Alexandria wasn’t aware that Mrs. Dodson had left the room, and she thought Mr. Landon had fallen asleep since he was so still and his eyes were closed. She walked softly across the room and stood staring out the window. It was hard for her to realize that this was the house were Falcon had lived as a boy. It was even harder to grasp the fact that the sick old man who occupied this room had stolen this house from Falcon and his sister.
Hearing a funny grunting sound, Alexandria spun around and found Mr. Landon watching her. He was motioning to the night stand that stood beside his bed, and she finally realized he must want a drink of water.
Lifting the water pitcher, she poured some of the liquid into a glass and held it to his mouth. Since one side of his face was paralyzed, much of the water spilled out of his mouth and ran onto his nightshirt. Howard Landon watched Alexandria to see what her reaction would be to the spilled water. The other women who had taken care of him had all panicked at this point. He watched as her mouth eased into a smile.
“I will have to be more careful in the future, Mr. Landon. I believe I filled your glass too full,” she said, dabbing at his nightshirt with a white napkin.
Howard felt joy in his heart. She was neither afraid of him nor did she seem to be disgusted by his awkwardness.
“It is a bit stuffy in here, Mr. Landon. I believe I will open the window and let in a breath of fresh air,” she said in a cheerful voice.
Howard’s eyes followed her across the room. Her hips swayed gently as she walked. It felt good having a young girl to look after him instead of the older women who jumped out of their skin every time they came near him. He was glad Alexandria didn’t fear him, and for the first time in many years, he felt almost lighthearted.
Tag removed his hat and tossed it onto the window seat. Sitting down in a chair, he propped his dusty boots on the foot rest. He had ridden to Front Street in the hopes of finding Alexandria there, but he had found no sign of her anywhere. With each passing day he missed her more and more. He was backed against a wall. He couldn’t go to the authorities and ask them to help him find Alexandria, since her stepmother already had them looking for her.
He swore under his breath. Damn it, didn’t she know he would never have betrayed her to her stepmother?
Mrs. Green had handed him a letter when he first entered the room, and he opened it absent-mindedly. Seeing it was an invitation from Claudia to come to tea on the next Thursday, he smiled. That was one invitation he would gladly accept. Time was slipping away, and he hadn’t yet decided what would be the best way to go about seeking his revenge.
Tag stood up and walked into the study with the intention of answering the invitation, but when he passed the double doors that led out into the garden, he walked outside. He remembered how Alexandria had loved tending the garden. He felt a deep ache in his heart, and he knew without a doubt that he loved her. What he felt for her was as different from what he had felt for Morning Song as day from night. Morning Song had been the sweet love of his childhood…Alexandria was the love of his manhood. As deeply as he had felt for Morning Song, he knew it in no way compared with the all-consuming love that raged out of control within his body for Alexandria.
Tag was finding out that there were many different kinds of love. None before had been as deep and lasting as the emotions Alexandria had now awakened in him. What he felt toward her was what Windhawk and Joanna shared—a true, deeply lasting love. Tag shook his head sadly, thinking of Morning Song. He now realized that she had been more of a friend than a lover to him. And he knew in his heart that Morning Song had realized that fact long before he had.
Tag paused on the stone walkway and touched the petal of a red rose that reminded him of Alexandria. He knew if he didn’t find her, he would spend the rest of his life seeking her. He wanted her not only as a woman but as…what?…his wife?
Hearing a rustling in the bushes at the back of the garden, Tag turned around just in time to see the man dressed as a sailor disappear out the back gate. He knew the man had too much of a head start for him to try and overtake him. He thought of what Farley had told him about the man. It was really irritating him now that the stranger seemed to be watching his every move. He decided the time had come to find out who the man was. Surely if he and Farley were to carefully lay a trap for the man, they could catch him.
He turned his footsteps back to the house, thinking that he would answer Claudia’s note.
