Payton's Woman

by Marilyn Yarbrough

  He bolted for the door. His hand grasped the handle, but instead of opening it, he let go. Both hands dropped to his sides. Without turning, he lowered his head and shook it from side to side.

  “That’s not true,” he said in a hushed voice. “Before I go, I want you to know one thing. I could never forget you even if I put an entire ocean between us. All I’d have to do is close my eyes and you’d be there.”

  Tears gathered in her eyes. She hoped he didn’t turn around. Otherwise, he would know she lied.

  “I’ll only ask you once,” he said over his shoulder. “Do you really want me out of your life?”

  She pressed her hand against her mouth to hold back a sob, but a cry broke in her throat.

  When he turned back to her, one look was apparently all he needed. He rushed to her. His arm slipped around her waist. His other hand stroked across her face to wipe the wetness from her cheeks. “Does this mean you don’t want me out of your life?”

  “I wish I was stronger.” She wrapped her arms around him. “Then I could fight harder to resist you.”

  “You are strong, but in a gentle way.” His finger pressed against her chin. He forced her to look into his eyes. “I won’t try to pry any secrets out of you, but you have to promise me that if you find yourself getting in too deep, you won’t hesitate to ask for my help.”

  “Thank you for being so understanding, but you really have to go now. I mean, leave the house,” she quickly clarified. “I’ll meet you in the park.”

  He placed a kiss on her damp cheek. “How soon can you be there?”

  “I’ll have to wait until Mrs. Collins returns.” She gripped his arm and ushered him to the study door. “I don’t know how long she’ll be gone, though.”

  “I think I know.” He cracked open the door. His ear pressed to the opening. “She’s here now. It sounds like Sylvia Morgan is with her.”

  Her hand went over her mouth to stifle a shriek. “If she finds us in here, I’ll surely be dismissed,” she said in a strangled whisper.

  He shrugged his shoulders, as if resigned to just that fate. “Sounds like they’re coming this way. They’ll spot us if we try to go out the door.”

  After the emotional scene she had just had with Payton, she couldn’t handle a confrontation with Betsy.

  “We can go out the window,” she said in a frantic attempt to put off the inevitable.

  He smiled and shook his head.

  “Please help me,” she begged. “I’ll do anything.”

  One dark eyebrow arched in contemplation. “Anything?”

  “Yes.” She no longer cared what that encompassed as long as she didn’t lose this job.

  Without warning, he swept her up into his arms. He walked briskly across the carpeted floor.

  Julia had visions of him throwing her bodily out the window. She only hoped he’d open it first. The sensation of being tossed made her gasp. Her body traveled weightlessly through the air for a moment. But instead of landing in the shrubbery outside the window, she landed on the leather couch.

  Payton followed.

  “Get off me.” She pushed at his body which sprawled over the top of her.

  He gave her a look of devilish delight. “You said you’d do anything.”

  “I didn’t mean now.”

  His hand thrust beneath her petticoats. His fingers traveled up her stocking clad leg.

  “Stop that,” she demanded in a loud voice, no longer concerned with being discovered by Betsy.

  He wrapped her leg around his hips just as his mouth closed over the sensitive flesh on her neck.

  She let out a squeal, along with several unladylike remarks just as the door to the study burst open.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “Good God!” a voice said from the doorway.

  Payton lifted his head from Julia’s neck and peered over his shoulder at the intruders.

  Sylvia had her hand to her mouth in an attempt to hide her laughter. Beside her stood a woman he assumed to be Betsy Collins. Betsy did not look amused.

  “What are you doing in here?” she bellowed.

  He moved into a sitting position and pulled Julia up with him. “Given your prior profession, I’d think it was fairly obvious what we were doing.”

  “I can explain, Mrs. Collins.” Julia moved her leg from Payton’s lap and pushed her skirt down over her ankles.

  Betsy gave her a hard look. “You know you’re not allowed in the study without my permission.”

