Whispered Kisses

by Taylor, Janelle

  Look who’s talking about being proper! Leigh almost scoffed. Legally Chad was responsible for her. Until November, she was required by English law to obey him. She could refuse and leave; she could even return to America. Chad wouldn’t really stop her. But that was silly and rash, and it would cause trouble between them.

  She summarized the situation in a calm voice. “I sailed from America alone and unharmed, so you know I can take care of myself.” She glanced at Jace and shrugged. “We can’t go on safari without Jace Elliott. Obviously he isn’t interested in or willing to help us. He also doesn’t like any of us, and we’d be under his control out there. But you’re right. We’re here, so let’s stay and enjoy ourselves. We’re also clever, so we’ll think of a way to salvage this trip.”

  Chad’s unfathomable gaze locked on Jace’s impassive one. “Is no your final answer, Jace?” When the man did not respond, Chad asked, “Leigh, will you leave us alone to talk privately? There’s something Jace and I need to settle, an old problem.”

  “Of course,” she replied, then glanced at Jace and left the room.

  Chad spoke first. “We were close friends for a long time, Jace.” He saw Jace frown, but he continued. “We both know we can’t ever be friends again, but we’re grown men. It’s time we started acting like adults and at least formed a truce. Despite what happened between us, we’re even now. Our private war can be over if you let it die.”

  “Even?” Jace scoffed, his green eyes glittering with hostility. “You call ruining Joanna and helping Webster take everything from my father getting even? You call those cruel deeds simple bygones? You had no reason to seek revenge against me. I told you I searched for you, and I tried to repay your losses. You had no reason to use and hurt Joanna, to turn her into your harlot. One day you’ll pay for that, you sorry bastard. Where is she?”

  “I don’t know,” Chad answered honestly. “I haven’t seen or heard from her since she left me.” He exchanged glares with Jace.

  Jace knew Chad hadn’t gotten rid of Joanna Harris, because he had received several letters from her over the years. Yet someone had to be mailing them for her from ports around the world, which prevented him from discovering her whereabouts. Nor had Joanna ever told him what had happened between her and Chad. Maybe that was Chad’s unfinished business with him, to make sure he and Joanna didn’t get together again and talk. Jace craved answers to those secrets. If only he or Salisbury’s detectives could find her and … “Did she leave you or was she discarded like all your other used-up conquests?” Jace refuted coldly.

  “She’s the only woman who ever discarded me. It didn’t work out between us, so she left London. I’m surprised she hasn’t gotten in touch with you. As for your innocence years ago, you’re a liar and a betrayer. Jed and the others told me you never searched for me. You sold our claim and left South Africa with all our diamonds. You left me to suffer and die at the hands of those savages.”

  “You’re a blind fool, Chad. I told you in London when I found you alive that they were lying. If you’d bothered to check it out, you would have discovered I tried for weeks to track you down and rescue you after your capture by those Matabele warriors. There wasn’t a trace anywhere. I assumed you were dead. I didn’t know you had survived and escaped until I saw you in London. After I left South Africa, I was too deep in the jungle to get any news from home. When I did, Father never mentioned your return home; he probably figured I knew about it. I told you the truth that day, but you refused to believe it. We were best friends. We did everything together. Didn’t that count for anything? How could you believe I would betray you over some shiny stones? Did we ever really know each other? Or have we changed this much since the old days? Best friends to worst enemies. How sad and stupid. You shouldn’t have destroyed Joanna and my father to get at me.”

  As on that day long ago, Chad didn’t want to believe Jace. If he did, it would make all his actions and losses his own fault, something a man like Chad couldn’t accept. Too, he needed the driving obsession of Jace Elliott to give him strength and purpose. He felt if they ever made real peace—which was undoubtedly impossible after all he had done to Jace—he would become the weaker one again. He had loved Jace like a brother; in fact, deep inside he still loved him. But by brutally cutting Jace from his life, he had found power, and he never wanted to lose that intoxicating feeling. Besides, after all he’d done, it was too late to turn back now.

