They rested and relaxed that day following their long trek and several hunts. Music played on the gramophone. Chad and Reid enjoyed chess. Louisa and Cynthia chatted. The servants did chores. Jace cleaned his guns. Leigh read. Johi observed everybody.
It became hotter and steamier as the hours passed. Lunch was over, and the two men were drinking steadily. Sweat bees, flies, and mosquitoes pestered all of them today; and no one wanted to use the smelly repellent Jace offered. The air was still and heavy, and the sky was clear blue. Birds and monkeys chattered in the surrounding trees. Sweet scents of tropical flowers reached their noses. Louisa suggested a swim for the three women. Jace came to alert, and decided to be their guard. The four left camp and headed for the river.
Chad and Reid were at either end of a table, a chess board separating them, in the center of camp, with nothing between them and the tents to use for concealment.
When they began to whisper, Johi could not hear their words or get closer. Jace’s friend was annoyed, but helpless. He did not believe the white girl was tricking his friend and he doubted Jace, too, mistrusted her deep inside. Something strange and perilous was going on, Johi concluded, but Leigh Webster was not to blame. He had studied enough creatures in the wild to know which ones were good and bad. Once Jace cleared his wits, his friend would know that, too. But he would obey Jace’s orders no matter what they were.
“You said you would explain things, Chad. What’s going on? Why did you kick Louisa out? And why isn’t she mad?”
Chad looked at Reid. His brown hair was mussed, he hadn’t shaved in two days, and his grayish-brown eyes were narrower than usual. His friend looked worried and puzzled. “Relax, Reid, old chap. Everything is fine. It’s a good thing I haven’t killed her yet, because I was wrong about Leigh. You were wrong about her, and Louisa was wrong. There’s nothing between Leigh and Jace, nothing. She’s considering my marriage proposal; that’s why I had to dupe Louisa and get her away from me. It’s a damn good, thing those drugs didn’t harm her. Of course they were not intended to kill her, only to make her sick enough to be taken home. I don’t know if any of her accidents have been either Louisa or Jace’s doings, but I’ll make certain nothing else happens to my future bride.”
“What are you telling me, Chad?”
Chad revealed what Louisa, Jace, and Leigh had told him. “It’s a mighty big puzzle, but I figured it out. All the pieces fit, Reid. I haven’t lost her or the bet, but Louisa and Jace wanted me to think I had. That sly traitor is damned lucky. I’m going to forget about my revenge on him. I’m not taking a chance of messing things up again. There’s no way Jace can bind me to those crimes in London, so he’s no threat anymore. As for that trouble years ago, hell, he might be telling the truth about trying to save me. I’ll be generous and give him the benefit of doubt. If I keep things stirred up between us, I’ll never be free of him. I’m going to let my whole past die, and begin a new life with my ravishing ward.”
“You’re talking crazy, Chad. She has you so charmed you’re not thinking clearly. You’ll lose them both … everything.”
“Leigh Webster is going to marry me; I’m sure of it. Check,” Chad said with the gleam of two impending victories in his blue eyes, putting Reid’s king under attack with a white knight. “Take your next move wisely, old boy, or this match is mine, too.”
As Reid Adams pretended to consider which ebony piece to move on the chessboard, his mind was troubled by Chad’s swings in mood and behavior, which could get them both into trouble. And Reid didn’t want to be incriminated in this lethal affair. He was angry with Chad for succumbing to Leigh’s charms and altering the plot, not once, but twice. That was hazardous, as Jace and Leigh might already be suspicious of them. A smart man—which Chad usually was—should recognize the perils of being indecisive and emotionally distracted, but the besotted man was irrational these days. It would serve Chad right, Reid fumed, if Leigh coldly rejected him and surrendered to Jace Elliott. Chad had become a lovesick fool.
As Reid moved a castle on the chessboard to take Chad’s knight and to defend his king, he reasoned, “What if she’s lying? How do you know Leigh and Jace aren’t on to your plot and duping you?”