  “Yes, I know, but I, ah,... We were, ah,...”

  She directed her frustration at Payton. The hem of her skirt was trapped under his leg. She tugged at the material in an attempt to free it. When he didn’t move, she smacked his arm with her fist.

  Payton had never been pleased with Julia working for Betsy. His first inclination was to say nothing so she would be dismissed, but he’d promised his help.

  He put his hand over the spot she’d just punched and rubbed at it as though to relieve the pain. “You’re a feisty little thing. I like that in a woman.”

  She let out a huff. Her hand slapped the top of his knee. She kept it there for leverage so she could climb off the couch.

  Angrily, she shook at her skirt and petticoat. She glared at him while she fussed with her loose strands that had pulled free of the circle of hair pinned at the nape of her neck. He winked at her and hoped she realized he’d reverted to playacting again.

  “If your house was any bigger,” he said to Betsy, “I might not have caught her. She gave me a merry chase before I cornered her in here.”

  “I believe I heard my secretary protesting your advances when I came into the room.”

  His lips curved into a slow, lazy grin. “Women always say no when they mean yes. I like that. It makes the blood burn hotter.”

  Betsy hobbled across the carpeted floor with the aid of an ebony colored cane. After she plopped down into the chair behind her desk, she reached into a silver box. She pulled out a slender, already rolled cigarette. “Care for one?” she asked Payton.

  He watched her light it, suck in a heavy draw, and break into a thick, wet cough. “No, thank you. I’ve always considered smoking a dirty habit.”

  Her eyelids narrowed to slits. “You much prefer the habit of ravishing virgins?”

  He forced his lips to curl into what he hoped appeared as a lecherous smile. “It does have its rewards.”

  “Mrs. Collins, I’m so sorry. I know I’m not supposed to be in—”

  “Enough! I’m not an idiot. I can see with my own eyes what’s happened in here. Go and straighten yourself. Then come back down so we can finish the rest of the correspondence.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” She made a slight curtsy. “I’m very sorry that—”

  “Do you have to constantly apologize?” She dismissed Julia with a wave of her hand. “Get out of here and do like you’re told.”

  His anger boiled up, but he forced it back down. Betsy treated her with barely concealed contempt. He couldn’t understand why Julia wanted to work for a woman like her.

  “Why did you come to my house?” Betsy asked.

  He struggled to control his temper. With an exaggerated effort, he watched Julia leave the room before turning back to Betsy. “Did you say something?”

  Her look of annoyance deepened. “Why are you here? Did you have some business you wanted to discuss with me?”

  Carefully, he studied the woman sitting behind the desk. He guessed her age to be somewhere in her late fifties even though her hair matched the blackness of her cane. The unnatural shade caused her face to look pasty white. The dark color accentuated her deep wrinkles. Her black eyebrows, painted in high arches, did nothing to relieve the sickly pallor, nor did the slash of red, painted on her lips.

  “I didn’t come to see you, only your lovely little secretary.”

  Her eyes appraised him as carefully as he had done her. Something seemed to click inside her mind. She relaxed back in her chair. Her annoyed expre
ssion vanished. A smile appeared, but the emotion didn’t spread to her eyes. Her voice changed also. Her tone didn’t grate on his nerves nearly as much when she spoke.

  “Miss Anderson is a very beautiful young lady. She’s also very cautious of her associations which, no doubt, is why she turned down your advances. You see, Miss Anderson comes from a very respectable family. She has some rather strict ideas on conduct. That’s why, as her employer, I feel an obligation—almost like a mother—to protect her from any undesirable situations.”

  He almost choked on his rising contempt for this woman. Saturday night she had pressured Julia into trying to seduce information from him. “I’m certain your motherly instincts are above reproach.”

