Return to Paradise (Torres Family Saga) (47 page)

      
“What has she done?” he asked, blocking their way and causing the taller fellow to stop and look up at him.

      
“Sir Physician, your honor, do you know this wench?”

      
Benjamin arched one golden eyebrow and fixed the guard with a level stare. “Aye, I know her, much to my regret. She is part of my uncle Isaac Torres' household. What are the charges against her?”

      
The guard looked abashed and stepped back, stammering, “She—she looked to be
caraque
and she attacked that sailor, doing him grievous injury.” He pointed to a hulking brute sitting huddled on a crate across the quay with several of his compatriots consoling him.

      
Benjamin looked scornfully from the big sailor back to the tiny girl. “That scarce seems a fair fight, even if she was
caraque
. Is there no other charge?” .

      
“She did create a disturbance in the market earlier with a wine seller,” the tall guard replied uncertainly. He wanted no trouble with a powerful merchant family or this richly dressed and well armed
magister
. “But we have no one here who has charged her with stealing his silver...exactly.”

      
“I suggest you release her to me and I will see she troubles you no further.” Benjamin extended his hand toward Rani.

      
Squirming free of her captor, she said, “I told you I was of the House of Torres!” The stocky guard with the pock marked face released her.

      
“Silence,” Benjamin thundered as he seized her around the waist and yanked her across his saddle. “She will behave after I deal with her,” he said to the guards as he turned Avarroes toward the steep hill leading to the Torres palace.

      
“Ouch! You are hurting me! Let me sit up.” Rani felt the hard leather pommel of the saddle grinding into her tender little belly.

      
Benjamin slid her unceremoniously across his legs and placed her in an upright position in front of him. “Now, perhaps you will cease your dangerous excursions to the waterfront. That sailor could have raped and killed you.”

      
She snorted derisively. “He was drunk. Twas simple to disable his raping equipment.”

      
“And not so easy to dispose of those two guards. Have you ever seen the cold stone walls of a prison?”

      
“Yes. My room in your uncle's house,” she replied mutinously. “You would make it a prison for me. You go out each morning, leaving me alone, confined to my quarters just as if I were a criminal.”

      
“You
are
a criminal. You steal. Do not deny it. Rani, if you were a man I swear I would sell you to the galleys and be rid of you.”

      
She stiffened in his arms. “If I were a man you would never have taken me to your bed. I would be free now, on the road with my people...and you would be dead,” she added in spiteful afterthought.

      
Benjamin could not deny that fact. They rode in angry silence past the Basilica of St. Victor and farther up the steep hill until the gleaming white walls of the Torres residence rose before them. Handing Avarroes' reins to a stableboy, Benjamin dismounted and whisked Rani from the horse.

      
“Tis time for me to dress for dinner. My uncle is having an old friend join us, along with another business associate of his.”

      
“And of course I am again banished to the kitchen with the servants,” she said sullenly.

      
“As long as you insist on eating with your fingers and acting like a starving swine at table, consider yourself fortunate even cook tolerates you. My uncle's hospitality has been sorely tried, Rani, and well you know it.”

      
“Just because I will not pick at food with silly tines is no reason to deny me.”

      
“What of taking Vero to table? The first night he loped into the dining hall, my aunt fair had a heart seizure, especially when you tossed him a whole leg of lamb.”

      
“He was hungry.” She shrugged, then asked with unquenchable curiosity, “Who comes to dine this night that is so important?”

      
Benjamin felt his face heat. In truth he would as soon himself forego the meal, but he could not hurt his aunt and uncle by refusing to join them. “Judah Toulon and Richard DuBay.”

      
“Toulon. The father of your lady Miriam?” Her golden eyes narrowed.

      
“Do not even think it. You will remain in the rear of the house, well out of harm's way, while my uncle entertains his friends.”

      
“Entertains that woman's scorned suitor is what you truly mean to say.” The moment she spoke the words, Rani regretted them.

