Savage Deception (Liberty's Ladies)

by Lynette Vinet

  “No, you’re not mistaken.” Tanner took a seat in a chair covered in a rose print and stretched out his long legs until the toes of his highly polished boots were almost in contact with the hem of her gown. “David Richmond is going to hang within two days’ time. That’s why I was unable to speak to you last night. I was with Lord Rawdon, trying to arrange for his release.”

  “And did you?” Diana now knew that Tanner had written the note, and if he had been with Rawdon, then he must be one of the very few people who had any influence with the man. Her hopes rose. Maybe Tanner was the answer to Anne’s prayers.

  “Yes and no. Yes, I can arrange for Richmond’s release. Today, in fact. But I won’t unless you can promise me that I’ll be repaid.”

  “Money? You want money?” Diana was incredulous. Tanner wanted payment to release David from prison when he had all of this? She gazed around the room then shot blue fire in his direction. “I don’t have any money and neither does Anne! You’re an awful man, a horrible person… .”

  “I didn’t say money, but I do want payment. I’ve learned never to do anything unless there’s something to be gained from it, otherwise, the consequences might be too much to bear.” Watching her, his frown deepened until he shook himself and rose to refresh his drink. “You must realize by now, Diana, that I didn’t go to all of this trouble to get you here just so I could tell you that I can arrange Richmond’s release.”

  A shiver of apprehension slid down her back. “What do you want then?”

  A nonchalant smile appeared on his face. “I promise that Richmond and his family will be taken to safety away from Charlestown this very afternoon, but only if you agree to one condition.”

  “What condition?”

  Tanner smirked and swirled the liquid in his glass without taking his gaze from her. “You’ll probably balk when I tell you, but I think that once you see the value of the situation, you’ll believe it’s for the best. Richmond will be released today, and your sister and her children taken to safety, only if you agree to marry me.”

  The blood drained from Diana’s face. She felt cold, horribly cold. Tanner couldn’t mean to force her to marry him as a way of saving David. It was blackmail, she knew that. But why would Tanner insist she marry him to help David? He didn’t love her, had never loved her even when he spoke the words that night on the bluff. He’d lied to her to gain his vengeance on Kingsley and Harlan. Was he lying now? But why? Apparently he owned the Sheridan townhouse and must be a very wealthy man, so what could he hope to gain from marrying her, a nearly penniless widow, when he appeared to have so very much? Then the answer came to her in a flash. Tanner wanted something of hers; he wanted Briarhaven.

  Heat shot back into her body with the force of an arrow. Her cheeks grew warm and her eyes gleamed like sapphires, in the sunshine. Her anger rose to think of how truly despicable he was to blackmail her like this.

  Diana stood up and clasped her trembling hands in front of her. “I won’t marry you.”

  “Why not?”

  “I don’t believe anything you’ve told me. I doubt you can free David at all. I know what you want, Tanner, and I’m not going to let you have it.”

  Tanner placed his drink on the sideboard and came to stand in front of her. She felt dwarfed by his height, the broadness of his physique, and the very strength contained within his body. But she refused to be intimidated by him and stared up at him in defiance even when he was so close to her she could smell the brandy on his breath.

  “I doubt you know what I want at all.” His soft whisper fanned a wispy tendril at her ear that had escaped the knot. A shiver slipped through her when he suddenly touched her hair and gently coaxed the stray lock into place. She couldn’t deny that his fingers felt warm upon her earlobe or deny that a sudden longing swept through her. Tanner’s face was so near, his sensuous and mesmerizing lips were scant inches from her own. Her eyes were unwillingly trained upon his mouth, unable to draw back as an invisible force seemed to be pulling her toward him, and once again she was waiting for something as she had on that long ago night. Waiting. Waiting …

  “He wanted to have his way with you!” Kingsley’s voice from the misty past of her wedding night harshly intruded into her thoughts. “Tanner hates all of the Sheridans; he hates you, too—”

  “No!” came Diana’s protest. At first she had no idea she’d spoken aloud until she realized that Tanner had drawn himself up sharply and was watching her with a mixture of anger and something that hinted strongly of repulsion. She knew then that he didn’t desire her for herself, that he’d meant his earlier comment about her appearance. He really did want Briarhaven and would go to any lengths to claim it, even by marrying a woman he clearly didn’t desire.

