Lilac Temptress (33 page)

“
I think the time has come,
that you and I become betrothed. We should marry as we have
planned. Will you still have me?” She fluttered her eyes more
imploringly.

Drake watched Isadora with a numb
expression. He knew this day would come, but did it have to come so
soon?

“
Are you not pleased? Do
you not want this merging of our legacies?” Isadora stepped closer
to him, looking into his eyes. She stood, not even with an inch
between them. “Do you not want my dowry?” Her delicate features
were questioning. She tiptoed on her feet, whispering into his ear,
“Do you no longer desire me?”

Her warm breath against his earlobe,
had the power to give rise to what it always had when she was this
close—an intimacy that drove him to make uninhibited love to her.
Drake said nothing as tension between them increased.

Isadora met his stare. “The Civil War
has ended and the turbulent years of Reconstruction are over. Our
empires have survived it without ruin,” she voiced seriously but
sensually.

“
Yes they have, haven’t
they?” Drake agreed, calling to mind the destruction. The defenders
had set ships on fire to prevent their capture, also burning the
tobacco, sugar, cotton, corn and rice piled on the levees.
Warehouses were emptied, molasses poured onto the
streets.

Drake remembered when he was fifteen
years old—the evening that his father had entered into the
turbulent battle of New Orleans with a few good men to protect his
fleet of cargo ships from Union forces.

That night Drake had disputed horribly
with his father, brooding, not wanting to be left behind. However,
Randal had insisted that his son stay put, arguing that if he
didn’t return, Drake would become the new master of the
estate.

But Drake defied his father’s wishes
by saddling a horse from their stable; and rode alone after him,
into the city, not far behind. He located his father at the port
and though Randal’s wrath had been extreme, Drake was allowed to
stay and help protect the stockade, as it was far too dangerous for
him to return home without an escort.

Isadora’s seductive voice interrupted
his memory.

“
Let’s not let their hard
work amount to nothing. We will prosper together as we’ve always
planned. We are well suited for each other and now is the time for
us to live out our dreams of achievement.”

“
Are you certain, Isadora?
Are you ready to dedicate your life to me and the trade?” Drake
asked with a knot of tension in his throat, though he knew she was
right—there was no reason to further delay. Isadora possessed the
right status and the right lineage. Drake knew that if he married
into the Marcos family, their two empires would be combined. Even
his parents found Isadora to be the most complimentary
partner.

“
I can think of no better
time, don’t you agree?” she smiled softly. “If so, ask my father
for my hand in marriage tonight—unless of course, you are having
second thoughts?” Isadora wrapped her arms around Drake’s waist and
pressed her head against his chest.

“
What about love, Isadora?
Shouldn’t we be more than mere business partners? Shouldn’t we love
one another?” Drake questioned, not understanding why he had asked.
He knew that he and Isadora didn’t have much in common except their
drive for success, and their enthusiastic passion in the bedroom.
He didn’t know why falling in love might be so important to him
now. It had never been in the past.

Isadora narrowed her perplexed eyes.
She rather enjoyed the simplicity of their relationship, why did he
wish to complicate it with love. She knew Drake to be an
industrious businessman, who was ruthless and as sharp as the tip
of a whip. She thought they shared a mutual understanding of their
goals and now she was holding him—baffled over why he would ever
hint at such a foolish notion.

“
Love?” Isadora scoffed
bitterly. “It is a wasted enterprise,” she refuted
coolly.

Drake peered into the night sky at the
canopy of incandescent stars. There was a time when he hadn’t hoped
for love, but now he thought he might desire something more. He had
made too many sacrifices in the areas of his personal relationships
with women to become the brilliant businessman that he
was.

Now he ached for a different life; he
thought he might want more than keeping his father happy. He
thought he might want the real affection of a woman; he thought he
might desire a family of his own one-day.

“
Drake, we do
like
each other, don’t
we?”

“
Of course, Isadora. We
like each other very much,” he said.

“
Good, because I will make
myself clear.” Her next words were potent and boldly stated. “I
want you for my husband. If you turn me away tonight, my father
will soon see to it that I marry another. But you Drake, are my
only choice.” Isadora placed her palm against Drake’s thigh and
began sliding it suggestively toward his crotch. Quickly and
skillfully unfastening his slacks, she worked her hand inside them,
daringly gripping his member in a way that made him shudder, and
regardless of how he tried to restrain, a throaty moan escaped his
lips.

Damn you,
he thought
.
She knew beyond a doubt how to rouse him with a
prowess that matched his own.

“
Will you ask my father
tonight for my hand in marriage?” She whispered, kissing the corner
of his mouth, working him—coaxing, stroking, and keeping him
spellbound. Eroticism oozed from her eyes as she stared into his.
She meant to draw the answer out of him with her hand.

“
Yes, I will ask him
tonight,” Drake mouthed in short breaths.

“
I am pleased,” she
enticingly smiled.

Drake reached for her hand, breaking
free of her snare. “Enough of this Isadora,” he almost groaned.
“Let’s not do this right now—it’s not the time. I should go find
your father.”

“
But we are alone. No one
will come here,” Isadora protested, pouting her ample lips. “Seek
him out after we are finished.”

Drake would not compromise his
decision by remaining outside with her; he wasn’t in the mood to
make love to her. “No, I will locate your father immediately. Will
you come inside?” He adjusted his clothing.

Isadora poised herself feeling the
sting of his rejection. He had never put an abrupt end to anything
evocative that she had initiated in the past and she did not like
that he was stopping her now. “In a moment, Drake, I will stay and
enjoy the night air a little longer.” She tried to sound as if she
was not offended, and watched him stroll away, but inside she was
more livid than she had ever been.