  “Joanna was the one who came after me, Jace.” Chad informed him. “Believe it or not, but I thought I was in love with her. After we were together for a while, we both realized it was a mistake. She left town because she was ashamed of what she had done. As for your father, I liked and respected him. Brandon made that business deal with William, not with me. They were planning some joint projects together. When your father … died, what did you expect William to do, lose his large investment by not laying claim to it?”

  Chad ruffled his neat hair and exhaled loudly. He was feeling desperate to trick Jace. “Look, I doubt you were embroiled in that mess with Stokely, and I guess you’ve suffered as much as I have. I’ve never had another friend like you. We shared a lot. Frankly I still miss what we had together, but I know it’s lost forever. You’re right; it was a sad and stupid mistake. Can you blame me for hating you after what I endured and was told? Not by one man, Jace, but by several. Friends or not, you have to admit you looked guilty. Why don’t we let our dispute end here? We don’t have to like each other for you to take this job. Dammit, man, I was the one who warned you to escape that day.”

  “Warned me?” Jace hinted skeptically. “You stood there and gloated over the trouble I was in. You made sure I learned every grim detail from you. If I hadn’t bound and gagged you and hidden you in that warehouse, I doubt I would ever have escaped.”

  Chad shook his head, but grinned. “As much as I hated you, old friend, I wouldn’t have exposed you. Death would have been a merciful end. I wanted you alive to suffer like I had. Every time I looked in the mirror, I was reminded of your desertion. If there’s one thing those Matabele warriors taught me, it was that dying releases a man from pain. You want to know how many times I prayed for death, Jace? Plenty, just like I knew you would.” Chad sighed heavily. “But that was six years ago. You can’t go on hating a man forever. I’ll never forgive you for what you did to me, but I understand how greed can blind and control a man. Let’s leave it at, you made a mistake. I’m a rich and respected man now. William left me plenty of money and a good position; I was like a son to him. William was a good man, Jace. He turned me and my life around, and I’m sorry he’s gone. As for our trouble, I don’t need to spend any more time and energy on the past. Let it finally be over for both of us,” he lied.

  Jace stared at his former friend. It was a pretty and colorful picture that Chad was painting, but Jace wasn’t buying that cheap canvas. “A truce, is it?” Jace murmured.

  Leigh knocked on the door and opened it. She tried not to look at Jace Elliott, who seemed to be the center attraction in the room. “Chad, it’s late and most of the others have left. We should be going. I’ve kept Louisa and the others out, but she’s getting impatient.”

  “Let her,” Chad replied. “This is important.”

  “I’ll tell them you’ll join us shortly,” Leigh hinted.

  “Wait, La—Leigh.” Jace directed his gaze and questions to her. “Tell me, Miss Webster, do you honestly want to go on this safari? Do you understand what you’re getting yourself into out there? Are you willing to face the dangers, the discomforts, the cramped tents, the lack of privacy, the demands of such a long trek?” He noted every changing expression in her eyes and on her face.

  Jace held up his hand as he continued, “Spiders as big as my hand. Vipers that can strike you dead within hours. Huge snakes that drop on you from trees, encircle your body, and slowly squeeze the life from it. Hungry bugs that crawl and feast on your pretty hide. Insects that suck the blood from you or bury themselves under y
our skin or nails while leaving their nasty germs inside you: the tsetse fly, the malarial mosquito, tunga fleas, and hookworms. Crossing rivers infested with man-eating crocs and irritable hippos. Jungles teeming with hungry lions, rogue elephants, and more.” He paused in his melodramatic performance. “Then, there’s quicksand, plants that can slay you as easily and quickly as a black or green mamba, natives who eat pretty blondes just for good luck, and the pure hardship of such a journey. Is that how you want to spend the next two months? Or, are you only being a good little girl and meekly obeying Uncle Chad?”

  His last question provoked Leigh to uncommon recklessness. She thought she grasped Jace’s motives: to discourage her, to make her the one to cancel the safari. In an angry tone, she related, “I’m not a coward or a weakling, Mr. Elliott. I was half raised on a Texas ranch. I’ve battled snakes, wolves, rustlers, insects, and other perils. I’ve worked in rainstorms, sleet, and snow, and beneath a blazing sun. I’ve been on cattle roundups that had plenty of hardships, dangers, and little privacy. I’ve forded rivers as perilous as any you have here. And no amount of easy walking can compare to sitting in a saddle from sun-up to sundown, so I can put up with discomforts. I haven’t cried, or been terrified, or felt too weak to make it, and I’m not afraid of spiders. I can ride, shoot, track, walk, and work as good as the best man.”

