Golden Torment

by Janelle Taylor

  She instantly halted her struggles and looked up into the furious face of her husband. “Landis! Thank God,” she shouted, clinging to him.

  For a time, he held her protectively. Her arms went around his waist and she fiercely embraced him, weeping. “Stop that crying, woman, or you’ll have a face of icicles,” he warned, attempting to calm her hysterics and ignore her disturbing embrace. “I told you it was dangerous in here, but you wouldn’t listen! Now look what you’ve gotten into!” he thundered, trying to calm her down.

  She looked up at him. “How did you find me?”

  “You found me,” he parried. “What happened back there?”

  “We stopped to camp. Umiakia and his son were setting things up while I left to…I heard pistol shots. I knew something was wrong. When I finally returned to camp, they were dead and the boats were gone. I just started walking toward Dawson. You scared the life out of me; I thought you were one of them.” She shuddered violently. “What are you doing here?”

  “You didn’t see who did it?” he asked.

  “No. What should I do?” she implored, eyes misty.

  “How should I know?” he snapped tersely, then reminded himself of the truth Harriet had revealed about his letter from America. “Where were you heading? I told you to remain at home.” He didn’t tell her he had been tracking her since he discovered her infuriating departure. Presently, he was too riled to reveal he had gone to Skagway after cooling off to demand an explanation. Damn, she was a time-consuming, rankling female! He had been a fool to think marriage would keep her put and out of trouble!

  “When you ordered me home, Jack had just left. I was trying to catch up. Moore said I could go to Whitehorse. Jack wasn’t there, so the Eskimos took me on to Stewart. But we discovered he’s somewhere in the Klondike. Umiakia wouldn’t leave me behind. He left a message for Jack to say I’d be in Dawson. Everything’s going wrong,” she wailed miserably.

  “You’ve only yourself to blame, Kat. We all warned you about the Yukon,” he scolded her. “I saw Jack and talked with him. I told him you weren’t coming inland. That’s why he didn’t wait around.”

  “I suppose you’re delighted to be proven right! I could have been killed for all you care! I’ll pay whatever you charge if you’ll take me on to Dawson to wait for Jack,” she said angrily.

  “I’m not heading for Dawson. I’m on my way home; I have a cabin on the Klondike. If you want to tag along, fine. If not, Dawson’s that way, about a half a day by boat and two by foot,” he informed her, pointing in the direction they had been heading earlier.

  “Go to Dawson alone? You must be insane!” she screamed at him. “If you would help me, I wouldn’t need Jack.”

  “Suit yourself. Just don’t offer a tasty meal to any wolves,” he joked lightly on her predicament. He turned and headed south to pick up his backpack, leaving Kathy standing there.

  “Where are you going?” she shouted at him, stunned.

  “Home, wife,” he laughingly called over his shoulder. He continued to lengthen the distance between them, the snow gradually enveloping him, hoping his ploy would work.

  Kathy didn’t know what to do. How could she risk spending time alone with him? He was much too disarming and mistrustful. Damn him! Why did he always seem to show up at the most opportune time for taking advantage of her? As the shadows closed in on him, panic shot through her. She was tired and hungry. She was afraid. Damn him for always being there when she needed him! And damn him for knowing it and using it!

  “Landis! Wait!” she cried out in alarm. Would he actually abandon her in her peril? Was he that angry and spiteful? The bully!

  She ran toward where he had disappeared. She squinted into the swirling grayness, finally locating him. He was leaning over his pack, doing something. She raced over to him and shouted down at him, “You brute! You wouldn’t dare leave me here alone! I’m your wife!”

  He looked up at her and grinned, white teeth flashing in the vanishing light. “Wouldn’t I, Mrs. Jurrell? You disobeyed me; you allowed me to believe the misleading facts in that letter,” he announced. “Troublemakers should pay for their mistakes.”

  She gaped at him. “What makes you think they were lies?” she challenged. How dare he treat her this way!

  “A wind whispered in my ear,” he replied, chuckling.

  “You mean Harriet,” she deduced, their words hitting home. “You’ve been to Skagway? Why?” she probed inquisitively.

