Desire In His Eyes (13 page)

She had a feeling she would not sleep well that night.

As promised, the next morning Jeffrey called on Juliette, and the two of them set about to spend the day exploring New York City together. If he was not mistaken, Juliette seemed inordinately excited for the opportunity to escape the Dunbars’ house.

“Is it not as nice to see your friend as you had hoped?” he asked her as they rode along Fifth Avenue, admiring the lovely houses. The carriage driver Jeffrey hired for the day was taking them to Central Park. The warm June sun sparkled in a cloudless sky, creating a perfect summer day.

“Oh, yes, of course it is. I’m thrilled to see Christina.”

Jeffrey laughed at her. “You are lying to me. Out with it, Juliette.”

She stuck her tongue out at him.

“You know I love when you do that,” he teased her pleasantly. She had done that the first night he met her.

She blithely ignored him. “I’ve been cooped up with them since I arrived and have not had an opportunity to do anything fun at all.”

“Poor Juliette.” Jeffrey shook his head. “She crossed an ocean to find more of the ordinariness of the life she led at home.”

She gave him a sharp look. “How did you know that is what I was thinking?”

“Because I know
you
.”

“Well, it’s true,” she continued. “The only real fun I’ve had so far was while I was on the
Sea Minx
, and that was utterly thrilling.”

“I imagine it was, at that.” Jeffrey had thought a good deal about what he had learned had happened between Juliette and Harrison on that ship. And it worried him greatly. For all of Juliette’s bravado, he was concerned about her being hurt.

The night before Jeffrey had waited for Harrison to return home for an hour before he learned that Harrison had already departed for his other home on the Jersey shore to tend to his sister who was ill. Jeffrey had been disappointed for he had wanted to speak with his friend to discover the truth of what his feelings for Juliette were.

He glanced at Juliette, sitting beside him in the carriage, looking as lovely as a rose in a pale pink muslin gown and holding a frilly parasol to shade her from the sun. No one would guess that she had run away from home. With her angelic face and feminine attire, she appeared the epitome of a well-bred English lady.

“Did you pack that gown with you?” he asked with a wink.

“No, I was traveling considerably lighter than this when I left London,” she pointed out, knowing full well he was aware of that. “I was planning to have new clothes made when I arrived, but Christina gave me her entire wardrobe since her clothes no longer fit her properly and they will be out of style by the time she can wear them again. I am merely putting them to good use until I can have my own made.”

“Very good use,” he added, looking her up and down. “The Dunbars seem like nice people.”

“They were very impressed to meet you,
Lord Eddington
.”

He took her meaning and laughed. “Little do they know that my title is empty!” Jeffrey loved the irony that the people who fawned over him would normally scorn him if they knew the circumstances of his birth.

Juliette smiled at him, her blue eyes alight with excitement. “Imagine, Jeffrey! We are in New York City. Isn’t it exciting? Who ever would have thought that we would be here together?”

“I can’t think of anyone.”

And that was the truth. He had imagined doing quite a lot of things with Juliette, and some of them did not bear repeating, but seeing the sights of New York was not one of them. He wondered what had prompted him to propose they get married last night. It was not as if he had a sudden wish to be married or planned on acquiring a wife any time in the near future. Marrying Juliette would have been a mistake in the long run. She was quite right about that.

Now he worried over her feelings for Harrison. The more Jeffrey thought about it, the more he realized that Juliette and Harrison were perfect for each other. Harrison was the only man he knew who had the fortitude to put some restraints on Juliette’s reckless behavior, yet he would be able to provide her with the excitement that she craved. He also sensed that Juliette cared for Harrison more than she led him to believe. She was usually quick to provide a litany of faults of men she found lacking. She did no such thing when he questioned her about Harrison last evening. Juliette had remained uncharacteristically silent. Which told Jeffrey more than she realized.

Harrison was a bit tougher to read. Although now that he considered it more carefully, Harrison had questioned him about a mystery man in Juliette’s life and was under the misconception that Juliette had fled to New York to be with a man. And Harrison had questioned
him
about his own motives regarding Juliette. Harrison had acted as a jealous suitor might, which told Jeffrey that Harrison definitely had feelings for Juliette, even if Harrison was unaware of it himself.

“Oh, look!” Juliette exclaimed. “That must be Central Park over there.”

An indeed it was. Their driver explained that over twenty thousand workers and engineers had reworked the land in the center of the island of Manhattan to create a countrified and well-landscaped park, which first opened over a decade earlier. With rolling green fields, wide meadows, and hundreds of leafy trees, it provided a much-needed pastoral respite for the citizens of New York and instantly became a popular place to see and be seen while ice skating on the lakes in winter or attending outdoor concerts in the summer. Many walking paths, carriage drives, and equestrian trails lined the park, which also boasted a meadow filled with sheep and a brand new zoo.

