Love's Fiery Jewel (63 page)

"No! Tillie Swann not gowan let that man take him
child forever! No! Amethyst Greer gowan marry good
man and him child gowan grow up happy and safe..."

"...'n Cap'n Straith gowan be dat man, Tillie...
Cap'n Straith gowan be dat man..."

Gently squeezing out the small garments, Tillie hung
them near the fire, a quick step behind her interrupting
her thoughts as she hung the last piece up to dry.

Turning, she saw Amethyst behind her, a hesitant smile
on her beautiful face.

"How do I look, Tillie? It's to be a grand celebration
tonight, and many of Armand's friends will be present. I
should not like to be the cause of any unfavorable
comments."

Her glance assessing, Tillie's dark eyes moved swiftly
over the brick-colored velvet gown Amethyst wore,
noting the superb fit from the gently scooped neckline,
the sleeves that moved snugly from shoulder to elbow to
flare out in frothy white ruffles that hung almost to her
wrist, to the minuscule waist emphasized by the billowing
flare of the full skirt that hung gracefully to her narrow
ankles. Taking the matching cape she carried from her
hands, Tillie adjusted it on Amethyst's shoulders with
maternal pride. Lined in sable, it was a luxurious
garment, further enhanced by the overwhelming beauty
of the small woman who wore it.

"Amethyst Greer go wan be the most beautiful woman
at that parade tonight, and Monsieur Beauchamps gowan
be so proud him gowan beam like Mr. Peale's lamps!"

Laughing at Tillie's response, Amethyst hesitated
briefly. "Are you certain you don't want to come to the
parade, Tillie? Having seen the work Mr. Peale did in the
State House, don't you feel even the slightest curiosity to
see the finished product? It will be a spectacular event."

Shaking her head, Tillie smiled at Amethyst's persuasive argument. "No, Tillie gowan stay home with
Marian. Monsieur Beauchamps not gowan want Tillie in
him carriage tonight...

"But we're not taking the carriage, Tillie. We've
decided to walk to Market Street so we may pass through
the arches at our leisure and situate ourselves so we
might take full advantage of the display when the
fireworks are lit." Eyeing Tillie closely, Amethyst said
quietly, "Are you certain you won't change your mind?"

"Tillie sure." A smile curving her generous lips,
Tillie's eyes moved behind Amethyst, her heart warming
at Armand Beauchamps's loving glance as he observed
from the doorway. "Monsieur Beauchamps be waiting."

Turning, Amethyst shot Armand a quick smile before
returning her glance briefly to Tillie. "Alright, Tillie. I'll
tell you all about it when we return."

In a quick, graceful movement, Amethyst turned to
walk toward Armand, taking his outstretched hand as he
whispered softly, "Ma petite, vous etes magnifique!"

Bobbing her head with a light flush, Amethyst said
lightly, "Je vous dis iin grand merci, Armand."

Obviously pleased by her well executed response,
Armand's smile widened. Taking her small hand, he
tucked it proudly under his arm. "Come, cherie, I have
the privilege of taking the most beautiful woman in
Philadelphia to the parade tonight, and I am anxious to
show her off."

Her hand clutching his arm a bit more tightly than
necessary, Amethyst walked beside him to the front door,
and within minutes they were walking briskly toward
Market Street.

Rubbing his chin in an anxious gesture, Damien was
oblivious to the January cold in which he had been
standing for the past hour. Partially concealed in a
doorway, his unusually light eyes glowing in his still sundarkened, sober face, he carefully perused the growing
crowd. Without taking his glance from the groups
beginning to gather along the walks, he mumbled to the
tall Negro beside him, "She should be here soon,
Raymond. I'm certain she'll not miss the parade."

It became obvious when he had not been called out by
Beauchamps after his visit to the Frenchman's household that Amethyst had managed to conceal his visit and
the events which had progressed. She would have no plausible excuse to miss the parade or display in which
she had shown so much previous interest without raising
Armand's suspicions. He was certain he would see
Amethyst tonight. She had not left the Beauchamps
household for three days; three days during which
Damien had searched his mind for ap argument that
would convince Amethyst to return to him once and for
all. Time was growing short. His violent jealousy of
Armand Beauchamps was growing out of hand, and he
was uncertain how much longer he would be able to
withstand the growing urge to physically remove
Amethyst and his child from the household in which they
hid from him.

