Whispered Kisses

by Taylor, Janelle

  “Is that why you proceeded with the safari Grandfather planned?”

  Chad looked surprised. “No, Jim Hanes was hired as our guide, and I assumed we wouldn’t even run into Jace. This is a big territory. Jace just happened to be in town when I needed a replacement, so it seemed a cunning idea to solve two problems with one task. Think about it, Leigh, and don’t refuse too quickly. A safari and answers.”

  Leigh strolled to the balcony door and gazed outside. She knew why Jace was not at his plantation; that night, in the garden at Lord Salisbury’s, she had told him about this safari. She needed facts about Jace and Chad, so she hinted evocatively, “What if Jace paid Jim Hanes to fake an injury so you’d turn to him for help? What if he knows about the will and is luring us into the jungle to get us at his mercy? That may sound crazy, but half of Grandfather’s estate is still enormous.”

  Chad had to dispel her mistrust of Jace, as Jace was a threat only to him. Chad knew his ex-friend was not a criminal and would never harm Leigh, even if she was a Webster. For his scheme to work, he had to dupe and control both of them. “If Jace wanted to harm you, Leigh, he could have done so on the waterfront or before he fled England. While nosing around, he probably learned about our safari and rushed home to chase the beautiful woman he had rescued earlier. He has to be intrigued and charmed by you. If he’s tricking us, which I doubt, it’s only to embarrass me in the wilds. Now that I’ve seen and talked with him again, I can’t imagine Jace harming you for any reason. I just don’t want him learning of that codicil and thinking William was making relics quital. That could lead to trouble.”

  As if believing every word, Leigh murmured, “You could be right, Chad. Jace didn’t know Grandfather was dead until last night. He seemed dismayed, as if he had wanted or needed to see Grandfather. Perhaps about those crimes in London, or maybe he was hoping Grandfather would finally and unselfishly clear him.” Doubts about both her grandfather and rescuer pained her deeply. One thing she had learned about the mercurial hero was that he couldn’t conceal honest shock, or do it as easily and skillfully as he masked most of his feelings. She liked that.

  “With William and Brandon dead, we’ll never know the truth.”

  “I hate thinking such thoughts, Chad,” she said, “but this whole affair is so odd. Jace couldn’t have been playing games with Laura Leigh Webster because he didn’t know who I was. But what is he thinking now? What was his connection to Grandfather? Lordy, what is he planning with this gambling game?”

  “Just delightful sport with an enchanting woman,” Chad teased.

  Leigh recalled Jace’s warning: “Don’t tempt me to alter my first impression of you. That could be a dangerous and costly mistake.” Jace had told her she was “too beautiful and tempting,” but for what purpose? For revenge? For killing her to get back his losses to her grandfather? Stop being so suspicious of everyone, Leigh, she admonished herself. First, she had suspected Chad of deadly mischief. Next, she had suspected Louisa of it. Now, she was considering Jace as a threat. It was terrible to think the worst of everybody around her. She could not observe these people intelligently and clearly if she was so biased against them. Besides, she deduced, normal people didn’t go around killing and plotting against another person all the time, and they couldn’t all be crazy or evil. Her imagination was running wild. She was being foolish and unfair. But there were a few puzzles to solve.

  One was Jace Elliott. She was intrigued by him and strongly attracted to him. Going on safari with that secretive male was the only way to unravel his mystery. Too, she didn’t want to be bested by Louisa and Cynthia. She wanted this delving journey for many reasons.

  She finally turned to Chad and asked, “How did you convince Jace to take this job?”

  He chuckled. “I didn’t. You did.”

  Baffled, she asked, “What do you mean?”

  Chad needed to test a worry of his: Leigh’s possible attraction to Jace. “I think he’s smitten by a beautiful and charming woman, and hungry for all she has to offer. If he is, he might open up to you.”

  Leigh’s blue eyes widened in astonishment. “You want me to romance that unpredictable, insufferable beast,” she murmured, “so I can spy on him? That would be just as offensive as the attack on me in London.”

