Temptation: 3 (Timeless Series) (33 page)

“Nothing, thank you, Mr. President.”
Parker sat, then glanced at Sterling leaning forward. “Aren’t you a ways from western Pennsylvania?” he asked, his voice barely civil.

“I know my presence here isn’t wanted, but the President and I have been in contact for some time, working on the very topic you’ve brought to his attention. When he mentioned your involvement, I asked to be included today. But I’ve an ulterior motive, a mission of mercy,” Sterling said. “I’m hoping you’ll at least hear me out after traveling so far. What I have to say may be of interest.”

Parker held his gaze, making the man squirm before President Grant cleared his throat, drawing his attention. He sat up straight. “I believe I’ll take you up on the offer of a drink. A bit of bourbon might make it easier to endure the meeting.”

The president nodded to a servant at the back of the room, who quickly proceeded to the bar.

“That’s as far as my magnanimous patience goes.”

“Parker, that’ll be enough,” President Grant chastised.

Sterling put up a hand. “No, no need to intervene, Mr. President. I expected some animosity.” Smiling, he turned to Parker and waited until he had his drink before holding his out in a toast. “Here’s to accomplishing the impossible.”

Eyeing Sterling, Parker clinked glasses and took a long swallow of the warming liquid.

“All right. You have my full attention. Now tell me why you’re really here,” Parker demanded, his gaze still on the man.

“I hear congratulations are in order. Is your wife nearby?” Sterling asked.

Parker’s smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I’m sure you didn’t spend all those hours on the road simply to congratulate me or ask after my wife.”

Unperturbed, Sterling took a sip of his drink. “Yes, well, this concerns the lady.”

“How?” There was no missing the deadly tone of Parker’s curt question.

When the president started to object again, Sterling shook his head,
then set his drink on the table in front of him. “I’m sure you’re aware that your wife is an heiress to one of the best-producing coal mines in England?”

Parker flashed him an ominous look at the mention of Penny’s legacy. “What has this to do with my wife and her property?”

“Quite a bit, actually. I’ve been corresponding with her guardian in the last year, working on negotiations for acquiring Lytton Mines. The purchase was to be concluded the day after the earl’s marriage to one Lady Penelope Lytton, the same woman you married. From what Lord Knightsbridge had imparted, they have a betrothal agreement and their wedding was delayed due to mourning her dead parents. Were you aware of that?” he asked.

Keeping his expression guarded, Parker nodded.

“The earl is convinced the lady is still going to marry him, and he assured me the sale would go through without a hitch as recently as two weeks ago,” Sterling added. “Imagine my surprise when the very next day, your wedding made headlines in our little town. Seems you’re still a bit of a hero to some fellows there and nothing you do goes unnoticed.” He chuckled. “Also, the lady’s unique status as an heiress makes her newsworthy. I’m digressing, however.” He stopped talking long enough to take a swallow of his drink. “Very good bourbon, Mr. President.”

“Continue, please,” Parker prodded, when it seemed the man was procrastinating.

“I’m not sure how to present my concerns, so I’m just going to blurt them out,” Sterling said. “Gerald Knightsbridge, the Earl of Kentworth, is here in this country. He gave his assurances in person.”

The news definitely drew Parker’s concern. He stiffened and the angular lines on his face tightened with tension.

Sterling nodded. “I gather you didn’t know. I believe he’s planning something sinister involving your wife.”

Frowning, Parker dismissed his worry with a negligent shrug. “I don’t see how. The lady is no longer his affair.” Penny was safe on his farm. The earl couldn’t touch her.

