Stiffly, she turned away. He heard her moving about the outer room.
“I need one of those towels in here,” he called to her.
A towel flew through the open doorway and landed on the floor near the tub.
“Supper’s in thirty minutes,” she called.
He stood up, intent on embarrassing her further. Water sloshed over the side of the tub onto hexagonal floor tiles. Before he even stepped out over the side, he heard the outer door slam.
Jason shook his head and chuckled to himself, amazed to discover he was actually glad to be back, and relieved to find Jade still here. With things still as unsettled as they were, he knew he could be assured that life with Jade in the house would never be boring.
The cigar was no longer satisfying. He pinched the butt end between his fingers and touched the smoking tip in the bathwater, then caught the butt tight in his teeth. Half the pleasure of smoking was chewing on the stub of the cigar. Water ran from him in rivulets to pool about his feet and spatter the floor of the dressing room as he reached out for the towel. After ruffling the cloth through his hair, he wrapped it low about his hips and, bare-chested, padded into the bedroom. He noticed the fire burning behind the grate and decided having a houseboy in residence wasn’t such a bad idea. The room was warm for a change, far more livable, and he hadn’t had to light the fire himself.
J.T. sauntered across the room and paused before his guitar, which sat propped up in the corner. The battered old thing was much the same vintage as his hat, and like the hat, had been a gift. Lupita had given him the guitar shortly after his mother’s death. She thought that music might help to ease his mourning, and she had been right in that. She had taught him to play herself—spent long hours with him after the day’s chores were through to teach him to play the haunting, passion-filled melodies she had learned as a child.
He picked up the guitar, ran his hand over the worn surface of it, and plucked the strings. It was out of tune. He sat on the edge of the bed and began to turn the frets and strum the strings until the notes blended and harmonized. His aunt and uncle both extracted a promise from him each and every time he picked the thing up. “Don’t sing, hijo,” Lupita would say. “Pleeeease don’t sing,” Cash would second.
As much as he loved to play the guitar, even though he was able to hear the notes and keep the instrument tuned, J.T. could not carry a tune to save his life. He missed them both—his dearest friends—as he sat on the edge of the bed hunched over his guitar.
Wondering what they were doing tonight, wondering if they were well, he made a promise they could not hear. “I won’t sing.”
JADE CHANGED INTO her skirt and blouse and waited in the drawing room for Jason to come down to supper. Ignoring the nervous fluttering inside, she looked over the drawings she had made and tried to decipher the strange characters. She was so preoccupied, she didn’t know Jason had entered the room until she heard his rough voice directly behind her. She set her work aside.
“I thought you would dress for dinner,” he said.
She spun around and looked up at him. Gone was the stubble that had shadowed his face. His hair was still damp, but neatly combed into place. His eyes were the color of a spring sky—and he was dressed in formal evening attire.
Nervously she smoothed her plain skirt and straightened her worn collar. Unlike Jason, she had nothing formal to wear. She had left her borrowed finery at Babs’s, except for the dress she wore on her wedding night, which was ruined beyond repair and hidden at the bottom of her valise. Too proud to tell him she was wearing her best, she pretended to ignore his statement.
She stood and led the way into the dining room, where she moved to the head of the table. Three tall candelabras were evenly spaced along the ten-foot table, which was covered with a starched linen cloth. Candlelight set the room aglow, reflected in the sheen of the gilded wall covering. Blue willow china stood out against the austere white cloth and napkins.
As Jason pulled out Jade’s chair for her, he caught himself leaning toward her, longing to catch a whiff of the fresh citrus scent she always used. When she turned to thank him, he pulled back stiffly and walked silently to his own place at the other end of the table.
Neither of them spoke. As if on cue, Tao Ling walked in with a platter of roast duckling that he placed on the sideboard and then walked out again. Three platters later, he began to serve the meal. Steamed vegetables with sesame seeds and white rice completed the menu. He filled both of their plates, always careful to give Jason a larger portion, and then left the room.
Jade watched J.T. push the vegetables around with his fork, peering beneath them as if he expected to find some menace hidden there.
“Is this all we’re having? No meat? No potatoes?” His appetite was such that he knew he could eat three times as much. He glanced at the sideboard. At least there was food left on each serving tray.
Fighting to control her temper, Jade explained. “We didn’t know you would be here for dinner. Nor had we planned on Xavier.”
“Where is he, by the way? Why isn’t he eating?”
She looked startled for a moment before she said icily, “He’s having his supper in the kitchen with Tao.”
Jason couldn’t help but think of the meal he would be sitting down to at his uncle’s ranch. Stacks of warm tortillas, rich fresh butter, frijoles, steak, corn bread, mashed potatoes. Aunt Lupe’s meals always made allowances for everyone’s tastes. All the hands on the place ate together with the Youngers at long trestle tables in the kitchen. He tried to imagine the wiry Mexican remundero conversing with Jade’s Chinese watchdog. “I’d like to see that exchange.”
“Actually,” she said, arching a brow and assuming her iciest tone, “they’re doing very well together.” Better than we are, she thought.
Jason’s own reaction was much the same.
Chilly silence descended upon them again.
