Love's Fiery Jewel (16 page)

"What is it, William? What's wrong?" Suddenly
frightened beyond belief, she reached up her hand to
touch his cheek in a tentative caress. Turning his head,
William kissed her palm and held it against his cheek for
a few brief moments before releasing it.

"I struck my head when I fell to the floor last night,
Amethyst. I was unconscious for a few hours afterwards
and someone drove me home to the plantation. When I
finally awoke it was too late to come to see you, darling,
and to be very honest, I was in no shape to mount my
horse, much less make the trip to town. But nothing and
no one was going to keep me away from you this
morning." His pale face knit with concern, he continued
softly, "Are you alright, darling? Did he...did Straith
hurt you in any way? If he did, I'll..."

"No, William, I'm fine." Her eyes scanning his face,
Amethyst noted worriedly that he seemed to grow more
pale by the minute, "but please sit down. You don't look
well."

Refusing to be seated, William pulled her once again
into his arms. Completely oblivious of Tillie's watchful
eye, he brought his mouth down to cover Amethyst's lips
with his for a deep, searching kiss. Giving him her lips
willingly, Amethyst's arms wrapped around his neck, her
hands careful to avoid the sensitive area at the back of his
head as she pressed herself against him, willing the same
surging response she had felt to Damien Straith's kisses.

The sound of Tillie's horrified gasp caused her to open
her eyes a brief second before she was ripped from
William's arms and pushed to the side.

"I told you to stay away from Amethyst, Sheridan!"
Enraged, Damien Straith faced an equally enraged
William Sheridan who responded heatedly, his face
whiter by the second as he swayed visibly,"And who are you to give me orders, Straith? This is not your ship, and
Amethyst is not your possession!"

Rushing between them, Amethyst steadied William
and turned heatedly toward Damien. "William is not
well, and you have no right in my house! Get out, now!"

His eyes widening in sudden anger, Damien was about
to respond to Amethyst's demand when William's knees
buckled suddenly and he pitched toward the floor.
Unable to support his weight, Amethyst emitted a
frightened gasp as he slid from her grasp the second
before strong arms grabbed the unconscious man and
lowered him gradually to the floor.

"William!" Immediately on her knees beside him,
Amethyst placed her hand on his chest, relieved to feel
his heart beating beneath her touch. Swallowing the tears
that choked her throat, she completely ignored Damien
as she struggled to speak. "Tillie, quickly, get some water
and a cloth. He's unconscious..."

Countermanding her directions, Damien said sharply,
"Don't waste time getting water, Tillie. That fellow in the
wagon outside belongs to Sheridan, doesn't he?" At
Tillie's affirmative response, he continued briskly, "Get
him in here. This man should be in bed. I've seen wounds
like this before. He must have struck his head when he
fell yesterday and has obviously sustained a severe blow
to his skull. The only cure for this type of injury is
complete bed rest for at least a week. Otherwise, the
result could be disastrous."

Immediately turning on her heel, Tillie ran to the door
to call the Negro waiting on the wagon outside the door.
Turning her tearful expression toward Damien, Amethyst hissed, "You! You did this to him! And now you
stand there talking so glibly as if you have some actual
concern for his welfare! Hypocrite! Monster!"

Turning, Amethyst lowered her face to press her moist
cheek against William's as she whispered comfortingly into his unhearing ear.

A strong hand closing on her arm jerked her suddenly
to her feet and whirled her around to face Damien's
strained expression. "You will stay away from him,
Amethyst. His man is coming." He nodded toward the
worried Negro running through the doorway, "and once
he is home, his family will care for him."

"You ...you did this to him," Amethyst sputtered
angrily.

"The blame for this man's injury lies on his own
shoulders, Amethyst," Damien responded cooly. "I
warned him, but he did not choose to heed my warning.
In any case, his injury was not due to my blow. It was due
to his fall."

"And you caused him to fall!"

"I am not responsible for his weak jaw, Amethyst."

Seething with anger as the man before her completely
absolved himself from blame, Amethyst turned her back
on him haughtily. Attempting to aid the, Negro who
struggled to lift William's unconscious body, Amethyst
was roughly pushed aside, as was the astonished black
who watched as Damien bent and lifted the unconscious
man with apparent ease and carried him through the
doorway to put him on the back of the wagon.

