The Raider (20 page)

“Did you think I was going to marry someone else and come sneaking away in the night to you?”

“Jessie, you don't love Montgomery.”

“Maybe I don't, but he's been good to me in a way you with all your bravura will never understand.” She stood still in the moonlight in her underwear. “Let me make this clear to you: tonight is your one chance. One, no more. If I marry another man tomorrow, there'll never again be any more of this.”

The Raider was on his feet in a moment, his nude body pressing against hers. “You to live like a nun? How will you feel a week from now when I slip into your bedroom?”

“Our
bedroom. My husband's and mine.”

He smiled at her. “Would you like to wager that Montgomery won't sleep with you? You might roll on him and crush him.”

“Alexander is a good man and you leave his name out of this. Is that your final word? You won't marry me?”

“I can't. If there were any way I could, I would. Jessica, I'll visit you. You can visit me here.”

She angrily pulled on her dress. “No, I take vows tomorrow and I plan to honor them.”

He smiled knowingly. “You'll never be able to do it.”

“You have never met a Taggert before.”

H
ER
wedding day was a rainy one, bleak and drizzling, the world looking as unhappy as Jessica felt. She kept her chin high and refused to think of the Raider's words to her. But she wasn't going to be some tragic heroine who loved one man while married to another. From this day forward, she was going to put the Raider out of her mind. Even as she thought this, part of her mind was laughing in disbelief.

Eleanor had helped her dress in a navy blue silk dress that had belonged to Alex's mother and then commanded her to sit perfectly still while she saw to all the preparations for the wedding breakfast.

Eleanor didn't try to talk to her sister about the forthcoming marriage and Jessica was sure she was too disgusted with her to speak.

But as Jess sat there, alone in Adam's room, she became fidgety and thought she'd like to talk to Alex. She looked out the window, saw that no one was in sight, then made her way along the edge of the house, through the weeds, to Alex's room. When she passed Sayer's room, she glanced in to see Nate helping the old man get dressed. Nate started toward Jess, but Sayer caught her brother's arm and nodded at her. She nodded back to him and continued on to Alex's room.

As politely as circumstances allowed, Jess knocked on Alex's window. When he didn't answer, she climbed into the room. “Alex,” she called but heard no reply, so she sat down on a chair and waited. He entered through a door leading to another room. He wore a brilliant scarlet coat embroidered with darker red flowers and tendrils that put her plain dress to shame.

When he saw her, there was an immediate look of pleasure on his face but then it changed to one of annoyance. “You shouldn't be here. Haven't you heard that it's bad luck to see each other before the wedding?”

“I wanted you to know that I saw the Raider last night.”

Alex was primping before a mirror. “I'm sure it was a strenuous meeting. I'm surprised you're here today. Didn't he sweep you away on his black horse? Carry you to his golden castle?”

“Alex, I came to talk to you, not to fight. I want to tell you that I'll honor my vows to you. I won't—” She had to swallow hard. “I won't be seeing him again.”

Alex just stood there, staring at her for a moment, and she couldn't read what he was thinking. “Come with me, Jess,” he said and led her through a door.

“My room was once the nursery, but one by one my older sister and brothers left and I stayed in it. My mother used this room for sleeping when one of us was ill. I've had it furnished for you. You have your own bedroom.”

Jessica looked at the little room, prettily done for her with a small bed, a wardrobe, a chest and a chair. It was the first time in her life that she was to have a space that was entirely hers alone.

“Alex, you're very good to me. Better than I deserve. I swear that I'll be a good wife to you.”

“Fresh fish every day?” he asked, his eyes laughing.

She smiled at him. “And a child in every room. Alex, could I try on that coat? I like red.”

He laughed then and removed his coat.

The coat was much too big for her, but the red brought out the lights in her hair and made her cheeks pinker. He stood behind her as she looked at herself in the mirror and put his hands on her shoulders.

“Jess,” he said softly, “I'm going to buy you a wardrobe fit for a princess.” He paused. “A wardrobe fit for my wife. I'll be a good husband to you, the best that I know how to be.”

