Magic in Her Eyes

by Donna Dalton

  He trapped the back of her head with his palm and proceeded to devour her with little nibbles and flicks of his tongue. He teased her lips apart and slipped inside. A groan erupted in her throat. This was the toe-curling, mind-numbing kiss her maid had gone on about. Her head spun, and all thoughts evaporated like raindrops on parched earth.

  Deft fingers worked at the buttons on her blouse. Before she knew it, cool air bathed her exposed skin. Her nipples grew taut with want. Preston obliged. He slid a hand under her blouse and fingered a needy peak. Heat swept through her and pooled between her legs. She moaned again and arched against him.

  His mouth left hers and travelled down her neck. His warm breath whispered over her flesh, leaving a fiery trail in its wake.

  “You want me.” He pulled her against him. “As I want you. I’ve fought my hunger for as long as I can. But it’s a battle I cannot win.”

  His male hardness pressed into her belly, and cold reality flooded her brain. Being with him this way was wrong. So very wrong. And dangerous.

  She pulled away. “Preston…w-we can’t.”

  “Why can’t we?” He planted kisses along the hollow at the base of her neck. “We’re two consenting, unattached adults.”

  Tingles budded around his touch. “It’s not proper. W-we hardly know each other.”

  “We get on well enough. Besides, I know all I need to know about you. You’re smart and loyal and captivatingly spirited. We could have a wonderful future together.”

  He said nothing of his feelings for her—nothing of love. A bucket of cold water couldn’t have cooled her faster. She pushed out of his arms and backed away, fastening buttons as she moved. “I c-can’t do this.”

  “Meredith—”

  “Goodnight, Lieutenant Booth.” She batted aside the canvas and fled into the night, chased by the strident bugle notes of Taps.

  Chapter Nine

  Meredith plucked a carrot from the basket and sliced it into strips. Cooking them wouldn’t take long. The vegetables were already limp from the incredible heat. So was she. She swiped perspiration from her forehead with her apron. Preston must be suffering, too. Those wool uniforms trapped warmth like a lid on a pot. Though in all reality, she had probably inflicted a lot more discomfort than the heat.

  As much as she hated causing him pain, she couldn’t allow herself to be drawn into such a dangerous whirlpool. Getting involved with him, getting close to him, made the likelihood of her secret being uncovered ever greater. Even if she did tell him, he would cast her off just as her family had. Her battered heart couldn’t bear his rejection.

  She chopped with more force than needed. The knife tip grazed her finger. Red bubbled up from the gash. She gasped and lifted the stinging finger to her mouth. Of all the dumb things. She shouldn’t let herself be distracted by her own troubles. She needed to focus on the children and what they were going to do once the renegades were captured.

  She retrieved a strip of bandaging from the medical basket and wrapped it around her finger. The bleeding stemmed, she returned to her task and to more productive thoughts. Preston had suggested approaching the townsfolk for assistance with finding a place to stay until the orphanage could be re-built. She’d have better luck trying to convince the sun not to rise. After the mess hall debacle, they were more likely to be chased out of town with nothing but the clothes on their backs.

  Everything is going to be all right, Miss Talbot.

  The child’s voice echoed inside her head. Meredith spun on her heels. All the children sat quietly on the other side of the room, working on afternoon lessons. None were paying her any mind. Several were just about to nod off, heads bowed and eyelids drooping. Even the ever-studious Maddie was using her lesson book as a pillow.

  “Which one of you said that?”

  Sluggish gazes rounded on her. Robbie stretched his arms out and yawned. Maddie lifted her head, blinking sleep from eyes.

  “Said what, Miss Talbot?” Lily asked.

  “I heard someone whispering to me in my head. Which one of you did that?” None of them, to her knowledge, had mastered such a feat.

  Gabe plopped his slate on the table with a grunt. “Wasn’t me. But I wished it was. I woulda told you it’s too dang hot in here for lessons.”

  Robbie nodded. “Can we go outside and play? Please, Miss Talbot? We ain’t been outside in three days.”

