Savage Spring (20 page)

The sailor pulled his cap down lower over his forehead and faded into the shadows. The man had an old debt to settle, and he wouldn’t rest until he had seen his goals accomplished!

Alexandria had unpacked her meager belongings and placed them in the oak chest at the foot of the bed. Her room was on the third floor, and she was surprised to find it cheerful and bright.

There was a tap on the door and Alexandria found Mrs. Dodson in the hallway, ready to take her to see Mr. Landon. She followed the housekeeper down the stairs to the second floor, where Mr. Landon’s room was located.

Alexandria had the feeling she was in a frightening, alien world. She knew the first and most important thing to do would be to make friends with the servants. It had always been her experience that servants talked and gossiped among themselves, so perhaps she could learn something that would help Falcon.

“Well, miss, I feel pity for you—you have a job on your hand that no one else would take. Mr. Landon has a powerful temper and can raise the roof if he’s a mind to,” the housekeeper, who was called Mrs. Dodson, informed Alexandria.

“I had the impression he couldn’t talk, Mrs. Dodson.”

“Oh, he can make himself understood, all right. He has very little trouble getting his point across, as you will soon find out. He can talk, if you call the gibberish that comes out of his mouth talking. I can tell you right now, if you want to keep the job, you must report everything of importance to Mrs. Landon.”

“Why is that?”

“Because she rules the roost around here. All your predecessors kept her well informed. You must do it in such a way that Mr. Landon won’t be suspicious. If he finds out you are running to his wife with tales, he will send you packing. That’s what happened to all the others. He’s a mean one, I can tell you.”

By now, they had reached the top of the landing, and Mrs. Dodson led Alexandria down the hallway to a massive, hand-carved door that she knew would lead to the master bedroom. She was feeling nervous at the thought of meeting the formidable Mr. Landon.

Mrs. Dodson’s knock was answered by the tallest man Alexandria had ever seen. She was sure he must be at least seven feet tall, and he had broad shoulders and muscled arms, as well. Although the man didn’t appear to be more than thirty years of age, his hair was snow white. A long scar ran down his cheek and across his lip, giving him a menacing appearance.

“This is Barlow. He looks after Mr. Landon, and you will be spending a great deal of time with him. Barlow, this is the new girl who has been hired to look after Mr. Landon. Her name is Alexandria.”

The giant man looked Alexandria over with what she was sure was a frown of disapproval. His only sound was a grunt as he pushed past them and walked into the hall.

“Don’t mind Barlow,” Mrs. Dodson said, lowering her voice. “He is loyal to Mr. Landon, and he’s resentful of anyone he thinks might be taking over.”

“He is a bit frightening,” Alexandria said, as her eyes went past Mrs. Dodson. The room they were now in appeared to
be a sitting room, and she saw the connecting door that led to what she knew would be Mr. Landon’s bedroom.

“Just don’t cross Barlow, and you shouldn’t have anything to worry about. Come with me, and I’ll take you in to Mr. Landon’s room.”

Alexandria followed closely on Mrs. Dodson’s heels. When they entered the bedroom, her eyes went immediately to the man who lay on the giant four poster bed. He was propped up on pillows, and Alexandria noticed that his face was thin and sunken, and his pallor was ashen. She thought that at one time he might have been a big man, but now he was no more than a mere shell of a man. His eyes seemed to bore into hers, as if he were trying to stare her down, but Alexandria’s eyes never wavered.

“Mr. Landon this is Alexandria Bradford. She will be replacing Miss Wilson.”

Howard Landon’s eyes swept the young girl’s face. The moment he saw her she reminded him of Joanna. It wasn’t that they looked anything alike—it was more the proud carriage of the head and the way she walked. He wanted to hear her voice and hoped that it, too, would remind him of Joanna.

It was as if this young girl had brought a breath of springtime into his drab existence. In the past, all the women that Claudia had assigned to his care had run to her with every little thing, and that was the reason he had insisted they be dismissed. He hoped this girl would be different.

Alexandria moved forward, feeling pity for this man, who was almost as helpless as a baby. She knew she should hate him for what he had done to Falcon. But he was so pathetic she couldn’t find it in her heart to hate him. She fluffed up his pillow and pulled the covers across his chest.