  Leigh saw a mocking grin slip across Jace’sarresting face and settle in those laughing green eyes. His mood and expression seemed to say he was flinging down a gauntlet before her and daring her to retrieve it. Challenged and vexed, she rashly continued. “I’m willing to bet anything, my physical and emotional stamina are as good as yours. I don’t scare easily, and I’m strong and smart. I don’t take foolish risks, and I obey orders. I doubt your jungle can demand more than I can handle. If it does, I’m certain our guide can come to my aid with a few lessons. I’ve camped out many times, but we slept in bedrolls on the ground, no nice tents. So this trek will be a simple luxury.”

  When Jace’s expression altered to one of respect, she added, “There is nothing I would honestly enjoy more than going on a safari. I have no doubts I can withstand its minor hardships. The problem is, I doubt I could cope with your irascible nature and mercurial personality. In fact, I’m positive you would spoil the trip for me. If the safari depends upon my personal plea for your assistance, then forget it. Good night, Mr. Elliott. I’ll see you outside, Chad.” Leigh closed the door and joined the others to explain the delay.

  Chad and Jace chuckled. “She’s quite an amazing woman, my little Leigh,” Chad remarked. “Well, did she convince you?”

  “If a man must use a woman to get his way,” Jace ventured, “at least select a beautiful and tempting one, right? What’s the real bargain with your fetching ward? A peace-offering, old friend? She’s beautiful, intelligent, and wealthy. I think I’ll accept your retribution and sacrifice in exchange for a truce and the job.”

  Chad’s grin faded instantly. He replied before thinking, “don’t be absurd. Leigh isn’t a peace offering for Joanna. She’s mine, or will be soon. She’d never respond to the likes of you, not with those criminal charges hanging over your head.”

  Jace came to full alert, and noticed how Chad glared at him for eliciting that slip. Chad had bewitched and ensnared Joanna easily and quickly. Would Leigh Webster be any different, any stronger, any wiser, more honest? To compel the man into further slips, Jace teased, “Well, I’ll be damned. You want her for yourself. Is that what this little safari is all about? You want to get her away from all her admirers in London so you can charm and seduce her and get your greedy hands on her inheritance. You want to show her what a big and brave man you are in the wild. Aren’t you afraid I have more charm and skill than you do? Aren’t you afraid of me winning Leigh and stealing everything you desire? That would make us even, old boy.”

  “Don’t play games with me, Jace.” Chad warned. “I’ll admit I want Leigh, but only because she’s a special woman. I’ve changed since that trouble with Joanna. Leigh wants this trip, and I want to give it to her. Name your price.”

  Something still wasn’t quite right, Jace concluded. “Don’t take me for a fool, Chad. You have a mistress on this trip, remember?”

  The two men knew a lot about each other. It was almost as if they had slipped back briefly into their old days together.

  Chad took the only path he saw out of his tangled territory, to pretend he’d been unmasked and was being honest and desperate. “Only because the plans were made before Leigh caught my eye. I couldn’t change them without making her nervous. She’s a lady, so she wouldn’t have come here alone with me, guardian or not. She’s different, so I have to move slowly and carefully with her.” He fused his gaze to Jace’s and vowed, “I’m confident enough to make a wager with you. I’ll double your salary if Leigh isn’t mine before this trip is over. She’ll marry me the day we return to London.” He chuckled and coaxed, “Come on, Jace, for old times’ sake. We don’t have to forgive each other or forget our past, but this will settle things between us. I’m not afraid to risk everything. Winner takes all: the money, Leigh, the pride of victory, final revenge, and Webster Inter-national.”

  Jace took the fetching bait. “You always were a betting man, Chad, and one for taking crazy risks. I can recall times it got us into deep trouble, but we surely had fun getting out of it.” Jace felt uneasy at the good memories and feelings that statement evoked. “What makes you think Leigh would want either one of us? Besides, you can’t bet something you don’t own.”

