The Tiger Prince

by Iris Johansen

  “No, I was thinking of something else. The only thing I know about elephants is that I don’t like them.”

  “Why not?”

  “They have very big feet.” As she continued to frown at him in puzzlement, he went on. “Cripples are extremely cautious of creatures with big feet. It’s sometimes not easy for us to get out of the way of them.”

  She chuckled. “Then we’ll have to make sure you don’t encounter any at close range.”

  “That is my most earnest hope.”

  “If you don’t mind my saying so, you’re a bloody fool, Ruel,” James Medford said bluntly.

  Ruel chuckled. “It wouldn’t do me any good to mind when you’d say it anyway. You don’t have to approve of Miss Barnaby, you have only to make yourself available in case she needs information or advice.”

  Medford scowled. “Which probably means I’ll be building the damn line myself and not getting paid for it.”

  “Once you meet the lady I believe you’ll realize she’s not one to take advantage of you.” He motioned a servant to refill Medford’s glass. “How is your work going?”

  “Well enough.” Medford was not to be distracted. “Good God, wasn’t that mess she made of the line in Kasanpore enough for you?”

  Ruel stiffened. “You know about that?”

  “Pickering told me.”

  “You didn’t mention it to me.”

  “Because I couldn’t believe you wouldn’t change your mind and give me the go-ahead to finish the entire line.”

  “You’re getting greedy.” He lifted his whiskey to his lips. “Not that I should complain when I’ve been accused recently of that fault myself.”

  “Really? Who was so bold as to dare risk offending the great white rajah of Cinnidar?”

  “Jane Barnaby.”

  “Interesting. At least, I’m now assured she didn’t use flattery to cajole you into hiring her.”

  “She doesn’t know the meaning of cajolery.”

  “Which leaves me with the same puzzle with which I started. Why the devil did you hire her to—” He stopped in midsentence, his gaze on the doorway. “Is that our Miss Barnaby?”

  Ruel followed his glance and caught a glimpse of braided red hair shining under the blazing chandeliers. “Yes, that’s—” He stiffened in shock as his gaze wandered over Jane.

  She wore a simple white gown of some filmy material that bared her arms and shoulders and emphasized the tininess of her waist and the fullness of her breasts. For the first time since he had met her, she looked totally, desirably woman.

  “Never mind,” Medford murmured.

  Ruel jerked his gaze from Jane to see Medford watching him. “What?”

  “You don’t have to tell me why you gave her the job,” Medford said, his glance falling to Ruel’s lower body. “It couldn’t be more obvious.”

  Dammit, he had only had to look at the woman to ready like a stallion eager to mount a mare. He said curtly, “I’ll bring her over and introduce you.”

  “Don’t hurry, I’m not panting to meet your little …”

  Ruel didn’t hear the rest of the sentence as he moved across the wide salon, his gaze never leaving Jane. Her skin glowed with a soft flush and she was looking warily at him. She should be wary. He wanted to touch that skin, brush his fingertips over her bared shoulders, reach into the gown and cup her breasts. Why not? he thought recklessly. Medford had mockingly referred to him as the rajah of Cinnidar, but that power was very real. He could have her brought to his chamber and do anything he wished to her. He could undo that tight braid and run his fingers through her hair. He could strip off her gown and part her thighs and move—

  He stopped before her. “Good evening. I didn’t expect such elegance. You look … exceptional.”

  “And that makes you angry?”

  “I’m not—” But he was angry, he realized suddenly, angry and frustrated because he wasn’t going to take her tonight. Force would not rid him of this damn obsession for her. She had to come to him beaten and defeated. He tried to smile. “I’ve never seen you in a gown before. You took me off guard.”

  “Margaret gave it to me.” She glanced around the room. “Where is she?”

  “She sent a message saying Ian was too tired to come to dinner and they would dine in their suite.” His stare went to her bared shoulders. “As always, Maggie’s taste is impeccable. How did she convince you to accept such a garment?”