“I’m glad to be working for you, Mr. Landon. I will try to carry out all your wishes. I am told that you like to have someone read to you. I enjoy reading very much, and perhaps you would allow me to choose some books that I have enjoyed in the past.”

Howard closed his eyes, listening to the sound of her voice. Since Joanna had come over from England, their accents were different, but the voice tones were the same—clear, soft, and soothing.

Alexandria wasn’t aware that Mrs. Dodson had left the room, and she thought Mr. Landon had fallen asleep since he was so still and his eyes were closed. She walked softly across the room and stood staring out the window. It was hard for her to realize that this was the house were Falcon had lived as a boy. It was even harder to grasp the fact that the sick old man who occupied this room had stolen this house from Falcon and his sister.

Hearing a funny grunting sound, Alexandria spun around and found Mr. Landon watching her. He was motioning to the night stand that stood beside his bed, and she finally realized he must want a drink of water.

Lifting the water pitcher, she poured some of the liquid into a glass and held it to his mouth. Since one side of his face was paralyzed, much of the water spilled out of his mouth and ran onto his nightshirt. Howard Landon watched Alexandria to see what her reaction would be to the spilled water. The other women who had taken care of him had all panicked at this point. He watched as her mouth eased into a smile.

“I will have to be more careful in the future, Mr. Landon. I believe I filled your glass too full,” she said, dabbing at his nightshirt with a white napkin.

Howard felt joy in his heart. She was neither afraid of him nor did she seem to be disgusted by his awkwardness.

“It is a bit stuffy in here, Mr. Landon. I believe I will open the window and let in a breath of fresh air,” she said in a cheerful voice.

Howard’s eyes followed her across the room. Her hips swayed gently as she walked. It felt good having a young girl to look after him instead of the older women who jumped out of their skin every time they came near him. He was glad Alexandria
didn’t fear him, and for the first time in many years, he felt almost lighthearted.

Tag removed his hat and tossed it onto the window seat. Sitting down in a chair, he propped his dusty boots on the foot rest. He had ridden to Front Street in the hopes of finding Alexandria there, but he had found no sign of her anywhere. With each passing day he missed her more and more. He was backed against a wall. He couldn’t go to the authorities and ask them to help him find Alexandria, since her stepmother already had them looking for her.

He swore under his breath. Damn it, didn’t she know he would never have betrayed her to her stepmother?

Mrs. Green had handed him a letter when he first entered the room, and he opened it absent-mindedly. Seeing it was an invitation from Claudia to come to tea on the next Thursday, he smiled. That was one invitation he would gladly accept. Time was slipping away, and he hadn’t yet decided what would be the best way to go about seeking his revenge.

Tag stood up and walked into the study with the intention of answering the invitation, but when he passed the double doors that led out into the garden, he walked outside. He remembered how Alexandria had loved tending the garden. He felt a deep ache in his heart, and he knew without a doubt that he loved her. What he felt for her was as different from what he had felt for Morning Song as day from night. Morning Song had been the sweet love of his childhood…Alexandria was the love of his manhood. As deeply as he had felt for Morning Song, he knew it in no way compared with the all-consuming love that raged out of control within his body for Alexandria.

Tag was finding out that there were many different kinds of love. None before had been as deep and lasting as the emotions Alexandria had now awakened in him. What he felt toward her was what Windhawk and Joanna shared—a
true, deeply lasting love. Tag shook his head sadly, thinking of Morning Song. He now realized that she had been more of a friend than a lover to him. And he knew in his heart that Morning Song had realized that fact long before he had.

Tag paused on the stone walkway and touched the petal of a red rose that reminded him of Alexandria. He knew if he didn’t find her, he would spend the rest of his life seeking her. He wanted her not only as a woman but as…what?…his wife?

Hearing a rustling in the bushes at the back of the garden, Tag turned around just in time to see the man dressed as a sailor disappear out the back gate. He knew the man had too much of a head start for him to try and overtake him. He thought of what Farley had told him about the man. It was really irritating him now that the stranger seemed to be watching his every move. He decided the time had come to find out who the man was. Surely if he and Farley were to carefully lay a trap for the man, they could catch him.

