Enchanted Ecstasy (29 page)

Lucinda backed away, wishing she could flee from the room. She could see her chances to have Kane for herself diminishing before her very eyes. Already she had begun to hate the half-breed whom she felt had stolen him away from her. How humiliating to have traveled all this way only to find Kane married to a nobody. She had waited and hoped for years that she would one day become his wife. Now he was saying that he had a daughter by the savage he was married to.

"My Lord, are you telling me that I . . . that you had a daughter by that creature?" Eli shouted.

Kane stood silently for a moment, trying to bring his temper under control. He thought of how elated Jonas had been when he learned he was a grandfather. He thought also of his beautiful little daughter sleeping innocently upstairs. He was determined that Eli would never hurt her in any way. He wanted to shout at his father to leave the house and take Lucinda with him, but he managed with a great deal of effort to bring his anger under control.

"It grows late, Eli. I am sure that dinner will be served shortly. If it were not so late in the day, I know you would want to return to Santa Fe and a hotel. As it is late, I will offer you the hospitality of my home for the night.'' Kane crossed the room and called out to Mrs. Higgens. When Rosita answered his summons he then remembered that Mrs. Higgens was spending the night in town. Kane somehow managed to get across to Rosita that he wanted her to show his father and Lucinda to two of the upstairs bedrooms.

Lucinda followed Rosita reluctantly, while Eli paced the floor, ever so often casting his son a searching glance.

Kane knew from long experience that Eli did not like to be thwarted. He also knew his father was already planning what his new strategy would be. He was not a man to accept defeat easily.

Finally Eli stopped in front of his son. "I have no intentions of leaving until I have seen with my own eyes, this . . . this . . ."

"This woman I have married?" Kane supplied for him.

"That's right. How long will she be away?"

Kane sighed visibly. How could he give his father the satisfaction of knowing Maleaha might not be coming back at all? "I cannot tell you when she will be home for sure. You might have a long wait."

"That's all right, I have plenty of time," his father told him.

Lucinda was shown into a room where her aunt had been taken earlier. Harriet Blake saw the frown on her niece's face and sat up on the bed she had been lying on.

"Have you a headache too, dear? It's a wonder we aren't all sick from all we have gone through to get here. I must confess that this is rather a grand house, though. One would not expect such luxury in such a primitive place."

Lucinda felt annoyed at her aunt. Her aunt had such a frivolous mind and could dwell for hours on unimportant matters.

"I declare, I thought we would never get it through that Mexican woman's head that I had a sick headache and needed to lie down for a spell."

"Do stop chattering, Aunt Harriet," Lucinda said, rubbing her temples. "I have to think. Things are in a muddle, and I don't yet know what to do about them."

"Did Kane come home?" her aunt asked.

"Oh, yes, he came home all right, but he was not in the least pleased to see me. It seems he already has a wife."

Harriet Blake's mouth gaped open and her head bobbed up and down. "What will you do? Oh my poor dear girl, you have been jilted. The shame of it!" she carried on.

"I have rarely if ever been so angry. I have waited for years for Kanen Benedict to ask me to be his wife. It would now seem as if I wasted most of my life waiting for him."

"You have not sat at home idly waiting for him," her aunt reminded her.

"I will not give up easily. I cannot believe that Kane would prefer a half-breed Indian girl to someone of his own class. No, I have not given up yet."

"Lord, save us all," Harriet Blake declared as her hand went to her heart. "Did you say he married a savage? I cannot stay under the same roof with an Indian!"

The Jojoba camp was in mourning for Maleaha's Aunt Kosha. There were many outward signs of grief for the Jojoba princess who had been so well loved by all.

Maleaha sat on a buffalo robe in front of her aunt's teepee, receiving many flowers and wooden tributes as the only remaining living Jojoba princess. She sat proud and dry-eyed, knowing it was what was expected of her. With her aunt's death had gone Maleaha's only living link with her mother's people.

Maleaha had sat beside her aunt during her illness, rarely leaving her. Her aunt seemed to be comforted by her presence, and toward the end, when Kosha's fever had risen, she had held onto Maleaha's hand, calling her by her dead sister's name.

Maleaha had loved her aunt deeply, and there was an emptiness inside her now that no one could fill. She felt sadness that Cimeron would grow up without ever knowing her mother's people.

Maleaha was weary as she dismounted in front of the house and allowed Seth to lead her horse to the barn. It had been over three weeks since she had left for the Jojoba village, and in that time she had had very little sleep, and no time to think about her marriage to Kane.

