A Dangerous Temptation

by L. R. Olson

  The anger that pulsed between us was almost palpable. His hands fisted, his breath coming out in white puffs that hung suspended in the cold air. He looked like an irate bull.

  “Despite what I think of you, you bastard,” he said in his thick French accent. “I am here to warn you.”

  I narrowed my eyes. The man had never helped anyone but himself. He’d tried to ruin my family for no reason other than the fact that I’d been naïve enough to fall for his sister. He’d seen easy prey and taken his chance. “Let me guess, Claudine is threatening to kill me.”

  “No.” He paused a telling moment. “She’s threatening to kill your current wife.”

  My body went cold. The urge to race to Julianna’s cottage overwhelmed me. But if I gave into my desire, if I even glanced in her direction, I would be telling Jean where she lived. And I didn’t trust him in the least. He could be setting me up even now, pretending to care.

  “She left London days ago.”

  A drunken night ten years ago and this is what I was left with, a lifetime of punishment. “Where is your sister?”

  He hesitated. “I don’t know. She…disappeared.”

  “You mean she escaped,” I snapped, shoving the man aside and heading into the cold. “You mean you were watching her because she’s fucking mad and you lost her.”

  “Be careful what you say about my sister.”

  Shite, the man would defend her until the end. It was time to pack Jules and Millie into a carriage and get out of here. I was angry. Angry that my life was in turmoil once more. Angry that my time here in this pleasant and perfect bubble was at an end. Mostly angry that I’d been so stupid ten years ago. I’d make the damn estate a prison, if I must. No one would go in or out. But I would protect my family.

  “Whitfield,” her brother followed. “We need to discuss—”

  “There is nothing to discuss. Your sister is mad. Insane. You knew and you never told me while we were courting.” My boots crunched through the icy snow. “You’re the bastard, you arse, in so many ways.”

  “Courting? Please. You were out to seduce her. You made a commitment to my sister despite the state of her sanity!”

  I didn’t have time to do what I really wanted to do and beat the idiot. “You lied and manipulated me. Befriended me, pushed your sister at me like she was a whore for sale.”

  He fell into place beside me, not relenting. “Yes, the poor lofty lord manipulated.”

  It would have been hard to miss the sneering sarcasm. Illegitimate, Jean had been forced to stand by why a cousin had taken his father’s estate. The man blamed me and all those who were titled for losing his inheritance. “Careful, Jean, your bitterness is showing.”

  “Go to hell.”

  “Gladly,” I snapped, pausing on the path that led to Julianna’s door. “As long as you come along.”

  We stood there facing each other, each of us fuming. Perhaps it was time…time to deal with him, to face the past. My hands fisted. This man had almost ruined me, he deserved the beating I wanted so badly to give him.

  Or maybe…maybe it was time to let it all go. I’d been smarter than him, than Claudine, than my stepmother. Smarter than my own father. They hadn’t won. And they wouldn’t. But in order for me to survive, to have a life, I had to let them go…I had to move on with Jules.

  The soft neigh of a horse interrupted my thoughts. Mrs. Willow was coming down the lane upon a mount with the constable seated behind her. Damnation, the man wouldn’t give in. He was a bloody saint, escorting elderly women about the village. He’d taken care of Jules when I hadn’t been able to. Perhaps she actually felt something for him, which is why she didn’t want to leave.

  “Shite,” I snapped, not liking the way of my thoughts.

  It didn’t matter if she had feelings for another. Jules was a married woman, by god. I wasn’t sure who I wanted to kill first, Jean or the constable. Could nothing go as planned? Before I’d met Jules, my life had been carefully constructed. Julianna had blown that plan to bits, yet I couldn’t deny she’d made my life better for it.

  “Hello there!” Mrs. Willow called out, all rosy smiles. “The constable was kind enough to offer an escort to see Mrs. Jules and the baby.”

  “Yes,” I muttered. “Bloody kind.”

  The constable had the good grace to flush.

  Mrs. Willow’s curious gaze went to Jean. “I see we have yet another guest, how wonderful.”

  “This one won’t be staying.”

