The Charleston Chase (Phantom Knights Book 2) (18 page)

Why then has he not married?

Charlotte appeared before me on the arm of a man I
had never before met, but had seen at the race. His family’s
plantation had sponsored the winning ship. “Miss Martin, allow me
to present Mr. Drayton, a friend of Sam’s.”

Mr. Drayton and I exchanged greetings. “I hear your
family owns a plantation in Savannah, Miss Martin.”

“Yes sir. I have not been there in
many years, but I long to see it again. I enjoyed the life there so
much more than living in town.”

He told me about his family’s plantation and his
father, who rarely went into society. In turn, I told him about my
family’s rice plantation that had sadly never grown into a large
production. With my father more interested in the Phantoms, he had
never expanded the land. The farmers who still tended our land put
out a good crop, but it was weather permitting and not nearly large
enough to have paid for all of my mother’s expenses. It was
providential for my family last year that she had two ships that
made a fortune during the war. If not for those ships, we would
have lost everything.

“Talking business at a party, Charles?” Sam asked
Mr. Drayton, as he came up beside me.

“Peace to be found on the land, Sam. You should
bring Miss Martin to the house one day. Father would be delighted
with her knowledge of the land.”

Sam opened his mouth to say something, but I spoke
first. “We should be delighted, Mr. Drayton. Plantation life
intrigues me.”

As a new dance was about to begin, Sam looked down
at me.

“My dance, I believe.”

Tingles moved down my arms and into my fingers as
Sam took my hand and led me to the first place in the line of
dancers. His thick hair was artfully thrown back and fell in wavy
goodness down his neck. After his intense eyes, I loved his hair
the most. Every time I saw it, I had to fight the urge to wrap his
curls around my fingers.

We neither spoke for the first part of the dance,
but Sam’s eyes only left my face when we had to separate in the
country dance. When his hand grazed my waist, a jolt shot through
me, down my legs and up my arms, making me all too aware of the man
before me. I looked up into his gray eyes that were like heat,
warming the very depths of me.

Seeing Charlotte and Rose watching us with smiles on
their faces, caused me to notice that others were watching us, as
well. Sam knew how to make himself agreeable, and if the dagger
looks that were being cast my way were any indication, he had made
himself agreeable to more than one woman in the room. I frowned,
though unintentionally.

“What is the matter, Bess?”

Pulling my gaze away from the women glaring at me, I
looked up into his eyes. Eyes filled with concern.

“I owe you an apology, Mr. Mason.”

His smile was lopsided as he said, “Shall we call it
all forgiven and begin again, Miss Martin?”

“I would like that,” I replied, returning his smile.
His gaze narrowed on my mouth, and I had to look away.

How I wish I had not. If only I had remained focused
on Sam, I would not have looked toward the open doors.

Standing on the threshold, his eyes fixed on me, was
Andrew.

Gasping, my insides were surely on fire. Grief,
alarm, embarrassment, and anger all slammed against my ribs,
bouncing as if trying to find an escape. Our steps turned us away,
but I looked over my shoulder. There was a beautiful brunette
clutching his arm. The look she was giving him, oh, how I
understood that look. He was whispering in her ear.

Sam was staring at me; no doubt he
could feel me as stiff as a rod. “What is amiss? Your whole being
has tensed perceptibly.”

I could not tell him. My mortification was coming to
the fore. I said not a word, but waited for the dance to end. When
the music faded, he led me off the floor and without his
comprehension, straight to Andrew.

Sam smiled as he saw who was standing by the door,
and he went forward, greeting the woman on Andrew’s arm.

She embraced him fondly saying, “Cousin, allow me to
present my betrothed. Mr. Andrew Madison.”

The room started to spin, but I could not move. My
feet were stuck in place. After a moment, my shock gave way to
outrage.

Betrothed!

I knew I was going to be sick; I could feel it
rising up my throat. Sam’s face did not tell of his incredulity,
but I knew by the tense line in which he was holding himself. He
turned to where I stood a few steps behind him and my breath caught
at the fury in his gray eyes. My eyes pleaded with him not to say
anything. My humiliation would be known soon enough without Sam
adding a brawl in the ballroom to my shame. He turned back toward
Andrew.

