Say You Love Me (37 page)

Verena came into the room, looked around, and made a clucking sound of disapproval. "My heart goes out to you," she said consolingly, giving Olivia a brief embrace. "Michael is a fool, and he will learn that soon enough."

"I know, I know. Bad enough he's marrying someone other than Elyse. Such a sweet thing. If only he had taken the time to get to know her all these years you've been coming to visit, he'd have seen for himself how perfect she is for him."

"Well, the wedding hasn't taken place yet. Who knows? Maybe Jacie will change her mind again and run off to find that Newton fellow."

"But Michael swears she didn't leave with him," Olivia hastened to point out, "and I want so badly to believe that's true—that she did go off with that old Indian instead and got lost trying to come home. It wouldn't be as bad as her running off with a young man."

Verena shrugged. "Well, I happen to believe what the slaves say. They see and hear everything. I think what happened is that she and that overseer had a fight about something, and he went off and left her, and Michael just happened to find her trying to crawl back to him. You haven't seen the necklace, have you?"

Olivia had to admit she hadn't. "No. I asked Michael about it, and he said Jacie lost it somewhere."

Verena snickered. "She lost it, all right. To Zach Newton." She wondered what had really happened to the expensive piece but did not dwell on it, glad it was gone, for it reinforced the story that Jacie had actually left with Zach.

"Oh, I don't know what to believe," Olivia said fretfully. "I just hope I can get through this dreadful weekend without an attack of the vapors."

"Well, you certainly look lovely." Olivia admired her gown. "Even if you insist on continuing to mourn unofficially, you are simply elegant in black silk, and I love the dainty silver embroidery on your skirt."

"If this wedding takes place, I'll probably always be in mourning," Olivia quipped gloomily.

Elyse entered just then, and the women gushed over her costume—a breathtaking creation of blue satin bordered at the shoulders with white fur, the neckline of the beaded bodice dipping just low enough to display her ample cleavage. The smooth skirt was accented with beaded embroidery in iris designs, and she was wearing elbow-length kid gloves, with thick pearl bracelets at each wrist. Her hair was caught high and held with a crusted pearl tiara, curls trailing provocatively to her shoulders.

"You are absolutely gorgeous," Olivia breathed in awe. "Oh, if only Michael weren't so blind."

"Oh, I'm not blind," Michael declared jovially as he joined them. "And if my heart hadn't been stolen by another years ago, I'd have been begging for your hand, Elyse—if I'd thought you would have me." He bestowed a light kiss on her cheek.

"You will have every unmarried man at the party fawning over you,” he added, then dismissed her as he went to inspect the food.

Elyse hoped he had not noticed how she had shivered at his touch. Her face felt warm, and she prayed she was not blushing.

Verena asked sharply, "Well, Michael, where is our guest of honor? Seems to me she'd be hovering around, making sure everything is to her liking. Especially since she's no doubt looking forward to taking over the household," she added to goad Olivia and knew she had succeeded when she saw the flash of disapproval on her cousin's face.

Michael had promised himself not to let Verena get under his skin this night, "Jacie is looking forward to many things, Cousin Verena, the least of which is taking over this house when and if my mother decides she wants her to. As for where she is, I asked her to stay in her room till I send for her. Sudie will take her a tray. I want her to make a grand entrance down the stairway when all the guests have arrived." He turned to his mother to inquire, "Did she like the dress I had sent from Atlanta? And her wedding gown? She was too tired to choose one herself, so I asked the couturiere to make the selections."

"I have no idea. One of the servants took everything up to her." Olivia couldn't care less what Jacie wore, much less whether or not she liked it.

Verena could not resist asking, "Will she be wearing that exquisite necklace you gave her at your
other
engagement party?"

Michael saw how Verena's eyes were glittering and decided to put her in her place before she went too far. "I'm sure my mother told you Jacie lost it, so why are you wanting to make trouble by bringing it up? Besides, I've already ordered another one made," he added to irritate her.

At that, Olivia cried, "Oh, dear heavens. You spend money like it grows on magnolia trees. I'm going to the parlor and have a glass of sherry for my nerves."

