Now when she looked back at her afternoon's adventure, the memory was tinged with foreboding... and the danger of her brush with death. She'd forgotten to mention the strange woman to Nathan, and a new instinct told her not to. Who was she and what had her cryptic warnings meant?
An hour later, Adrienne was still looking at the peeling walls when a soft tap came at her door.
"Adrienne? Are you awake?"
His voice sounded almost gentle, but she didn't answer. After one more try, Nathan went away.
Chapter 19
Adrienne and Nathan were married under the rose arbor in front of Tempest Hall, the day after word arrived from France that Nicholai and Lisette Beauvisage granted their blessing. Lisette had sent a trunk filled with her daughter's favorite clothes, books, and other keepsakes, and Nicholai had enclosed the deed to fifty acres of oceanfront land adjoining Xavier Crowe's estate on the southeastern coast of Barbados.
Not until she came into the garden and saw Nathan, a vicar, Orchid, Philip, and Lord and Lady McGrath from the next plantation east did Adrienne realize that Nathan had meant it when he said he thought a small wedding would be best.
There was no sign of either Andre Raveneau or Zachary Minter.
Still, standing under the arbor in a whisper-soft gown of white lawn, a garland of bright, exotic flowers decorating her hair, Adrienne tried to think only of Nathan. He looked devastatingly handsome, clad in cream pantaloons, a crisp white shirt and cravat, and a perfectly tailored swallow-tail coat of dark-blue broadcloth. His black hair was wind-blown and his tanned face lent him an air of danger. Adrienne had the rare opportunity to gaze into Nathan's sea-blue eyes while the vicar was speaking, and what she saw there both thrilled and unnerved her.
"Do you, Adrienne, take this man..."
Her hands began to perspire in his. Of all the risks she had embraced in her lifetime, this was the greatest. Heart pounding, Adrienne whispered, "I do."
As Nathan repeated his vows, he had to look away from his bride. He still couldn't believe this day was real. He had certainly tried every trick he could think of to minimize the significance of the wedding, including finding excuses to exclude his father and his best friend. If they could have married by post, Nathan would have done that.
One thing he would not do, however, was postpone the ceremony once the deed to the Beauvisage land arrived. Nathan couldn't consider the land his own until he fulfilled the rest of his bargain with Adrienne's father, and he was, with all his flaws, an honest man.
His own hands were cold as he found the carved gold band and slipped it onto her finger. "With this ring I thee wed, and with all my worldly goods I thee endow."
"I now pronounce you man and wife." The vicar, a gaunt man who read the words without expression, had not met even the groom until today. "You may kiss your bride, Captain Raveneau."
Something in Nathan's eyes made Adrienne take an involuntary step backward. Immediately, like a cat, he closed the distance between them and captured her in a hard embrace. Startled, Adrienne couldn't breathe for a moment. His arms seemed more powerful than ever and when he kissed her, his demanding mouth evoked sensations that made her shiver in the heat.
In the background, Orchid was weeping and clapping. Lord and Lady McGrath stiffly offered congratulations, then she said something about being under the weather.
"Good of you to ask us," Lord McGrath muttered, "but we must go."
His wife was watching Adrienne closely. After a moment she looked at Nathan and said sweetly, "Oh, Captain Raveneau, I happened to see Eloise Crowe at the milliner's yesterday. She was having the most fetching bonnet made; I think she grows younger by the year." Still smiling, Lady McGrath tried to pretend she didn't notice that a rivulet of perspiration was drizzling down her pudgy, powdered cheek. "I mentioned your impending nuptials, but she hadn't heard. She begged that I convey her sincere wishes for your lasting happiness...."
Lord McGrath was scarlet with embarrassment. "My dear, I really don't think—"
"My lady," Adrienne interjected in cheerful tones, "if you should see Mrs. Crowe again, do thank her for her kindness. I look forward to meeting her at last when Nathan and I are finished with our—" She rested her cheek against his shoulder and gazed dreamily up at him. "—honeymoon."
"Quite, quite," McGrath blustered. He gripped his wife's arm and led her off toward their landau before she could say another word.
