"At least I'll be glad to have my own clothing, so that I won't have to continue wearing hand-me-downs from your lover's trunk."
Nathan declined the bait. "I've made other arrangements as well. A dressmaker from Bridgetown's best shop will visit you tomorrow. You may choose as many gowns and other garments as you like."
"Are we going to wait to marry until we have word from my father? What about your promise to Orchid?"
"See here, I simply don't have time for this!" Nathan rose again, advancing on Adrienne in her planter's chair and lifting her to her feet. "I told you that I had work to do, but you insisted on invading my privacy anyway." He led her into the long, breezy gallery and firmly deposited her on a mahogany-and-wicker chaise. "Here is your book."
Stung, Adrienne lifted her chin as he started back into the library. "What about my glass of punch?"
"I'll have Retta bring you some tea instead." With those parting words, Nathan closed the door between the library and gallery and leaned back against it, his heart thudding. He could never let her know that it wasn't her chatter that maddened him so, but his own gnawing attraction to her.
It was terrifying to consider the chaos that would ensue in Raveneau's well-ordered existence if he ever lost his head over that woman.
It was simply unthinkable.
Chapter 18
"It need time," Orchid assured Adrienne as she poured her breakfast tea and admired the breathtaking view from the balcony that opened off her new mistress's bedchamber. The guinea fowl were calling from the gardens, and the air was scented with the flowers of ylang-ylang trees. "You make new life."
"I had such hopes when we arrived, but this is our third day at Tempest Hall, and I feel more lost than I did then." She spread guava jam on bread, sighing. "I never see Nathan...."
"He go away on he ship so long, dere too much work now. You have sugar, Mistress?"
"Orchid, you shouldn't be calling me that, or waiting on me! Won't you sit down and chat for a little while? Part of my problem is plain old loneliness."
"Custom is best," the old woman declared, but she needed no further urging. She took the other chair and lowered herself into it. "Maybe I break one custom wit you, Mistress. De captain is a fortunate man."
"You are ill and you can do anything you please. You certainly shouldn't be climbing stairs! If Retta is busy, I can come down. Here, have some tea."
She held up a hand. "No." A wry smile curved her withered mouth. "You scare me off, talking like dat, Mistress."
"Tell me, is Nathan always away so much? Even when he's not out on the plantation, he's locked in that library, and he's made it clear that he doesn't want me to bother him." Adrienne turned her scrubbed profile into the morning breeze and sighed again. "I must tell you, Orchid, that I don't take naturally to a subservient role. If that's what he'll expect of me as a planter's wife, perhaps I should go back to Europe after all."
"No!" Orchid looked alarmed. "Mustn't say such t'ing! He need you. Men slow to learn, but Captain he have fine spirit. You believe Orchid and wait. If greedy wait, hot will cool. It need time."
She smiled, growing used to the proverbs that Orchid sprinkled through her conversation. "I'm impatient by nature."
"Some reward worth de wait, Mistress."
"You're very cryptic." Suddenly Adrienne's appetite flickered and she took a bite of bread with jam. "Zachary Minter said something like that to me—that I must be patient with Nathan."
"Very true. He like a wild horse dat need taming wit' patience... and other t'ing." Wearing her secret smile, Orchid closed her eyes for a moment, as if resting. "You have a visit from de dressmaker, Sally Ann? She make you pretty, pretty gown."
"Yes. And she brought some things that I was able to keep."
"Ah. Good. Captain not so bad, den." Orchid opened her eyes. "And you have a visit from people up de road?"
She made a face. "The Harrisons and the Terrills? Those men were just what I feared planters might be—overfed and supercilious! And their wives were terribly pretentious. That's what happens to people who think they can own other people."
"What you mean, Mistress?"
"It turns them, I think, like curdled milk. All their good instincts are replaced by habits like gluttony, vanity, and selfishness. How else can they live with themselves?"
Orchid shook her head slowly. "Don't judge too harsh. People bend to de way of de neighbor. Slavery part of life here."
"It will be if no one ever speaks out," Adrienne asserted. "Let me ask you something else—about one of our other neighbors on the island."
"Who?"
