Whispered Kisses

by Taylor, Janelle

  Leigh ceased her struggles but panted in frustration, “You rattlesnake! At least explain what’s going on inside that head of yours! Why do you dislike and distrust me? What have I supposedly done to you? In fact, who are you?”

  He grinned as he lessened his grip on her. “I don’t dislike you, Laura. In fact, I feel just the opposite. You know who and what I am, my cunning enchantress. And you know exactly what I mean.”

  Exasperated, Leigh sighed heavily and shook her head. “Think what you will, but I don’t have the vaguest idea. Besides, if you think you’re being tricked, why did you come to Africa? That’s an awfully long and expensive journey to undertake merely to scold me. Unjustly, I might add.”

  When her blue eyes looked dewy and she drew in a ragged breath of air, he suspected again that Chad was using her without her knowledge and consent. “It was no trouble, Laura. I live here. I sailed home the morning after our talk in the garden. That is what you and Chad wanted, isn’t it?”

  “You live here!” she exclaimed in surprise. “Who are you?”

  “Jace Elliott, coffee grower, safari guide, and whatever else you’d like me to be, Laura.” He watched her eyes widen and her face pale, and heard her sharp intake of air. But it was the curious array of emotions—alarm, hesitation, disbelief, confusion, even fear—in her large eyes that caught his complete attention and interest.

  “You’re … Jace … Elliott? Brandon Elliott’s … son?” When he nodded both times, she licked her dry lips and stared at him. Part of it made sense now. She understood why the mention of Chad’s name that night on the dock had altered him. She grasped why he had been hiding, and why he had been so cautious and alert, and why he had been so certain they would meet again soon. He had risked capture by coming to her aid. But why did he think she and Chad knew he was there? Why did he consider Chad an enemy? Was there something between the Elliotts and Websters that she and Chad did not know?

  Naturally he would be resentful toward William Webster’s granddaughter, especially if he didn’t know about the will’s stipulation. But, she fretted, why was he playing romantic games with her? For revenge? No, she reasoned, he had responded to her before learning who she was. But, she argued with herself, why had he endangered himself to meet her in the garden at Lord Salisbury’s? What did he want from her? As she eyed him closely, her mind hinted, So, this is Jace Elliott, the man who inherits half of everything if …

  “What were you doing sneaking around in London? I thought you were wanted by the law and couldn’t—” She halted as he released her and let her sway against the wall behind her.

  Jace had noticed her reaction to his identity. “So, you do know who and what I am; you just didn’t realize Sir Lancelot was Jace Elliott, isn’t that right? Why didn’t Chad tell you the truth before involving you?”

  “Involving me in what? You’ve made so many charges and innuendoes that I’m confused. Please explain.”

  “For God knows what reason, old Chadwick wants me to lead your safari. Of course I do have a reputation as the best guide here, but why does he really want to hire me, Laura? Why did he order you to lure me out of London? So I’d be here when you all arrived? Why?”

  Astonishment glittered in her eyes. “Where would you get a crazy idea like that, Mr. Elliott? Jim Hanes is our guide. We’re waiting for his return so we can head inland. He’s late, but he’ll arrive soon. Even so, why should that request annoy you to such extremes?”

  “Why indeed, his beautiful accomplice?” Jace mocked.

  Leigh was irritated. They were just beginning to make headway in this mess. “Is there a reason why you keep calling me beautiful and accusing me of things I don’t understand?”

  “Because you are beautiful, too beautiful and tempting. If I agree to head up your safari, how will you thank me this time?”

  Leigh flushed in a mixture of embarrassment and anger. “You’re impossible, insufferable, crazy, rude, and bitter. Why on earth would we want you around us day and night?”

  “That’s what I keep asking myself, woman. Chad and I don’t get along at all, so why did he send for me and want to hire me? And why is he using his tasty ward as bait for his little trap?”

  “Chad sents for you? Why? He told me he had hired a man named Jim Hanes. He’s been to his office twice since our arrival to check on the delay. You’re mistaken, or downright lying.”

  “If you’d like to see his written offer, it’s in my hotel room. Or, you can go ask him right now. It’s a fact, woman.”