He turned his footsteps back to the house, thinking that he would answer Claudia’s note.

Alexandria had been working for Howard Landon almost a week. Against her will, she found herself liking the old man. It was hard to associate him with the man she knew he had been in the past. He was kind and considerate to her, and she like doing things for him to make his life a little easier.

One of the first things she had done was to have his bed moved to the window so he could look down on the garden. Today, she had replaced the drab brown curtains at his window with cheery yellow ones that she had made in her spare time, and that seemed to please him. She was learning what foods he liked and had even experimented with new dishes to please him.

Yesterday Alexandria had sent Barlow into town to purchase a wheelchair so she could take Mr. Landon for walks
in the garden. She had been appalled to find he never got out in the fresh air. In fact, she was going to talk to him about moving his bedroom downstairs so he would have easier access to the garden.

Alexandria tiptoed across the room and saw that Mr. Landon was sleeping. Not wanting to disturb him, she moved quietly to a chair and sat down waiting for him to wake. The new wheelchair had been delivered today, and if he was feeling up to it, she wanted to take him into the garden.

Alexandria’s eyes traveled up to the mantel to the portrait that hung there. She knew without being told that it was a portrait of Falcon and his family. It was easy to recognize him as the small boy in the painting. She looked at the beautiful young girl with the red-gold hair and knew that it had to be his sister, Joanna. She was puzzled as to why the portrait hung in Mr. Landon’s bedroom and why he insisted she dust it every day. It certainly didn’t seem to her to be the act of a man who hated the James family.

Alexandria’s eyes traced the outline of young Tag’s face. It was easy to see the man in the boy of the picture, even though the boy’s hair had been more of a red-gold when the painting was done, and it was now golden. Although the eyes were now colder, they were still the same deep violet-blue as when the artist had captured the boy’s image.

Alexandria brushed a tear from her cheek and turned away. It was painful for her to gaze upon Tag’s face. It was strange, but since being in this house, she had now begun to think of Falcon as Taggart James. She loved him terribly, but she knew she had been nothing more to him than a slight distraction. It didn’t matter how he felt about her; she would still help him in any way she could.

Seeing that Mr. Landon still slept, she tiptoed out of the room. So far, she hadn’t been able to hear anything that would help Tag, but she intended to keep her ears and eyes open, and to be ever watchful.

When Alexandria reached the hallway, she almost bumped
into Mrs. Dodson, who seemed very agitated about something. When Alexandria would have gone around the woman, Mrs. Dodson stopped her.

“Mrs. Landon will be wanting to see you in the sitting room right away. You’d best make haste and not keep her waiting.”

“Do you have any notion what she wants to see me about?” Alexandria asked, dreading the thought of facing Claudia Landon again so soon.

“It’s not for me to ask or you to know,” Mrs. Dodson said, looking down her nose at Alexandria with a superior air. “You will find that you will last longer around here if you answer questions, not ask them.”

Alexandria pushed past the housekeeper and made her way downstairs. She hoped that Claudia wasn’t displeased with her work. If she were to dismiss her, she wouldn’t be able to help Tag.

She found the sitting room door open and entered with her head held high. She saw Claudia standing in front of the window. The room was stifling hot and reeked of Claudia’s perfume. Alexandria felt a sense of uneasiness when Claudia turned around with a frown on her face.

“How is my husband feeling today?”

“He seems to be in good spirits and is now resting.”

Claudia motioned for Alexandria to be seated. “Starting today, I want you to report to me each morning about all that happens with my husband during the previous day. I want to know everything that he is thinking and doing. No detail is to be overlooked. Is that clear?”

“I will be glad to report to you how Mr. Landon’s health is each day, but I will never become a snoop and tell you everything that he is doing,” Alexandria said, feeling very indignant that this woman expected her to spy on Mr. Landon and report to her. She saw Claudia’s face flame and knew she had caused her to lose her temper. She would probably be out of a job, but she had no intention of doing what Mrs. Landon asked.

“You forget yourself, young lady!” Claudia said in a harsh voice. “You work for me, and you will do as you are told. Do I make myself clear?”