Rebel Temptress (Historical Romance) (22 page)

"Come children. Let us go into the kitchen and see if cook can find a treat for you," Suzanne called, giving Honor a glance that reminded her of their conversation.

Adam watched his sister and the children disappear into the house and then turned back to Honor. "What was it you wanted to tell me, darling?" His voice was deep and there was a velvet-soft look in his eyes that was so disturbing that Honor could not bear to look at him.

"Suzanne said you told her all about me, Adam?"

He raised a dark eyebrow, "Not everything Honor. I told her very little about last night."

Honor's face turned red and she lowered her head. "I feel so ashamed about last night, Adam. You must think me awful."

He frowned. "I think you know better than that, Honor."

"Adam, had I known that you were here last night I would never have come."

"I would like to think you will always come to me when you are troubled, Honor. I was afraid that you would regret last night when you had time to think on it. It was beautiful. I know you felt as I did." He took a step toward her and she backed away.

"Adam, why are you here? Why did you buy Landau?" she said trying to change the subject and yet prolong the time before she would have to say goodbye to Adam for the last time.

"I think you know the answer to both of your questions, Honor."

"Oh, Adam, what have I done to you?" She looked at him and read the love that was shining in his eyes. "How can it be that you should care for me? I do not understand."

"One cannot always choose whom he will love, Honor, but even had I been able to make the choice, it would still be you I love." He took her hand and raised it to his lips.

Honor withdrew her hand and raised her head toward the sky, willing the tears she felt in her eyes not to fall. "Adam, I cannot allow this to go any further. You must not say these things to me."

Adam sat down beside her and forced her to look at him. "I have a plan, Honor. I have been awake half the night trying to find a solution to your problems, and I think I have come up with the answer."

"There is not a solution for me, Adam, do you not see? I am Jordan's wife, and nothing will ever change that."

"Hear me out, darling."

She started to protest, but he slanted her a glance that silenced her. "As I have told you, I am a lawyer by profession, and while I am not all that familiar with the laws of Virginia, I know the laws of Massachusetts. I will take you and Aaron to Boston with me. You can stay with Suzanne while I file for a divorce against Jordan. After you are free, you and I will wait a decent amount of time," he grinned, "say twenty-four hours, and then we shall be married."

"Oh, Adam, what you suggest is impossible. I cannot take Aaron away from his father, and I could never leave my son."

Adam stood up slowly. "If you loved me enough you would want to be with me, no matter what," he said in a quiet voice. "But you have never said you love me, have you? Was I a fool for thinking last night meant something to you? I thought you felt as I did," he said harshly. "Tell me, Honor, am I mistaken? Am I reading you all wrong? Does Jordan Daniels have your heart? Are you content to let him treat you the way he does and you go back for more?"

"I have to consider Aaron," she said, knowing that he would not believe her reasoning.

"Do you love me, Honor?" His voice sounded flat, but she could feel the tension that radiated from him. She wanted to tell him she had loved him for a very long time, and that after last night she loved him more deeply than she had thought possible. He was so kind and loving, and he wanted her to be his wife. Knowing she must do what was best for Adam and remembering Suzanne's words, she prepared herself to lie to him.

"I . . . I like you very well, Adam. You are a very dear friend."

He grabbed her by the shoulders and drew her up to him. "Friend, hell! Was it friendship you sought when you lay beside me that night I was wounded, trying to save me from the Confederate soldiers? Was it friendship that sent you into the apple orchard last night calling my name?" His face was dark, and anger sparkled in his blue eyes. "Damn you to hell for your deceitfulness. Your eyes spoke of love while you played with me, gave me hope, made a fool of me."

"No, Adam, no!" she cried. "I never . . . I . . . I never lied to you."

He shoved her away from him. "No, not in so many words, but you lied all the same. I can see now that I was a fool. You played on my pity for you, and I fell for you. God, how I fell. At the moment I have more respect for your sister than I do for you. At least a man knows what to expect from her."

Honor felt as though he had struck her. She backed away from him, holding her hand to her mouth to hide the sobs that she could feel deep inside her.

Adam's eyes narrowed. "Do you still want Jordan Daniels?"

"I am going home to Green Rivers, yes."

"If he is what you want, I will see that nothing stands in your way."

"I do not understand."

