Love's Fiery Jewel (27 page)

Amethyst! Lord, how he missed her! He had not gotten
a proper explanation for her abrupt disappearance from
Sheridan Plantation while he was ill, but he had not
believed his parents when they said she had become tired
of nursing him and returned home. Amethyst would
never have behaved so selfishly knowing how dependent
he was on her presence. No, his own reasoning was more
feasible. He now knew that Amethyst had been dreadfully ill with the same fever that had almost taken his life,
and reasoned that she had left Sheridan Plantation in her
delerium to return home. At any rate, Quaco had found
her at home, dreadfully ill but recuperating, with Tillie
her devoted nurse. Tillie.. .Tillie loved Amethyst
almost as much as he. He would have to reward Tillie for
her diligence after Amethyst and he were married. And
that would be soon ...as soon as Amethyst was well
enough to stand beside him at the altar.

His excitement dissipating the last of his strength,
William turned once again toward his bed and within
seconds was sinking gratefully onto its welcome softness.
It would not do to push too hard. He would walk again
later and gradually build his strength without his
parents' knowledge. There was no sense in worrying
them any further. He knew what he had to do and would
do it, and when he saw Amethyst again.. .Lord, his
heart was singing.. .he would never let her out of his
sight!

At least he was certain Captain Damien St rait h was out
of the picture. Quaco had told him the cowardly bastard had been afraid to risk the fever by seeing Amethyst. He
also had it on good report that the Sally was fit to sail
again within the week and it was obvious the good captain
had not wasted any time in readying his ship for a quick
departure from the island. The next time Damien Straith
returned to Kingston, if indeed he ever did return legally,
Amethyst would be his wife and safe with him at
Sheridan Plantation. A familiar elation filled his being,
causing William's boyish countenance to flush in
anticipation. "Amethyst, darling," he whispered to the
silent room, "I will see you within a week. Quaco will
bring you messages of my love each and every day until
the time that I can hold you in my arms again. And this
time, darling, I will not let you go."

The warm scent of her hair teased his nostrils as
Amethyst lay close against him in sleep. Pulling her
closer still, Damien breathed deeply of her fragrance.
Lord, he could not hold her close enough! Slowly moving
his hand, Damien tangled it gently in the tumble of curls
on the pillow beside her head, tightening his grasp as the
silky strands seemed to slip through his searching
fingers. Her hair was heavy... warm... sensuous to
the touch, stirring him deeply as did every facet of the
small, beautiful woman in his arms. Tall, impressive
women, almost matching him in size, their personalities
warm and compliant to his wishes with just enough spark
to keep his interest had always been his preference in the
past. But Amethyst was small, dwarfed by his broad,
muscular frame, so delicate that he sometimes feared he
would crush her in the boundless passion she inspired
within him. And although she was still in a weakened
condition, she was far from compliant. At times he
believed she barely controlled the volatile personality
bubbling just below the surface calm she maintained, but
he suspected she played a waiting game. He had not been fooled by the facade she had assumed for his benefit a few
days before, when he had informed her of his imminent
departure. She had been a few seconds too late to conceal
the relief in her eyes, and that knowledge ate at his vitals
like a festering, malignant wound.

Suddenly acutely aware that the nights during which
he would be able to hold Amethyst so intimately in his
arms were quickly drawing to a close, Damien clutched
her tightly, a wave of panic engulfing him. Squirming
uncomfortably in his arms, Amethyst stirred, her eyes
opening sleepily. Her mumbled words were slurred.
"Damien... you're hurting me. You're holding me so
tight..."

Immediately loosening his grasp, Damien caressed the
velvet cheek, the corners of his mouth picking up as her
eyes fluttered closed again and again while she struggled
to remain awake.

"I'm sorry, darling." Lowering his head slightly, he
covered the parted lips briefly in a lingering kiss. "Go
back to sleep. Everything is alright."

The heavy lids fluttered closed and within a few
minutes Amethyst's breathing was slow and even.
Staring for long, sober minutes at her face, vulnerable,
appealing, unbelievably beautiful in the dim light of the
room, Damien felt for the first time the weight of
complete realization. His throat tightening painfully,
choked his voice into a small, hoarse whisper as he
confessed softly into her unhearing ear, "Darling...
Amethyst.. .my problem is a simple one...I do not
want to leave you..."

