Keeper of My Dreams (St. John Series Book 4) (7 page)

Chapter Eight

Natasha walked into the woman’s room expecting to find Madison still there but was taken aback to find Eli asleep in the chair beside her. A small grin crossed her face as a faint snore escaped him. This was the first time in months that he had rested so peacefully, even if he was sitting upright. Another snore escaped him.

She quietly made her way to the sleeping woman and checked her vinegar wrappings and herbal poultice. They were damp. She turned to look at Eli and realized that he had kept watch over the sea nymph. She walked around Eli and picked up the bucket of vinegar and began gently dabbing the wrappings again. The woman’s eyes flew wide open.

“It’s aal rite, chile,” Natasha said in a calm soothing voice. “I will du yuh nuh harm.”

The woman looked at Natasha, nodded her head and closed her eyes again. Natasha continued to rewet the wrappings. She took a cloth out of her pocket and began to gently dab the sunburn on the woman’s face. Natasha turned back to find Eli watching her.

“Wat yuh ah doin’ inna here?” she questioned him.

Eli gave a lazy stretch. “Helping.”

“I realized dat,” she whispered. “But why?”

“Madison was tired. She needs her sleep.”

“Suh du yuh, Masta Eli.”

“I have gone much longer without sleep. Besides, she has a child to attend to.”

“An yuh ‘ave numbers ta figure,” Natasha said as she reminded him of his bookkeeping duties for Emerald Shipping.

Eli rubbed the back of his neck attempting to rub the stiffness out. “I know.” He motioned towards the woman. “How is she?”

Natasha took a worried breath. “Shi will live. I will remove de wrappin’s lata dis mawnin. De swellin’ an de redness fram de stings ah nah as bad. I will rinse dem again wid hot wata lata tideh. Har leg ah nah infected, suh hopefully de sea wata kept it clean. I will mix up mo herbs to aid inna de healing.”

Eli stood. “Let me know when she fully wakes. She couldn’t remember anything last night, and I would like to notify her family posthaste.”

“Yes, sah,” Natasha answered, watching Eli leave.

Natasha turned back to the woman and a faint smile crossed her face. It was not like Eli to tend the ill. Maybe this woman could help break the hold of Meredith’s ghost.

* * * *

Eli walked to his desk and lit the lamp sitting on the corner. He pulled out the ledgers and began his work. It had been over three weeks since he had last worked on the books, and he was far behind. If his father knew, Robert would string him up by his toes. But Eli’s dreams were the reason he had neglected his duties. Meredith’s image kept him from sleeping, making his mind dull. He needed his mind to be sharp to work with the large amount of funds Emerald Shipping brought in.

His mind wandered back to the beauty resting in his guest room. Damn!
Just when he thought he could work, another woman invaded his mind. He opened the other desk drawer and poured himself a snifter of brandy. He swallowed the liquid and forced himself to concentrate. He worked for several hours before Madison appeared.

“Good morning, Eli,” she said from the doorway.

“Good morning,” he answered.

“Kris and I are going to my home. We will be back later this afternoon to assist Natasha.”

Eli shook his head. “You two stay home. If Natasha needs you, I will send for you.”

“No. Natasha cannot manage to care for the woman constantly.”

Eli shrugged. “I will help her.”

Madison laughed. “You? How hard did Max hit you?”

“It was a brick wall,” Eli corrected.

“And I married a pirate,” she replied with a twinkle to her green eyes.

Eli shook his head. “Like that would ever happen after what they did to you. Abducting you. Then you escaped and they murdered your husband and took you again.”

Madison shrugged. “I don’t know. I think I could handle life as a pirate,” she teased. If Eli knew the truth—that Nicholas had been a pirate and not just any pirate, but the one who had kidnapped her . . . twice, he would turn her over his knee.

Eli shook his head again. “Your imagination. It was always getting you into trouble. I will have Albert drive you to your home.”

“Thank you.”

“There are some biscuits and jam in the kitchen if you are hungry,” Eli said as he started out the door.

As Eli walked to the stables, he noticed the broken doors. He inwardly groaned. He had forgotten about those. He would arrange for repairs after arranging for an escort for his sister and new sister-in-law home.