  Chad felt that he had Jace hooked on his deceitful line, so he held on tightly to reel him in. “Leigh will be good for me. I need her.”

  Mirthful laughter spilled from Jace’s lips. “Why, because old man Webster left everything to her? You need to marry her to get it all back? I know the feeling of great loss too well, old friend.”

  Riled, Chad argued, “What difference does it make to you why I want to marry her? You need money, and I have plenty.”

  “Plenty of hers, for the time being.” Jace eyed him and asked, “What happened to you in South Africa, Chad? That’s when you changed, not after Webster got a hold of you.”

  “I grew up, Jace, but you’ve remained a sentimental, rough boy. I’m rich and powerful and well respected. I run one of the largest companies in England, maybe in the world. But you, you’re still scrounging to survive, and partly with my earnings. You play the big game hunter, but you’re scared when it comes to a real challenge. If not, you’d have exonerated yourself long ago. You’re stuck in this uncivilized jungle forever, and your name’s as black as night. So which one of us is smarter and braver, and better off? You a coward now?”

  “This time I’ll win. My usual price is twenty-five thousand pounds for two months. If you win Leigh, you won’t owe me a single pence. If I win Leigh, you double it and owe me fifty thousand. Well, old friend, do we have a truce and a deal?” Jace asked, as calmly as if he were saying good morning to a mere acquaintance. He wasn’t afraid to make such a bet, as Chad could never win Leigh, not with the plan Jace had in mind …

  Chadwick glued his gaze to Jace’s challenging one. All the old hatred and craving for revenge stormed his body. But, he plotted, no matter what happened, he couldn’t lose. If anything did occur between Leigh and Jace, he could always go back to his original plot to kill them. “Agreed—victory to the man who wins Leigh Webster during the safari. As soon as payment is made, we swear to stay out of each other’s lives forever.”

  “If we both fail, you still owe my twenty-five-thousand salary.”

  “Agreed. Anything else?”

  “Before we sign a contract, remind Leigh of her bet with me and make certain your ward will live up to her end of the bargain.”

  “What wager did Leigh make with you?” Chad asked.

  “You heard her moments ago. She bet anything she was as good in the wilds as I am. I plan to collect on her bet and yours. She has to hire me and she has to wager something
of value.”

  “What if she refuses to bet with you?”

  “Use your charms to convince her, or the deal’s off. Make it appear her wager is the reason I changed my mind. If she believes I’m agreeing to please her, it’ll remove the edge you already have with her. That’s only fair. I’ll get her answer tomorrow.” At the door, Jace turned and said, “By the way, happy birthday, old boy. Now, we’re the same age again.” Jace left by the back door to avoid Leigh.

  A guileful grin broadened Chad’s mouth. Jace’s arrogant demand had given him a clever idea. He would make certain to leave enough space between their wagers and signatures to fill in one other term without Jace’s knowledge, one he could use against his old friend if this bargain soured …

  Chapter Eight

  “I didn’t mean a real bet!” Leigh exclaimed. “Is the man crazy?”

  “That’s how it sounded to us, Leigh,” Chad replied. “Are you afraid he was right about it being too hard on you?”

  “What about Louisa and Cynthia?” Leigh reasoned in annoyance. “Nothing was mentioned about it being too hard on them.”

  “They’ve been on hunting trips with me and Reid several times. It’ll be difficult for those spoiled beauties, but they’ll do fine; they always have. What about you, my Wild West ward? Do you have any frontier spirit? You seem confident, skilled, and determined to me. What will you prove by refusing to bend a little? We both know he’s being stubborn and demanding, but that’s how he is. Are you going to let Jace Elliott believe you’re a cowardly weakling? All you have to do is ask him to be our guide and bet him a thousand pounds you’ll win. What difference does it make, Leigh? I’ll furnish the money, and help you succeed. What have you got to lose but a wonderful safari?”

  At her pensive silence, Chad continued. “Besides, this will give you the opportunity to get to know Jace, and us the chance to observe him. We need to discover if he’s aware of that strange codicil to William’s will, and if he knows the reason behind it.”