  The constable was more astute. Sensing the anger between us, he jumped from his mount. “Is something amiss?”

  Mrs. Willow’s round face went pale as she finally understood all wasn’t as it seemed. “What’s happened? Is it the baby?”

  “They’re fine.” I started toward the cottage. Just this morning Julianna and I had been lounging in bed, taking comfort in each other and looking forward to the day. How surprised she’d be when she opened the door to find a small party upon her stoop. I lifted my fist and knocked.

  The constable helped Mrs. Willow from the mount. “What is it?”

  “Nothing.” At least I hoped. I knocked again. The unmistakable sensation of unease was tip-toeing its spidery legs down my back. “Merely an insane former mistress.”

  “How insane?” the constable, asked, pushing Jean aside and stepping up onto the stoop beside me, as if he belonged there. I wasn’t sure if I should be amused at his audacity or annoyed. Jean, for one, looked annoyed. I felt like a damn lad, fighting for the attention of the prettiest girl in the schoolroom. There were three too many people here, blast it all.

  “How insane?” the constable repeated.

  “That’s none of your business,” Jean muttered, glaring up at us from the path, his arms folded stubbornly in front of him. He would be of no help, but then I expected nothing less.

  “I’m the constable,” the man snapped, glaring down his nose at the Frenchman. “If something is amiss, I need to know.”

  What was taking Julianna so long? I strained to hear over the howl of wind and chatter of Jean, Mrs. Willow and the constable. Was that crying? I bristled, the hair on the back of my neck standing on end.

  “This is none of your concern,” Jean muttered. “Why are you even here?”

  “Good question,” I said. Ignoring them all, I pushed open the door. Millie’s wail immediately assaulted me. The fear I felt was bitterly cold. “Millie? Julianna!”

  I started into the cottage but the constable was quick to show his authority.

  “Let me by,” the man demanded, shoving passed me. “I will not leave until I make sure Julianna is well.”

  I grabbed him by the neck and slammed him up against the rock wall beside the door. His face went pale, his eyes wide. “I’m her husband!”

  I didn’t miss Mrs. Willow’s gasp of surprise. “Yes, Mrs. Willow, Julianna is my wife. And it’s about damned time the village knows. Feel free to spread the gossip.”

  “Oh my,” Mrs. Willow replied. “I see.”

  Having given my warning, I released the constable and surged into the foyer. A kettle lay upon the floor, a puddle of water across the floorboards. It was all the confirmation I needed. Millie’s cry became a shrill scream, an eerie sound that sent shivers down my spine. “Jules!” I raced up the steps. “Julianna, where are you?”

  No response.

  I darted into the guest room. Our blankets were still mussed; there was no sign she’d been there. Desperate, I raced across the hall and into her bedchamber. It lay empty as well. I scooped Millie up from her basket. My hands trembled so badly I feared I’d drop the babe. Her sweet little face was red and wet with tears. Julianna would never leave her to cry alone. Terror gripped at my gut. I settled Millie against my shoulder and patted her back as I’d seen Jules do. The baby instantly settled, whimpering against my shoulder.

  Shite, the window. Blast it all to hell, I should have known something was suspicious.

  “Shhh, now, everything will be well.�
� I held her tightly to my chest and started back down the steps. Jean and Mrs. Willow were waiting for me in the foyer, their faces grim with foreboding.

  No.

  Jules could not be missing.

  Yet…she wasn’t here. She’d obviously left in a hurry. The fear I felt morphed into acute anger. I knew without doubt Claudine had taken her. I would kill the woman, and then I’d kill her brother.

  “She’s not down here,” Mrs. Willow said. “We checked the kitchen and parlor.”

  “Where is she?” Jean asked, like the bloody idiot he was.

  If I hadn’t been holding Millie I would have slammed my fist into his face. “I think it’s pretty obvious, you bastard…your sister took her.”

  I knelt and touched the kettle at the bottom of the steps. It was still warm. They hadn’t been gone for long, thank God.

  “You don’t know that my sister is responsible.” Jean shook his head, flustered. “You can’t possibly know!”