  “Why not? You coming?” he asked.

  “You’ve made up your mind about me. I’m not going to waste energy trying to change it. You’re an obstinate, cynical snoot!”

  “You already have,” he murmured humorously.

  “Pray tell, how so?” she sneered, eyeing him warily.

  “Any fool who would go to the lengths you have to find a missing father must really have one, Kathryn Hammond Jurrell,” he concluded.

  “Maybe I was plotting another way to have you rescue me so I can spy on you or entrap you,” she snapped in frustration.

  “If you really wanted me, you would be putting in more time and effort,” he remarked, actually sounding rankled that she wasn’t!

  “Why should I? I already have you,” she alleged to nettle him. “As you vowed at our last…battle, I plan to hold you captive.”

  “I could be persuaded to hang around willingly,” he murmured, eyes sparkling with a flurry of thoughts and feelings.

  “How very generous of you, dear husband,” she skeptically purred. “I doubt you would have listened, so why go after me?”

  “I care about you, Kat. It was a shock to receive that letter after our last night together. I thought you meant every word. When I got that letter the next morning, I was furious. You read it. What was I supposed to think in light of your statements at Skagway?” he reasoned irritably.

  “You got the letter after we…” she halted thoughtfully.

  “I wasn’t playing games. I was just about convinced I was wrong.”

  “Why did you have that man check on me?” she asked.

  “Because of things you said those two times in Skagway. And I was trying to gain facts about your father from a friend in Washington to help you. I’m a wary man by nature, Kat. My business calls for secrecy. I had trouble believing you were for real. Most of the time, I hoped you weren’t!” he said suddenly, winking at her. “Hungry?” he asked to change the topic, hoping she didn’t recall the date on Preston’s letter.

  “Starved. My soul for some hot coffee,” she said.

  “It’s a deal,” he replied.

  “I didn’t mean that literally,” she attempted to disarm him.

  “Doesn’t matter. I prefer your heart in exchange for sharing my food and bedroll,” he quipped in return, chuckling devilishly.

  “Share your bedroll?” she parried mirthfully. “Is there a charge for saving my life again? At this rate, I’ll be eternally indebted to you.”

  “It gets mighty cold at nights. I didn’t see one with your pack.”

  “That doesn’t mean I have to share yours,” she taunted.

  “Suit yourself, Kat. When you’re cold enough lying there in the snow, you’ll gladly share body heat. Right now, mine’s at boiling level.”

  “I doubt body heat is all you have in mind to share.” Kathy chided herself for her reckless abandonment of breeding and caution, but Landis made her respond to him in such a wild way!

  “Tonight, it is,” he responded. “By midnight, it’ll be freezing. I don’t mind something soft and warm next to me.”

  He headed to the woods. “Where are you going?” she inquired anxiously.

  “To fetch some wood for a fire,” he replied.

  Kathy stood there feeling foolish. Landis piled some small branches in the area he had been clearing in the snow. He worked until smoke was curling up, but couldn’t get a decent fire going. “I guess that means no coffee,” he muttered unconcerned. He pulled some biscuits and dried meat from his pouch.
“You hungry enough to eat anything?” he asked.

  She sighed and accepted the proffered food. She slowly consumed it, standing. He unrolled the sleeping bag and placed it on branches to keep it off the cold earth. The snow had ceased to fall. Kathy sat on her pack, watching him closely. He slipped into the bag, clothes and all. “Night, Kat.”

  He snuggled into the bag and closed his eyes. Kathy sat immobile. She was shaking from cold. “You’re a fiend, Landis Jurrell,” she finally stated, afraid to trust herself inside that cozy nest.

  “How so, Mrs. Jurrell? Surely you don’t expect me to sleep on the snow? I’m willing to share with my lovely and defiant wife. If you weren’t so damn obstinate, you would be snuggled in here with me. You planning to sit there chattering all night?”

  “All right, you win,” she acquiesced.

  “That’s more like it. Take off your parka and boots. Roll them up tight.” He slipped out of the sleeping bag and did the same.

  “I’ll freeze!” she argued.

  “No, you won’t. It’s warmer that way.”

