Love's Fiery Jewel (52 page)

A small noise at the doorway the second before it
opened turned Amethyst's and Tillie's eyes expectantly
in its direction. Her startled gasp echoing within the
silent room, Amethyst's eyes remained unmoving on the
man silhouetted there, feeling the weight of his glance as
it moved slowly, unbelievingly over her.

Moving abruptly toward her, William reached her side
and pulled her into a tight embrace, his arms crushing
her swollen body against him, his voice hushed and
tortured in her ear.

"Amethyst, darling, what has he done to you?"

The myriad of emotions flooding over her left
Amethyst speechless with its impact. Unable to form
words past the tightness in her throat, Amethyst gave a
small, broken sob that pulled William back to stare for a
few silent seconds into her face. His head slowly
descending, William covered the warm, trembling lips
with his own, a low groan sounding deep inside him as his
arms tightened in a crushing embrace. Abandoning
herself to the familiar security of William's arms.
Amethyst allowed William's kiss to deepen, her eyes
closing at the familiar warmth it inspired; did not resist as
he pulled her tighter and tighter until the wild pounding
of his heart was so intermingled with her own that she
could not distinguish between the frantic beats. Standing
passively as he withdrew his mouth from hers, neither
did she resist the warm kisses William showered on her
face, hearing only distantly the deep throb of his voice as
he whispered hoarsely, "Darling, my darling Amethyst. I knew you would come back. You're coming home to the
plantation with me, now, before Straith can return. I'll
have you safe first, out of his hands, before I come back
to settle with him."

Reality finally beginning to penetrate her bemused
state, Amethyst began to pull back from his arms, began
to struggle in his binding embrace, her voice low and
faltering as she mumbled almost incoherently, "William
...no...we can't. I can't go with you..."

His expression suddenly stiffening, William said in a
low, surprisingly even voice, "Yes, you'll come back with
me, Amethyst. Damien Straith took you away from me
when I was unable to protect you. Tillie told me about the
tactics he employed to keep you from me. How could you
believe him, darling? Obeah.. .black magic.. .you
had always scorned those beliefs! You knew them to be
what they are, merely ignorant superstitions! How could
you allow him to use such poor reasoning to take you
from me? And even if it were true..." His voice
deepening into a hoarse whisper, William continued,
"don't you know I would rather have died than allow you
to buy my life at the price he asked?" His voice cracking
on the final words, William pulled her tight against him
once again. "Darling, it's been hell not knowing where
you were, seeing you in his arms every time I closed my
eyes, wondering if you were safe and well... if I would
ever see you again."

"William, I can't go with you."

There was a moment's hesitation before William drew
back again to direct his glance into Amethyst's tearstained face. "You will come back with me, Amethyst. I'll
accept no other answer."

Shaking her head vehemently, Amethyst mumbled
indistinctly, "No...no..." Her voice growing more
adamant, she again raised her glance to his. "No, I
cannot. William, look at me! Within two or three weeks I shall bear Damien Straith's child! Certainly you cannot
expect me to go to your home carrying another man's
child! Your parents didn't approve of me before. Now
they'll merely say I've proved them right. They'll..."

"To hell with my parents!" His youthful face flushed,
William continued heatedly, "Do you think I'll allow
them to rule my life ...my decisions? I love you,
Amethyst! I want you for my wife! My life has been one
long misery without you, but I knew you would come
back ...I knew..."

"William, Damien brought me back to have the child
in Jamaica. He hasn't released me and has not yet
declared his intention to do so. But even should I be free,
I would make one thing clear. I could never marry you
now, William. It's too late."

"Too late! Are you insane? Straith has not married you
and will never marry you. He'll use you until he has had
his fill and then cast you aside as he has all the other
women in his life! You know his reputation, Amethyst.
Certainly you don't think..."

"William!" Unable to bear his disturbed ramblings a
moment longer, Amethyst interrupted sharply, "I
cannot marry you!"

Startled by the fierceness of her response, William was
momentarily silent, the dawning of fear beginning to
show in his eyes as he whispered in a faltering voice,
"Amethyst... you could.. .you don't love him?"