  She shrugged. “She always insisted we dress for dinner at the castle and said it was only fair she furnish Li Sung, Kartauk, and me with the appropriate clothing.”

  When she had lifted her shoulders, the bodice had slipped a trifle, revealing more of the silky flesh of her upper breasts. He felt an aching stirring in his groin. “I’m surprised you obeyed her dictum to wear it.”

  “Margaret says a gown doesn’t make a woman any more than trousers do a man. They’re both just trappings that indicate difference, not superiority.”

  “How compliant you’ve become. You’ve changed a great deal since you left Kasanpore.”

  “It’s not compliant to recognize good sense. Of course I’ve changed. Only fools fail to learn from the years.” She added impatiently, “Why all this bother about a gown?”

  “I don’t like it.”

  Color flushed her cheeks. “The gown or the fact that I’m no longer the child you knew in Kasanpore?”

  “You weren’t a child. Even then you were very …” His gaze went to her breasts. “Ripe.”

  The flush burned brighter. “Then what’s wrong with my gown?”

  It wasn’t the gown, he realized suddenly, it was the fact he hadn’t been the one to give it to her. It had been Margaret who had persuaded her to give up those mannish togs and he was seething with a jealousy that was as unreasonable as it was fierce. “It’s too demure. I gave a great amount of thought to every detail of our coming time together including how I intend to furbish you. Would you like me to tell you about it?”

  She inhaled sharply. “No, I’m here to meet Medford. I assume that’s him standing by the french doors.”

  “Yes, that’s James. Unfortunately, he’s not eager to meet you.”

  “Why not?”

  “He thinks the only reason I hired you was that you’re my mistress.”

  Her lips tightened. “And, of course, you didn’t tell him otherwise?”

  “Why should I? I’m a truthful man, and that is one of the reasons you’re here.”

  “I’m here to build a railroad.”

  “But I have every intention of also making you my mistress. A mistress is only a humble vessel meant to please and grovel before her master. You would hate that, wouldn’t you?”

  He saw the flare of anger in her face, but she said evenly, “I don’t have to worry about something that’s not going to occur.”

  “But you knew I meant that role for you before you left Glenclaren. I was very honest with you. I want Cinnidar to defeat you and then I want to do the same thing myself.”

  “You won’t get what you want.” Her gaze returned to Medford. “And, blast you, you might have told him I was competent at what I do.”

  “You’ll be even more competent after I have an opportunity to school you.”

  “I meant …” She drew a deep breath and then exhaled slowly. “You know what I meant. Are you going to introduce me to him, or must I do it myself?”

  “Aye, I’ll introduce you.” He turned and led her across the room. “I’ve made sure Medford will cooperate with you, but don’t expect me to be your champion. It’s another battle you’ll have to fight yourself.”

  “I’d never make the mistake of believing you’d help me any more than you could possibly avoid.”

  He had shaken her, but she was trying not to let him see it. She was treating him with a composure and calmness that was thorn-abrasive in his present mood. “Did you know I built the summerhouse for you?” He hadn’t meant to tell her that yet, but he had to reach her, touch
her. “I wanted a place where I’d have you entirely to myself.”

  She didn’t answer, but he could see the color deepen on her cheeks, the faint acceleration of the lift and fall of her breasts beneath the bodice of her gown.

  It was not enough, dammit. “Gold.”

  She glanced at him, startled. “What?”

  “I’m going to dress you in gold silk,” he said softly. “A gown that will bare your breasts and limbs. You have lovely limbs.”

  “Be still,” she said hoarsely.

  “And I remember how pointed and red your nipples were after I had them in my mouth. How hard they felt on my tongue. Do you remember?”

  “No.”

  “I’ll have one of the local seamstresses start on the gown at once. The gold will be quite beautiful with your red hair.”

  “You’ll be wasting your money. It’s not going to happen.”

  “It will happen.” His gaze lingered on her breasts. “I’d wager it’s starting to happen now. It’s only fair really. As James noticed, I’m going to have an extremely uncomfortable evening.”