  She did as told, then eased inside. He squirmed down into the confining bag. “Snuggle up to me,” he suggested.

  “I will not,” she nervously refused, dreading his contact.

  “Then get out and let me put my coat on. It’s either share body heat or no go,” he demanded sullenly.

  “All right!” she conceded, unwilling to leave his side and warmth.

  She nestled into his arms and he straightened the bag, pulling it up over their heads. “We’ll smother,” she muttered.

  “Not with the end open,” he chuckled. His arms closed around her. “Relax, Kat,” he murmured.

  His warm feet rested against her icy ones, her arms were trapped between them. Her head fit into the crook of his neck. The full length of their bodies touched. Kathy lay there wondering what he was thinking and feeling. He leaned back and whispered, “I’m not going to attack you. Go to sleep, Kat. It’s been a rough day for both of us. For a while there, I thought those men had taken you and…We’ve got a long walk tomorrow. Sleep, woman.” His fears drained away.

  She lifted her head and looked over at him, their faces close enough to feel the warm breath of the other. “Were you really worried about me? Were you coming after me?” she inquired.

  “Would you believe me if I said yes?”

  “I don’t understand you at all, Landis. You blow so hot and cold that I don’t know what to feel or think,” she openly confessed.

  “I think I made a complete fool of myself at Log Cabin,” he acknowledged readily. “I’m sorry, Kat. I know I seem to be saying that an awful lot, but I can’t seem to help myself. You have a way of pushing me beyond my control. Why did you stay silent?”

  “I should have denied your charges, but I didn’t think it would make any difference. I didn’t know you had just received that letter. Why did you marry me if you’re so mistrustful? Why did you have me investigated?”

  “I can’t explain, Kat. It has to do with my work. You just acted too suspicious to suit me. Those facts were distressing.”

  “You always use your work as an excuse for everything. I’m sorry, Landis, but I can’t accept that. Help me find my father and I’ll prove I’m honest. We can’t keep tearing at each other.”

  “What if he isn’t here, Kat? What if you never locate him?”

  “He must be! He isn’t dead, Landis; he can’t be! I have to find him and talk to him. Please help me,” she pleaded earnestly.

  “I’ll do what I can, Kat,” he finally agreed, knowing that was the only way to settle more than one vexing problem.

  “You will?” she pressed for reassurance. “You mean it this time?” Their eyes fused in longing, each mutely praying for a miracle.

  “Yes,” he vowed, reaching out to caress her cheek.

  She spread kisses over his face. He chuckled. “You best stop that, woman. It’s too cold to get undressed. But if you keep that up, well have to,” he warned, his senses alive and his body aroused.

  She snuggled into his powerful arms and sighed happily. “Go to sleep, Kat. We’ll talk in the morning. You’re safe with your trusty guide.”

  “Good night, Landis,” she whispered softly, closing her eyes and pressing close to his warm and inviting body.

  “Be still, woman. I’m not made of stone,” he jested.

  “I’m glad you’re not, but I was beginning to think you were.”

  “The best thing for both of us is to go to sleep, Kat. We’ve got a long walk ahead. I don’t like the looks of the sky tonight; we’re in for some foul weather soon.”

  “What about Jack?” she asked.

  “If he’s in the Klondike, we’ll be seeing him in a few days. He’ll be delighted you’re with me,” he jested with a deep chuckle. “You’ll be safe and warm; I promise.”

  She laughed. “Will I, Mister Jurrell?”

  “Most of the time,” he lightly parried, drawing her closer to him.

  “What more could a helpless victim ask for?” she replied, resting her face against his drumming heart.

  “What more indeed?” Golden dreams tormented his mind and body.

  It wasn’t long before both were sound asleep beneath the moon, warmly entrenched in each other’s arms and the tempting sleeping bag. A lone wolf howled in the far distance. Kathy never heard it. But Landis did, his keen senses alert even in light slumber.

  Ten

  Kathy snuggled deeper into the sleeping bag and nestled against the warm object to avoid the chill which nipped at her face. “You planning to sleep all morning, Princess?” a mellow voice whispered into her ear.