Alexandria had been working for Howard Landon almost a week. Against her will, she found herself liking the old man. It was hard to associate him with the man she knew he had been in the past. He was kind and considerate to her, and she like doing things for him to make his life a little easier.
One of the first things she had done was to have his bed moved to the window so he could look down on the garden. Today, she had replaced the drab brown curtains at his window with cheery yellow ones that she had made in her spare time, and that seemed to please him. She was learning what foods he liked and had even experimented with new dishes to please him.
Yesterday Alexandria had sent Barlow into town to purchase a wheelchair so she could take Mr. Landon for walks in the garden. She had been appalled to find he never got out in the fresh air. In fact, she was going to talk to him about moving his bedroom downstairs so he would have easier access to the garden.
Alexandria tiptoed across the room and saw that Mr. Landon was sleeping. Not wanting to disturb him, she moved quietly to a chair and sat down waiting for him to wake. The new wheelchair had been delivered today, and if he was feeling up to it, she wanted to take him into the garden.
Alexandria’s eyes traveled up to the mantel to the portrait that hung there. She knew without being told that it was a portrait of Falcon and his family. It was easy to recognize him as the small boy in the painting. She looked at the beautiful young girl with the red-gold hair and knew that it had to be his sister, Joanna. She was puzzled as to why the portrait hung in Mr. Landon’s bedroom and why he insisted she dust it every day. It certainly didn’t seem to her to be the act of a man who hated the James family.
Alexandria’s eyes traced the outline of young Tag’s face. It was easy to see the man in the boy of the picture, even though the boy’s hair had been more of a red-gold when the painting was done, and it was now golden. Although the eyes were now colder, they were still the same deep violet-blue as when the artist had captured the boy’s image.
Alexandria brushed a tear from her cheek and turned away. It was painful for her to gaze upon Tag’s face. It was strange, but since being in this house, she had now begun to think of Falcon as Taggart James. She loved him terribly, but she knew she had been nothing more to him than a slight distraction. It didn’t matter how he felt about her; she would still help him in any way she could.
Seeing that Mr. Landon still slept, she tiptoed out of the room. So far, she hadn’t been able to hear anything that would help Tag, but she intended to keep her ears and eyes open, and to be ever watchful.
When Alexandria reached the hallway, she almost bumped into Mrs. Dodson, who seemed very agitated about something. When Alexandria would have gone around the woman, Mrs. Dodson stopped her.
“Mrs. Landon will be wanting to see you in the sitting room right away. You’d best make haste and not keep her waiting.”
“Do you have any notion what she wants to see me about?” Alexandria asked, dreading the thought of facing Claudia Landon again so soon.
“It’s not for me to ask or you to know,” Mrs. Dodson said, looking down her nose at Alexandria with a superior air. “You will find that you will last longer around here if you answer questions, not ask them.”
Alexandria pushed past the housekeeper and made her way downstairs. She hoped that Claudia wasn’t displeased with her work. If she were to dismiss her, she wouldn’t be able to help Tag.
She found the sitting room door open and entered with her head held high. She saw Claudia standing in front of the window. The room was sti
fling hot and reeked of Claudia’s perfume. Alexandria felt a sense of uneasiness when Claudia turned around with a frown on her face.
“How is my husband feeling today?”
“He seems to be in good spirits and is now resting.”
Claudia motioned for Alexandria to be seated. “Starting today, I want you to report to me each morning about all that happens with my husband during the previous day. I want to know everything that he is thinking and doing. No detail is to be overlooked. Is that clear?”
“I will be glad to report to you how Mr. Landon’s health is each day, but I will never become a snoop and tell you everything that he is doing,” Alexandria said, feeling very indignant that this woman expected her to spy on Mr. Landon and report to her. She saw Claudia’s face flame and knew she had caused her to lose her temper. She would probably be out of a job, but she had no intention of doing what Mrs. Landon asked.