"Xavier Crowe." When Orchid began to turn away instinctively, Adrienne put a hand on her thin arm. "Is it a crime to speak his name?"
"He a bad man!"
"Orchid, tell me, isn't there another reason Nathan hates him so? Something more... personal?"
She pressed her lips together. "Could be. But I not say. Talk does make talk."
Before Adrienne could reply, she heard hoofbeats emerging from the shelter of the mahogany forest, followed by the sound of a familiar voice that carried up to the balcony.
"Miss Beauvisage!"
Her heart lifted. "Hello, Mr. Minter!" Happily, she stood up and waved to the red-headed figure on horseback as he approached the open gates to Tempest Hall. There was someone else riding behind him: a handsome older man with white hair. "I'll be right down!"
Orchid insisted that her impulsive mistress take the time to choose proper attire and to fix her hair, and Adrienne reluctantly agreed. She slipped into an airy high-waisted gown sprigged with tiny flowers and trimmed with a froth of lace. Her hair was upswept into a cascade of chestnut curls fastened with pearl combs. The effect was enchanting.
"Will I do?"
Orchid nodded, managing a tired smile, and Adrienne insisted upon helping her down the stairs. They were just emerging into the cool hallway next to the library when Nathan appeared, his tanned face a shade paler with shock.
"Yessir," Orchid confirmed before he could speak. "I know who be here."
"I thought perhaps I was having a sunstroke," he muttered. "We'll have to have refreshments, Orchid."
Adrienne spoke up. "She's in pain, Nathan. I think Orchid should lie down for a few hours. Shall I go and help Retta?"
"No!" He caught her arm. In his open white shirt, biscuit breeches, and top boots, Nathan exuded masculine appeal. He hadn't shaved that morning, and his black hair curled over his collar. "You'll have to come with me to greet our guests, though God knows I'd like to hide you somewhere."
"What are you talking about?"
"Minter's brought my father with him! Only he could manage to turn up at this cursed moment in my life!"
* * *
Adrienne peeked into the sitting room, to find Andre Raveneau looking around curiously as he stood chatting with his son and Zachary Minter. Weatherbeaten and lean, he so closely resembled an older version of Nathan that a chill ran down her back.
And indeed, if Nathan did look like his father when he neared seventy, he would be blessed. Andre Raveneau had wavy white hair that made a striking contrast to his tanned skin, his smile was still dazzling, and his body still lithe. A thin white scar marked his jawline.
"When did you intend to invite your mother and me to see Tempest Hall?" he was asking Nathan in a tone edged with fond sarcasm.
"Why should I send an invitation when you weren't waiting for it?" his son replied in kind. "You do as you please."
Minter was squirming as he stood between the taller men, and a fleeting glimpse of Adrienne provided him with a welcome diversion. "Look who's peeping round the door frame!" he cried. "It's the beauteous Miss B—"
"Allow me, will you please?" Nathan cut in with a quelling look. Walking to meet her, he whispered, "Please, for God's sake, make an effort to behave yourself."
Andre watched with keen interest as a green-eyed, piquant beauty entered the sitting room on his son's arm. "I perceive that it was m
ore fortunate than I guessed that I decided to visit Barbados."
"Father, I would like to present Miss Adrienne Beauvisage, the daughter of your old friends, Nicholai and Lisette Beauvisage." Nathan spoke as if he were under duress. "We are... uh, betrothed."
Andre blinked in disbelief. "Can this be possible?"
"I fear so," his son muttered.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, sir," Adrienne said sweetly. "Or have we met in the past? Did you not visit Chateau du Soleil during my childhood?"
"Indeed. You must allow me a few moments to gather my wits, Miss Beauvisage. This news is wonderful, but quite a shock to a man of my advanced years." He took her hand, kissed it, and gave her a wicked smile. "Uniting the Raveneau and Beauvisage families might be the beginning of a new dynasty!"
Retta and another girl named Dolly appeared wearing matching kerchiefs and pushing a tea cart. Orchid watched nervously from the dining room as they served refreshments to the guests who now took seats. Once the ceremonies had been performed and everyone had sipped hot tea with sugar and taken a few bites of coconut bread, Nathan turned to his father.