  She stared at him. “Chad would never hire you,” she argued.

  Jace took in her reaction, and Chad’s arrival outside the door. Apparently, Chad had elected to pause a moment and eavesdrop. “Why wouldn’t Chad hire me, Miss Leigh?”

  “Because you’re a wanted criminal,” she replied, not daring to tell the truth this time. Surely this was the last man Chad wanted around them. Obviously he was lying to glean information. Yet, if he and Chad never saw each other, what did Jace mean about their not getting along? More important, did Jace know about the will? She dared not ask. “We wouldn’t go into the jungle alone with you.”

  To steal this golden treasure would avenge what Chad had done to Joanna, Jace speculated. If she vanished in the jungle, what would his enemy trade or do to get her back? Jace knew he needed to be with them and, for some reason, Chad was giving him an opportunity. He had to take it and uncover that motive. “The only way I’ll agree to work for Chad is for you to personally make the offer,” he bartered.

  Leigh’s mouth dropped open and her eyes enlarged. “If that’s what is required, Mr. Elliott, you’ll never work for us. I wouldn’t ask you to take us if you were the only guide in all of Africa.”

  Jace revealed a smug grin and responded, “Then I suggest you inform your guardian and group that there will be no safari. Without me, you can’t go inland. Jim Hanes has a busted leg, and there’s no one else available. That’s why you need me.”

  “We don’t need you. We’ll buy maps and go by ourselves.”

  Jace shook his head. “You can’t.”

  “You can’t stop us, Mr. Elliott,” Leigh argued.

  “Yes, Leigh, I’m afraid he can,” Chad stated from the doorway. “He can and he will, if we can’t persuade him to be our guide.”

  Chad closed the door and joined them. The men stared at each other for a time. Leigh felt the animosity that permeated the room. Her curious gaze shifted from man to man. It was clear to her that they were not mere acquaintances, as Chad had implied.

  Chad spoke first. “Jace Elliott does have the power to prevent our safari’ if he refuses to become our guide. It’s the law here. The Imperial British East Africa Company and the Colonial Office won’t allow safaris without a special license and an approved guide.”

  “What about Jim Hanes?” she argued.

  “As Jace told you, Jim has a broken leg. He’s in Nairobi. There isn’t anyone else around to hire. Either we convince Jace to take the job or we miss our adventure. While I was at the Colonial Office, they told me Jace was expected in town any day now. I left a letter for them to pass along to Jace, offering him the job. I was hoping, after he met you, he would be persuaded.”

  Leigh recalled Jace’s accusations. “Did you arrange that mix-up with the dinner invitation so Jace and I could meet in London?” she asked. “How could you allow those ruffians to terrify me? If Jace hadn’t come along that night, I could have been injured. Were you hoping I would ensnare Mr. Elliott for you?”

  Chad looked shocked. He glanced at Jace, then back at Leigh. “He’s the one who rescued you when you were attacked?” he asked, looking totally surprised. “Why didn’t you tell me?” To his enemy, he questioned, “What were you doing in London, Jace? That was mighty foolish, don’t you think?”

  “Don’t tell me you’re worried about my safety old friend,” the green-eyed man scoffed.

  “Then, you didn’t arrange that incident?” she pressed to Chad. “You said you wanted
me to meet someone important and ‘stun’ him.”

  “Of course I didn’t. I wanted you to meet that client of ours who wants the jungle effect for his restaurant. We were going to discuss business over dinner. He had to leave London, so there wasn’t another opportunity for you to meet him before sailing. I didn’t know Jace was in London, and he was a fool to take such a risk.”

  “But you told me you believe he’s innocent,” Leigh protested.

  “What difference does that make? He can’t prove it.”

  “Thanks to someone’s clever frame,” Jace sneered.

  Chad ignored Jace’s last words. “I heard about your misfortune with the coffee crop,” he said, “so I know you must need money. Why don’t you accept my offer? I didn’t arrange your meeting with Leigh in London. I didn’t know you were around, and I didn’t know about Hanes’s accident until we got here. I was hoping you’d agree after meeting my niece. This adventure was planned for her enjoyment.”