Calming herself after a few minutes
alone, she turned to make her way back to the ballroom and cringed
when she saw Daniel heading in her direction.

“
Ah, if it isn’t the most
ravishing and—illusive Lady Isadora,” Daniel stated sardonically,
with a mocking smile as he reached her. He planted his kiss on the
backside of her hand.

Isadora furrowed her eyes, wanting to
escape him. She jerked her hand free of his grasp.

Daniel’s gaze met the venom
in her eyes—those perfectly formed features of hers twisted into an
ugly display. “Did I offended you with my
harmless
kiss?”

Isadora brushed past him without so
much as saying a word.

Daniel triumphantly smiled.

* * *

“
Firstly, I thank all of
you fine gentlemen and lovely ladies for attending this annual
social event.” Randal grinned while he spoke to the large crowd. “I
hope that your evening is filled with pleasure and delight—it is
for you all, that I throw these lavish celebrations,” he said with
charm and grace as he heard the subtle laughter of his
guests.

“
Secondly, and moreover to
the point, I’d like for everyone to join me in a toast.”

Guests without champagne glasses in
their hands began to receive them from upheld trays of passing
waiters.

Randal held his glass
toward the crowd. “May we all live long, healthy and very,
very
rich
lives.”
More laughter from the audience, and the clinking of glasses,
answered his toast.

Sierra smiled uneasily, while she
faced the front of the room, standing next to Girard, Kyle and
Rosaline. She had noticed when Drake slipped back into the
ballroom, a short while ago. And though her spirit lifted instantly
at the sight of him, she and Drake still hadn’t spoken to each
other most of the night. When she glanced at him now, he seemed so
far away.

Sierra spied Isadora gliding toward
Drake with a prizewinning smile on her face. She seated herself, at
a table near the front of the room, between Drake and a man whom
Sierra thought by the resemblance, must have been Isadora’s
father.

Drake rose to his feet, walked toward
his father, and whispered something to him that only they could
hear.

Sierra noticed the large grin on the
face of her host, spread even wider, which left her further
uncomfortable.

“
I’d like to make another
toast.” Randal raised his glass again. “My son has just informed me
of his recent engagement to Lady Isadora Marcos; another excellent
reason to celebrate. May they have a long, happy and blessed
union.”

Glasses clinked—clapping hands and
whistles began filling the room offering up
congratulations.

Sierra’s breath caught in her throat
and she clutched her chest. Unable to grasp what she’d just heard;
a warm wave of nausea enveloped her.

“
Are you alright?” Girard
asked, noticing Sierra’s pained discomfort.

She tried to gather the words from the
functioning part of her mind, but was unable to answer Girard, so
she hurriedly brushed past him and made her way from the room,
careful not to draw too much unwanted attention.

Kyle’s jaw tightened as he glanced
sideways at Rosaline, standing next to him.

“
Go see to her. I will be
fine here,” Rosaline squeezed his hand before he left.

Drake inconspicuously watched Sierra
take her leave.

* * *

“
Sierra, I’m so sorry.”
Kyle caught her wrist outside the entrance of the mansion while she
was descending the stairs. He saw the hurt look in his sister’s
eyes after she turned to face him.

“
Don’t say anything else.
Don’t even mention another word to me about what we’ve just heard,”
Sierra snapped, distress building inside of her. “I have to leave.
I have to leave this place now.”

“
I’ll come with you,” Kyle
offered, worry shown on his face.

“
No, you stay. Stay here
with Rosaline. I can see that you are having a fine time with her.”
She touched his shoulder resolutely, to encourage him to allow her
escape.

Kyle shook his head, throwing his
hands up in exasperation. “For God’s sake Sierra, what is it with
you and Drake that you are not telling me?”

“
Nothing, and maybe that’s
the problem—I want you to stay out of this,” she demanded. She
didn’t want him to know her feelings or thoughts concerning Drake.
She wanted to remain strong for Kyle. “Promise me that you will
stay out of this.”

Kyle reluctantly nodded. He didn’t
want her upset with him. She seemed troubled enough. “How do you
plan to find your way home?” he finally asked, forcing his calm
tone of voice.

“
I will see her home,”
Girard offered, striding down the staircase behind them with his
hands tucked underneath his tailcoat, hidden in the pockets of his
slacks.

Sierra gasped at Girard
completely taken aback. “
You
?” Her heart thundered in her
chest. She didn’t know if she should trust him.

“
You cannot leave here
unprotected, and I promise you a safe return to Newhaven,” Girard
insisted firmly.

Kyle shot Girard a silent look of
concern.

“
Whenever it is known that
Society celebrates an event, and when the wealthy leave functions
such as this, especially by coach, sometimes a private mark has
already been made upon the vehicle, which would be recognized
wherever seen, and robbers have established points of rendezvous on
the road.”

Sierra suddenly tensed—certainly all
the color in her face had drained.

“
You’re frightening her,”
Kyle barked.

“
I am only being truthful.
It happens often. I travel equipped and with a shotgun messenger,
as well as an armed driver,” Girard spoke matter-of-factly. He
would not forgive himself if any harm came to Sierra.

“
I will not leave you
Sierra,” Kyle protested.

“
Kyle you must stay here. I
do not want your pity,” she bit off. “And I don’t wish to further
argue. Girard will escort me.”

“
Sierra...” Kyle pleaded
with his eyes, “Drake might worry.”

“
I’m sure he won’t
miss me. This night happens to be a very special occasion for him.
He won’t be concerned over my
illness
.” Sierra indirectly made her
excuse for taking her leave, hoping that Kyle would use it—telling
anyone who asked her whereabouts that she wasn’t feeling
well.