  He still must hate his family, and her, to use her so shabbily to achieve his goal. A lump formed in her throat, but she swallowed it down, vowing not to cry like a silly goose in front of Tanner.

  “You’re lying about David. I don’t believe he’s going to be hanged at all. What you want is Briarhaven, and I won’t allow you to have it or to hurt your father again.”

  “Or besmirch my dead brother’s memory either,” he put in and sneered.

  Diana flinched, saying nothing. In fact there was nothing but awful things to say about Kingsley, so she refrained from even mentioning him. “Then you admit you do want Briarhaven.”

  “I admit nothing, but this says a great deal.” Tanner took a piece of paper from his jacket pocket and handed it to her. Diana glanced at it, seeing three names upon it. David’s name was second. “That list is the execution schedule, Diana. The first fellow is going to be hanged tomorrow, and Richmond the following day. You can say anything you like to me. You can refuse my marriage proposal, but Richmond will die if you don’t agree.”

  “Your marriage proposal is blackmail and you know it! I don’t know whether to believe you.” Her eyes implored him, but Tanner’s face was inscrutable, expressing no emotions. The choice of saving David was up to her. Her head swam with the implications. If she refused, David could die. She still wasn’t at all certain that Tanner wielded enough power to free David, but the very fact that he’d arranged for her safe passage to Charlestown and was evidently in close communication with Rawdon dispelled some of her doubts. But marriage to Tanner was something else again.

  Would he demand his husbandly rights? Would he hurt her like Kingsley had done? But of course he would. A wife must endure her husband’s animal lust, and somehow she knew that Tanner would be more ferocious and possessive in bed than Kingsley. Yet hadn’t Tanner asked only that she agree to marry him? Once she gave him her word and David had been freed, then she would have done what was asked of her. Somehow she’d hedge on marrying him — that was all she need do. Tanner only wanted her word, and when the Richmond family was safe she’d break it.

  “I agree to marry you,” Diana told him.

  Tanner quirked an eyebrow, but he smiled and took the paper from her, replacing it in his pocket. “Such a ready acceptance makes my head spin. But you’ve done a wise thing, my dear. Now I suggest you fetch your cloak and let’s progress to the next stage of our relationship, because time is of the essence in this case.”

  “What … do you mean?”

  “Why our wedding, of course, Diana. Curtis has brought round the carriage for our ride to St. Phillip’s where the minister is waiting to perform the ceremony this morning. I knew you’d agree so I made the necessary arrangements in advance.”

  “But … but … you said only that I agree to marry you.”

  “And so you have, my love, but if you want Richmond and his family safe, then you will marry me today.”

  “That wasn’t what we agreed upon!” she stated hotly, standing with arms akimbo. “I want some proof that David and my sister and the children are safe.”

  “I promise you shall have it soon enough, but do hurry, Diana.” He glanced at his pocket watch. “Not many hours are left until the execution; even as you s
tand here dawdling and arguing about semantics the scaffold is being readied for your brother-in-law.”

  Tanner’s threat was obvious. Diana knew she was beaten for the moment and sent Tanner a baleful look. Once she was in the carriage for the ride to the church she didn’t so much as look in Tanner’s direction, but she was aware of his large frame filling the small confines of the carriage, acutely aware of his masculine scent, which seemed to curl her very toes. He in turn watched her like a large hawk with its prey, unnerving her to such an extent that she trembled. However, it was not until he took her arm to lead her into the reverend’s study and a not unpleasant jolt of attraction surged through her that she finally focused fully upon him.

  “I shall always hate you for this,” she confessed.

  “I know that.”

  And that was all Tanner said to her until he repeated his vows.

