Elusive Hope (20 page)

Mr. Santos sipped his drink. “I had no idea you were married to such a beauty.”

“My wife and I have returned to Rio in the hopes that Mr. Godard may have also returned recently,” Hayden said. “Perhaps for supplies? Or to submit the appropriate paperwork to settle on a different plot of land?”

Impressed with Hayden’s ability to lie without blinking, Magnolia wondered who this Godard man was and why he was so important to Hayden.

Wrinkles formed on Mr. Santos’s forehead as if the attempt to recollect such a transaction taxed his tiny brain. “Hmm. Maybe he returned. Maybe not. I cannot remember, Mr. Gale. Perhaps”—the gleam in his eye turned greedy—“you have something to help me recall?”

Hayden released Magnolia, a tiny twitch in his jaw the only indication of his vexation. “I’m afraid I haven’t any more money to give you, sir. I appeal to your generosity.”

Mr. Santos frowned and slammed the rest of his drink to the back of his throat.

Magnolia rolled her eyes.
Yes, you supercilious buffoon, please do be generous
. Just the thought of getting any closer to this man made her insides squirm.

But she could tell from his rigid stance and the indulgent hunger in his eyes that he hadn’t a generous bone in his body.

“What you can count on, senhor, is that I am not without honor. Mr. Godard’s affairs are Mr. Godard’s affairs, not yours. However with a bit of persuasion…” He assessed Magnolia as if she were a gift at Christmas.

Hayden shifted his stance and gazed across the room. Magnolia bit her lip. If he had a speck of decency, if he had a speck of chivalry within him, he wouldn’t leave her alone with this wolf. Finally he faced Mr. Santos and took his empty glass. “Allow me to get you another drink. And you as well, my dear.” He winked at her. “While you two become better acquainted.”

Magnolia growled inside. The man was a cad through and through.

Hayden had never hated himself more than he did at that moment. The look of spite in Magnolia’s eyes as he left her with Mr. Santos shot a gaping hole in his heart. Gaping and vacant and empty—like his soul. Hayden used people for a living. He made money off of people’s pain. Zooks, he’d certainly done far worse than leaving a lady with a lecherous fool. Then why did he feel like such a louse for asking her to do something that came natural to her? Innocent flirting. That was all. No harm done. Besides, what choice did he have? He must find out where his father had gone. He must put an end to this mad quest or he would surely go mad himself.

Yet everything within him wanted to whisk Magnolia away to safety—away from scum like Mr. Santos and anyone who could hurt her. He’d never felt protective toward anyone in his life, and he certainly didn’t want to start now. It made him vulnerable. It made him lose focus on the task at hand. And he couldn’t have that. Not that her kiss hadn’t already distracted him beyond measure. The soft feel of her atop him, the passionate way she’d embraced him, caressed his lips. She’d stirred his passions into such a frenzy it had taken several minutes to regain his composure. So unlike him. He’d always been in control. In control of himself, his emotions. Of everyone around him. And if he was to succeed in serving justice to his father, he must stay in control.

Ignoring the coquettish glances from several women, he made his way to the refreshment table and grabbed a glass of punch. Tossing it to the back of his throat, he yearned for it to soothe his nerves. He would delay returning with fresh drinks—give Magnolia time to perform her magic. In the meantime, he could at least keep an eye on them should Mr. Santos cross the boundary of propriety. Hayden spun around to do just that.

But Magnolia and Mr. Santos were no longer there.

C
HAPTER
16

W
hen the pernicious fatwit suggested they take a stroll in the garden, Magnolia almost lost the wine she’d consumed. She’d wanted to say that she’d rather sit in a dung heap, but instead, she smiled and looped her arm through his as he escorted her from the room. She could do this. She knew she could do this. It would only take a few minutes of her bewitching charm to extract the information Hayden needed from this man. How many times had she done the very same thing back home in Roswell whenever she’d wanted a particular favor from a particular gentleman?

