Lilac Temptress (44 page)

Drake sensed something wicked stirring
inside Sierra, her eyes were menacing and fixed on him, but before
he could give her more thought, he nearly lost his balance at the
rank odor coming from Isadora as she flung herself into his arms.
He peered around at others who began holding their noses at
Isadora’s back and turning away. Drake grimaced at the coincidence
of this fiasco he’d predicted, though it turned out to be much
worse than he’d imagined.

“
Let us help you,
mademoiselle.” A man came into view wearing a white suit of
Captain’s rank.

“
Isadora... it’s the
Captain,” Drake said softly.

Isadora turned away from
Drake’s chest, where her head had been resting, and perused the
man. “How do you expect to resolve this, Captain? Your
Darling Belle
is terribly
unsafe!” she hissed.

“
My dear lady, please let’s
not jump to conclusions, shall we get you all cleaned up? Our
medical officer will tend to you.” The Captain motioned toward two
female attendants to come and assist her. “I will see to it that
you have fresh clean clothing to wear and have the clothing that
you are wearing now, set properly aside for you to carry
home.”

“
Conclusions!
” Isadora shouted at the
Captain.

“
Shhh—Isadora, you’ll make
a scene.” Drake tried to quiet her. “I’ll take this incident up
with the Captain. Now, you go with the women, and have the
physician take a look at you.”

Isadora gave into Drake’s will, after
all he was right. She could not carry on any further with her
tantrum in front of Charleston. It would make her look over
dramatic. “Get rid of these clothes. Have them if you like. Burn
them if you will, just do not return them to me. My dress is
spoiled now,” Isadora complained at the women.

Drake waved the onlookers away as the
two attendants walked Isadora to a compartment, and then he sent
his group away, asking them to try to enjoy their remaining time on
the tour. And after briefly speaking with the Captain, and assuring
him that no further allegations would be made, Drake found a men’s
retiring room to freshen himself up, and then he waited outside the
door to Isadora’s room for at least a half hour.

The riverboat docked and Sierra,
Rosaline, Kyle and Charleston found Drake standing outside
Isadora’s room.

Drake tapped lightly on the door.
“Isadora, you can come on out now. We are setting the
landing.”

Isadora reluctantly opened the
door.

Drake fought back with everything he
could to keep his amusement at bay over her ridiculous, comical
ensemble. Though clean, and dressed as an attendant, she wore a
cream-colored work frock that was an ill fit for her, and a little
matching bonnet to keep her wet head warm. It was certainly not her
accustomed, Parisian style of dress—she would have never been
caught dead in anything less than extravagant apparel, if it were
not for this accursed boating accident.

Rosaline smirked at Isadora as she
stepped out of the cabin into Drake’s arms. Kyle held back his
grin, and Sierra frowned at Isadora, thinking that she had gotten
just what she deserved. Isadora returned an icy glare to each of
them, except a relieved Charleston.

Drake ignored the cold exchanges of
the women. His patience had worn thin and he was finished dealing
with their fowl behavior. “Isadora, how are you feeling? Did the
medic have a good look at you?” Drake expressed genuine
concern.

Isadora nodded at Drake, “I
am well. Now, get me off this dreadful
merde
vessel. I would like to get
home and rest as soon as possible,” Isadora mumbled with agitation
into his chest.

Drake sighed with
exhaustion, allowing Isadora to lean onto him while he walked her
toward the departure point. Regardless of whether or not her fall
was intended for Sierra, he did realize just how much he cared for
her amidst all the commotion. No matter how difficult she was, she
did have some good qualities, despite of what the others might
think of her, and one of them was that she understood him and
supported his goals. She understood shipping. She knew how to help
manage his trade. He knew that by marrying her, he’d have a
sharp-witted and confident business partner.
But, will it be enough to sustain our
marriage
, he wondered doubtfully as they
all departed.

Charleston’s horse waited for him
unhitched, saddled, and ready, standing with Ben and Thomas near
the Concord.