Adrienne felt slightly dizzy and wondered if she would be ill. As they went into the house for a light celebratory meal, she lingered at the edge of the dining room.
"What's wrong?" Nathan asked. Retta came toward them with glasses of champagne on a tray, and he accepted one for both Adrienne and himself.
"I don't feel well." She managed a weak smile. "Perhaps it's all the excitement. I think I ought to go upstairs and lie down for a while."
* * *
There was so much work to be done on the plantation, as the new crop of sugarcane was planted, that the new bridegroom went back out into the fields. The ground was covered with shallow holes, and slaves were putting cane cuttings into them. Zachary Minter stood sweating in the afternoon sun, talking with the overseer.
"For God's sake, what are you doing here?" Minter exclaimed upon sighting Raveneau.
Nathan had changed into light biscuit trousers and a loose white shirt, and gave no sign that he was now a married man. "Adrienne wasn't feeling well. She went upstairs for a rest, and I thought you might need me out here."
"Did you explain to her why I wasn't at the wedding?" He shaded his eyes against the sunlight. "I think we're both beasts for deciding that I couldn't spare the time to be a witness—"
"I think it was just as well. Lord and Lady McGrath came to sign the papers and, I expect, to have a look at the new Mrs. Raveneau. They're doubtless making a tour of the island this afternoon to spread the word."
"Nothing wrong with that." Zachary watched his friend's rakish profile, but it gave nothing away. "Did it go well? Are you... happy?"
Nathan shrugged. "Well enough. But I should be asking you how this work is progressing." His gaze traveled over the lines of slaves, laboring in the punishing sun. "It's hard to watch, isn't it? Now I remember why I chose to be an absentee planter."
"Believe me, I would do this only for you. It's hell to watch the slaves sweating like this."
"I suppose we ought to change the system one day."
"In the meantime, we are behind with the planting. It was a wonder that the last crop was harvested and processed at all, given Horner's poor performance. Now time is of the essence."
"You know that there must be three thousand holes for every acre of land, right?"
"Yes. And a cane cutting placed in each hole, then covered with mold." Zachary began rolling up his sleeves. "The ground is showing signs of overuse, you know. There are plenty of problems to address when you have a moment."
Nathan drew a harsh breath and replied ironically, "You make it sound so inviting. We'll sit down together and discuss your concerns—but first I suppose I ought to visit my bride."
"Wait." Zach touched Raveneau's sleeve. "I haven't any right to interfere, but I have known you all my life, and—"
"Yes, yes, go ahead," Nathan retorted tersely.
"I just want to say that I think your new wife is a splendid woman, and you are a fortunate man. I know that you both are stubborn and proud, but now that you're married, couldn't that be put aside? Adrienne cares for you, you know. She could make you a damned fine helpmate, if you'll let her."
Nathan nodded slowly. "Yes... well, we shall see." He patted his friend's shoulder, then started back to Tempest Hall.
* * *
His hair still wet, Nathan came from the bathhouse into the shadowed back hallway. Through the door to the serving room, he could see Orchid, sitting in an old chair, watching Lily and Retta clean a batch of flying fish.
"Captain?" she called, and leaned forward so that he couldn't slip out of her view.<
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"Hmm?" Nathan moved toward the doorway but did not enter. "I was just going up to see if Adrienne is awake yet."
She pursed her lips, obviously making an effort not to say everything that was on her mind. Instead she muttered, "I never see a wedding day like dis."
"Yes, it was a shame that Adrienne didn't feel well." Nathan stared Orchid down, then added, "I'm not hungry. I ate enough for the whole day at the wedding meal."
"I send a tray up to Mistress Raveneau." Orchid nodded toward the empty dishes. "She seem better. Some way, at leas'."
"As always, I deeply appreciate your tact and restraint."
"You miss me when you go away!" she reminded him as he moved out of sight. "Goat head every day better dan cow head every Saturday!"
"Words to live by, I'm sure."