Her footsteps hastened when she thought of her daughter. She wanted only to hold her in her arms and never to leave her again.

Maleaha opened the door silently and stepped into the room, flanked by Lamas. She was surprised when she saw two strangers talking to Kane. They had not yet noticed her, so she was able to watch them while they were unaware of her. Her heart seemed to skip a beat when she recognized Kane's father. Maleaha then allowed her eyes to travel to the lovely woman dressed in a frothy pink gown, golden hair pulled away from her face and falling down her back in curls.

Maleaha saw the hand the woman placed on Kane's arm, just before she heard her husband laugh at some remark the woman had made to him.

Maleaha could not help looking down at her doeskin dress and moccasins. She wished that she could somehow get past them and make her way upstairs undetected. She now knew without being told who the woman in pink was—the woman was Lucinda, the lady Kane was in love with!

Eli was the first one to see Maleaha. His eyes moved over her at first in shocked surprise, and then she saw recognition register on his face. Maleaha caught his disapproving glance and she raised her head proudly. She would not allow Kane's father to make her feel ashamed of who she was.

"I believe your wife has returned," Eli said to his son.

Kane's head snapped up and his gaze moved to the door where Maleaha and Lamas stood. He gave her such an icy stare that Maleaha could feel the chill even from the distance that divided them. Anger turned his gray eyes to silver pinpoints.

"Lord, save us all. Are we being attacked by wild Indians?" Lucinda cried. She gripped Kane about the neck, flattening her body against his.

Lucinda looked from Maleaha back to Lamas, and Maleaha could not tell if her fear was real or just a ploy to get Kane's attention.

"It would be better if you would go now, Lamas," she told him in the language of the Jojoba.

Lamas nodded slightly, and he disappeared silently out the front door, leaving Maleaha to face three pairs of disapproving eyes.

22

Kane pried Lucinda's hands from around his neck and moved her aside. He then walked swiftly across the room to Maleaha. The look in his eyes was one of anger, and Maleaha raised her head proudly as he reached her, took her hand, and placed a chaste kiss on her forehead.

"So you have come home at last," he said softly, so only Maleaha could hear his words. ' 'Come and meet our guests," he said in a tone that barely disguised his displeasure.

In that moment Maleaha felt pity for him. He was a very proud man, and he must be very embarrassed at the way she was dressed. She allowed him to lead her over to where his father and Lucinda were waiting.

"Eli, I do not think you have been formally introduced to Maleaha. Maleaha, my father, Eli."

Maleaha offered Eli her hand and he barely touched it before cramming his hands in his pockets. "We met unofficially, as I recall," he said stiffly.

"Welcome to Paraiso, Mr. Benedict," Maleaha told him, feeling his displeasure.

"Paraiso?" he inquired.

"Yes, Paraiso is the name of my husband's ranch. It means paradise in English," Maleaha said, for no other reason than to have something to say to Kane's father.

Eli snorted. "It would have been more aptly named had you called it Hell."

Maleaha glanced up at Kane, wondering if he had taken exception to his father's remark. The muscle that twitched in his jaw told her that he had. She felt Kane's hand settle on her waist as he turned her to face Lucinda.

"Maleaha, I would like you to meet Lucinda Blake ... an old friend. Lucinda, my wife, Maleaha."

Maleaha looked into hostile blue eyes. She tried to smile, but all the events of the evening had put her at a disadvantage. She was dressed in doeskin, while Lucinda was wearing a lovely gown. Maleaha's dark hair was windblown, while the other woman's hair was beautifully coiffured. She knew that she was facing the woman her husband loved and was supposed to have married.

"Welcome to our home, Miss Blake. I apologize for my absence. I trust you have been made comfortable?"

Lucinda eyed the woman whom she believed had stolen Kane from her. She was surprised to find her command of the English language was so good. This was no wild savage as she had hoped, but the loveliest woman she had ever seen. Lucinda had always prided herself on her creamy white complexion, but she found herself envious of Maleaha's smooth golden skin. She was taken aback at the green color of Maleaha's eyes. Never had she seen anyone with that color eyes. The Indian girl had high cheekbones, and her face was unbelievably lovely. Maleaha stood inches taller than Lucinda, forcing Lucinda to look up to her. Even dressed in the Indian garb as she was, Lucinda knew that she was the one who was at the disadvantage. Kane's wife was too lovely to be real, and that fact did not make Lucinda feel too kindly toward her.

"What a quaint little dress you have on," Lucinda said, smiling through tight lips. "Can I call you Maleaha?" she asked prettily, linking her arm through Kane's.