  At her heated response and expression, Chad relaxed. “Heavens, no! Jace Elliott is a wanted man. I don’t want you getting tangled up with the likes of him. I meant, make friends, or pretend to do so to see what you can learn about his connection to us.”

  “Is that what you’re doing, Chad?” she queried.

  “I would love to, but it wouldn’t work. Jace Elliott wouldn’t tell me anything important unless there was a motive behind it.”

  “Are you two old enemies?”

  Chad knew that Leigh was smart and alert, so he had to tell her something. Surely she had perceived the animosity between Jace and himself; it was better if he answered her rather than his rival. He wouldn’t mention Joanna Harris, and was certain Jace wouldn’t, either. “We’ve had problems in the past, but it was a long time ago. Jace and I were schoolmates and shipmates, but our friendship soured. He’s always been a cocky and reckless man, so we parted ways six years ago. He continued his worldly adventures, then settled here. I returned to England and went to work for William. We’ve only seen each other a couple of times since ‘90, and those brief meetings weren’t pleasant. The last time was in December of ‘94 when I warned him to escape from London before he was arrested,” he disclosed.

  That news took her unprepared. “You warned him? Why?”

  Chad shrugged and said, “Because I was the first one to see him when he docked that day. Either he didn’t know about the crimes, which is what he claimed, or he didn’t know he’d been exposed. He was coming to tell his father about the loss of his coffee crop to disease. That’s the money Brandon was planning on borrowing to pay off his debt to your grandfather. In case you don’t know it, a coffee crop takes three to four years to mature. That’s why Jace needs money. He lost everything in ‘94 and had to replant the next season. Now he has to survive until his new crop is ready. So you see, my lovely ward, we’ll be doing him a favor to hire him. Maybe it will change his mind about liking us.”

  “Obviously you never believed he was guilty or you wouldn’t have warned him to flee that day. You can’t totally hate him. Doesn’t he realize you helped him and now you’re trying to help him? Again?”

  “He doesn’t want to realize it, Leigh. Jace has done some pretty wild things in the past, but murder and arson are not like him. It was an impulsive action to warn him and, to be honest, mostly I was taunting him. Even when friendship hits rough seas, you never forget there used to be calm ones. I won’t lie and say I forgive him or want to be friends again, but I don’t mind having him around for a while. We are adults now.”

  “That’s a very kind and wise attitude, Chad,” she complimented him. She sighed deeply, then revealed, “I suppose I can entreat him to lead us, and make that silly bet with him. As you said, what difference does it make? I won’t lose.”

  Chad practically beamed with the joy of what he considered a victory. “Thanks, Leigh. I’ll tell Jace and the others our safari is on.”

  Less than an hour later, Jace Elliott knocked on the door to her suite. She opened it, frowned to vex him, and said, “You don’t waste any time claiming a victory, do you?”

  Jace chuckled and walked inside. He seated himself on a small sofa, leaned back to make himself comfortable, then crossed his legs. “Nope,” he replied. “I didn’t want to give you time for second thoughts. You do have a stubborn streak, woman. You leave me no choice but to force you to chase me.”

  Leigh frowned again, closed the door, and went to lean against the balcony doorjamb. She stared at the grinning man. For once, she wasn’t at a total disadvantage; she knew who he was and that he wouldn’t vanish into the night. He was certainly all male, and he looked enticing in his jungle khakis. His brown hair was win
dblown, and his emerald eyes sparkled with smugness. He looked utterly relaxed for once. But why shouldn’t he be? she mused. He was in his element, and he had won their first battle.

  It seemed to her, Jace’s personality and character had been molded by the terrible events and perilous surroundings of his existence. He was cold, forbidding, and demanding one minute; then, tender, reasonable, and compassionate the next. He was a strong, proud, intelligent man, but he was filled with bitterness and resentment. There was a hint of touching tragedy and an aura of magnetic mystery about him. She knew the reasons for a few of his miseries, but she was positive the man had more secrets. She wondered what he had been like before his troubles.