Except those particular gentlemen hadn’t smelled like sour cheese, nor made her insides stir into a putrid brew. But no matter.

She tried to get Hayden’s attention as they passed the refreshment table, but he seemed deep in thought. Mercy me, another drink would certainly make her task easier. Besides, she wanted him to see where they were going just in case Mr. Santos attempted liberties which weren’t his to take. Certainly Hayden would come looking for her. Wouldn’t he?

Glancing over her shoulder, she allowed Mr. Santos to lead her outside through a line of orange trees and cultured palms, framed by resplendent crotons and bamboo. Castor oil lamps hung from tree branches, flinging lacy ribbons of light on the grass below. He gestured toward a secluded spot at the far end of the garden where a stone bench edged a pond.

“We do not see—how do you say, much or often?—such lovely, cultured ladies in Rio,” Mr. Santos said, gesturing toward the bench. Releasing his arm, Magnolia slid onto the hard stone as he took a seat beside her. Far too close.

“You are too kind, Mr. Santos.” She inched away and tugged her fan from her sleeve—if only to use as a weapon.

“And your accent. I hear it from many new colonists but it makes music on your lips.” He took her hand in his.

Something sour and thick rose in her throat.

“Mr. Santos, as you know, my husband is most desperate to find”—oh, what was that name again? How could Hayden leave her like this? Ah yes—“Mr. Godard. Any information you have would be greatly appreciated.” She forced a smile that nearly caused her to choke as the man leaned even closer.

“
How
appreciated?” His breath smelled of wine and curdled milk.

“You would have our…
my
undying gratitude, sir. Wouldn’t that be enough? Helping out a lady in distress. Why, you would be my true hero.” She fluttered her fan about her face. “I just knew you were a gentleman when I first laid eyes on you. Why, I wager you are quite the ladies’ man. Aren’t you, Mr. Santos?” She tapped his chest with the tip of her fan and smiled.

He shrugged and pressed back the oily hair at his temples. “
Sim
, yes, I do have a reputation.”

Magnolia could only imagine. She giggled playfully. Which apparently was all the enticement the man needed to lean in and nibble on her neck. “Why, sir, you forget yourself.” She pushed him back, all the while giving him her most alluring smile. “I cannot possibly enjoy myself when my husband suffers so miserably from lack of information.”

A breeze fluttered the palm fronds overhead and sent a ripple across the inky waters of the pond, stirring the cattails lingering at its edge. Distant orchestra music drifted atop the chirp of crickets in a pleasing melody that would have been peaceful except for the brute beside her.

That brute seemed to be pondering what to do. He finally flattened his surly lips. “Yes. I saw this Mr. Godard. He came back with a crazy tale about the land being bad. Cursed, sim, cursed is what he said. He moved his expedition west.” He leaned in to kiss her.

Magnolia turned her cheek to him. “How far west?”

“Twenty of what you call miles, I believe.” A groan of delight erupted in his throat as his lips seared her skin. “I have paperwork in my office with the exact location.” He trailed slobbering kisses down her neck. “We can go there and I show you.”

Magnolia would rather leap into a volcano. In fact, at the moment her skin felt as though a thousand lizards scampered over it. And her stomach wasn’t doing much better. She pushed Mr. Santos away yet again, her heart plummeting like a stone in a pond. The information would take Hayden from her and send him back to New Hope. Leaving her to travel all alone. Yet, at the moment, she was preoccupied with preventing Mr. Santos from tossing her to the grass and having his way with her. Surely she’d learned enough about Mr. Godard to suit Hayden’s purposes, for Magnolia could hardly stand another moment with this snobcock.

A snobcock who dove in for the kill. He nibbled on her earlobe, grunting like the swine he was. Shooting off the bench, Magnolia cast a quick glance around to see whether anyone was near to assist her. “Sir, you do yourself no credit with such beastly behavior.” She kept her voice playful, not wanting to prick his ire in such isolated circumstances. Could she make a run for it? Surely a man as pudgy as Mr. Santos would not be able to catch her. “I bid you goodnight, sir.”