  A smile made gentle creases near her closed eyes and mouth. She opened her eyes and gazed into ones of laughing ebony. “Good morning, Mr. Jurrell, you tyrant,” she teased, lovingly caressing his firm jawline.

  “I suggest we make haste, Mrs. Jurrell, before I take advantage of this delightful situation and we get caught in an early blizzard.”

  She peeked over the sleeping bag and studied the leaden sky. “You really think it’s going to be that bad?” she worriedly inquired, looking at him.

  “I’ve been in these parts since birth; I know the signs by now. Up, woman. I’d rather be in my cabin before it strikes.”

  “Me, too,” she hastily agreed.

  He chuckled merrily. “Good,” he lazily commented, passing his forefinger over her lips. “What a torment you are, my golden dream.”

  She quivered. “We definitely better make haste if you’re going to look at me like that,” he warned mirthfully, his eyes softening and glowing with a response she recognized: tender—but dangerous—passion.

  “How far to your cabin?” she asked instead, thoughts of being alone playing havoc with her concentration. “You never told me you have a cabin here.”

  “We should get there before nightfall, barring any trouble. Hopefully Ben will have supper ready and waiting.”

  “Ben?” she echoed. “Who’s Ben?”

  “Weathers, an American. He’s been living with me for the past two years. He prospects and traps. Nice fellow; you’ll like him.”

  “We won’t be alone in your cabin?” she hinted, traces of disappointment ringing in her voice. She wondered what people thought about their marriage, when he had a cabin here and she had one there.

  He laughed merrily. “It’s according to how long I can convince you to remain there. Ben comes and goes every few weeks. He’s a loner like me. We get along nicely. We have adjoining claims.”

  “Won’t he object to you bringing a strange woman home?” She observed him closely. Why hadn’t he mentioned his friend and cabin before?

  “Ben Weathers is an easy-going fellow. Besides, it’s my cabin, and you are my wife.” His eyes glittered with amusement.

  “But he does share it with you,” she argued.

  “I told you, he’s only there about two weeks out of every month.”

  “I don’t think I should stay there with
him present, Landis. He might get the wrong idea,” she mildly protested, fretting over the permanence and honesty of their union. Why all these secrets?

  “Worried about your reputation?” he teased in amusement.

  “Someone has to,” she stated in irritation. “After all, you did make it perfectly clear to me this isn’t a regular marriage!”

  He caressed her cheek and calmly advised, “Don’t worry about it, love. Some day well make it very regular.”

  She wanted to ask when, but couldn’t. Needing reassurance, she reasoned, “But how can we gain an annulment if we openly live together? You said no one should know but us. What about this Ben?”

  “It’s obvious you’re in love with me and can’t resist my charms, so why would we need to destroy this intriguing marriage?”

  “You’re a rake, Landis Jurrell! Are you sure you want to remain bound to me, or any female? Stifling chains?”

  Lusty laughter filled the still air. “You’re incredible woman. I would be a blind fool to throw away a golden treasure. Do I look like a dull-eyed simpleton? Fact is, I’m starting to enjoy this set-up.”

  “That isn’t the issue, and you know it. Why do you call me Kat; you make me sound like some wild, uncontrollable critter!”

  “Wild, no. But most assuredly uncontrollable. Why are you getting so riled up?” he asked in bewilderment.

  Unnerved, she snapped, “I don’t know!”

  He suddenly sent forth peals of taunting laughter. “What’s so funny?” she demanded, pelting his chest with her fists.

  “You, Kat. You’re as blasted frustrated as I am.”

  “What do you mean, frustrated?” she naively demanded.

  He began to nibble at her lips and ears. She quivered. “Stop it, Landis,” she weakly argued. “You said we couldn’t…”

  He leaned back and informed her, “That’s what I mean by frustration. We’re both heated up and we can’t cool off here.”

  She glared at him, then suddenly smiled. “As I said, Landis Jurrell; you are a rake. Let’s go before I freeze.”

  Landis offered Kathy some dried jerky from his pack, then told her they couldn’t have any hot coffee. She sighed regretfully, accepting the dark brown stick. “This is awful. How do you stand it?”