The Tiger Lily (19 page)

Constanza
shook her dark head decisively. "No. No,
amigo
—we know each other
too well. If I were your wife, I would be jealous of your other women and you
would not want me to have my lovers. I like my life the way it is, Carlos. I
would be lying if I didn't admit that I wish Emilio had left me with more money
so that I could live in elegance in New Orleans or Mexico City, but on the
whole I am satisfied with my life. I come and go as I please, I very discreetly
take the occasional lover when it suits me, and when I am pressed for money or
have need of a particularly expert lover, I have my good friend Carlos. What
more could a woman ask for?"

"You
are unnatural," Carlos said mildly, his eyes resting on her full mouth.
"All women want marriage and children. It is what they are born to
do—marry and provide their husbands with heirs."

Aware
of his glance on her mouth, she slowly, provocatively moistened her lips with
the tip of her tongue. "Bah! Because it is what you want with your
Sabrina, you think I should want it, too! What I want at the moment is Brett
Dangermond in my bed. Next week or next month it will be something else, but
for now ..." She smiled coquettishly at him, her hands lightly caressing
his. "You shall have your Sabrina, and all the lands and riches that come
with her, and because I have been accommodating in the matter of Brett
Dangermond, you will share your new wealth with me,
si?
"

When
Carlos remained silent, his gaze still on her mouth, she touched his lips
softly with one finger. Sensuously she outlined the shape of his mouth.
"You will have everything you want, amigo, " she breathed huskily,
"Everything . . . including me."

"
Si
,
"
he muttered thickly, rising to his feet. "Everything, including you."

Roughly
he pulled her eager body into his arms, and he kissed her upturned mouth
hungrily. He glanced around the deserted patio and demanded, "Where? Your
room? Or the forest?"

"The
forest," she replied against his throat, her hands touching him
intimately.

His
manhood nearly bursting from his tight calzoneras, Carlos kissed her once more.
Lifting his lips, he growled, "When you lay with the gringo, you will
remember this afternoon." And then, dragging a very willing Constanza
behind him, they disappeared into the thick, concealing forest.

Sabrina
was in the forest, too, that afternoon, but unlike Carlos and Constanza she was
alone. Or had thought she was . . .

Having
declined to accompany Brett and her father into Nacogdoches, she had saddled
Sirocco and gone for a ride, allowing the palomino mare to wander where she
would. Sabrina had grown up in the forest surrounding the Rancho del Torres,
and it had never held any fears for her. She was as familiar with it as she was
the grounds of the hacienda, but today she was suddenly aware of how easily the
tangled maze of trees and verdant undergrowth could conceal an enemy. Bonita's
harping about bandits, as well as the horrifying news of the sacking of the
Rios ranch had begun to prey on her mind, and perhaps that was why she
gradually became conscious that she was no longer alone. Someone was stealthily
following her. Not someone well versed in the forest either, she thought
calmly, as a fallen branch cracked loudly behind her.

More
curious than alarmed, she continued on her ride, imperceptibly changing her
direction so that she was now heading back toward the hacienda. Passing under a
tall pine tree, she slowed Sirocco long enough to allow herself time to swing
up into a low, overhanging tree limb and then softly commanded the horse to
move on. Obediently the mare did so, leaving Sabrina to wait for her follower.

She
didn't have long to wait. Only minutes after Sirocco had ambled on, a horse and
rider came cautiously into view. Sabrina recognized neither the animal nor the
man upon its back, and with thoughts of the murdered Rios family in her mind,
she reached down and slid her knife from the sheath in her boot. A feral gleam
in the amber-gold eyes, the glorious golden-red hair a fiery halo about her
head, she dropped down on the hapless rider below.

There
was a startled croak from her victim as she landed behind him on the horse, her
arm quickly and efficiently passing around the man's neck, the knife blade
pressing menacingly into the rider's throat. In a voice that was surprisingly
fierce, considering how fast her heart was beating, Sabrina demanded,
"Your name or your life!"

Everything
had gone according to her hastily improvised plan up until now, but she hadn't
anticipated the violent reaction of her victim. A sinewy hand suddenly gripped
the wrist that held the knife, even as the well aimed elbow of the man's other
arm jabbed powerfully into her solar plexus. Winded from the unexpected blow,
she momentarily slackened the arm that held the knife, and he took quick
advantage, swiftly increasing his hold and forcing her hand down and away from
his throat.

Realizing
what was happening, Sabrina fought back, and they began to struggle violently
to gain control of the knife. While they fought their grim, silent battle, the
horse fidgeted nervously, finally rearing up and throwing both combatants to
the ground. They hit hard, but rolling and twisting, they continued the fight
until Sabrina, her breath coming in deep, painful gulps, finally gained the
upper hand. Sitting on his chest, her knees digging into his arms, pinning them
uselessly to the ground, she finally saw her opponent's face.

"Senor
Ollie!" she burst out, the savage expression fading from her face.
Unconsciously she sagged, sinking deeper onto his narrow chest, her knees now
on either side of him, no longer trapping his arms. The knife, which she had
been in the process of placing against his unprotected throat, once more lay
limply in her hand. Her bewilderment obvious, she asked, "Why were you
following me?"

His
face a mixture of bafflement, embarrassment, and chagrin, Ollie ignored her
question and burst out with a string of profanity of such hair-curling
virulence, such boundless variety and innovation, that Sabrina blinked.

"I
beg your pardon!" she said sharply, understanding not even one word in
fifty of what he uttered. "Speak English!"

"I
am speakin' bloody H'glish!" Ollie returned in an aggrieved tone.