Sparing not the slightest glance for Charles Peale's
masterpiece, its three towering arches stretching across
Market Street almost directly in front of him, Damien
continued his perusal of the rapidly thickening crowd,
his heart jumping in his chest as a familiar figure turned
the corner. Burning with jealousy, Damien noted
Beauchamps's proprietary air as Amethyst walked
briskly beside him, her arm tucked securely under his.
Her face turned up to Beauchamps, she smiled glowingly,
causing the knot in Damien's stomach to tighten
painfully. He had to get her away from Beauchamps soon.
As they moved steadily closer, Damien's eyes moved
lovingly over Amethyst's face. God, she was beautiful!
His love an aching need inside him, Damien stepped back
further into the doorway as they drew nearer, motioning
Raymond to follow. He would not allow them to see him
until the right moment. He ached to hold her, burned to
have Amethyst look at him the way she was presently
looking at Beauchamps, and in that fleeting instant a firm
decision was formed in his mind. He would have her
tonight. One way or another, he would not spend another
night without her.

Stopping almost abreast of the doorway in which
Damien and Raymond were secreted, Amethyst and
Armand paused to observe the monumental arches. It
was twilight, and the proceedings were scheduled to
begin, but a frantic scrambling on the network of ladders
and platforms from which the technicians were to
manipulate the mechanical devices was causing some
delay. Answering a call for assistance from a platform
high above the street, Armand moved from Amethyst's
side to untangle a series of ropes that had become tangled
in the wind. Within moments his broad figure was
swallowed by the crowd as Amethyst waited patiently for
him to return to her side.

Taking his opportunity, Damien moved quickly to her
side. Touching her arm lightly, Damien whispered in a
husky voice, "Hello, Amethyst."

Jerking around at the sound of his voice, Amethyst
made an attempt to snatch her arm from his grip,
succeeding only in causing Damien to tighten his hold as
he spoke softly, "Are you still angry with me, darling? I
hope you're not carrying a pistol hidden somewhere
within that voluminous cloak." His chiding tone falling
flat in the face of Amethyst's obvious anxiety to be free of
his tenacious grip, he continued in a sober tone, "How
much longer are we going to go on with this farce,
Amethyst? You're not only putting us both through
unnecessary torment, as well as Tillie and Raymond, but
you're being unfair to Beauchamps as well. You
encourage his hopeless attachment to you when you
know in your heart you love me."

"No! No, I don't love you! It's not true!" Amethyst
hissed, her eyes wide with denial.

The surging crowd aiding his cause, Damien pulled her
closer against him as he said softly, "Do you deny the
emotion between us, Amethyst? Do you deny the way
your body trembles at my touch, the longing I can see in your eyes even now when you refute our love?"

"There is no love between us, Damien. You don't love
me. You lust for me and have succeeded in stimulating a
similar need inside me. But I will submit to my own
weakness no longer, no matter the manner of threat you
hold over my head."

A tenseness growing inside his tall frame, Damien
responded tightly, "You will allow your selfishness to
keep Tillie and Raymond apart... to keep Marian from
her father..."

"Yes! Especially to keep Marian from her father's
influence! Do you think I will allow you to dominate
Marian as fully as you attempt to dominate me?"

"Damn you, Amethyst!" Damien exclaimed in a low
voice. "It is not I that is domineering! Instead, it is
yourself that is obstinate, automatically challenging my
every word, balking at my every suggestion!"

"And when did you ever make a suggestion tp me,
Damien Straith?" Amethyst hissed vehemently under
her breath. "You do not know how to suggest. You
merely command!"

Clenching his teeth tightly together against the heated
response that rose to his lips, Damien hesitated before
answering. "You are behaving like a child resisting
authority, Amethyst."

"You have no authority over me, Damien Straith! You
merely wish it to be so, but I will never allow that to
happen!"

Crabbing her roughly by the Shoulders, despite sharp
glances from the passing crowd, Damien demanded
softly, "Damn you, Amethyst Greer! Why do you resist
me so? You know you want me as much as I want
you..."