  ~

  Diana stood on the piazza of the townhouse that overlooked the crashing waves of the Atlantic. The purplish haze of dusk descended like a gossamer counterpane, and overhead a thin sliver of a moon broke through a cloud. Soon it would be dark and still she waited, as she’d waited in the cold since the minute she’d arrived from the church earlier that day. She felt unable to wait inside, felt that the warmth of the townhouse wasn’t truly hers to enjoy, not until she knew with no uncertainty that David was free and reunited with Anne and the children.

  A flash of gold on the third finger of her left hand caught her attention. Tanner’s ring to her, a tangible reminder that she was his wife now, binding her to him forever and always. She wanted to cry.

  The gentle creak of the french door behind her announced Tanner’s presence on the piazza. He held a riding crop in his hand, a clear indication that the reason she hadn’t seen him the last few hours was that he’d taken a ride. The wind ruffled the ebony strands of his hair and caused him to appear much younger than he was. “Supper is waiting,” he informed her.

  “I can’t eat until I see them.”

  “You must be the most stubborn woman I’ve ever known. I told you earlier that Curtis was helping Anne pack before David was released. Cammie told me you’ve been out here all afternoon when you could have been inside, warm and with a full stomach. And by the way, you need some fattening up. Why can’t you be sensible?” He tapped the riding crop against the palm of his hand and Diana flinched, reminded of Kingsley and his assault upon her.

  “I’m not a slave or a servant and not under your or any other man’s dominion. I won’t have you dictate to me!”

  “I fail to see where common sense should be regarded as dictatorial.”

  Diana turned and looked at him, not missing a feature on his face. Tanner had changed a great deal over the past seven years, and not just physically. Something in his bearing and attitude was different. He was no longer the simple man she remembered. His speech was greatly improved, and though he’d appeared confident at Briarhaven when he oversaw the slaves, he now reeked of self-assurance. She saw that his clothes were expensive, fashioned in the latest style, not foppish looking but extremely manly. She couldn’t remember meeting a more handsome man, and she knew that any other woman would have willingly melted if he’d smiled at her. But the smiles he’d bestowed upon Diana that day contained little warmth. The hard, angled lines that made up his face never softened, and his eyes never once expressed any tenderness for her.

  But why, she asked herself, did she need to experience tenderness from Tanner? The man had tried to use her years ago and now finally he’d succeeded. Still, Tanner intrigued her more at this moment than he had at Briarhaven.

  “Are you deciding if you like what you see?” he asked, half sitting on the white balustrade.

  Diana flushed, aware that she must have been examining him too closely. She fingered the tassel on her cloak. “I was thinking about how much you’ve changed. You must admit that you’re quite different now.”

  Tanner inclined his head. “Maybe.”

  “Well, you are. Tell me, how did you become so wealthy?”

  “What makes you think I’m wealthy?”

  “Your clothes and the townhouse, of course. A poor man couldn’t afford such things. But what interests me is how you made your money and how you are close enough to Lord Rawdon that you can arrange David’s release from the hangman’s noose — that is, if you can do what you said,” she reminded him.

  For a split second, Tanner looked quite uncomfortable. He glanced down at the garden and then shrugged when he turned his attention back to her. “Since leaving Briarhaven, I’ve not been idle, Diana. I’ve worked hard and made a number of investments that have paid off handsomely.”

  “What sort of work and investments?”

  “You are a curious kitten, but what I’ve done isn’t your concern. Just know that I have plenty of funds to keep you in the grand style to which Kingsley allowed you to become accustomed.”

  Goodness! Tanner made it seem as if she were a fortune huntress who’d married him for his wealth. How dare he imply such a horrible thing when he damned well knew why she agreed to marry him. “Your money isn’t my…”

  “There’s Curtis,” Tanner broke into her sentence and pointed as a plain dark carriage stopped on the opposite side of the street, allowing them a clear vantage point from their elevated position.

  In the fading twilight, Diana watched while Curtis went to the door and opened it. He spoke to the occupants, and when David and Anne emerged, followed by the three children, something tugged at Diana’s heartstrings. They looked rather confused, but all of them were safe.

