Rapture's Tempest (27 page)

Exhausted by all the excitement and resulting confusion, Jim and Delight relaxed in the quiet confines of their carriage, savoring their first moment of real privacy that day.

“I didn’t know getting married could be so tiring.”

“I didn’t either.” He grinned. “But it’s tiring in a good way.”

“Um.” Delight pressed closer to him, loving his nearness.

“You’re positive you don’t want to wait and have a big wedding?” he asked, suddenly concerned.

“It would take too long,” she explained.

“We could always elope.” he suggested hopefully. “Marshall and Renee did.”

“We could…” Delight kissed him hungrily.

“Why don’t you come with me on this trip as my cabin boy?
Or better yet, I’m a ship’s captain,” he growled, trying to control the urge to take her there in the swaying carriage. “Maybe I can marry us right now…”

Delight laughed gently at the thought. “It might be legal, but I don’t know how many people would believe it.”

“I give up,” he said in mock frustration. “I guess we’ll just have to wait until I get back, but the next few weeks are really going to drag by.”

“Well…you don’t leave until midweek…surely we can find some time to be alone,” she teased suggestively.

“We’d better,” he declared, kissing her deeply. When he pulled away, though, he was frowning.

“What’s wrong?”

“You will be safe while I’m gone, won’t you?”

Delight understood his concern over Martin, and she hastened to reassure him. “I’ll be fine. But you’ll hurry home to me, won’t you?”

He kissed her to answer her question. “Never doubt it.”

When the conveyance drew to a halt back at the Morgan house, they climbed down and went inside. Their happiness was all encompassing as they shed their wraps and stole quick kisses on their way in to joining Clara and Martin.

Delight stood with Jim in the abandoned front hall later that evening. Martin and Clara had just retired for the night, and at last they were alone.

“Well, my captain,” she said huskily, moving into his embrace. “Will I see you tomorrow?”

“I’ll be here as soon as I can get away.”

“Good. It’s going to be a long night.”

“I know,” he murmured, bending to kiss her. As their mouths met in a soul-stirring caress, Jim held her close to his heart. “God, woman. I don’t want to leave you.”

“And I don’t want you to, either,” she told him breathlessly. How she longed to stay with him the entire night, making love and talking of their future.

With a reserve of strength that Jim didn’t know he had, he stepped away from her. “I’d better go now, while I can.”

Delight couldn’t help but grin, “There’s always tomorrow…”

Jim growled, “But there’ll be people everywhere…”

“Maybe I can arrange a shopping trip with Rose and we can stop by the boat for a visit.”

“I think that sounds like a marvelous idea,” he grinned, knowing that if he remained a moment longer they would be in the parlor making mad, passionate love. “I’ve got to go…”

“I know.” She walked with him to the door and opened it for him.

With deep regret reflected in his eyes, he walked briskly outside. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” He started down the steps toward his waiting carriage when he heard Delight’s desperate call.

“Jim!”

He turned back to her and she flew into his arms, kissing him with all the love she felt. “I love you so much…”

“And I love you…” he managed, returning her ardor equally. His smile was bittersweet as they looked at each other. “Now, get back inside before I change my mind about being a gentleman.”

Reluctantly, Delight went inside and closed the door. Hurrying to the front parlor window, she watched until his carriage had disappeared down the street in the direction of the riverfront.

Sad at being away from him, yet excited about their future together, she headed upstairs to her bedroom.

Rose was waiting for her when she entered the room. “Well? Is it really true?” She had overheard conversations during the course of the day, but she wanted to hear the whole story from Delight.

“Yes!” Delight’s joy was obvious. “Jim proposed this morning and we’re going to be married as soon as he gets back from his next trip.”

“I’m so happy for you.”

“Thank God Jim rescued me that night, or none of this would ever have happened.”

“So he did break off with Annabelle Morgan?”

“First thing this morning,” Delight assured her. “He’s all mine, Rose. And he always will be…”

Annabelle sat with Wade in the dimly lit parlor of her home. The day had been a long, painful one for her, and she had been glad when Wade had stopped by late to see her.

“I can’t believe he actually did it,” she remarked, taking another deep drink from her snifter of brandy. She had been drinking steadily all evening.