"You still haven't explained what brings you to Barbados. I hope you haven't brought bad news?"
"On the contrary. I was simply bored. Lindsay and her new baby, Bridget, were visiting Connecticut, and there is only so much I can do as a grandfather." He shrugged in exactly the same way Nathan did so frequently. "Your mother was busy, and I needed an... outing."
"And what are you here to do?"
Andre sensed the familiar undercurrent of his son's independent will, and his own similar nature was engaged. "Don't imagine that I'll intrude on your life, Nathan. Clearly, you have other things to do—"
"It's not that. However, I've just returned from England, and I have the devil's own problems to deal with here. Xavier Crowe has been visiting and corrupting my plantation manager, so I've had to sack Owen Horner—and he's gone to work for Crowe!"
"Xavier Crowe..." Andre repeated thoughtfully. "Wasn't he the fellow who... ah, swept Eloise Sinclair off her feet in London?"
Feeling reckless, Adrienne spoke up. "Eloise Sinclair? The name is familiar. Who is she? Have we met?"
"I highly doubt it, my dear," Nathan said in an acid tone, then glanced at his father. "Yes, Eloise married Crowe. How tactless of you to mention it."
Andre's eyebrows went up at this, but he made no reply. Nathan, meanwhile, turned to Minter. "It is a piece of good fortune that you happened to ride up today. I need your help."
"Won't Mr. Minter stay here with us?" Adrienne implored.
Nathan spoke without looking at her. "Adrienne, would you leave us alone? I would like privacy to discuss some business matters with Zachary."
Hot blood rushed up her cheeks. "Is it really necessary that I go?"
"That's right, son. Don't send her away." The elder Raveneau leaned over and patted him on the shoulder. "You'll have to get used to hearing your wife's opinion if you mean to marry a Beauvisage!" Genially he turned to Adrienne. "Don't worry, my dear. Nathan's mother is even more unmanageable than you, so he's used to strong women. No doubt that's why he fell in love with you."
The betrothed couple stared anywhere but at each other, and the air was thick with tension. Finally Nathan leveled his gaze at his father and said, "You don't have any idea what you are talking about, but if you would allow me to request privacy in my own home, I might be able to explain!"
Tears burned Adrienne's throat. Humiliated and furious, she stood up, bit her lip while smiling at the guests, and left the sitting room.
Zach pulled at his collar and complained to his old friend, "Damn, but I sure do sweat a lot when you and Miss Beauvisage get together. I hope you don't kill each other after you're married!"
Before Nathan could reply, his father spoke again. "I know you don't want advice from me, but I am shocked to see you treat your future wife in such a manner."
"According to the stories I've heard about your own courtship—if it could be called that—you were hardly the ideal suitor!"
Andre fell silent, stunned to realize that his son was absolutely right. In those days, he'd been a scoundrel to his beloved Devon. "Touché. But that doesn't mean that you have to repeat my mistakes."
"Look, Father, this has nothing to do with you or Mother. If you must know, it isn't a match made for the usual reasons. I am marrying Adrienne in order to gain possession of her father's land. It adjoins Xavier Crowe's estate, and when I have access to him, I'll be able to bring him to justice."
"This is going to be an arranged marriage? Is there no love at all between you?"
Out of the corner of his eye, Minter tried to give Andre Raveneau a hopeful glance. Nathan, meanwhile, replied, "There is a contrary bond between us—and I do find her attractive—but it's not love. However—he drained his teacup and sat forward—"as Zach has pointed out to me, I'm past thirty and it's time that I marry and have children.
It was hard for Andre to listen to his son and realize that his own hard lessons could only have been pounded into his head and heart through experience. "I can't help wondering how much of your grudge against Xavier Crowe has to do with Eloise. I haven't forgotten how much you cared for her...."