“This is news indeed. It is a pleasure to make your
acquaintance, Mr. Madison.” He shook Andrew’s hand. I saw Andrew
wince, and when Sam released his hand, he shook it out at his side.
That almost brought a smile to my lips, but Andrew’s gaze landed on
me before immediately looking away.

Sam took my hand and brought me to stand at his
side. His arm wrapped around my back, his hand resting on my side
above my waist. “Anne, this is Miss Elizabeth Martin, a friend of
mine. Bess, darling, this is my cousin Anne Crawford.” I pulled
against the hand that was holding me against him, but he squeezed
my side slightly. He was trying to help me, but I did not want or
need his help.

“Oh, are you and she
betrothed?”

“Yes,” he said with perfect composure, and my
widening gaze shot to his.

He was smirking at Andrew, then
smiled too intimately down at me. The urge to strike him was
strong. He had told her we were betrothed...in the middle of his
crowded ballroom. My heart would surely explode from all of the
pressure building; I needed to escape, quickly. But, immediate
escape proved impossible.

A group of women had overheard Sam’s thoughtless
remark and descended upon us to bombard us with congratulations.
Within a minute everyone within hearing knew what had been said,
and within fifteen, the whole of the house would know.

Women were curious as to how and when it had
happened, why we kept it a secret, and men were shaking Sam’s hand,
casting knowing smiles and raised eyebrows at the two of us. I
wanted to scream, but I bit down on my lip to keep the anger
inside. What Sam had done, placing me in such a predicament, was
unpardonable.

As I looked around for a form of help all I saw was
Anne and Andrew. It was evident that she had no notion of who I was
or my past relationship with Andrew. Obviously, he had a partiality
for tall brunettes with brown eyes.

“Bess!” came an exuberant shriek
from behind as Charlotte came tripping toward me. She fell against
me as she threw her arms around me. “I knew it! I knew you and
he—”

“Char, dear, have you yet spoken with your cousin?”
I asked, directing her attention to Anne.

Char squealed as she hugged her cousin. Miss Anne
Crawford began making the introductions between Char and Andrew. I
closed my eyes as Charlotte’s elation by the news hurt my ears. The
cord that had been holding me together, snapped.

Escape was all I thought about as I pushed through
the people standing in the doorway, moving through the foyer,
watchful eyes everywhere I turned. Sam’s book room was the only
room empty of people. Opening one of the windows, I stepped out
into the cool night air. The garden was not lit, but the light from
the windows made it bright enough to see part of the garden, and
the rest of the way was made by instinct.

Once seated on the stone bench and
closing my eyes, I wished it all away—that I had not attended the
ball. It may have been cowardice to feel that way, but I did not
care. Seeing Andrew again hurt, but it was what Sam had done that
caused pain worse than being branded; like stingers stuck in my
heart that I could not remove. An angry sob shook my body, and I
covered my face with my hands. It did not bring tears, but the
desire to scream, to throw things, to run back into the ballroom
and first hit Andrew, then Sam.

A few minutes passed before someone came to find me.
I was hidden from sight, as the light from the windows did not
reach the back wall, but I could see him perfectly. He was tall,
elegant, and still as striking as when I had first met him. His
hair was pomaded back, something I had never seen him do, and it
added a severity to his face. His jaw was as determined as ever as
he looked around the garden.

“Elizabeth?”

My anger propelled me to stand and walk toward him.
As soon as I stepped into the light he halted, staring at me. He
did not even have the grace to look ashamed.

“You look beautiful, Elizabeth,” he said.

I gaped at him. I looked
beautiful?
Beautiful?
Did he have a wish for death? Because the mood I was in, I
might have obliged him.

“What are you doing here?” he asked.

“I live here,” I replied, tilting my chin up
further.

“Here
?
With
him
?”