He smiled as his eyes looked right through her. "Meagan is all that stands between you and your husband. I will see that she is no longer a threat to you.

"You are not making sense, Adam."

Adam took a deep breath. "I will have Harvey drive you home," he said in a voice of dismissal. Honor knew she had hurt him deeply, but there was no other way. Her love for him was stronger then ever. He would risk all on her behalf, and it must seem to him that she had used him. Her heart cried out to tell him of her love, but she knew she could not weaken now. He seemed to hate her, and with good reason, she thought. Honor knew that the hardest thing she would ever have to do would be to walk away from him now, but she squared her shoulders and lifted her head.

"It is but a short walk. I would not wish Jordan to see me arrive home in a strange carriage. It would raise too many questions."

"As you wish," he said coldly.

"Adam, I want to thank you for last night."

"It was my pleasure, Honor, but in the future when you and your husband have a little lover's quarrel, try and work it out between yourselves."

Honor swallowed the lump in her throat and turned from him, walking as fast as she could, knowing he was staring at her. Was Adam right? Had she unknowingly played on his sympathy? Loving him as she did, had she tried to make him fall in love with her? Tears blinded her as she thought of the perfect thing between them that had been destroyed. Everything was so confused, but she did not want to dig too deeply, she did not want to find any answers.

She would return to Green Rivers and her life would center around Aaron. Jordan and Meagan no longer had the power to hurt her, because they would not touch her heart. She would be like Aunt Amanda and love someone who was as good as dead to her. It would harm no one if at night when she was in bed alone she thought of Adam. She would love him when she was old and gray, always wishing and praying for his happiness.

She shied away from thinking of him with another woman. She would think of him as he had been last night as he held her in his arms and had shown her the beautiful side of love. She would remember the tender love words he had whispered in her ear. No, it would harm no one for her to remember Adam, her love.

14

When Honor reached Green Rivers she met Meagan in the entryway. When her sister reached out her to hand to touch her, Honor shied away.

"Where are you been? We have searched for you all night."

"Where is Jordan?" Honor said calmly.

"He still searches for you. Have you any idea what we have been going through wondering if you were injured?" Meagan asked.

"Where is Aaron?" Honor asked.

Meagan shook her head. "He went into town with Maggie. Where have you been?"

Honor walked into the sitting room and Meagan followed.

"Why do you not say what you are thinking?" Meagan said.

Honor's eyes looked dully at her sister. It no longer mattered what Meagan and Jordan did as long as they did not do it openly where Aaron or Maggie could be hurt.

"I do not have anything to say to you, Meagan. What you and Jordan do is not my concern. Just try and be a little more discreet in the future."

Meagan sat down on the edge of the settee and studied her sister's face. There were tiny dark circles under her eyes, and at the moment she looked very vulnerable. There was a great sadness in Honor's eyes. Had she and Jordan done this to Honor? She was overcome with remorse and misgivings. She suddenly saw her sister as she had once been, a loving, carefree child. How could she have been the instrument to hurt her sister? Meagan felt ashamed and sorry for her past actions.

"Honor, I do not know what to say to you. What you witnessed last night was entirely my fault. I sought Jordan, and at first he thought I was you. I give you my word that it was the first time it has happened, and it will never happen again. Jordan loves you and he is devastated at the moment."

Honor looked at Meagan dully. "I do not want to hear anything you have to say, Meagan. As far as I am concerned, you and Jordan are a matched pair. I have no one to blame but myself, I knew you and Jordan loved each other."

"No, you are mistaken. I will leave if you wish, and maybe with me gone you and Jordan will soon work out your differences."

"Leave or stay, as you will, Meagan. It makes little difference to me. But whatever you decide, I will never allow Jordan to come near me. That is over and done with."

Meagan frowned. "There is more bothering you than Jordan and myself, isn't there? What has happened to you?"

Just then the sitting room door burst open and Jordan entered. He looked past Meagan to Honor, and there was relief on his handsome face.

"Chauncey told me you had returned. Where have you been? I have searched everywhere for you."

Honor looked from Jordan to her sister. At the moment she felt sick inside, remembering last night. She did not want to be in the same house with them, let alone the same room.

"If the two of you will excuse me, I must change," she said, walking toward the door.

"Honey, we have things to discuss," Jordan said as he stepped in front of the door and barred her exit.

