Payton's Woman (32 page)

Behind the Cliff House,
about a hundred yards from the beach, an outcropping of irregular rocks jutted
out from the sea. There were only a few, and they didn’t stick out from the
water very high, but they were covered with grey seals sunning themselves in
the midmorning sun.

“I suppose that’s why
they named it—”

“I know,” she managed to
say between her laughter. “Seal Rock.”

After the driver stopped
at the front entrance, Payton helped her down from the carriage.

“While our bags are taken
up to our room,” she said, “let’s go down to the beach.”

“Don’t you want to eat
first? It’s almost noontime.”

“Not yet. I don’t want
to miss seeing the seals.”

“They’re not going
anywhere. The driver said they stay on the rocks most of the day.” Disappoint
shone on her face. He didn’t want anything to spoil her mood. “All right. This
is your day. If you want to go down to the beach, then that’s where we’ll go.”

He grabbed her hand, fearing
she would set out at a dead run. When they reached the bottom of the path that
led to the beach, she released his hand.

She ran ahead of him to
inspect the shoreline. Near the ocean’s edge were tiny treasures left behind
from the outgoing tide.

“You’re going to get
wet,” he said when she barely missed getting the hem of her orchid colored
outfit drenched by a small wave. “Perhaps you should take off your shoes and
stockings.”

“I already thought of
that, but there are too many people around.”

She darted back and
forth on the beach to avoid the incoming swells. Each time the water rolled out
to sea, she chased after it to pick up anything left behind. When the waves
rushed back to shore, she giggled and laughed as the seawater lapped at her
heels.

“My pockets are already
full,” he said when she handed him another shell. “Don’t you think you have
enough souvenirs of the beach?”

“Probably so. Besides, I’m
getting hungry. We’d better get some lunch before they start serving dinner.”

They walked up the beach
to the hotel. When they reached their room, he stopped her from going inside. “Even
though we’ve been married for a couple of weeks, this is still our honeymoon. There’s
one tradition left to do.”

She gasped when he swept
her up into his arms and carried her over the threshold. Her arms wrapped
around his neck. “I never thought you could be so romantic.”

Using his foot, he
kicked the door shut. He released her legs, but kept one arm around her waist.
Her body slid down the length of him. His mouth closed over hers, and he
nibbled at her lips.

His head lifted as he
gazed into her incredibly colored eyes. “I have something for you.”

Her lips curved into a
sensual smile. “I’m certain you do.”

“Give me your hand.”

Laughter bubbled from
her lips. “I’m not falling for that again.”

“No, I really do have
something for you.” He thrust his hand into his pocket. His other hand grasped
her left hand. “I hope this fits. I measured your finger while you were asleep.”

When he opened his fist,
her eyes opened wide. “A gold ring.”

“It’s a wedding band,”
he corrected. “Since we’re husband and wife, I figured you’d want to wear a
ring to prove it.”

She nibbled at her lower
lip when he slipped it onto her finger. “We’re actually legally wed?”

“Of course.” His forehead
wrinkled. “Did you think I’d lie about something as important as marrying you?”

“No.” she said defensively.
“I just wasn’t certain how legal our marriage was.”

“It’s legal enough to
stand up in any court.”

“You don’t have to get
angry. I was just asking.”

“I’m not angry.” His
tone sounded sharp to his ears, so he gentled his voice. “If you prefer
something a little more proper, we can get married in a church.”

“You’d do that for me?”

“There’s a mission a
short distance from here. We can get married now if you want.”

“We had this same
problem last time.” She slipped her arms around his neck. “I’m not letting go
of you just so you can go in search of a preacher.”

He pulled her to him. “Will
tomorrow be soon enough?”

“Perfect. Now let’s eat.”

“First, we need to seal
this bargain with a kiss.”

“Payton.” She giggled when
he nuzzled his face into her neck. “I thought you were hungry.”

“I am—for you.” He
lifted her in his arms and tossed her gently onto the middle of the bed.

Her hands pressed
against his chest when he crawled over the top of her. “We’re getting sand all
over the bed.”