Ascending the stairs, Nathan realized that the house was slowly changing. When he had first come here as the new owner two years ago, Tempest Hall had been run down, and since it was already furnished, it felt like someone else's home. Nathan had been away most of the time since then. Each visit had strengthened his bond with Orchid and Philip, and he'd slowly come to know the names of other slaves. The seed of a desire to stay and make Tempest Hall his real home began to take root—and now it had happened, almost without his realizing it.
Adrienne's subtle touches were everywhere, from the newly washed and painted shutters, to the floors that smelled of polish, to the bouquets of flowers, large and small, that seemed to grace every room and corner. Nathan felt a twinge in the area of his heart as it occurred to him that he had backed into marriage just as he had backed into residing full time at Tempest Hall.
He was deep into a new life but unable to look at it squarely... yet. Part of him still wanted to bolt, to swing onto a stallion's back and gallop down the coast to Bridgetown, back to the sure escape the Golden Eagle had always afforded. At sea, Nathan was master of all he surveyed, and there were no realities except the water, the next adventure, and the distance from conventional existence.
He stood in front of Adrienne's door and wondered how it could be possible that he now had a wife. He knocked.
"Adrienne? Are you awake?"
"Yes," came her muffled reply.
"May I come in?"
A full minute passed, and then the door opened. Adrienne had changed into a plain chemise frock, and in the distance Nathan glimpsed the wedding gown she'd worn earlier in a pile on the floor. The garland of flowers that had graced her chestnut curls now lay forgotten amid the folds of white lawn.
She stared at the floor. "I don't have anything to say to you right now, and I certainly do not intend to consummate our marriage tonight."
"Indeed?" He tried not to smile. "I suppose I shall have to content myself with memories, then."
"Don't be crude." Adrienne turned away and walked barefoot to look out on the balcony.
Although she appeared to be dismissing him, Nathan chose to close the door and follow her across the room instead. "I gather that you are disappointed... with me. Are you going to make me guess what I've done wrong?" He touched her shoulder. "Was it the wedding?"
She fought the power of her attraction to him and tried not to smell his freshly washed skin. More tanned and lean-muscled with each passing day, Nathan was nearly impossible to resist.
Adrienne's will prevailed, however, and stirred the embers of her anger. "You were never this dull-witted in England, sir! How do you think I felt when you invited no one of meaning except two beloved servants to our wedding? I expected to find at least my father-in-law and Zachary among the guests, but instead there were two strangers who treated me as if I were an interloper!"
He frowned. "My father can't be riding back and forth between Tempest Hill and Bridgetown every day! And Zach had to oversee the work in the fields. You have no idea how far behind we are. Why I had to go back out myself this afternoon!"
"What a terrible hardship that must have been!" Adrienne shouted sarcastically, whirling on him. "Do you take me for a fool? You would have grasped at any excuse to separate yourself from me today!"
"You are the one who rushed away to your room before I could even propose a toast to my new bride!" he shot back.
"Don't imagine that I can be confused. You know me better than that." To her horror, Adrienne felt her eyes pool with hot tears. "Today I felt as if I were some dirty little secret that you were sweeping under the rug. Your planter friends imagine that you have only married me because you couldn't have Eloise!"
Nathan looked stunned at first, then furious. "You—you—Oh, for God's sake, stop crying! You don't know what you're talking about."
"I am waiting for your explanation."
Running a hand through his hair, he muttered, "I haven't worked it out yet in my own mind."
"You mean you don't want to tell me about her."
"No, it's that I'm not certain what to say yet." The anger seemed to drain out of him at the sight of her anguished face. "Adrienne, it's not that I'm ashamed of you. Never that. It's marriage that worries me."
Her stomach hurt. "Leave me alone."
"This is a damned odd way to have a wedding night," Nathan complained. He opened the door to their shared dressing room and looked back at her. "A lot of women marry men much worse than I, you know."
"And you're modest as well," she parried sarcastically.
"You jest? Perhaps you have forgotten that you belong to me now."
"I curse your bloody men's laws! I belong only to myself. Get out!"
He stared back at her, eyes flashing. "I trust that you remember where to find me, my dear."
