Golden Torment

by Janelle Taylor

  Landis came over to Kathy. In a deceptively mellow voice, he whispered, “Seems you’ve made quite a few conquests while I was gone. I also hear you have your own cabin now. Been a busy four weeks, hasn’t it?” All guilt and remorse had instantly fled his angry mind while witnessing her behavior with Jack. He hadn’t expected to find her so carefree and independent. He dreaded her new courage and strength. She had been easier to manage before. Maybe she had forgotten she belonged to him; perhaps he should remind her!

  Harriet sensed the mounting jealousy and fury in Landis and cunningly asked Kathy to fetch some firewood to permit them privacy, knowing Landis would go after her. The other men were still standing around the entrance, laughing and talking, waiting for supper which was half an hour away. Having given his character a great deal of thought, Harriet inwardly winced as her foolish friend unknowingly challenged this valiant figure.

  Kathy left to perform her chore, as if Landis hadn’t even spoken. Yet, she was reflecting on her complex relationship with him.

  He halted her task at the woodpile. “I was talking to you, Kathy,” he snapped angrily, gritting the words out between clenched teeth, low enough to prevent being overheard. These past weeks of separation and denial had given him plenty of time to think and to worry. He had not expected this chilly reception! So much for an apology! So much for extracting her from trouble’s mouth.

  She scoffed, “Then save your energy, Jurrell. I was stupid to marry you for any reason. I want out. I don’t need your devious help anymore.” Just to test his reaction, she nonchalantly said, “Oh, yes, Sergeant Thomas said to tell you he’s expecting to see you very soon.” From the corner of her hooded eyes, she observed him intently.

  Before he could conceal it, a look of astonishment claimed his face. “Why would he tell you that?” he demanded.

  “I think he said something about not settling an issue on your recent visit. How would I know? We were discussing my father, the one you were supposedly looking for these past weeks. Sergeant Thomas’s words revealed he didn’t know him or anything about him, but I think he does. I thought your Mounties were noted for honesty and assistance. He even pretended to be shocked at the news of our blissful wedlock.”

  “I’m sure he was stunned; I didn’t tell him the good news. Since our little union won’t last long, I was trying to contain it here. Your imagination is running away, Kat. Mounties never lie. They might color or conceal the facts sometimes, but never lie without cause. Did Bill Thomas give you any other messages for me?” he asked, his voice strained and his eyes impenetrable. Why had she visited Log Cabin? Worse, why had Bill played dumb! He shouldn’t have travelled the Chilkat Pass, since Log Cabin was on the White. At least he would have been given some warning of her actions.

  “When did you last see Bill?” she fenced with him, pretending to calm down and chat casually. “You’ve been gone an awfully long time.”

  “Why?” he warily insisted, tense and alert. “Afraid I had abandoned you? Did you miss me?” he huskily entreated.

  “I’ll tell you after you answer me,” she parried, smiling provocatively at him. For some curious reason, she calmly rolled up the sleeves on his flannel shirt, disarming him with her mellow mood and enticing attention, her touch and nearness enflaming him.

  “I took some reports over for Moore that day after we…got married,” he wisely changed his statement, sounding as if he had been counting time by that particular day. “Why?” he insisted.

  “When will you be going back to Log Cabin?” she asked.

  “Why this sudden interest in me and my travels?” he asked, keen senses alive. To trick her into blurting out clues, he teased seductively, “You planning on hotly pursuing me into the wilds? Might be dangerous to get caught alone out there with the likes of me.”

  Dropping her pretense, Kathy snipped, “Why did Thomas act as if he didn’t know who I was, since you two discussed me? He said he hadn’t seen you in months and wouldn’t be seeing you soon. Methinks he can’t be trusted,” she stated flippantly. “As for you, Jurrell, I don’t trust you either.”

