Lilac Temptress (46 page)

“
You needn’t explain. This
was my way of thanking you—for saving my life,” Sierra spoke
softly, allowing herself to take a more comfortable position and
relax into the plush pillows, drunk on his kisses and half-asleep.
“Drake, have I ever told you how much I enjoy the sound of your
voice? It’s so comforting.”

“
No, you haven’t, but I
appreciate the compliment.” Drake wearily laughed.

“
And I appreciate your
gallantry. You’ve never failed to keep me safe. You make me feel
pro—” She fell asleep while speaking.

“
Protected.” Drake finished
her sentence for her. He covered her gently with a quilt and took a
moment to stroke the lines of her face. He watched her, deep in his
thoughts, a little longer before leaving the room, and shutting the
door gently behind him.

Chapter 19

Taking all his meals alone, Drake saw
very little of anyone over the past few days, which passed by
leaving him in a confused haze. And though his original plan was
never to leave Sierra, Rosaline, and Isadora alone together in his
house, he had gone into the city several times that week to avoid
the women, who might drive him insane with all their incessant
quarreling. However, it wasn’t only their bickering that unnerved
him. The few times that he had bumped into Sierra alone had made
him clumsy with his words when speaking to her. Each time he laid
his eyes on her he’d been plagued by self-doubt about everything
that he was doing.

He knew that the only way to make it
to his wedding day was to stay far away from Sierra. So, he had
gone into the city to see to his wedding attire, and the purchasing
of wedding bands. He stopped at his law practice to draw up
authorizations for the relinquishing of his share of the firm to
Girard and Daniel.

He did anything to keep himself
preoccupied. He wanted to stop thinking of Sierra and their recent
kiss—different from any they had shared before. It was not only
passionate but also affectionate and endearing. And if he were not
mistaken, there was something akin to love in her eyes when she
gazed up at him as he held her against the bed.

He’d seen that look before, in the
eyes of his former flame Angelique, but when Sierra looked at him,
something inside him exulted with a sense of belonging to her,
revealing pleasure and a deep satisfaction within him. And in that
moment, the part of his being that he had ignored for so long,
blazed. Then guilt had its way with him. He did not deserve to be
loved by her. He needed to forget her, and wipe her image out of
his mind.

Hoping to put the tender moment behind
him, he had spent last night out with Girard and Daniel, liquored
up at a tavern until he had become inebriated—drinking himself
under a table. He all but had to be carried to his coach and
delivered home to Newhaven, in one piece, by Ben and
Thomas.

And this morning he would sit in his
gardens for fresh air because his temples were throbbing from his
hangover, and now having peace and quiet inside the house was quite
impossible. The wedding was only a week away and Isadora had hired
contractors to build a gazebo in the far eastside-garden for the
nuptials. Tents were to be positioned for the reception soon, and
out-of-town guests would start arriving within a few
days.

* * *

Drake strode through the corridor
leading away from the kitchen when Henry, the butler
approached.

“
A delivery has been made
this morning, sir. I have sent the package to your study. It’s on
your desk.” Henry disappeared around the corner.

Drake headed for his study
and upon entering walked to his desk and eagerly tore open the
awaiting package. He had been wondering what Charleston Brennan had
written about him and Isadora after his disastrous visit, and now
he was anxious to read an enclosed copy of the
Polite Society
paper that he and
Isadora had been awaiting.

Sure enough, the highlighted cover
feature was of his imminent marriage to Isadora. Drake began
reading:

Is the pending nuptial of
the century’s most prominent couple really matrimony of the rich
and baffled?

I’ve been writing columns
for a long time, particularly covering lifestyles of the New
Orleans Society, their celebrations, delightful moments and
announcements, but never before have I experienced the pleasure of
spending an entire day with Society’s most elite.

I will tell you first what
you expect to hear. No wedding event will be more glamorous than
this affair, held at the glorious and infamous riverside estate,
McCalister’s Newhaven. If you have ever been so fortunate as to
attend an event there, then you would agree that it is a very
romantic and luxurious estate. Undoubtedly, there can be no greater
place for this majestic union between the two noble offspring of
merchant kings.

However, the city’s
greatest love affair between the McCalister and Marcos heirs is not
without conflict, as with all great romances. The marriage will
align two worthy opposing trade companies, bringing the competition
of two great families to an end as they merge; however, the
greatest battle is yet to be fought.

A love triangle surely
exists between the woman who has already won Drake McCalister’s
heart and the woman who seeks to claim it. Notorious as McCalister
may be, I wonder if he wouldn’t have it any other way?

Oh, what I would do to be
in McCalister’s shoes, the grand prize of one of two beautiful
women fighting a battle to the finish. All is fair in love and war
and I had the privilege of accompanying the royals to the duel, a
day spent on the Mississippi to endure a contest that ended rather
waterlogged. But only McCalister knows just who will have the final
victory.

Surely this will be the
most memorable wedding of the century. Until then we will all sit
eagerly holding our breath, wondering about its outcome.

Drake placed the paper down on his
desk dumbfounded. He didn’t know just how he should react, but he
knew one thing for certain, he absolutely was not going to allow
Isadora to get her hands on that article because he was certain
that she would drive him to immediately send Sierra and Kyle
packing.

“
Excuse me, sir. Your
father is here to see you,” the butler said leading Randal through
the open study doors. Drake gazed at his father noting the
Polite Society
newspaper
he held in his hand. “Please shut the door behind you Henry on your
way out,” Drake instructed.

“
You’ve read the article,”
Drake sighed.

