Fire and Ice

by Hart, Catherine

  She washed and dressed quickly in a beige riding habit, and pulled her hair back into one long braid which she carelessly tossed across her shoulder. Studying herself in the mirror, she saw lively green eyes shining out of a face full of healthy color. Her cheeks looked flushed and her lips rosy, and she knew it was mostly caused by Reed’s scratchy beard on her cheeks and his demanding lips on hers just a handful of hours ago.

  She was in high spirits as she headed down to breakfast. She passed Mammy in the hall. “Hello, Mammy dear,” she trilled. “No need to attend me this morning. As you see, I am already dressed and wanting my breakfast.”

  “Yoah headache mus’ be bettah,” Mammy replied with a questioning look. “Yo shoh are chipper dis mo’nin’, miss.”

  “I feel just marvelous, thank you,” Kathleen replied with a silly curtsy and a laugh, and nearly skipped down the stairs, resisting the crazy urge to slide down the banister.

  As she entered the dining room, Kathleen saw Reed already seated at the head of the table talking with his mother and Ted and Uncle William. “Good morning, all,” she chirped as she slipped quickly into the empty chair to Reed’s right.

  “My! You’re in high spirits this morning, Kathy,” Ted greeted her.

  “I take it your headache is gone, Kathleen dear,” Mary said with a smile.

  “Oh, yes. I’d nearly forgotten it,” Kathleen replied, reaching for a biscuit.

  “Going riding this morning, Kat?” Reed asked, leaning back in his chair and eyeing her casually.

  “Yes, I thought I would.” She nodded to the young serving girl who poured her coffee. “I think I’ll have an egg, sausage, potatoes, and a small glass of juice, please.”

  “You must be hungry this morning, Kathleen,” William commented.

  “Very,” she answered, casting a quick glance at Reed who sat studying her.

  “How do you like Chimera now that you’ve been here awhile?” he asked.

  “It’s beautiful! But of course you already know that,” she said, sipping her hot coffee carefully.

  “I’m glad you like it.”

  Amy entered the room with Susan just then and gave Kathleen a withering look when she saw her seated next to Reed. Kathleen smiled into the plate placed before her.

  “Good morning, girls. Did you sleep well?” Mary inquired.

  “Very well, thank you, Mother,” Susan said, crossing to give her mother and brother a quick kiss. “Good morning, Kathleen.”

  “Good morning, Susan,” Kathleen replied, and then leaned to look down the table at Amy. “Good morning, cousin.”

  “Is it? I hadn’t noticed,” Amy retorted, shooting her a spiteful look. “I see you are dressed for riding this morning. Which horse are you riding, Titan or your palomino?”

  Kathleen nearly choked on her egg as William growled, “Amy! Order your breakfast!”

  She shot a quick look toward Reed, who lifted his dark brows at her.

  “I’ve already heard all about it, Amy,” he commented, his steady blue gaze never leaving Kathleen’s flushed face. “Congratulations, Kat. You never fail to amaze me.”

  “Are you very angry?” she asked in a small voice.

  “Let us say I am slightly put out, but not overly surprised.” Leaning closer to her, he added with a scowl, “It seems not even my animals are safe from your charms. That is how you did it, isn’t it, Kat? A wee bit of your Irish witchcraft?” he taunted.

  “Of course,” she told him flippantly, refusing to be baited into anger. “How else could I have broken Zeus when you had already failed.”

  “Zeus, is it? Well, I shouid like to see how well you have trained your golden god. May I join you on your ride and we’ll discuss this further? If—” he hesitated, giving her an icy glare, “my own horse will allow me on his back any longer.”

  “Be my guest, Captain Taylor,” she smiled sweetly.

  “Ah, so I’m back to being ‘Captain Taylor,’ I see,” he said with a smirk. “How fickle of you, my dear, especially after last night.”

  Kathleen glared at him, her emerald eyes narrowed warningly. “Whatever do you mean by that, sir? What about last night?”

  He gave a brusque laugh and enumerated, “Why, I gave you jewels and compliments, saved you from the lecherous Mr. Ainsley, and provided you with very interesting conversation and entertainment, and if Ted will be my witness, I am sure I heard you call me Reed last evening.”