“They couldn’t be. I got rid of the drug, so there’s no evidence. If Jace suspects anybody, it’s Louisa, or Leigh. If I’m wrong, I have a pawn and plan in reserve. Checkmate, old boy,” Chad remarked, placing a queen within striking distance of Reid’s king, adding to the threat by one of Chad’s bishops whose path had been cleared by the same move. The grinning champion hinted, “Another game?”
“No, thanks. Let’s take a walk and loosen these stiff bodies. Do us both a favor, though. Keep a tight and clear eye on them.”
While Louisa and Cynthia were in the bushes being “excused,” Leigh was lying on her stomach on the grassy bank. She trailed her fingers on the surface and pondered the men in her life. A quote by Lucretius came to mind: “It is more useful to watch a man in times of peril … to discern what kind of man he is; for then at last words of truth are drawn from the depths of his heart, and the mask is torn off.” She was doing exactly that.
Leigh’s clothes and hair were almost dry. Yet it was so hot and humid that perspiration glistened on her body again. She wriggled forward and splashed cool water on her flushed face.
Jace bounded from beneath the surface, seized her, and pulled her into his slippery arms. She didn’t have time to scream before he covered her mouth with a soul-blistering kiss. When he released her, he teased, “I still owe you plenty, so don’t forget the count.”
Leigh was aching for peace and truth, but he was being devilish. “Damn you, Jace Elliott, I hate your little tricks.”
Jace smiled and chuckled. “Temper, temper, my tawny lioness,” he taunted. “Retract those claws and get that kill glint out of those lovely blue eyes. I was only teaching you a lesson. You had your eyes closed. What if I had been a man-eating croc? By now you would have lost your head and your life. He can snap it off with one crunch. What a tasty meal you’d make for any creature, including this one. I can hardly wait for my feast to begin.”
Leigh perceived something different about Jace, and it alarmed her. His smile was feigned. His kiss had been almost punishing. A curious glint was in his jungle-green gaze, a mysterious and predatory one. She studied him as he watched her. His jawline was taut, as if his teeth were clenched, as if he was keeping a demon imprisoned behind those white bars. His grasp had been tight and rough. He was pretending to be playful and seductive, but he was making an intimidating point. To draw him out, she remarked, “I believe you’re supposed to be on guard against all perils, Mr. Elliott, including my notorious guide. I’m not in the mood for rogues and games. Just keep away from me, as you promised last night.”
As they heard Louisa and Cynthia returning, Jace grinned and said, “Fine, for now. Later, never.” He swam away with long and graceful strokes.
Leigh forced her eyes to leave the enticing sight. What are you up to, Mr. Jace Elliott? she fretted.
Louisa called out, “You two having fun?”
Jace yelled back, “It’s wonderful, Red. Come on in.”
Cynthia and Louisa glancedat each other, giggled, and swam to him. The three began to frolic, laugh, and talk. And flirt with each other. Jace did not summon Leigh or look her way.
Leigh was riled by Jace’s actions. She was also upset by what Chad had exposed to her. She couldn’t get the two secret wagers off her mind. Jace was winning theirs, if she honored their deal. He had won part of his and Chad’s: fifteen thousand pounds for spending three times in her tent. Twenty, if that night in Mombasa counted as part of the safari, as Jace had already been hired and contracted by that night. Would Jace demand payment for those romantic moments? Would Chad pay the fifteen or twenty thousand for her seduction as agreed? What would Chad do when Jace revealed that shocking debt to her guardian? Leigh didn’t even want to imagine that distressing event. One point was odd: If Jace was willing t
o bet marriage to her with Chad, why had he refused wedlock in their wager when she proposed it? What was Jace’s motive and plan?
Chad and Reid arrived. Reid stripped off his boots and shirt, and went for a swim. Chad sat down beside Leigh.
“Having a good time?” he asked, sending her a blazing smile. He noticed how her soaked shirt and pants clung to her shapely body. A camisole, alas, protected her breasts from visual attack. He watched her squeeze water from her golden hair, his loins burning for her.
She nodded toward the merry scene in the river and jested, “Perhaps you should warn our hired hand to behave himself, bossman. Some bulls can’t be trusted around cows, even with fences around them. He’s after the entire herd, flirting with all of us. Actually, I think he’s trying to make me jealous.”
“Is it working?” Chad teased, then winked.