  “Laura Leigh is your niece? She doesn’t favor Fiona, so I guess that means your father had a bastard child hidden away who died and left you the responsibility of Laura.” To her, he scolded, “You said Chadwick Hamilton was your guardian, but you never mentioned he’s your uncle. Which Leigh was your father? Did we know him, Chad?”

  Suddenly she realized that Jace Elliott didn’t know who she was. She recalled that night on the dock which explained why he had kept calling her “Laura” or “Miss Leigh.” It also put a new light on his earlier words and behavior …

  When she held silent and pensive, Chad inquired, “Didn’t you tell him your name in London?”

  “She gave her name as Laura Leigh,” Jace answered, “but I didn’t give mine. You know how it was, Chad—see but don’t be seen.”

  Chad also comprehended Jace’s astonishment at discovering exactly whom he had rescued. But, my friend, he mused, you’re in for an even bigger surprise. “Allow me to make the proper introductions. This is my ward and stepniece, Laura Leigh Webster, William’s granddaughter from America.” Leaving that stunning news to sink in, Chad turned from Jace and said to Leigh, “You know by now this is Jace Elliott, the Great White Hunter and best guide in Africa. And we need him to take Jim Hanes’s place.”

  Jace stared at the beautiful woman, who now seemed nervous. “You’re a Webster? Why didn’t you tell me?” That cast a new light on matters, one he liked even less. It vexed Jace to learn she had Webster blood and to recall she was traveling with this flirtatious scoundrel. “So, you two are family.”

  Chad grinned at Jace’s reaction. “By marriage only.”

  “If she’s a Webster, how can she be your ward?” Jace probed.

  “I’m Leigh’s guardian until she reaches twenty-one in November,” the raven-haired man revealed. “She arrived in February after William’s death in December. She inherited Webster International and his estate.”

  Jace couldn’t conceal his surprise and interest. Lord Salisbury hadn’t cabled this news to him, but he knew why: his friend didn’t want him getting desperate and daring. It was obvious now why the Webster home had been closed up and empty. “The old man is dead?”

  In a solemn tone, Chad replied, “Yes. I’m surprised you didn’t learn about it when you were in London recently. Leigh is William’s only blood heir. I thought this trip would do us both good before we settle down to business. Leigh and I haven’t seen each other for a few years, so it seemed an excellent way to get reacquainted without a lot of distractions. Don’t you agree?”

  Jace didn’t like the fact they were old friends … and family. Maybe she was a better actress than he had feared, or maybe Chad had worked his potent charms on her. But what did they want from him? If their meeting had truly been an accident but Leigh had recognized him and told Chad of his presence, perhaps they had lured him out of London on purpose. Perhaps Chad had feared what he would uncover there. Perhaps he had come here to end their war. No, he had to be wrong about Leigh; her behavior was convincing. If anything, Chad was using her.

  “Why not let bygones be bygones, Jace? Take the job. We need a guide and you need the money. It’s a good deal for all of us.”

  All three mused in silence for a time. Jace’s spirit was troubled. Lord Salisbury had left town immediately following the party, so they hadn’t gotten to talk. He had hoped Webster would be with Hamilton. He knew how greedy both men were. A savage hunt was exactly what those two men would enjoy! Now, with Webster dead, all he could do was work on Chad to obtain the evidence he needed to clear himself.

  Jace had been lying in wait for them. When they were late arriving in Africa, he had worried they had changed their minds or lied about their safari. Then the railroad had asked him to guide a work party to their next site. Since he’d used the new train to cover most of the trip out and back, it hadn’t taken long. He had planned to track them through the jungle and to find a way to join their group, but Jim’s accident had worked in his favor. If indeed, Jace silently scoffed, Jim did have a broken leg. That was something he needed to check on. He didn’t like surprises, and he had been given plenty tonight.

  Jace wondered if Chad was hoping he’d fall for Leigh, trail her to London, and get captured and hanged. Jace also wondered how much Leigh knew about him and his past with Chad, and why she hadn’t told him her last name that night. Yet, upon reflection, he grasped how the oversight had occurred and never been corrected.