His assurance didn’t faze Sterling, whose voice became more insistent. “When I questioned him days later and showed him the newspaper’s account of your vows, he ranted for a solid five minutes before he managed to rein in his temper. Then he told me to disregard the news. Said nothing has changed. He’ll have the marriage annulled and the sale will still go through without delay.” Sterling leaned in before adding, “He was very emphatic. According to the earl, the matter would be resolved the moment he had the lady under his control again. He was a bit off-putting, so I questioned him further, which seemed to enrage him more. I have to tell you, from our conversation, the man is clearly unbalanced. Quite mad, I fear. I think he means to do you or the lady harm.” Lifting his shoulders, he opened his hands as if to say, now do you see why I’m alarmed?

“I appreciate your concern, but I can handle him,” Parker said, unconvinced the earl held any true threat to him or Penny. Still, he mentally calculated how long his ride home would take. No sense taking chances. “But I am curious. Why would you care? You never did before.”

“That’s not true.”

The quick outburst spoken so fervently got Parker’s attention, causing him to eye Sterling with contempt.

Sterling cringed. “But I knew it would do no good to let you in on that information.”

Parker’s bark of laughter held no amusement. He snorted. “Surely you don’t expect me to believe you have a heart? Men like you haven’t one.”

He bit back a snarl when the president interjected in a mortified voice, “Parker!”

It was simply too much to share bourbon while listening to Henry Sterling espousing concern for him and his family. Parker was beginning to think his quest had been a fool’s errand. The president seemed more interested in his image and Indian uprisings in the West, than solving what Parker considered a huge problem.

Sterling sat quietly, most likely contemplating his next words. Finally he said, “I know you’ll never believe this, but I was as horrified as you were when the methane gas exploded and the mine caved in, killing your father and brothers. Your father was my most valued employee. I depended on him.”

“You had a good way of showing it, considering it was your greed that allowed the cave-in. You might as well have buried them yourself.”

“That’s not true, son.”

“Don’t call me ‘son,’” Parker ground out. “You did nothing to make the mines safer.”

“I know you believe you have cause to hate me, but it’s time you heard the truth,” Sterling said, shaking his head.

“What truth? That the mines are somewhat safer because my family died? That you were forced into making them safer? I don’t know how you sleep at night.”

“Parker,” President Grant said firmly. “That’s enough.”

“No, Mr. President, it’s quite all right,” Sterling said. “I understand his need to lash out.” He turned to Parker. “Believe what you want, but you should know that I was working with your father to make the mines safer for all, just as I’m working with a committee on mine safety now. Your father had several inventive ideas and we were in the process of implementation when the accident occurred. After his death, I implemented every last one of them and there hasn’t been an accident in Sterling Mines since. And as for being forced into it, there are no laws on the books requiring me to do what I did.
Yet.”

“I’ll bet that hurt your bottom line.
Imagine, humanity before profits. Don’t expect me to declare you a saint because you suddenly acquired a conscience,” Parker said dismissively. “The end result is the same. Men are dead—my father and brothers included—because of your lack of concern.”

“You’re right, of course, no matter that I tried to make amends to you. You’d have none of it, but I’ve more than paid for my imagined crimes. And because of how successful your father’s ideas have been, I’m working with other owners to convince them of the value of safety. I also gave your father what he wanted most. And I believe he would forgive me.”

“Henry, Parker is out of line,” President Grant said, his voice drawing both men’s attention, and interrupting the charged atmosphere. He nodded at the older man and stated firmly, “You don’t have to justify yourself.”

“I disagree.” Henry sighed. “It’s time I told the complete truth.” Henry eyed the president, letting the statement hang in the air. He kept his gaze steady, seeking acquiescence, until he got a nod.

Parker noted the exchange. “What truth?”

Henry straightened. He cleared his throat and pulled on his bow tie as if it were too tight.

“I secretly helped you acquire the job with the government. Jonathan Morgan, your superior, and I are good friends. He needed someone with special skills and I told him about you and your brother.”

“You’re lying.” Totally stunned, he shook his head. “No,” he yelled. “I’ll not give you credit for something I did.” Feeling betrayed, he turned to the president and demanded, “Did you know about this?”

