Savage Spring (21 page)

Alexandria stood up. “I understand you all right, Mrs. Landon. You want me to spy on your husband. It is against my principles to stoop to spying. If that is what you expect out of me, then I am wasting your time and mine!”

Claudia gritted her teeth in anger. This young girl was being insulting, and she didn’t intend to keep her under her roof a moment longer than it would take for her to pack her belongings. Again she thought how much Alexandria reminded her of Joanna.

“How dare you speak to me in such a manner? You forget your place. Go upstairs at once and pack your things—you are leaving this house! I will not have anyone as impertinent as you staying under my roof!”

Out of the corner of her eye, Claudia saw a shadow fall across the open doorway and knew Barlow had been spying on her. She swore under her breath, knowing the man would report everything that had taken place to Howard. She had tried many times to get Barlow to do just what she had asked Alexandria to do, but he had always refused. Now the man was barely civil to her, and she knew Howard would never allow her to be rid of him, though she had tried often enough.

Turning back to Alexandria, her eyes showed her anger. “Well, what are you waiting for? Did I not dismiss you?”

Alexandria looked right into Claudia’s eyes and had the satisfaction of watching the older woman lower her eyes first. “I am going, Mrs. Landon, but I doubt that you will find very many people to work for you who will be willing to do as you asked.”

“Leave this room at once!” Claudia ordered in a loud voice, and the frown that passed over her face seemed to twist her features into distortion.

Without a word, Alexandria swept out of the room, thinking she couldn’t leave soon enough to please herself. On
her way upstairs, she brushed against Mrs. Dodson, but didn’t stop to talk to the woman. It wasn’t until she reached her own small room on the third floor that she realized she had spoiled any chance she might have to help Tag. Not only that, she would be out in the cold again with no place to go. She doubted that Claudia would pay her the wages she had earned, and she didn’t have any money. Once again she was faced with the problem of not having a shelter over her head.

She felt miserable as she gathered up her few belongings and neatly tied them into a bundle. Looking about the small room for the first time, she walked to the door. Her hand was on the doorknob when a loud knock startled her. Opening the door, she found Barlow standing in the hallway.

“You are not to leave this house. Mr. Landon wants you to stay,” he said, looking at the bundle she carried in her arms.

“I cannot do as he asks. Mrs. Landon dismissed me,” Alexandria said, thinking this was the first time Barlow had ever spoken directly to her.

Barlow took the bundle from Alexandria and tossed it on the bed. “Mr. Landon says you stay. His wife will not bother you again,” the huge man said, turning away and walking back down the hallway.

Alexandria stared after him in amazement. Closing the door, she sat on the bed. It seemed that she wasn’t unemployed after all. She sighed in relief and began putting away her clothing. She wondered what Claudia would say when she found out her husband had countermanded her orders. Apparently Mr. Landon was satisfied with the work she was doing.

Alexandria knew she had made a powerful enemy in Claudia Landon, and that one day she might very well have to face the consequences!

Claudia was alone in the sitting room, and she paced back and forth. She ranted and raved, and her voice carried as far as the kitchen.

The servants all went about their duties, talking in hushed tones. They had often seen Mrs. Landon in her present state of mind. They had learned that when she was having one of her tantrums, it was better just to leave her alone until the storm blew over.

“How dare Howard belittle me like this?” Claudia raged. “He’s done this to get back at me! I’m his wife, and he shames me before the whole world!”

Claudia’s face was red and her eyes had a wild look. “I will see you pay, Howard. Mark my words, before long that girl will leave this house.” Her voice droned on and on. The servants knew it would be hours before the mistress of the house calmed down.

Alexandria was now better able to understand Howard Landon when he spoke to her. Although his speech was garbled, if she listened very carefully she had little trouble understanding what he was trying to convey to her. She was finding out that he had a sense of humor, and one thing he was particularly amused by was the fact that he had countermanded Claudia’s orders to dismiss her. He seemed to delight in anything that would cause Claudia distress.