Leigh used a sultry smile on him before she quipped, “What do you think, my handsome guardian? Louisa and Cynthia might be in danger of capture and branding, but I’m wary of that fierce jungle predator. He’s as cunning and clever as a wolf on the prowl, and I don’t want to be ripped apart. Jace Elliott isn’t trustworthy.”
Cynthia took Louisa’s hint and swam to Reid.
Louisa grasped Jace’s shoulders and scoffed, “Look at those two. Chad’s twelve years older than Leigh. She’s nothing more than an innocent girl. What does he see in her, besides money?”
“She’s rich, beautiful, desirable, charming, witty, educated, seductive, sweet, innocent, good company, well-mannered, enchan—”
“Stop! That’s enough,” Louisa wailed, placing her wet fingers over Jace’s grinning lips. She snuggled her body against his. “I’m all those things and more, Jace. When are you going to give me a chance to prove it? Everyone’s busy. We could take a walk in the jungle. I promise, within ten minutes, you’ll forget she exists.”
Leigh realized that her guardian never removed his shirt, not even while swimming or on a hot day around camp. She wondered if that action was to conceal a disfigurement. “Why don’t we return to camp and you challenge me to a game of chess?” she asked Chad. “Perhaps with a little wager?”
Chad leapt to his feet. His hand extended to assist Leigh to hers. With his arm around her waist, they disappeared from sight.
“Despite your many charms and talents, Miss Jennings,” Jace told the redhead, “the answer is still no. I have my eye on Leigh, for lots of reasons. If I played around with you, I’d be no more appealing to her than Chad is with you locked around his neck. Thanks, but sorry.” Jace disengaged the woman’s arms and swam to the bank. “Take over as guard, Reid. I’m heading for camp and a stiff drink.” He left.
“What’s wrong with you, Reid,” Cynthia asked. “You’ve been a bore, and an old man in bed.”
“I’m worried about Chad. He’s determined to win Leigh, and I doubt he can succeed. If he does …”
“You mean he’s lying to Louisa? He isn’t going to marry her?”
“Where are your wits, woman? What do you think?” Reid hinted.
Leigh wondered if Jace would come running to prevent what he surely suspected from her provocative behavior with Chad at the river, and how soon? She hoped it was fast, because she allowed Chad to kiss her before reaching camp. She needed to let Chad believe he had her duped. She must observe both men during these perilous times, discover the truth and secrets in their deepest hearts, and remove their rivalry masks. She had to learn what they wanted from her. As soon as possible, she needed to escape both deceitful men, but until she did, she must find ways to delude and control both of them.
The kiss was pleasant, but Chad was a master at seduction. When it ended, she smiled at him and said, “Let’s begin our game before the others catch us. Perhaps a second kiss is a good wager.”
Chad beamed. “That’s fine, my beautiful ward, but I’d prefer marriage as an incentive, or even a betrothal.”
“You’re much too eager and disarming, Chad. You do have a reputation as quite a womanizer. I wouldn’t be just another conquest, would I?” she jested, caressing his passion-flushed cheek.
“You’re the only woman I’ve met of any importance and value. I would do anything to win you, Leigh.”
“Anything?” she echoed, and laughed as if pleased.
“Name it, my love,” he coaxed. “I’ll be your slave for life.”
“I’ll have to give it serious thought. Let’s go.”
Jace witnessed the kiss, and Leigh’s enticing manner. Something didn’t seem right in her voice and behavior today. At the river he had seen such pain, such mistrust, such yearning in her gaze. Why? Her own words had exposed her as a liar and a cheat, but … But what? he agonized. It was almost as if she had been turned against him. Yet, if Chad had told her lies, why didn’t she confront him and give him a chance to defend himself as he had with Louisa and Ka’arta? The words he had overheard the other day from behind the bush plagued him. Jace hated to imagine that Leigh knew that her grandfather was behind his troubles and had held silent to protect William Webster. But, he asked himself, what else could she have meant?