  “Yes, well, I try,” she said, obviously not catching the sarcasm in his voice. “Occasionally, though, her response to a particular acquaintance may be too guarded. That’s when I have to take her aside and point out the various benefits of a liaison with that person. I do have a certain amount of influence with her. When I see a suitable man I think might be good for her to associate with, I sometimes feel it’s my duty to persuade her to be more...sociable to that person.”

  “For her own good, I suppose?”

  “Of course,” she agreed after blowing out a long stream of smoke.

  He squeezed his hands into fists to prevent himself from reacting to her comment. At this moment, what he really wanted to do was reach across the desk and shove that cigarette down her throat—for her own good, of course.

  “And as long as we’re on the subject of motherly duties, I’d like to settle the debt you claim my son owes you. Miss Anderson made some casual remark about you claiming Lawrence owes you something.”

  “Casual remark?” he repeated in astonishment. He could only image the interrogation Julia endured that night when she’d returned. He lowered his eyelids for fear he’d convey all the hatred he felt towards Betsy and her son.

  “I’ve always felt a man should be responsible for his own debts.”

  “Of course,” she said in the same sickly sweet voice, “but Lawrence may not come to California for a year or more. I’m sure you’re a busy man who doesn’t want to waste your time sitting around here. Just name your price.”

  “I don’t have a price. And what I do with my time is my business.” He realized his voice sounded harsh, so he pressed another leer on his face and allowed his gaze to wander back to the doorway where Julia had exited only a few moments earlier. “I’m certain I can find something to occupy my time while I’m waiting.”

  Betsy’s expression hardened. “If that’s your final word on the matter, there’s no reason to continue this conversation. And I might add that I don’t want you coming to my house to see my secretary again. Nor anywhere else for that matter. I forbid you to associate with her.”

  “You actually think you can prevent me from seeing Miss Anderson?” he asked.

  “I’m certain of it. As I said, I do have some influence over her. Good day to you, captain.”

  Payton stood and inclined his head slightly. “Madam.”

  “Good day, Mrs. Morgan,” he said as he passed her on his way out the door.

  “Make sure Elsie sees him out,” Betsy ordered Sylvia.

  Sylvia followed after Payton. When she returned, she shut the study door. “What does he want with Lawrence if it’s not about money?”

  “I don’t know, but you can bet it’s not to talk over old times. It wouldn’t have been a problem if that fool Hennigan hadn’t decided to shoot himself. Now I have no way to warn Larry about Tyler until he gets here. I’ll just have to handle the captain myself.”

  “Surely you’re not going to have him killed.”

  “I was hoping to buy him off, but he made it clear that won’t happen.” Betsy sucked in another drag on the cigarette. “I’d love to do away with that arrogant bastard, but I can’t chance it. My sources tell me that Tyler has some very influential friends in high places. He hasn’t made it a secret that he’s looking for my son. If something were to happen to him, his death would be thrown right at my doorstep.”

  “You’ve forbidden him to see Julia. Perhaps he’ll get bored and go away before Lawrence gets here.”

  Betsy made a snorting sound that might have been a laugh. “Tyler is used to giving orders, not taking them, but that should fit nicely into my plans. I’m going to instruct Julia to have nothing more to do with him, particularly at social gatherings. With all the advantages I’ve made available to that girl, she won’t dare disobey me.”

  Sylvia wrinkled up her brow in a show of confusion. “What good will that do? He’ll more than likely chase after her just to spite you.”

  “That, Sylvia my dear, is the beauty of it. When she cuts him dead in public and rejects his advances, he’ll pursue her even harder. His puffed up pride won’t allow him to take no for an answer. Then we’ll see how many of those influential friends stick by him when he turns out to be nothing more than a rapist who preys on innocent young women.”

  “Do you think he’d actually resort to rape?”

  “There’s no doubt in my mind he’ll have her, one way or another. That’s why I shall forbid her to see him. Then I won’t be blamed by her holier-than-thou church friends when he succeeds in deflowering her. Hopefully, once the captain takes her virginity, it will also take away that snooty attitude of hers. I’m sick of the way she looks down her nose at me like I’m lower than a snake’s ass.”