In some odd way, Alexandria had come to like Mr. Landon. She felt pity for him because of the limited life he lived, confined to his room. It was difficult to associate him with the man who had caused Tag and his sister to flee from their home. How could this sick old man be the monster Falcon had told her about? She couldn’t see him conspiring with Claudia to have Tag and Joanna killed. Tag had to be wrong—Howard Landon just couldn’t be responsible for Morning Song’s death.

She noticed he was unusually jovial this afternoon
because Barlow was going to carry him down to the garden, where Alexandria would read to him in the summerhouse. She was anxious to see if Mr. Landon would enjoy a daily outing in the garden. It was almost inhuman the way Claudia had kept him shut up in his bedroom.

As Alexandria patted her hair into place, she looked at her reflection in the cracked mirror that hung on the wall of her bedroom. Her hair had grown longer, she noticed. As she stared into the amber-colored eyes that were reflected in the mirror, she wondered why she had been cursed with such unusual eyes. If only they were a pretty blue…or even a brown. She sighed wistfully. There was nothing she could do about her eye color, or even her appearance, she thought.

Her two gowns were not of a very good quality—they had been washed several times and were beginning to fade. What did it matter about her appearance anyway? She wasn’t going to see anyone of importance in the garden, and besides, she was only a servant in this house. Certainly no one would expect her to dress other than in the sober gowns she wore. Still, there was a part of her that wanted to be presentable. She had been brought up always to look her best.

Alexandria thought of her stepmother and shuddered, wondering what Falcon had told Barbara about her. Shrugging her shoulders, she left her room, glad for the opportunity to be out in the fresh air.

Claudia sat beside Falcon Knight and felt her heart flutter. Never had she been so deeply affected by a man before! She had thought herself in love several times in the past, but those had been puny feelings compared to what she was now experiencing. As she looked into Falcon’s ice-blue eyes, she could feel the tenseness in him, and she wondered if he were feeling the same wild attraction she was experiencing. Claudia realized that Falcon Knight was years younger than she, but that didn’t bother her. Her hungry eyes ran over the breadth of his wide shoulders, taking in the way his blue
coat fit snugly across his chest. His long legs drew her attention next. His gray trousers were molded to his thighs and tucked into a pair of polished back boots. He was everything a man should be, she thought, thinking that she couldn’t wait to invite him into her bed.

Glancing up into his face, she saw that he was watching her closely. Thinking he might be able to read her thoughts, Claudia suddenly felt tongue-tied and searched for something to say to him.

“I…how is Alex, your ward?” she asked, voicing the first thing that popped into her head.

“As boys go, he is a handful,” Tag answered in a cool voice. He felt a strong aversion being so near Claudia. All he could think of at the moment was that it was she who had been responsible for Morning Song’s death.

“How is your husband?” he asked, trying to cover up his dislike of her.

“Poor Howard isn’t good. I feel so sorry for him being confined to his room all the time.”

“I was wondering if it would be possible to meet him?” Tag asked, watching Claudia’s eyes closely.

“I’m sorry, but as I told you before, my husband doesn’t see anyone. This is very difficult for me to say, but poor Howard isn’t quite right in the head.”

“I wasn’t aware that Mr. Landon was suffering from a brain disorder. How long has he been this way?”

Claudia dabbed at her eyes and gave Tag a sad smile. He could tell she was acting the roll of the grieved wife. He knew her too well to believe she had any genuine feeling for his Uncle Howard.

“My husband was stricken just a short time after our wedding. I have lived a very lonely life as the wife of a cripple,” she said suggestively.

“Were you and Mr. Landon married here in Philadelphia?” Tag asked, wondering how far Claudia would take her lie.

“No, as a matter of fact, we were married at Fort Union in Indian territory.”

Tag glanced down at the tip of his shiny black boot. “That seems a long way from home. Surely, you weren’t traveling for the fun of it.”

“No, I met Howard while he was searching for his niece and nephew. Two more ungrateful people you will never find. If you can believe this, they ran away from Howard and were living with the Indians somewhere out West.”