“Your father had good taste in china.” Jade tried to open a conversation, deciding to save the topic of her visit to the stable for later.
Jason failed to comment, so Jade went on as if he had shown a spark of interest. “There’s a legend about the pattern on the plates. It’s a Romeo and Juliet story, actually. It seems a father forbade his daughter to marry the man she loved. I think the tale says that he imprisoned her on an island in the beautiful palace you can see on the right side of the plate. But, her lover . . . found her. To escape, they became the two birds at the top of the painting, and flew away.” When she mentioned the lovers, her voice faltered.
Although he had been pretending not to listen, Jason found himself staring down at his plate, shifting his meal about so that he could see the illustrations as she mentioned them. When he heard the catch in her voice, he glanced up and found Jade rapidly blinking away tears.
He felt his heart constrict, fought the reaction to her distress, and tried to convince himself that her obvious theatrics only infuriated him.
Jade nearly burst into tears when Jason suddenly began glaring at her down the length of the table. She felt like closeting herself in her room with her books and never laying eyes on him again. Instead, she reminded herself that he was her husband, and that he had loved her once. She refused to give up yet. As she tried to shake off the power of his chilling stare, a knock at the front door broke the tension between them. She dashed at the tears in her eyes with her napkin.
Jason threw down his napkin and stood.
“Tao Ling will get it,” she informed him.
He glowered at her as he sat back down. “I’m not used to being waited on hand and foot. Nor am I used to everybody eating in different rooms. Obviously you are.”
Her feelings were still too raw; she didn’t have the courage to argue with him.
Tao appeared in the doorway and announced, “Mrs. Harrington, a Captain Lennox is here to see
you. Shall I have him wait in the drawing room?”
Surprised to hear Jade referred to as Mrs. Harrington, Jason watched her reaction to her visitor’s arrival. Her expression brightened instantly as joy radiated across her face. He felt himself tense as he watched his wife rush to meet her unexpected caller. It was all J.T. could do not to follow her to the foyer, but he stayed where he was, and as if nothing she did mattered to him, he casually asked Tao to refill his plate.
Jade ran to the door and immediately hugged the burly, ruddy-cheeked man standing outside. Everything about Emery Lennox, from his navy cap to his graying muttonchops, was dear to her. He pulled her into his embrace with strong square hands and pressed a wind-roughened cheek against hers. Bronzed from countless hours at sea, he was dressed as always in navy blue sea togs with shining brass buttons and a crisp white shirt. Heavy black boots completed his outfit. When he set her down, she pulled him inside, but did not let go of his hands.
“Oh, Captain Lennox, if you knew how many times I’ve thought of you in the past few days!”
“I just got into town, Jade darling, or I would have been here much sooner. I read in the Chronicle that you were married. Is that true?” His worried brown eyes studied her from beneath wild, salt-and-pepper brows.
She nodded, suddenly reminded of Jason sitting alone in the dining room. “Come on,” she said as she led him by the hand through the maze of crates in the foyer, “meet my . . . come meet Jason,” she amended.
He stopped in the middle of the foyer. “What’s all this?” he boomed, arms wide, looking right and left at all the clutter and half-open crates.
She laughed, buoyant now that her grandfather’s old friend had found her. No longer feeling like a ship adrift at sea, she found the captain’s interest and friendship a welcome haven from the turmoil. “This is Grandfather’s collection. It was just delivered to me today.”
“Well,” he said, showing little interest aside from a quick comment. “So this is where it ended up. Good. I know you’ll take fine care of it. Now, let’s meet that husband of yours.” Jason rose as Jade entered the room on the captain’s arm. He offered a polite, if not enthusiastic greeting, then extended an invitation for the captain to join them for dinner.
“Don’t mind if I do,” Emery Lennox said, choosing a chair evenly spaced between Jason and Jade.
Tao brought him a place setting and efficiently went about serving the new arrival.
“Captain Lennox was one of the men who brought my grandfather many pieces of his collection,” she told Jason. “I remember looking forward to your visits,” she said when the captain smiled her way. “Grandfather would always get so excited when he heard your ship was in port.”
Lennox chuckled. “He did at that. He used to ride out to meet me when he got word that I was on my way to see him. I knew better than to return empty-handed from one of my trips.” He took a hearty bite of honey-glazed duckling and then put down his knife and fork. “I was sorry to hear about your father’s murder, Jade. Do you know anything about it?”
Jason listened carefully, content to stare down the length of the grand dining table at his wife. He had finished with his meal, and as Tao took his plate and poured him another glass of wine, Jason leaned back, his eyes hooded, as he watched Jade in the shimmering candlelight.
“No more than I learned when I first arrived,” she began. “He was killed by the tongs, ostensibly because he abducted an alchemist from a small Chinese village.”
“Preposterous!”
She shook her head. “On the contrary, I think he was capable of it.”
The captain leaned forward with interest. “Do you have proof?”
Since she had not yet told Jason or Detective Chang about the alchemist’s belongings she had hidden in her room, Jade chose not to tell Emery Lennox just yet. It would seem like another breach of confidence to Jason—one more secret she had kept from him. No, until she could tell her husband what she had discovered, the box would remain a secret.