Charleston assured Drake and Isadora
that he would have their article delivered to them just as soon as
the paper was printed, and then he gave his farewells to the group,
taking his leave. Drake dreaded what Charleston might scribble, so
he removed the thought from his head, preparing with Ben and Thomas
to be off.

* * *

Sierra sank into the corner of the
seat refusing to look at Isadora pressed against Drake with her
head leaning on his shoulder. Kyle sat between Sierra and Rosaline
allowing Drake and Isadora the entire cushion across. Sierra gazed
outside at the darkness from the stagecoach window. She watched how
the huge cypress trees swayed in the wind against the moonlight,
casting shadows along the roadside.

Heading back to
Newhaven
,
though
they had not been traveling the River Road for long, Sierra
exercised unusual patience beyond her normal limits, brooding over
Drake’s attentiveness toward Isadora. Sharing the same coach with
Isadora added to her exhaustion, and by now it was more than she
could tolerate. But she had no choice and sat quietly—the dead
silence of the entire group, gave way to hidden thoughts pervading
the minds of them all.

Gazing off into the distance, Sierra
narrowed her eyes at what she thought might be a strange movement
in the trees. A loud gunshot rang out into the open air. Her ears
throbbed.

“
Road agents—we’re under
attack,” Drake said quickly, but with remarkable composure.
“Sierra, back away from that window, and close those
curtains.”

There was another loud firing sound.
Drake could feel the panic of the horses as the coach staggered. He
glanced around him at terrified faces.

“
Thomas has been shot!”
Drake heard Ben yelling into the darkness over the sound of panicky
hooves. “Three men—they’re in pursuit of us!”

Stay
calm
, Drake told himself before commanding
the others inside the coach, “Sit tight, and don’t move.” He swung
the door open against the wind as the coach raced through the
night.

“
Drake! No!” Sierra yelled,
desperation in her voice. Kyle pulled Rosaline closer to him to
protect her from being thrust outside and Isadora, stark white with
fear, opened her mouth to speak but no words came out.

“
She’s in shock,” Drake
said immediately. “Sierra, help her please. Keep her safe inside.”
Drake begged for her assistance—then he smiled briefly, pleased to
see Sierra speedily move toward Isadora, and support her unsteady
frame.

“
Thank you,” he
breathed.

Sierra nodded. She couldn’t stand the
woman, but she didn’t want serious injury to come to her, or any of
them for that matter. “Drake—be careful,” Sierra sounded her rising
fear that he might not return alive.

“
Have faith in me,” Drake
said giving Sierra a reassuring look before balancing one foot on
the folding step. He hoisted himself above the body of the coach
onto the empty luggage racks. He glanced back briefly, seeing the
three men riding after them with their guns blazing.

Once Drake was secure above, Kyle
reached over Rosaline and closed the door in a hurry, fastening it
shut. Drake stayed low as he crawled forward toward the driver’s
box seat. With both of his hands, he grabbed at Thomas, who dangled
over the side of the coach, barely hanging on while Ben desperately
tried to rear the horses.

Three men raced alongside the
stagecoach packing rifles, two men on one side, and the third on
the other, signaling at them to pull over.

“
You can’t outrun them,
Ben!” Drake called out. “You’ll cannonball the coach!”

Ben immediately eased on the reigns,
bringing the horses and the coach to a steady halt.

“
Lord, help us,” Drake
mumbled a quick prayer.

“
Everyone get out!” a rogue
man appearing to be the ringleader shouted as he dismounted his
horse.

“
Keep your hands where I
can see them!” Another man called out at Drake, eyeing the holster
at his waist. “Slowly...” the man said, keeping his eyes on
Drake.

Drake gently laid Thomas down across
the seat and then climbed out over the box, leaving him behind. Ben
dared not reach for Thomas’ rifle, lest he jeopardize them all.
Vulnerable, he jumped out of the driver’s seat to the ground and
stood in the middle of the group.

