Lilac Temptress (34 page)

“
Sierra, don’t run away,”
Kyle insisted, gently taking her forearm. “I know the truth behind
why you are retreating.”

“
Then don’t let my
absence appear as if I am desperately fleeing to get away
from
him
. Stay—”
she pleaded. “Stay here with Rosaline and continue to enjoy
yourself.” Sierra shook herself loose of Kyle’s
grip.

“
She’ll be in good hands
with me,” Girard assured Kyle with a brief pat on the
shoulder.

Kyle let out a long sigh while giving
in to his sister’s stubborn demand. He kissed both her cheeks and
then turned away, quickly ascending the steps toward the entry
before he changed his mind—saying and doing everything possible to
convince Sierra to let him return with her.

“
Now that our business here
is settled, shall we?” Girard gently took Sierra’s arm in his, and
led her toward his coach. He helped her inside as his men came into
view and prepared to leave.

Girard took his seat across from
Sierra, and watched her turn away from him toward the window. She
slid the curtains open a few inches and looked outside, into the
darkness.

As they traveled along the River Road,
Sierra tried hard to fight back her tears as she watched how the
moonlight glittered across the expanse of the river.

“
You love him don’t you?”
Girard’s voice was kind and comforting. He noticed the tears slowly
rolling down her cheeks, so he reached into his waistcoat pocket,
and handed her his handkerchief.

“
I... I...” She was
confused about what she was feeling. Drake had said they should
keep things platonic between them and she had reluctantly agreed.
He had never made her any promises to be with her romantically and
she would not hold him accountable for relentlessly flirting with
her in the past.

She had allowed it, and perhaps deep
inside she knew that she had gotten exactly what she had wanted—for
Drake to take her away from Jadesville. And now Girard was taking
her to Newhaven. How could she explain to him her overwhelming
humiliation, and that she wanted to wither away into
nothing?

“
I am foolish,” she said
softly, dabbing the corners of her eyes.

“
No, I think Drake is a
fool to not see what is in plain sight,” Girard
disagreed.

Sierra gazed apprehensively at Girard
before looking downward at the damp cloth in her hand.

“
If I were Drake, I would
have asked you to be my wife tonight instead of Isadora.” Girard’s
words sounded convincing to his ears. Ever since he had traveled
with Sierra from her small town, he hadn’t been able to rid his
impure thoughts of her, she was exquisite, but she was with his
best friend.

Sierra asked full of doubt, “Do you
really expect me to believe you, Girard? You know who I am and
where I come from. If you were in Drake’s position, would you
really choose me over her?”

Girard took her empty hand in his and
caressed the back of it with is thumb. “God, yes, I would choose
you a thousand times over,” he breathed deeply, holding her gaze
with unequivocal eyes.

“
Isadora is beautiful, yet
nonetheless, a callous woman,” he continued. “She is heartless, and
only thinks of her own selfish motives. She is ruthless and only
wants to know how deep a man’s pockets are, and how to exploit him
for her own personal gain,” he sighed. “Do understand that she is
indeed clever and has a knack for business matters, but she lacks
compassion and only wants Drake for his position. Believe me when I
tell you that she’d make no man an affectionate wife. She’d sell
her soul to the highest bidder and she only fears an abrupt loss of
wealth. She will be a faithless wife.”

Then why... why is he
going to marry her?
Sierra asked herself
silently
.
“How do
you know so much about her? You paint a coal black picture of
her.”

Girard grinned lightly, his teeth
perfectly straight and white. “Society—we all meander in common
circles,” he said.

“
Then tell me how long,
Girard. How long has Drake been courting her?”

Girard exhaled. Drake would think his
being with Sierra right now was wrong, so wrong. And speaking of
Drake’s personal affairs with Sierra was absolutely disloyal of
him. But now as he watched Sierra, seeing her obvious heartache, he
only wished to offer her solace and answer her
questions.

“
I am not certain. Drake
and Isadora are very discreet people. What I do know is that I am
not surprised to hear the news of their betrothal. Noble Society
presumes that they will marry. They are among the ruling class.
Often these marriages are advised.”

“
Is their marriage
arranged?” Sierra asked inquisitively.

“
Not quite, however there
will be a great business partnership as a result of it. Isadora
most certainly wants to secure her future. This merger between
their families will allow them to gain a monopoly on trade in this
region, supporting our government. A significant stake in the
Marcos’ company will be handed over to Drake immediately upon their
marriage as part of Isadora’s dowry. Her father, Alexandre, is an
old man. He would not leave his only child, Isadora, and his
fortune to someone unworthy, and he has a fondness of
Drake.

Also, Drake’s father desperately wants
this marriage to happen. Needless to say, Drake has never
disappointed his father.”

“
So, he must marry her?”
Sierra asked quietly clasping her hands together and fidgeting her
fingers.

“
I’ve known Drake
most my life. He will do what is expected of him. He
will
honor his father’s
wishes. Without exception, he does what his father asks of him.”
Girard could see the affliction in Sierra’s eyes. “Drake will turn
his share of the law firm over to Daniel and me when he takes over
his father’s business affairs.”

“
Does he want to do that?
Give up something he is so passionate about—a business he helped to
build?” Sierra asked, flustered. Drake had always seemed like a man
who chased his own ambitions.

“
His decision is voluntary.
I think he is ready to move forward with his family obligations.
He’s been preparing for this all his life. Regardless of his
proposed marriage, Drake’s father is ready to resign.”

Sierra frowned, exhaling a long,
hopeless sigh that seemed to wash over her like a tide of waves.
Drake’s whole life seemed to be ruled by his sense of
duty.