  “I must speak to them,” she told Tanner, and turned to run through the french doors. Tanner stalled her with a strong hand on her waist.

  “Our agreement was that you see they’re safe, not that you speak to them.”

  “But I have to talk with Anne—”

  “No.”

  “Tanner, please!”

  “No.”

  Before Diana could say anything else, Tanner whistled and Curtis ushered the Richmonds into the carriage and then they were off. The steady clip-clopping of the horses’ hooves over the cobblestones was a clear indication that her family was gone. She had no one now. No one but Tanner.

  Tears burned her eyes and abject misery shrouded her features when she shrugged off his hold of her. “You’re a cruel man, Tanner Sheridan. Anne must wonder about me.”

  “Anne knows you’re safe.” His voice sounded as controlled as he looked. Not a flicker of an eyelash betrayed the fact that he might feel remorse for not allowing her to bid her sister farewell. “Curtis is transporting them to safety tonight. You need not worry about them any longer. I promise you that no harm shall befall them.”

  What could she say to that? Tanner had kept his word and had David released from prison, there was no reason not to trust him further. Yet she was alone now, very much alone and at Tanner’s mercy. Frustration and anger warred within her, her eyes shooting sparks of fire. “I intend to hold you to that promise, Tanner.”

  “I have no intention of breaking it.”

  “Good. I hope you don’t since I’ve lived up to our agreement by marrying you.” Diana struggled with the need to berate him but gave up, knowing it wouldn’t do any good. “I’m suddenly very tired. Tell Cammie I won’t be eating, that I’d appreciate some help in undressing for bed.”

  Diana swished through the doorway that opened into the bedroom from the piazza. She thought she had closed the doors, but when she began to take off her cloak she found that Tanner was standing inside the room, shutting the door quietly behind him.

  “I told you to get Cammie for me.”

  “Cammie’s gone for the evening. I dismissed her.”

  She was more alone than she thought. “Then I shall undress myself. Good night, Tanner.”

  Shrugging off her cloak, Diana turned away from him. Her cold fingers began to fiddle clumsily with the hooks on the back of her gown, but she stopped when she sensed that Tanner was stil
l in the room and watching her.

  “I’d appreciate some privacy,” she told him archly.

  “Fine, Diana, but are you prepared to sleep in your dress? It’s plain to see that Hattie still helps you disrobe.”

  His comment made her feel helpless and useless. “Certainly Hattie helps me to undress. These hooks are quite difficult to manage on one’s own, but I’ll manage… .”

  “Here, let me see.” Tanner strode forward and threw the riding crop on the bed. He reached out to touch her but Diana pushed his hands away.

  “Don’t you dare touch me!”

  “I was going to help you unfasten your gown.”

  “I can do it myself,” she insisted. “I wish you a good night, just leave me alone.”

  Tanner drew himself up to his full height of six feet, standing stiffly before her. “This is my room. I have no wish to leave it, and may I remind you that we are married, so you’d better stop being so modest with me. I can assure you that as my wife there will be many instances when I will see you without clothes. So you might as well get out of that hideous garment and come to bed.”

  Diana watched in dread and embarrassment as Tanner took off his jacket and proceeded to unbutton his shirt. He couldn’t mean to demand his husbandly rights tonight. No, not tonight. Not ever as far as she was concerned. She’d married him so the bounder would help her family, and in turn he would claim Briarhaven through her. Well, she’d done everything he wanted, but she’d never be a true wife to him. She’d rather die first than live through such humiliation and pain again.

  “What are you waiting for?” he asked when he saw that she didn’t move.

  “I won’t … let you touch me.”

  Tanner stood there with his shirt unbuttoned, startled into inactivity by her words. The taut skin on his hard, muscled chest gleamed a deep umber in the candlelight. Diana didn’t miss the way his ebony gaze raked over her like hot coals burning her very flesh. “You’re my wife,” he reminded her. “I have the right.”