Payton's Woman (11 page)

She looked down at the
writing paper so her expression wouldn’t give away her true feelings when she
lied. “Of course I enjoy working for you.”

“And don’t I pay you
well?”

“Very well, Mrs. Collins.”

“Besides your pay, don’t
I give you opportunities that would not normally be available to a young woman
of your station? I allow you to accompany me to parties that are way above your
social status. You dress in beautiful gowns I provide. Because of me, you’ve
met many rich and powerful men. Judges, senators, even the governor.”

“I didn’t actually meet
the governor,” she corrected. “He was in another room, and I—”

“Enough!” Betsy sat
upright in the chair and slammed her fist on the table. “You could have met him
if you would’ve walked into the other room.” She leaned back in the chair
again. Her anger seemed to subside. “You’re missing the point. I’ve made all these
advantages available to you just out of the kindness of my heart. I’ve never asked
anything from you until now.”

Julia doubted she had a
heart, but she didn’t bother mentioning it. One thing of which she felt certain:
Whatever Betsy did, it had nothing to do with kindness.

“All I’m asking is for you
to meet with the captain. Ask him a few questions, listen to him politely, and
report back to me anything he says. Sylvia will go with you as a chaperone if
you wish.”

Julia wondered why Payton’s
arrival in Sacramento put Betsy into such a highly agitated state. If Sylvia
hadn’t witnessed them kissing last night, his presence probably would’ve gone
unnoticed.

Guilt tugged at her
conscious. If she would’ve controlled her desire for Payton last night, Sylvia
might not have given him a second thought. Betsy would be ignorant that he had
been at the party, and her veiled threat toward him would never have been
uttered.

She didn’t understand why
both women were so alarmed with his appearance, but whatever the reason, she
decided to go along with what Betsy wanted so Payton wouldn’t come to any harm.
“What would you like me to ask him?”

“I want you to find out why
he’s in Sacramento. And I want you to learn exactly who it is he’s looking for.”

Her hand went to her
mouth to muffle her gasp. Payton had come to Sacramento to find her. She was
the one he sought!

How could she ask him
that in front of Sylvia? If he blurted out the reason, if he divulged that she’d
been in San Francisco and had been with Wilber Hennigan when he shot himself...

She wiped her hand over
her face to remove the cold sweat popping out of her pores. If Betsy learned
the truth, at the very least, she’d be dismissed immediately. Then she’d lose
any future communication about Lawrence Dunbar’s whereabouts. Fortunately, Betsy
didn’t seem to notice the sweat on Julia’s forehead, nor the trembling of her hand.
Her attention had turned to Sylvia.

“Select her something
appropriate to wear. Perhaps that blue gown. You know the one I mean. It’s cut
down to here in the front.” She motioned with her hand the severity of the
exposure.

Her heart skipped a beat.
Betsy referred to the sapphire-blue gown. If Payton saw her dressed in that, it
would likely dredge up all his questions about what happened that night in San
Francisco. Then he might be the one demanding answers.

Before she could
protest, however, Sylvia unwittingly came to her rescue.

“I think something less
revealing would better serve our purpose. The captain mentioned something about
enjoying a good chase. If we show all her attributes at once, he may become
bored.”

“Perhaps you’re right.” Something
akin to an evil smirk spread over Betsy’s face. “We wouldn’t want the captain
getting bored too easily with our little Julia.”

Chapter Ten

Julia peered over the
balcony at the crowd seated below. The play wouldn’t start for several more
minutes, so she needed the distraction. Sylvia and Payton sat on either side of
her in the upper section of the theater. By ignoring them both, she hoped she
wouldn’t have to ask any questions.

“Julia darling, do sit
back.” Sylvia touched her with her closed fan. “I can’t talk with your head in
the way.”

Complying with the request,
she leaned back against the red velvet cushions of the chair and busied herself
by smoothing tiny wrinkles from the skirt of her lime green gown. When she’d
accomplished that task, she fussed with her hair. The maid had twisted the
sides back from her face and tied it with ribbons matching her gown. The rest
of her hair hung down her back and over one shoulder.