With long, anxious strides Damien retraced the path
he had walked so many times within the past weeks from
his ship to Amethyst's home, his broad impressive figure
exuding a confidence he did not feel. His brows drawn
into a pensive frown, his mind was far from the street on which he walked. It was already late afternoon and the
Sally was due to sail on the next morning's tide. When he
returned to his ship tonight, he would not see Amethyst
again for many months. The thought produced a familiar
tightening in his stomach, slowing Damien's step as
anxiety returned with nagging persistence. Amethyst
would have no worries during his absence. He had made
provisions for her welfare that were more than adequate.
Having paid the rent on her house for a full year in
advance and filled her larder to bursting with supplies, he
had assured her security by leaving a generous draft in
her name for her own personal use. But his concern had
been treated by Amethyst with a cool indifference that
managed to convey without words that she cared not a
damn what he did! Infuriated by her attitude and
immediately suspicious, he had demanded her plans for
the future. Lifting her chin a notch higher, she had
responded in a clear, arrogant tone which effectively
raised his anger to greater heights, that what she did after
he left was none of his concern!

Eyes blazing with anger, he had bent low over her bed,
taking her shoulders in a grip which later produced
startling bruises on her perfect white skin. His voice had
been menacingly low.

"Amethyst, make no mistake about this. You belong to
me! I am concerned with everything you do now or will
do during my absence from this island! I will return
within a few months and will expect to find you waiting
here for me. And I warn you now," his growling whisper
had shaken for the first time the cool facade she had
assumed, "if you are not here when I return, no force in
Heaven or Hell will stop me from finding you again and
reclaiming you any way I can! Do not make the mistake of
taking another man, Amethyst, for his death will be on
your head! I will suffer no trespassing on that which is
mine, and you most definitely are mine, Amethyst, and will remain mine until I give you your freedom. For your
own sake, I pray you do not forget what I say to you
today!"

Her face a bloodless color that had sent a momentary
jolt of anxiety through his veins, Amethyst had
nonetheless succeeded in rendering one last jibe.

"You may rest assured, Damien, during your absence,
I will attempt to be as true to you as you will be to
me..."

The small smirk on her lips at the conclusion of her
remark and the hint of ridicule in her eye pushing him
over the edge of restraint, he had reacted in the only
manner remaining to him by sweeping her against him in
a bone-crushing grip, his mouth plundering hers savagely
until the warm taste of blood filled his mouth. Pulling his
mouth from her bruised and bleeding lips, he had stared
with strange fascination at her tear-streaked face for long
moments as his anger drained away. He then lowered his
mouth to hers gently, lovingly, with a rising passion
which excluded rage, leaving only the deep loving
tenderness that endured for the infuriating termagant in
his arms. Desire and passion overcoming reason, they
had concluded their conversation with an intimacy that
left no room for words.

But nothing had been truly settled, and the cold fear
welling inside him as he turned off Port Royal Street was
that he would be no more successful this night in
obtaining an answer to his questions than he had been
previously. And he desperately needed peace of mind...
a word from Amethyst that she...

But who was that? His eye catching the tail end of a
familiar wagon as it turned the far corner of the street set
his heart to racing. Darting quickly into a small alleyway,
he ran at breakneck speed to the connecting street and
down another alley, emerging at last to stand waiting at
the spot where the wagon would move onto the road leading out of town. Within moments the wagon turned
the corner and rambled slowly toward him. Immediately
confirming his tentative identification, Damien felt
anger build inside him. The heavy heaving of his broad
chest not due solely to his recent exertion, Damien raised
his hand to signal the old Negro to halt.

"I thought it was your wagon I saw leaving John's Lane
just now, Quaco. It has been so long since we've seen you
at the Greer household that I feared you had forgotten
us." Noting the guilty expression that stole across the old
slave's face, Damien continued, "How is your young
master faring?"