  “You’re contradicting yourself, Kat. Did Bill say he wanted to see me, or he hadn’t seen me?” he refuted her baffling statements. How could she know they had discussed her in great detail? What had Bill said to her? Something had her angry and edgy. Then again, he should have told Bill about this drastic change in their tactics…

  “I must be exhausted, Landis. I can’t recall clearly what he did say, except he didn’t want to talk about you. He seemed quite annoyed and distressed when I mentioned us. Actually, he became quite defensive and brusque when I asked where to locate you. I definitely didn’t like him at all.” She returned to her work.

  “What are you up to, Kat? Why did you sneak off to Log Cabin? Why did you want to find me? After the last time we saw each other, I presumed you didn’t want to see me until I located Jake Hammond.”

  Without even glancing his way, she murmured, “I don’t. I realized you’re not even trying to help me. I guess I’ll have to do it myself.”

  “And how do you plan to accomplish that wild scheme?” he sarcastically sneered. “As to your charges, I’ve been working on your problem for weeks, for all the thanks I get.”

  “Then why didn’t you ask this Thomas about him?”

  “Haven’t you stopped to consider that might endanger his life? It’s clear he’s using another name, if he’s around these parts. That means, my golden Kat, he might have reason to steer clear of Mounties. I wanted to see what I could learn on my own before I involved them. Understand? If your father’s in trouble or danger, the Mounties will be awfully interested in you, and in your husband.”

  To wipe the triumphant grin off his sensual lips, she smiled sweetly and remarked, “Then don’t keep me in the dark all the time.”

  He chuckled and murmured, “I’d like to keep you in the dark most of the time. How long have you known London?” he demanded.

  “That’s none of your business,” she asserted indignantly.

  “When my wife greets another man more warmly than me, it damn well is my business,” he snarled. “Only we know it’s a farce.”

  Kathy started to provoke him with lies, but changed her mind. She was too weary to match wits tonight. “Jack and I are old friends. I haven’t seen him in ages until moments ago.”

  “Just friends, Kat?” he pressed, his tone softening.

  “Like brother and sister, Landis. No, more like father and daughter. He sees me as a child. He was…” She didn’t finish.

  “He was what?” Landis insisted gently.

  What did it matter? “He was in love with my mother for years. He has no romantic interest in me, nor I him. He doesn’t even know she’s dead. God, how I dread to tell him. He’s so sensitive, Landis. It’ll break his heart.” Tears sparkled in her eyes as she weakened.

  Landis felt she was being honest with him. He pulled her into his comforting embrace. “You want me to tell him, Kat?” he offered.

  “I wish you could, but I must. Thanks anyway, Landis.” She snuggled into his arms, needing him and this brief sharing of tenderness.

  When she heard Harriet call out “Supper’s ready,” she withdrew and smiled sadly at him. “I’d better go,” she said, wanting to stay.

  “Why don’t you turn in, Kat? You’re drained.”

  “I will as soon as we’re finished with supper.”

  “Can we talk tomorrow? Please,” he cautiously added.

  “Yes, I think we should,” she unexpectedly agreed.

  “I missed you, Kat,” he stated tenderly, caressing her cheek.

  Kathy was afraid to confess her loneliness, already too vulnerable and susceptible where he was concerned. She smiled and took his hand. “Let’s go eat,” she suggested defensively, leading him inside.

  Landis smiled secretly. He would never release her. He envisioned the words in the ship-log and on the license in his possession: Kathryn Leigh Hammond; Clinton Jurrell Ma
rlowe; September 10, 1897.

  Six

  By the time supper and chores were completed, Kathy was fatigued and frustrated. Her trip to Log Cabin had depleted her physical energy; her baffling confrontation with Landis and her unexpected reunion with Jack had taken tolls on her emotional stamina. She explained her exhaustion to Jack and asked to meet him mid-morning the next day. While Landis was speaking with Moore, Jack walked her to her cabin.

  “It’s good to see you again, Kathy. But what are you doing here? How did you get tied to Landis Jurrell? Does your mother know where you are?” he fired his questions at her.

  Her voice hoarse, Kathy told Jack nearly everything. “I’m sorry, Jack. I didn’t want to hurt you, but you have a right to know the truth. It’s over, Jack; she’s gone. You’re young; you’ll find another love one day, someone who’ll love you in return.” For once, she felt like the adult and Jack the child.

