Love and Honor: The Coltrane Saga, Book 7 (19 page)

She rose from her chair as Kurt whirled Madeline Horing into hers, but he did not reach out to take her in turn. Instead he bowed ever so slightly. Smiling apologetically he declared, “Ladies, if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to have a brandy and cigar before retiring. Good evening to you.” With that he left.

Chapter Sixteen

They were blessed with unusually good weather their last day at sea. The winds were not as strong, so most passengers put on warm clothing and went out on the decks to get a breath of fresh air.

Kit did not want to go out on deck. Since her encounter with Kurt, she had made every excuse imaginable to remain in their suite. Marilee said nothing, but her accusing looks told Kit that she knew Kit was avoiding Kurt.

No one else seemed to notice her unusually quiet demeanor. Her mother was still behaving strangely, as if lost in a world of her own. Travis appeared only at mealtimes, so Kit was surprised that last day when he invited her to join him for a walk on deck.

“Why?” she asked blankly. “Did you and Valerie have a fight?”

He shook his head, but his gray eyes were worried. “I just want to talk to you about something, okay?”

Sensing he was troubled, Kit hurried to get her wool cape. Reaching the railing, they stared toward the misty horizon.

Finally Travis spoke. “It’s about Valerie.”

“Then you did have an argument—”

“I wish it were that simple, but it isn’t. The truth is, I’m in love with her.”

Kit stared at him incredulously. “You’re not serious! Why, you’ve only known her for three days!”

“Four,” he corrected. “And it wouldn’t matter if I’d only known her four hours. In fact, I think I did love her four hours after I met her…maybe even the
second
I met her.”

Travis gripped the railing so tightly his knuckles turned white. Kit moved closer to him and squeezed his arm. “I’ve never known a girl like her before,” he continued. “She’s beautiful, but lots of girls are beautiful. There’s something else about her, something I can’t really explain, but she’s everything I’ve ever dreamed about. Does that make sense?” He looked at her hopefully.

Kit nodded silently. She knew exactly what he meant. Kurt Tanner was everything
she
had ever dreamed about.

“I guess it couldn’t have happened at a worse time.’’

“You aren’t thinking about not going to West Point, are you, Travis?”

He didn’t answer.

“You aren’t going to ask her to marry you, are you? Mother and Dad would be devastated. They’d never forgive you, and they’d blame Valerie. That’s no way to begin a marriage.”

“Mother doesn’t like her anyway, and she doesn’t even know how serious we are.” Travis looked miserable. “When I introduced Valerie, Mother was so cold! It was as if she just turned to ice the second she looked at her. Valerie noticed, of course, anybody would have. Later I tried to smooth things over and told her that Mother’s been acting funny since we left Europe. She said she understood, but I know her feelings were hurt.”

“Did you talk to Mother later and ask her why she acted like that?”

“Of course I did, but she wouldn’t give me a straight answer. She just asked a lot of questions about Valerie’s background, her family and so forth.”

“Maybe Mother knows more than you think she does,” Kit offered. “Maybe she realizes you two have gotten serious, and she’s worried about how fast things are moving.”

Defiance rang in his voice. “Well, it doesn’t matter, because I’m not going to give her up.”

Kit frowned. “I don’t think anyone would ask you to give her up, Travis. Frankly, I don’t think you’re being very mature about this. Why do you have to get married now? Why can’t you go on to West Point and plan to marry when you graduate? Lots of couples are engaged for that long, and—”

Travis shook his head. “I don’t want to wait.”

“What about Valerie? Is she pressuring you to turn down the appointment?” Kit was suddenly suspicious. She’d met Valerie, and her first impression was that the girl was as nice as Travis said, but maybe it was all an act. Maybe a ruse to snare someone rich, like her brother.

Travis did not like the implication of Kit’s question. He informed her angrily that he hadn’t even talked to Valerie about it. “I’ve told her I love her, and she says she loves me, but other than that, we haven’t talked about the future.”

Kit spread her hands in a helpless gesture. “What do you want of me, Travis? Why are you telling me all this? Apparently you aren’t interested in my opinion.”

