Wild Lord Taggart

by Tammy Jo Burns

  “Have the men returned?”

  “No.”

  “I’ve never seen anything so horrible in my life, and dear God, I hope I never do again.” He scrubbed his face as if he could erase what he saw. He took a deep breath before he continued, “There were three heads on the beach when the tide receded. Three women. Circe went crazy, used her hands to try to dig them out, screaming the entire time.”

  Both O’Connor and Ruth crossed themselves before they gripped each other’s hands. Reese could see the fear etched on their faces. A knock sounded at the kitchen door, causing all three adults to jump. Both men went on the defensive and Ruth rushed to scoop up the baby, holding it protectively against her. Reese and O’Connor carefully walked to the door and opened it.

  “What shall we do with the bodies, O’Connor?” one of the men asked. All of them looked shaken.

  “Give them a proper burial,” Reese said.

  “I need to see who they are,” O’Connor interjected before he followed the man out the door. It took a minute for him to return, his pallor ashen.

  When Ruth saw him, she walked to his side and put a comforting arm around him. He wrapped her up tight while Reese walked over to some bottles and poured all three of them a draught of whisky. “Who was it?” Ruth asked her husband.

  “Granny Mabel, her granddaughter, and another woman. I didn’t know her.”

  “Molly. She was Circe’s maid.”

  “They drowned, but were tortured ‘fore that.”

  “Dear God,” Ruth said softly, trembling in her husband’s arms. The baby started whimpering between them, upset at being squeezed so tightly and picking up on the fear in the room. Sean helped her to sit and she tried to soothe the babe. “She has t’ be stopped,” Ruth announced.

  “We’re not gettin’ involved,” Sean told her.

  “Someone has t’ stop her. She can’t keep destroyin’ people. She’s evil t’ her soul, if she has one. She prob’ly sold it t’ the devil along wi’ that nanny of hers.”

  “Maybe Circe and I should leave Barbados.”

  “The evilness will follow you. Her reach is long,” Ruth said frankly.

  “Who?

  “Dorothea,” Ruth replied frankly.

  “You jest. No woman could do this.”

  “The worst thing you can do is underestimate her,” O’Connor said.

  Circe’s voice, husky from crying, wafted to them from the entryway and said with conviction, “I want to know everything about her, because I will see that she never hurts anyone I care about ever again.”

  * * *

  “What are you doing out of bed?” Reese demanded.

  Circe watched Reese stride across the room towards her. She closed her eyes and luxuriated in the feel of his strong arms wrapped around her. Even though he had yet to say the words, she believed that he loved her and would not react this way with any other woman. Or would he? a little niggling of doubt clawed at the back of her mind. That doubt was enough for her to pull away from him and stand on her own. She caught a glimpse of his face and thought she saw a glimmer of sadness, but she did her best to ignore it.

  “I am all right. It seems Tally likes to take her half of the bed out of the middle.”

  “She does at that,” Ruth said with a smile.

  “At least ye got out before she started kickin’ ye,” Sean said ruefully.

  “I only wish,” Circe said with a soft chuckle, rubbing her hip.

  “I’m sorry,” Ruth said.

  “It is perfectly all right. Now, shall we sit down and discuss Dorothea? As I said, I want to know everything I possibly can about her.”

  Ruth looked at her husband. His expression was mutinous. “She needs t’ know, if for no other reason than t’ be watchful.”

  “Fine,” Sean muttered.

  “I’ll start some tea,” Ruth said.

  “Give me the baby,” Circe instructed. When she had the little boy in her arms, she buried her nose in his neck and inhaled all that was pure and good and right. She made her way around the table and Reese solicitously helped her sit down and then sat beside her. Circe rocked sideways as she rubbed the baby’s back comfortingly. They all sat there quietly waiting for Ruth to join them with the tea. Circe could feel Reese’s worried gaze on her.

  When Ruth joined them, she poured tea for everyone. Finally, the clinking stopped, and Circe studied Sean and Ruth’s faces. She could easily see their distress, but she refused to go along blindly in regard to Dorothea a moment longer.