Assessingly
they eyed each other, and then, with a frustrated exclamation, Sabrina stood
up. Impatiently she gestured for Ollie to rise.

Ollie
did so, and dusting off the debris that clung to his clothes, he muttered
disgustedly, "If this don't beat the Dutch! Bested by a dimber mort! And
me a flash cove up to every rig and row that's ever been run!"

Torn
between curiosity about his peculiar way of speech and an odd feeling of
amusement, Sabrina suddenly found the situation preposterous. An attractive
gurgle of laughter escaped her, and Ollie glanced at her with dislike.

"Laughin'
at me!" he said, outraged. His brown eyes sparkling angrily, he shook an
admonishing finger at Sabrina. "It ain't polite— to crow over a man's
misfortune! I would have thought even in a 'eathenish place like this, you'd
'ave been taught better. Seems I was wrong!"

Laughing
now in earnest, Sabrina sought to soothe his ruffled sensibilities. "No,
no, Senor Ollie. I was not laughing at you—it is this ridiculous
situation." She sent him a blinding smile, inviting him to share her
laughter, and Ollie stared at her open-mouthed, entranced.

She
was a lovely thing, he thought to himself, his earlier distrust and animosity
fading away. Aware suddenly of the enormity of what he had said and done, he
hung his head and blushed like a girl. Now he was in for it! When the guvnor
heard about this escapade, he'd be lucky if he wasn't dismissed on the spot.
Miserably he said, "It's me, miss, that should be explaining things to
you."

Sabrina's
face softened. He was so very unhappy and uncomfortable that she could not find
it in her heart to be very stern. "Very well then, if you will not join me
in laughter, tell me why you were following me," she said softly.

Ollie
swallowed painfully. He couldn't very well admit that the guvnor's uncustomary
mood last night had anything to do with his actions. How could he say,
"You had the guvnor fair blue-deviled, and as I always watches out for the
guvnor, I wanted to know what kind of woman could do that to him?"

When
Ollie remained silent, Sabrina asked quietly, "Was it because of the
bandits? Did Senor Brett ask you to follow me?"

For
a moment Ollie almost seized on the excuse, but figuring his lie would be found
out, he shook his head. Improvising, he said, "I didn't mean to follow
you. It was just that I was at the stables when you left, and as I 'aven't seen
much of the countryside, I thought I'd just follow along behind you. That way I
wouldn't get lost." Embellishing his tale, he looked suitably downtrodden
and explained mournfully, "I shouldn't be saying this to you, miss, but
the guvnor's no easy taskmaster. This is the first day I've 'ad any time to
myself. I didn't mean any 'arm, miss." Putting his best pleading
expression on his face, he begged pitifully, "You won't tell the guvnor,
will you, miss?" He shuddered theatrically. "He'll fair beat me to
death if he finds out about this, I can tell you!"

Completely
hoodwinked by Ollie's manner and pathetic tale, Sabrina was firmly allied on
his side. Why, Brett must be an ogre to his servants! she thought. Poor Senor  Ollie,
to be so frightened of his master. Her eyes kindling with the light of battle,
she said grimly, "You have nothing to worry about. I shall say nothing.
And Senor  Ollie, if your master dares to lay a hand on you while you are at
the Rancho del Torres, you let me know. We do not mistreat our servants
here!" She glanced across at Ollie and smiled reassuringly. Then, looking
at the sun, she said briskly, "We had best find our horses and head back
to the hacienda if we wish to arrive there ahead of your master and my
father."

Relieved
and yet feeling the tiniest bit guilty about the easy way she had swallowed his
story, Ollie agreed with alacrity. A cheeky grin on his face, he started to
step out smartly when he heard a curious buzzing near his foot, and Sabrina
commanded urgently, "Do not move! Stay like a stone, Senor , if you value
your life!"

Ollie
froze, and looking down at his toes, he saw, curled not a foot away from him,
the sinister shape of a serpent. But no serpent like he had ever seen before.
This creature had a tail that vibrated so swiftly that the eye could not follow
the movement, and the ugly triangular head was poised aggressively above the
coiled, thick body. Ollie barely had time enough to realize that he might be in
mortal danger when, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of steel. The
next thing he knew, the snake was writhing furiously on the forest floor, its
head staked to the ground by Sabrina's knife.

His
face held a green tinge, and he stepped quickly away. "Bloody eyes! What
in the 'ell is that?"

Placing
her booted heel firmly behind the head, Sabrina coolly removed her knife and
efficiently cut off the snake's head. Ignoring the twisting carcass, she dug a
hole and gingerly deposited the head. "That, Senor  Ollie, was a
rattlesnake. They are venomous and quite, quite deadly," she said
sincerely. "Our land is beautiful, but it is also dangerous. You must take
care within our forests or we may bury you here."

Shaken,
Ollie said piously, "God love you, miss! You saved my life! If ever Ollie
Fram can do you a favor, I'll do it."

Opinions
completely revised about one another, in increasing rapport, they caught their
horses and rode back to the hacienda.

Later
that day, as he was laying out Brett's apparel for the evening, Ollie glanced
across at his master, who had just finished shaving, and said with studied
carelessness, "Miss Sabrina saved my life today, guvnor."

Wiping
his face with a white towel, Brett looked at him with a frown. "What do
you mean, she saved your life?"

Looking
very innocent, Ollie answered, "Well, guvnor, I was down at the stables,
intending to take a little ride about, when I notices Miss Sabrina riding off
all by herself. And I recalls the fuss that was made this morning about her
maybe being captured by bandits, and I says to myself, 'Ollie, you best ride
along with her. It's what the guvnor would want.' And so I did."