  Her gaze roamed the contradictory male who sat watching her. He was self-assured, but slightly arrogant on occasion. She liked the fact he wasn’t a quitter, as his daring visit to London had proven, and she was glad he wasn’t self-pitying. She liked his sense of humor, when she wasn’t the butt of it. He radiated fiery sexual prowess, but he hadn’t used his charms cruelly or meaninglessly, at least with her. Yes, she admitted, he had teased, tormented, and tempted her. But, she confessed, he hadn’t taken advantage of her, not yet anyway.

  She decided that Jace Elliott could be as wild and hazardous as the territory in which he lived and worked. He could be as steamy and alluring as the lush jungles he clearly loved. And his knowledge of this land, its people, and survival skills made him a valuable guide.

  Jace was aroused by the way Leigh was studying him. He watched conflicting and changing emotions sail through her seawater eyes. He recalled how she had greeted him last night, and how she had responded to him in the alley and garden. Sunlight flowed into the room and dreamily bathed her in its golden glow. It danced off her tawny locks, caressed her face, and outlined her shapely hips and legs beneath her thin dress. Her eyes seemed so blue, and her lips so inviting. He knew how her mouth tasted, how she felt in his embrace, how her smile affected him, how she smelled. She touched him in ways he hadn’t been touched before. He wanted all of her, and for keeps. In self-defense, he coaxed, “Why don’t you have a seat so we can get on with our business?”

  His words and voice broke the spell over Leigh. Not wanting Jace to think her afraid of him, she went to sit beside the enchanting beast. She looked at him and commented, “At least I’m not in the dark about you anymore. I assume you were in London to gather evidence to prove your innocence. That does explain your odd behavior during our meetings. I could tell you were tense and wary. I found it odd, and disquieting. Did you make any progress?”

  Jace shifted his position to face her. He rested his left arm along the top of the sofa, his fingers near her head. In a pleasant tone, he remarked, “You’re very perceptive, Miss Webster, but I’d rather not discuss my personal troubles today, if you don’t mind.”

  “Certainly not. It really isn’t any of my business, is it? I always feel at ease going into a secluded jungle with a wanted man.”

  “To put your mind at ease, I’m not guilty.” He grinned, then laughed before saying, “Of course that’s what all criminals-on-the-way-to-the-gallows vow, isn’t it?” He laughed again, a rich and mellow sound in the romantic quietness that surrounded them. He waxed serious. “You have no reason to believe me or to trust me, Miss Webster. I’m sure you don’t have a high opinion of me, and that’s understandable, given what you think you know about me and how I’ve behaved to you. First, I want to apologize for my offensive and rude conduct, and my unjust accusations. I’m sure Lord Chadwick Hamilton has painted me midnight black to you, but, honestly, I’m not that bad.”

  His apology and manner were unanticipated, and pleasing to her. She relaxed and smiled. “To the contrary, Mr. Elliott. He says you’re old friends who parted ways years ago, and he doesn’t believe you’re guilty of those charges. True, he doesn’t like you, and I don’t know why, but he doesn’t hate you, either. As for me, I’m grateful that you risked so much to come to my rescue that night in London. Not every man in your perilous situation would have been so brave and unselfish. I honestly hope you work out your problems. But I am curious. Why were you tracking me in London? It was terribly risky to come to Lord Salisbury’s to return my locket. And why did you change your mind about becoming our guide?”

  Jace liked her calling him “brave and unselfish.” He didn’t believe what Chad had told her, but apparently she did. He wondered if Chad—whom Jace was positive still hated him—had told her such lies so she would agree to hire him as their guide. His old friend was resolved to tricking her into marriage before November, when he would lose his control over her. Leigh Webster had also lied to him, at least when she changed her story in the alley and hadn’t given him all of her name. Yet he surmised it was because she had been afraid of him. “You changed it for me, woman,” he answered belatedly. “After witnessing your courage that night in the alley and upon hearing good things about you last night, I am most intrigued by you. I suppose you’re qualified to survive anything I—or the trail—hand out to you. If not, I’ll be the one to profit from it. But,” he hinted, “I’m curious about a few points myself.”

  Leigh. was relieved they were talking cordially rather than quarreling or playing with words. This wasn’t the grim meeting she had anticipated and dreaded. “Such as?” she encouraged.