  “I can see this is something you do not want to talk about, and I am sorry to cause you any pain, but I need to know about Dorothea. Perhaps it would be better if I tell you what I do know. She is three and twenty and has now buried three husbands. She was practically raised by her nanny who was Granny Mabel’s sister. The woman taught Dorothea something dark and sinister, but what, I do not know. Dorothea is…”

  “Evil.”

  “Controlling and manipulative. The servants are frightened of her. They scurry around the house doing her bidding. When you speak to them they never meet your eyes. If you move a certain way, they flinch. I know she physically abuses them, even if she does not wield the whip. Granny Mabel told me something about dark magic, but I have trouble believing that everything that has occurred is because of magic of any kind.”

  “Magic, religion, call it what you will, it’s very real,” Sean said.

  “Religion?”

  “Voodoo,” Sean said.

  “No, Sean, it’s much worse than Voodoo. It is similar in some ways, but it is much worse in others.”

  “My uncle spoke of Voodoo, but did not know a lot about it.”

  “Well, I know nothing about it,” Reese said.

  “Voodoo is an ancient religion here on the islands,” Ruth explained. “Our forefathers brought it from Africa. The chanting and drummin’ that you’ve heard at night are part of the ceremonies.”

  “Is there more?”

  “Yes. There can be sacrifices, possessions, as well as other things that go on. There are prophets and prophetesses that are overseers of the people who practice voodoo. They guide their followers spiritually, and whatever life-matters they need help with.”

  “Life-matters?” Circe asked.

  “Women seek help findin’ love, havin’ children, keepin’ their men from strayin’,” Ruth explained.

  “Men go for good crops, virility, wealth, and even in hopes of effecting the weather,” Sean added.

  “All of the things the two of you mentioned are things beyond our control. They are acts of fate, nature, or even God. How do people expect a man or woman to help them with these things?” Circe asked, truly confused.

  “Charms, potions, and rituals,” Ruth answered.

  “That sounds like witchcraft from our land,” Reese said speaking for the first time since they all sat down.

  “So you believe this Voodoo is what Dorothea is involved in?”

  “No,” Ruth shook her head in the negative. “Voodoo is ultimately good. It was not created to hurt people but to help. What Dorothea does, what her nanny taught her, is a dark magic. It has many of the same beliefs as Voodoo, but it has been twisted and made evil by those that use it. People turn to it who are hungry for power or have become frustrated with Voodoo and the lack of results it sometimes brings about.”

  “Ruth, how do you know so much about Dorothea and all of this?”

  “I—”

  “Go ahead, love. They need to know that you know what you are talkin’ about.”

  “Dorothea is my half-sister,” Ruth announced.

  “What?!”

  Reese’s loud question startled the baby, and Circe swayed and patted his back trying to calm him. It was calming her, as well. This woman sitting across from her had kept this secret from her. What other secrets was she hiding?

  “It’s true. Her…our father was a missionary on another island. My mother was the daughter of servants and was a maid in the house. I am to
ld she was beautiful and didn’t seek his attention. In fact, she was to marry one of the male house slaves. They were in love. She had done well avoiding the master, then one day her luck ran out. He cornered her, raped her, and threatened her to keep quiet. Frightened, she did as he said.”

  “Oh, Ruth,” Circe said softly.

  “It wasn’t the last time. She became his plaything against her will. It was only when her belly started growing bigger that he realize he had put a baby there—me. He was done with her. Her man would have nothing t’ do with her either. I was told she lost the will t’ live. She tried on several occasions t’ take her own life, but for whatever reason she was never successful. The woman that raised me said it was all part of the plan for me t’ survive. When it was time t’ have me, she was weak, almost too weak. Giving me life was the last thing she did.”

  “There are all sorts of evil in this world, and unfortunately men of the cloth are not immune to temptation. Ruth, I wish I knew what to say.” Circe passed Reese the sleeping baby and stood up so she could sit beside her friend. She wrapped her arms around her in a comforting manner.