“That is hard to believe. Why would they live with the Indians when they could enjoy the comfort and luxury of this house?”

“It was all Joanna’s fault. She has no conception of how to live. I suppose she enjoys living among those savages. She is a horrid girl—defiant and rebellious. My husband and I have tried everything possible to get Joanna and her brother to return here, but with no results.”

“Tell me about her brother. Did you say he also lives with the Indians, Claudia?”

“Yes, his name is Taggart—a most unlikable young boy. He would do anything his sister asked of him. It’s possible that Howard and I could have convinced the boy to return here with us had it not been for his sister.”

Tag noticed the undisguised hatred in Claudia’s eyes when she spoke of Joanna, and he knew she was still blaming Joanna for everything that had ever gone wrong in her life. “How old is the boy now?”

Claudia looked thoughtful for a moment. “I don’t know. Perhaps he is in his teens…I can’t be sure…perhaps he’s older.” Her eyes searched his face. “Why are you so interested in Joanna and Tag?”

“Merely curiosity. I wonder what would cause them to prefer living with the Indians when they could live here.” He made a wide swing with his hand. “Surely, they would prefer all this to an Indian tipi. How could they not want to return when they would have an aunt such as you concerned about their welfare?” he asked sarcastically.

Claudia’s eyes sparkled, missing his point. “I once saw the Indian Joanna is living with. He was positively fiercelooking.
He’s the reason my husband had a stroke. We had managed to capture Joanna, and Windhawk followed and took her away from us.”

Claudia’s eyes swept past Tag to the open door that led to the garden. “It’s much too nice a day to speak of such things. Let’s go for a walk in the garden.”

Tag stood up and nodded. “It would be my pleasure to escort you,” he said, holding out his arm. Claudia had told him nothing he didn’t already know. He would have to find another way to gain information from her. He saw the way she looked at him, and he shuddered inwardly. Tag wasn’t sure he could give her what she was clearly wanting from him. He felt degraded at the thought of even touching her.

Alexandria closed the book she had been reading and smiled at Howard Landon. “I want to thank you for allowing me to stay on in your employment, Mr. Landon. I really do enjoy reading to you.”

Howard smiled at the lovely young girl. She had such a soothing effect on him. He could listen to her for hours as she read to him. Her golden eyes sparkled with life and enthusiasm. It made him feel good just to be near her. He knew that he was using her as a substitute for Joanna. Howard had never been able to get close to Joanna. He wanted to give Alexandria all the things that young girls wanted, in order to make her happy. He was determined to dress her in lovely gowns and watch her bloom and grow.

“We…put…one over on my wife,” he said in his slurred manner of speaking. His smile was distorted because one side of his face was paralyzed, but Alexandria could tell he was pleased.

“You shouldn’t be so pleased with yourself,” she said in mock reprimand. “What a way for a man to behave toward his own wife.”

Howard’s eyes danced merrily. “She is a wind…bag.”

Alexandria couldn’t stop the smile that caused her dimples to dance across her cheeks. Standing up, she tucked the covers
about Howard’s legs and pushed the wheelchair down the garden path. “It will soon be time for your afternoon nap. I must get you back into the house.”

“I…want to stay,” Howard protested.

“No. We shall do this again tomorrow, but not if you become overtired,” she told him firmly.

Howard gave in gracefully, feeling good that Alexandria seemed truly to care about him. When Barlow had told him about the conversation between her and Claudia, Howard had immediately sent for his wife. Claudia had ranted and raved at his decision to keep Alexandria on against her wishes, but in the end she had relented, knowing he always had the last say.

It had warmed his heart to discover that Alexandria had refused to go behind his back and report to Claudia. There had been many women who had been hired to look after him before Alexandria. The others had been only too happy to comply with Claudia’s wishes. That was the reason none of them had lasted very long.

Howard might be a cripple, but he was still in command, up to a point. Claudia had often defied him, but she stopped just short of disobeying his direct orders. He knew she was too afraid she might find herself out on her ear if she pushed him too far. He was disgusted by the show of affection Claudia always demonstrated toward him when anyone was around. He knew that she hated him every bit as strongly as he hated her.