"Get something soft for this man's head so he will do
himself no further damage on the ride home," Damien
ordered imperiously as he rearranged the boxes in the
wagon beside William so they enclosed him within a
small space. "Now he will not slide around on the trip
back," he mumbled under his breath as he took the pillow
from Tillie and slid it gently beneath the unconscious
man's head.

Quickly grabbing Amethyst's arm as she attempted to
get into the wagon beside William, Damien demanded
harshly, "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to accompany William home to make sure he's alright." Raising her eyes to his, Amethyst
demanded with the same imperious tone, "Now take your
hands off me!"

"You are going nowhere," Damien ground out from
beneath clenched teeth, tightening his grip before
turning to direct his attention to the frightened slave who
stood in apparent confusion looking from one to the
other. "You ...what is your name?"

"Quaco, Massa."

"Quaco, take your master home and fetch a doctor
immediately. But be sure to drive carefully and avoid
bumping him as much as possible. Do you understand
me, man? Your master is to have complete rest and quiet,
and as little jolting as possible."

"I'se understand, Massa. I'se take Massa William
home straight 'way, 'n I'se drive slow `n careful."

His face cracking into a small smile for the first time
that morning, Damien clapped the worried Negro on the
shoulder. "Good man. Now get on with you."

"Let my arm loose, Captain Straith! I'm going with
them," Amethyst muttered angrily as she jerked her arm
back and forth in an attempt to be free of his hold. When
her struggles availed her nothing, she muttered again, "I
warn you, let me loose!"

Completely ignoring her struggles, Damien watched as
the Negro mounted the wagon and cluckingsoftly, started
the horse down the street with obvious caution. Finally
turning back toward her, he said sternly as he pulled her
toward the house, "Sheridan will be alright if he is
careful. You will not encourage his feelings toward you
any longer. You will only do him further harm."

Rounding on him as he closed the door behind them,
Amethyst gasped unbelievingly, "I will do him further
harm? You are the one who has harmed him, not I!"

"And you were the cause for my actions," Damien
stated simply as he looked down into her flushed face. Huge lavender eyes sparkling with anger looked up into
his, and he marveled absentmindedly that with her
changing moods, Amethyst seemed to grow more lovely
still. Raising his hand, he gently touched the smooth
cheek that was still wet with frustrated tears, feeling a
resurgence of his own anger as Amethyst jerked her face
from his caress. His brow darkening, he said softly, "You
were kissing him when I entered, were you not,
Amethyst? I think I should remind you what it's really
like to be kissed by a man..."

Taking her abruptly into his arms, Damien's mouth
swooped down on hers, igniting the same thrilling heat in
her blood that had defeated her countless times, but this
time Amethyst refused to succumb to the mind-dulling,
pulsating languor that began creeping over her. Instead,
taking his bottom lip between her teeth, Amethyst bit
down viciously, smiling victoriously as Damien jerked
himself away with a dark oath and raised his hand to his
bleeding lip.

"Hellion!" he muttered as he faced her thunderously.
"Those tricks will avail you nothing!"

"I'm going with William!"

"They have already left, you little fool."

"Then I will follow when you leave! You cannot watch
me all day long, can you, Captain Straith? You have
business to attend, goods to sell and a return cargo to
contract. Will you spend your time being my jailer? For
I assure you, at the first opportunity I will leave for
Sheridan Plantation to see William."

"You're right, Amethyst." Once again in control of his
emotions, Damien eyed her coolly, "I have no time to
waste, and since you were foolish enough to warn me of
your plans, I suppose I have no other recourse but..."
Bending forward suddenly, Damien grasped Amethyst
around the knees and tossed her on his shoulder. Holding
her kicking ankles with his one hand as she dangled over his shoulder like a squirming sack of grain, her fists
beating wildly at his broad back, he finished adamantly,
"...but to take you with me!"

"Let me go!" Amethyst screamed, her flailing fists
beginning to make themselves felt as she pummeled his
back unceasingly.

Raising his free hand, Damien slapped her small,
rounded backside sharply, smiling at the startled gasp
that followed. "Be quiet now, and try not to make a
spectacle of yourself," he commanded softly.