“
Just what on God’s green
earth is going on around here, Drake?” Randal asked with agitation
in his voice. “Is this your handiwork? Lady Maudet—is she the woman
referred to in this article?” Randal tossed the paper at Drake’s
feet. “I will have to explain this to Alexandre Marcos
somehow.”

“
Did you really come so
early this morning from Faircrest to berate me because of this?”
Drake puffed. “Father, the story is mostly fabricated. You cannot
believe a word of it. Tell Alexandre it is an article meant to keep
Charleston’s fans interested in his column.”

“
Charleston Brennan does
not fabricate,” Randal retorted.

“
Certainly you do not think
this article is a threat to my pending marriage—or the merger?”
Drake retaliated.

“
Of course not, your
senseless actions are the only threat. Everything will be water
under the bridge once you have married Lady Isadora. Alexandre and
I have already drawn up the paperwork. We will all but sign on the
line as soon as the wedding is actualized.”

Drake silently seethed. He didn’t care
for his father’s insult. If his actions were senseless, they were
the result of him having second thoughts about marrying Isadora.
Regardless, he knew his father was right. Allowing the Charleston
Brennan interview, in addition to accepting that Charleston join
their day trip had been foolish. But Drake was a grown man, and
nevertheless did not care to be reprimanded.

“
Father, do you hear
yourself?” Drake gritted his teeth in rebellion. “What happens if I
decide not to marry Isadora?”

Randal furrowed his eyes at his son,
positively appalled. “Why in God’s name wouldn’t you marry her?”
Randal breathed deeply for a moment, thinking his son meant to
cause him heart failure and send him to an early grave. “If you do
not marry Isadora then you will be a disappointment to your
family.”

“
No, not my family—only
you.” Drake corrected his father, awaiting a response, which never
came. “There has to be another way to secure our business. There
are smaller merchant companies we could draw up partnership
contracts with. I have done research. I have the books if you would
like to see them.” Drake walked toward a cabinet and pulled out a
binder stuffed with files. “I’ve reviewed the financial papers. I
have examined your boxes of records. I will not fail you no matter
what my decision,” Drake said to his father who seemed as if he
would turn down every suggestion.

“
You would have to make a considerable capital investment
in
McCalister Shipping
Company
.
It would
be the only way,” Randal advised. “You’d need to buy new ships and
get everything in order quickly enough to remain competitive with
Alexandre. Drake, unless you plan on expending much of your own
wealth to do this, you simply don’t have enough time to seek the
funding. Alexandre has recently acquired new ships, and he will
precede us in pursuing new government trading contracts along the
Mississippi route if we don’t act quickly. Drake—I want to turn the
business over to you knowing that you will continue its
success.”

“
Then trust me, father,” Drake pleaded. “There is a way to make
slower purchases without making use of my inheritance, and not lose
our competitive edge. And though it might be slow at first, leaving
us a little behind schedule, we will catch up to Alexandre and
possibly surpass him.”

Randal, deep in his thoughts, stood
silently glaring at Drake. “Your plan is not secure enough
Drake—only a merger is,” he firmly stated.

Drake held back from shouting his
disagreement. The thick air in the room threatened to suffocate
him. When he heard light tapping on the door, he welcomed the
interruption, and made his way to open it.

“
Sierra,” Drake exclaimed in an exasperated whisper. “Now is
not the time.” Drake immediately shook his head from side-to-side
and waved his hands and arms in a signal that meant do not
enter.

“
Then when will be the
time? I know that you are evading me—is it because I kissed you? It
has been a week since then and—”

“
And there she is,” Randal
interrupted abruptly, motioning for Sierra to enter.

Drake hung his head low as she brushed
passed him. Sierra had guessed correctly. Her kiss had unraveled
him, and since then, he realized that he couldn’t trust himself
alone with her.

“
Yes—now I do see your
dilemma,” Randal voiced aloud, furrowing his brows.

Drake straightened his head and gazed
toward his father.

“
Tell me, young lady.
Have you seen this?” Randal reached for the
Polite Society
on Drake’s desk and
passed it to Sierra.

Sierra’s read and her eyes widened.
When she finally finished the article and turned to Drake she
simply said, “Drake, I am sorry.”

“
Sierra, please leave us,”
Drake said softly walking toward her and taking the paper from her
hands.

“
Drake, I didn’t know...”
Sierra continued.

Drake nodded his understanding and
then said, “Leave us now, and please tell no one of this article.
We can speak later.” Drake escorted her by her arm out of the room
and shut the door, but not before seeing the apologetic look on her
face.

“
Father, if there is
nothing else, I have very important matters to attend.”

“
Is
she
your important
matter? Who is she Drake? Why not send her away and resist her
before further damage is done? She leaves you
confused.”

“
Father the truth is that I
am hopelessly confused and I cannot send her away. I am responsible
for her and...” Drake shrugged as his voice trailed off.

Randal raised his brow
quizzically. “What do you mean you are
responsible
for her?” he voiced
flatly.

“
She is under my care and
protection. On my return from my recent travels, I brought her and
her brother here. I am to blame for all of this. I am—”

Randal raised his hand to silence
Drake. He of all people had known of Drake’s weakness when it came
to women. Women preyed on Drake, and he most certainly fell victim
to the beautiful ones. “I think I have heard enough. I trust that
you will make the right choice and marry Isadora, of course,”
Randal spoke sharply, letting Drake know that any other decision
would not be to his liking. “And one last matter,” Randal pulled
out at least a dozen letters, tied with a silk ribbon, from the
breast pocket of his waistcoat. He handed them over to
Drake.