      
“Yes. DuBay and I both are scorned suitors.” His voice was ice cold.

      
“I am truly sorry. I say foolish things when I am angry. Please do not hate me.” Her eyes grew luminous with tears that overflowed and dropped from her thick black lashes. No longer dirty, her cheeks glistened with the silver droplets as she stood beseeching him.

      
Benjamin cursed, then took her in his arms. “My feelings for you are always at war. What am I to do with you, Rani? You hate our way of life here. I know you feel confined as your wolf, yet I must practice my profession and cannot be a wanderer along the roads with you.”

      
“I will try very hard to learn
gadje
ways. Even eat with those stupid tines and spoons if it pleases you.”

      
He tilted her chin up and kissed her eyes free of tears. “You please me in many ways, Rani.”

      
A tremulous, sad little smile curved her lips. “I please you in bed. I will never be a lady like your Miriam.”

      
“Hush. Do not worry about the future. I will think of some way out of this coil.”

* * * *

      
That evening as the richly garbed, imposing figure of Judah Toulon strolled across the courtyard with his emaciated younger companion, Rani crouched behind a yew observing them. “So, that is the wondrous Lady Miriam's father. I hope she resembles her mother, not her sire,” she whispered to Vero, whose keen gold eyes studied both men intently. “Of course if she attracted that skinny DuBay, tis likely she is as ill favored as Judah Toulon!”
But she also bewitched Benjamin and the brother who is his mirror image,
a taunting voice whispered to her.

      
Vero gave a low growl and she patted his head in reassurance. “I do not like them either, but be silent. We are in sufficient trouble with Benjamin already. I would not have them look on us. I know that old man has the Evil Eye.” She shivered in revulsion as the two men passed by her hiding place. She touched the shell amulet she had recently purchased in the market, hoping it would protect her.

      
Just as Isaac entered the courtyard with his arms extended in welcome for his guests, a large orange furball darted across the opposite corner of the garden. Vero's keen eyes immediately lighted on the cat. Before Rani could restrain him, he darted from the bushes in swift pursuit of his quarry. Rani lunged after him, crying out for him to stop. In his headlong rush, Vero knocked the spindle-legged DuBay backward into a holly bush and rushed past him toward Ruth's cat, which by this time had climbed a cherry tree and was observing the chaos below with preening feline satisfaction.

      
In her attempt to catch the wolf, Rani tried slipping between the two men, but DuBay's flying feet tripped her, catapulting her sharply into Judah. Struggling to regain her balance, Rani seized hold of his heavy chammare. Horrified at the
caraque
wench's hands on his person, Judah shoved at her. They both lost their footing and fell in a tangle of arms and legs on the path.

      
Rani landed on top of the old man, who was shrieking hoarsely for rescue as Isaac ran to their aid. Rani's amulet lay across Judah's face, having broken in the struggle.

      
“What is this?” he spat, sitting up and untangling the string of shells from his long, thick, gray beard.

      
He threw the necklace at Rani, who was busy scooting free of him. “Tis an amulet of shrimp shells to ward off the Evil Eye,” she said, refusing to look at him as she clutched it to her.

      
“Shrimp! Shellfish are unclean! You have defiled me, you
caraque
witch!”

      
“Please, Judah, your heart. You know how often Benjamin has warned you about getting overwrought,” Isaac said as he helped his friend to his feet. He turned and glared at Rani, who was scrambling as far from the two old men as she could get.

      
DuBay howled in misery as sharp holly leaves pricked his tunic and hose. His elegant silk doublet was in ruins and he was bleeding from countless small cuts and abrasions by the time he had extricated himself from the clutches of the bush.

      
Rani leaped to her feet and fled after Vero, who was circling the cherry tree. He gave her a singularly impenitent look before returning his attention to the cat. “Come with me now else you will wish to trade places with yon feline. Do you not feel their Evil Eye on you, stupid wolf?”

