Master Of Paradise (36 page)

When Amanda made her usual evening visit to Miss Louise, she was upset to find the young mare down in the stall. What she feared, labor, had indeed begun. Brutus and Ben had fed and watered the horses and mules, and she appealed to them for help.

The young mare labored through the night with no visible results. Amanda alternated with soothing words and caresses for her beloved Miss Louise, and curses for Nicholas for not returning in time. "Damn him to blazes, the wretch should have been back a week ago, yes and could have been if he'd wanted to!" Then she thought of the dangers of slipping past the blockade and felt her heart hammering with fear. Then after another scream from Miss Louise, she was back cursing Nicholas.

"Tabernac! Taberush! He let that damned great Sunblood service you and the foal is too big to come." She overlooked the fact that it had probably been her own carelessness in leaving her mare with his stallion.

By morning she was frantic and knew if the colt wasn't born soon, she would lose the mare. Finally, some sweet-smelling fluid escaped and one spindly leg presented itself. She didn't dare pull on it because she feared harming both mother and colt.

As Nicholas turned the hired carriage into the lane-way lined with the towering cathedral-like oak trees, he grinned at Philip. "Welcome to Paradise." He stopped the carriage before the white-pillared magnificence of the plantation house.

Samuel was there to welcome Nicholas home and hand down the luggage to the house servants.

Philip spoke up. "I'll take the carriage to the stables. I'm dying to look about. You go on in to that wife you've been longing for."

The moment Philip drove the carriage into the stable, eager hands took over to unhitch the horses, and he strolled through the stables that were even larger than those at Peacock Hall in England.

Mandy saw the tall young man and cried, "Do you know anything about horses?"

He looked down at the beautiful girl with the golden eyes filled with apprehension, and the mare obviously in foal. "Yes, actually I do," he replied in his clipped British accent.

"Thank God," she breathed. "She presented one leg but we'll need two hooves. Get that rope over that stall and we'll see if we can help her."

Philip was so close to her, he could see the tiny beads of perspiration on her forehead and feel her breath on his cheek as she found two hooves and pulled. The foal began to emerge from its mother, then with a gush, the shoulders and head slipped out along with the birth sack. Miss Louise staggered to her feet visibly relieved, and began to nuzzle the little creature in the straw.

"Oh, you did it!" Mandy cried, overjoyed. She leaped up and threw her arms about Philip with delirious gratitude.

He picked some straw from her hair and laughed. "Nay sweetheart, you did it, the laurels are yours." As he looked at her, he knew he had fallen hopelessly in love.

Amanda blushed. "I'm sorry, I don't even know your name, sir."

"It's Philip... Philip Peacock."

Her head flew up and her hand went to her throat. "Nicholas! Nicholas is home?" She was off and running, but not before Philip had glimpsed the exquisite joy that had transformed her.

Amanda rushed headlong into the beautifully decorated main room of Paradise with its cool peacock blue and ivory furnishings. Nicholas was surrounded by Mammy Lou in her snowy, starched apron and tignon. Jennifer Joy, dressed in frilled primrose muslin, and Philip's mother, Pamela, gowned in elegant gray and pink. They stared at her stained gown and disheveled hair with disbelief and dismay. Only Nicholas seemed unaware of the deplorable picture she presented as his eyes lit up, and he swung her about with delight.

"Nicholas, however did you get past the blockade?" she cried breathlessly, tears of relief threatening to spill over.

"I slipped up the Santee River to the Intracoastal Waterway. Didn't even go into Charleston where I figured patrols would be waiting. Sweetheart, you mustn't worry about me. Blockade running is just a game. We have a three-thousand-mile coastline and they can't patrol everywhere at once." Finally, he became aware that the other females in the room were staring with disapproval at his wife. Then he noticed her dishevelment.

Philip looked at his brother and thought again for perhaps the thousandth time in his life that Nicholas had everything. Looks, strength, a powerful body and now he had Paradise. Philip knew he could bear it all philosophically, yet there was one thing Nicholas had that he would always covet: this girl, this wife, this
Amanda Virginia.

"This is Philip's mother, Pamela."

"Please forgive my appearance," murmured Amanda. "I'll go up and change at once."

Mammy let out an audible sigh of relief and followed her up the staircase. This time she knew herself on safe ground; this time she knew Mandy deserved her prating.

Pamela had been curious in the extreme to meet the wife Nicholas Peacock had chosen for himself. Now that she had seen the girl, she could not comprehend how such a mere slip of a girl with the unruly mane of hair and manners of a hoyden could attract such a virile man, while he had never responded to her own classical beauty. In the brief moment the two females had looked at each other, their dislike had been immediate and intense.

Jennifer treated Philip and his mother with such exaggerated deference, that it made Philip uncomfortable to be addressed as Lord Peacock, no matter how many times he protested. His mother, however, relished being referred to as Lady Pamela, especially since Nicholas never gave her the title anymore. As a consequence, Pamela got along splendidly with Jennifer. She recognized her own frustrated feelings in the girl where her brother-in-law was concerned. The two had in common a prurience belied by their angelic blonde facades.

Pamela got on amazingly well with Aunt Billie also, but the meeting with Amanda had been destined to disaster from the outset.

Amanda was very excited to have Nicholas back at Paradise. She went alternately hot and cold at the thought of being in his arms again, and when she thought of him making love to her, she was breathless with trembling limbs and aching breasts, as Mammy Lou helped her into a pale green lawn fastened with satin ribbons. Amanda was saved from Mammy's lecture by Cleo, who went into labor, so of course Mammy took charge.