“You forget yourself, young lady!” Claudia said in a harsh voice. “You work for me, and you will do as you are told. Do I make myself clear?”
Alexandria stood up. “I understand you all right, Mrs. Landon. You want me to spy on your husband. It is against my principles to stoop to spying. If that is what you expect out of me, then I am wasting your time and mine!”
Claudia gritted her teeth in anger. This young girl was being insulting, and she didn’t intend to keep her under her roof a moment longer than it would take for her to pack her belongings. Again she thought how much Alexandria reminded her of Joanna.
“How dare you speak to me in such a manner? You forget your place. Go upstairs at once and pack your things—you are leaving this house! I will not have anyone as impertinent as you staying under my roof!”
Out of the corner of her eye, Claudia saw a shadow fall across the open doorway and knew Barlow had been spying on her. She swore under her breath, knowing the man would report everything that had taken place to Howard. She had tried many times to get Barlow to do just what she had asked Alexandria to do, but he had always refused. Now the man was barely civil to her, and she knew Howard would never allow her to be rid of him, though she had tried often enough.
Turning back to Alexandria, her eyes showed her anger. “Well, what are you waiting for? Did I not dismiss you?”
Alexandria looked right into Claudia’s eyes and had the satisfaction of watching the older woman lower her eyes first. “I am going, Mrs. Landon, but I doubt that you will find very many people to work for you who will be willing to do as you asked.”
“Leave this room at once!” Claudia ordered in a loud voice, and the frown that passed over her face seemed to twist her features into distortion.
Without a word, Alexandria swept out of the room, thinking she couldn’t leave soon enough to please herself. On her way upstairs, she brushed against Mrs. Dodson, but didn’t stop to talk to the woman. It wasn’t until she reached her own small room on the third floor that she realized she had spoiled any chance she might have to help Tag. Not only that, she would be out in the cold again with no place to go. She doubted that Claudia would pay her the wages she had earned, and she didn’t have any money. Once again she was faced with the problem of not having a shelter over her head.
She felt miserable as she gathered up her few belongings and neatly tied them into a bundle. Looking about the small room for the first time, she walked to the door. Her hand was on the doorknob when a loud knock startled her. Opening the door, she found Barlow standing in the hallway.
“You are not to leave this house. Mr. Landon wants you to stay,” he said, looking at the bundle she carried in her arms.
“I cannot do as he asks. Mrs. Landon dismissed me,” Alexandria said, thinking this was the first time Barlow had ever spoken directly to her.
Barlow took the bundle from Alexandria and tossed it on the bed. “Mr. Landon says you stay. His wife will not bother you again,” the huge man said, turning away and walking back down the hallway.
Alexandria stared after him in amazement. Closing the door, she sat on the bed. It seemed that she wasn’t unemployed after all. She sighed in relief and began putting away her clothing. She wondered what Claudia would say when she found out her husband had countermanded her orders. Apparently Mr. Landon was satisfied with the work she was doing.
Alexandria knew she had made a powerful enemy in Claudia Landon, and that one day she might very well have to face the consequences!
Claudia was alone in the sitting room, and she paced back and forth. She ranted and raved, and her voice carried as far as the kitchen.
The servants all went about their duties, talking in hushed tones. They had often seen Mrs. Landon in her present state of mind. They had learned that when she was having one of her tantrums, it was better just to leave her alone until the storm blew over.
“How dare Howard belittle me like this?” Claudia raged. “He’s done this to get back at me! I’m his wife, and he shames me before the whole world!”
Claudia’s face was red and her eyes had a wild look. “I will see you pay, Howard. Mark my words, before long that girl will leave this house.” Her voice droned on and on. The servants knew it would be hours before the mistress of the house calmed down.
Chapter Twenty-one
Alexandria was now better able to understand Howard Landon when he spoke to her. Although his speech was garbled, if she listened very carefully she had little trouble understanding what he was trying to convey to her. She was finding out that he had a sense of humor, and one thing he was particularly amused by was the fact that he had countermanded Claudia’s orders to dismiss her. He seemed to delight in anything that would cause Claudia distress.