Jace grimaced. He despised the fact she had a powerful secret with his rival and was so close to Chad. He suddenly realized he had thought of Chad as his rival, not enemy. He knew why. His war with Chad no longer mattered if it cost him Leigh, or the woman he had thought she was. Johi was on her side, and the African’s instincts had never been wrong. Too, rarely had his own led him astray, and his whole being shouted she was innocent or being coerced. If so, why didn’t she seek his help? Perhaps for the same reason Joanna hadn’t when Chad had entrapped her. Jace knew he must uncover both Leigh and Joanna’s reasons. The truth, he scoffed. Why was it always so hard to find? This tormenting matter had to be settled soon, or he’d go crazy.
Leigh won her chess game with Chad, as her father had taught her well, and her uncle Colin had practiced for hours with her. She glanced at him, shrugged, and smiled. Chad then fetched a drink. She was suddenly aware of Jace’s close proximity and potent gaze, and the untypical Scotch in his grasp. She dared not look his way, as that green gaze could be her undoing. She had to conceal her warring emotions from everyone. In a few days, she would find a way to get him alone, then force the truth from him.
Dinner was served using items brought from London: china, crystal, silverware, and a tablecloth from one of the Webster mills. While they dined, the gramophone sent forth strains of Gilbert and Sullivan’s Ruddigore and Strauss’s The Gypsy Baron. The conversation was light, mostly about past and future hunts. They were served a combination of British and African dishes. Roasted meat was topped with piri piri, a sauce of chopped chilis, grated coconut, and dried coriander. With it, they devoured yams and chapatis, a thick and large skillet bread. To drink, the servant poured cups of chai masala, a tea flavored with sweet spices, cardamom, and pepper to give a palate-tingling finish to the Swahili meal. For dessert, they enjoyed a mixture of tropical fruits sprinkled with a variety of spices and nuts.
Leigh fingered the fine linen tablecloth as she reflected on her grandfather and the business he had left to her. She was convinced Chad was honest about his affections, but she feared that her inheritance had inspired them. No matter if he swore she was the most important thing to him, she did not believe him. Perhaps he was so caught up in his desperate deception that he believed his own lie.
Where Jace Elliott was concerned, she was at a total loss. She was positive her love did not know about the curious codicil. She suspected that Jace had made the bet with Chad to give him justification for taking Chad’s offer, as he had implied in her Mombasa suite. But why hadn’t he explained the shocking matter after they became so close? Several times Jace had said he would tell her everything later. Was the secret wager part of what he planned to divulge? He had said that, if he revealed everything, she would turn against him. Surely he had believed Chad would never expose such information for the same reason. Perhaps Chad had done so to obtain an advantage.
Everything was so mixed up. And, she felt, there was a missing clue to this riddle. There must be more between the two men than either had related. That clue held their real motives.
Jace hadn’t needed Chad’s wager to win her. She was entrapped by her own emotions and desires, by her surrender and her wager. Even after making that offensive bargain with Chad, Jace had given her several opportunities to refuse the safari. Yes, she reasoned, Jace had practically pushed her away by making outrageous demands. She had persisted with the trek, his employment, and their bet. Jace had held silent to Chad about his two victories, despite her behavior of late. That realization warned her to be careful how she treated him.
“You’re awfully quiet tonight, Leigh,” the man in mind teased.
Leigh glanced at him and murmured, “I’m pleasantly fatigued, Jace. That swim, the heat, and this wonderful dinner have me relaxed. While I’m feeling so mellow, I think I’ll turn in. Good night, all.”
“Good-night, Leigh,” said her guardian, and watched her leave.
“I think I’ll follow Leigh’s example,” Reid told them, and headed for the tent he now shared with Chad.
Louisa and Cynthia left the table, too, to talk inside their tent.
Chad looked at Jace. “It’s you and me, just like old times. Care for a hand of cards and a drink? I don’t cheat anymore.”
“Is that a fact?” Jace taunted as he observed Chad’s genial smile and mood. It troubled Jace that his rival was actually trying to make peace and to win Leigh. Perhaps Leigh was accurate in her speculation that Chad had changed since their last conflict. If so, it was that tawny lioness’s influence on the wicked beast. Time would tell. “Maybe tomorrow night. We should get some rest. We need our wits alert. Dulled senses get a man into trouble.”
Whispered Kisses Page 33