Claudia was holding on to Tag’s arm as they walked up the pathway. She was talking to him about the masquerade ball she was giving the next week and didn’t see Alexandria as she wheeled Howard toward them.

Tag heard the squeaking of the wheels and looked up. In spite of the fact that time hadn’t been kind to Howard Landon, Tag had no trouble recognizing him immediately. His hair was now completely white, and he had a pale, unhealthy pallor, but there was no mistaking the man Tag had
hated for so many years. He wondered if Howard Landon would recognize him and prepared himself for whatever was to come. If his Uncle Howard recognized him, then he could lay everything open. He would have preferred to be better prepared before meeting his uncle, but it was too late to turn back now. If Howard were mentally unstable, as Claudia had said, Tag thought there would be no danger of his knowing who he was.

Alexandria saw Falcon and drew in her breath. Was he crazed to come here and take a chance on being seen by his uncle? Surely Mr. Landon would have no trouble recognizing him, since he stared at the portrait of the James family all day. She felt fear and uncertainty as she considered whether to turn the wheelchair around and go in another direction—but it was too late now, Falcon and Claudia had both seen them. She gave no thought to the fact that Falcon would probably recognize her. All she was concerned with at the moment was his safety.

It was apparent that Claudia was very displeased, by the frown on her face. Tag walked toward them, never taking his eyes off his Uncle Howard. He watched for any sign that would show his uncle might recognize him.

“Well, it seems you will be meeting my husband after all, Falcon. Although what he is doing out in the garden, I’ll never know,” Claudia said, as her eyes bored into Alexandria’s.

The sunlight was glaring in Howard’s eyes, and he squinted against the glare to see who was walking beside Claudia. When they had drawn even with them, Howard thought there was something vaguely familiar about the man. He waited for Claudia to introduce them, knowing she had no choice.

“Howard, I would like you to meet a friend of mine, Falcon Knight, from England,” she introduced them grudgingly. “Falcon, my husband, Howard Landon.”

Tag inclined his head as his eyes locked with the man he had traveled so far to confront. It made him angry that his
old enemy was no more than a shadow of his former self. How could he gain satisfaction in besting a sick old man? A mask fell into place as Tag hid his true feelings. He smiled slightly.

“I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Mr. Landon,” he said in a cold voice.

Howard’s eyes narrowed, and his heart skipped a beat. There could be no mistake! This man who called himself Falcon Knight was none other than Taggart James! Howard’s eyes ran over Tag’s face, and he felt his heart leap with joy. He had waited for this moment for many years. Had he not known all along that Tag would one day return? He shifted his eyes to his wife and saw the way she was hanging on to Tag’s arm. He realized she had not the slightest knowledge who he was. The foolish woman really believed that he was Falcon Knight from England.

Everyone was startled when a horrible sound issued from Howard’s lips. At first, they all thought he was having an attack, until Alexandria realized he was laughing. The sound was most unpleasant, and the side of his face that was paralyzed seemed to curl up to reveal his teeth.

Claudia looked from her husband to Alexandria. “You’ll take him to his room at once!” she demanded angrily. “In the future, you will not bring my husband downstairs without my permission, Alexandria. Is that clearly understood?”

Tag’s head shot up, and for the first time he noticed the young woman who stood behind Howard. As he looked into golden eyes, he read the pleading in the shimmering depths. She was mentally asking him to not give her away. His anger knew no bounds as he thought of all the torture she had put him through by running away. He had the strongest urge to shake her until she begged his forgiveness. Seeing a tear slide down her cheek, he relaxed. It would serve no purpose to acknowledge that he knew her.

“I will take him to his room, but only if he wants to go,” Alexandria said, looking at Claudia with defiance written all over her face.

Claudia’s face flushed, and she reached out and grabbed Alexandria by the arm. “You will do as I say this instant!” she screamed harshly.