In some odd way, Alexandria had come to like Mr. Landon. She felt pity for him because of the limited life he lived, confined to his room. It was difficult to associate him with the man who had caused Tag and his sister to flee from their home. How could this sick old man be the monster Falcon had told her about? She couldn’t see him conspiring with Claudia to have Tag and Joanna killed. Tag had to be wrong—Howard Landon just couldn’t be responsible for Morning Song’s death.
She noticed he was unusually jovial this afternoon because Barlow was going to carry him down to the garden, where Alexandria would read to him in the summerhouse. She was anxious to see if Mr. Landon would enjoy a daily outing in the garden. It was almost inhuman the way Claudia had kept him shut up in his bedroom.
As Alexandria patted her hair into place, she looked at her reflection in the cracked mirror that hung on the wall of her bedroom. Her hair had grown longer, she noticed. As she stared into the amber-colored eyes that were reflected in the mirror, she wondered why she had been cursed with such unusual eyes. If only they were a pretty blue…or even a brown. She sighed wistfully. There was nothing she could do about her eye color, or even her appearance, she thought.
Her two gowns were not of a very good quality—they had been washed several times and were beginning to fade. What did it matter about her appearance anyway? She wasn’t going to see anyone of importance in the garden, and besides, she was only a servant in this house. Certainly no one would expect her to dress other than in the sober gowns she wore. Still, there was a part of her that wanted to be presentable. She had been brought up always to look her best.
Alexandria thought of her stepmother and shuddered, wondering what Falcon had told Barbara about her. Shrugging her shoulders, she left her room, glad for the opportunity to be out in the fresh air.
Claudia sat beside Falcon Knight and felt her heart flutter. Never had she been so deeply affected by a man before! She had thought herself in love several times in the past, but those had been puny feelings compared to what she was now experiencing. As she looked into Falcon’s ice-blue eyes, she could feel the tenseness in him, and she wondered if he were feeling the same wild attraction she was experiencing. Claudia realized that Falcon Knight was years younger than she, but that didn’t bother her. Her hungry eyes ran over the breadth of his wide shoulders, taking
in the way his blue coat fit snugly across his chest. His long legs drew her attention next. His gray trousers were molded to his thighs and tucked into a pair of polished back boots. He was everything a man should be, she thought, thinking that she couldn’t wait to invite him into her bed.
Glancing up into his face, she saw that he was watching her closely. Thinking he might be able to read her thoughts, Claudia suddenly felt tongue-tied and searched for something to say to him.
“I…how is Alex, your ward?” she asked, voicing the first thing that popped into her head.
“As boys go, he is a handful,” Tag answered in a cool voice. He felt a strong aversion being so near Claudia. All he could think of at the moment was that it was she who had been responsible for Morning Song’s death.
“How is your husband?” he asked, trying to cover up his dislike of her.
“Poor Howard isn’t good. I feel so sorry for him being confined to his room all the time.”
“I was wondering if it would be possible to meet him?” Tag asked, watching Claudia’s eyes closely.
“I’m sorry, but as I told you before, my husband doesn’t see anyone. This is very difficult for me to say, but poor Howard isn’t quite right in the head.”
“I wasn’t aware that Mr. Landon was suffering from a brain disorder. How long has he been this way?”
Claudia dabbed at her eyes and gave Tag a sad smile. He could tell she was acting the roll of the grieved wife. He knew her too well to believe she had any genuine feeling for his Uncle Howard.
“My husband was stricken just a short time after our wedding. I have lived a very lonely life as the wife of a cripple,” she said suggestively.
“Were you and Mr. Landon married here in Philadelphia?” Tag asked, wondering how far Claudia would take her lie.
Savage Spring Page 21