As their open-air carriage winded its way through the shade-covered lanes of Central Park, Juliette fell into a thoughtful silence. Jeffrey could hardly resist.

“What are you thinking about?” he questioned.

“Nothing.”

“You looked very far away.”

“Did I?”

“Yes, you did.” He paused. “Are you thinking about Harrison?”

She shook her head, twirling her parasol.

“I believe you were and just so you realize what a sporting chap I am, I’m going to tell you something.” He smiled knowingly at her.

Juliette’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “What is it?”

“Harrison is no longer in New York.”

Surprised by the news, Juliette’s voice rose higher. “He’s not?”

“Ah, I see that got your attention.” He smiled wickedly at her. “No, he is not.”

“Where is he?”

“He has gone to see his sister.”

Her elegant eyebrows shot up. “Melissa?”

“Is there another?” Jeffrey asked.

“Harrison has two sisters, Melissa and Isabella, and a brother, Stuart.”

“He’s gone to visit the one who is ill.”

“That would be Melissa,” she announced with a certainty that surprised him.

“Yes, I believe that’s the one.” He found it very telling that he had known Harrison for some years and knew next to nothing about his family, yet Juliette knew the names of his brother and sisters.

“How long will he be gone?”

Ah, another telltale question for Juliette to ask. Jeffrey maintained a neutral expression and shrugged casually. “I’m not sure. He seemed to leave rather abruptly.”

She fell into a long silence, staring off into the trees.

“Were you hoping to see him again?” he asked.

She turned sharply to him. “You are very manipulative, Jeffrey, and I don’t care for it one bit.”

“You might as well confirm my worst suspicions and simply tell me the truth.”

“There is nothing to tell.”

“Isn’t there?” he said in a low voice.

She sighed. “I hate that you know me so well.” Her eyes were downcast.

“That’s part of my charm.” He grinned at her. “You know that I would never judge you. Lord knows I’m not one to put anyone up on a pedestal, least of all myself.”

She smiled at that. “You would love to be on a pedestal.”

“Maybe.” He thought for a moment. “If the right person placed me there. The view could be rather nice.”

Juliette’s bubbly laughter floated around them.

As their carriage left Central Park, Jeffrey instructed the driver to take them to Fifth Avenue and Fourteenth Street to Delmonico’s for lunch. Juliette had never been to a restaurant before and happily added the experience to her list of adventures. In a private room, they dined on “eggs á lá Benedick” and Delmonico steak and champagne.

“Juliette, you have to think about what you will do next. You can’t possibly stay with the Dunbars forever.”

“Nor would I want to,” she responded tartly. “Maxwell Dunbar is a lecherous bore and I cannot imagine how Christina can bear to be married to him.”

“Lecherous?” he questioned.

“He never stops staring at me.”

“Not that I blame him for doing so but if that is the way the wind blows there, you must leave. That’s a disastrous situation for you to be a part of.”

“I am quite aware of that, but I have not decided where to go yet.”

“Well, what are you looking for that you haven’t found?”

She looked into his eyes, her frustration evident. “I don’t know, Jeffrey. I can’t describe it to myself, let alone to you, but I will know it, I will feel it, when I find it.”

“No.” He shook his head. “No, I think you’ve already seen it and it has scared you to pieces. And you ran away.”

“Whatever are you talking about?”

“Captain Harrison Fleming.”

At her startled look, he pressed further. “I think he scares you because you cannot control him like you can control everyone else.”

Juliette waited until their waiter brought them baked Alaska for dessert and left, before she let loose a diatribe. “I have never had control over anything in my life. I’m a woman if you hadn’t noticed. Women control nothing. If you are confusing the fact that I may from time to time use what little charms I possess to get my way on occasion with control or power, then you are an idiot. Women have no options, no say in anything that happens to them. Even in a country as equality based and founded on freedoms and rights as America, women have no vote, no voice, in anything that happens here either. Don’t you dare speak to me of control, Jeffrey! A man can do whatever he wishes and no one blinks an eye. But if a woman—”

“Why did you stop?” he asked, when she abruptly came to a halt. She had been talking a mile a minute, her fury mounting.

“Because I might as well be talking to a wall.” Juliette folded her arms across her chest. “And you are smirking at me.”

“I am not smirking,” he protested, attempting to keep the smile from his face. “I happen to agree with you.”

She bit into her dessert and ignored him.

“Let’s put politics aside, shall we? And concentrate on the larger picture.”