  Forgetting the others at the table, and rising to the bait, Kathleen proclaimed cuttingly, “Your conceit is showing, Reed. First of all, the jewels were mine to start with, and compliments come as easily to you as do barbed comments. I am capable of handling Mr. Ainsley without your aid, and your constant attentions gave me a horrendous headache!”

  “All true, but you have once again forgotten yourself and called me Reed before all these rapt witnesses.” Reed waved his hand to include the others in the dining room.

  Angry, embarrassed, and thoroughly fed up, Kathleen pushed back her chair and stood. “Touché,” she said tersely. “I’ll meet you in the stable yard if you are there by the time I am ready to leave, Reed.” She stressed his name forcefully. Turning to the others, she said, “Excuse me, please,” and swiftly left the room.

  As it happened, Reed was waiting for her when she finally entered the stable yard looking very pale and shaken.

  “Kat. What’s wrong? All the color has left your face!” Reed came forward and gathered her into his strong arms, his own face full of concern.

  “I know. It went at about the same time my breakfast left my stomach,” she complained irritably. “Perhaps you should not stand so near. I may be coming down with something.”

  Reed placed his warm lips to her forehead. “You have no fever, love,” he said with relief.

  “I could have told you that, had you asked me. However, this is the fourth time this week that this has happened. I’ve always been so healthy that it would worry me, except that once I vomit I am fine for the rest of the day,” she explained.

  “Oh?” He surveyed her speculatively for a moment, then smiled at her tenderly. “Would you rather not ride this morning?”

  “I always ride when I can, and I’m fine now, so let’s get going,” she announced testily.

  “By God, but you can be shrewish!” he exclaimed with a grin as he boosted her into the saddle. Deliberately he brushed his arm across her breast, and his smile widened knowingly as he saw her wince.

  “Sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you. Are you sore, kitten?”

  “Not that it’s any of your business, Reed Taylor.” As quickly as her bad mood had come, it left. She leaned down and kissed him full on the lips, a long, searching kiss. Then she straightened, wrinkled her nose at him impishly, and quipped, “I must be having growing pains.”

  “I’m sure of it,” he grinned as he mounted his horse.

  They rode companionably about the estate. Every so often Reed would dismount to inspect a field or check on the progress of his crops. The cotton fields were full of working slaves and the rice fields were maturing nicely. Later, he told her, he would sit down with the overseer and go over the books. Records were dutifully kept, not only for tax purposes, but to make sure the overseer was not led into temptation’s way. As they were riding back, he handed her an envelope. When she opened it, she found it filled with money.

  “Reed, what on earth is this?”

  “It is money, of course. Haven’t you ever seen any before?”

  “Yes, of course, but why are you giving this to me?”

  “Darling wife,” he said with an exaggerated sigh, “I am responsible for your keep, and I do not relish the idea of my wife running around in public in rags for lack of a proper wardrobe. Use the money to buy whatever you find necessary. I thought you would appreciate the fact that I intend to continue to support you, and I did make a point of not giving you the envelope in front of anyone else.”

  She was instantly contrite. “Thank you, darling. I do ap
preciate your thoughtfulness.” She touched his sleeve with her fingertips.

  “Not enough to tell everyone we are married,” he grumbled with a scowl.

  “Stop it, Reed. We've been over all this before, and it’s too beautiful a day to spend it arguing.”

  “I don’t understand why you can’t trust me, Kat.” He turned his piercing blue eyes to hers, and just for a second she thought she saw pain in them. Then they were hard again.

  “I’ve tried, Reed, but each time I do, something else happens. I can’t afford the prices you exact,” she said softly.

  “Ah, well.” He shrugged. “Perhaps someday.” He smiled to himself as he thought of her ailments, “Someday soon she’ll have to divulge our secret out of necessity if not out of love. I can wait.”

  They rode into the stable yard and he helped her dismount. His arm casually about her waist, they walked to the house. “I almost forgot to tell you, Kat. I saw Charles and Eleanore in New Orleans. He is going up to Boston to a doctors’ seminar, so I invited them to stop here on the way. They should arrive Monday.”

  “Oh, Reed! How wonderful! I have missed Eleanore so.”