He found Albert sitting on an old tree stump. Albert was a good match for Natasha. Where she was outspoken, he was soft-spoken. He never argued but would always somehow make his point known. Albert was a good man. Albert had been with Eli before Meredith’s time. The kind man was of average height and bone thin—which was surprising considering how much the man ate. His hair had several gray areas but not one wrinkle could be found. Eli was not certain of his age, but he would have to guess Albert was in his early sixties.

Albert was whittling a piece of wood. He studied his handiwork, turning the object in his hand. He would pull the knife towards his body and then blow the wood shavings away.

“What are you making?” Eli questioned.

The old black man looked up and gave Eli a large smile. He held up the object and Eli could see the resemblance of a horse in the wood. “Thought I’d make a toy fer yer nieces.”

“You heard about that?”

Albert nodded his head. “Natasha told me.”

“Your wife needs to remember her place.”

Albert laughed. “You tell her that,” he replied as he laid the block of wood down. “What can I help ya with this morning, Master Eli?”

“Can you please drive my sister and her friend home?”

Albert stood and dusted off the wood shavings from his clothing. “I’ll have the buggy ready shortly. Tell ‘em I’ll be waiting fer ‘em out front whenever they’re ready to leave.”

“Very good,” Eli acknowledged as he turned to leave.

“Master Eli?”

“Yes.”

“While I’m out, do ya want me to call fer a repairman ta come fix yer door, too?”

Eli shook his head. “No. I’ll fix it.”

Albert gave Eli a perplexed look. Eli didn’t know the first thing about carpentry so he could not imagine the dark brooding man knew how to repair a door. He simply acknowledged Eli’s comment with a, “Yes, sir,” and headed into the stable.

When Eli returned to the house, he found Madison and Kris sitting at his desk eating.

“Why are you eating here? I have a breakfast nook.”

Madison smiled at her brother. “Well, if we were in there, we would not know when you returned.”

“I would have found you.”

“True,” Madison answered. “But then I couldn’t be nosy. Did you find out the woman’s name? Where is she from? How did she end up washed ashore on your beach?”

Eli shook his head at his sister. He would never understand her thought process. “No. She did not recall last night when she woke up but—”

“She woke up!” Madison and Kris both said.

“Yes. You didn’t hear her screaming?” As the women shook their heads, he continued. “She apparently had a nightmare and woke up screaming. Once I explained where she was, I asked her name. She could not recall. I figured it was the stress making her forget. Hopefully, she will remember this morning.”

“I don’t know,” Kris replied. “Memory can take a while to return. Some of the fishermen in my village experienced the same thing.”

“I will keep that in mind. But I am certain Natasha has some sort of cure for that . . . she does for everything else.”

Madison placed her hands on her hips as she scolded, “Eli St. John, you are not to let that woman put anything dead on your guest!”

“I wasn’t planning on it. I was thinking of some of her herbal remedies.”

“Oh,” Madison replied. She then waved her hand in the air. “When will the carriage be ready?”

“If I know Albert, it is sitting outside now.”

“For the life of me I cannot fathom why that sweet old man is married to your voodoo woman.”

“He loves her,” Eli said.

An unladylike snort escaped Madison. “I think she put a curse on the man,” she mumbled as she stood. She turned towards Kris. “Are you ready?”

“
Si
,” Kris replied as she slowly stood. “I think the baby laid on something of importance. My back is sore. Oh, well, gives me an excuse to make Max rub it.” Kris then turned towards Eli. “Should your maid need my assistance, we will be staying with Madison until the end of next week.”

“You’re staying for two weeks?” Madison asked excitedly.

“According to Max. You never know. I may have a pregnancy issue and need to ‘recuperate’ for another week before we sail,” Kristina replied as she crinkled her nose with mischief.

Eli shook his head as the women contemplated on a way to visit longer. He walked the women to the carriage and assisted them in. Once the carriage disappeared down the tree-lined path, he made his way back inside. He turned to go to his study but stopped and headed up the stairs. He was curious to know if the woman recalled who she was.

He knocked once on her door. No one bid him to enter, so he opened the door and found that the woman was alone. He noticed that the bucket that contained the seawater was missing and concluded that Natasha must have gone to heat it. He walked over to the bed and looked down at the woman. He was shocked to find her awake.

“Do you make it a habit of entering rooms without being given permission?”

“Only when it’s my home,” Eli replied.

“I’ll keep that in mind in the future.”