  “We haven’t. And I’m sorry, but we can’t go outside. Remember what happened when you and Gabe went to the well? We want the townsfolk to forget we are here. Then maybe they’ll leave us alone.”

  Hopeful faces plummeted. Her heart fell with them. She didn’t want to be so merciless, but she had to—for their safety.

  The front door squealed open, and she turned to see who had arrived. The doorway was empty. So was the yard beyond it. Nothing stirred, not even the curtains at the window. A breeze hadn’t blown open the door…

  Meredith leveled a glare at the culprit. “Gabe, close that door.”

  His brow puckered. “Aw, Miss Talbot. If we can’t go outside, can’t we at least let a little air in here? It’s so hot, I can hardly breathe.”

  “We can’t give those mean-hearted people such easy access to us. Not until Major Allen puts a stop to all the harassment. Now, close the door.” When it didn’t budge, she put more steam into her tone. “Gabriel Hunt.”

  “Fine.” The door slammed shut, making the window curtains billow inward. She couldn’t blame him for the display. She was just as frustrated by the situation, but she couldn’t let anger drive her to be reckless. It would only make matters worse.

  “All right, now back to your studies.”

  Groans met her decree. Someone grumbled about turning into a roasted hunk of meat. Another claimed to be a puddle of melted butter.

  Lily closed her history book. “I agree with the others. It’s too hot to concentrate. I keep reading the same passage over and over, and I still don’t know what it said. Perhaps we could practice our other lessons for a while. Clear our heads.”

  Eager eyes plowed into her, pleading for her agreement. It was hard to say no to such sweet-faced cherubs. She scooped the carrots into a pan of sugared water and set it on the stove to boil. “Very well. But restrict your practicing to small tasks and most importantly keep your voices down. We don’t want anyone coming to investigate strange noises.”

  Yips and the scraping of chair legs greeted her announcement. Meredith walked to the window and tugged the makeshift curtain closed. Even though it cut off any chance of a stray breeze, she couldn’t risk prying eyes observing the abnormal activities.

  She crossed to where Robbie and Becky sat on the floor. The pair had coaxed a chipmunk through a hole in the mud chinking and were busy conversing with the inquisitive creature. On the other side of the twins, Gabe had his jacks spread out in front of him. One at a time, the metal spikes rose, floated for a second, and then clattered back to the floor.

  “Try making a pattern suspended in the air,” she urged.

  “Like what?”

  “Form them into the outline of a star.”

  Half a dozen jacks lifted, began to spread, and then clanked to the floor. Gabe’s expression curdled. “I can’t do it. Not all at one time.”

  “Yes, you can. Concentrate. See the pattern in your head. Move each jack until they line up as you want them.” Mildred had used the same positive encouragement when teaching her to control her gift. She could only hope it worked better on Gabe.

  The jacks rose again. This time, the cluster unfurled slowly, and the outline of a star began to form. All of the jacks remained airborne until they molded into a perfect pattern.

  Gabe’s frown blossomed into a satisfied grin. “I did it. I made a star.”

  She gave a soft grunt. Maybe she was better at mentoring than she thought. “So you did. Keep practicing. Try more difficult patterns.”

  Sitting beside him on the floor, Sally tapped his arm and pointed to the flower design on her dres
s.

  “You want me to make a flower?” Gabe asked.

  Sally nodded. Gabe’s sister hadn’t yet shown any signs of a talent. She didn’t even speak. The doctors couldn’t find anything physically wrong with her. They attributed her muteness to the tragedy of losing her parents at a young age and insisted she would talk when ready. Meredith’s heart went out to the girl. She supposed something that heartbreaking would cause any child to crawl into a cave of silence.

  As Gabe worked on creating a flower pattern, Meredith moved to the table where Lily and Maddie sat huddled over a dealing of tarot cards.

  “What is it, Lily?” Maddie asked. “What do you see for my future?”