  “You’re right, and lots of women die in childbirth,” Ruth said, shrugging.

  The baby gave a sudden outraged wail causing Circe to look up at Reese. A stricken look flashed across his face before he hid it. Ruth stood and walked around the table, plucking her son from Reese’s arms. Circe made her way back to Reese’s side. She felt his fingers entwine with hers beneath the table.

  “What happened after that?” Circe prodded.

  “My grandparents couldn’t stand the sight of me. I was a bastard conceived in a horrible manner, and I had robbed them of their precious daughter. I can’t even blame them for the way they felt.”

  “You were an innocent child.”

  “Not all people think like that,” Sean interjected.

  “How did you come to be here?” Circe asked.

  “I was sent t’ my grandmother’s mother and was raised by her. She was more forgiving’ of how I came t’ be. She loved me.”

  “I am certain she was a special woman,” Circe said. “I would have liked to have known her.”

  “Ye did. It was Granny Mabel.”

  “You jest.”

  “No. It’s the truth. When I was old enough t’ work, I was put in place as a maid for the master’s daughter, my half-sister, Dorothea. She didn’t know who I was fer a while. Her nanny eventually told her. Dorothea looked fer me t’ do somethin’ wrong, real or imagined. I was whipped and mistreated. If Granny Mabel hadn’t given me the talisman I wear, I prob’ly wouldn’t be here now. I was part of Dorothea’s dowry when she married her first husband. She insisted on it. That’s how I met Sean. He worked for the master.”

  “When our master died it was suspicious. He was young and in excellent health. Dorothea had been havin’ an affair with a man that had property here. He’d been friends with her husband and came for a visit and stayed when he saw her. When they married all of her personal slaves and servants were loaded onto a ship and brought here t’ Barbados. Our old master died without an heir, so some of his servants were left behind to run the plantation. I snuck onto the ship because I refused t’ be separated from Ruth. We loved one another and I feared for her life. When we arrived at the docks here, we managed to get lost in the crowd. Then we made our way inland and hid wherever we could until we came across this place,” Sean explained.

  “Now I can see why a deserted plantation would hold a certain appeal to you. I never quite understood that before,” Reese said.

  “Yes.” Sean nodded. “We found rodents much preferable to Dorothea. We don’t know how she went from her second husband to yer uncle, Circe.”

  “Did you realize you were living so close to her?”

  “Not at first,” Ruth said. “When we first arrived, we heard she was at the north end of the island. We thought we were safe down here. Then Sean heard she had become a widow again and married your uncle. For years we have lived with an escape plan.”

  “What a horrible way to live,” Circe said.

  “But necessary,” Sean said.

  At that moment, Tally walked into the room whimpering and rubbing her eyes sleepily. Her father was at her side in seconds, lifting her into his arms. “What’s wrong, princess?”

  “Bad dweam,” she whimpered.

  “I think we’ll all be having those tonight,” Reese predicted.

  Chapter 25

  The couples ate a solemn meal together before retiring to their own rooms. Circe noticed that Ruth and Sean had both children with them tonight. She could not blame them in the least. If she had a dozen children, she would have kept them close by so she could see every one of them all night long. Circe slipped out of her dress and into Reese’s shirt she had been using for a nightgown. She thought about the buttons she had routinely had to replace on it and the teasing Ruth had given her each time. She went through her nightly ritual, needing some normalcy. She turned down all the lamps until there was only a glow about the room. She stood in front of the window looking out over the scenery. Even though it was not full, the waning moon still cast a brilliant light over the earth. Her eyes flitted on everything but the beach. She jumped when she felt warm, firm hands on her upper arms.

  “It’s all right,” Reese murmured against her ear, “it’s just me.”

  “That beach was my favorite spot here, and she has ruined it.”

  “Try not to think about it.”

