Love's Fiery Jewel (49 page)

Taking her small hand to rest it intimately against the
offending bulge, Damien whispered in response, "You
need do nothing other than allow me to look at you to
raise my desire, darling. You are indeed fortunate today
that there will be others present at our picnic or you
would find your day spent in a banquet of an entirely
different sort, I fear."

Her hand warm against the palpitating bulge, Amethyst's expression was disbelieving. "Damien, you are
insatiable! Only this morning..."

Her face staining an even darker color as her words
dwindled off to be completed by Damien himself,
"...only this morning I made love to you.. .held you
in my arms until we were both spent and exhausted. How
could I want you again so soon? The answer is simple,
Amethyst. I never stop wanting you...I never will,
darling... never..."

His glance lingering for a few moments longer on her
soft lips, he shook his head firmly, removing the soft
hand from his body with supreme determination.
"Enough of this now. We'll be at the appointed spot in a
few minutes, and I don't wish to suffer the embarrassment of arriving at. Full tilt!"

Laughing spontaneously, Amethyst turned her amused
glance up to his. "Yes, we would be a good pair, wouldn't
we, Damien? Me at full bulge and you at full tilt!"

His face suddenly serious, Damien's voice was a husky
whisper as his strangely translucent eyes looked into
hers, "Yes, darling, we are a good pair ...a far better
pair than you truly realize."

Arriving a few minutes later in a wooded glade,
Amethyst was relieved to feel the motion of the carriage
finally coming to a halt. The journey had been long for
such a humid day and she desperately needed to flex her
tired and cramped muscles. Preceding her out the door of the carriage, Damien turned to help her to the ground,
his broad frame hiding her view of the clearing until she
had descended from the carriage. Startled to see several
groups of people clustered in different spots in the shade,
Amethyst turned her angry expression toward Damien.

"You deliberately misled me, Damien! You told me
Hiram and Millicent were arranging for a picnic. You
made no mention of other guests being present!"

"And would you have come if you knew there would be
other guests present?"

"Certainly not!"

"Then I'm glad I didn't tell you!"

Biting her lips, Amethyst blinked back the tears filling
her huge, violet eyes as she whispered hoarsely,
"Why... why do you wish to make a public spectacle of
me, Damien?"

His face suddenly serious, Damien whispered in
return, "Darling, did it never occur to you that I'm proud
you carry my child?"

Suddenly interrupted by the approach of Millicent and
Hiram Strathmore, Damien stepped forward to shake the
hand of the tall, gray-haired gentleman who greeted him
warmly. Quick to notice Amethyst's pallor, Millicent
inquired quietly, "Are you well, Amethyst? Was the trip
too much for you?"

"No, I'm fine." Turning to acknowledge Hiram's
greeting, Amethyst was startled to find herself scooped
into a brief, emphatic hug against Hiram Strathmore's
tall, wiry frame. Releasing her a moment later, he bent
his weather-beaten face toward hers, his tan eyes
sparkling merrily. "Age grants a man certain privileges,
Amethyst, and I'm the first to take advantage of them."

Turning to slip his arm around the lovely gray-haired
woman who watched him with an amused smile, he said
softly, "Now that these two have finally arrived, Millie,
we can feed our hungry guests."

With a smile Hiram and Millicent Strathmore led them
toward the waiting group in the manner of honored
guests, the gesture not wasted on those who waited.

A few hours later, having eaten sparingly of the cold
chicken and ham, the various assorted relishes prepared
so well by the Strathmore staff and having sipped the
wine chilled to perfection in the stream a few feet away,
Amethyst sat quietly alone. She had been noticeably
silent during the meal, her embarrassment acute. Unable
to draw her into the conversation, Damien had finally
given up the attempt, and allowed her to make her way to
a spot removed from the group where she now sat,
following her within a few minutes so she might not be
alone with her thoughts.

Taking her hand, he reclined beside her, resting his
back against the tree. "This place is a welcome change
from the city, isn't it, Amethyst?"