Eli gave the woman a hard look. “Did you sleep well?”

“I’m not sure if you would call what I was in ‘sleep.’ A nightmare, yes. But I do feel somewhat rested. And I have a very bitter taste in my mouth.”

“It is more than likely caused from the pain medication Natasha spooned into your mouth last evening and this morning. But I am glad you rested,” Eli said as he walked over to the chair by the bed and sat down. His tone was derogatory as he asked, “Do you remember who you are?”

“You don’t tiptoe around, do you? Just go straight to the point.”

“I’m sorry. Would you like to have a conversation about something of no importance first?”

She turned her head towards him and gave him a heated look. “Where did the chicken foot woman go?”

“Natasha is downstairs, so you will have to deal with me.”

“Well, then leave until you are rested yourself.”

“This is my home!”

“And I thank you for its use. But you are in an ill humor and are in need of sleep more than I. So once you are rested and in a better temperament, I will answer your question.”

“Why yo—”

Natasha stood at the doorway listening to the conversation. “I like har,” Natasha interrupted.

Eli gave Natasha a heated look. He then looked back at the woman. “Tend to our guest. And please remind her that I can kick her out anytime.”

“If I was not in such pain, I would throw something at you,” the woman replied as she turned her head away from him.

Natasha watched Eli leave and began to laugh. Served him right. It was a nice change to see a woman hold her own with him instead of giving into him because of his looks. He had the air of overpowering confidence to him that made women swoon with just one look and do whatever he requested, no matter how offensively or arrogantly he asked. But not this woman. She was immune to whatever spell he cast over women. Natasha knew the woman still had no idea who she was. She also had herbal remedies that would help with memory loss, but she decided she would not tell Eli about those. No, memory loss never killed anyone. It would do Eli good to have to deal with this woman. Natasha turned back to the new guest. Yes, maybe the sea nymph would help kill the ghost that had haunted Eli for the past five years.

Chapter Nine

Natasha talked with the woman most of the morning. They spoke of small things. Natasha again told the woman the story of how she was found. The woman could add little to the conversation herself. She had only vague images that would run through her mind occasionally but nothing that identified who she was or her family. Natasha checked the woman’s sunburn and noticed that the vinegar wrappings had pulled the heat from her burns. The blisters were still present but had decreased in size. Natasha removed the rest of the wrappings. She tended the injury to her leg, applying more of the herbal paste and then covered it in a clean white bandage. The outspoken housekeeper had found one of Eli’s shirts for the woman to wear and left it with her.

“I will return lata dis afternoon wit sum refreshments. Du yuh want me ta send fah someone ta sit wid yuh?”

“No,” the woman answered. “I think I will nap. I am still very weak and the medication that you gave me for pain is making me drowsy.”

“Vera well den. Jest be warned. De tonic con mek yuh mind foggy. Mek yuh seh strange tings. It will mek yuh vera sleepy. But should yuh need anyting, jest call fah me.”

“Thank you for the warning. But the next batch you make, please add something to it to sweeten the flavor. It tastes dreadful.”

“It does taste bad. But yuh will be dankful. Oderwise yuh leg would hurt terribly bad.” Natasha helped the woman adjust to a comfortable position in the bed and closed the door. She made her way down the stairs and headed towards the kitchen. As she passed Eli’s study door, she heard a noise. She turned and walked into the study. She smiled as she looked at him. He had fallen asleep at his desk. He had arms crossed over the desk and had his head resting on his hands. A snore escaped him. She shook her head as she noticed a small amount of drool run down his hand. She would not wake him. This was twice he had slept in the past week. As she left the study, she quietly pulled the door closed.

Eli awoke several hours later with a crick in his neck and a pain in his arms. He slowly rose up from the desk and wiped the corner of his mouth. A small curse escaped him as he noticed the ledgers were damp. He wiped off the papers and rubbed his neck. The mantel clock chimed three. He stood and furrowed his brow together when he heard a loud thump coming from upstairs.

He walked to the door and peered down the hall. He yelled for Natasha, but she did not answer. He called for one of the other servants, but no one came. He took an exasperated breath and proceeded to the stairs. He took his time walking up the steps, not because he was hurting, but because he did not want to deal with the woman again. She had gotten under his skin this morning, which was unusual. Most women never stood their ground with him; instead they did his bidding. He found this lady’s independent nature aggravating and infuriating.