  Ten-year-old Madalene Fontaine and her devoted nanny had fled New Orleans when her guardians attempted to use her special skills for nefarious purposes. They found refuge with a tribe of Choctaw Indians and lived there until the aging nanny succumbed to an illness. Not long after, Mildred had discovered the girl and convinced her to come to Seaton House. No doubt the girl’s future would hold just as much drama and intrigue.

  Lily tapped the first card. “This is the Chariot. It tells me that you will be the commander of your destiny. That no matter what the odds you will be successful.”

  “I like that card. Tell me more.”

  “It also warns that your determination to succeed may lead to a desire to win at all costs. Winning isn’t everything, Maddie. It’s the start of things.”

  “Pooh. What does that other card say? Will I find a nice, handsome husband? Preferably one that doesn’t drink or swear or use his fists.” Maddie’s mouth pinched into a frown. “Uncle Abelard was like that. He was meaner than a copperhead.”

  Lily moved to the next card. “This is Justice. The man in your life will need to find balance before you can discover each other. He has lived too long in one world. To balance the scales, he will need to be level-headed and not be tricked by emotions or passion.”

  “Humph, I’ll just mix up a potion. Then he’ll fall in love with me, and we can marry.”

  Meredith sank onto a chair. “Is that what you want, Maddie? For a man to love you because a potion made him? Don’t you want him to love you for yourself? For who you are?”

  Maddie cocked her head and studied her with keen eyes. “Is that why you won’t set your cap for Lieutenant Booth? Are you afraid he won’t love you for who you are?”

  Leave it to Maddie to call a spade a spade. “We’re not talking about me right now.”

  “But we should.” Maddie scooped up the cards and handed them to Lily. “Let’s do a reading for Miss Talbot.”

  “Not today, girls. Maybe another time.” Why be reminded of a future that held no chance at happiness with a man, and most certainly not with Lieutenant Booth?

  Lily shuffled the cards. “Give it a try, Miss Talbot. Maybe the cards will help you see things differently.”

  And maybe they wouldn’t. “I appreciate the offer, but I believe I will decline.”

  Undeterred, Lily shoved the cards toward her. “What’s the harm? You can take the message to heart or not. Just cut the deck with your left hand, and I’ll do the rest.”

  “Why my left hand?”

  “Because it’s closer to your heart and will show what’s inside it.”

  The only thing the cards would show of her heart was a raw, weeping wound. Two expectant faces peered up at her. Very well. She would play along. As Lily said, what could it harm?

  She cut the deck, and Lily placed the bottom half on top and peeled off a card. The girl’s forehead bunched. “The High Priestess. She shines a light on what you might not otherwise see. But you will need some time alone, some quiet time to reflect on your feelings.”

  Meredith nodded. “Good advice.”

  “It also shows that secret paths and hidden dangers will be revealed, either passed on by someone else or coming by way of visions.”

  Great. Just what she needed more visions. She’d be sure to stay away from any deep-rooted trees.

  “Now for the lieutenant’s card.” Lily turned over a second card. A smile blossomed on her face. “Lovers. He is powerfully drawn to someone or something. But he has a choice to make.”

  Of course he did…her or his career. Misery toppled her stack of cards. There was no doubt in her mind which he would choose.

  ****

  “My door is open if your mind is changed, Meredith.”

  All her mind seemed to do lately was change. From wanting Preston, to knowing she shouldn’t. He had mentioned having a future together. Part of her wanted the normalcy of a husband and a family. The sane part of her shouted her life would never be normal.

  “Thank you for the offer, Jana. But I think we will just stay at the jailhouse for now. The harassment seems to have died down. We should be safe.”

  “I’m glad to hear it. I vas vorried I might have caused more problems than you needed.”

  “We will be fine.”

  “Vera well. Good day to you, and tank you again for all your kindness.” Jana waved to the children playing on the back stoop and headed for the roadway.

  A cloud rolled across the sun, plunging Jana into gloom. Meredith’s arms prickled with gooseflesh. She prayed it wasn’t an ill omen. Jana had decided to move back into her home, confident the Indians would prove less dangerous than the unfriendly townsfolk. She had even offered to let Meredith and the children stay with her. It was a kind offer, one that required thoughtful consideration. Poking a hornet’s nest would be most unwise and unhealthy.