Sylvia peered around
Julia. She leaned forward so her breasts jutted out of the bodice of her light
pink gown. “As I was saying, Captain Tyler, it was very kind of you to meet us
tonight. I realize it was short notice, but Julia insisted on seeing you again.
We’re so glad you were available.”

“I was more than happy
to drop my other plans. For some reason, I didn’t think I’d ever see Miss
Anderson again. I was thrilled with the opportunity of meeting with her once
more.”

Julia believed his sincerity,
but she wished he wouldn’t appear so eager. To Sylvia it demonstrated a
weakness in a man she could manipulate.

Now Sylvia and Betsy had
involved her in using that same weakness in an attempt to obtain information
from Payton. She tried to think how she could warn him to be on his guard, but
Sylvia watched her too closely.

If she slipped up in any
way, everything would be reported to Betsy. Then they may resort to a more
unpleasant method, as alluded to earlier, in order to extract information from
Payton.

“Of course she wanted to
see you again. Last night, you made a lasting impression on her. Isn’t that
right, Julia?” Sylvia poked her in the ribs with her fan, prompting her to
speak.

She glanced around at
the other people in the balcony. This was supposed to be a private box, but no partitions
separated one area from the other. There were merely individual chairs arraigned
in groups to give the illusion of privacy. Silently, she wished for a more
secluded setting. She hated the idea of making a fool of herself in front of witnesses.

She took a steadying
breath while trying to remember the instructions Betsy and Sylvia had given her.
She placed her hand on the sleeve of his black evening jacket and battered her
eyelashes in a dramatic fashion, making certain Sylvia saw her actions, but she
doubted Payton would succumb to such an obvious ploy.

Stroking the ego of Wilber
Hennigan to get him to divulge information had been an easy task, but he’d been
weak and insecure. Payton struck her as a strong, confident man. Fawning over
him wouldn’t render him malleable in her hands. He wouldn’t surrender his secrets
as easily—at least she hoped he wouldn’t.

“Yes, I did want to see
you again. You’re such an intriguing man that I wanted to learn more about you.”

He glanced at her hand
that rested on his arm. His gaze wandered to her face. A change came over him
that caused the brilliance in his blue eyes to diminish.

“You flatter me, Miss
Anderson. But I’m afraid I’m nothing more than an ordinary sea captain.”

Sylvia tapped him on the
arm with her fan. “That is what makes you so interesting. You are a sea captain,
but you’re such a long way from the sea.”

“If you think Sacramento
is inland that far, you need a lesson in geography, Mrs. Moron. Several ships are
docked just a few blocks from here.”

Sylvia’s back stiffened.
“It’s Morgan.”

Julia stifled a nervous
giggle, for it sounded as though Payton had called Sylvia a moron. She put her
hand to her mouth to hide any sign of amusement appearing on her lips.

“Ow!” She flinched when Sylvia
jabbed her in the ribcage with the blunt end of her fan, but she tried not to
let her anger show.

Sylvia didn’t bother to
hide her irritation. With a nod of her head, she motioned toward Payton. She jabbed
her again, but not quite as hard.

He’d have to be blind
not to see what had transpired. She hoped he’d figure it out soon. “I realize
we’re less than a hundred miles from the bay, but you have to admit Sacramento
isn’t a seaport. It’s only natural to be curious about such things.”

“Are you also interested
as to why I’m in Sacramento?”

His lips curved into a
smile, but she didn’t find anything amusing in his expression. At the moment he
looked very dangerous. “I wouldn’t want to pry into your personal business.”

She flinched when Sylvia
jabbed her again. “Of course if you’d like to share that information, we’d enjoy
listening to your story.”

“If you’re that
interested, I’d be more than happy to tell you.” He took Julia’s hand and
threaded his fingers through hers. He placed their joined hands on the inside
of his thigh. “I’m here to collect a debt. Would you like me to tell you more
about it?”

“Not particularly.” Her tone
matched the hard glare she gave him. She tried to pull her hand free, but he
held it firmly against his thigh.

“Julia is just being
coy,” Sylvia said. “I’m certain she would love to hear anything you have to
say.”

“Is that right, Miss
Anderson?”