  Her gaze went involuntarily to his lower body and then quickly away.

  “You see?” he said softly. “It’s beginning already and it’s not going to end.” They had stopped before Medford, and Ruel smiled and asked politely, “James, may I present Miss Jane Barnaby? I’m sure you’ll take good care of her while I go and see what’s keeping Li Sung and Kartauk.”

  “You are annoyed,” Li Sung observed as they left the salon at the end of the evening. “I was watching you all through dinner while you were talking to Medford. He is a fool?”

  “No, I believe he may be a very smart man.” She wrinkled her nose. “Though he thinks I’m a little fool, and that will cause difficulties I could do without.”

  “He will soon learn his mistake. Did he tell you anything we can use?”

  She shook her head. “He said all the information he had gathered was in the survey. He did mention something about the elephants.”

  “What?”

  “He said the Cinnidans revere them and to harm them would cause trouble.”

  “So we must stand still and let them trample us with their huge feet?”

  She shrugged. “We may have nothing to worry about. We’ll face that problem when we must. Medford said he had caught only brief glimpses of them while he was doing the survey.” She covered a yawn with her hand. “And soon I intend to put everything else out of my mind as well and get a good night’s sleep. Are your quarters comfortable?”

  “Splendid. I’ve even been allotted two servants to care for my every wish. This lowly peon is overwhelmed.”

  “That’s probably our host’s intention.”

  “Or perhaps Ruel wishes to pamper us a little before submitting us to the mercy of his mountain of gold.” He grimaced. “And those big-footed monsters.”

  “Perhaps.” She was weary of trying to guess Ruel’s reasons for doing anything and even more weary of the unbearable tension that enveloped her whenever she was near him. Tonight had been almost unbearable, sitting in that opulent room that shimmered with lacy gilt and breathed of Ruel’s power. For the entire evening she had sensed in him a rawness and anger just below the surface. She had no idea what had goaded him into that initial explosion, but she had come out of it feeling bruised and frightened. She could not wait until they reached the mountain and she could be free of him until the job was done. “Medford said the journey to the base camp will take us three days and Ruel usually overnights at Elephant Crossing.”

  “Elephant Crossing,” Li Sung murmured. “That was mentioned in the contract.”

  She nodded. “The track has to be completed over that crossing in eight weeks.”

  “Ah, yes, the penalties. We forfeit a high fee if we don’t meet the deadline, don’t we?”

  “Fifty percent.”

  He gave a low whistle.

  “That doesn’t matter. We are going to make it. We’ll take the opportunity tomorrow evening to look over the area.” She stopped at her chamber. “Sleep well, Li Sung.”

  “I will.” His tone was abstracted as he moved down the corridor toward his own chamber.

  uel got off his mule and started to undo the strap on the backpack. “The sun won’t set for another hour. I’ll set up camp while you and Li Sung look around.”

  “There doesn’t seem to be much to see.” Jane looked around the clearing—an area a good half-mile in diameter denuded of vegetation except for a few thorn trees that lay dead and rotting on the ground. “Why do they call it Elephant Crossing?”

  “According to Dilam, the elephants usually stay on the east side of the island but occasionally one or two, sometimes even the entire herd, make a trek to the west and take this route.”

  “Then why did you cut your road directly through the crossing area?”

  “It saved me about a half-mile of clearing.” He shrugged. “I’ve never seen any elephants in all the time I’ve been running pack trains from the mountain. If I ever did run across a herd, you can bet I’d back away and let them go first.”

  She frowned. “I can’t lay track here if there’s a chance of it being damaged by a herd of elephants. I’ll have to angle away from the crossing.”

  Ruel smiled. “It will take more time.”

  He had known she wouldn’t risk building across the clearing, she thought in frustration. “Then I’ll cut time somewhere else.”

  “Why do they go?” Li Sung asked suddenly.

  They both turned to look at him.

  “The elephants,” he said. “You said they only occasionally trek to the west. Why do they go?”