He stopped in front of her door and raised his hand to knock. He heard the thump again and opened the door without knocking. When he entered, he found her by the window. She was attempting to stand, but her legs protested. She would stand and take a small step, cry out with pain, and fall again. He watched as she attempted to stand again. His shirt engulfed her body but wasn’t long enough to cover her long legs. A smile crossed his face as she let out a faint curse.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Eli asked.

The woman turned towards Eli. “If you must know, I was desperate to get out of that bed. My back is sore, my legs are stiff and my backside is numb.”

“Why did you not ask for assistance?”

She raised her chin proudly. “I don’t need help. I can manage on my own.” She slowly stood took a step and stumbled.

“Really?” Eli asked as he crossed the room to her.

“Don’t help me. I can do this. I have to do this.”

“Very well. Just do not complain when Natasha lectures you about worsening the injury to your leg.” He stopped his advance, crossed his arms over his chest, and watched her with amusement.

She stood again and this time managed to take two steps before her legs buckled. In an instant, Eli had scooped her up in his arms. She started to protest, but his look silenced her. He carried her over to the small table and eased her body down. She looked up at him timidly.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

“You’re welcome. Now, I know you know what I am going to ask.”

“No, I do not remember my name.”

“Do you remember anything? I would like to send word to your family.”

She shook her head. “I’m afraid only fragments really. I recall a ship and an explosion. I recall being burned by something and a blurred face, but that’s all.”

As she spoke, Eli noticed a definite British tinge to her voice. “Well, you are obviously from England. I can gather that much from your accent.” As he studied her, a thought came to his mind. “Until you can recall your name, that is what I will call you.”

“What? England?”

“No. England would be a horrific name for a woman. London. I shall call you London until you remember your name. Maybe hearing your home town repeated to you frequently will help your memory return.”

“And this has helped people before in the past?” Her skepticism was apparent.

“I have no experience with those, so I cannot say. But I have to call you something, unless you can think of a better name.”

“I cannot even remember my own name, much less others.” She eased her body down into the chair. Everything felt like it was going in slow motion. Her voice echoed and sounded very distant as she spoke. She closed her eyes and gently shook her head before she asked, “So what is your name?”

“Natasha did not tell you?”

“No. She did speak quite often about an Albert. But from what I could gather, I presumed that was her husband.” She turned her head and began moving her brows in and out as if trying to focus on his face.

“He is. My name is Eli St. John, Viscount of Dinridge.”

“Thank you for the use of your home and for rescuing me, Lord St. John.”

He gave her a wary look. “I did not rescue you. I found you washed ashore. Big difference.”

She shook her head. “If you say so. So is this a family estate, Lord St. John? You obviously have a substantial fortune to afford such a fine home.”

“No, this is not a family estate, although we do own several properties here as well as England. My family operates a shipping business.”

“What do you ship?”

“Whatever needs to be shipped, as long as it’s legal. In fact, my brother is on his way to South Carolina as we speak to broker a deal to ship cotton to England.”

“Ah,” she replied as she took her hand and removed a stray lock of hair from her eyes. She flinched as pain shot through her tight, healing skin. “So what is the name of your business?”

“Emerald Shipping.”

Her eyes widened slightly and her mouth dropped open. At the mention of the business name, an image of a man appeared to her.

“London? London?” Eli questioned as he touched her hand. She looked at him strangely. “Are you all right?”

“I remember a man. I’m not sure who he is. He was older with salt-and-pepper hair. He was slightly overweight and had small wire-rimmed spectacles perched on the end of his cute little nose.” She held up her fingers in order to demonstrate the size of the man’s nose and then giggled.

Eli shook his head. “I know several men that fit that description. But it is a start.”

“Do you suppose that is my husband?”

“No.”

“How can you be so certain?”

“You were not wearing a ring when I found you.”

She looked at her hands. “It could have fallen off in the water.”

Eli drew his brows together with frustration. “True, but there is not an indention upon your finger.” He could sense her worry and see the pain in her eyes—along with something else, but he was not certain as to what. Before he could offer a comforting word, Marina burst through the door.

“Eli! I just heard the most excit—” Marina stopped her announcement and began to see red as she spotted London. “Who is this?” she questioned with hostility in her tone.