Nodding silently, her glance still averted from his,
Amethyst's thoughts ran riot inside her brain. It was a
familiar guest list, among which were numbered Stephanie Morgan, Sarah Barlow, Martin Quell, Gerard
Whitestone, and conspicuous by their absence, Merrell
Bristol and Armand Beauchamps. But she was no longer
comfortable in the presence of these people, despite the
fact that Millicent and Hiram Strathmore were obviously
putting the weight of their social prominence in favor of
her acceptance. She now had no doubt that this was a
scandal that would not easily be forgotten and would be
quickly resumed when the time came for her to join the
ranks of Damien's past loves. Her mind was racing
frantically, her present embarrassing situation adding
fuel to her anxiety over her poorly plotted plans for the
future.

His light eyes assessing her silently, Damien felt a
sinking sensation in his stomach. He had not expected
this affair to have such a poor reaction on Amethyst.

Instead, he had expected that her natural vivacity would
surface, allowing her to overcome the momentary
embarrassment of her first appearance. Why it had been
so important to him to have Amethyst appear by his side
in public while in this condition was a mystery even to
himself. Perhaps it was the fact that he wanted everyone
to know when Amethyst and he did marry that it was not
the pressure of her pregnancy that forced him to take the
step. Or-damn-maybe it was just that he was so proud
of her as she grew more and more lovely to him each day,
the great bulge preceding her emphasizing her petite,
deceptively fragile frame, giving her the appearance of a
small, exceptionally lovely doll that belonged to him
alone. Whatever his complicated reasoning, it all seemed
pointless in the face of Amethyst's obvious suffering.

Irritated with himself, Damien rose to refill his glass,
taking the few yards to Millicenf's side in slow, measured
steps. They would stay a little longer, and then go home.
He had no wish to put Amethyst through any more
discomfort than she had already suffered today.

Her light brows knit together in a frown, Millicent
inquired softly, "Amethyst is not feeling well today,
Damien?"

His glance direct, Damien answered the worried
woman honestly. "It was a mistake to bring her here
today, Millie. I had hoped.. .but no matter. Amethyst is
uncomfortable."

His eyes moving to touch on the lonely figure seated a
short distance away, Damien was not conscious of the
loving glance he rested so openly on her person as he
spoke the words racing across his mind. "I've been such a
fool, Millicent. I've handled this whole thing badly from
the start..."

"You do love her then, do you Damien?" Her voice
soft, Millicent posed the question that had been
uppermost in her mind.

There was no hesitation in his response. "Yes, I do. I
hadn't thought myself capable of such a consuming
emotion."

"And the child?"

"I'm anxious for the child, Millicent, anxious to see
my son and even more anxious to have Amethyst to
myself again." A small rueful laugh escaping his lips, he
remarked with a shake of his head, "Selfish lout, am I
not, Millicent? And the strangest part of all is that I'm
aware of this shortcoming and am powerless to combat it.
I intend to keep her with me at any expense..."

"Damien, dear," Millicent's tone was patient as she
strove to understand the complicated man that was dear
as a son to her, "if you love her, why do you not marry
her... give her and your child your name?"

Finally turning to face her, Damien smiled, his
expression rueful. "Am I such a marvelous catch that
you could not conceive that perhaps Amethyst doesn't
want to marry me?"

Her expression startled, disbelieving, Millicent said
with a negative shake of her head, "But she carries your
child, Damien. She lives in your house... sleeps in your
bed! Why would she refuse to marry you?"

"I won't go into the rather shameful maneuvers I
executed to bring Amethyst to me, Millie, nor the equally
disgraceful tactics I employ to keep her. My hold is
tenuous, but I had felt it grew stronger each day. But
now..."

A movement from the group laughing heartily at the
other end of the clearing caught Damien's eye, interrupting his flow of thought as Gerard Whitestone detached
himself and began walking slowly in Amethyst's direction. Stopping abreast of her, he spoke softly, snapping
Amethyst's attention to his face as he did.

"Am...Amethyst. May I b...be seated?" Gerard's
familiar stammer startling her from her thoughts, Amethyst turned in the young man's direction.

Awaiting her response, Gerard stood hesitantly, his
pale blue eyes intent on her face.

"Gerard, it's extremely kind of you, but I shouldn't
want to stigmatize you with my controversial company."