  I had to get to her and soon, before Claudine proved just how insane she had become. “Julianna would never leave her baby, you moron.”

  Millie whimpered and I smoothed my trembling hand down her back, attempting to comfort her. I didn’t know what to do. I needed Jules. Where was she? Frantic, I started toward the door just as the constable was coming up the front path.

  “There are footsteps outside in the snow,” he said. “Two people headed toward the sea. But they’re melting fast.”

  I forced my gaze to the volatile coast. Toward the sea. The rough and dangerous sea. Terror clawed its way to the forefront.

  “Mrs. Willow,” I didn’t need to ask, but handed her the baby as the housekeeper stepped up beside me.

  She nodded, cradling Millie to her bosom. “Go. Bring our Jules back.”

  Without another word, I raced toward the ocean, praying I wasn’t too late.

  ****

  Julianna

  “James is a smart man, Claudine,” I said as I trudged alongside the insane woman. “He will uncover what you have done, and he will not accept your apology. He will never forgive you.”

  Now that I had her away from Millie, I needed to work on saving myself. I couldn’t leave my daughter here without a mother.

  She gripped my arm and shoved the pistol into my side. “I’m smart, too. Smart enough to trick him into marrying me.”

  I looked at her, stunned. She’d known. She’d known the marriage had been forced, but she had gone along with it. And we’d thought she had been a naïve fool, trapped by her own madness.

  “Smart enough to escape my brother’s home in France and find my way here. Smart enough to escape London and find James. He will never know that I was responsible for your death. Never.”

  The pistol dug into my ribs, but I didn’t dare flinch. As we tripped along, sliding on the ice, I worried she would fall and the gun would go off. Millie needed me. She deserved a mother. I couldn’t leave my baby. I couldn’t leave James. I knew him well enough to know he would blame himself if I died. He didn’t deserve another scandal. He didn’t deserve more guilt.

  “He won’t find out, he won’t even know I was here,” she insisted. “And once you’re gone he’ll forget you. He’ll remember what we had.”

  “From what he said, you had nothing.”

  “Shut up!” She shoved me forward. I slid across the icy ground, twisted my ankle, and fell hard to my knees. It was my own fault for taunting her. “You know nothing!”

  Anger did not work. Perhaps somewhere in that insane mind there was a bit of rationality left. I managed to sit upright. I hadn’t brought a coat and the cold air had numbed my limbs, making it difficult to stand. “Claudine, you knew him only a short while.”

  “It doesn’t matter! It took only a moment for me to know. Even he felt it.” She gripped my upper arm and jerked me to my feet. Pain sliced through my injured ankle, making me wobble. “You should have seen the way he fell for me. You should have seen the way he looked at me.”

  Her face went soft and dreamy as she pushed me toward the cliff’s edge. We were close…so close to the end. She was going to shove me into the rough, unforgiving sea. The very ocean that had given me comfort would take my life.

  “He wanted me the moment he saw me. Only me. He wouldn’t be waylaid. He was determined.”

  Her story sounded oddly familiar. It was how Jamie had been the moment he’d seen me at the creek that year ago. Perhaps he had felt something for her. Maybe she wasn’t as insane as I believed. I shoved aside my reservations. I didn’t have time to think about my relationship with Jamie, or my misgivings about his feelings for me. I had to figure out a way to save myself, and return to my daughter. I could only pray that Millie was well, that James had found her.

  I limped beside Claudine, the cold wind tearing at my skirts and making me stumble off balance. We came to a large boulder in the middle of the clearing. A boulder where I’d sat dreaming of my unborn child last summer. “You hurt my ankle. I need to rest.”

  “No resting!” She shoved me again. I stumbled forward, lost my balance and fell once more. My fear turned to annoyance. I took a moment to gather my bearings, to study my surroundings. There had to be something…anything…

  A small rock rested near my fingertips. Could I?

  “You’ll end up in Newgate, Claudine,” I tried one more time. “Do you have any idea what it’s like? Do you truly want to hang because of me?”

  “They’ll never know. They’ll think you fell.” She started to reach for me. I saw my chance then and there. My only chance. Before I lost the nerve, I reached out, wrapped my fingers around the icy stone and swung around. The rock slammed against her temple just as she was leaning down for me.