She shook her head. “No, no proof. But I think my father was capable of anything.”
“How could he have done it?” Lennox wondered aloud.
“He would have had no difficulty in hiring someone to do his dirty work. He was deeply in debt when he died, which leads me to think that whatever he was up to had cost him quite a lot.”
The captain instantly showed his concern. “Do you need anything, Jade? If so, you would let me know, wouldn’t you?”
If only you had arrived a few weeks ago, Jade thought, I might not have married Jason. Feeling Jason’s gaze upon her, she glanced up and found him lazing in his chair, his eyes half-lidded. He was staring at her. Uncomfortable with that realization, she flushed, dropped her gaze, and then looked away.
“Have you been out to the adobe?” Lennox asked. “It was such a grand place when I first met your grandfather.” He shook his head and studied the candelabra in front of him as he thought of other times. “As he and Chi Nu grew older, the place seemed to age with them. Now they’re all gone. First Chi Nu, then Philo, now your father.”
Jade blinked back tears. “Grandfather will be sorely missed. And Chi Nu was the best friend he could have ever had.” She could not lie and say that she would miss Francis Douglas. “Jason and I rode out to the adobe when I first arrived. It’s dilapidated, but it is no longer mine to worry about.”
Jason sat up straighter in his chair and Jade tried to ignore his sudden move. She knew then he had been listening intently.
“You sold the adobe?” The captain looked genuinely dismayed. “Why?”
“I used it to pay off Father’s debts. Jason’s lawyer helped me find a way to save the collection. The land was worth far more than I ever thought possible.” Her gaze shot back to Jason. “I even have enough money left from the transaction for my own use.” She stared pointedly at J.T. “I’m not dependent on anyone.”
Jason shoved his chair back and stood up.
Lennox did not seem to notice that his host was about to exit. “How did you and Jade end up married, Harrington? You’re quite the lucky man, meetin’ her and marrying her so quick.”
As he took a cigar out of his coat pocket, Jason looked down at Jade and said, “My wife arranged it all, Captain. Now, if you two don’t mind. I’ll let you visit in private.” With that he turned on his heel and walked out the door.
Jade watched him go with a sinking feeling. Once again, she had offended him. She had planned the scene far differently, wanted to tell him her father’s debts were paid and that she was no longer beholden to him. She wanted to give him the chance to think things through knowing she was independent now. But instead, he had heard the news secondhand when she related it to Lennox.
She looked back at Emery and found him staring sullenly after Jason. “Captain? What is it?” She had never seen any but a jovial expression on his face.
“If I didn’t know better, I would think that man just insulted you, Jade.”
“I . . . he . . . he’s tired. He just got back from Monterey.”
“Well, that’s no cause for him being rude to you, Jade.” He patted his full stomach, wiped his napkin across his lips, and pushed away from the table. “Well, I feel as if I’ve overstayed my visit. I’m sure you’ll want to get rid of an old man like me, so I’ll be shoving off now.”
She walked him to the door, sorry to see him go. “Will you be in San Francisco long?”
“At least a month. I just returned from the East Indies with a load of spices. Then I’m off for the Orient again. But before I go, I may just drop in at the bank and see if they’ve sold the adobe yet. Which bank did you deal with?”
“Hibernia. Are you interested in the old place?” Truly surprised, she tried to imagine the captain away from his ship and the sea. “They did say someone had been quite interested in it, even before I
came back to town.”
“Then wish me luck,” he said as he put on his cap and buttoned up his double-breasted coat.
“Please,” she said sincerely, “come back and see me again.”
“You can count on it, Jade darling. You can count on it.”
TAO WAS WAITING to speak to her as she turned away from the door. “Mr. Harrington has changed and gone out to the stables.”
“But it’s dark,” she said, disappointed because she had hoped they could talk. It appeared Jason had nothing further to say to her.
Tao shrugged. She thanked him, then slowly mounted the stairs to her room. Once there, she lit the lamp on the desk and sat for a while staring out at the stables. Golden lamplight radiated out of the open doorway. She tried to imagine Jason with his new horses. What care did they require so late at night? How often did they need feed and water? Was he truly busy, or had he simply preferred Xavier’s companionship to hers? It seemed that no matter how she tried, she ended tripping herself up when it came to dealing with Jason.
She changed into a lawn nightgown, picked up a throw, and took her Middle Kingdom book to the chaise to sit down and read. Tomorrow, she promised herself, she would tell Jason about the alchemist’s box and the strange Chinese writing, and she would apologize for not telling him about the resolution of her financial situation earlier.
STALLING AS LONG as he could, Jason watched the upper corner window of Jade’s room and waited for her to turn down her lamp. He did not trust himself to go near her, though he wasn’t as angry as he was when she so blithely announced that she was now financially independent. After everything she had put him through, she no longer needed him.
But if that was the case, why was she still here?
He leaned against the stable door, his hands folded over his chest, his teeth worrying the cigar clenched between them. “Qué hora es, Xavier?” he called out over his shoulder.
“Twenty minutes past ten, señor,” the hired hand called back.
Jade Page 27