River Lady

by Jude Deveraux

  As Leah turned and waved, Wesley clucked to the horses and they started the journey.

  As soon as she was alone with Wesley, Leah felt uncomfortable. She began studying her fingernails, but quit, tucked her hands under her, and sat on them. “We’re to meet the Shaws at their place?” she asked, but when Wesley merely nodded she said no more.

  They drove past the tavern where Bess worked and Leah wished she could stop and say good-bye to her sister, but one glance at the tautness in Wesley’s profile and she knew she wouldn’t ask him for a thing. She straightened her back and looked ahead.

  The sun was barely up when they reached the plantation where Steven and Kimberly were staying. It was a tiny place compared to Clay’s, and some of the outbuildings looked as if they needed repair. But what caught and held Leah’s attention was the utter chaos surrounding a half-packed wagon. From out of the jumble of voices, boxes and animals, Kim came running toward Wes.

  “Oh, Wesley, dearest,” she called, “you have to help us. Steven is refusing to take all of my clothes and all of the beautiful things I have for our house. Please, you must talk to him.”

  Wesley jumped from the wagon, gave Kim a quick, reassuring caress with the back of his hand, then went toward the wagon. Leah was left to help herself down. When she reached the wagon it was easy to see what was wrong, yet even as she circled the mess she couldn’t believe her eyes. None of the goods loaded on the wagon had been packed with any sense of order. A small, fragile hatbox was crushed under two fifty-pound bags of seed. A steel-bound trunk teetered atop the arms of a gilded chair.

  “You can see there’s no more room,” came a man’s voice from the opposite side.

  Leah bent her knees and peeked through the arms of the chair to get her first glimpse of Steven Shaw. He was as lovely as Kimberly—blond, blue-eyed, cleft chin—perfect.

  “Wesley, dear,” Kim was saying, “you must find a way. I can’t possibly leave anything behind. You wouldn’t want me to be unhappy, would you?”

  Heaven forbid that catastrophe, Leah thought as she began untying the ropes across the goods in the wagon. If it was repacked from the floor up, they’d probably be able to get everything on.

  When Wesley walked to the side where Leah was untying the ropes he gave her a look of surprise; then there was just a hint of disgust. He looked away. “Can you climb to the top of this mess and hand me that trunk?”

  “Of course,” Leah said, smiling to herself. Maybe he did realize his precious Kimberly was little more than an ornament.

  “Somehow I was sure you could,” Wesley said under his breath in a way that puzzled Leah.

  Leah and Wesley worked well together, unloading then repacking the wagon, while Steven and Kim squabbled. Kim cried over her crushed hat while Steven complained about Kim’s lack of help.

  A couple of times Leah felt Steven watching her, but he looked away just as she turned.

  When they finished Leah looked to Wesley, in truth expecting some sort of thanks, but all he did was grunt. “You can ride with Steven,” he said as he tied the last rope.

  Stunned, Leah watched him walk away. “With pleasure,” she called after him and fought down the urge to throw a rock at the back of his head. Maybe she should set fire to the fringe on his buckskins.

  A hand touched her arm and she looked up into Steven Shaw’s dancing blue eyes. “May I?” he asked, nodding toward the wagon seat.

  Instantly, Leah didn’t trust him. When she was a girl her two older brothers used to bring men home and sometimes they had looks in their eyes such as the one Steven now had. Of course, she told herself, she was wrong.

  Wesley and Kim pulled out onto the road first. No one came from the house to say good-bye and suddenly Leah felt very alone—among strangers, traveling to more strangers.

  “Will you miss your friends?” she asked Steven, but all she got was a sidelong look from him that made her stop talking.

  They traveled west for hours, and Leah didn’t try again to talk to Steven. They stopped for an hour to eat sandwiches Regan had sent, and Wesley hovered over Kim, who cooled herself with a sequined fan and unbuttoned the top buttons of her pale blue silk dress. Wesley was appreciative and Kim rolled her eyes in modesty.

  “That Wesley’s a lover,” Steven said to Leah. “Only he can’t have both of you.” He gave Leah a look from head to toe.

  Frowning, she moved away from him.