  He pondered the situation. Now that Leigh Webster owned everything, including the holdings cleverly stolen from his father, where did that leave Chad and Fiona? Would Chad and his mother inherit it all if anything happened to Leigh, especially while in Jace Elliott’s care? If so, Chad could get rid of both of them while in Africa. That speculation disturbed and angered Jace. If Leigh’s innocence was genuine and there was a lethal plot against her, the blonde would be safer in his care while he exposed and defeated it than she would be if he refused and they returned to London.

  Jace continued to sort the pieces to this puzzle. There was another road Chad could travel: marry Leigh and take everything. Jace had witnessed how his enemy watched the girl, so why bring a mistress along to mess up his seduction? Unless the redhead was a decoy to fool Leigh or to distract him. Without a doubt, Chad had a special reason for bringing Leigh Webster here and for throwing all of them together. Jace was going with them, but he couldn’t appear eager to do so. He had to let Chad convince him.

  Leigh was trying to decide why these two men hated each other, and why they would even consider working together. Male pride? Revenge? A challenge to prove who was the better man? Why hadn’t Chad told her more about Jace? And, why would Chad risk having the resentful and intimidating man around them? Was her guardian trying to discover how much Jace knew about the Webster/Elliott connection and the curious will? How strange that her rescuer was Jace Elliott of all men! The best part was that he hadn’t known who she was until tonight.

  As for Chad, he was delighted to have his plans proceeding perfectly. He didn’t like the fact that Jace and Leigh had met in London, but Leigh would never be attracted to a criminal. And Jace, Jace would view and treat her as William’s blood, as kin of the man who had taken everything from him. No, he decided, he didn’t have to worry about anything happening between those two.

  “Well?” Chad broke the heavy silence in the room. “Don’t be stubborn and foolish, Jace. I’m willing to pay twice what you normally receive so this trip won’t be wasted. Even if we wait around for another guide, we could be in danger out there with a less qualified man. I’m responsible for Leigh, and I don’t want anything happening to her. Take the job,” he urged.

  “It would never work, Chad. I’d be the absolute authority out there, and you couldn’t stand that. There are rules and regulations to cover sporting licenses, and you can be reckless and impulsive. The IBEA Company has laws governing the protection of animals in the Serengeti district, and that’s where we’d head first. They regulate the use and possession of all firearm
s. They don’t allow any skin, rhino horn, or ivory hunters; or permit natives to hunt during closed seasons; or allow sportsmen to take more game than the license permits. There’s no wanton shooting from boats; or shooting female animals, especially with young; or excessive killing just to get the best trophies. If you break the laws here, you can be arrested and fined, and your guide can lose his license. As I recall, you’ve never been one to like or obey rules.”

  “I read the laws and regulations posted at the Colonial Office. I promise we won’t break any of them, and you’ll be in full control. That little accident that got your nose broken wasn’t entirely my fault. If there’s one thing you must know about me, it’s that I keep my word.”

  Jace recalled Chad’s “word” in ‘92 vowing revenge: “One day when you least expect it, old friend, I’ll make you pay for what you did to me in South Africa, and pay dearly.” Chad had kept that dark promise. But, Jace mused, was the unwarranted revenge completed? He doubted it, and shook his head as if refusing the man’s job offer. He knew Chad wouldn’t give up easily. “Forget it, Chad. I’m going home in a few days, as soon as I finish some business with Alfred.”

  Leigh glanced at Jace’s nose, wishing she knew the story behind that, as well as all the others between them. She said, “He’s right, Chad. Let him go. It wouldn’t work to hire him. In fact, I think it’s best if we sail home as soon as possible.”

  “We haven’t spent all this time and money to be defeated now. You don’t want to spoil everyone’s trip, and you’ve been looking forward to this journey. We’re here now, so why turn back before we’ve been inland? If we only ride to the end of the rail line and see the sights, it’ll save our investment. I promise, if Jace won’t come to work for us, I’ll find someone else.” Lightheartedly he added, “Besides, I am your guardian until November. The rest of us are staying, so I can’t allow you to sail alone. It’s dangerous and improper. Remember what happened in London when you went out unescorted.”