She glared at him while stabbing her cake with her fork. She remained silent.

“You are in a new city, staying with friends you are uncomfortable with and which could quickly become an untenable situation. You have no plans to go anywhere else. You have become involved with a man whom you claim to have no interest in, yet I think you protest too much, as the old saying goes. You executed a grand plan to get here, but did not have a plan for what to do once you arrived. You cannot continue traipsing about by yourself. You have only the companionship of a very handsome and dear male friend with unlimited means and resources for guidance.” He looked directly into her eyes. “Do I overstate the picture?”

She grudgingly shook her head in acknowledgement.

Jeffrey continued. “So I suggest you follow my advice.” He put up his hand to stop her from speaking. “And I furthermore suggest you listen to what I am proposing first, before you put up any resistance.”

She gave him an arch look and said sarcastically, “Pray, go on, dear Jeffrey. I am on pins and needles waiting to hear what you have to say.”

He grinned at her. “I will ignore your sarcasm because I know how much you love me.”

She rolled her eyes heavenward.

“Do you wish to hear my plan or not?”

She managed to place a neutral expression on her face. “Yes, please.”

“That’s better.” He patted her hand. “I think we should continue your adventure.” He paused, waiting for her reaction.

“You’re not insisting I return home?” Her expression turned to one of suspicion.

He shook his head. “No. I think you are quite correct. There is more adventure to be had here for you in the Untied States and I say we should take advantage of this opportunity. As the closest thing you have to a male relative on this continent, I shall be your escort, chaperone, protector, whatever.”

“Wonderful. You can be my protector,” she said with increasing impatience. “Just where do you propose that we go?”

He gave her a pointed look. “I’ve done a bit of investigating and I have heard that the New Jersey shore is quite lovely in the summer.”

Harrison had not slept all night. When he arrived home yesterday, he had not expected to find Melissa in such a state. She had not had one of her violent episodes in some time and the toll this most recent one had taken on her shocked him. She had not even recognized him.

He feared that Melissa would take her own life the way her father had done. Harrison had noted over the years that she and George Fleming had similar behaviors and habits. He remembered the man who had been the father figure in his life to have had great mood swings. He would be almost frantic and overflowing with ideas on how to make more sales of the houseware products he sold. Full of energy and bursting with activity he would be up all night, planning and thinking. Then would follow the time when he would sink into a black mood. Irritable and withdrawn, he would retreat into his bed and not come out for days. His mother would explain that George needed rest and quiet and to not make a sound or that they needed to not disturb him because he was busy working. The patterns continued until the day George Fleming shot himself.

Over the years, Harrison discovered that Melissa experienced those diverse periods of great elation and deep despair and it broke his heart. As she aged the episodes became more frequent and more terrifyingly violent. Once he had found Melissa threatening Isabella with a knife. The doctors he had taken her to see could offer no cause or explanation or cure, except for Harrison to try to keep her as calm as possible.

As Harrison’s wealth increased he was able to provide better care for her, ignoring the advice of many doctors who bluntly recommended that Harrison place her in an asylum for the insane. Instead he hired a woman to watch over her and care for her. Annie Morgan had proven herself invaluable. Last year he had moved Melissa and Annie from his home in New York City to his newly constructed home in a small village on the Jersey shore called Rumson. Near the beach but within a beautiful country setting, the change in location had improved Melissa’s constitution and her episodes had almost ceased. She had ridden horses, walked along the river, and spent more time outdoors in general, which did her good. Living at Fleming Farm had proven to be a wise decision.

However, now it seemed her troubles had returned with a vengeance, her violence escalating in the last months. Annie’s letters to him had not been exaggerations.

His first sight of Melissa sickened him. His sister had always been beautiful, possessing fair and delicate features with pale blonde hair, but now she appeared nothing but skin and bones. Wan and gaunt, she stared at him from lifeless, glassy eyes.

“How long has she been like this?” he asked, incredulous at the change in his sister’s appearance. He barely recognized her, and even more frightening was the fact that she did not seem to be aware of him at all.

“About a week now, after her last violent outburst. She’s been refusing to eat,” Annie explained. “I’m lucky if I can get her to sip some water and have a bit of toast. The doctor in town gave her some laudanum and that calmed her down, but look at her now. She’s not even living. She just sits there.”

Harrison had liked Annie Morgan immediately when he first interviewed her for the position. In her forties, she had been a private family nurse for two decades. Annie’s demeanor exuded calm and efficiency and he trusted her judgment completely.

“Then don’t give her anymore,” he suggested.