  Claudine screamed as she stumbled back, clutching her head. The brilliant red blood seeping between her fingers momentarily stunned me. “You bitch!”

  The harsh words threw me back into reality. Knowing I couldn’t miss the opportunity, I dug my heels into the dirt, stood and hobbled toward the cottage. She still had her pistol and I braced myself, expecting it to go off at any moment.

  “James!” I screamed. Surely he had returned to the cottage by now. Surely he had found Millie and knew something was wrong. I raced up the hill. “James!”

  But the wind took my words away, tossing them out to the sea. I had to keep going, I couldn’t stop. My heart hammered in my chest until I thought it would burst. Damn my tight corset, and damn the thin slippers I’d been forced to wear. My feet slid across the icy ground as I forced myself to keep going. I couldn’t see the little home from where I was, but soon, just around the bend, it would be there…my haven.

  “You stupid bitch!” Firm fingers bit into my scalp and pulled at my hair. The bun I wore fell down around my shoulders as my head jerked back. Frantic, I clawed at her wrists. She wouldn’t let go. My knees buckled as pain lanced through my scalp and down my neck. I fell to my belly, Claudine atop my back. The weight of her body held me down upon the icy ground.

  Desperate, I shoved my elbow into her side. Insanity made her strong. She wouldn’t relent. With a cry, I managed to spin around and buck her off my chest. She stumbled back, falling to her bottom, but that pistol was still in hand. She might shoot me in the back, but I had no choice. I jumped to my feet and raced toward the cottage once more. The sudden blast had me stumbling to a stop. A chunk of ice flipped through the air at my feet, snapped free by a bullet.

  “You fool,” she screamed. “You think I won’t kill you here and now, and toss your body into the ocean?”

  “Claudine!” Jamie called out. He stood on the crest of the hill, like a warrior angel come to save my soul. I almost cried out in relief. I’d never been so happy to see him. “Stop this nonsense!”

  She paused, her greedy eyes searching him out. “Jamie? You came for me?” Although her gun remained pointed my way, she stared at James. “You came for me. I knew you would. I told her you would.”

  “Yes, I’m here for you, Claudine.�
� James started walking slowly down the trail toward us. The constable and a man I didn’t know followed. All three looked pale, strained with worry and unease. “Come here and give me the gun so you don’t hurt yourself.”

  She frowned, her gaze shifting to me. “No.” She shook her head. “We can’t have a life, Jamie, until she’s gone. If she dies, then you can marry me legally.”

  “Claudine, your brother and the local constable are right behind me.” Jamie wore only a coat, shirt sleeves, trousers, and boots. The cold wind tore at his hair, tousling the strands lovingly. He was close, so close I could touch him. Wanted to touch him. But I didn’t dare.

  “Jean is here?” she asked.

  James didn’t stop until he stood a few footsteps from me. “He is. And he’s disappointed in you.”

  Her lips quivered like a child being reprimanded. Thank God, she lowered the gun. How stupid I’d been to call for James. If we were both killed, Millie would have no one. But I didn’t move, didn’t speak for fear of drawing Claudine’s anger. Jamie didn’t even glance my way, but I was smart enough to know he ignored me on purpose. To act like he cared about me would only make her angrier.

  “That’s a good girl. Now give me the gun, Claudine. This is not the way to be together.”

  I knew better than to relax.

  “It is the way. The only way. Don’t you see?” Her arms trembled as her gaze went to me. “It’s the only way, Jamie. The only. I have to do it. I have to do it for us.”

  She lifted the gun and pointed it directly at my chest. The world seemed to slow. A numb reality washed over me. I saw the glint of determination in her gaze and knew this would be my last moment, my last chance to draw breath. I was going to die.

  “Claudine, no!” James surged forward just as the gun went off.

  Chapter 9

  James

  I hit Jules and pushed her to the ground. She fell to the ice hard, a gasp of warm air escaping her lips in a puff. Frantic, I ran my hands over her sides and back. “Are you alright?”