  In the afternoon as they neared a cluster of houses four men rode toward them. Wesley shouted and Steven halted the wagon.

  “Send Leah up here!” Wesley bellowed back.

  Leah froze in place. She had no intention of obeying this man who ignored her all day yet ordered her about when it was convenient for him.

  Steven gave one look at her face and chuckled. “She wants none of you, Stanford,” Steven shouted. “Better leave her here with me.”

  With a curse Wesley bounded from the wagon. “They’re coming to greet the newlyweds,” he said tightly, looking up at her. “Unless you want all of Virginia to find out about us, you’d better come to the wagon with me.”

  “What do I care about Virginia? It’s your name that needs saving.”

  “Damn you!” Wesley gasped as he grabbed her arm and pulled.

  Leah wasn’t expecting violence and so was unprepared for his strength. With a gasp she went flying into Wesley’s arms just as the four riders reached them.

  “Can’t keep your hands off of her, can you, Wes?” said one man, laughing.

  “Just lookin’ at you, ma’am, I can see why Wes grabbed you off the church steps.”

  “Put me down!” Leah hissed at Wes, who was holding her as if she weighed nothing at all.

  “We planned a little goin’ away party and you’re the guest of honor. We’d be pleased if you’d honor us with some of your time.”

  The fourth man was gawking at Leah. “Who’d think that one of those Simmonses would clean up to look like that?”

  One of the men glared at him. “Excuse him, ma’am. Vern never did have no manners. We got everythin’ waitin’ at the inn. Bess Simmons is there.”

  “Sure, of course we’ll be there,” Wesley said.

  “See you then!” they called as they turned to ride away.

  “Now will you put me down?” Leah demanded.

  Wesley turned back to his wife in his arms and for the first time he seemed to look at her—but the glance was broken after only seconds.

  “Oh Wesley,” Kim began to cry. “That was so humiliating to me. I should have been in your arms. They should be giving us this party.”

  Wes nearly dropped Leah as he ran to comfort Kim. As Leah steadied herself against the wagon Steven, above her on the seat, laughed nastily. “Haven’t you learned how to fight with tears? My sister’s an expert at it.”

  Leah ignored him as she walked to the back of the wagon to check on the animals. It was there that Wes found her.

  “I think you better ride with me,” he said tightly.

  She glared at him. “If you’re trying to save my reputation, you needn’t bother. I’m sure your friends will be prepared for anything when a Simmons is involved.”

  She turned away toward the cow, but Wesley grabbed her arm and pulled her to face him. “I don’t give a damn if you don’t care for your own reputation but I’ll not have it said that Kimberly has broken us up. She’s innocent in all this and I’ll not have her name dirtied further.”

  She jerked away from his grasp. “I should have known that you were concerned only for your dearest Kimberly. So for your Kimberly I’m to play your wife for the night? The idea repulses me!”

  He gave her a hard look as his voice lowered. “I will tell you this only once: Don’t you ever again say anything against Kimberly. She has suffered a great deal because of you and if our spending one evening together will help keep her name clean you’ll do it if I have to break some of your little bones. Tonight we’ll be a loving couple, do you understand that?”

&nb
sp; “Perfectly,” she said through clenched teeth.

  Wesley turned on his heel and left her, and as Leah looked up, in the distance stood Kimberly, smiling prettily and confidently before she swept away in a swirl of silk, Wesley trotting along after her.

  “Damn, damn, damn!” Leah cursed under her breath as she angrily adjusted the cow’s harness.

  “My little sister does have a way of getting men,” Steven said from behind her.

  Leah ignored his ingratiating tone and blinked back tears. She would not cry!

  “But then you have your own way of interesting a man,” Steven said as he touched her arm. “Those friends of Wesley’s were surprised to see a Simmons looking like you. Ol’ Wes was lucky that night when you climbed in bed with him. Of course he wasn’t so lucky when he had to marry you. Men marry women like my sister but women like you were made for only one thing—love. Now I could give you—.”

  He didn’t finish his sentence because Leah grabbed the cow’s feed bag and slammed it into the side of Steven Shaw’s smirking face.