"I have nothing to say to you, Jordan. Let me pass please."

Meagan stood up and walked toward the door that led into the garden, leaving Jordan and Honor alone together. They were not even aware that Meagan had left. Honor's face was calm, but her green eyes sparkled like emerald fire.

"Stand aside, Jordan, I wish to go to my room."

"Not yet, Honor. I have some things to say to you. After that you are free to go to your room if you wish."

"I will save you the trouble, Jordan. Meagan has already interceded on your behalf. She told me it was her fault last night. She would have me believe you are innocent of any wrongdoing."

"Honor, will you believe that I love you?" he pleaded.

"Not in a million years, Jordan. If this is the way you prove love I can well do without it."

"Honey, I am not making light of what happened last night. I know how hurt you must have been."

"Disgusted is more the right word, Jordan."

"All right, disgusted, then. But it is you I want, it is you I love. I thought Meagan was you last night."

"Poor Jordan, he always wants the sister that he cannot have. We have played this scene before, remember? Only the last time it was the other way around. You thought I was Meagan. If I were not so disgusted by the whole ordeal, I might feel sympathy for you."

Jordan glared at her. "Sarcasm does not become you, Honor."

She put her hands on her hips and returned his angry glare. "What would you have me do, Jordan, tell you I understand, that it is all right by me if you and my sister carry on behind my back?"

"Honor, believe me, last night was the first . . ."

She held her hand up to silence him. "Is the shame lessened if it has only occurred once? It does not make me feel any less sick that last night was the first time. Tell me, Jordan, were you less brutal to my sister than you were to me on our wedding night?"

Jordan's face flushed red and he looked for a moment like he wanted to strike her. "This is your fault, you know. Had you been a proper wife to me when I returned from the war you would have been in my bed last night instead of your sister."

"Perhaps you are right, Jordan. I am prepared to shoulder some of your guilt, since you always need someone to take the blame for everything that goes wrong in your life."

She struck a nerve, and he turned away from her. "What are your plans? I will not let you take Aaron away from me."

"At the moment I am too weary to plan, I just want to go to my room."

He turned back to her. "Where were you last night?"

Honor raised her chin and looked deep into his eyes. Her anger cried out for her to hurt him as he had hurt her. "I was at Landau."

"I never thought of that. I should have guessed you would go there. What did you do, climb through one of the windows? I know the new owners have not yet taken up residency."

"You are quite wrong, Jordan. I met the new owner last night and was surprised to find that I knew him quite well."

"Who was it?" he asked.

Honor pushed past him and into the hallway. "Adam O'Roarke," she said over her shoulder as she climbed the stairs to her room.

Jordan swore loudly as he watched her disappear at the top of the stairs. So O'Roarke had bought Landau. What was his reason, and why was he here? In Jordan's confusion he conjured up a picture of Honor lying in the Yankee's arms last night while he made love to her. His own guilt and shame were pushed aside by what he had now convinced himself had taken place between his wife and Adam O'Roarke.

He ran through the front door and toward the stable, practically knocking Chauncey to the ground when he bumped into him in the hallway. He would see this man O'Roarke for himself, and he would make him pay for what he was sure had taken place between him and Honor last night.

Jordan was still angry when he rapped on the door at Landau. The door was opened by an elderly, white-headed woman wearing a black uniform and white apron that proclaimed her to be the housekeeper.

"I would have a word with the master of the house," Jordan told her in a commanding voice.

"Who shall I say is calling, sir?" the woman asked, seemingly undaunted by his brisk manner.

"Tell him that Jordan Daniels insists on seeing him," Jordan told her, trying to curb his impatience.

"If you will step into the hall I will see if Mr. O'Roarke will see you."

As the woman left, Jordan looked about the all too familiar house. He saw nothing had changed. The same mahogany table stood against the wall with its vase of roses, and two matching Queen Anne chairs sat beneath a portrait of yellow roses.

Jordan's temper had not improved. It still angered him that Honor had been forced to sacrifice Landau to save Green Rivers. What kind of game were Honor and this Yankee intruder playing? Did they take him for a fool?

"Mr. O'Roarke will see you now, Mr. Daniels," the woman said, coming up behind him, Jordan brushed past her and wrenched open the door to the study, his eyes fused on the dark man sitting calmly behind the desk.