“I knew of the connection as it’s in your file, but from what I’ve read, you more than proved your worth on your first mission, so you are right on that account. However, I doubt, given your background, we would have used you in such a way without a strong recommendation.”

“Your mother is well aware of it also,” Sterling said. “We talked after the accident. I had to make sure she agreed with my plans.”

“Elizabeth? You brought my mother into this?”

“We didn’t dare tell you because you wouldn’t take the offer if you knew where it came from, and that offer gave you a way out,” Sterling said softly. “It was your father’s last wish. I had to honor it. You far exceeded Jonathan’s expectations,” Sterling went on. “But did you really think you’d sway men looking for experienced, seasoned soldiers without some kind of help? You were a green, hotheaded boy, bursting into manhood with rage in your heart. I only gave you a little bit of help and redirected that rage. Put it to good use. Of course you would never accept help from me, so I kept it hidden as did your mother.”

“This is too much.” Parker stared in disbelief at his drink, absorbing the information as his thoughts raced. No one spoke or moved a muscle. The clock above the fireplace mantel bonged twelve times, the only sound disturbing the quiet.

“All right,” Parker finally conceded. “Why would you? I was every bit as valuable in your mine as my father. He taught me everything he knew about mining. I can’t see you doing that out of the goodness of your heart.”

“I had an arrangement with your father. I could have him for life but not his sons. He wanted more for all of you.”

“You expect me to believe that, when you killed his two youngest?”

“They weren’t supposed to be part of what we were doing. He needed their size to shore up one of the tunnels. No one else could get to them. He took the chance because he thought what we were doing was worth the risk. Unfortunately, fate intervened and they died,” Henry said, heaving a heavy sigh. “No one, least of all your father, expected gas in that part of the mine. I wouldn’t have let anyone near it without his say-so.”

Though Parker didn’t want to accept what Sterling was saying, the man’s words rang true. Benjamin Davis knew the mines better than anyone. It was also true that Parker’s father never wanted his sons to live and die as miners. His father had made that fact known with every breath he took. His grandfather’s slow and painful death from black lung disease had profoundly affected Ben Davis and he’d always been on Parker about rising above mining, telling him education was a path to a better life. He could now see his father making such a bargain with Sterling. Sadness engulfed him as he listened to the rest of Sterling’s story, and heard the sincerity in his voice.

“I had no way of circumventing that accident and I’ll be damned if I can let the earl’s threat go unheeded. That’s why I’m here. I couldn’t save your father or your brothers, but I can warn you. That man means mischief and you’d be a fool to ignore his threat.” Sterling placed his empty glass on the table. He eyed Parker and added with much conviction, “I know you’re anything but a fool.” He turned to the president and nodded. “Now that I’ve said my piece, we can get back to business. I’ve learned I have only so much control over fate. Whether or not he follows up on my warning isn’t up to me.”

“We’ll have to discuss business another time.” Parker gulped the last sip of bourbon and stood.
“If you will excuse me, Mr. President. Mr. Sterling.” When both men nodded, he added, “I think I’ll take your advice and check on my wife’s safety.” Parker headed for the door, his equilibrium bent. Sterling’s news affected him more than he wanted to admit and he had to escape. With his hand on the knob, he turned back and smiled. “Merely a precaution; I certainly don’t see how the earl could pose a real threat.”

“I don’t know, Parker. The man’s a little too scary for my liking,” Sterling said.

Parker grunted. “Scary or not, he’s an aristocrat after all. Appearance is everything to someone like him.”

Catherine cautioned Penny with a finger to her lips to ensure silence. Then, spying something in the brush, she signaled for Penny to halt, whispering, “Wait here, I’ll return after I track and kill him.”

Penny nodded and watched her stalk into the woods, content to let Catherine do what she did best—by herself. She relaxed with her back against a tree, enjoying the feel of the sun on her face.