  “I have no idea. Dilam says the Cinnidans leave the elephants alone and the herds leave them alone.”

  “If they’re interested enough to know they go west, why don’t they know why?”

  “Why are you so curious about them?”

  “No reason.” Li Sung slowly and painfully dismounted and began unsaddling the mule. “It is good to be off this creature. I thought riding a horse was painful until I mounted this beast.”

  “I would have given you a horse, but a mule is more surefooted on that narrow canyon trail.”

  “We’ll have to send a crew to widen the trail,” Jane said.

  “It would make no difference. All animals are painful to this limb of mine.” Li Sung moved stiffly across the clearing. “I will look over the terrain and see if I can determine another route that will prove adequate.”

  Ruel looked after him. “He’s a brave man. A far more worthy specimen than your Patrick.” He shot her a mocking smile. “I’m surprised you didn’t bring your father along too.”

  “He would have been in the way.”

  “He’s always in the way now, isn’t he? Yet you still take care of him. Why?”

  She unsaddled her mule and dropped the saddle on the ground. “I can’t do anything else. When you take care of someone, you become accustomed … they belong to you.”

  “The caretaker.”

  “What?”

  “Nothing, it’s just something Kartauk said about you. It’s a dangerous weakness.”

  She recalled Kartauk had once warned her of much the same thing, but only after he had used that ‘weakness’ to his advantage. “I have no time for this.” She started across the clearing. “I’m going after Li Sung.”

  “Why didn’t you tell him to wait for you?”

  “He needed the time alone. The trip was hard on him and he doesn’t like anyone to see him in pain.”

  “Not even you?”

  “I would feel the same way.” She looked at him. “And so would you.”

  She moved quickly after Li Sung.

  Night had fallen when they arrived back at camp, led by the aroma of frying bacon and the beacon of a blazing campfire. Ruel was crouched before the fire, a frying pan in his hand. He glanced up as he ladled the bacon onto three tin plates already heaped with beans and biscuits. “Well, have you charte
d a new course?”

  “There’s a possible route to the north.” Li Sung took one of the plates and sat down. “But the light faded before we could explore very thoroughly.”

  “It doesn’t matter. There will be plenty of time for that later.” Jane sat down and began to eat. “You can take a team back here while I supervise the start on the track down the mountain.”

  “You don’t foresee any lengthy delays?” Ruel asked.

  She met his gaze. “None that we can’t overcome.”

  He smiled. “Sometimes delays occur over which we have no control. We’ll have to see, won’t—”

  “What was that?” Li Sung lifted his head, his expression intent. “I heard something.”

  Jane heard it too this time, faint and far away.

  “It’s only an elephant trumpeting,” Ruel said. “You hear them sometimes.”

  “I thought they would sound fierce,” Jane said. “He sounds … sad, lost.”

  Li Sung gazed at her sternly. “He is neither sad nor lost and there is no need for you to rescue him.”

  Ruel smiled. “There’s no danger of that. He’s not nearby.”

  “Near enough,” Li Sung said dryly. “I would prefer to neither see nor hear them.”

  “Li Sung has a dislike for elephants,” Jane explained to Ruel.

  “She is kindly trying to disguise my real feelings. I do not dislike them. I fear them.” Li Sung paused. “And I envy them.”

  “Envy? Why?” Ruel asked.

  “Power. They possess more strength than any creature on earth. It is always the lot of those who have little power to envy those who do. I have always been considered inferior because of my race and crippled body.” He glanced at Ruel. “I also envy you, Ruel. You have power now.”

  “Power can always be taken away if not guarded well.”

  “But you know what it feels like to possess it. That is something I will never know.”

  “Yes, you will.” Jane blinked rapidly to hide the tears she must not let fall. “You’ll see, Li Sung. Once we have our own railroad, you’ll be respected and—”

  “It’s not the same. It is a power you will have given me, not one I’ve won myself.” He set his plate on the ground. “I believe I’ll go to sleep now. You may clean up, Ruel.”