  Jack hadn’t spoken since she began; he just stared at her in disbelief. In his anguish, her problems didn’t register. “I guess I don’t need to risk my life anymore to get rich to win her,” he stated bitterly. “She can’t be dead, Kathy,” he fought the tormenting reality.

  “Please don’t do this to yourself, Jack. She’s gone forever. Face it; she loved my father, not you. All the money in the world wouldn’t have won her,” she gently reasoned.

  “You’re wrong, Kathy; she didn’t love Jake, never did. She just wouldn’t give up his money and social status. I doubt you ever really knew or understood Dory. I accepted her as she was; Jake never did.”

  Kathy felt his words came from grief and didn’t debate them. To pull his thoughts from her mother and his pain, she asked, “Will you help me find my father, Jack? He’s in Alaska somewhere.”

  He gazed down at her. “What about your husband?”

  Kathy lowered her head. She couldn’t confess the truth. “Two can locate him faster. This is a big territory. Please,” she begged him.

  “Are you afraid of Landis?” he asked, sensing some emotion he couldn’t comprehend. “How could you marry a total stranger?”

  “Why should I be afraid of my husband?” she teased.

  He eyed her intensely, but dropped his suspicions for now. “This territory’s frightening and deadly, but I’ll take care of you, little sister. Be nice to have family with me. A man gets mighty lonesome out there. It’s cold and harsh; one wrong step, and you’ve ended it all. But I promise you’ll be safe with me,” he declared with self-confidence and a sly grin, assuming she meant to go with him.

  “There’s no one I would feel safer with than you, dear Jack. This means so much to me. We’ll talk after breakfast.” Kathy decided it would be best to clarify matters with a fresh mind and body, so she didn’t correct his mistaken impression. She said good-night.

  Jack remained there for a short time, staring at the wooden door, cursing the terrible fate which had thrown them together again. As for himself, he was an adventurer and a wanderer by nature. But Kathryn Hammond…she was a different story all together. It was good to see a face from home, even under these conditions. She was still like an innocent child. She needed someone to take care of her, someone she could trust. Since she was Dory’s child and his friend, that made him the likely candidate. Clearly things weren’t right with Landis. Kathy and Landis, what an unlikely pair! Besides, Landis had Michelle in Dawson. Why was he toying with a naive child like Kathy? It didn’t take much to figure out why he kept her in Skagway—and in the dark!

  Jack couldn’t allow anyone or anything to harm his eternally lost love’s child, including a man of Landis’s wealth and power. This crazy situation demanded some study and investigation…

  Landis watched this curious exchange from the shadows, too far to hear their words. Kathy had vowed friendship, but it didn’t appear that way from where he was standing. If she was too tired to spare her husband a few minutes, she was too tired to spare an old friend a lengthy chat! What would his friends think about her curious actions? He was sorely tempted to walk right up to her door and pound on it until she had to answer it and speak with him, but his pride prevented such an action. She was like tempting gold which plagued and enticed men to risk anything to attain it. In a way, she was just as valuable and elusive, and she could be just as costly and dangerous.

  When he returned to Drayton’s cabin, Landis spent the first few hours in his bedroll tossing and turning, unable to put Kathy out of his mind. Truth was, if only he could trust her to be what she appeared or claimed. Yet, he was leery of this golden dream-come-true, this tempting female who asked too many suspicious questions.

  Bill hadn’t fooled Kathy with his claim of ignorance! She was surviving too easily to be the vulnerable female she claimed she was—only in his presence! Unable to assess her, he pushed thoughts of her aside to speculate on more pressing matters. On his visit to Log Cabin, Thomas had made himself crystal clear…perilously clear…

  As he tossed on his bedroll, his last conversation with Thomas returned. Bill’s last words haunted and alarmed him: “You’ve got to do it, Clint. There’s no other way. Find Jake Hammond and bring him in at all costs. If the girl’s his accomplice, you know what has to be done. Do whatever necessary to unmask them. You know what’s at stake.”