"St.. .stigmatize? You speak as if you are some sort
of di... disease! PI...please, Amethyst, may I sit?"

Flushing at her ungracious behavior, Amethyst replied
softly, "Certainly, Gerard, I'm only too happy for your
company."

His expression sincere, Gerard replied softly, "And
I...1, yours, Amethyst. I have mi.. .missed you
terribly these last few mo...months. These social
affairs are de... decidedly b... boring without you."

Gerard's words balm to her troubled spirit, Amethyst
smiled, her heart going out to the shy young man.
"Gerard, you're such a pleasant fellow."

"And you have grown even more 1...lovely since
the last t...time I saw you, Amethyst."

"Well, you're right in one thing, anyway, Gerard. I
have grown since the last time you saw me..." Her face
flushing at her own quip, Amethyst laughed at Gerard's
startled expression the moment before he too began to
laugh at her outrageous remark.

Encouraged by her outspoken treatment of her
condition, Gerard inquired softly, "When will you have
the ch... child, Amethyst?"

"In September. I'm afraid I've three more months of
growing yet, if that seems possible!"

His eyes dropping from hers, Gerard said softly,
"Damien is a v...very lucky m...man. I en...envy
him."

Reaching forward to place a slender hand on his arm,
Amethyst said quietly, "Gerard, you're a dear man, but
there are many who would disagree with you. I've already
been accused of being foolish and conniving, not to speak of the many who no doubt consider me downright
immoral."

His youthful, unlined face flushing with anger, Gerard
spat with uncharacteristic anger, "No one w...would
d...dare speak those words in m...myp...presence,
Amethyst!"

Unreasonably grateful for Gerard's defense, Amethyst's eyes filled with tears, and swallowing hard, she
blinked away her momentary weakness to say with a
bright voice, "Well, enough discussion of this sorry
business, Gerard. Tell me, what have you been doing with
yourself these past months? Have you been to Rickett's
Circus in recent weeks? I understand the equestrian acts
are superb."

Months of reading had kept Amethyst abreast of
current entertainments as well as the political climate,
and anxious to speak with someone who may have
actually observed the renowned equestrians who had
recently performed in the tavern across from Congress
Hall, she waited anxiously for Gerard's response, aware
of his intense interest in such events.

His own expression brightening, Gerard replied with
suppressed pleasure, "As a matter of fact, I h...have,
Amethyst, and they were truly in... magnificent, the
in... most outstanding of them all b...being..."

A familiar voice suddenly interrupted his words,
snapping both heads up to Martin Quell's hesitant
expression as he repeated his polite query, "May I join
you, Amethyst?"

"Oh, bother!" Gerard snapped tightly. "Must we
always be p.. .pestered by this t...tag-along?"

Startled by Gerard's outburst, Amethyst declared in a
laughing tone, "Gerard! It isn't like you to be unkind!"

"Perhaps so," Gerard mumbled almost inaudibly,
"...b...but I do so t... tire of being interrupted
b...by this t.. .tactless fellow. And I had th... thought to have y...you to myself for a short
t...time, Amethyst." Turning abruptly without waiting for her response, Gerard directed his next comment
to the hapless Martin Quell. "Well, do s...sit
d... down, will you?"

Intensely amused by the two old opponents who had
returned to battle for her attention, Amethyst's smile
widened, unaware of Damien's relieved expression as he
viewed the scene from across the glade.

Turning to smile into Millicent Strathmore's surprised
expression, Damien said softly, "Gerard Whitestone is a
rather agreeable fellow, is he not, Millie?"

"Yes, I have always thought so, Damien, but there was
a time when I thought you disagreed quite violently with
that opinion."

Suddenly serious, Damien responded quietly, "Neither
Gerard nor Martin are threats to me, Millie, and I'm
happy they have chosen to ignore the outcast status
Amethyst had fostered upon herself. No, the only true
threats to my claim on Amethyst are not present here
today. And you may rest assured, were they present, I
wouldn't be standing here making idle conversation with
you right now!"

"And what are you two whispering about so confidentially, Damien, my good fellow? Has my wife finally
taken the opportunity to ply you with the many
questions I could see buzzing around her pretty little
head?" Hiram walked toward them, smiling pleasantly.