Lilac Temptress (56 page)

You truly must serve
others. You even saved me,
Sierra thought,
feeling his aspirations were noble.

“
This choice is
difficult for me, but with this kind of power that influences
societal change, comes great responsibility. It’s a sacrifice I
have to make.” Drake gently pulled her against his chest, holding
her steadily in his arms.
My sweet
beautiful Sierra, I might perish without you.
He desperately covered her lips with his, knowing that it
would be the last time he would ever taste them. His desire
mounted, as her body surrendered to his without hesitation. She
wasn’t running from him as he had intended for her, she was kissing
him back wholeheartedly.

Sierra reluctantly pushed
her arms against his chest to side step him. She turned away from
him, more tears swelling up in her eyes. “ I won’t make this any
more difficult for you. I hope that you accomplish and get
everything you’ve ever wanted. And do not worry about me. I
will
manage,” she
breathed as she grabbed the stuffed traveling bag that she had
first arrived to Newhaven with. She hauled the strap over her
shoulder, not allowing him to help her and started to walk
away.

Drake took her arm,
stopping her as she tried to pass. She stood looking at him with
desperate eyes, waiting for him to say something, anything.
Just say it
. But no words
uttered from his lips.

“
Goodbye, Drake,” Sierra
whispered, her hopes plummeting with each breath. “I’ll never
regret a moment I’ve spent with you... and I’ll love you, always.”
Sierra slowly pulled her arm away, not wanting to forsake his
touch. Her voice became silent, but her eyes displayed her
disappointment as if she had shouted it to the world. With one last
wishful glance, she turned and slipped out the room.

* * *

Heartache overwhelmed Drake as he
gradually made his way out of the room, passing servants. He didn’t
expect to feel like a broken man, crushed under the weight of his
emotions. As he continued to walk downstairs, a part of him was
relieved that out-of-town guests were being kept in the east wing
of the house, some even staying in the guesthouses located on the
premises. He didn’t think that he could manage a proper greeting if
anyone approached him.

He was consumed with his mental replay
of Sierra telling him that she’d always love him. He was consumed
by the passion in her eyes when she had said it. He could still
feel the warmth of their parting kiss. And he knew he didn’t
deserve her love; not after the way he’d treated her. She was far a
better woman than he was a man. All of his actions had been
selfish. He had been reckless, foolish and inconsiderate of
her.

He walked into one of the drawing
rooms and motionlessly gazed outside behind the dense window
curtains. Girard helped Sierra into his coach and hopped in behind
her.

Rosaline stood outside with Kyle as he held her hands in his
and said his goodbye. She suddenly jerked her hands away, turned as
tears strolled down her cheeks, and fled up the grand staircase
back into the house.

Drake heard Rosaline enter
the foyer and before he could take his leave, she was standing in
the room with him.

“
You! This all is your
fault! You are responsible for his departure!” Rosaline yelled
accusingly. Dashing toward Drake, she began pummeling his chest
with her small fists.

Drake gently took her wrists and held
them together in place to prevent her desperate attack. “Rosaline,
I’ve had enough assails for today,” he spoke
empathetically.

“
I wish you had never brought them here,” Rosaline cried softly
as she pulled her wrists away resting her arms at her sides,
sniffling. “All my life I have looked up to you, admired you, but
today you’ve shown yourself to be nothing more than a… selfish
fiend,” Rosaline frowned and then turned away from him, beginning
to make her exit.

She halted when she heard a
loud crashing sound. She glared over her shoulder. Drake’s body
faltered but her own grief prevented her from returning to him. She
fled away in tears while servants quickly brushed past her to see
to the disturbance.

Drake fell on his knees, hunching over, gripping at his heart,
which was pounding against his ribs so profusely that he thought it
would shatter like the shards of the crystal vase surrounding him.
He couldn’t breathe—his body on the verge of collapse. Watching
Sierra leave with Girard was killing him.

Chapter 22

“
It amazes me sometimes
when I think about how much you are like your father, even with
little things like this. He never could tie these silk scarves
correctly—the collar makes it too difficult... he always needs my
help,” Elaine spoke softly, pleased that she was able to get a
spare moment with her son alone. She observed Drake’s appearance;
he looked much too troubled on his wedding day.

“
You are greatly
appreciated, Mother.” Drake let Elaine work her magic, helping him
prepare.

“
There. You look
exceedingly handsome,” Elaine stated, glancing entirely over her
son to make sure that everything he was wearing was properly
adjusted and perfectly in place. She stood back smiling, admiring
at her handiwork.

Drake stood handsomely and
immaculately attired in a charcoal black tailcoat with traditional
split tails—fully lined in rich black satin and embellished with
six gold buttons decorating the front. His stark white, wing tip
shirt was coupled with a royal blue silk puff tie, underneath a
fine double-breasted black tapestry vest, which matched his onyx
highland pants. His clean-shaven face and fresh haircut gave him
the boyish charm Elaine so loved.

“
Just splendid,” She said
delightfully. “You know that I am most thrilled with your decision
to finally marry. I hope you plan on giving me lots of
grandchildren?” Behind her spectacles, Elaine raised her brows
quizzically at Drake.

Drake didn’t know what to say to his
mother so he answered her with a silent nod. He had never imagined
children with Isadora, and though they had never spoken about the
matter, he was confident that Isadora understood, as did he, that
it was their duty to pass on their legacy to their children. Still
he couldn’t quite imagine Isadora as a mother. And raising children
with such a selfish woman would require considerable perseverance
on his part. He turned away from his mother, unable to look at her,
afraid that she would see through his façade and question his
decision to wed.

“
Drake...” Elaine said,
standing at his back and squeezing his arm, “I know that your
marriage to Isadora Marcos would please your father greatly, but
will you be happy with your decision to marry her? This is not how
I imagined your wedding day to be. You should be overjoyed, and yet
you are not.” Elaine frowned.