“I guess I wanted to make sure you’re on my side…and it seems I was wrong to think you would be.”

Kit adored her brother, but she had to be honest about the way she felt. “I’m always on your side, Travis, because I love you and want the best for you. If you think I’m going to say you’re right to throw away a West Point appointment to marry a girl you just met, I’m sorry, I can’t. I hope you’ll give this a lot of thought before you tell Mother and Dad, because they’re not going to be as understanding as I’ve tried to be.”

“I don’t care!” he growled. Then he walked away.

Kit turned back to stare out at the water.

In the tea salon, Kit’s mother also was staring into space, a frown marring her lovely face.

There was something terribly wrong, but it was nothing she could share with her children…or Colt. She simply could not tell them that she’d always been haunted by the horrible suspicion that Colt might not be the father of Kit and Travis. And from the first moment she had seen Valerie’s face, nineteen years had slipped away and she was looking at the face of a long-ago adversary—Lita Tulane. When Travis had introduced Valerie, and Jade had heard her surname, she felt as if she had descended straight to the pits of hell.

Her name was Valerie Stevens.

And even though Stevens was a common name, Jade
knew
that her father was Bryan Stevens.

“No…” she whispered aloud, shaking her head from side to side. Valerie Stevens could not be Travis’s half-sister. So even if Bryan Stevens had impregnated Jade that terrible night when he’d raped her, even if he was the true father of her son and daughter, he’d been lost at sea nearly nineteen years ago. Valerie couldn’t be his daughter; she was too young. Then why, she asked herself, did she harbor such hostility towards Valerie Stevens? Was it merely because she resembled Lita Tulane and her last name was Stevens?

Jade knew that it was because Valerie made her remember things she’d rather forget—like the fact that there had never been any confirmation that Bryan Stevens was dead. His body had never been found, and it was just assumed that he’d drowned at sea. That meant there was a possibility, however remote, that he might have somehow survived.

Kit could hear lively music as she made her way toward the ship’s hold. Everyone was making merry the last night aboard, but she had no desire to celebrate. When she made an excuse to leave Marilee, Travis, and Valerie, Marilee had teased that she had no reason to run away—Kurt Tanner was nowhere in sight. Kit had ignored the barb, intent on escaping to the solitude she knew she would find only in the kennel.

Norman Thatcher was not there, and the cargo hold was dark, quiet…almost spooky. But Kit wanted to be alone, and this was the only place she could be assured of privacy.

She passed large wooden crates and barrels, and cages containing family pets—dogs and cats staring at her with wide, frightened eyes. She reached the door leading to the horse stalls and was about to enter when she heard what sounded like muffled laughter. A rough pair of hands shot out of the blackness and grabbed her. Terrified, Kit fought back, but her screams were suddenly stifled as a smelly rag was stuffed into her mouth and she was thrown to the floor. Peering up in the faint light, she saw a man standing over her, straddling her while someone else pinned her to the floor. Her assailant was shirtless and dirty…and very drunk.

“Looks like we got ourselves a hoity-toity.” His voice was thick as he swayed above her. “Now aren’t we lucky? Ain’t often we get to sample first-class fare!”

The man holding her down laughed. “Makes them long hours in the stokehold seem worth it when we can find ourselves a little fire of our own.”

They laughed loudly. Kit realized that they were stokers—the tough men who worked in the hellishly hot furnace room, shoveling tons of coal each day to keep the ship alive. She’d heard that the stokers were a group of savage, ruthless men, and she knew that she was in danger. They were wretched and resentful of wealthy passengers, and their drunkenness made them fearless.

The man standing over her began to fumble with his trousers. “Never had me no hoity-toity pussy. Gonna find out if it’s better than waterfront tarts.”

Kit tried to scream again, choking against the oily rag. She kicked out at her attacker, but he laughed, reaching down and roughly spreading her legs. Pinning them down with his own, he yanked up her dress with one vicious movement.