  Meredith stopped beneath the thin rope stretching from the jailhouse to a tall pole planted in the ground. During the free time from his duties, Private Greene had erected a makeshift clothes line for them. They were lucky to have such a kind and generous man as a friend. Too bad there weren’t more like him. It would make life at the fort so much more tolerable.

  She plopped the basket of laundry onto the ground, sending long-legged grasshoppers scattering in all directions. The insects seemed to have multiplied overnight. Yesterday, only a handful had plagued her chores. Today, there were dozens more. She would have to remember to shake out the clothes before bringing them inside, else they risked having unwanted guests.

  As the sun broke free of the clouds, she plucked a shirt from the basket and pinned it to the line. Next came a pair of pants, one knee sporting a silver dollar-sized hole. The boys went through clothes like mice through burlap. She envisioned a young Preston being just as rough on clothing—running through the woods, climbing trees, and crawling over rocks while chasing imaginary foes. Little would stop the hard-charging youngster who had become a harder-charging man.

  Brisk bugle notes blasted the air. She stilled and listened. Morning Assembly. Private Greene had taught her what the various bugle sounds meant. This one called the soldiers to formation for their morning drills. There was also Mess Call, which even the children recognized and without being told, lined up for the trek to the dining hall. Tattoo was the last call of the day. Private Greene had told her that before the influx of civilians, the entire command would parade around the central field in the evening for an inspection of equipment and discipline. Major Allen had curtailed that practice due to the overcrowding. That was unfortunate. The children would have enjoyed such a grand spectacle.

  She bent and retrieved another pair of pants. Preston had probably learned all the various bugle calls at an early age, considering his father had been in the military. A classmate from her primary school had complained about never being able to stay in one place for long because of her father’s frequent reassignments. Perhaps that was why Preston only gave a vague reference to a possible future for them. He was incapable of putting down roots.

  A shadow darkened the ground, and the man plaguing her thoughts materialized. Her pulse set to hammering, just as it always did around him.

  “Was that Mrs. Valder who just left?” he asked.

  “It was.” She draped the pants over the rope. “Why do you ask
?”

  “I have some news, and part of it involves her.”

  “Oh? What is that?”

  “Not yet. First…” Preston captured her hand and caressed the tops of her fingers with his thumb. “You left last night before we could finish our…conversation.”

  She wanted to pull away, should pull away. Letting him hold her in such an intimate fashion would only encourage him to think she had reconsidered. But his tender touch held her mesmerized.

  She averted her gaze. One look from those smoldering eyes and she would buckle. “There’s nothing more to discuss.”

  “I disagree. You ran out of my tent as if being chased by the hounds of hell. What are you afraid of, Meredith? You know I would never hurt you.”

  Of course he wouldn’t. Not intentionally. What hurt was the ache to be with him, yet knowing that would never be possible. She tugged out of his grasp and busied herself with hanging the laundry. She didn’t want him to see the pain that had to be clearly visible on her face. Her eyes burned with it.

  “I realize I carried things too far last night.” His tone rang with sincerity and regret. “I apologize for that. It was ungentlemanly of me. I promise to restrain myself in the future. I’d like to court you if you’ll allow it. So we can get to know one another properly.”

  He wanted to court her, to build a relationship—one that could possibly end with a proposal of marriage. Her insides twisted. Instead of the laundry, she jabbed her finger with the clothes pin. She jerked away with a yelp.

  “What have you done?” He moved to her side and reached for her hand. “Let me see.”

  She avoided him with a retreating step and rubbed her smarting finger. “There’s no need. It’s fine. I’m just a little clumsy this morning. I didn’t sleep well.”

  “Because of me? Again, I apologize for upsetting you. It wasn’t my intention. I want to make things right between us…” His lips puckered. “Although I don’t know how much time we’ll have together before I have to leave.”