"Yes, please do," Maleaha told her, ignoring the intimate way she hung on to Kane.

"It is a very difficult name to pronounce. Is it foreign?"

"No, it is Jojoba."

"Does it mean anything special in English?"

"Yes, it means beautiful one," Maleaha said, smiling slightly.

"You are quite pretty," Lucinda said, as if assessing Maleaha. "However did you get such dark skin? My mother would faint dead away if I ever allowed my skin to get so brown."

"Perhaps, Miss Blake, it is because I am half-Jojoba Indian. If you will excuse me, I will go up to my room and change. I will not be long, so there is no reason to hold dinner," she said, turning to Kane.

Maleaha rushed from the room, glad for any excuse to escape the room where she felt she had been on trial.

She dashed up the stairs and into Cimeron's bedroom. Maleaha found her daughter asleep, but she picked her up anyway and cuddled her tightly in her arms. She had missed Cimeron so badly, and she needed the comfort of holding her for the moment.

"I want to see you in our bedroom at once," Kane spoke up from behind her.

Maleaha placed Cimeron back in her crib and pulled a blanket over her before she turned to Kane.

"As you wish," she said, brushing past him and making her way into their bedroom. Kane was right behind her, and he gripped her arm, turning her to face him.

"I am not at all pleased with you, Maleaha."

"I am sorry if I embarrassed you in front of your father and Miss Blake. Had I known they were here, I would have chosen a different entrance to the house." Maleaha was so tired, all she really wanted to do was undress and fall into bed. She did not feel up to facing the ordeal she knew awaited her downstairs, nor did she want to face Kane's displeasure tonight.

"I was not referring to how you entered the house. I was talking about your leaving me and our daughter without sending us some word from you in over three weeks."

"I left you a note."

"To hell with the note. You could have waited until I came home before you rode off to God only knows where. I don't for a moment believe that story about your aunt's being ill. You left just so you could get back at me for what I did that night."

"You think I lied about my aunt?"

"I wouldn't put it past you. Didn't you care that I have been worried about your safety?"

So Kane thought she had lied to him. Did he think so little of her that he now not only thought she was seeing Clay behind his back, but that she had not been honest to him about her reasons for leaving.

"Lamas was with me. I did not think you would worry."

His silver eyes bore into her. "I suggest you make yourself presentable and be downstairs as soon as possible."

She moved away from him and raised her chin stubbornly. "Is that a suggestion or an order, Kane?"

"It's an order. If you don't obey me, I will drag you downstairs. I don't want my father and Lucinda to guess there is trouble in our little paradise." Maleaha watched as he strolled across the room, opened the door, and left. She wished she dared disobey him. He had wounded her pride once more. She would have challenged him but for one reason: She did not want Lucinda to think that her marriage to Kane was a farce.

Going over to her wardrobe, Maleaha chose a stunning black velvet gown her father had brought her back from Paris. She quickly washed the dust of the road from her body, as well as she could from the pan of water that stood on the small table near the door. She then twisted her hair into a knot at the back of her head and slipped into the black gown. She fastened a strand of pearls about her neck.

It had taken hardly any time at all for her to get ready. Maleaha hesitated at the door. She felt anything but joy at the thought of facing the three people who waited below for her. Sighing deeply, she squared her shoulders and descended the stairs. Jonas Deveraux's daughter was not about to let anyone make her feel inferior. She remembered her grandfather's words as she walked proudly into the room. "Remember that you are a princess, Maleaha. Bow your head to no man." It gave her the courage she needed to face Kane's father and Lucinda Blake.

Kane's father was seated on the sofa, and Lucinda was standing beside Kane, her hand resting possessively on his arm. Maleaha faltered only a moment before she smiled brightly.

"Please forgive my tardiness. I am afraid it was unavoidable."

Lucinda's hand dropped away from Kane's arm and she stared open-mouthed at the beautiful woman who was his wife. She felt her own beauty fade into insignificance. This woman with the dark skin was no savage, but so lovely that Lucinda felt jealousy flame to life deep inside of her.

Eli rose to his feet drinking in his daughter-in-law's loveliness "Your Indian name is most appropriate, Maleaha. You are beautiful," he declared, surprising not only himself but the others as well.

Maleaha silently thanked him while she favored him with a dazzling smile. "I thank you for the pretty compliment, Mr. Benedict."

Lucinda had the feeling she was losing an ally, and she knew in that moment that she must do something to make Kane's wife appear less than favorable. But what? The black velvet gown clung to Maleaha's tall, slender figure and draped behind her in a soft bustle. Most people's skin would look sallow next to that black, but it made Maleaha's skin appear smooth and golden.