Nicholas and Philip saddled up to tour the plantation, and their horses weren't out of sight before Brandon turned up. He was very dashing in full dress uniform. The South Carolina Cavalry was riding to Virginia soon, and he was tying up loose ends before he left.

Brandon had the black twins in tow and tried to discretely turn them over to Jennifer without causing a stir, but Mammy Lou after one glance, knew them for bed wenches. Hands on hips she demanded, "What ah suppose t'do wid dis trashy pair?"

"Oh Mammy, you should be able to find lots of things for them to do," Jennifer said, "especially with Cleo indisposed for awhile. They must be trained for something."

Mammy sniffed. "What dey trained fo' ain't fitten f' white ladies t'know."

Brandon looked appealingly to Amanda.

"I have a dozen things they can help with. Don't worry about them Brandon."
They can do laundry in the mornings since the extra sheets alone will be mountainous with our visitors, and the sultry heat that necessitates clean linen every day. In the afternoons I can put them to hoeing the potato fields.
Of course she didn't mention these chores to Brandon or he would have objected to his pampered darlings doing menial work.

That night, Samuel served dinner for seven, with Nicholas at the head of the table, his brother Philip and Pamela on either side. Amanda was seated opposite her husband at the foot of the table, flanked by Jennifer and Brandon. Aunt Billie was squeezed in between.

Philip was in rare good spirits. He felt almost reborn since Nicholas had come into his life again. He had become so hopeless and now he was supremely grateful. He rose formally to offer a toast. "To Nicholas Peacock, the most honorable man I know."

Jennifer raised her glass and said sweetly, "Daddy always knew Nicholas was an honorable man. He placed so much trust in him. He gave him his little girl when she was left motherless. Nicholas pledged his honor as a gentleman to protect Amanda with a marriage in name only."

Nicholas's eyes narrowed into a threat as he looked down the table at Jennifer.

Pamela murmured with interest, "I see. I thought your bride was a trifle young, Nicholas, but of course I didn't understand the situation."

Jennifer dared speak again. "He is so honorable they live in separate wings, and are chaperoned at all times."

Philip said the first thing that popped into his head. "Don't you find that inconvenient?"

Nicholas said angrily, "I find it damned inconvenient, as a matter of fact. Every time I wish to say something to my wife, we have an audience." He glanced down the table and caught Amanda's golden eyes dancing with secret amusement. His tone softened, "For instance, I want to tell her how proud I am of her for all the work she's done while I've been away. I know the planting was entirely her doing. I want to tell her she's the most beautiful woman in the entire world." He paused and looked at each person at the table in turn. "And I want to tell all of you that I adore her."

"Hear, hear!" Philip and Brandon gave all their attention to the lovely girl who was rosy with blushes.

The smug look had been wiped from Jennifer's face, and her mouth was now set in a thin line. She decided the moment their father visited, she would tell him that Nicholas had broken his trust and deflowered Mandy.

Mammy Lou announced triumphantly that Paradise had just had its first child born under its roof. "Cleo has a son."

"Oh that's wonderful." Amanda laughed happily and got up from the table. "I must see how she is and see the baby. Please excuse me?"

Amanda was holding the new baby in her arms when Nicholas brought Brutus along to Cleo's room. She gave the baby to his father, who grinned with pride at the fine offspring he had produced.

"Stay here for a few days with Cleo," Nicholas urged Brutus.

"Thanks Masta Nick."

"Soon as Brute finishes extendin' de cabin, ah'd sure love t'take de baby an' go live der instead of in de big house," Cleo said hopefully.

"Of course you may," Amanda assured her.

Nicholas nodded. "You belong together. I don't know how you've managed living apart. I know I can't do it." He looked at Amanda, and she said quickly, "I must go to see Miss Louise now. Goodnight Cleo."

Nicholas caught up with his wife on the way to the stables, in the navy blue dusk. "You're going in the wrong direction, my love," he drawled. The air was humid and heavy with the perfume of a hundred night-blooming plants that seduced the senses.

As they slipped inside the dark green labyrinth, she lifted her skirts and ran. He pursued her with a laugh deep in his throat. Each knew the maze by heart, and soon he had her trapped by the fountain, which suited her purpose exactly as it did his.

His arms went about her and he crushed her to him, and felt the slow curl of heat in his belly.

She lifted her arms high behind his head and fitted her body closely to his. The force and power of his body made her feel totally feminine, and his vital energy and strength made her aware of her own defenselessness against him.

His head came down and his lips took possession of her mouth so fiercely, she thought she would be bruised, but she gave herself up to him, forgetting the pain, in the pleasure his mouth brought her.

"My love, my love, I swear this ache has grown worse each day we've been apart." He freed one soft breast and dipped his head to taste the luscious fruit. "Let me undress you," he begged hoarsely.

She demurred softly. "I'm afraid, Nicholas."

"My honeysuckle, no one will come." He stripped off his shirt and breeches and stood naked before her. The moon was hidden for the most part by sultry clouds, and the maze formed a darkened chamber that enclosed them and shut out the world. He reached for her hands and guided them to caress his bare chest covered with its crisp pelt of curls.

She became more bold, and began to explore his body as she had longed to do. She regretted that she could not see his bronzed magnificence, but she could feel him and smell the clean, masculine skin. Then she licked his nipples that tasted of salt and sunshine. Her hands explored lower to his iron-like thighs, then she slid her hands up and cupped him.

Nicholas groaned with the exquisite sensations her touch brought him. He took her hand. "Let me show you," he whispered. He circled her fingers about his shaft and showed her how to touch him with featherlike strokes.

She made no protest this time as he began to undress her.

He always marveled at her response to him, so rich and passionate. He placed his hands on her thighs and lifted her high above him, then let her slide down his body and onto his throbbing, hard cock.