"Snow will fall on Barbados before I come to your bed!"
"An empty threat." A hint of a smile played at the corners of his mouth, and Adrienne blushed. As he made his exit, Nathan added, "Good night, for now... Mrs. Raveneau."
* * *
Lonely and hungry, Adrienne lay awake in her bed and wondered what time it was. Moonlight made luminous pools across the sheets. Was it past midnight? Hours seemed to pass as she tried in vain to fall asleep.
How had their relationship come to this? Could this be the same man who had once worked at appearing so earnest in his spectacles and unfashionable clothes? Adrienne's heart ached for Nathan Essex and the carefree humor and antagonism that had existed between them at Harms Castle.
She closed her eyes and imagined that they were in Lady Thomasina's library again, laughing and laboring together over her ridiculous Systems. Then they had walked together in the garden maze and eaten side by side in the servants' kitchen. And in spite of Adrienne's protestations, he had helped her contend with the eccentricities and hidden dangers at Harms Castle.
Nathan had always been an enigma, yet she had instinctively trusted him. Their lives had been entwined since the moment of their meeting on Oxford Street, when they had stopped traffic.
We are married! Adrienne thought. Whatever the reason was for Nathan's difficulty in opening his heart and giving up his freedom, she knew that he was not really a cold man. She'd seen gentler emotions in his eyes too many times. Sighing, she sat up and slipped her feet over the edge of the bed. A small lizard darted out, just grazing her toes, and disappeared onto the balcony.
Adrienne smiled. She slipped a Circassian wrapper over her nightgown, brushed her hair, and went into the dressing room with a pounding heart. There was a faint strip of light under the door to Nathan's bedchamber, and as she raised her hand and knocked, Adrienne felt a warm surge of joy.
"Nathan! A gruesome-looking reptile has just come out from under my bed!" She did her best to sound frightened. "Can I come in?"
"Yes—the door is open."
Adrienne entered slowly, brimming with mixed emotions. The room's lemon-hued walls were burnished with candlelight and shadows, and the big four-poster Hepplewhite bed was empty, its sheets in disarray. The room smelled faintly of cheroot smoke.
"Here I am."
She looked around the door and found him seated at
his desk near the window, writing in the same dark blue leather volume she had seen at Harms Castle. Mahogany shelves, brimming with books, lined the wall behind him. There was a small glass of brandy at Nathan's elbow, and although he was still clothed, his shirt was open and his dark chest exposed.
"It must have been a lizard that you saw—hardly huge, my dear. I find it hard to believe that this was your first glimpse of one. They're as common as crickets on Barbados."
"Well... this lizard looked bigger to me."
He drew on his cheroot, eyes narrowed. "They are both harmless and helpful; they eat the insects. Were you really afraid?"
"Now that you put it that way... perhaps not. He must have startled me in the darkness." Pinned by her new husband's gaze, she swallowed. "I can't sleep."
"Would you like a drink?"
"Please." Adrienne was giddy to have received such an invitation. She hurried over and took the cane chair near his.
Nathan poured a little brandy into another glass, handed it to her, and toasted with a sardonic flourish. "Well, here's to our wedding night. And here's to our marriage. It's going awfully well so far, don't you think?"
His razor-sharp tone brought tears to her eyes. "I—gather that you blame me? I can speak only for myself, but I am feeling sad... about today. I expected to see your father, and certainly Zachary, at our wedding. Their absence seemed to be a way for you to let me know that this marriage is not—valued by you."
"Well, that's clear enough." Nathan was at a loss. Now what should he do? If he let his own heart open in response to her eloquent appeal, what would happen? "I do see your point. I suppose I thought that we had a different sort of arrangement and that you understood." He felt like the worst sort of cad, especially when he saw her beautiful green eyes swimming with tears.
"I did agree, but I don't know if I can fulfill that part of our bargain." Her lower lip trembled. "I am a real person, not a hollow shell. I know that I adored the idea of coming to this wild, exotic place and entering into another adventure with you, but I find that I am... lonely."
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