Lilac Temptress (23 page)

As soon as Darrell was out of earshot
Sierra harshly snapped, “You had no right to display possession of
me! I can handle myself in the presence of men, any man, and though
we have become—” Sierra composed herself. She did not know what she
and Drake had become, or what they might become and she wished to
God she knew what they meant to each other.

It was obvious to her that Drake
didn’t believe she could take care of herself, and the stunt that
she had pulled that morning only put her in a situation in which
she herself had needed help. She supposed that she couldn’t blame
Drake for being overprotective.

Her voice softened to avoid stares.
“You mustn’t feel so obliged to look after me. You have no claim on
me, nor have I claimed you as mine,” Sierra said.

Pondering for a moment, Drake remained
silent. He wondered if Sierra expected or hoped for him to claim
her—acknowledge that she was his and he hers. He breathed
regretfully. Professing her as his own was something he might wish
to, but simply could not do. His time spent in Jadesville with her
had plagued him the entire trip so far. It took every ounce of will
power he had to control his desire for her. He was returning home
with her and things between them had to change for reasons he would
avoid until he had to face them.

Whitewashed by her words, Drake
retaliated nevertheless. “I realize this Sierra, but there’s no
need to get yourself into trouble with the likes of Casey,” Drake
warned her. “You must be careful of whom you choose to keep company
with.”

“
I didn’t choose him. How
dare you imply—”

“
Merchant men are wolves,”
Drake cut her off sharply. “Don’t start anything you can’t put to
an end whenever you like. That man is not just any man and he will
not be toyed with. If you go with him to his stateroom only for a
drink, you will not come out so...” Drake’s eyes traced her body
from head to toe, “chaste.”

Drake’s heated gaze
unnerved her. She couldn’t understand why he was so riled, unless
of course he was
jealous
. She twisted her face at him
in a sneer.

“
Honestly, Drake you are
acting... acting just like a man. I am neither helpless nor
gullible. I told you once that I could take care of myself. I
attract men and you cannot behave like this every time one
approaches me with decent conversation,” Sierra said wryly,
noticing that her voice had risen above a whisper when people began
to gawk at them.

Calming himself, Drake loosened his
arm from around her waist. “You are right. I don’t know what got
into me. I cannot brand you as mine can I? We are not in Jadesville
anymore and I need to behave appropriately. I will not interfere in
your personal affairs again. In fact, maybe we should keep our
affiliations more platonic. You left Jadesville so that you could
live your own life, right? I cannot snatch you from the hands of
one man to bind you to myself—I do want you to be free and do what
you will.”

“
Drake, I don’t mean for it
to be this way between us.” Sierra shook her head regretfully. Her
heart sank.

“
I know, but it is as it
must be.” Drake sighed. He knew that he was becoming too enraptured
with her and must slow his pace for the sake of his
future.

Sierra didn’t want to agree with him.
She wanted him to want her again like he had wanted her in
Jadesville, but she needed to be fair to herself and Kyle. She
didn’t want to imagine feelings for Drake just because he was
helping her, and if Drake began interfering with her life she would
not be able to accomplish anything she set out to do.

Drake hadn’t officially said that they
were a couple, and neither had she. If he wanted them to be on less
intimate terms, she would not protest.

“
I think that maybe you are
right,” she said hesitantly. “I would like to return to my
compartment now, if you don’t mind.”

“
Sierra,” Drake said
as she turned away, halting her in her tracks. “It was a good
thing—what you did for that woman back there.
A bit unwise though,” he chastised softly, hoping his smile
and gentle tone would soothe any ruffled feathers she might have at
his subtle reproof.

“
I thought you were angry
with me for it. She was a thief,” Sierra whispered.

“
I was never angry with
you. You were impulsive, but remarkably brave. But the next time
you want to play heroine, just forewarn me. I wonder if you ever
think first before you act. While I find it a rather endearing
quality, you endanger yourself with such reckless
stunts.”

Sierra frowned at the insult and made
one last attempt to justify her actions. “She was starving. The man
didn’t have a right to accost her in that manner.”

“
I know, and I agree with
you, and thank goodness you were there to save her from him. But
you cared little for your own welfare,” Drake admonished gently.
“Tell me something, did it make any difference at all that I was
near you, and that you had me at your immediate call? Would you
have helped her still if I was not there?” Drake asked, raising his
brow.

“
Adrienne taught me to
always depend on myself. Men are helpful but not a necessity,”
Sierra snapped and walked away.

Drake grinned, his interest piqued.
She hadn’t disagreed with him, but her words hadn’t painted him as
her prince charming either. He was tempted to show her just how
necessary he might be to her, but he knew that he could not give
into that temptation. No, he knew he had made the right decision in
keeping their relationship friendly, though he wondered whether or
not he’d have enough willpower to honor his final
decision.

* * *

It was late afternoon when they
arrived at the depot in Morgan City. Drake met Kyle and Sierra at
their compartment, telling them to gather their things. They would
be crossing the river by way of ferry, then re-boarding at Berwick
Bay. “Not to worry, Kyle. Shadowcaster will be boarded on the new
train as well,” Drake assured him as they proceeded down the
corridor.

“
Welcome to the jumbo
shrimp capital of the world. Also, one of the largest trade centers
for animal fur, cypress timber and seafood,” Daniel recounted as he
took Sierra’s hand, and exited the train toward the busy walkway
with Drake, Girard and Kyle following behind.

Through an opening of buildings,
Sierra could see the magnitude of the river. The shimmering of the
waves charmed her, and she could spot the tops of steamships in
passing as she listened to their whistles. She gazed toward Drake,
with amazement on her face.