Adam stood up slowly, appraising Jordan Daniels. Anger flashed in the gray eyes as well as the blue ones. For a long moment there was silence in the room as each man summed up his enemy. The lines had been drawn. They both had known this day would come, for they both wanted the small silver-haired girl, but only one could have her, and Adam knew the winner would be her husband.

Adam stood inches taller than Jordan, and his blue eyes were cold as he gave him a guarded look. With considerable effort Adam bit back the angry words that threatened to choke him.

"So you are Adam O'Roarke," Jordan said insultingly.

Adam walked around the desk slowly and sat down leisurely on the polished surface, crossing his arms in front of him. He had been a commander of men and had learned to sum up his enemy without giving himself away. "Be seated, Daniels," he said, nodding to a brown leather chair.

Jordan ignored the offer that sounded more like an order than an invitation. He noticed the expensive cut of the dark man's coat, and judged him to be a man of means.

"I have come to talk to you about my wife," Jordan said, the hostility plainly showing in every rigid line of his body.

"You have my ear. Talk!" Adam said.

Now that Jordan was face-to-face with the man, he did not know which of his many questions to put to him first. "Honor told me she was here last night," he said, deciding to get right to the heart of the matter.

"That is correct," Adam said coolly, thinking that this man who was Honor's husband was a fool.

"What are your intentions concerning my wife?"

"What are your intentions?" Adam parried.

"I do not want you to see my wife ever again!" Jordan shouted, his temper out in the open at last.

Adam looked at Jordan calmly, seemingly amused by his loud outburst. But if Jordan had known Adam better he would have noticed the anger that shot through his blue eyes. "I will see Honor whenever and wherever I damn well please, Daniels."

Jordan advanced a step toward him, and Adam stood up to his full height.

"You damned egotist!" Adam said, his anger unleashed. "You come to me acting like the cuckold husband, when in fact it is the other way around. I could kill you for what you have put Honor through."

Jordan's eyes narrowed. He was not a coward, and this man would feel the full extent of his fury after he got all the answers he had come for. "Nothing about my wife or myself concerns you. I am curious as to why you are at Landau. What do you hope to accomplish?"

Adam sat down on the edge of the desk once more and eyed Jordan wearily. "I own Landau," he said simply.

"Why did you buy my wife's plantation?"

Adam smiled. "It was a good investment. It had been well managed, and I knew in time it would be a valuable piece of property."

"I do not believe that is your reason, for one moment." Jordan frowned as a new idea came to him. "Unless . . . you thought that through your association with my wife you could get your hands on Green Rivers, as well."

Adam smiled slightly. The man was a fool, after all. Had he so little thought for Honor that he would think a man could only be interested in her to acquire land? "Let us say for the sake of argument that you are correct. Suppose I made you an offer on Green Rivers, would you accept it?"

Jordan smiled smugly. "So I was correct. You are after Green Rivers, and you think the easiest way to acquire it is through flattering Honor and God knows what else."

"You have not answered me, Daniels, is Green Rivers for sale?"

Jordan laughed deeply. "Honor will be disappointed in you, O'Roarke, for unless I miss my guess she believes you have a fancy for her. I myself knew that was not the case."

"You believe your wife unattractive and unable to inspire love in a man?"

"You and I know Honor is the loveliest woman to ever draw breath, but I believe you to be unscrupulous. Perhaps you think now that the war is ended you can come into the Shenandoah Valley and acquire land at a small price. I doubt you have the money to buy Green Rivers, and you would not have been able to buy Landau had my wife had the benefit of a man to advise her."

Adam laughed. "You would like to believe that I do not love Honor, would you not? You would like to think I am only interested in material things. Let me set you straight on a few points. I bought Landau because I heard through an acquaintance of mine that it was up for sale, and I bought it unknown to Honor. She did not have any idea until last night that it was I who bought her home, and I will tell you something else you may not know. I always intended to return Landau to her, thinking when you returned home she would need a refuge, and I was not mistaken in that—you and her sister about finished her last night.

When I first met Honor she was like a little bird with a broken wing. I could tell she had been cruelly treated by someone, and it did not take long to put the pieces together and find out that it was you and her sister who had wounded her."

"Did Honor tell you this?"

"No, as it happens, I overheard your own mother talking to Honor about you and her sister."