  “Bitch!” he yelled, rubbing his face, but Leah was already running to the front wagon where Wesley sat waiting for her. Without a word, she climbed into the seat.

  Damn them, she thought. Damn each and every one of them. Steven thought she was a whore, Wesley threatened her with violence if she didn’t obey him, and Kimberly smiled and drank brandy like a sailor. I’ll do what Wesley wants, she seethed to herself. Tonight I’ll be the most loving wife this side of the mountains. We’ll leave Virginia with everyone thinking we’re so in love that Kimberly couldn’t come between us. I’ll save Miss Shaw’s reputation, but I wonder if she’s going to like the process.

  Chapter 7

  Leah didn’t speak to Wesley for the rest of the ride to the inn. Even though she knew what she wanted to do, she wondered how in the world she was going to stand him long enough to pretend to be his wife. And, too, Leah began to wonder just how Wesley’s friends were going to treat her. Already one of them had made a comment about her being a Simmons. Would they treat her as Steven Shaw did?

  As they neared the inn, Leah steeled herself because ten men were waiting for them. The wagon hadn’t rolled to a stop when all ten of them rushed forward, each pushing the other for the privilege of helping Leah from the wagon.

  “Welcome, Mrs. Stanford.”

  “Wesley doesn’t deserve someone as pretty as you.”

  “Clay says you like to weave. My sister sent some drafts for me to give you.”

  “And my mother sent you some flower seeds.”

  Bewildered, Leah looked from one smiling face to another. “Th…thank you,” she stammered. “I had no idea…”

  One of the men gave a hard look to Wesley. “The women were pretty upset that Stanford Plantation didn’t give a party to celebrate your marriage. We wanted them to come today, but they thought since they hadn’t been invited maybe they weren’t wanted.”

  It was Wesley’s turn to stammer. “No, it was just that we…I mean no one…”

  One man laughed. “Take a look at her, men. If you had a wife that looked like her, would you want to share her?”

  Leah was so pleased by their compliments that she blushed.

  “Come on inside. You all must be tired. May I?” The man held out his arm to Leah.

  “Since when have you earned such a privilege?” another man asked, extending his arm.

  “I believe I saw her first,” said a third man.

  “Here!” Wesley interrupted. “Before any of you start a fight, I’ll escort my own wife.”

  Trying to hide her surprise, Leah took Wesley’s arm and walked with him into the tavern.

  Bess waited inside for her. “I’d never have known you,” was all Bess could gasp, standing apart from her sister.

  Leah left her husband’s side and opened her arms to Bess. Hugging her sister, Bess laughed. “It is you, isn’t it?”

  “Every dirty inch,” Leah returned.

  “They’re fillin’ a tub for you now. Miss Regan said you’d be wantin’ a bath, just like all the other ladies do.” She looked up at Wes. “Now you behave yourself while she’s gone and I’ll return her to you soon enough.”

  Bess quickly ushered Leah upstairs where two men were filling a large tub. As soon as they were alone, Bess began undressing Leah.

  “Bess, I can do that myself. There’s no need for you to act as if you were my maid.”

  “Someone should!” Bess snapped. “Someone needs to be good to you after that story Miss Regan told me. Are you really going to give up your own husband willingly, without even a fight?”

  “I have no intention of fighting to keep a man who doesn’t want me,” Leah said stiffly.

  “Listen to you. You sound just like our old man. When you get somethin’ in your craw there’s no stoppin’ you. Just for once, Leah, don’t be so stubborn. Don’t just give Wesley away.”

  “Bess, you’re being silly. Wesley was never mine. He wants Miss Shaw and he shall have her. After tonight I’ll not even be his wife in name. I’m going to be his cousin.”

  “Cousin, schmusin. You are his wife! Nothing will change that.”

  “It will when we get to Kentucky.” Leah, nude, put one foot into the water. “It’s amazing how easily one can get used to being clean. I think I’ll stay in this water all night. If I did I wouldn’t have to pretend to be my husband’s dear devoted wife.”

  “That’s a good idea,” Bess said quickly. “You stay there and I’ll get you some clean clothes.”