  “Charles can only stay a week, but if you like, Eleanore could stay on here while he goes to Boston.” He smiled down at her glowing face and paused to brush a tuft of straying copper hair from her cheek.

  “But how can I explain knowing Eleanore when it is you who have invited them?” She caught her lip with the tips of her small white teeth.

  “We could say that I looked up my old friend Charles while I was in New Orleans and when I just happened to mention your name, Eleanore revealed that she knew you from England. Perhaps she could have met you while you were in school there.”

  “That’s quite a shaky coincidence, wouldn’t you say?” she asked skeptically.

  “Perhaps, but who’s to know for sure. You do want her company, don’t you?” he inquired, peering down at her.

  “Oh, yes! How kind of you to think of it.” She smiled happily up at him, her emerald eyes glowing warmly.

  “You can thank me properly later, wench,” he suggested, his white teeth flashing in a roguish grin.

  As she started up the stairs, his voice floated up to her. “Kat, change into something bright and cheery this afternoon, will you?” His voice carried a mysterious note to it, and she eyed him curiously before she nodded.

  “If you wish.”

  The gown was lying on her bed when she entered the room. It was a beautiful muted orange, not quite a melon color, edged with antique ivory lace. Next to the gown lay a small pile of sheer, lacy French undergarments that brought a rosy blush to her cheeks. A delicate ivory fan, lace gloves, and matching slippers lay atop the gown. As she picked up the slippers to move them aside, her fingers touched something rough. Inside one of the slippers lay another collar, this one made entirely of large, delicately carved coral roses. The other slipper held a pair of matching ear bobs and a slim bracelet. “He never gives up, does he?” she mused tenderly, her eyes misting into emerald pools. “Incurable rogue!”

  From the time they all piled into the open carriage, Kathleen could tell she was going to have trouble from Amy. Kate went along as a chaperone for the girls, so there were six of them including Ted and Susan. After one look at Amy, Kate whispered cattily to Kathleen, “I wouldn’t miss this for the world!”

  Kate maneuvered the seating arrangements so that Amy was between herself and Susan, and Kathleen between the two men. All the way to the track Reed deliberately cast his eyes from time to time down Kathleen’s low-cut bodice, and Amy was becoming more livid with each mile.

  “I hope you freckle, or better yet, burn, Kathleen.” She glowered nastily. “Then perhaps you’d learn to carry a parasol like the rest of us.”

  “But I’m not the rest of you, cousin Amy,” Kathleen replied, quite unruffled.

  “I for one am glad you’re different, Kathy,” Ted soothed. “I admit, though, that I feared you’d be rather stuffy with your title and all.”

  “Even your jewelry is unusual,” Susan stated. “You are wearing another collar today. It is very beautiful, but I’m slightly confused. I thought the collar idea was yours, Reed.”

  “It is, Susan,” Reed affirmed, moving his arm to lay it behind Kathleen’s shoulders. At her baffled look, he said simply, “The same jeweler made this one up, too.” Something in his look transferred itself to his sister and her gray eyes took on a conspiratorial sparkle as she glanced from Reed to Kathleen. “Kathleen, you may be starting a new trend in jewelry fashion. On second thought, I think it is especially you, as personal as your own signature.”

  At Kathleen’s amused look, she hurriedly said, “Please don’t take offense. I meant it as a compliment. It makes you unique. Not everyone could carry it off successfully.”

  “Well said,” Kate applauded.

  “My sentiments exactly,” Reed agreed, toying with a copper curl at the nape of Kathleen’s neck.

  His lightly caressing fingers sent a delightful chill down her spine, and Kathleen shivered. “Honestly!” she declared with a light laugh to cover her rising passion. “All this flattery could get me frightfully spoiled.”

  When they arrived at the race track, Amy finally managed to place herself at Reed’s side, and stuck like flypaper. He devoted most of his attention toward Kathleen, but Amy managed to bend his ear quite a bit with her incessant chatter.

  “Are ladies allowed to make wagers on the horses, Kate?” Kathleen inquired.

  “The gentleman usually place our bets for us.”

  “I’ll be glad to do it for you, Kathy,” Ted volunteered eagerly.

  “Would you like me to help you in your decision, Kat?” Reed offered.