  Hellfire! That’s all he needed; two devious women and two dangerous men to work on! At least they weren’t in the same area. Kathy had to remain here! How else could he find a way to keep her after this mess ended? Now, he had London’s interference to handle…

  That next day didn’t improve Landis’s black mood in the least; in fact, it made it worse. He silently watched as other people took up every moment of Kathy’s time and attention. She had carefully, no doubt intentionally, avoided him completely. She was never alone! Even when she served his breakfast and lunch, she behaved as if he were merely an acquaintance. But with others present, she was all smiles, as agreed. Evidently London had told her something which fueled her mistrust and anger. Suspecting she might be trying to pique him, he also pretended to ignore her. Yet, he discovered his eyes and thoughts on her too frequently to be comfortable. His loins ached. Damn, he wished he didn’t know what it was like to possess her! He’d been an idiot to get tangled up with that golden Kat! Somehow he had to master this obsession for her and get on with his now repulsive work.

  He watched her cabin like a hawk after London had gone inside after breakfast. His envy and fury mounted with each hour that passed. What could they be saying and doing? he fretted anxiously. He paced Drayton’s cabin until he thought he would explode with the tension straining at his taut body. Hellfire! she was his wife, his woman. How dare she treat him like this? She would spoil everything! His woman? That was the point; she wasn’t his woman! He had created a tantalizing treasure which he couldn’t enjoy or possess.

  That afternoon wasn’t any better for him. Kathy spent most of it with Harriet, again in her cabin. Kathy had found him irresistible in the beginning, but she had changed. How would she feel if she learned who and what he was? He had foolishly and carelessly destroyed that initial bond between them, one he needed to regain.

  When Harriet finally left, Kathy departed with her to head to the supper tent to help with the evening meal. It seemed forever before that evening came to a close, for all the good it did him. Kathy was laughing and conversing with Jack and Dray. The three of them left the tent to get some fresh air. Nettled beyond reasonable control, he followed and joined them. She appeared apprehensive and cautious.

  “Kathy, let’s take a walk,” Landis suggested genially, eyes dancing with playful mischief. How could she refuse? “I’d like some time alone with my bride before I leave again.”

  She smiled, seeing through him. “All right,” she readily agreed, realizing they had been acting odd for a newlywed couple. But then again, there was no way they could have any real privacy with Dray in Landis’s cabin and Harriet in her own.

  Taking advantage of this successful ploy, he took her hand and wa
lked off. Soon, he slipped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer to him. They strolled silently toward the treeline. Near it, he halted and looked down at her. “We can’t fool anyone the way we’re avoiding each other, Kat. We’d better put some effort in this charade, or it’s worthless to you. Am I that offensive?”

  She looked up at him, moonlight revealing her features. “What do you expect? You marry me, then disappear without a word. You claim to be searching for my father, but I discover evidence which brands you a liar. You’re treating me like a fool.”

  Landis stiffened at her insult. “A liar?” he repeated coldly.

  “You were on a survey in the North County. You even had Thomas cover for you. When I discover your deception, you try to bluff your way out of it. Yes, dear husband, all lies.”

  “That isn’t true, Kat. Everywhere I travelled, I asked about Jake. I swear it. I don’t know why Bill lied to you, but I plan to ask him. I told you I was leaving that next morning; I didn’t sneak out. I also told you I was leading a mapping survey. Didn’t I?” he pressed.

  Damn, he was cunning! Yet, she couldn’t disprove his claims. “If I’ve misjudged you, I’m sorry,” she stated unconvincingly. “But you must admit, it’s difficult to play the blushing bride without a happy groom around. You haven’t made any attempt to see me today. If anyone’s messing up our act, it’s you.”

  “You were exhausted last night. And you’ve been busy all day. What was I supposed to do, barge in and demand your time and attention?”

  “Why not? You did moments ago. It isn’t safe for me to go traipsing after you around camp. I told you I wouldn’t pursue you or be any trouble. You ordered me to stay here and wait for you. When you finally show up, you make no attempt to explain or see me.”