Swallowing tightly, Amethyst shook her head. "No,
William, love is a tender emotion.. .it could not be
applied to the feelings Damien Straith stirs within me. I
don't love him, and he doesn't love me. Rather, he is
obsessed with me, a temporary obsession against which
he is as helpless as am I against his power of obeah."

"Obeah! Amethyst, that's nonsense!"

"No, it isn't, William! I've seen the power of his black
magic! I saw you writhing in the throes of a killing fever that fled your body almost to the hour that Damien
Straith released you from its spell. And I know the power
he exerts over my will..." Flushing brightly, Amethyst
paused a brief moment, swallowing tightly before
continuing, "There is but one thing that allows me to
bear my subservience to his will, and that is the fact that
he will tire of me as he has all his other mistresses. Were
it not for that thought to console me, I would not be able
to live with my subjugation... would find escape at any
expense

His expression slowly hardening, William gazed
silently into Amethyst's adamant expression, his own
voice firm as he responded softly, "If that is the case,
Amethyst... that you only understand force, then I
have no other recourse but to..."

"Don't try it, Sheridan! Touch Amethyst again and
you'll be a dead man!" Damien's low, warning growl
snapped Amethyst's head in the other direction. His huge
hands balled into tight fists, Damien stood in the
doorway, his broad shoulders silently hunched forward,
his tall powerful body tensed as if for attack, overwhelmingly threatening in his obvious fury. "She doesn't want
to go with you, Sheridan. She wants to stay with me. You
have it from her own lips that it is I whom she wants! It is
my child she carries, and I will not give her up at any
cost!"

"I will not forfeit my claim..."

Interrupting William before he could finish his
statement, Amethyst said with deliberate harshness, the
words tearing at her heart as they passed her lips, "You
have no claim to forfeit, William. Whatever was between
us is over. You will remain forever within my heart as a
friend.. .and nothing more. Now, please go..."

"Amethyst..." William's youthful face was disbelieving, his voice filled with a pain that cut deeply into
her own body. Swallowing tightly, Amethyst closed her ears against the pleading tone. She could not allow him to
suffer again at Damien's hands.

"Please go, William."

Standing stiff and silent, William made no immediate
response. Suddenly blinking, he said in a voice just above
a whisper, "Amethyst.. .if you should ever need me,
I'll always love you, darling..."

Turning abruptly, William walked to the doorway,
striding through with an unyielding step that indicated if
Damien had not stepped aside to allow his passage, the
confrontation would have been immediate.

Within minutes, the sound of Nero's hooves racing
away broke the heavy silence of the room. Instantly
moving forward as Amethyst began to sway uncertainly,
Damien scooped her into his arms, his body rejoicing as
he held her against his chest with fierce possessiveness.
His face strained, he looked into brilliant violet eyes that
attempted to avoid his glance.

"You've had a long day, Amethyst. I think it would be
best if you took a nap now. I'll awake you in time for
supper."

Anxious to be free of his touch, Amethyst nodded
silently as he carried her into the bedroom. Laying her
gently on the bed, Damien stared for long moments into
her face, his expression unreadable. Slowly lowering his
mouth to hers, he kissed her long and deep in a kiss
devoid of tenderness but calculated to demonstrate
beyond doubt his complete possession. Standing, he
turned and left the room without another word, his mind
going over the conversation he had overheard as he
closed the bedroom door firmly behind him. "So, only
the thought that I'll soon tire of her allows her to bear my
possession. Otherwise she would escape me at any cost."
Well, it mattered not to him if Amethyst used that
blatant misconception as a crutch. Let her believe what
she wished and hold that thought in the back of her mind as the years passed by. He didn't give a bloody damn how
he did it, just as long as he kept her with him. His words of
love would be silent, or whispered only into her sleeping
ears.

If need be, she would never know how much he really
loved her.