All Jess could see in the mirror was his face, a shadow darkening his wig and no shining coat to take away from the handsomeness of his face. Quite naturally, she turned toward him, and, just as naturally, his face lowered toward hers.

His lips were almost on hers when they were interrupted by Nicholas's chuckle.

Alex pulled away from Jess as if she were poisonous. Nick was smiling patronizingly at her appearance in Alex's scarlet coat.

“Your sister believes you've run away,” Nick said to Jess.

Jess removed Alex's coat but Alex wouldn't come close enough to her to take it, so she folded it carefully and put it on the bed. Of all things, she thought, she'd almost kissed Alexander Montgomery. The Raider had said she'd never be able to live like a nun. But
Alexander?
Smiling at the absurdity of her thoughts, she left the room.

Eleanor met her in the hall, her face white with anger. “I thought you'd decided not to go through with it.”

“Do I have a choice? You give me an alternative and I'll take it.”

“Hmph!” Eleanor sniffed. “You have the best of the bargain. You're just too stubborn to see it.”

“Maybe when Alex is sleeping I can try on
all
his coats.”

Eleanor grabbed her sister's arm and pulled her into the front parlor where the ceremony was to be held. The wedding ceremony began and was over quickly. Jess put her cheek up for Alex to kiss and thought he smelled like cinnamon. One of the children again, she thought.

In spite of the fact that the wedding had been forced by the hated Admiral Westmoreland, it was a Montgomery wedding and the food and drink were plentiful, so the guests enjoyed themselves. There were whispers about how awful it was that a beautiful young woman like Jessica was being sacrificed to a fat, effeminate, decrepit man like Alexander. The men murmured things about the power of Montgomery money, while the women said gold was a poor bed-mate.

A couple of men, trying to alleviate Jessica's misery, whispered to her that they'd be happy to supply what she obviously wasn't going to get from Alexander.

Admiral Westmoreland came by the house and congratulated the bride and groom, just as if he'd not been the one to cause this unwanted marriage. Jessica opened her mouth to say something, but Alex clamped his hand on her arm painfully and then thanked the admiral.

“Coward,” Jess hissed at Alex, then turned away and smiled at two good-looking young men.

“Jess…” Alex began, but she took the arms of the two men and left him alone.

When night came, Eleanor pulled Jessica out of an energetic reel with a handsome blond man and led her down the hall and toward Alex's bedroom.

“I was having such a good time,” Jess protested.

“You can have a good time alone with your husband.”

“By counting the number of flowers on his new coat? Ouch, Eleanor, that hurt. Lately, your temper hasn't been at all pleasant.”

Eleanor didn't speak until they reached Alex's room. “This is a gift from Marianna,” she said, holding up a white cotton nightgown edged with deep eyelet flounce.

“It'll take more than that to get a rise out of Alexander,” Jessica said, rolling her eyes.

“Now, you stop that!” Eleanor snapped. “There's nothing wrong with Alexander. He might do a lot better if he got a little encouragement from you.”

“Encourage him to do what?” Jess asked, aghast. “Look, Alex and I have this worked out. We married each other for convenience. You heard him. He needs someone to put this house into order. Someone other than that big, snooping Russian of his—ouch! Eleanor, I want to take the corset off, not tighten the strings.”

“Jess, you'd help matters if you thought of Alexander as a
man.
He's your husband now and you should treat him as such. Here, lift your arms and put this on. Now, get into bed and I'll brush your hair.”

“Alex set up a bed for me in that room.”

“But not for tonight. Jessica, you listen to me. All Alex needs is a little encouragement. You have to use a few feminine arts on him.” She glared at her sister. “Don't tell him he's fat or that you can outsail him or that you hate his clothes. Be
nice
to him. He's your husband now.”

Jessica was yawning. “All right, I'll sleep here. I don't like sleeping alone anyway.”

Eleanor kissed her sister's cheek. “You won't regret this,” she said and left the room.

Jess was asleep in moments but woke when Alex entered the room. She watched him move about, his fat belly silhouetted in the dim light. He lit a candle, then drew in his breath when he saw Jessica.