The other man begged hoarsely, “Hurry up, will ya? I got a yen that’s killin’ me—”

Kit saw a flash of steel. A gun struck the head of the man who was just then lowering himself over her. She saw another lightning-quick flash as the gun cracked the face of the man holding her arms. The next moment she felt herself being gently raised by a pair of strong hands.

Kit yanked the rag from her mouth and gasped for air. “Oh, thank you,” she finally managed, then she nearly fainted. It was Kurt Tanner who had come to her rescue! “You…” she stammered in amazement.

His dark eyes flashed with anger. “Didn’t anyone tell you that ladies don’t go tramping around ship holds?”

“I…I’ve been here every day to see Pegasus.” Kit struggled to appear composed, despite the excited beating of her heart. “All the passengers visit their animals, and—”

“Not at night, they don’t! Especially the last night at sea, when the crew gets drunk and rowdy! You were asking for trouble. It’s a good thing I came down when I did, or that second bastard would be having his ‘yen’ satisfied right about now!” he added mockingly.

Kit’s gratitude was overcome by resentment. “Well, I thank you, Mr. Tanner, but I’ve told you before to stop following me.”

He stared down at her fiercely. When she saw the warm look in his eyes, Kit felt no fear, only a reflection of her own desire. She trembled with anticipation.

Pulling her to him with rough possessiveness, Kurt held her tight against his chest. “You want me…as much as I want you, but you’re too damn stubborn and proud to admit it. One day, though, you will come to me.”

Shaken by the whirl of emotions within her, Kit managed to give her golden-red head an arrogant toss. “Will I?” she taunted him defiantly. “Are you so sure that you can charm every woman you encounter, Kurt Tanner?”

His smile was slow and confident. They stood in the muted light, unseen creatures rustling in the shadows, the boat creaking and moaning in the churning sea. His eyes twinkled mischievously as he confidently assured her, “I’ve forgotten all others before you, Kit Coltrane. And yes, with you I’m sure…because I feel your desire in every breath you take. I see the heat of passion in your eyes, and I feel it in the warmth of your skin when I touch you…” He kissed her slowly, deliciously, his tongue gently exploring the delights of her soft mouth.

Kit melted against him, succumbing to what she had dreamed about for so many heated nights.

Kit wondered later what more might have happened, but just then one of her attackers moaned. Kurt immediately released her. “Go now,” he instructed.

Kit hesitated, torn by feelings she did not understand.

“Come to me when you’re ready, Kit,” he said quietly, retreating into the shadows. “I’ll be waiting.”

She hurried toward the stairs, blinking back tears of confusion. She could not, would not, admit it, but she knew that she
was
ready…and she sensed that Kurt knew it, too.

Chapter Seventeen

Kit shivered in the early morning chill, and her father offered to get her a heavier wrap. She declined, wanting him beside her when the New York skyline came into view. She’d heard it was an unforgettable sight, but the sky was gray and overcast, and she was afraid they wouldn’t be able to see anything from a distance. She had wanted her mother to share the momentous occasion, but Jade had declined without giving a reason. Colt said that it was probably too much for her, reminding Kit that the harbor held unpleasant memories for her mother.

It was crowded on the deck, everyone excitedly awaiting their first glimpse of America. Through the mist, they heard the sound of small craft approaching, and watched with interest as a boat sliced its way out of the fog and moved alongside the mighty vessel. A rope ladder was dropped, and two men gingerly made their way up.

“Docking and harbor pilot,” Colt explained to Kit. “We must be getting close.” He glanced about. “Where’s your grandmother and Marilee? They said they’d join us, but if they don’t hurry they’re going to miss an amazing sight.” Someone cheered, and they leaned forward eagerly. The fog obligingly began to lift and the New York skyline came into view, the buildings like an army of great, gray sentinels standing regal and proud.

“That’s got to be the new Woolworth Building,” Colt said, pointing to the tallest structure in sight. “And that’s the Metropolitan Tower, fifty stories, also new. That other big one you see is the Singer, forty-seven stories. They get taller with each one that goes up—makes you wonder just how high they’ll eventually be able to build them.”