A twig snapped. “Now you’re the one getting rusty, Catherine.” She laughed, turning toward the sound. “I heard that.”

Her amusement died the moment she spotted the man a few yards away, holding a gun pointed at her heart. She stared, too dumbfounded to speak.

“Lady Penelope.” Gerald Knightsbridge smiled, a nasty one that sent shivers of panic up Penny’s spine. “Expecting someone else?” He chuckled, a purely evil chortle erupting from his chest. “Sorry to disappoint you, but she won’t be back for quite a while. I’ve been watching and waiting,” the earl said, advancing purposefully toward her. He stopped a foot away. “Did you think you could outwit me forever?”

When she finally found her voice, she asked, “What are you doing here?”

“What kind of greeting is that for your betrothed?”

Penny continued gawking, unable to think of anything to say.

Another sickening chuckle rolled from his mouth.

Since he thrived on her fear, she schooled her face to show nothing of the terror this encounter produced. Though Parker wouldn’t be back for hours and she wasn’t sure of Catherine’s whereabouts, this wasn’t England and she would no longer play his sick games.

“As for what I’m doing here? I should think it’s obvious. I’m here to take you back to England. I have a ship waiting out on the bay for my signal. We’re to be married, you know.”

“I’m afraid you’re too late, Lord Knightsbridge.” She shrugged. “I’m already married.” Glaring at him, she held her head high, no longer frightened.

This time he laughed outright, the ominous sound grating on Penny’s nerves and sending another signal of alarm throughout her system. When his laughter died, he eyed her, his gaze traveling from the top of her head to her feet and back up again. As quick as lightning striking, his expression changed from amusement to rage.

Backhanding her, he sneered viciously, “I thought I told you long ago to use my given name.”

Not expecting the blow, Penny’s head and person snapped back with force, and for a moment she saw stars.

“Now, I’d like to hear it spoken with respect from your lips,” Gerald said patiently after seizing her chin roughly, forcing her head up.

Subduing pure fear, she waited for the remnants of pain to subside. Eyeing him cautiously and letting her expression go blank, she gave him what he wanted, saying in a steady voice, “Gerald. I can’t marry you because I’m already married.”

“Yes. I’m well aware of that fact.” He leaned closer and spoke in a deceptively soft voice. “Imagine my surprise when I stopped in town looking for your maid, Melinda Bowers, and heard the latest gossip.
About the fairy tale wedding.” He sighed and shook his head, moving toward her. Penny took a step back. “Just my luck that bit of news led me to you.”

He gripped her arm. The force of his fingernails bit into her flesh. When he glanced at something on the front of her muslin shirt, she looked down and noticed her locket had worked its way out from the blow and now hung loose around her neck. He quickly snatched it off, breaking the fragile links.

Penny resisted the urge to grab her treasure from his hands, knowing he’d somehow use its importance against her.

Fingering it, he eyed her speculatively. “Of course, I’m not happy about your marriage.” His lip curled in a harsh smile. He threw the locket on the ground, his claw-like grip on her upper arm tightening. “It will simply have to be annulled. I’ve come to take you home, but I’ve learned from my mistake. This time you’ll have no way to escape.” He shoved her in front of him so hard she almost lost her balance. Grabbing her arm with another cruel yank, he steadied her. His focus landed on the wedding ring on her finger. He held up her hand and wrenched the gold piece off with another cruel twist. He tossed the ring with the locket and waved his gun. “Get moving. He had no right to marry you.” When she turned around to contradict him, his voice lost any semblance of control and his wild eyes flashed the fact brighter than a flare at midnight. “Understand this. You are my betrothed—mine—and you will honor your parents’ agreement.”

“You’re too late,” Penny said bravely, eyeing the gun and licking her lips nervously. “I’m carrying his babe, so an annulment is out of the question.”

“Move,” he barked, giving her a push in front of him.

“A child does change things. Probably for the better.”