  “Not think about it? It is all I think about. She is all I think about. Who is she going to go after next? You? Ruth and Sean? The children? Dear God, Reese, I could not live with myself if anything happened to any of you. I do not know how I am going to go on knowing I am responsible for the death of those three women.”

  He spun her around and tipped her chin up until their eyes met.

  “You listen to me. Everyone that has died or been harmed by her should not be on your conscience. It is her fault and her doing. I truly believe she’s an evil woman, and in the end she will receive her comeuppance. You have to have faith in that.”

  “All right,” she said huskily.

  “That easy?”

  “That easy. I trust you, Reese.” And I trust Granny Mabel, she thought remembering that the old woman had once told her she would be Dorothea’s undoing. She stepped closer to him and wrapped her arms tightly around him. She pressed her cheek against his chest and could hear the strong beat of his heart below her ear. “I am so glad you were with me today, and I am sorry I fell apart like that.”

  “I think you had every right,” he said, wrapping her up in his arms and rubbing his big palm up and down her back in a soothing manner. They stood like that for a long while, seeking comfort from one another.

  “Reese?”

  “What is it, sweetheart?”

  “Despite everything that has happened, I never thought to be this content in my marriage. I knew what I wanted going in. I had hoped to find someone that would be faithful to me. Someone I could talk with. Someone I might be compatible with in bed. And if all that failed, I had hoped I would have children to focus my love and attention on. I feel so very lucky that we have found one another.”

  “Yes,” he agreed, still rubbing her back. There was something about his voice that made Circe look up at him.

  “Reese, is something wrong?”

  “No, let’s try to get some sleep.”

  “All right.” She allowed him to guide her to the bed. He solicitously helped her climb in and get settled. He released the netting so that it enclosed her, then he walked around the bed, shed his clothes, and got in on his side, pulling the net to behind him. As soon as he was settled, Circe rolled against him and rested her head on his chest. She draped an arm over his taut stomach, and one of her legs insinuated itself between his. She held her breath until she felt his arm curve around her and tug her even closer. Reese twined the fingers of their free hands together over his stomach. She felt connected
to him and protected all at once.

  They both lay in the dark unable to sleep. They watched the light and shadows dance on the walls and ceiling. Circe felt herself relaxing as his hand rubbed up and down her back. His thumb drew small circles on her hand.

  “Feeling better?”

  “Infinitely.” There was a pregnant pause before she continued, “Reese?”

  “Yes?”

  “Make love to me.”

  “Circe—”

  “I want to celebrate life and the living. Perhaps something good will come of this tragedy, and tonight will be the night we create a new life.” She thought she felt him tense beneath her, heard his heart beating faster. “Reese, please, I just want to feel you inside me, to know that we are one.” She looked up at him, freed her hand from his, and cupped his head. Circe turned his face towards her so that she could see him more clearly. “Please, Reese, love me.”

  “Dammit,” he groaned as he rolled her onto her back and moved over her. He took her mouth in a voracious kiss, letting her know that he needed this as much as she did.

  Circe wriggled and twisted, until she worked the shirt she wore upwards. She tore her mouth free of his just long enough to get the shirt over her head and throw it towards the edge of the bed where it got caught in the netting. She reached down between them and felt Reese hard and ready in her hand, still she rubbed up and down his steely, velvety length causing him to groan in her mouth. Circe guided him to her entrance.

  “No,” he broke off the kiss, “let me make sure you’re ready.”

  “I have never been more ready in my life,” she said. She wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him into her while she lifted her hips to him. “Reese,” she gasped.

  “You feel so incredible,” he groaned before he took one of her breasts in his mouth and suckled. “You were made for me.”

  She moaned as he pounded into her over and over, bringing her quickly to an incredibly high peak. Before she knew what happened, a climax washed through her that was so incredibly fierce she lost consciousness for a few seconds. When she came to, it was to feel Reese withdrawing from her, still fully erect. She felt him try to pull away from her in the haze of her euphoria. Instead of letting him get away, she hooked her feet tightly to one another and brought their pelvises together.