"Him be well, Massa.. .him be well..." The old
Negro was obviously agitated, surprised by his sudden
appearance, and taking advantage of the man's uneasiness, Damien pressed harder, "It seems your master
wishes to send a message to Amethyst that you cannot
deliver in my presence, Quaco."

Showing a spark of resentment at Damien's snide
reference to his master, Quaco answered quickly, "No,
Massa! Massa William, him be honest man! Massa
Sheridan Sr. tell Quaco not tell Massa William `bout you
'n Miz Amethyst, 'n dat be what Quaco do! Tillie tell
Quaco de time t' come when de Cap'n be `way `n Quaco
come ever day, 'n leave 'fore de Cap'n come back."

"So, you have brought messages every day to Miss
Amethyst from Master William..." His blood pumping
heatedly at the deception that had been practiced right
under his nose, Damien continued tightly, "...and I
suppose you have carried Miss Amethyst's loving
messages back to your master each day also..."

Shaking his head emphatically, Quaco declared
ardently, "No, Massa, Miz Amethyst, him say nothing',
but Massa Sheridan make me tell de young massa dat Miz
Amethyst send him love. Dey be 'fraid de young massa
get right up frem him sickbed 'n gowan see Miz Amethyst if him think anythin' wrong. Dey make me tell him you
be 'fraid of de fever and stay 'way frem Miz Amethyst all
dis time!"

"And does Master William know I'm about to leave
Kingston, Quaco?"

"Yessuh! And him tell me t' tell Miz Amethyst dat de
doctor say him `Iright t' come t' town tomorrow 'n him
gowan come `n take Miz Amethyst back home wid him!"

"Back to Sheridan Plantation with him?"

"Yessuh! Him gowan take Miz Amethyst back wid him
'n him tell Quaco him gowan marry Miz Amethyst as
soon as him be well!"

His body growing taut with anger, Damien inquired
levelly, "And what was Miss Amethyst's response?"

"Quaco tell Miz Amethyst and him say nothin,' Massa.
But Tillie say him have Miz Amethyst ready t' go wid
Massa William when him come in de mornin'."

His eyes turning to ice, Damien said tersely, "Thank
you, Quaco. You may go home and deliver the message as
you were told, but," directing the power of his
translucent gaze into the old Negro's eyes, Damien
continued in a tone that set the old man to trembling,
"you will tell no one of our discussion, do you understand, Quaco?"

His grizzled old head bobbing in assent as he shook
visibly with fear, Quaco mumbled, "Yessuh, yessuh,
Massa, I'se understand."

Dismissing the trembling Negro with an absentminded
gesture Damien turned, his mind racing. "So, the
deceitful little witch intends to run off with her lover
tomorrow as soon as I leave. Well, I'll see about
that..."

A sound at the front door turned Amethyst's head in
its direction the second before Damien stepped through
the entrance. Standing motionless in the doorway, his unmistakable frame silhouetted by the light at his back,
his expression was unreadable, but something about his
stance, the manner in which he hesitated as she felt his
eyes move over her, set her nerves to prickling. A small
frown covering her face, she felt only the tension of the
moment, unaware of the effect her consummate beauty
had on the tall man regarding her so intently.

Unable to draw his eyes from Amethyst as she lay
propped with two large pillows behind her back on the
low, well worn couch in the living room, Damien's eyes
raked her savagely. Amethyst was frowning, her graceful
winged brows drawn together with a small pucker over
her slender, perfect nose, causing the long sweep of black
lashes to almost touch her brow as she regarded him
steadily. Lavender eyes dark with concern, she strained
to make out his expression, her fine, well drawn lips in a
straight line that finally quirked impatiently in the
corner, displaying a fleeting dimple in her smooth cheek.
The sallow color of sickness had disappeared during her
short convalescence, not quite restoring the full bloom of
health, while still managing to preview a glimpse of the
beauty yet to return. Stringent attention to her diet had
put a few pounds back on her fragile frame, smoothing
the sharp contours of her cheek and shoulder, where the
glorious mane of curls moved impatiently to spill in
heady profusion down her slender back. His heart
wrenching tightly in his chest, Damien swore silently.
She was a magnificent creature, his Amethyst... damn
her!