Amethyst looked fondly at the curly-haired young
woman sitting across from her, smiling patiently as she
went into yet another description of the fellow that had
been seated in the second box to the right of the stage at
last night's performance. Sally Warren would never
change! Despite her vigorous search, she still had not
found the man of her dreams, and contemplated with
extreme interest her future success. But although a bit
empty-headed and promiscuous, she was a sweet girl who
had made it a point to visit Amethyst twice since her
return to Kingston, carrying news of the troupe to
Amethyst's anxious ears. And news there was aplenty!
With rumors so rampant that the anti-theater law in
America would soon be repealed, David Douglass had
turned the management of the American Company over
to John Henry and Lewis Hallam, Jr. It seemed that Mr.
Douglass's job as councilman had become so lucrative
that he could not bring himself to give it up, especially
since he expected to be rewarded with a judgeship in the
near future. But the company was satisfied under the
leadership of Hallam and Henry, especially Sally, who
found the charming and handsome John Henry irresistible, and hoped he would soon run out of Storer
sisters (of which there were three) whom he seemed to be
taking in turns as his mistresses-although Sally had
confidentially confided sh'e was certain she would be able
to break the chain if she were to make an honest effort,

"At any rate," Sally continued with a small giggle,
"John intends to sail again for America in January to petition Congress to repeal that stupid law. If he is
successful, we'll return as a troupe as soon as possible. It
does sound exciting, doesn't it, Amethyst?"

"Ali, but that was a stupid remark, wasn't it? I mean,
whatever do you care when the troupe sails to America?
You're no longer in a position where you find it
necessary to work for a living."

Giving Sallys bright face an assessing glance, Amethyst realized the remark was said without malice. Sally
was, after all, quite envious of her present arrangement,
and made no bones about expressing her envy.

"But I am interested nonetheless, Sally, and I do
appreciate your bringing me the latest news of the
troupe."

Almost as if she had not heard Amethyst's last
statement, Sally said dreamily, "Imagine... there I was
describing the most handsome man I had ever seen
attend one of our performances and pointing him out to
you, and all the time you knew him far better than I!"
Her eyes moving hopefully to the doorway for the fifth
time that afternoon, Sally said in a low tone, "You are the
lucky one, you are, Amethyst Greer."

"Oh, yes, Sally," Amethyst replied, patting her
stomach lightly, "I have really done well for myself. You
would do well to pattern yourself after my success!"

Realizing Amethyst spoke with considerable sarcasm,
Sally said in a low voice, "Well, just the same, I should
consider myself lucky if I were carrying the baby of that
great handsome brute and sitting in luxury with beautiful
clothes and..."

"And a brilliant future ahead of me? Oh, yes, Sally, I
am truly to be envied, aren't I?" Her face suddenly
serious, Amethyst continued in a low tone, "You would
do far better to find yourself a nice, honest boy who will
take care of you than to keep searching for your Prince
Charming."

"But, Amethyst! Searching is so much fun!" Giggling
wildly, Sally turned her merry glance to Amethyst's
serious expression, succeeding in drawing a smile from
her in return at the sheer scandalousness of her remark.

Both turning at a sound at the doorway, Amethyst
shook her head with futility at the flush of pleasure that
heated Sally's light complexion when Damien strode
through the doorway. The girl was an incorrigible flirt!

"Well, I see you have a guest today, darling." Bending
forward, Damien pressed a lingering kiss on Amethyst's
lips, turning to extend a short greeting to Sally. "Hello,
Sally. It's good of you to take the time to call on
Amethyst. She's not in condition to go out visiting these
days."

Lowering himself to the couch beside Amethyst, he
slid his arm around her shoulder in a possessive manner,
his hand carelessly fondling a stray black curl that lay
against her slender neck.

All but sighing as her eyes moved with obvious
approval over his blatantly masculine appeal, Sally said
lightly, "I was just telling Amethyst that the troupe may
be returning to America soon. She seemed to find the
possibility interesting."

Shooting Amethyst a sharp look, Damien was instantly
engrossed in Sally's conversation, his intense regard
bringing yet another flush to Sally's brightly painted
cheeks. "Really? And what are the troupe's plans for the
future? I find I'm as intrigued by the progress of the
American Company as Amethyst."