“I haven’t. We used the laudanum when she was threatening to jump out of her bedroom window,” Annie said. “That’s why I have her down here in the sun room on the ground floor. She can’t jump from here and I think the light is good for her.”

“Do you think we should take her back to Doctor Reynolds in New York?”

Annie answered with sage practicality, “I don’t think she could survive the trip. Would you want to risk her jumping off the train?”

“No, I suppose not.” Harrison reached out to stroke Melissa’s hair, which hung limp and pale around her face. “Melissa,” he whispered. “It’s me. Harrison. I’m back from London.”

She did not move or in any way indicate she heard him. Her eyes stared past him as if she could see something that he could not. He placed a light kiss on her cheek.

“Melissa!” Annie called to her in a firm voice. “Speak to your brother.”

Harrison shook his head at Annie. “Don’t.”

He felt sick, and the last thing he needed was for Melissa to be goaded into greeting him. Not when her pretty jade green eyes used to light up and she would run and throw her arms around him when he came home.

But then for the briefest instant Melissa’s eyes seemed to fix on him. In that flash of recognition he saw his sister trapped inside. Then just as quickly she disappeared again.

He turned away, unable to stomach the emptiness.

Annie followed him from the sunroom, leaving her assistant nurse to keep an eye on Melissa.

“What happened?” he asked.

“I don’t know. She just seemed to become more and more despondent. Nothing I did or said could coax her out of that mood. Usually a ride to the river perks her up, but she was having none of that. None of her usual activities would tempt her. She would not even engage in her painting.”

The painting had been a wonderful outlet for Melissa. He had designed a studio for her at Fleming Farm and she spent many days creating pastoral scenes. He wondered what had happened to cause such a decline in her mental state.

Harrison had gone to bed that night, but he had not slept, thinking that somehow he had failed to protect his sister. All his money, all the doctors, all the special care, and still she seemed destined down the same tragic path as her father. He did not know what to do to prevent it.

He had had more success with Isabella and Stuart. Stuart was a sea captain also, and a damn fine one. Harrison had put him in charge of his South China Sea trade. His younger brother would be fine. And Isabella was safely and happily married in Boston with a healthy son and another baby on the way. Her husband, James Whitman, was a decent fellow and would take good care of her.

Melissa was another story. He had failed her and it weighed heavily upon his conscience. Failure of any sort did not sit well with him.

A matter of another kind weighed heavily upon his conscience as well.

Juliette Hamilton.

He had left New York unwillingly. He knew he had to return to check on Melissa and a trip to Jersey was unavoidable, but he had not wanted to leave the city. He feared that by the time he got back there, Juliette might be long gone. He had warred with the conflicting desires to never see the little vixen again and to go to her, hat in hand, and convince her to marry him.

He reminded himself for the thousandth time that
she
had turned
him
down, as ridiculous as that sounded. She had been an innocent, despite her passionate nature, and he knew he had to do right by her. For the first time in his entire life he had made a proposal of marriage to a woman, and what did the fool woman do? With not so much as a by-your-leave, she had run away from him. It rankled him that she had spurned him in such a blatant manner.

He hoped that staying at Fleming Farm would provide him with some solace. But so far, it had not. Seeing Melissa broke his heart. Thinking of Juliette tortured his heart. And so he lay awake all night, deeply troubled, in his beautiful home.

The next morning, exhausted but still unable to sleep, he went about inventorying the grounds and meeting with his estate manager, Tim O’Neil. Together they discussed the plans for the new stables, which were now complete and the arrival of the new racehorses he had purchased and planned to race at Monmouth Park. He spent the remainder of the day riding the extensive length of his property and visiting the village of Oceanic. A few years back he had visited Long Branch and had stopped by the Rumson area with a friend. The quiet country beauty and lush greenery of the locale, surrounded on three sides by the Shrewsbury River and the Navesink River, called to something in him and he immediately bought property and began to build a grand three-story home with the very latest and most modern conveniences.

Before returning to Fleming Farm, Harrison rode along River Road overlooking the Navesink River and bought some fresh flounder and crabs from a fisherman. By the time he got home, he had checked in with Annie and Melissa, and there being no change in her condition, he retired to his room for a nap. Just as he was finally dozing off, a knock on his bedroom door roused him.

Mrs. O’Neil, his housekeeper and the wife of his estate manager, called to him through the door. “Captain Fleming? Captain Fleming? You have visitors.”

Harrison struggled to rouse himself and staggered to the door. His housekeeper’s eyes widened at the sight of his bare chest. He ignored her. “What is it, Mrs. O’Neil?”

