You’ll understand when you’re older.”

The familiar words brought a frown to her face. It was exactly what Lily used to say all the time when she was younger. When had she become the responsible one? The grown-up?

“There you are!” Aunt Tessie breezed into the room and pointed at Noah. “I’ve been looking all over for you, young man. It’s time for your mathematics lesson.”

Noah cast a desperate look at Jasmine.

In spite of the empathy she felt, all Jasmine could do was shrug. “It won’t be so bad.”

Noah’s shoulders fell. He looked so pitiful.

Aunt Tessie put a hand on his shoulder and smiled at him. “Come along.”

Jasmine watched them leave before returning to her work. Noah was growing up so fast. Funny how childhood seemed so endless to the child and so quick to adults.

“This doesn’t look like the right activity for a famous actress.”

The deep voice sent gooseflesh running up her arms. Jasmine took a deep breath before turning to face David Foster. “You’re quite the comedian.”

The look on his face made her regret her waspish tone of voice.

“I’m sorry, David. I didn’t mean that the way it came out.”

A strained smile appeared on his face. “I’m not sure why you’re so angry with me.”

What could she answer? The truth was too painful. She had missed him much more than he had missed her. “Who said I was angry?”

His gaze challenged her words.

Jasmine lifted her chin, dredging up a measure of self-preservation. She would not be manipulated.

“Your sisters are worried about you.”

He only thought she’d been angry with him before. His meddling words made her blood boil. She could feel the fire in her eyes. How dare David presume to speak to her as though they were still as close as they’d been growing up? “What my sisters may or may not think isn’t any of your business.”

“You’re right, of course.” He sounded resigned. As though he knew he was in the wrong. The stubborn thrust of his jaw, however, told her how determined he was to continue meddling. “I care about you, Jasmine. I don’t want to see you hurt.”

She knew she should calm herself, but concentrating on what was wrong between them gave her the excuse to maintain a certain distance from him. It protected her heart. “You don’t have to worry about me. I know exactly what I want and how to get it.”

David picked up a stack of dinner plates and distributed them on the tables like a dealer would a deck of cards.

So he was not going to say anything? Fine. Two could play at that game. She picked up the salad and dinner forks, placing them to the left of the plates he distributed. As they worked, her ire faded, replaced by their comfortable rhythm. It seemed so natural, so normal. He put one knife and two spoons to the right of each place setting while she folded the linen napkins into neat triangles and set them in the center of each plate.

As Jasmine gathered the leftover implements, David moved to stand near her. “When we were young, I thought you were the most beautiful, most intelligent, most loving person in the world.”

“Yes, I heard you telling Marguerite that you’ve outgrown your childish infatuation.” She tried to keep the hurt from her voice.

He put a finger under her chin and lifted her face so that their gazes met. His eyes had not changed. They were as green as a pine thicket. They promised peace and rest and happiness.

Jasmine thought she might melt into a puddle at his feet. She even imagined for a brief instant what it would feel like for their lips to meet. Her eyelids grew heavy. She wanted to lean into him, draw on his strength.

In that instant something changed between them. David was no longer the safe and predictable childhood friend that she loved. He was … something much more dangerous.

Her heart galloped like a runaway horse. The feeling was heady, exciting, almost the same feeling she got right before a performance. She could feel herself weakening … leaning toward him.

When David stepped back, her heart stopped its furious pace. It seemed to stop beating at all. Jasmine felt it stand still, crack, and shatter into a million pieces, taking with it dreams she’d never before recognized.

“Jasmine, I …”

She turned away from him. No matter what his words, she didn’t want to hear them. She had to defend herself. “Don’t worry, David. You don’t have to apologize. It’s not as though we’re romantically involved. How could we be? You’re the brother my sisters and I always wanted, so I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised they wanted you to talk to me.”

His mouth tightened, and the same eyes that had been so tender a few seconds before spat green sparks toward her. “How can you be so flippant? Do I matter so little to you? Does anything matter to you at all?”

The words nicked her, but Jasmine raised her chin. Let him think what he wanted. Why should she care? When she was famous and had dozens of men begging for her attention, David Foster would see who was right. Then he would be sorry for treating her like a wayward child. She marched out of the dining room without a backward glance, self-righteousness helping her to keep her head high.

“Trust God to straighten out your path.” Tamar snapped a handful of beans and dropped the pieces into the large pan on her lap. “If you look to Him for guidance, He’ll help you succeed.”