“Actually, I am curious
as to why you’re here.” She attempted to steer the conversation to a general
topic. “Sacramento must be very dull compared to a city as exciting as San
Francisco.”

Dramatically, both
eyebrows rose as if in feigned surprise. “You’ve been to San Francisco?”

“Once,” she said in an
icy tone. “I didn’t find it very amusing.”

“Then you’ll have to go
with me sometime. I’m certain I can show you an exciting time. In fact, it
could be a night you may never forget.”

“That sounds deliciously
sinful,” Sylvia said. “You should take the captain up on his offer.”

“Yes, you should,” he
agreed. “I’ve heard there’s a charming little place on the cliffs right next to
the ocean. I’d like to take you there.”

“Oh, captain.” Sylvia’s
voice contained a sensual purr. “You must be referring to the Cliff House. That’s
where all the lovers go to meet.”

“Have you taken many
women there?” Julia couldn’t resist asking.

“No, I’ve never been
there. But I’d like to go with you. We could take a steamer down the Sacramento
River tonight and arrive in time for breakfast.”

She felt certain he taunted
her. Breakfast at the Cliff House had been exactly what she’d promised him for
saving her life that night. “That’s very kind of you to invite me, but I’m
afraid I must decline.”

“At least you’re honest
about not wanting to go there with me...” He leaned closer to her and lowered
his voice so only she could hear while he added, “...this time.”

“Julia darling, you must
reconsider the captain’s offer.”

“I don’t believe Miss
Anderson is the kind of lady who would run off with a man she barely knows.”

His voice took on a
mocking tone. “Tell me, Julia darling, what kind of man would you go to San
Francisco to meet?”

She looked directly into
his eyes, now an icy blue. “Contrary to what you believe, I would not go there
to meet a lover.”

“I never thought you
would.”

“The captain knows you
too well,” Sylvia said. “You can be such a bore, always telling men no.”

“Could we find something
else to talk about besides me?”

“Certainly,” Sylvia said.
“After all, the captain’s life has to be so much more exciting than yours. I
believe he was about to tell us why he’s in Sacramento. Weren’t you, captain?”

“I would, but we’re in
such a public place. I’m afraid we might be overheard. Of course if Miss
Anderson would like to go with me somewhere private, there’s plenty I’d like to
tell her. Also show her.” He emphasized his meaning by moving their joined hands
farther up his thigh toward his lap.

She tried to pull her
hand away, but his grip tightened. She used her other hand in an attempt to pry
his fingers loose. That also proved to be futile.

“Let go,” she demanded
in a low voice.

“Julia, you’re causing a
scene.” Sylvia’s tone was sharp. “The captain is right. This is much too public
a place. We can go to my house to continue this discussion.”

“The three of us?” Payton
cocked one dark eyebrow. “That’s an intriguing offer. What do you say, Miss
Anderson?”

“Let go of my hand,” she
repeated.

He ignored her demand
while he conversed with Sylvia. “I believe Miss Anderson is too shy for a
multiple...ah, discussion. She might respond better to a private lecture. That
is, if you would suspend your chaperone duties and leave Miss Anderson in my
care.”

“Yes, I think that might
be just what our Julia needs.” She gave her a very meaningful stare. “I hope
you behave accordingly so you don’t prove to be a disappointment.”

As soon as Sylvia left
the balcony, Payton released Julia’s hand. She rubbed the red marks left by his
grip.

“You acted abominably.”

“How about the way you acted?”
He kept his voice low, but his anger was apparent. “Batting your lashes and
flirting outrageously just to get information from me.”

“Do you believe me to be
that obtuse?” she said in a harsh whisper. “Do you honestly think I’d use such
a ridiculous ploy to make you confess to Sylvia all I had begged you not to
tell?”

“I didn’t know what you
were up to, but I was certain I’d find out once I got you alone. That’s why I
acted the way I did. I wanted Sylvia to think I was succumbing to your charms.”

“You could have done so
without resorting to such obnoxious behavior,” she said while still rubbing her
hand.

“Sylvia wouldn’t have
believed anything else. You aren’t that skilled in the art of seduction, but
she’s well aquatinted with lust. It didn’t take much to convince her that I’d
resort to anything, including force, to have you.”