Tears filling her eyes at the truth of his whispered
statement, Amethyst whispered softly in return,
"Whether that be the case or not, Damien, I cannot allow my child to live her life under the influence of black
magic..."

Anger flooding his face at the mention of the obeah
that had haunted their relationship from its inception,
Damien responded heatedly, "Since you are so insistent
on crediting me with powers of obeah, Amethyst, then I
would think it would not be too wise to defy me so
blatantly by remaining with Armand Beauchamps. It
might not be safe for him..."

"...might not be safe for him..." Her eyes
widening, Amethyst demanded, a sudden harshness to
her tone, "Let me go... let me go, I say! I will not listen
to your threats! I will not listen, do you hear me?" Her
voice becoming shrill caused several anxious glances to
be sent in her direction by passersby, and realizing she
was close to hysteria, Damien slowly loosened his grip,
his voice low as he spoke directly into the wide, fear-filled
eyes holding his gaze, "Alright, Amethyst, I'll let you go.
I've said everything I have to say. The rest is up to
you...

Taking only a moment to digest the portent of his
words, Amethyst shook her head, mumbling softly under
her breath as she did, "No... no, I will never come back
to you... never..."

Turning quickly, Amethyst moved into the crowd that
now surged toward the magnificent arches, allowing it to
carry her to the spot where Armand still stood as the
ropes began moving faultlessly through the complicated
mechanisms that worked the display. Grasping his arm,
she said breathlessly, "Armand, I thought you had been
swallowed by the crowd."

His dark eyes moving to her face showed deep regret at
the anxiety present in her expression. "Cherie, forgive
me for my thoughtlessness. I thought only to be involved
here for a short moment, but the problem has been
corrected and we may now join the onlookers." Pointing to the top of the center arch, he smiled. "See, up there,
Amethyst. Your friend, Charles Peale, is atop to give the
signal for the Peace figure to descend to light the central
fuse."

Appearing to follow the direction Armand indicated,
Amethyst shot a furtive glance out of the corner of her
eye to see that Damien had moved to a storefront where
he stood with Raymond by his side, his glance intent on
her person. A sudden shiver of fear moving down her
spine, Amethyst slid her arm through Armand's,
returning her glance to the top of the arch just as the
Peace figure started to descend.

Watching as it moved at a calculated speed to the top of
the arch, the crowd held its breath in anticipation of the
brilliant display as the Peace figure struck the main fuse.
Unexpectedly, a sudden deafening explosion rocked
Market Street, raining a shower of flames and rockets
into the eager crowd. Screams and shouts filled the air as
spectators scattered wildly in an attempt to elude the
rockets careening into the frantic crowd as the towering
arches suddenly burst into flames! Too startled to move,
Amethyst felt a strong tug on her arm as Armand jerked
her forward. A man ran wildly past them, his clothing
afire, his mindless fear fanning the flames already
consuming his overcoat. His screams echoed in her ears
and Amethyst turned toward him just as another
spectator threw him forcefully to the street to beat the
flames from his clothing.

Armand's voice was hardly distinguishable as he
shouted above the growing melee of hissing rockets,
terrified screams, and the growing crackle of flames.
"Quickly, Amethyst... this way! I must get you to a
point of safety before..."

But he could say no more as a burst of fire suddenly
seared past. Moving to shield her with his body, Armand
took the full force of the strike in his shoulder, his overcoat igniting in the space of a second as he fell
backward against her, knocking them both to the ground.
Stunned as her head hit the ground, Amethyst suddenly
felt a searing heat at her ankles. Looking down, she saw
flames engulfing her cape at the same second she heard
Armand's anguished cry. Before her eyes Armand's
entire coat became engulfed in wild, leaping flames as he
attempted ineffectively to beat them out. Unable to clear
her head enough to move, Amethyst felt the first lick of
flames sear the flesh of her leg when a tall figure was
suddenly bent over her, his strong hands ripping the
cloak from her body in one fell swoop. Taking another
second to stamp out the flames, he then crouched by her
side.

"Darling, are you alright? Amethyst, please answer
me, are you alright?"