  Leah sat back in the tub, closed her eyes, but in minutes Bess returned, a huge grin on her face.

  “There’s trouble in paradise,” Bess said gleefully. “Wesley and that Miss Shaw were having an argument.”

  “She’ll forgive him,” Leah said tiredly.

  “Miss Shaw didn’t like the idea of Wesley taking your arm and Wesley said he had to pretend to be your husband. Miss Shaw wanted to know just how far he planned to carry the pretense. Wesley tried to calm her but Miss Shaw said that two could play the game and if he so much as touched you he’d be sorry.”

  “And?” Leah asked, trying to conceal her interest.

  “Wesley said he didn’t like being threatened and he was doing all this for her and he’d do his duty and do what he had to do.”

  “Duty!” Leah gasped, sitting up.

  Bess smiled. “I guess he means his duty is to touch you.”

  Leah sat back in the tub. “Bess, there’s a black trunk in the back of the wagon, on the left. Inside is a dress of gold velvet. Would you bring it to me?”

  “A special dress, is it?” Bess asked.

  “What little there is of it is special,” Leah said, closing her eyes as Bess left the room.

  Leah thought of the dress and knew that if Wesley didn’t care for her, at least some of the men would notice her. Perhaps she wouldn’t get as much attention as Kimberly, but it would be better than she got while riding on the wagons.

  The door opened.

  “That didn’t take long,” Leah said, opening her eyes to see Wesley standing there.

  He didn’t move as he looked at her, her beautiful body clearly visible in the water, her breasts just breaking the surface, her legs stretched out, parted.

  “If you’ve seen enough, you can leave now.”

  Reluctantly, Wes looked back at her face. Steamy little curls touched her neck. “Bess said—.” He didn’t finish but turned and left the room.

  With shaking hands Leah began washing herself, and she wasn’t sure if she was shaking with anger or because she had suddenly and inexplicably remembered every detail of the time Wesley had held her in his arms.

  When Bess returned with the dress, she had such a smug, knowing look on her face that Leah refused to say a word about Wesley’s return to the room. Even when Bess gave broad hints, Leah still didn’t comment.

  The gold velvet of the gown made Leah’s skin look even creamier, and the neckline was cut so low th
at only imagination was left.

  “I can’t do it,” Leah said, looking at herself in the mirror. “There’s too much of me and too little cloth. I told Regan I’d never wear this dress.”

  Bess adjusted the last curl on top of Leah’s head. Her long, perfect neck eased down into the beautiful sculpture of her collarbone and breasts. “You will too wear it! I’ve seen ladies with even less on.”

  Leah gave her a look of disbelief.

  “They just had a lot less to show than you so less looked like more.”

  “Oh Bess.” Leah laughed. “I’m going to miss you.”

  “Not if I have my way and you get your husband back,” Bess said with a sniff.

  “I never had him to begin with.”

  Bess didn’t answer but shoved her young sister out the door.

  Standing at the top of the stairs Leah had a chance to survey the scene below. Kimberly sat in a chair wearing a sedate turquoise silk dress; she looked absolutely lovely and six men surrounded her. Wesley leaned against the cold fireplace, talking in a tight-jawed way to two men, his eyes constantly shifting to Kim, and there were sparks of anger in the looks. Leah wasn’t sure whether she should laugh or be disgusted, but somewhere in her was a bit of jealousy.

  As she began to descend the staircase, she was pleased to see first one pair of male eyes, then another, travel upward toward her. At Stanford Plantation she’d always been treated with respect, but she often wondered if it was only because she was married to Wesley.

  “May I?” asked one man at the foot of the stairs, his arm extended. The other nine men stood still, gaping in such a way that Leah felt her confidence return.

  “Thank you,” she said graciously, taking his arm.

  Kim stood suddenly and said in an expert half-plea, half-command, “Am I to be left all alone? Do only married women get any attention?”

  Quickly two men ran to her side—but eight stayed by Leah.

  “Supper is waiting. Shall we go in?” a man asked.

  Leah looked up to see Wesley, still near the fireplace, his eyes fastened to Kim’s retreating back. He didn’t seem aware that anyone else was in the room.