“You really shouldn’t worry about Westlake too much. I have access to most of the information we’ll need in my new job.”

“I know that,” she replied coldly. “It’s just that I’ve never failed before. It’s a bitter pill to swallow.”

“Who says you’ve failed? His ending your farce of an engagement doesn’t really change things that much,” he said, and then added slyly, wanting to give her an out, “Besides, you were going to break it off sooner or later anyway.”

“Right,” she agreed. “We’ll still get the gold.”

“Absolutely. I have every confidence.”

Annabelle felt less defeated listening to Wade, and she smiled at him, her expression cold and calculating. “We’ll show them, Wade. Just wait…”

The sun’s ascent went uncontested as it rose bright and shining in the clear blue of the late winter sky. There was no howling, chilling wind this day; instead, there was a hint of something promising in the air…a damp, wet warmth that evoked a feeling of rightness with the world. Spring was coming.

Delight and Rose had slept little that night. Excitement over her betrothal, coupled with the ever-silent menace of Martin, had made rest virtually impossible. Now, as the morning finally matured, they were ready to venture out on their “shopping spree.”

There had been no sign of Martin so far, and both women wanted it to stay that way. They had no desire for a confrontation with him, hoping just to avoid him as much as possible during the next few weeks.

After telling Clara where they were going, Delight and Rose climbed into their waiting carriage, and Delight gave the driver his instructions. “To the levee, please. We want to go to the Westlake steamer, the
Enterprise
.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he replied, and, without hesitation, they were off.

“Is he expecting you?”

“I told him that we would try to get away on the pretense of a shopping trip.”

“So, you had this all planned ahead of time, did you?”

Delight smiled. “Now that I’ve got him, Rose, I don’t ever want to be apart from him.”

Rose smiled, understanding the emotion, though she had never experienced it. Her life had been one of survival, and there had been no time for romantic love.

As her thoughts turned to men, Rose frowned. Judging by what Martin had done the other night, she realized they had very little real protection from him. Even if Delight did go through with her threat to tell her mother the truth, there was no guarantee that that would keep Martin away from them. It might, in fact, bring out the viciousness in him and only serve to make their situation more difficult. The safest path, Rose decided, was to get Delight married to Captain Westlake as quickly as possible, so that she would be removed from harm’s way.

Forcing her thoughts away from Martin’s wickedness, Rose gazed out the carriage window at the passing riverfront scene. The levee was bustling with passengers, arriving and departing, and brawny roustabouts, who were busy loading cartons of merchandise onto the steamers that were preparing to leave.

Not yet threatened by the northern spring thaw, the Mississippi flowed south, its rhythm steady and smooth. Within a few weeks, though, Rose knew all that would change. For, when the Missouri and Illinois rivers emptied their winter runoffs into the now peaceful valley, the seemingly mild-mannered river would be transformed into a swirling, death-dealing, overpowering flood of icy water and fast-flowing debris.

Rose shivered at the thought and turned back to Delight as she was pointing out the
Enterprise
tied up nearby.

“There’s Jim’s boat,” she said proudly as their vehicle drew to a stop near the gangplank. When the driver opened the door for them, they climbed out eagerly. “We won’t need you anymore today,” Delight informed him as they headed up the steamer’s walk.

“Yes, ma’am,” he told her and he left to return to the Montgomery house.

“Come on, Rose.” Delight led the way across the main deck to the companionway. When they finally reached the texas deck, she went straight to Jim’s cabin. “I don’t know if he’s in his stateroom or not, but we’ll check here first.”

Knocking once, she opened the door and went on in. Jim was not there now, but he had been, for his clothes from the night before were strewn all over the cabin.

A small smile curved her lips as she remembered the passion they’d shared in that bed…

“Where shall we look for him now?” Rose asked.

“We’ll try the saloon. If he’s not there, at least Ollie will know where we can find him.”

She led Rose back downstairs, and they entered the Grand Salon and strode its length, admiring the beauty of its pristine white fixtures and stained glass skylights.

“This is lovely,” Rose said in hushed tones. “The only time I ever traveled on a steamboat, it was summertime, and I went as a deck passenger.”

“That sounds horrible!”