      
Vero gave one disdainful snort at the cat, then trotted obediently after her as if saying, “Scant chance that will ever happen,” to his mistress.

      
Benjamin witnessed the commotion from the gallery above the courtyard and quickly fetched his medical bags before descending to the garden. By the time he arrived, Rani and her wolf were gone and Ruth had joined them, distraught over her guests and her cat.

      
“That wild creature could have torn us all to shreds. Look at me! I bleed!” DuBay's voice rose shrilly as he extended his arms for Isaac's inspection.

      
“Isaac, we must do something about the wolf. He has terrorized the household since the day he arrived.”

      
“Vero is quite harmless, Aunt Ruth—except to cats,” Benjamin amended. “But he and Rani can cause...disturbances, I agree. I will speak to her after dinner. Now, Richard, let me see to your hurts.”

      
“I have been smeared with that savage's filthy jewelry. I must purify myself in temple. Shellfish! She wore shellfish about her neck!” Judah combed his fingers through his beard, examining it for any traces of the amulet.

      
“I heartily apologize, my old friend. To you, as well, Richard.” Isaac turned his fierce blue eyes on Benjamin. “The wolf must go. As to the girl, you must take appropriate measures to control her. Something you seem woefully unable to do.”

      
“I will see to Rani and Vero after I treat my patients, Uncle Isaac,” Benjamin replied calmly. Inwardly he seethed, picturing his hands tightening about a slim golden neck until he had choked the life from her!

      
Both guests departed without eating. Judah insisted he must visit his rabbi and Richard cried off, saying he was in such grievous pain that he must seek his bed. After treating Richard's superficial scratches with ointment, Benjamin was inclined to disdain his patient's tolerance for even minor discomfort. Indeed, if it were not for the embarrassment and upset to his aunt and uncle, Benjamin could have seen humor in the situation.

      
When they had accompanied their distraught guests to the gate, Ruth tactfully retired to let her husband and nephew discuss Rani Janos in private.

      
“What are you going to do with her?” Isaac, for once in his life, felt frankly baffled. “I know you owe her your life but this—this cannot continue. She is mad! And your aunt lives in mortal terror of that damnable wolf.”

      
Benjamin sat nursing a goblet of fine brandy as he pondered the problem. “Rani will never part with Vero. He is her only link with her past life. He has always been her protector.”

      
“Then it would seem you must part with Rani. Perhaps we could settle her and her wolf somewhere in the country. I have a small estate up the coast—”

      
“No, no. She will not live alone, confined to one place. Tis hard for her after a life of wandering to be so constrained, even living with me.” His face flooded with unaccustomed color as Isaac's shrewd gaze settled on him.

      
“If you keep her as mistress soon she will swell with your child. You must know the anguish your father suffered over your brother and the shame of his bastardry that Rigo himself has felt. Would you visit such on your own children? Tis time you were wed, Benjamin. And you cannot think to take such as Rani Janos to wife.”

      
Benjamin's shoulders slumped and he took a deep swallow of the brandy. It burned a trail down his throat as he gathered his chaotic thoughts. “No, I know marriage to Rani is not possible...yet...”

      
“She is beautiful and you find she has soothed your hurt over Miriam,” Isaac supplied gently. “That is understandable, but we are not permitted to ignore our obligations and cast off our by-blows in the cavalier way our king does.”

      
“I will not ignore my duty, Uncle Isaac. I know what I owe the House of Torres. I also know my brother's bitterness and would not see it visited on my children. Yet in the New World, he has made a life in spite of his heritage. I have been thinking of home...”

      
“You think to take the girl to Espanola?”

      
Benjamin smiled sadly at Isaac. “Twould rid you and Aunt Ruth of a troublesome burden. I cannot give her up and I cannot keep her here. And, I would return to Santo Domingo. That way I could be near my family and practice medicine.”