“Good.” He kissed her
cheek. “We can pretend we’re on the beach, there’s no one around us, and the
waves are lapping at our naked bodies as we make love.”

She put her arms around
him and pulled him to her. “You are so romantic.”

****

“Are you dressed?” Payton
peeked his head through the doorway.

“You may come in.” Gathering
up her long hair, she twisted the strands into a rope and pulled it over one
shoulder. “I need you to fasten the back of my gown.”

“I don’t know why you’re
so modest about dressing in front of me.” He nudged her around so he could see her
back. His fingers tugged at the hooks. “I saw you completely naked just a short
time ago.”

“Now that you’ve gotten
what you want from me, you’re going to be grouchy?”

“You got plenty from me
as I recall.” He turned her around when he finished with the fasteners. “You
look marvelous.”

“I’m not so certain
black is a good color on me.” Her hands skimmed over the bodice front. “This
gown belonged to mother. I altered it to fit me, plus I made a few changes to make
it look a little more in the current fashion.”

She fussed with her hair
that still tumbled over one shoulder. Carved ivory combs secured it away from
her face. “My mother’s hair was a lighter shade of blonde. She looked wonderful
in black, but I’m afraid the color makes me appear a little pale.”

“Not at all. You’re
stunning in this gown.” His fingertips skimmed across her throat. “All you need
is a necklace to enhance your beauty. I wish I had something to give you.”

“I do have something. I’ve
never worn it in public because I’m always afraid I’ll lose it, or that someone
will steal it. But since you’re here to protect me...”

“With my life,” he
swore.

She reached into a
drawer and pulled out a small wooden box. When she set it on the dresser top, he
took a step closer so he could see it better.

“Where did you get that
jewelry box?” His fingers traced over the ornately carved top.

“My brother gave it to
me. It’s made of teakwood.”

“It’s been a few years,
but it looks almost exactly like the box I helped Eddy pick out for his little
sister. I swear, that’s the same mermaid carved in the top.”

“You and your friend
evidently had the same good taste my brother had.”

She opened the lid and
took out a small cloth pouch, but she kept the contents hidden in her hand. She
turned her back to him and held the ends of the silver chain behind her neck. “Would
you fasten this?”

“What is it?” He leaned
over her shoulder in an attempt to see the object dangling from the chain.

“I don’t want you to see
it until after I have it on. Then you can tell me what you think.” Her hand
pressed against her chest to conceal the pendant from his view. “I sometimes
wear it under my clothing. Reggie said the oil from my skin will give it a
luster.”

“It must be a pearl.” His
large fingers fumbled with the tiny clasp. “But no pearl could compare to your
beauty.”

“You’re right about it
being a pearl. But I doubt you’ve ever seen one like this. A friend of Reggie’s
found it. His friend said he’d just get drunk and lose it in a card game, or
end up giving it to some woman he barely knew, so he gave it to my brother to
give to me.” She laughed slightly, as if embarrassed. “Reggie must have bored him
silly with all his stories about me. His friend said that a jewel like this
should belong to another jewel.”

“He thought you were a
pearl?” Payton asked.

“No, a jewel.” She turned
to face him, a smile on her lips. “That’s what Reggie used to call me. His
precious little jewel. It was his nickname for me.”

Her hand moved to reveal
the black pearl hanging from her neck. “What do you think?”

Payton squeezed his eyelids
shut. What he saw had to be an illusion, but when he opened them, the black
pearl still dangled around her neck.

The floor seemed to pitch,
as if he stood on the deck of a ship in a stormy sea. He reached for the back
of the chair to steady himself. His mind whirled. His breathing halted. His
heart thumped.

“Is it too much?” she
asked, a worried tone in her voice.

Her fingers flitted over
the pearl resting below the hollow in her throat. The size looked about as big
as a plump grape. A silver crown secured it to the chain around her neck.

He knew his mouth gaped
open. He put his lips together and tried to swallow, but his throat had gone
dry.

“Are you all right?”