They’d been walking for quite a while and Penny thought the earl had forgotten about her claim about the child she carried. His taunt proved her wrong.

“How? It’s too late.” She didn’t know how she sounded so calm when her insides quaked. She stopped and turned, scrutinizing his face for more meaning.

“It’s simple, my dear. Now I’ll have to kill him.”

How Penny kept the panic raging through her from showing in her expression, she didn’t know. Glancing around before starting forward again, she noted they headed toward Parker’s bluff. How long before Catherine would come looking for her? Could she stall him somehow?

When they neared the same large rock she and Parker had sat talking too many times, he reached for her arm, jerking her to a stop.

“That’s far enough. You might as well sit. You’ll not escape me a second time, but you won’t like the repercussions if you test my patience and try.”

~~

Parker rode at a fast clip, urging his stallion faster, unable to subdue the nagging doubt now setting in his gut. Though he truly didn’t think his wife was in danger, he did have an intense desire to ensure Penny’s absolute safety. Too many times he’d felt this same intuition, and his reactions to such warnings had saved his life just as many times to disregard the feelings now.

When he’d finally arrived at Catherine’s favored hunting ground, he dismounted. Squinting, he circled, examining the land for any signs of disturbance. When he caught a flash of something shiny, he walked over to the spot, carefully eyeing the ground. The moment he spied the locket and the ring lying next to it, his heart slammed into his throat. Squatting and picking up the pieces, his alert gaze moved even slower over the terrain, now noticing the bent branches and trodden path through dried leaves, signs his sister would never leave behind.

It took only seconds of scouting to find a definite trail. Parker tucked the locket and ring inside his coat pocket, then mounted his stallion, eager to follow. He hadn’t gone far before he realized where the trail led. Dismounting once again, he tied the horse to a low-hanging branch to graze.

A heartbeat later he stepped swiftly into the brush, almost running.

Like a ghost, concealed and silent, he traveled through the woods. At the edge of the clearing on the other side of the trail leading to his bluff, he halted. The blood pumping through his body turned to ice as he settled unseen to observe the scene in front of him.

Penny sat on his rock as an unknown man standing menacingly over her reached into his coat pocket, took out a piece of mirrored glass, and signaled someone on the water.

~~

The earl
swung around to face her, his expression filling with rage. “Did you think you could avoid marriage with me?” He raised an arm and struck her again.

Though she’d prepared for the blow with a flinch and a defensive hand, the force of it knocked her off the rock. His harsh laugh still held the vicious quality when he bent to help her up and his voice, as he continued speaking, sent a bitter chill over Penny.

“I planned for too long to allow some cloddish colonial steal you, my dear. What were you thinking? Bloody hell! The man’s common and has to die,” he stated, waving his gun. “His demise won’t be hard to plan and deal with. After all, I managed with your stupid parents.”

“What do you mean? They were in an accident,” she said, fighting to ignore his boast. She bit her lip to keep her tears from forming. She knew firsthand how he liked to instill fear and she would die rather than let him know how much the news affected her.

“They tried to renege on their agreement. Said I wasn’t worthy. Only I wasn’t about to let that happen. Of course, I didn’t anticipate Wyndham’s interference. Otherwise I would have come up with some other plan,” he said. His expression hardened and he looked at her, growling, “You’ve gone and messed with perfect plans. No matter. You’ll be punished. While I’ll take pleasure in meting it out, unfortunately, it won’t be pleasurable for you. You have caused me a great deal of time and money, so it’s only fair.”

Penny cast her gaze at the ground, thinking the entire time of how she could escape the madman, unwilling to let panic overwhelm her.

“Aren’t you even curious as to your punishment, my dear?”

“No. I’m sure it can’t be any more heinous than tying me down so you can torment me.”