The hairs on the back of London’s neck stood on end as she looked at the brunette who entered the room.

“What are you doing here, Marina?” Eli questioned angrily.

“I believe I asked you a question first,” she retorted.

Eli turned and walked over to Marina. “You barged into my home unannounced and uninvited. Now I will ask you again, why are you here?”

Marina shot London a saucy look as she held her head up proudly. “I had some news to share with you. But never mind. You have
obviously
replaced me with some disfigured whore.”

“What did you just call me?” London asked as she stood on wobbly legs. The weight of her body on her injured leg caused her to flinch, and she moaned with pain.

Marina gave an evil laugh. She cried out as Eli roughly grabbed her upper arm. “Leave, Marina. I will call on you later to find out what was so important.”

“Eli, you’re hurting me,” Marina whined, attempting to pry his fingers from her arm.

“Leave, Marina.”

“But Eli,” she protested as she ran a long finger around the collar of his navy shirt. “I have a gift for you.”

“It will have to wait. You have insulted a guest in my home. Now apologize to London and be on your way.”

“London?” She gave a fake laugh. “Oh, Eli, how naïve you are. She obviously lied about her name. Why would any—”

Marina’s sentence was cut off by London throwing a vase at her. The vase hit Marina on the upper thigh, its contents spilling down Marina’s expensive gold-colored gown.

“Eli! She attacked me. Do something!” Marina declared as she turned her gaze to him.

“Call me a whore again and see what happens to you, you vile expensively-dressed trollop,” London gritted out with hatred.

“What are you going to do? You don’t even have the strength stand,” Marina replied with equal hatred.

London took a slow step, her weak legs causing her to wobble. She willed her body to resist the urge to buckle under the pain. She took another step towards Marina, then another, her anger fueling her strength.

Eli watched London make her way towards Marina. Her determination impressed him. He knew she was as weak as a kitten and her right leg was gravely injured. She did not even have enough strength to battle off a fly at the moment, but her determination to reach Marina fueled her movements.

“London,” Eli said as he crossed the room to her. “You are too weak to be up. Your leg is injured. You shoul—”

“I’m going to hurt that woman. Then I will rest,” London interrupted as she attempted to shove Eli away. Her push was futile. Eli did not even budge. London wobbled. “I need a weapon.”

A small smile crossed his face. London was tall for a woman but still quite a bit shorter than he. The top of her head reached just below his chin. He gently grasped London’s arm to keep her from moving.

She flinched from his soft touch but did not make a noise. “Let me go, Lord St. John,” London protested as she attempted to jerk her arm from his grasp.

“Eli, are you taking
this
woman’s side instead of mine?” Marina wailed.

Judas! He was in a predicament. The woman he saved or his lover. What to do? Whose side to choose?

Marina helped with the answer. She cocked her head to the side. “She is hideous. Why would you have bedded someone so vile? And don’t try to deny it, Eli” Marina wagged her finger at Eli. “She is wearing your blouse, and the one I gave you no less.”

“Well, if it means so much to you, then take it,” London replied as she grabbed the hem and pulled the shirt off her body. She threw the burgundy-colored shirt at Marina and hit her in the face with it.

“Marina, please leave. Now!” Eli ordered as he pulled his shirt off and wrapped it around the now naked London.

Marina gave Eli a heated look and London a look that stated this was not over. She turned and left in a swirl of golden silk.

Eli turned to London. “Why in the hell did you do that?”

London giggled and shrugged her shoulders. “What?” she asked innocently.

“You disrobed in front of Marina. In front of me!”

London turned her head to the side and smiled. “Like the female body is a mystery to you.” Even as she spoke the words, it seemed as if someone else was speaking. Her words sounded slurred and echoy. Her mind felt thick as though she were in a dream. She turned and everything she looked at appeared to have a colorful trail following behind. Holding up her hand, she wiggled her fingers and a rainbow of color followed the movement of each finger. She giggled at the sight. Fighting the colorful hallucinations, she headed on shaky, weak legs towards the chair she had vacated.

Eli ran his hand through his hair and then down his face. Never in all his years had he ever dealt with a woman like this. He had only known her less than twenty-four hours and she had turned his life upside-down. She insulted him, insulted Marina, befriended Natasha, and had stripped down in front of him as though this was natural. And now she was acting like he was the insane one.