Minter began choking on a bite of coconut bread. Since Nathan's mood always darkened if Eloise's name was mentioned, Zach waited now for the explosion. "Perhaps I ought to leave you—"
"No!" Nathan glared at him. "I have to talk to you about something relevant to the present, unlike the dusty subject my father has raised." He glanced back at Andre. "What happened between Eloise and me was a long time ago. If Crowe managed to woo her away from me through the same underhanded tricks he uses today, perhaps it was meant to be. I wish her joy. I can only assume that Eloise was not the person I imagined her to be in my state of youthful idealism."
"And you no longer idealize women—or love?" his father murmured.
"You could say that. I might add that my hatred of Xavier Crowe is based on the other lives he's destroyed, and on the fact that he has gotten rich through piracy and deceit."
"Fair enough." Andre rose and wandered across the sitting room, pausing to light a cheroot. "I gather that you haven't told Adrienne about Eloise?"
"No, nor had I thought of her myself until you arrived!"
Andre held up a hand in surrender and disappeared into the dining room to admire the Imari china.
"As for you, Minter," Nathan said, relieved to be rid of his prying parent, "I want you to come to work here as my plantation manager—at least until I can find someone new whom I trust."
"God's foot, you can't be serious!" Zach exclaimed. "What do I know about such things?"
"Enough to cooperate with me for the next few weeks to get this estate in working order. I can't do it all myself, but I could manage with your help." He linked his strong fingers around one knee. "I can't go to sea until this mess is all straightened out, so it makes more sense for both of us to concentrate our energy here."
"If that's what you want, I'll do it," Zachary said warily, "but what about the Golden Eagle? What about the crew? We can't just walk away—"
Andre Raveneau came striding back across the Kuba rug, fragrant cheroot smoke curling upward in his wake. "Let me take her to sea. I'll take care of the ship until the two of you are able."
Nathan stood up to meet him. "If you think Mother will forgive me for keeping you here so long... I accept." He clasped his father's hand. "With gratitude."
* * *
The rest of the day was a blur for Adrienne. After learning that both Zachary Minter and her future father-in-law would be dining at Tempest Hall, she and Orchid began planning the menu and gathering ingredients. It was clear to Adrienne that, in view of Orchid's failing health, new house and kitchen maids must be trained, but she had no idea how to choose those girls from the field slaves, or exactly how to train them.
"Thank goodness Retta and I have already done so much of the cleaning these past two days,"
Adrienne remarked as she and Orchid washed mangoes to make into a pudding. "At least the most obvious problems, like the dusty shutters, are remedied."
"Captain never allow it if he see you scrubbing de house," Orchid replied. "If I feel better—"
"It's my house too. I don't need his permission to clean it." She smiled. "There is so much I don't know how to do yet that it was a relief to dust and wash and see the improvement. Orchid, will you teach me about taking care of a house like this?"
The old woman nodded. "De new broom sweep cleaner, but de ole broom know de corners!"
Adrienne felt a wave of longing for her mother. Seeing Andre Raveneau reminded her of the joys and frustrations of parents. She was as stubborn as Nathan when it came to listening to her parents' advice, but impending marriage softened her views.
"I like Nathan's father," Adrienne said. "And he mentioned a name that made me curious. Orchid, have you heard of a woman named Eloise Sinclair?"
"I—uh—what you say?" She was spared then by the appearance in the kitchen doorway of Philip and a tall, heavy -set woman. "Ah, here is Lily!" Orchid opened her arms. "Lily, this Mistress Beauvisage. I tell you 'bout she." She looked back to Adrienne, beaming. "Lily we daughter. She just have two baby boy, but now she work again. Captain say dat she may learn to be housekeeper."
Lily bore little resemblance to her parents except in her perceptive, intelligent eyes. After exchanging greetings with Adrienne, she said, "I am free, so I don' have to work, but Mama say dat you need help. She and Captain need help. He is good to us, so I help." She tightened the knot on her green-striped headtie and smiled at her mother. "Papa promise to watch me babies. What we fix to eat?"
Retta and Dolly were enlisted to peel and chop fresh fruits and vegetables, and once every decision was agreed upon, Orchid sent Adrienne up to her room for a bath and a nap.
"You mus' not be in de kitchen, Mistress. Lily do see dat I am safe an' well." She pointed to the doorway. "We all have a place here, and you do be mistress of de house."
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