Savage Spring (27 page)

“Sleep well, my little love,” he whispered. “You are safe with me. No one will ever harm you again.”

Tag went downstairs, expecting to find the stranger who had helped him rescue Alexandria. He had many questions to ask the man, and he intended to have his answers tonight.

He found only Farley waiting for him in the parlor. The old man was stretched out in a chair, his feet propped up and his eyes closed.

“That there stranger done lit out. When I went to stable the horses, he just clean went and disappeared.”

“Damn it, Farley! You knew I wanted to talk to him. You should have kept your eye on him.”

“That one’s a slippery one. I don’t know who he is, but you oughta be mighty beholden to him after tonight.”

Tag sat down and leaned his head back against the chair,
feeling the weariness creep into his body. “I suppose, but I damn sure would like to know who he is and why he keeps turning up everywhere I go.”

“There’s lots of things that don’t make no sense to me. What kind of folks would drug a young girl like our Alexandria, and try to force her to wed?” Farley asked.

“I don’t know, Farley. It seems to me that everywhere we turn since we came to Philadelphia, we have run into some shady characters. I have a fear that the whole damned white world is corrupt.”

“You have better things to worry ’bout tonight besides the sins of the world,” Farley said, crinkling up his face into a grin. “It just don’t hardly seem right to me that a strapping young man like you would spend his wedding night with the likes of me.”

“You know it wasn’t really a proper wedding, Farley. I had to marry her so that damned rabble would stop hounding her.”

“You heard the man say the wedding were legal and binding. She’s your true and lawful wife.”

“I don’t want to talk about it anymore tonight. I’m going to bed,” Tag said, standing up and moving toward the door. He turned back to Farley. “I will be sleeping in the front bedroom,” he said, to clarify his meaning.

Farley’s laughter followed him out into the hallway and up the stairs.

When Alexandria awoke, the afternoon sun was streaming through the bedroom window. She sat up quickly, looking about her in total confusion. She saw a man’s gray coat thrown carelessly across the back of a chair and a pair of black boots setting on the floor. It took her only a moment to realize she was in Tag’s bedroom!

What was she doing here? She tried to remember, but her mind was so fuzzy, and her head was hurting something fierce. She searched the deep recesses of her mind, and in a flash she remembered some of the events of the previous evening. Barbara and Rodney had taken her back to the house on Front Street! She couldn’t seem to remember anything past the time Rodney had given her a drink, which she now knew had been drugged. Everything else was a hazy nightmare, and she didn’t know what had happened to her.

Feeling something warm resting against her breast, she looked down and discovered she was wearing her mother’s cameo necklace. Her face flamed red when she realized the necklace was all she had on.

Alexandria moved off the bed and tried to stand up. When she attempted to take a step, she felt the room whirling and caught onto the bedpost to steady herself. After several attempts, she managed to put her gown on and fasten it up the front.

“Dear Lord, what has happened to me?” she whimpered. “What am I doing in Tag’s bedroom?” she cried aloud.

As hard as she tried to remember the events of the previous night, she could remember no more than vague shadows and dark illusions.

The door opened softly, and Alexandria whirled around to see Mrs. Green enter the room carrying a tray of food.

“My poor little dear,” the older woman said as she laid the tray aside and helped Alexandria back to bed. “You had an awful experience last night, but you are safe now, the saints be praised.”

Alexandria lay back against the oak headboard, her confusion reflected in her golden eyes. “Can you tell me what happened, Mrs. Green? I don’t seem to remember.”

“Don’t you worry your pretty head about anything. I have instructions that you are to do nothing but rest for today.” Mrs. Green touched her forehead to see if she was feverish but found it cool to the touch. “I was the most surprised
woman alive when Farley told me that you were a girl instead of the boy I thought you to be.”

Alexandria looked into the kind, soft eyes of the housekeeper, feeling guilty that she had deceived her. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Green,” was all she could manage to say.

The housekeeper’s eyes were dancing merrily. “Nonsense! You have no reason to feel sorry. You just eat the food on your tray and try to get your strength back.”

When the housekeeper placed the tray on Alexandria’s lap and handed her a napkin, the girl caught her by the hand. “Please tell me what happened to me, Mrs. Green. How did I come to be in this bedroom?”

“All I know is that the strange seaman that’s been hanging around here spying on Mr. James came bursting in last night insisting you had been carried off by your stepmother and stepbrother. Mr. James and Farley left here with the man, and when they returned, you were with them.”

Alexandria stared at Mrs. Green. The housekeeper had called Tag by his right name. That would mean that she knew about Tag’s past. “I…wish I could remember what happened,” she said, placing her hand over her eyes.