Drake saw that Sierra, Isadora,
Rosaline and Kyle—who used his body as a shield for the women
standing behind him, were already outside the coach along the
roadside.

“
Put your bills, coins,
watches and jewelry into this sack!” a thief called out tossing the
grain sack at Ben’s feet.

Sierra couldn’t take her eyes off
Drake, who stood very still, seemingly helpless to do anything.
“You cannot do this!” she yelled boldly at the ringleader, even
though she was petrified. “Can’t you see that we have a wounded
man? He needs our help or he will surely die!” she cried, giving
him an angry look of disgust.

“
Sierra, be silent!” Drake
angrily chided, his reprimand meant to safeguard her. Men like
these gunslingers did more than plunder. They were known to murder
their rivals and take their women. Drake wanted no attempted acts
of heroism from Sierra that might only cause the men to accost
her.

But Sierra was right. Thomas had been
shot in the right upper side of his back and was surely bleeding
out. Drake had to think fast. He had to do something immediately if
he was to save the man’s life.

The two remaining raider’s circled
around their victims with their guns aiming, before dismounting
their horses. One of the men made his way to the coach in search of
the treasure box stored under the driver’s seat.

“
It’s locked!” the man
called out.

The ringleader became agitated. “Where
is the key?” he asked, keeping a safe distance, while aiming his
revolver at Drake.

“
I keep it in my boot.”
Drake carefully eyed the man.

“
Then get it out for me,
but first remove your holster very slowly, fine sir. I wouldn’t
want you to go getting any ideas about putting a bullet in me. And
I’m warning you that if you reach for your pistol, I will take her
pretty little head off before you can draw.” The man pointed his
revolver at Sierra and motioned to the bandit standing nearby to
keep his aim on Drake and Ben.

“
Both are so pretty.” The
leader darted glances back and forth between Sierra and
Isadora.

“
Don’t even think about
touching me! I’d fight you to my death before letting you place
your filthy hands on me!” Sierra roared with venom in her
voice.

“
You are feisty. I like
that! However, a fight to your death can be arranged, my dear.” The
man laughed, his eyes roaming over her body as she glared at him
with barefaced hatred.

“
Touch her and you will
regret it!” Drake shouted, needing to distract the man from Sierra,
and then he silently vowed that he would slaughter this criminal if
he laid one finger on Sierra’s pretty red head, even at the cost of
his own life.

The ringleader strolled closer to
Drake and cocked his revolver. Drake felt the cold metal of the gun
pressed directly against his temple. “You are in no position to
make that kind of threat, sir,” he said matter-of-factly. “Perhaps
I should pull this trigger right now.”

Rosaline’s shriek of terror echoed
throughout Sierra’s head while she struggled futilely against
Kyle’s powerful grip, desperate to reach Drake and full of
gut-wrenching fear of what would befall him if she didn’t. “Let me
go!” she screamed, but her brother would not relent.

A series of vivid images rapidly
flashed through her mind, including the first time that she had
seen Drake sitting in Wil’s tavern; when Drake first greeted her as
she walked home; when they first kissed, water surrounding them;
when Drake fearlessly rescued her from Pete and Quinn; when she and
Drake shared a lively dance in New Iberia; when Drake’s jealousy
sparked his wrath after she had encountered the engaging, Mr.
Darrell Casey, on the train to New Orleans; when she first stepped
through Newhaven’s immense dining room doors and caught sight of
Drake elegantly sitting at the dinner table, in an elaborate chair
that she imagined being his throne; and when Drake called her
beautiful after she descended Newhaven’s staircase on the way to
the ball.

Emerging awareness accelerated through
her entire being, bursting with unparalleled, paralyzing force,
telling her that she treasured Drake, cherished him, prized him,
and… loved him. Apprised with new understanding of what it was to
love Drake, she coiled in terror against the thought that he would
never know just what he meant to her.