“What are you doing here?” he said, his eyes widening at the sight of her.

She was not going to get angry. “We got married, remember?”

“I thought you'd be asleep now—in your own bed,” he said pointedly.

She clutched her hands together and gave him a sweet smile. She didn't like the way he was treating her, as if she were an intruder. “Alexander, this is our wedding night.”

“I know,” he snapped, “but I'm tired and I have a headache and I want to sleep.”

He did look tired. His eyes were red-rimmed and his face was beginning to sweat. She tossed back the covers, then stood on the bed, putting her hands on his shoulders. “I can rub your head until it feels better. Come to bed and I'll—”

She stopped because Alex pushed her down in the bed.

“Go to your room,” he said angrily. “I told you that I want to sleep. Alone. Do you understand me?”

“Yes,” she said, as much puzzled by his anger as anything. “I wasn't planning to remind you of the past. I mean, remind you of when you could still—”

Alex had his back to her and didn't turn around. “Just go, Jessica. Just go,” he said hoarsely.

Frowning, she went to her own room and snuggled down under the covers. She was asleep instantly, but something woke her. She sat up. “Alex?” she said, when she heard a noise.

“It's me,” said a deep, accented voice that she'd come to know well.

The Raider was all over her at once, pulling at her clothes, burying his hands in her hair, kissing her face and neck. He was a starving animal, wanting her, needing her.

For a moment, Jessica clutched at him, as eager for him as he was for her.

But then, when he had her gown half off, she remembered who she was.

“No, no, no,” she chanted, pushing at him. “I'm married now. Get away from me.”

“Jessie,” he whispered, yearning in his voice. “I came to give you your wedding night.”

She pushed at him with all her strength. “You didn't participate in the ceremony and you can't participate now. I
told
you that. Didn't you believe me? Now get out of here before you wake Alex.”

“He's snoring too loudly to hear anything. Jessie, please.”

“Get out of here!” she said much too loudly, but she knew she was close to giving in to him. “I'll scream until everyone hears me. They catch you, it'll be your neck.”

“Jessie, you can't mean this. That fool Montgomery is never going to sleep with you. Do you mean to spend your life alone in this bed?”

“If I must. But I'll certainly not spend it cuckolding my husband. If you're not out of here in thirty seconds, I'll scream.”

He stood to his full height, towering over her, his black clothes making him almost disappear in the shadows. “I want to see how you feel in a week or so. Will you be able to resist me after that muscleless husband of yours has ignored you night after night?”

“I'll resist you even if it turns into year after year.”

He laughed at that and Jess realized how little conviction she'd been able to put in her voice. After a quick caress to her cheek, he slipped out the window and was gone. It was almost dawn before she stopped tossing about in the bed and went to sleep.

*   *   *

Alex was awakened by Nick's big hand on his shoulder. “Your father just sent for me. He wants me to carry him into the common room, and your sister says he plans to visit you in your bedroom. He wants to see the newlyweds together.”

Sleepily, Alex nodded, getting out of bed before Nick shut the door behind him. He stretched his nude body, his fingertips touching the ceiling, before getting a long nightshirt from a chest and putting it on. He chose his largest, gaudiest wig.

He stopped as he remembered the harrowing experiences of the previous day. First, he'd almost kissed Jess, thereby giving everything away, but, thankfully, Nick had interrupted them. After the wedding, he'd been conscious only of the fact that now Jessica was to be his forever. He'd never experienced such a feeling of possession in his life. He wanted to take her away from the house; he wanted to veil her and keep her completely to himself. He didn't want others to see or speak to her.

He was afraid that if he got too near her, he just might abduct her, so he'd stayed away from her, not even letting himself stand close enough to smell the fragrance of her hair.

But he'd had to stand there and watch while she danced with man after man. She was his wife but she wasn't. He couldn't hold her, couldn't touch her, had to act tired and uncaring when he wanted to show her how truly energetic he felt.

He'd breathed a sigh of relief when Eleanor took her away, but then his imagination nearly killed him as he thought of what they were doing. Jessica was being prepared for his bed.