“It was.” Rose made a face. “The boat was carrying a full load of livestock, and the smell was awful.”

“Well, the next time you take a trip, I’ll make sure you go first class.” Delight walked casually into the saloon, drawing curious glances from a few of the men gathered there.

“Delight!” Ollie saw her immediately and beckoned her on into the room.

“Good morning, Ollie.” She smiled warmly at him and then turned to introduce Rose. “Ollie, this is my friend and companion, Rose O’Brien. Rose, this is Ollie Fitzgerald.”

Ollie came around the bar to greet them, his eyes wandering appreciatively over Rose. “Miss O’Brien, it’s a pleasure.”

“Please, call me Rose.”

“I’d be delighted to, if you’ll call me Ollie.”

“With pleasure.”

“Where’s my captain this morning?” Delight interrupted their exchange, too excited at the prospect of seeing Jim to notice the immediate attraction between Rose and Ollie.

“The last I saw of him, he was heading down to the mudclerk’s office on the main deck, but he should be back any…”

Before Ollie could finish his sentence, Jim entered the room. “Delight!” Surprised and pleased to find that she’d managed to get away so early, he hugged her tightly, and, ignoring the stares of the others in the room, kissed her.

“Good morning,” he murmured, releasing her reluctantly when he realized that all eyes were upon them.

“Good morning,” she smiled back, sorry that the real world had interrupted their greeting. “How are you this morning?”

“Fine…and you?” His eyes drank in the sight of her.

“Wonderful. I hope you don’t mind that I came so soon…”

“I wish we’d never had to part.” His tone was earnest and he had to restrain himself from taking her in his arms again.

“There’s someone here I’d like you to meet,” Delight began, knowing she had to break the spell between them, but not really wanting to.

“Are you Rose?” Jim turned to the older woman.

“Yes, I am. And you must be Delight’s captain?”

“I’m Jim Westlake. It’s nice to meet you. I appreciate all you’ve done for her.” He slipped a possessive arm about Delight’s waist and drew her to his side.

“I love her too, Captain,” Rose told him, glad to see that Jim was a man capable of protecting Delight.

“Please, call me Jim, and I’ll call you Rose.”

“I will.”

“Well, darling, what are your plans for today?” He looked down at her, his eyes sparkling at the thought of being alone with her for a few minutes.

“I hadn’t thought beyond coming on board and spending the day with you.”

“I like the sound of that, but I do still have some paperwork to do. I’ve got to finish the work in the ledgers this morning and then get them over to Marshall this afternoon.”

“You have to work?” Delight pouted, not wanting to share him with anything or anybody.

“I’ll finish as fast as I can.”

“All right,” she finally agreed, knowing how important the books were.

“Ollie?” Jim turned to him. “Would you like to show Rose around the boat?”

“I’d enjoy that very much. Rose?”

“Thank you, Ollie.” She was pleased at the invitation.

“Then we’ll see you later,” Jim continued, ushering Delight from the room.

“I can’t believe it!” Delight laughed, and Jim looked at her questioningly.

“Believe what?”

“We’re actually going to be alone for a while. I was so afraid that I wouldn’t get to spend any time with you.”

“You’ll have time with me all right, but I do have some things to finish.” He smiled at her. “Do you want to come back to work as my cabin boy? My cabin certainly misses your touch.”

“Only your cabin?” she asked, flirting.

“Vixen,” he growled, tightening his arms about her. “As you know, I do have a lock on the cabin door….”

“Then, let’s use it.” She smiled up at him in eager anticipation of sharing his love once again.

The weather was so pleasant after his clandestine meeting with Elroy Lucas that Martin decided to walk back to the house rather than hire a carriage. It gave him time to sort out his feelings and to go over the plans he was making. He needed to be sure that all angles were covered before he revealed what he knew to the correct sources. Elroy had a reputation as a hotheaded Southerner, and it was through him that Martin hoped to make direct contact with the spies who were operating in the area.

Martin had dropped his clues that morning at their meeting, and now he just had to sit back and wait. Surely someone would be in touch with him before the day was out, for there was no time to waste if they were going to make
arrangements to attack Jim Westlake’s boat while he was carrying the gold.