"So am I." Verena was right behind her.

Elyse was suddenly ill at ease to find herself alone with Michael, yet she could not make herself leave him. The precious times when she could be with him would soon come to an end.

"Don't you want sherry for your nerves too?" Michael asked with a soft laugh.

"No. And I apologize for how my mother meddles in your business, especially when you've been so nice to let us stay here as long as we have."

Michael had never had a problem with Elyse but looked forward to her mother leaving. "It's been a pleasure," he said glibly, adding, "but I suppose the two of you will be going back to Charleston soon to find a place of your own."

"I would like that, but Mother hasn't said anything. Would you like us to leave, Michael?" she asked bluntly.

"Well, I—I..." he stammered, taken aback, for he had not expected her frankness, finally recovering to say with equal candor, "I suppose it would be nice to have things get back to normal as soon as possible, and I'm sure you would like to settle down somewhere and think about marriage yourself. You can't do that hiding away here," he added with a wink, pretending jollity.

"Yes, yes, I suppose." She turned away, tears smarting and not wanting him to see. "Maybe I should join the others."

"And I need to see to the barbecuing going on out back. I'll be along soon."

Elyse stood in the hallway and watched as he disappeared into the rear of the house, thinking how devastatingly handsome he was, so elegantly dressed in a blue velvet waistcoat, ruffled white silk shirt, and tight fawn trousers. It made her sick inside to think how, unless a miracle happened, he was lost to her forever.

But miracles
did
happen, her mother had told her earlier in the day when she had found her crying. Jacie could change her mind, she said, reminding Elyse that Jacie had been acting strange since her return, depressed, as if she were in mourning. And everyone had noticed how delicately Michael treated her, as though she were about to break down any second. There was something going on they did not know about, Verena had decreed suspiciously and had urged Elyse not to give up hope.

But Elyse could feel no hope—only pain.

* * *

Jacie stared glumly at her reflection in the mirror. The gown Michael had bought for her was pretty. Made of lime green taffeta brocade, the skirt had hand-embroidered nosegays sprinkled all over. The sleeves were elbow-length and puffed, and the neckline was straight and modest. A thin satin ribbon was the only adornment at the narrow waist. She wore satin shoes to match.

Sudie had done her hair in high ringlets, caught and held with a cluster of white roses. Then she had stood back to exult over her creation, declaring Jacie the most beautiful woman in the whole world.

But Jacie did not feel beautiful. The truth was, she did not feel anything. Nor did she care about anything. The past refused to leave her, clinging to torture and needle, and she had withdrawn within herself, finding solace only in her memories, refusing to be a part of anything going on around her. She felt as though she were slipping away from reality with no will to resist.

Jacie did not hear the man as he stepped through the window.

She was unaware of his presence until he loomed up behind her in the mirror.

But by then it was too late to scream, for he quickly stuffed the kerchief into her mouth to muffle any sound she might make.

Zach Newton's evil laugh sent rivulets of terror up and down Jacie's spine as she struggled futilely against him while he pulled her arms roughly behind her back to bind her wrists with the rope he had ready. "Well, well, you got all dressed up for me, did you?" he taunted, warm lips against her ear, making sure to speak softly, lest anyone passing by outside the room overhear.

"That was sure nice of you," he went on, "but the fact is, what I want is to have you
un
dressed. I want to see all the delicious morsels you've been dangling in front of me all these years. But we'll have time for that later. Right now I want to get my money and get out of here. Not that I wouldn't like the opportunity to do your pretty-boy fiancé in, but he might scream for his slaves before I got done with him, and they'd love to gang up on me. I don't intend for that to happen. So I'll just be happy knowin' what a kick in the balls it's goin' to give him to find you gone for good, little spitfire."