She turned to leave.

He clutched her arm. “Where is my kiss?”

“A kiss was not part of our bargain, Mr. Santos. You have had your fun. Now, release me at once!” She struggled in his grip.

Leaves fluttered and a footstep sounded behind her, but Magnolia hadn’t time to look before Mr. Santos said something about her paying him his due and shoved his mouth onto hers. She squirmed, causing his slobbering lips to slide over her cheeks and chin. More disgusted than afraid, she placed both palms on his chest and pushed him. Tripping on an uneven cobblestone, he stumbled backward toward the pond, arms flailing and curses flying, as he attempted to right himself. Before he did, Magnolia stormed toward him and gave him one final shove into the water. The immensity of his frame caused an enormous splash, which would have soaked her if she hadn’t leapt out of the way.

Flopping like a fish in the shallows, he finally managed to sit in the silt near the shore. Water dripped from threads of hair hanging in his face. He sputtered and moaned and cursed her—
and her mother!—
to some hideous fate, which she dared not repeat.

Laughter rumbled behind her.

Spinning around, she barreled into a tree trunk that smelled like Hayden. Wait, it
was
Hayden. All six foot one of his sturdy frame. He held a glass of wine. Her nerves unwound at his presence. Or maybe it was at the sight of the wine. Either way, they quickly knotted again in anger. “You left me with that leech!” She punched his chest.

Which loosened a chuckle from his throat.

Mr. Santos attempted to rise from the pond, but slipped and splashed back in the water with a loud curse.

Grinning, Hayden led her back toward the house. “I was here the entire time. If things had gotten out of hand, I would have stepped in.” He handed her the glass.

She gulped down the wine. “You waited long enough. The man was about to accost me. He
did
accost me, in fact.”

“You seemed to have things in hand, Princess.” Hayden winked and slid his hand into her free one. “In fact, I thought you handled yourself quite well.”

He led her into the ballroom again. Magnolia blinked at the bright lights as music and the prattling of guests assailed her. She tugged from Hayden’s grip and finished her drink. The comfort of his large hand around hers drained away her anger, bit by bit. And she wanted it to remain. At least for a while.

Returning the smile of a rather handsome Brazilian gentleman, Magnolia set down her empty glass and gathered a full one from the table. Hayden stole it from her hand. “Perhaps you’ve had enough.”

“You are not my father. Besides, I deserve a reward for enduring that oaf slobbering all over me.”

He held the glass out of reach. “And, pray tell, what did that slobbering oaf tell you about Mr. Godard?”

She studied him, wishing the wine in her belly would hurry and numb her conscience. All she had to do was utter one lie. One tiny lie and Hayden would escort her home. One tiny lie and all her fears of traveling alone would dissipate. One tiny lie and she could spend more time getting to know this mysterious man as she longed to do. One tiny lie. He certainly deserved it and worse after using her to get what he wanted. But the desperation in his eyes undid her. Whoever this Godard was, it meant everything to Hayden to find him. And she couldn’t be the one to deny him that.

“Your precious Mr. Godard has moved twenty miles to the west. Isn’t that what you wanted to know?” She speared him with a gaze.

“He is anything but precious.” His tone was shattered glass. “But I do thank you for finding that out.” The corner of his mouth twitched as he gazed absently into the room.

“So who is this Mr. Godard, and what did he do to invoke the wrath of Hayden Gale?”

The twitch intensified. “Let’s just say he stole everything from me.”

“Ah, now
that
I can relate to.”

Hayden studied her. “You speak of this huge mistake you made…of your debt to your father?”

“I was taken in by a charlatan.” But she had said too much already. “Perhaps he is the same man as your Mr. Godard?” She teased, trying to change the topic back to him.

Hayden laughed. “If you had crossed paths with my…Mr. Godard, I doubt you would be in Brazil. He rarely leaves his victims with enough to live on, let alone to travel.”