Before Tillie's horrified eyes, he opened the door and
turned onto the street, still toting his mortified burden
over his shoulder as he started in the direction of the
docks.

Glancing from side to side as she hung over his
shoulder, her long, gleaming hair hanging down past her
head, bobbing with his vigorous stride, Amethyst
watched the startled expressions of those she passed, her
ears burning at the ribald comments of the few.

"Captain... please... Captain... put me down,"
she implored, close to tears with humiliation.

His pace slowing, thereby affording the curious a better view of his embarrassed burden, he said firmly, "You
have sealed your own fate, Amethyst. Since I cannot
trust you to obey me, I must take you with me while I
attend to my business."

"Captain, please.. .put me down. People are staring.
You are making me a laughingstock."

"My name is Damien, Amethyst."

There was a brief hesitation before the soft voice said
quietly, "Please... Damien, please put me down."

"And will you run from me the moment I do?" Damien
inquired softly, his smile growing as he sensed victory
within his grasp.

"No.. .I will not."

"And will you accompany me to my ship without
protest?"

Again a brief hesitation as Amethyst looked at the
curious and somewhat jeering glances directed her way.
"Why must I accompany you to your ship?"

"You yourself have said I must be your jailer or you
will go to Sheridan Plantation."

"No.. .no, I won't go to the plantation..."

"I don't believe you, Amethyst." Damien was
frowning once again at the realization that she would do
or say anything to go to William Sheridan's side.

"Then ...put me down. I'll go with you to your ship.
I promise."

"It will do you no good to lie, Amethyst."

"I promise! I promise I'll go with you if you'll let me
down. Please..."

This time the hesitation was on Damien's side, his
stride slowing even further while he considered her plea.

"Do I have your word, Amethyst?"

"Yes... yes, Captain, I promise..."

"I promise, Damien,' "Damien urged, feeling an
undeniable sense of satisfaction as he sensed the
momentary tensing of her body.

"I promise... Damien," was the whispered response,
and not realizing he was holding his breath, Damien
released it silently as he swung Amethyst to her feet.

Hurriedly smoothing her hair, Amethyst glanced
around at the inquisitive glances scrutinizing her openly,
adjusting her rumpled clothing before raising a heated
glance into the clear gray eyes regarding her cautiously.

"You are a beast!" she hissed softly, "but I will keep
my word." Turning wordlessly, she assumed a place at
his side as he continued toward the docks at a slower
pace. Fuming inwardly as a strong arm stole around her
shoulders a few seconds later to pull her against his side so they gave the appearance of strolling lovers, she
refused to look up into the victorious smile beaming
down on her. Holding her head a bit higher, she
continued steadfastly forward, refusing to glance either
right or left as she stared ahead unblinkingly. Within
minutes the tall masts of the Sally came into view, and
Amethyst's heart began a slow pounding as they
gradually approached the lowered gangplank. Memory
suddenly transported her back seven years to the time
she had first seen the Sally through a veil of freezing rain.
Her mother had been running at her side and had
stumbled, tripping head over heels ...A big man had
pushed her away from her mother's inert form and called
her a fool, his light gray eyes upbraiding her. Her mother
had been so still and bleeding... she had been terrified
that her mother was dead, and he had called her stupid!
She hated him then, and looking up into those same
translucent gray eyes, she hated him now.

Frowning slightly, Damien allowed his eyes to travel
Amethyst's face for a few minutes before whispering
calmly, "That was a long time ago, Amethyst."

Not questioning the fact that Damien read her
thoughts accurately, Amethyst replied in a lowered
voice "But nothing has changed. You are the same and I
am the same, only a few years older. But I still ha..."

"That's enough, Amethyst!" Damien's voice was
sharp as he grabbed her hand and pulled her forcefully
forward and up the gangplank, unwilling to listen to her
vehement declaration. Jeremy Barnes's startled expression as Damien jerked Amethyst on deck behind him
would have been laughable had he been in a better mood.
Instead, frowning darkly, Damien said in a low voice,
"We have a guest for a few hours, Barnes. This young
`lady' will wait for me downstairs until we conclude our
business."