“Excuse me sir, I didn’t mean to wake you,” she whispered, while attempting to avert her eyes from his chest. “It’s just that you have visitors. A fine gentleman and an elegant lady. They said they just arrived on the
Sea Bird
and hired a ride here. I already sent one of the boys back to the dock to fetch their trunks.”

His sleepy brain tried to make sense of what his housekeeper said. The
Sea Bird
was the steamboat ferry from New York City. His heart began to pound. “Who did you say was here?”

“A Lord Eddington and a Miss Hamilton, from England. I have them in the formal living room, Captain Fleming. You didn’t tell me that you were expecting company and I was a bit surprised by their arrival. I told Lucy to ready two guestrooms for them. Would you like me to serve those crabs for supper then?”

“Yes, yes, Mrs. O’Neil. That’s fine. Please tell them that I’ll be down directly.”

After he shut his bedroom door he stood immobile, reeling from the unexpected turn of events. Juliette Hamilton was in his house. Downstairs. At that very moment. What was she doing here? Jeffrey obviously brought her here, but why? Was she going to return to London? Was she here to say good-bye? But why would she bother saying good-bye to him at this point?

Suddenly Mrs. O’Neil’s words sunk in with a dreadful certainty as it occurred to him that she had mentioned guestrooms. Of course, Jeffrey and Juliette would at least have to stay the night because the next ferry didn’t leave for New York until tomorrow. He would have Juliette under his roof. In a bed a few doors down from him.
Good lord.
If he thought he had difficulty sleeping last night, he knew for certain that he would not sleep at all during the night to come.

Walking to his adjoining bathroom, the newest innovation in his house, Harrison splashed his face with cold water, ran a comb through his blond hair, and donned a clean white shirt.

When he entered the formal living room, he could barely catch his breath his heart was beating so rapidly. He immediately saw Juliette sitting on the green and gold striped sofa, looking calm and serene. She wore a pretty muslin gown of pale blue, which accentuated the color of her eyes. He had not seen her so fashionably attired since they were in London, and he suddenly longed to see her once again wearing nothing but one of his shirts, the sleeves rolled up on her arms and her shapely legs visible. But either way she was dressed, she was beautiful. Her mere presence aroused him and the familiar scent of the jasmine perfume she wore affected him more than he cared to admit. He fought the desire to go to her and pull her in his arms.

Jeffrey stood quietly before one of the tall windows, gazing out at the sprawling, green front lawn and the curving gravel carriage drive that led up to the front of the house.

Juliette must have sensed his arrival for she suddenly glanced up. Their eyes locked and they stared wordlessly at each other. Harrison’s gut wrenched at the contact. Her eyes were unreadable. They held no clue to her feelings for him, although he desperately searched for one. He had no idea how long they stared that way, neither one breaking their silent hold on the other.

Jeffrey happened to turn around. “Oh, Harrison, good afternoon!” he said in that easy manner that only Jeffrey possessed. He greeted him as if his stopping by Harrison’s New Jersey home, which entailed a four-hour ferry ride from Manhattan, was a common occurrence.

Harrison pulled his gaze from Juliette. “Welcome to Fleming Farm,” he uttered quietly. “To what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?”

Jeffrey explained with breezy charm. “Juliette and I thought an excursion to the seashore was in order while were in the area. And who better to visit than our dear friend, Harrison?”

“I see,” Harrison responded. He turned his attention back to Juliette. “Bored with New York already?”

She shook her head, but said nothing. That was quite unusual for Juliette.

“I wouldn’t say bored exactly,” Jeffrey continued, ignoring the obvious awkwardness between Harrison and Juliette. “I think restlessness describes it more accurately. We’ve heard the Jersey shore was lovely so we decided to see for ourselves. Your butler was kind enough to provide me with the directions we needed to get here. And judging from our ferry ride, the accounts we have heard were not overstated. The area is quite lovely and your home very gracious, Harrison.”

“Thank you,” Harrison mumbled. “I’m glad that you like it.” It was not often that he entertained, because he never knew how Melissa would react. He hosted a business client from time to time in Manhattan, but Juliette and Jeffrey were his first visitors to Fleming Farm. He nervously wondered if Melissa would even notice that they had houseguests at this point, and if she did, would they upset her? He would have to have a word with Annie to see if she could keep Melissa away from their guests.

Mrs. O’Neil entered the living room and asked if Lord Eddington and Miss Hamilton would like to freshen up after their long journey, she would take them upstairs to their rooms. Their trunks would be along shortly. As Jeffrey followed Mrs. O’Neil from the living room, Juliette lingered behind.

“Harrison?” she asked.

“Yes?” He looked at her expectantly.

“It was not my idea to come here. It was Jeffrey’s. He insisted.”