“
Sierra, I know that you
love him. I think I realized it back when we were in New
Iberia—when I watched you two dancing. You light up for Drake in a
way that makes me wish I were him. I envied him that night for the
first time ever because of you,” Girard confessed, leaning slightly
forward. He gently touched both her folded hands, which rested on
her lap clutching his handkerchief; her sad eyes penetrated his
soul. “He doesn’t deserve you.”

Overwhelmed by his words, Sierra
didn’t know how to respond. His voice was caring and compassionate.
His hands were warm and the strength of them, grounding. Still,
discomfort arose at his touch. Their intimacy was unexpected, and
she didn’t know what to think of it.

He withdrew from her, realizing that
he may have overstepped his boundaries. “You don’t have to respond
to what I’ve just said. I just want you to know that if you need a
friend, I will be that friend.”

“
You are very kind.” A knot
of tension filled her voice.

“
And you are indeed a
courageous woman,” he said softly.

“
Do you find fleeing from
the scene courageous?” Sierra asked raising her eyes to meet his.
“Please don’t compliment me so easily.”

Girard chuckled at her, his gray eyes
somehow made darker in the shadows, on his side of the Concord.
“No, you took a chance and left everything behind to start your
life all over anew in a foreign place. That, I find courageous. So
try not to let this ruin you,” he said in a soothing
voice.

“
I am indebted to you
Girard, for offering your friendship, and for helping me
understand, and for... allowing me get to know you
better.”

“
It’s been my pleasure,
Lady Maudet.” Girard nodded with a smile, although he hated the
feel of the slowing coach, distracting him from her as it came to a
halt. “We are here.” He helped Sierra step out of his Concord and
then he escorted her to the front door, entrusting her into the
hands of the butler before regrettably turning away to take his
leave.

* * *

Sierra hurriedly ran up the spiral
staircase, brushing past servants in the corridor, who stared after
her with curious glances. She entered her room, shut her door, and
undressed quickly. She would not let her tears stain the beautiful
dress that she had borrowed from Rosaline.

She threw on a cotton nightgown and
plummeted onto the bed wishing Adrienne were there for her to talk
to. She wanted to pack up her things and leave, but where would she
and Kyle go?

They hadn’t even been there a week and
now that Drake was to be married, her presence in his house would
complicate his life and hers.

Sierra decided that she would have to
find a way to handle the situation the best way she knew
how—regardless of Girard thinking that she was in love with Drake.
She simply wasn’t supposed to fall in love with him. That wasn’t
part of their arrangement. But Isadora was the wrong woman for
Drake, she thought. And she didn’t understand why he could not see
that.

Resting her head on her pillow, she
sobbed long into the night.

Chapter 15

Drake surrendered to his exhaustion.
The heaviness in his limbs kept him from so much as moving a
muscle, save his involuntary rhythms, while he gazed blankly into
the darkness shadowing the ceiling. He lied in his bed half
dressed, wearing only tan cotton breeches. He thought of the ride
home with his sister and Kyle as they returned from
Faircrest.

Most of the ride had been spent in
total silence. Drake knew that Kyle had not told the full truth
when he said that Sierra had suddenly fallen ill and didn’t want
anyone else to be forced to depart early. When he asked what her
illness was, Kyle had no answer. He only shook his head from
side-to-side, as if his gesture explained an acceptable
answer.

But Drake had glimpsed the pain in her
eyes after the announcement of his engagement. Her disappointment
had riveted him—something had expired between them. He had wanted
nothing more than to chase after her, but knew how risky and
senseless that would have been in the presence of so many
onlookers. If he were not as careful as he had been, his behavior
could have cost him a hefty merger.

He had no choice but to stay put and
endure, and for the rest of the night he had forced himself to
smile politely, drink champagne and keep making toasts. He had
stood at Isadora’s side, accepting all of the compliments and best
wishes people granted them. He had danced with her as a happy man
would, and carried himself as if not a care in the world had
troubled him. But something felt horribly wrong. He should have
been happy or at least content that everything he’d worked so hard
for was soon coming to fruition, but he wasn’t. He wasn’t, and he
was angry with himself for not being satisfied.

Drake carried his anger into deep
sleep, and his dreams plunged into nightmares waking him several
times in the night. In the last dream he remembered being a
marionette on a small stage. His father was the only person in the
audience laughing stridently as Isadora and Sierra stood above him
pulling his strings and making him dance a jig. When he opened his
eyes next, the morning sun was already ascending, piercing through
his dense curtains. Wearily he dragged himself out of bed one foot
at a time, and opened the balcony doors letting the cool, brisk air
further awaken him. He stepped out to look over the expanse of his
gardens.

* * *

Sierra wandered in, and out of sleep
with Drake on her mind, weeping tears that kept her pillow damp.
And now she was angry for being unable to rid her thoughts of him
and rest. Swallowed up by her turbulent emotions, she felt pitiful
while lying in her bed staring into the large, open space. She had
to get out of the room lest her treacherous thoughts suffocate
her.

It was just before dawn. Donned in a
modest nightgown and slippers, she knew that a nice quiet stroll
might do her some good for clearing her head. Altogether the house
was silent as she stepped softly making her way into the open
air.

She breathed in deeply, letting the
peace and serenity that the outdoors offered wash over her.
Newhaven was truly a magnificent estate and there was nothing more
lovely than watching the luminary rays cascade across the
intricacies of the gardens. Despite the tranquility of the morning
and its overwhelming beauty, Sierra still shivered with grief. She
knew now was the time to start thinking about what she should do.
She exhaled; anxiety rushed through her veins. Should she carry on
as if she understood Drake’s engagement to Isadora, and pretend
that it meant nothing to her? It was after all, the reason that
Drake could not pursue more than a platonic relationship with her,
wasn’t it? Would she allow herself and Kyle time enough to find a
comfortable place to live, or would she take leave as soon as that
afternoon?