Say You Love Me (35 page)

"You did," he reminded her.

"Only because I thought I had no choice. Don't you realize that if I had known my baby survived, I would never have stopped trying to escape and get to her? Your father might have wound up having me killed, but I would never have given up."

"That's right," he agreed fiercely, "and right now Jacie is feeling like you did—defeated. She has no spirit. She's willing to take anything life hands out to her, because she thinks I'm dead, but I intend to give
her
a choice, by damn. I'm going to let her know I am alive, and then if she still wants to marry Blake, so be it. I'll accept it and leave. But
she will have that choice
." He jabbed a finger in the air for emphasis.

"And you think she can adapt to this way of life?"

"Probably better than you did, because she will have come to it willingly."

"Luke, I hope you're right, for your sake and for Jacie's. And mine, too," she added. Having both Luke and Jacie with her would be happiness nonpareil, but not if it was at the expense of Jacie's well-being. She also prayed that Luke knew what he was doing and would not be hurt, either in body or spirit. There was always the chance that once Jacie got back to the comfort of civilization and the luxury of the privileged, she might decide that was what she wanted. And Michael Blake would never give her up without a fight, not after traveling so far to find her, even if she did choose Luke.

"At least take Gold Elk and some of the braves with you," she urged.

"No. They're needed here. And it's my fight, not theirs. Now, are you sure you know where they were going?"

"Yes. I asked her specifically where Red Oakes was, because I wanted to find out how close it was to where I was raised. I was curious about how things have changed after all these years. Just find Atlanta, Georgia and then the Oconee River, and follow the river as it winds northeast. She said Red Oakes is the largest plantation in that part of the state. You'll find it."

"I know I will." He put his hands on her shoulders and smiled down at her. "And don't you worry. I'm going to bring her back. For both of us. And come spring we've a new life waiting in Mexico."

He kissed her cheek, then mounted and took up the reins. "I'll be back as soon as I can. One moon will pass, maybe two. Surely no more."

"Luke, take this. Whether she returns or not, it's only right that Michael Blake gets the necklace back."

He took the worn blanket; then, seeing she had also included the daguerreotype, asked, "Are you sure you want her to have this too?"

"Yes. Because if I never see her again, at least she'll have it to remember me by."

"But she's coming back with me. You'll see. The spirits have spoken to both our hearts. We can never love anyone except each other."

She watched him till he was out of sight, then went and hid from the others of the camp to surrender to her tears.

Chapter 27

Verena was enjoying her ritual of afternoon tea when Elyse came into the parlor and threw herself on the sofa to wail, "I don't know how much more I can stand of this waiting. Michael should have been home by now. He's been gone for weeks and weeks with no word."

Verena added a generous dollop of cream and two lumps of sugar to her tea before responding. She was accustomed to Elyse's moaning. "We've talked about this before, dear. There's no need to fret. He'll be back, and he's not going to find her."

"But why would she go to Texas? That's all Cousin Olivia could get out of him before he left—that Jacie had gone to Texas. He wouldn't even tell her how he found that out. It might not even be so, and then he will have gone all the way out there for nothing."

"Oh, will you stop it? So what if he has? It will only make him all the madder to spend so much time on a wild goose chase, which is what you want; he'll despise her all the more." She lifted the Meissen china cup and drank, then reached for one of the frosted sugar cakes she ordered baked fresh daily and popped it into her mouth greedily. "What you must remember, dear," she advised around the delicious morsel, "is that he won't find her, which means there will be nothing in the way of all this becoming ours."

With a grin, she spread her arms to indicate the opulent surroundings.
Trompe l'oeil
artwork decorated the walls and ceiling with elaborate plaster moldings, and there was an iron fireplace with a grape design. A Burmese rug accented the parquet flooring, and drapes of deep purple velvet hung at the Venetian glass windows. Objets d'art had been carefully chosen to compliment the furniture, which was all done in pastel brocade, befitting the ladies' parlor.

"You will be queen of this house, and I"—she touched her fingertips primly to her lips and made a smacking sound—"will be the queen mother."

Elyse did not share her mother's optimism that the dream would come true and never had. "Michael doesn't want me. It was always Jacie. He might be so brokenhearted he won't want to marry anybody."

"Oh, fiddle-faddle. That's ridiculous. Do I have to remind you he didn't go running after her to bring her back, anyway? Olivia said it was only when he realized she'd taken the necklace he gave her. He wasn't about to let her keep it. That's why he went—to get that. Not
her.

"And by the way," she added, and reached for another cake, "do you think Zach Newton told any of the other overseers he was going to South Carolina? I'd hate to think of anyone saying something about it to Michael. He might decide to go chasing off down there too."

"I'm certain he didn't. If I'd been a minute later getting to him that morning, I'd have missed him. He was on his way then, and he kept on going after I talked to him and gave him the letter for Mr. Kernsby. I even turned around before I got to the house and saw that he was already at the main road, so he didn't talk to anybody."

"Good. We can't let anything interfere once Michael gets back. You must make him ask you to marry him as soon as possible. Remember, that little tart got him in the first place by throwing herself at him, and you're just going to have to do the same thing, if that's what it takes. Coax him right into your bed, if you have to. Get him in a compromising situation so he'll be honor-bound to marry you. I'll get involved and demand he do so, if need be."

Elyse's mouth dropped open, aghast to hear her mother speak so brazenly. "Surely you don't mean that."

"Surely I do," Olivia mimicked, screwing up her mouth haughtily. "We can't keep on living here indefinitely, and we've nowhere else to go, and by Christmas I intend for you to be Mrs. Michael Blake, understand?"