"What a lovely gown, Maleaha. Did Kane pick it out for you? He always did have extraordinary taste in women's apparel."

Maleaha heard the irony in Lucinda's voice, hinting that she herself would not know how to choose her own clothing. "No, my husband has far more important things to do than shop for ladies' clothing." Maleaha smiled to herself as she watched anger turn Lucinda's pink complexion red with anger.

"If you would all accompany me to the dining room, I believe Mrs. Higgens is ready to serve dinner," Maleaha said, changing the subject.

Kane was relieved that Mrs. Higgens had returned and they would not be forced to dine on Rosita's spicy concoctions. He was proud of the lovely picture Maleaha presented in her high-necked black gown. He could tell that his father was surprised that Maleaha spoke with such elegance and moved with such grace. He looked down as Lucinda grabbed his arm, forcing him to escort her into the dining room.

Eli presented his arm to Maleaha and she hesitated before placing her hand on it. She was aware that he would have preferred that his son marry Lucinda Blake, and she remembered how hateful he had been to her the night he had found her with his son in the garden.

The seating arrangement had been preordained by Mrs. Higgens. Eli sat beside Maleaha at one end of the table, while Lucinda was seated beside Kane. Mrs. Higgens had taken the leaf out of the table, making it much smaller.

As the meal progressed, Maleaha began to feel more and more the outsider. Mr. Benedict and Lucinda talked of mutual friends in Boston, while Kane listened quietly. Every so often his eyes would stray to Maleaha, and she could tell by his eyes that he was still angry with her.

She wondered how long Kane's father and Lucinda had been at Paraiso, but saw no way to ask them. She also wondered what Mr. Benedict thought of his granddaughter. She couldn't see how anyone could help loving Cimeron. Maleaha became aware that she was not eating, but instead was drawing patterns on the tablecloth with her fork. Glancing at Kane, she saw the smoldering anger in his eyes once more.

"My father has asked you a question, Maleaha," he said bitingly.

'”What…I am sorry, Mr. Benedict. What was it you said?" she asked, looking into the face that was so like her husband's.

' 'I merely asked where you acquired such a good cook. I have rarely if ever tasted a more tender and tasty roast.''

"Mrs. Higgens is originally from Virginia. She and her husband came to New Mexico after the war. She is now a widow, and I do not know what I would do without her."

Eli nodded and turned his attention to Lucinda. Maleaha knew he had only been making polite conversation, so she once more lapsed into silence, wishing the meal were over.

When at last they migrated into the parlor, Maleaha once more felt on the outside. Lucinda sat as close to Kane as she could manage without actually being in his lap, while Eli wandered about the room examining different objects.

Maleaha sat down in a chair nearest the huge fireplace and struggled to stay awake. She had ridden hard for three days and was bone weary. Staring into the fire, she felt her eyelids getting heavy. Her head fell back against the chair and she felt herself drifting off. She was awakened suddenly, when a log fell noisily from its perch, sending sparks into the room.

Maleaha sat up quickly, feeling guilty for having fallen asleep. To her relief no one seemed to have noticed that she had dozed off. She heard Kane's father speaking in a quiet voice.

"You should not have any trouble finding a buyer for this ranch. You don't belong here. Come home with me.

Maleaha bit her lip and stood up. "If the three of you will excuse me, I think I will retire. It has been rather a long day for me. It has been a pleasure meeting you,'' she said, doubting that any one of the three would mind if she were to go to bed.

Eli looked at her as if he were angry that she had interrupted his conversation, and Lucinda smiled slightly.

"We would not want to keep you from your bed. You must be bored to tears, listening to us reminisce about old times," Lucinda said sweetly. Only Maleaha seemed to be aware of the malicious glint in Lucinda's eyes. She knew at that moment that the battle lines had been drawn between them. How could she fight this woman whom Kane loved? And how could she win if she did fight her? The only thing she had to hold Kane with was their daughter. She was not even sure that Cimeron would hold Kane.

Turning to face her husband, Maleaha could not see what he was thinking.

"I will join you shortly," he told her.

As Maleaha undressed for bed, she felt as if her whole world had come tumbling down around her. Would Kane do as his father asked and sell Paraiso? Would he want to return to Boston? Would he expect her to go with him if he did? Perhaps he would want his freedom. He had already married her, thus giving Cimeron his name. Would he now feel free to set their marriage aside so he would be free to marry the woman he loved?