What did he think I was! “Charleston, Andrew, I live
in Charleston,” I said through clenched teeth.

He sighed as if relieved, and I wanted to strike
him. “I must admit that I am in a puzzle as to how you are
betrothed to Anne’s cousin.”

“Why? Because he is an honorable member society?
Perhaps you think everyone in society judges without facts.”

Andrew winced. “I saw your mother
after we—”

“You mean after you ended our betrothal in a
letter?”

“Elizabeth, please do not be like that.”

“How do you expect me to be,
Andrew? You accused me of murder! There is nothing left to say.” I
moved around him to go back to the house, but he stopped me with
his words.

“She told me of your innocence. She told me about
your not having a choice in becoming what you were.”

My eyes slid shut. That was my mother, always trying
to fix things, but some things could not be fixed. Some things
should never have been. Like Andrew and I. Like our
conversation.

“It no longer matters. You broke
our engagement. You are betrothed to another woman, and I—” I broke
off, unable to say it.

“My family’s doing.” His hands rested on my
shoulders, and I winced, his touch burning me, bringing back
memories of what might have been. “She means little to me.”

I whipped around, pulling away from his hands.

“Why have you come?”

Andrew stiffened. “Anne’s family is from
Savannah.”

“Why have you come
here
,
to me?”

“When I saw you, I was overcome with love; my heart
has not moved on, nor could it. Then hearing that you are
betrothed...” He shook his head. “All my hopes were dashed, until I
realized that you do not have feelings for him.”

Compressing my lips, I said nothing. To admit to
Andrew that my feelings for Sam were very strong, but confusing,
was not something I would ever do.

He stepped closer, and his large palms wrapped
around my arms. “I want you to leave with me now. Marry me.” He
pulled me against him, his lips crushing mine painfully.

I pushed against his chest, and when that did
nothing but make him roughen his kiss, I kicked his shin. His mouth
released mine, and I slapped his cheek as hard as I could. It sent
his head to the side.

“You chose what you wanted to believe, and now you
must accept the consequences.”

His hand was on his cheek as he stared at me a
moment before stalking toward the house. When he reached the
terrace, he turned back toward me.

“I will deny any mention of what has occurred.”

Disgust strengthened my tone as I said, “You need
have no fear. I do not choose to slander your name.”

Andrew went back into the house. When he was out of
my view, I doubled over but not from the pain of heart ache. In
relief.

A hysterical laugh bubbled up my throat and out of
my mouth. Since it was laugh or cry angry, disgusted tears, I
laughed. I was well rid of him. My hands and legs were shaking, but
I made it back to the stone bench, sitting before my legs gave
out.

My heart and dreams had been set on his delivering
me from the life of a Phantom, but finally, I understood. I did not
require deliverance. I could not wrap my dreams on someone else.
Freedom had always been mine, but I had not been able to see it,
because it was not bundled the way I thought it should be.

Half an hour passed before anyone else came to find
me. I saw Sam the moment he stepped through the window, but I did
not call out to him. There was no need. He knew where I was.

When he reached me I moved over so he could sit. My
anger was no longer as strong, but the pain, well I was not sure it
would ever leave me.

We each leaned against the brick wall neither
speaking. My arm was against his, and the soft fabric of his coat
against my skin sent warmth into me. We stayed silent for a few
minutes, until I could take it no longer.

“How could you? You knew about
Andrew—the scandal—so how could you place me in such
a...predicament?”

“Is it so horrendous a fate?” he asked softly.

Tears filled my eyes and slowly
fell, but he could not see them, could not see how much he had hurt
me. “Scandal is one of the worst fates that can befall a woman in
our society.”

Sam leaned forward, trying to look at my face.
“Though that is not what I meant, Bess, no man of honor would call
off an engagement,” he paused, then said, “not that I would know
what a man of honor looks like.”

“You have more honor in your smallest finger than
any other man in that ballroom, Samuel Mason, and please forgive me
for saying otherwise,” I replied, feeling warring emotions. He
should not have said what he had in the ballroom, but I understood
what had compelled him to do so.