“Don’t trouble your head about such things. I’m quite sure when Mr. James returns he will explain everything to you. Right now, you should eat a good meal and then do nothing but rest for the remainder of the day.”

Tag had seen Farley off to Valley Forge, where he would have to ask directions to Meadowlake, with instructions to make sure Alexandria’s stepmother and stepbrother didn’t return to her farm. Alexandria had once told Tag that all the servants at the farm were loyal to Barbara, so Mrs. Green and several of the other servants were to follow Farley the next day, to set the place in order and hire new help. If Alexandria decided she wanted to return to her farm, he didn’t want her to have to worry about anything.

Tag pulled his horse up and dismounted. He had decided
to pay a visit to Claudia to see what was happening with her. He suspected she was somehow involved in Alexandria’s abduction. If it were true, that would be one more sin he would lay at Claudia’s door. The chips were rapidly stacking against her, and the time was drawing near when Tag would call on her to cash them in.

Before he could knock on the door it swung open, and Mrs. Dodson faced him. “Mrs. Landon isn’t receiving visitors today, Mr. Knight. The house is in mourning. You see, Mr. Landon passed away last night.”

Tag’s eyes narrowed, and Mrs. Dodson shivered at the coldness in the blue depths. “Tell Mrs. Landon I am here. I think she will want to see me.”

In no time at all, Mrs. Dodson returned and led Tag upstairs. She left him in front of Claudia’s bedroom door with a disapproving frown on her face.

Not bothering to knock, Tag pushed the door open and entered the darkened room. It took him a moment to see Claudia huddled in a chair near the window. Her hair was tangled and hung lankly about her ghostly-white face. As Tag approached her, he could see that her eyes were wild with terror.

He towered above Claudia and looked down at her, unable to hide his look of contempt. “I understand condolences are in order, Claudia.” he said in a cold voice.

Her head snapped up, and she stared at Tag as if she didn’t really see him. “He’s gone. Howard’s dead, and it’s my fault. I didn’t know he would have such a violent reaction when I sent Alexandria away. I’m lost and have nowhere to go. I will be put out in the cold.”

Tag knelt down and grabbed her arm. “Don’t crack up on me now, Claudia. I want your mind to be clear when we have our little talk.”

She grasped his shirtfront and leaned her head against his shoulder. “You have to help me, Falcon. I’m surrounded by enemies. Everyone wants to see me dead!”

He dislodged her hands and forced her to look at him.
“Not everyone, Claudia. I don’t want you to die. I want you to live to be a very old woman.”

“You’re the only one who I can turn to, Falcon. When it’s learned that Howard is dead, I’ll be asked to leave this house. What shall I do?”

“Do nothing for now. Just try to pull yourself together. The harder ordeal is ahead of you, Claudia. Prepare yourself for a battle you will never forget.”

Claudia looked at him in confusion. “I don’t know what you mean, Falcon.”

He stood up. “No matter—in time everything will be made clear to you.”

Tag left the room and stepped out into the hallway. He went to the bedroom that Howard had occupied, opened the door, and walked to the portrait that hung over the mantel. As his gaze swept each member of his family, his thoughts were in a turmoil. One of the enemy was dead and the other was very close to losing her mind. He wanted Claudia to be in full possession of her faculties before he moved in for the final blow. Deep inside Tag, there was a strong bitterness that his hadn’t been the hand that had ended the life of his father’s murderer. His eyes traced Joanna’s face, and he remembered the anguish his sister had suffered because of Howard Landon. He could now close that chapter of his life and concentrate his efforts on Claudia. In a way, he supposed there was some kind of justice in Howard’s death, after all. Somehow he found satisfaction in the fact that one of the enemies was responsible for the death of the other. He knew that Joanna had long ago put her bitterness aside. It was he who had been eaten up with hatred for all these years. He still had one more debt to settle before he could be at peace with himself.

When Alexandria stepped out of the bathing tub, she was feeling much better. She dried herself off, then combed the tangles from her wet hair. The gown she had worn the day before had been washed and pressed by Mrs. Green, and
Alexandria slipped it over her head and buttoned it up the front.

It was late in the day when she finally made her way downstairs. Mrs. Green had told her that neither Tag nor Farley were at home, and she felt restless. There were so many things she wanted to know…so much that she didn’t remember. She watched the clock on the mantel tick the minutes away, thinking that if someone didn’t tell her what was going on, she would explode!

Alexandria was sitting down to a solitary dinner when Tag finally came home. He entered the dining room and sat down beside her, looking at her inquiringly.

“I have been waiting for you to come home all day,” she said accusingly. “Please tell me what has been going on. Mrs. Green has been close-mouthed and refuses to tell me anything.”