  “Really, Reed!” Kathleen erupted in temporary exasperation. “I’m not a child. There are some things I can do for myself, you know. Besides, who can judge horseflesh better than the Irish?”

  Kate gave a sharp laugh. “She has ye there, Reed.”

  Out of five races, two of her choices came in first, two to place, and one to show, and Reed had to admit she had a sharp eye for a fast horse.

  “Is there anything you don’t do well?” Amy asked churlishly.

  Considering this for a moment, Kathleen admitted, “I don’t tat well, I don’t take orders well, and I don’t hold my temper well.”

  “Thank the Lord!” Amy exclaimed affectedly. “I was beginning to wonder if you were perfect!” In a lower tone she added, “You are disgusting, Kathleen.”

  Ted, who overheard Amy’s last comment, added, “And you are jealous, Amy.”

  That evening, following a quiet supper and lively conversation in the parlor afterwards, Kathleen excused herself. She had Mammy prepare a bath for her, and help her undress and pin her hair up off her neck. “Ah’ll be back up to he’p yo dry off when yoah ready, lamb.”

  “No need, Mammy. You go on now. You’ve done enough already.”

  “Well, holler when yoah done so’s we can empty dat tub, den.”

  “I’d rather it waited till morning. I’m going to soak awhile, and the hot water will no doubt make me very sleepy. I’d prefer not to be disturbed after I get relaxed.”

  “Shoah, honey. See yo in de mo’nin, den.”

  Soaking until the water became uncomfortably chilly, Kathleen nearly fell asleep. She jerked herself awake, finished washing, and entered her bedroom with a large towel draped around her and tucked over her breasts.

  “A very delightful outfit you have on, Mrs. Taylor.” The smoke from his cigar curled upward toward the ceiling from the bed.

  “You again!” Kathleen exclaimed in mock anger. “You are like a persistent cough. I can’t seem to shake you no matter what I try!” She removed the pins from her hair, and it tumbled down in a coppery cloud as she dropped her towel and stepped toward the bed.

  He pulled her down next to him and buried his nose in her neck. “Mmm. You smell so good. Every time I smell lemons, I think of you. Do you know how tru
ly beautiful you are, Kathleen? Do you realize how you fill a man’s mind? You play havoc with his senses until everything he thinks, everything he feels, becomes a reflection of you. Then again, you can be so changeable. At times you are a playful kitten, at others a green-eyed spitfire. Other times you act the seductive cat, all sleek and graceful and soft, and a man can’t help wanting to stroke you into submission.”

  His hands were already working their magic, and her own senses were swimming as she pulled him down to her quivering body. “Oh, Reed, what strange hold do you have on me that the mere touch of you can set me on fire? Your kisses drive all thought from my mind except my desperate need of you. Come to me, darling,” she sighed tremulously. “Make love to me.”

  He stayed with her, held her throughout the night until she fell asleep at last, content enough to purr. Opening her eyes the next morning, the first thing she saw was a long-stemmed red rose lying on the pillow next to hers. She smiled sleepily to herself. “You court me, after you seduce me. Knowing you, that makes a strange kind of sense, somehow.”

  The day was bright and clear, promising to be hot. It was stuffy in the church pew, even with the breeze coming through the open window.

  They all sat together, Reed’s arm thrown carelessly across the back of the pew behind Kathleen, his fingertips lazily brushing her upper arm.

  “Reed, please!” she pleaded in a low voice. “People are noticing. What must they think?”

  He gave her a mocking look, his blue eyes full of amusement. “You certainly are an enigma, Kat. You don boys’ breeches, ride astride, curse like a sailor, and perform the flamenco like a gypsy. You make love with the wild abandon of a courtesan, yet you are concerned now with what society will say?” He chuckled deeply as he watched her blush.

  To Kathleen it seemed that the good reverend directed the morning’s sermon specifically toward her and Reed. He admonished the ladies against wearing alluring apparel that clung to their bodies and exposed a great deal of their breasts. He preached of the wickedness of men and women attempting to seduce one another. His entire message dealt with the sins of lust and seeking pleasures of the flesh. He railed at them and warned them that to fall low of temptation was to become the devil’s playmate.