Elyse understood, all right, and she wanted that to happen even more than her mother did, but for different reasons. "All you care about is his money. I love Michael, and I'd rather know he was marrying me because he loves me too."

"Oh, don't be silly. Love has nothing to do with it. You give him babies and live a genteel life of luxury, and he'll take a mistress, maybe even go to the Negro wenches for his pleasure, and if he does, be glad. You'll tire soon enough of his animal lust."

Elyse did not think so. Thoughts of having Michael hold her, kiss her, made her warm all over. She would never tire of him coming to her bed for loving. She was sure of it. Her mother was wrong.

"Is that a delivery wagon coming up the road?" Holding her cup, Verena stood and rushed to the window, eyes narrowing with her annoyance. "It certainly is, and it's coming right up the main road instead of taking the path around back. I tell you, when we're running this house, there will be many changes made. I'm going out there myself and give whoever it is a piece of my mind, and—"

The expensive Meissen cup fell to the floor and shattered.

Elyse bolted to her feet and ran to the window to see what had caused her mother's distress and felt the blood drain from her face. "Oh, God," she cried in sweeping horror, "it's Michael! And Jacie is with him!"

Just then Olivia breezed in to greet them happily. "Ah, I see we have those lovely little cakes again. My, my, Verena, you are so good at handling the servants. They jump to please you. I was never able to..." She paused. "Good heavens, you two look as though you've seen a ghost. What is it?"

Olivia came to where they stood frozen at the window. Glancing out, she gave a barely audible cry—and promptly fell to the floor in a dead faint.

Michael murmured a hasty exchange of greetings to a waiting groom, then steered Jacie up the stairs and into the house. Relinquishing her to a wide-eyed housekeeper standing inside the door, he gave orders that she was to be taken to her room, where she would rest the remainder of the day. He also directed that a dinner tray be delivered to her.

She accepted Michael's light kiss on her lips and went docilely with the servant. They had agreed previously it was best she be sequestered until Olivia got over the shock of her return.

Michael did not have to wonder where everyone was as he stepped into the foyer, for there was a great commotion coming from the parlor. He walked in to see Verena and Elyse kneeling beside his mother, who was on the floor. He hurried to lift her in his arms and place her on the divan, demanding, though he suspected he already knew, "What's wrong with her?"

"She saw you with that woman." Verena could hardly speak, she was so mad. "It was more than she could bear, to think you'd dare bring that hussy back to this house."

Michael held back a scathing reply because a maid had come into the room and he wanted to avoid any more gossip. "Bring ammonia," he said curtly. "And water."

Verena sniffed. "She needs a doctor. It's probably her heart, poor thing. Michael, how could you?" She stamped her foot.

Michael summoned all his patience and managed to say evenly, "Cousin Verena, my mother always has an attack of the vapors when she's faced with situations she wants to avoid. She's been like that her whole life, so I'm not going to worry about it, and neither should you. In fact, I would appreciate it if you would stop worrying about anything that goes on in this house, because it's no concern of yours. Have I made myself clear?" He glared at her.

The color was back in Verena's face full force; it had turned bright red with indignity. "How dare you regard your mother so callously?" she lashed out at him. "That's what cavorting with the lower classes does to a person."

Elyse knew her mother was going too far. "Mother, please. We've no right to interfere."

"That's right—you don't." Michael nodded gratefully to Elyse and even managed a smile.

An awkward silence fell.

Elyse tugged at her mother's arm, urging her to leave the room, but Verena stood where she was, tight-lipped and furious.

When the servant came with the ammonia, the instant Michael held it beneath his mother's nose her eyes flashed open. She began to cough, pushing the flask away.

"Are you all right now?" Michael asked, no trace of concern in his voice.

"Yes, yes." She looked about the room wildly, then clutched Michael by his coat lapels, attempting to draw him closer. "Tell me it was a bad dream. A nightmare. That I only imagined you brought Jacie back."

"You didn't imagine anything, Mother. I've brought her back to be my wife."

Olivia gave a soft whimper, and he warned, "Now don't faint again, Mother. There's a few things you are going to have to understand, like how Jacie did not run away with Zach Newton. She was intending to ride part of the way with Mehlonga as he headed west to join his people. She was upset with me for being so jealous, when there was no reason. Then she got lost on the way back."

"Oh Lord. That crazy old Indian. I might have known. He hasn't been seen since she left. But that's even worse. Oh, God. She ran away with an Indian." She covered her face with her hands.

"Hmph," Verena grunted. "I think you're making that up. You just don't want to admit she was with that overseer. How did you find her, anyway?"

"Verena, you're really starting to annoy me," Michael said tightly. "I'd like you to leave."

"Oh, don't take it out on her," Olivia moaned. "I don't know what I'd have done without her all these weeks. And sweet Elyse, too. You just don't realize the grief your insane devotion to that girl has caused this family, Michael."

"That is true." Verena folded her arms across her bosom. “And it's a good thing your father isn't alive to hear you treat your kin so disrespectfully, and you can be sure he would never stand for that trollop being in his house."

"That does it." Michael drew himself up, about to remove her from the room, bodily, if need be.

Elyse began to cry and tugged at her mother's arm, begging her to leave, and, reluctantly, Verena went with her.

Once upstairs with the door closed behind them, Verena spent the next half hour ranting and raving, telling Elyse over and over that they had to do something. "We cannot let him marry her. We cannot."

Elyse cringed, because Verena kept getting louder and louder. "Please calm down. Someone will hear you."

"I don't care. Let them. I want all the servants to gossip about him planning to marry that little whore. And that's what she is—a whore, running off with that nasty overseer."