Tag looked away from her and waited for Mrs. Green to place a plate of food in front of him and leave the room before he replied. “Tell me, how much do you remember about last night, Alexandria?”

“I remember nothing much past Rodney’s giving me some kind of drink. I believe he drugged me.”

“Yes, I’m sure of it. You were in no condition to know what was going on last night.”

Alexandria pushed a piece of meat around her plate with her fork. “Yes. I just can’t remember what happened.” She lifted her eyes to his. “Tag, tell me before I lose my mind. Was…did…I…was I married last night?”

He smiled slightly. “Oh, yes, most assuredly you were married last night. I myself was a witness to the ceremony.”

Alexandria lowered her head. “I cannot stand the thought of being married to that odious man. I will never live with him as his wife, and no one can make me!” she cried, burying her face in her hands.

Tag’s good humor startled her. His laughter caused her head to snap up. “I have been called many things in my life,
Alexandria, but never odious. As for living with me as my wife, that will be your choice.”

“I don’t understand…you just said that…”

“I said, my dear wife, that I was a witness to your marriage. I didn’t tell you that I was also the groom.”

Alexandria’s amber eyes widened in shock. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She had thought he was implying she had married Rodney, but had he not called her
his
wife? “I’m confused. What are you saying?”

Tag took a bite of the meat on his plate, chewed it up and swallowed before he answered. Alexandria watched him expectantly.

He watched the different emotions play across her lovely face while he told her all that had occurred the evening before. When he finished talking, Alexandria pushed her plate back and stared into his eyes in total confusion.

“Forgive me, Tag. It seems I have caused you nothing but problems since the first night we met. I’m sorry you were forced to marry me. That must be the last thing you wanted to do.”

Her amber eyes were wet with tears, and he wanted to tell her that he didn’t mind being her husband in the least. In fact, he had been anxious and unsure as to how she would take the news of being his wife. Many times that day he had wanted to return home so he could tell her of the love in his heart. The fact that he didn’t know how she felt about him halted his confession.

“I admit you have been trouble for me, but there was never anything I couldn’t handle.”

“I won’t hold you to the marriage, Tag,” she said, looking at him with earnest eyes. “I know what your feelings were for Morning Song. If I am free to go, as you say, I will be returning to the farm as soon as possible,” she said, giving him an easy way out of their situation.

“Why don’t we wait a few days for you to make that decision. I’m afraid I have some news that’s going to upset you.”
“It’s Mr. Landon, isn’t it?” she stated, with uncanny insight. “He’s dead.”

“I’m afraid so, Alexandria.”

She stood up and walked to the window. “I know you hated him, Tag, and with every reason…but I grew to care for him. At the end, he was nothing more than a sick old man wanting to make amends for all he had done to you and your sister.”

Tag walked over to her and turned her to face him. “Don’t ask me to feel sorry that he’s dead. I will always remember that he was responsible for the death of my father. You might have felt pity for him, but I can never forget how he treated me and my sister.”

Alexandria thought about her meeting with Tag’s father. It was true that Mr. Landon had committed many sins in the past, but he hadn’t killed Russell James as Tag thought. She did not voice her thoughts, however, since Mr. James had asked her to not to say anything to Tag. “Time has a way of taking care of the ills of the world in one way or another, Tag.”

He raised her chin and brushed the tears from her cheeks, smiling down at her. “So young, and yet so wise. I believe that you have touched my life as no other person ever has, Alexandria.” He brushed her forehead with his lips.

Alexandria closed her eyes, knowing that though the man she loved was her husband, they would never be as one. Too much stood between them. Morning Song would always be there in his mind. Alexandria knew Tag had only married her to save her from Rodney and Barbara, not because he desired her as his wife.

“Tag, I just want to say again how grateful I am to you. I wish you hadn’t found it necessary to marry me last night. I give you my word, when I return to Meadowlake, I will never trouble you again.”

His grip tightened on her shoulders, and he pushed her away. “I suppose now that you are cleared of all charges against you, you will be happy to pick up your old life. I am
not so fortunate; there is still much to do before I can pick up my life again.”

“I will stay and help you, if you wish, Tag,” she said, hoping against hope he would ask her to stay.

“Do as you will,” he said, moving past her and walking out of the room.

Alexandria placed her hands up to her face, feeling more confused than ever. What did he want her to do. Go…or stay? There was no way she would ever understand Tag. He just wouldn’t allow her to get too close to him. How she envied his dead wife, Morning Song. She had died having known great love. Just once, Alexandria wished Tag’s eyes would soften when he looked at her the way they always did when he spoke of Morning Song.

Claudia had managed to pull herself together after Falcon’s visit. She had sent for her lawyer, Melvin Garner, and they had been discussing what they should do now that Howard was dead and Taggart James had returned.