  “I hope the captain doesn’t spend all his time with her. I was looking forward to being ravished by him myself.”

  “I don’t care what you do with him. Just make sure he isn’t too tired to take care of the little virgin. After the worldly captain finishes with her, I’m sure she’ll know every possible way to pleasure a man—whether she wanted to learn or not. Then maybe I can finally use her to her full potential. With her beauty and that superior air of hers, she attracts a very high class group of men. That’s just the kind of people I want to become associated with. And I intend to make that little bitch help me.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Worried about what might happen next, Julia sat perched on the edge of the chair. Her palms sweated, and her hands shook. She clutched a handkerchief between her clasped hands in the hope Betsy Collins, who occupied the seat next to her, wouldn’t notice her trembling.

  Three days had passed since she had been ordered to never speak with Payton again. Three long, nerve racking days.

  She’d managed to slip away to meet him in the park that first day, but she’d not dared meet with him again. If Betsy learned of her disobedience, she’d surely be dismissed.

  In the park, Payton had tried to convince her to quit working, but she’d refused. His alternative suggestion was to concoct some scheme that would allow him to still see her, but with Betsy’s approval.

  Julia rubbed her fingers over her forehead. She couldn’t conceive of any plan that would force Betsy to change her mind about Payton, but he’d been confident. Power and influence, he’d told her, were what Betsy craved. He’d use that like a carrot on a stick to make her change her mind.

  She didn’t feel as confident. He’d only met Betsy once. A few moments of conversation didn’t afford an adequate amount of time to learn her weaknesses. To her way of thinking, Payton tweaked at the nose of a very dangerous animal. A confrontation between the two seemed inevitable. In actuality, it might only be a few moments away.

  “I was so pleased when you came by my home yesterday to visit.”

  Betsy’s grating voice gave her a start. She once again focused on the conversation. Her attempt to appear calm probably wasn’t necessary. Betsy appeared deeply engrossed in a conversation with their hostess. She barely gave Julia a second thought.

  “Although your invitation to dinner tonight was short notice,” Betsy said, “I managed to rearrange my schedule so I could attend.”

  Julia bit on her lower lip to prevent a nervous giggle from escaping. Betsy would’ve
rearranged her front teeth to be here tonight. An invitation to one of Olivia Baxter’s dinner parties was the most sought after in Sacramento. The guest list generally included about a dozen of the most fascinating and delightful people in the state.

  “You certainly are a beautiful young woman.” Olivia smiled at Julia. “And lavender is such a lovely color on you. It brings out the glow in your cheeks.”

  “You’re very kind,” she said, although she attributed the bloom in her cheeks to anxiety and not from the color of her gown.

  “You must have a very special someone in your life.”

  “At the moment, there’s no one in particular that I’m seeing. Working for Mrs. Collins takes up most of my time.”

  “Oh, no, my dear.” Her eyebrows, which were the same shade as her silver gray hair, lifted in genuine concern. “We must do something to correct that immediately. You’re much too lovely to spend your time alone.”

  A slender, petite woman, Olivia’s animated expressions added to her charm along with her sincerity. Once a seamstress, she’d invested every penny she could scrape together after a customer had given her a tip on the Comstock mine located in Nevada. After the silver strike, she and her husband had become rich beyond their wildest dreams. Their wealth showed in the subtle grandeur of their home.

  “It’s kind of you to offer,” Julia said, “but I really don’t have any free time.”

  “Nonsense,” Betsy said. “Your evenings are generally free. The only reason I bring you with me to my social engagements is so you won’t be sitting alone in your room.”

  “There are a few bachelors here tonight to whom I could introduce you.” Olivia lifted her hand and pointed her index finger in the air. “Wait, I know the perfect man for you. He’s one of my husband’s oldest friends. If the two of you develop a mutual interest in each other, perhaps you’ll accompany us on an outing this weekend.”