“
It’s the Atchafalaya
River. Morgan City sits on its banks and meets the Gulf’s
intra-coastal waterway. The great wall located between Morgan City
and Berwick overlooks the river revealing a bird’s eye view of
water traffic,” Drake said, pointing out the river’s
scope.

“
May I offer a brief
recount of Morgan City’s history?” Daniel offered, smiling warmly,
his fascination with Sierra, noticeably visible. When she didn’t
protest, he continued, “This place was once called Tiger Island
because of the particular type of wild cat seen in the area. Soon
it was incorporated as the Town of Brashear. And most recently, the
community’s name was changed to Morgan City in tribute to Charles
Morgan, the rail and steamship tycoon who launched the city on its
route to becoming a very successful port city.”

“
Morgan’s company, was the
reason for our trip to Jadesville to do business with William,”
Drake mentioned, noting Kyle’s sudden enthusiasm.

“
Interested in the trade,
Kyle?” Drake arched his brow.

“
Perhaps. It seems like I
could see a lot of new places working in such a business. Maybe
even sketch a few—especially after drawing just about every shrub,
house, and pretty girl in Jadesville. I could use some new
material,” Kyle responded with a slight grin on his
face.

“
Indeed,” Drake
chuckled.

Girard walked quietly, listening and
glancing every so often at Sierra. It was hard for any man not to
look at her, and part of her allure was that she lacked the vanity
to ever show that she noticed. He wondered what it was that she and
Drake might have shared back in Jadesville.

* * *

Three hours had passed before the
group reached the station in New Orleans, and after departing the
train they strolled through the depot toward the city
streets.

“
Will you be staying in the
city tonight? Should I give you a lift to your place?” Girard asked
Drake, referring to Drake’s townhome in the city.

Before answering, Drake observed
Sierra and Kyle—who were walking a few feet behind, devouring the
scene in awe of their surroundings. “I sent word back in New Iberia
for Benjamin to meet us here by coach.”

Girard nodded his understanding as
they approached the city streets. Daniel strode alongside Drake,
and a bellhop followed, delivering their belongings on a rolling
cart.

Kyle smiled broadly in relief at the
man who had already delivered his beloved Shadowcaster unharmed
onto the boulevard. Kyle walked briskly to meet his steed, and
immediately started stroking its mane.

“
Ben and Thomas have
arrived, Drake,” Daniel called from a few feet away.

“
Kyle, will you ride
Shadowcaster to my estate or would you like to harness him?” Drake
asked, approaching him.

“
Shadowcaster has not been
hitched often,” Kyle, replied, a touch of worry in his
voice.

Drake smiled. “Through-braces are
installed to prevent injury. Don’t fret.”

A Creole man stepped down from the box
of a beautiful Concord stagecoach he had just parked on the
boulevard, before Drake and his group. He immediately began to help
gather and load their luggage. Drake nodded toward the other man
who still sat in the box.

Sierra watched as Drake began stroking
the tresses of a huge, burly black stallion hitched to the coach.
Her eyes widened in surprise at Kyle’s decision to allow
Shadowcaster to be hitched, along with the other three
horses.

“
I’m afraid our journey
together ends here,” Daniel said to Sierra not bothering to hide
his disappointment. “Our homes are here in the city of Lafayette,”
he referred to himself and Girard. “You have another hour’s ride
left.” Daniel lifted Sierra’s hand into his and kissed the back of
her palm.

Sierra smiled graciously at Daniel
while Girard tilted his hat to her. The group exchanged parting
words before the men took their leave.

Sierra turned to the huge handsome
body of the stagecoach with all the beautiful horses hitched to it.
The driver, was now sitting again in the driver’s seat, whip in
tow. The watchful man sitting next to him she assumed was a shotgun
messenger.

The perfectly formed bright blue
coach, balanced on its wheels, was quite a sight to behold. The
base of body was richly painted, decorated skillfully with
beautiful landscape scenes. She glanced at the rear boot carrying
their baggage and items.

“
Wait until we ride out,”
Drake said, coming up behind her with youthful enthusiasm. “Ben
drives the stage like a Roman chariot racer,” he
chuckled.

“
He seems very skillful
with handling the horses,” Sierra said, turning to face
Drake.

“
Not just any man can do
the job. A good reinsman must drive the coach through the darkest
of nights, in the worst of weather, over narrow trails, avoiding
rocks and maneuvering through edges of outlining swampland,” he
explained. “Ben knows every twist and turn of the city, and our
route to and from.” Drake lifted Sierra’s hand, helping her into
the Concord.

She sat on the comfortable, cushioned
seat. On the inside, the coach was large enough to hold at least
eight people. Kyle was already seated and Drake was the last to
enter, shutting the door and taking a seat beside her. Sierra
pulled back the drapes of the windows. Across from her, Kyle
marveled at what he could make out of the city through the
opening.

Like a child eyeing a buffet of
desserts, Sierra poked her head out of the window—her eyes taking
in the sights just beyond with wonder. She laughed cheerfully,
pointing out everything to Kyle that impressed her as they passed
antique and specialty shops, restaurants, and nightspots in
concrete and brick structured buildings. She smelled the aroma of
cooked Cajun seafood in the air as they passed open seafood
markets.

Drake watched her enjoy herself,
impressed by her carefree enthusiasm.

Having had her eyeful, she plopped
back down into her seat, beaming. The city was huge, she thought,
abounding with moving stagecoaches, horse-drawn carriages, and
single horsemen. There were all sorts of people of French, Spanish,
Italian, German, Chinese and Dutch heritages, moving quickly down
the city streets. Creoles were not to be missed, and Africans and
Natives occasionally passed by.

Drake had not over-exaggerated his
description of New Orleans. The city was animated and had its very
own unusual culture. Soon they were leaving the city, traveling a
road that Drake called the River Road.