After binding her ankles as she struggled futily, Zach lowered her to the floor, then glanced about the room wildly, anxiously. The letter had said the other five hundred he had coming would be hidden under a clock, and, with a rush of joy, he saw one on the mantel on the wall opposite. Snatching it up, he breathed in triumph to find the money, as promised. For a time, he had worried it would not be there, afraid he would arrive too late. The letter had said he was to come at once, and he had, only it took time to get all the way from Beaufort, South Carolina, to Red Oakes. And he hadn't expected to see the place all gussied up for a big party, either. But no matter. He had done it. He had his revenge on Michael Blake, and soon he would have his fill of Jacie after wanting her for so long.

He lifted her up and slung her over his shoulder and left as quietly as he had come, all the while with an ache in his loins only right now it was more important to distance himself from Red Oakes as fast as possible.

But he could muster the willpower to wait, he told himself with a grin. After all, he intended to keep her for a long, long time.

Maybe forever.

Because she just might prefer being his legal wife to having her neck wrung like a chicken, he cackled out loud to think, which is what he'd do to her if she refused him.

* * *

Olivia was having her third glass of sherry and wondering what was keeping Michael. Darkness was falling, and already servants were lighting the torches lining the driveway. People would be arriving soon, and he should eat his supper but was probably staying away fearing she would nag him about buying another necklace. Either that or he did not want to be around Verena. Well, that was too bad, because she did not know what she would have done without Verena's shoulder to cry on these miserable past weeks. Verena kept saying he would come to his senses, and Olivia wanted to believe that but knew she had to resign herself to the sad reality that it just wasn't going to happen.

Seeing Elyse so downcast, Olivia felt sorry for her. She knew the girl loved Michael, and nothing would have made Olivia happier than to have her for a daughter-in-law.

"So there you are," Verena said with a tiny sneer as Michael appeared. "It's a good thing we didn't wait for you, or the food would have got cold. Yours is, by the way," she added with a curt nod toward the little table that had been set up.

Paying her no mind, Michael said, "I thought Jacie might be here. She's not in her room."

Olivia gave an irritated wave. "Oh, she's probably ignoring you. She acts so strange all the time."

"That's right," Verena chimed in. "I've knocked on her door several times, trying to be friendly, but she didn't answer."

Worriedly, he said, "I used the passkey and unlocked her door, but she's not there."

Olivia's hand flew to her throat at the thought of her son daring to enter a lady's boudoir in such a manner, but Michael had already turned on his heel and left. Reaching for her sherry glass, she murmured, "Maybe it's best he does go ahead and marry the girl before he forgets all manner of decorum."

"Well, she's certainly not going to remind him," Verena sniped.

Michael returned a little while later, visibly shaken. "She's nowhere in the house. I've got the servants searching the grounds. I questioned Sudie, but she hasn't seen her since she took her tray up."

Verena saw how Elyse was glaring at her in warning to stay out of it, but she could not resist. Besides, it made no difference anyway, for she had given up on a miracle happening. "Oh, for heaven's sake, Michael, you're letting yourself get upset over nothing. As your mother said, Jacie is strange. There's no telling where she went. Goodness knows, she might have run away with some man again."

Elyse cried, "Mother, that's a horrible thing to say."

"It's not a nice thing to
do,
dear," Verena said.

Michael was struggling to hold back his temper as he bit out the warning, "Cousin Verena, I will not have you speak of Jacie that way. As long as you're in my house, you will hold your tongue. I'm fed up with your sarcasm and meddling."

Verena gave her head a haughty toss. "I am here as your mother's guest, not yours. And it's a good thing I've been here to console her, because heaven knows, you seem to be doing your best to send her to an early grave by insisting on bringing a little tart into this family."

Even Olivia gasped at that bold insult, and Michael could contain his ire no longer. "That does it. I'll ask you to leave my house as soon as the necessary arrangements can be made."

"Michael, no," Olivia protested. "She didn't mean it. We're all upset and on edge because of the tension you've brought into this house. Now Jacie has done something else to tear our nerves up, disappearing right before guests are supposed to start arriving. She has no consideration. And you're taking it out on your family. I won't have it. Oh dear." She set down her glass and crossed her hands over her bosom. "I think I'm having an attack." She fell back against the sofa and began to take deep, rapid breaths.