She had been hoping she would not have
to have this conversation with Drake. She had hoped he would be
happy with his decision to marry the woman she and her husband had
chosen for him. She had wanted Drake to fall in love with Isadora
Marcos, but somehow, all the while, she had known that it might be
quite impossible.

Drake and Isadora were nothing alike
and it didn’t take long before Elaine realized that Isadora sought
after fame and fortune while Drake sought after his charitable
pursuits. Drake was like all the men in his family who were born
before him. He was an altruist. But what could give her son more
stability to achieve his philanthropic ideals then to forge a
partnership with the Marcos family?

“
Drake, I know about the
other woman. She is quite beautiful. She attended our last family
ball—the woman you escorted, was she not Lady Maudet?” Elaine
paused with a long sigh.

Drake bravely turned to face
her.

“
I saw the way you watched
her. I can’t say that I’ve ever seen you admire a woman so
blatantly in public that way, and I read Charleston Brennan’s
column.”

“
Mother—” Drake started to
speak.

“
Hush, hush,” Elaine
silenced him firmly in her mother’s way. “I know that you have the
desire to serve, though at what cost to yourself? Perhaps you are
being a bit too stringent with your heart.” Elaine gave Drake a
knowing look. “You can be stubborn once you have made up your mind.
However, you have missed a crucial element of success. Behind every
great McCalister man, there is a great McCalister woman,” Elaine
declared. “I want you to do what is right for you, whatever that
may be. Now if you will excuse me, I must go see to your father. I
left him to greet your most important guests. You know how I
dislike it when he alone gets to have all the fun.” Elaine gently
touched Drake’s cheek before she made her exit of the room just as
Girard stepped through the tall doors.

“
It is time,” Girard simply
stated, then escorted Drake from his study.

* * *

The morning could not have been any
more beautiful. The gardens were alive with vivid colors. Drake
stood under the newly fashioned gazebo, which made a fine altar.
Girard was standing next to him, seemingly in good spirits. Drake
peered down the plush grassy aisle—littered with white roses. The
garden was overwhelmed with guests, from extended family to friends
and associates.

Drake glanced over his and Isadora’s
kin lining the rows. Some people he knew, including the popular
columnist Charleston Brennan, and others he didn’t. Drake’s parents
and Rosaline sat in white and gold trimmed folding chairs in the
front row.

Drake’s heart pulsed hard in his chest
as he watched Alexandre Marcos enthusiastically walk his beautiful
daughter down the aisle in time with the orchestrated music.
Undeniably, his bride was stunning; Drake had never seen her more
resplendent. She wore a white lace and silk dress with a sweetheart
neckline and long sleeves, all edged with Lily of the Valley
flowers completely surrounding the full skirt and elongated
train.

Drake caught the glimmer of the pearl
and diamond combination necklace, which hung against her
half-exposed breasts. The fitted bodice hugged her svelte waist.
Her face, veiled with light ecru princess lace and a headdress
adorned with orange blossoms, shimmered against the morning
sunlight.

His eyes were affixed to Isadora,
gliding toward the gazebo and him, but he saw a series of flashes
from his past with Sierra, from when he first met her to when she
had left him. He relived moments of their time spent together,
details of how she looked, words that she had said, and most of
all, the joy of holding her. With every fiber of his being he
wanted to run away from the visage walking steadily toward him. He
tried to take a deep breath but his collar was fastened so tightly
that he felt he was suffocating.

Oh God what I am doing? I
can’t go through with this,
Drake thought
with rising panic in his chest. He eyed his father who grinned
profusely, obviously thrilled by the impending nuptials, and then
his mother. She smiled halfheartedly, and when she noticed him
looking at her, she gave him a slight nod of unspoken approval as
if she knew his thoughts.

As soon as Isadora reached the altar,
Alexandre offered her hand to Drake’s and took his seat in the
front row. The ceremony quickly began. Drake listened to the vows
the parson spoke that he knew he should repeat. He knew that he
wouldn’t be able to make those promises to Isadora, at least not to
love her. He knew he was not in love with her. The parson waited
for Drake to begin reciting his vows.

Drake could feel the clamminess of his
hands and the queasiness of his stomach. His face turned pale white
as he glanced wildly over the anxious crowd who became quickly
unsettled at his silence. Isadora stared at him, mouth gaping in
anticipation of his vows.

He leaned toward her and whispered in
her ear so that only she could hear him. “Isadora, I cannot marry
you... I will not marry you. I would be lying to you and myself if
I make these promises. I know that you will be lying to me when you
make them as well. You will be spared embarrassment if you reject
me because of my infidelity. No one could blame you for your change
of heart... Isadora, you do not love me and I do not love you. We
will make each other miserable. Deep inside we both know it. I need
you to listen me now, and walk away so that I don’t have
to.”

“
You egotistical bastard.
You would leave me for your whore?” Isadora kept her voice as low
as Drake’s. She became stiff and furrowed her eyes, unable to hide
her mortification, feeling lightheaded as her pulse
quickened.

“
I beg you do not tarnish
Sierra’s name,” Drake said, unwavering “and I will not do the same
of yours.”

Isadora’s face contorted into a mass
of red, horror-stricken fear. She could feel the force of Drake’s
threat and she knew that he would make good on his promise if she
ever spoke ill of Sierra. He may have been known to be a man with a
weakness for women, but he was also known as a man of who kept his
word. Society would believe anything he said, be it true or
false.

There was no choice really, she had to
accept that she’d lost him, and sum up the courage to end things
quickly. Steadying herself, she averted her eyes away from Drake
toward Daniel who stood in his position as groomsman, and shied
away when meeting his steely gaze, her knees becoming
weak.