  “Why did you tell a stranger about this safari, and why didn’t you tell your guardian about our second meeting?” he probed.

  Leigh glanced away for a moment, then returned her gaze to meet his. “Actually, you made me nervous, and a little frightened. I didn’t know who or what you were, and you were popping into and out of my life at random with vows to pursue me. For all I knew, you could have been a kidnapper, or crazy. Since you were behaving so mysteriously, I was trying to discover how news of my lengthy departure would affect whatever plans you had for me. It makes me nervous not knowing people’s motives. I assumed you were simply playing devilish games to spark my interest.”

  She grinned at him and murmured, “Then again, you could have been dangerous. I must admit, I was shocked to see you here. When you started making all those wild accusations, I didn’t know what to think. Believe it or not, Mr. Elliott, but there was and is no plot to ensnare you. Of course, all alleged plotters vow innocence, so it’s up to you to decide if I can be trusted.”

  Jace laughed heartily. He was impressed by her bluntness. “I promise you I’m not dangerous or crazy. Frankly, Miss Webster, I do believe you. But I am having trouble trusting your guardian, with good cause. You didn’t say why didn’t you tell him about that night in the garden?”

  Leigh flushed slightly. She was hoping he would forget that question. “I didn’t want to worry him. If he learned my rescuer was stalking me, it could alarm him. Too, he might think it odd that we had met twice and I still didn’t know your name. After all, that mix-up with the dinner invitation seemed a little incredible. I didn’t want him to think I had made the mistake intentionally to … skip dinner.”

  Jace accepted her explanation, wondering with a smile if she had wanted to miss that dinner. That boded ill for Chase! “One last question before we move to the reason for my being here: Why did you wear that necklace last night?”

  “Necklace?” she echoed, then recalled his reaction. “Why do you ask? It belonged to my grandmother and matched my gown. I inherited it when Grandfather died. Chad passed it on to me.”

  “When?” He asked another question, rather than responding to hers.

  “Yesterday. Why?” she probed again, knowing it had meaning.

  Her honesty and openness pleased him. “It belonged to my mother,” he revealed. “It was her favorite piece, a very rare and unique one. I suppose Webster took it when he took everything else belonging to my family.”

  She didn’t like the sudden chill in his eyes and tone. “That isn’t fair, Jace. They were in business together. When everything went wrong, it must have been part of the financial settlement. It’s beautiful and valuable, but I
’ll return it without payment or questions. I know it must be very special to you. I’ll fetch it now.”

  Before she could rise, Jace stayed her. “Please keep it. It’ll cause trouble with Chad if you hand it over to me.”

  “It’s mine,” Leigh told him, “so I can do as I please with it. Chad is my legal guardian until November, but not my boss, and he doesn’t try to be one. I insist you take back your mother’s necklace.”

  With the hand resting along the sofa top, Jace twirled a tawny lock around his forefinger. “I’m glad he gave it to you rather than to his mother or another woman. Besides, it looks perfect on you. I insist that you keep it as a kindness to me.”

  Leigh settled back on the sofa and relented slightly. “Only if you promise to ask for it back anytime you want it.”

  “No matter if Webster earned it legally and I have no just claim to it?” he pressed. “It is quite valuable and beautiful. Most women wouldn’t be so brave and unselfish,” he said, using her earlier compliment.

  Leigh frowned at his first choice of words. She wondered if there was a reason why Chad had given her the necklace, in this place and at this time. It could have been to provoke Jace into working for them, or perhaps Chad had found it in the safe and didn’t know its history. “I’m not most women, Mr. Elliott. Besides, I have more money than I can spend in five lifetimes. The necklace is an Elliott family heirloom, so rightly it belongs to you. Let’s get one thing straight, Jace. I didn’t know my grandfather well, but I’m sure he wasn’t responsible for your father’s misfortune. It was a failed business deal, nothing more.”

  Jace realized she was now using his first name, and he liked the way it rolled off her tongue. He also noticed that she wasn’t convinced by what she had just told him. That, he found intriguing. He cautioned himself to move slowly and cautiously with her in that area. “Let’s get on to our business, Leigh. What shall we wager?”