“Yes, but now I don’t have to stop.” He emitted a gleeful cackle, all but crowing, giving Penny the impression of a bantam rooster pleased with himself for his part in laying the egg. Then all pleasure dissipated as rage gripped his features. He knocked her hat away and grabbed her bun, yanking her head back, bringing her attention to him. His breath, inches from hers, smelled foul and dank, just like the man. Eyeing her with a glazed look in his eyes, he hissed like the snake he was, “That bastard kept you from me. Don’t worry. I’ll take care of him along with your husband. He won’t get away with interfering with my plans.”

Ignoring the pain bursting through her scalp, Penny blinked back tears. “You’ll never get the chance because my husband won’t let you. He’s a US marshal.” Though she tried to sound confident, the thought of this madman somehow managing to kill Parker had her very worried, especially after learning he’d been responsible for her parents’ deaths.

“That certainly represents a challenge, now doesn’t it?” Gerald still held her hair and he moved his lips to her ears, stroking the side of her face with his knuckles. He gave a soft chuckle and whispered, “You’ll eventually learn to take pleasure in my touch. But if I’m to be honest, I’d have to say I don’t really want you to. I truly enjoy your fear. You’re so tempting, my dear. It’s too bad I have to wait.” Then he stood and moved away, his agitation growing. The earl turned back to her and said in a louder, more vicious tone, “That man took what was mine. It should be my babe in your stomach, not his. You’ll pay for that, too.”

Something caught
Lord Knightsbridge’s attention in the brush. Pushing Penny away, he spun around. Waving his gun, he said, “Come out or I’ll put a bullet in the lady’s kneecap. The shot won’t kill her, but it will cripple her. I care not whether she can walk again.”

When silence enveloped them, the earl yelled, pointing his gun at Penny’s leg, “Now.”

Slowly, Parker walked out of his hiding spot with hands raised. “Take it easy. I’m unarmed,” he said, flashing an engaging grin.

Penny lunged to warn him. “Parker, run! He’s going to kill you.” At the same time
Lord Knightsbridge raised his arm, aiming for Parker’s heart, and fired.

In stunned horror, she watched the man she loved fall to the ground. The scene unfolded in slow motion, yet she couldn’t deny the brutality of what had just happened, forcing her to act. She was now totally on her own and would rather be shot in the back than surrender to the earl’s control. The rage surging through her gave her strength. Penny shoved the earl with all her might, catching him off guard. Then, pushing away the heart-searing pain at seeing Parker lying prone and lifeless, Penny darted through the brush, running at a good clip, and thanking God she was wearing her boys’ boots and trousers as they allowed her more agility. Using her head start, as well as her advantage of knowing the terrain, she quickly found a spot in which to hide. She covered her mouth, trying not to breathe too loudly, and waited.

Within moments, the earl thrashed through the woods and into view. He brushed past her, without discovering she crouched hidden not feet from where he’d stepped. She stayed put until she could tell he was a good distance away. Then she ran in the opposite direction.

“Penny, come out.”

Lord Knightsbridge’s yelling spurred her faster. She ignored the burning pain in her lungs. “You will not cry,” she told herself. “Don’t think of Parker lying dead. Just keep running and don’t stop.”

“You won’t get far, my lady.”

His voice got louder and stronger. She increased her pace, heading in the direction of Catherine’s cave. If she could make it, she stood a chance of saving herself.

“Just give up and I’ll go easy on your punishment,” he yelled. “Penny? Where are you? Come, my dear. Surely you see you have no other choice. If you don’t come out, I’ll kill them all. Do you hear me? I’ll find your maid and make sure she suffers.”

When his voice became more distant, Penny halted every now and then to listen. Fear kept her heartache at bay, enabling her to keep a steady pace, while disappearing farther into the woods, gaining more distance from the madman chasing her.

Once she reached the two tall rocks covering the cave’s entrance, her fears eased, and thoughts of Parker lying dead on the ground invaded her mind. She couldn’t stop her tears. Soon they were flowing freely, blurring her vision and impeding her progress through the large cavern.