He took a step back. His
legs bumped against the bed. He sat down on the edge. His thoughts jumbled
around in his mind as he tried to make sense of what he saw. He glanced at the
carved teakwood jewelry box. His gaze darted to the black pearl hanging from
her neck. He’d seen them both before. He shook his head as if he could deny the
conclusion he drew. But he knew the truth, even though he didn’t know how it could
be possible.

“You’re brother’s name
was Reggie? Reginald Anderson?” he asked haltingly.

“No. We didn’t have the
same father. I told you before that we were only half brother and sister.”

He jumped off the bed
and grasped her upper arms. As his grip tightened, his fingers squeezed into
her flesh. “What was his last name?” he demanded in a hoarse cry.

She put her hands
against his chest. A look of worry crept across her face. “It was Eddington.
Reggie Eddington.”

Her brother’s name
slammed through his brain and bounced around inside his skull. Over and over,
the name echoed through his mind. Reggie Eddington. Red Eddington. Ready Eddy.
One and the same.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Julia studied Payton as
he sat across from her at the dining table. His behavior had become odd. She didn’t
know what caused him to change, but it began when he’d seen the black pearl dangling
around her neck.

He’d yelled at her. Then
he had grabbed her and shook her. His fingers had gripped her arms so tightly
she feared bruises would develop.

Then he’d wanted to know
about her brother, but she’d already told him about Reggie. They had different
fathers and different last names. He had red hair. She had blonde. Her brother had
saltwater in his veins. She got seasick.

Now he’d become distant
and avoided her gaze. Hardly a word had come out of his mouth since they’d left
their room. They sat quietly at the table while the room buzzed with chatter
from the other guests. He blamed the sudden change on his lack of nourishment,
but he’d hardly touched his food.

Finally tired of his
silence, she started a conversation. “You’re not going to feel any better if
you don’t eat something.”

“I’m feeling better now.”
He made a tentative smile.

“You don’t appear any
better. You still look...concerned.”

“I am concerned.” He thrust
his fingers through his dark hair. “I’ve been doing some thinking. I realize
how dangerous things have become, especially for you.”

“Until Dunbar is
captured, you’re in just as much danger as I am.”

“Perhaps, but I can look
after myself. And I can do a better job if I don’t have to worry about your
safety also.”

“I’m safe when I’m with
you. You said so yourself. I’ve been careful about where I go. And I’ve done
everything you’ve asked.”

“I know you have, and I
hope you’ll continue to do that.” He reached across the table and took her
hand. “I want you to return to Sacramento and stay with the Baxters.”

Her breath caught in her
throat. “You’re sending me away?”

“Just until this is
over.”

“You said you didn’t
want to let me out of your sight.”

“I know, but the
situation has changed.”

“Nothing has changed—except
for you.” She clutched at his hand. “What is it, Payton? What have I done? I’ve
stayed in our room like you want and never go anywhere by myself.”

“I know you have.”

“Then what’s wrong? What
have I done to make you want to send me away?”

He closed his eyes and
shook his head. “You haven’t done anything.”

“I must have done
something. We were so happy this morning. This was supposed to be our
honeymoon.” She brushed at her face when a tear rolled down her cheek. “You’re
suddenly so different. Now you want me to go away. Why, Payton? What’s happened?”

“Julia, don’t. I brought
you to the restaurant to tell you this because I hoped you’d control yourself
better. I didn’t think you’d argue with me in public.”

Her lips quivered. She propped
her elbow on the table and pressed her fingers against her forehead in an
attempt to hide her tears. “You don’t want me to cause a scene. You just want
me to go away quietly.”

“I don’t want you to go away,
but it’ll be better if you do, at least for a while. You can stay at the Baxter’s
ranch. It’s in the country. You’ll be far away from anything that can hurt you.”

She stared down at her
plate. Her mind tried to sort out the reason for his sudden decision. “You said
it would only be a matter of time before Dunbar was found. Do you no longer
believe he’ll be captured?”

“I think he’ll be
arrested soon, but when he is, he’s going to talk. The names of his accomplices
will be spread all over the newspapers. It could turn ugly. People could get
hurt. I don’t want you to be one of them.”