Master Of Paradise (31 page)

"Go to the kitchen and tell Samuel to feed you, and I'll lock your papers in the safe where nobody but me can ever get to them again."

Jennifer Joy realized that she had underestimated Nicholas Peacock. After withdrawing from the family for a couple of days, she emerged as she always did, her sweet, smiling self, as if nothing had happened. But the days she had spent in her room had hardened her resolve to get Beau Hampden to propose marriage.
I intend to be mistress over a plantation that is even larger and finer than Paradise.

When Beau arrived the next afternoon with his sister, Julia, they were full of news of a visit to Charleston that they made every year at this time, when the Winter Season of entertaining got underway as a prelude to the glittering Christmas festivities.

Jennifer knew that in spite of their mourning it was absolutely essential for her to be in Charleston for some of the parties that Beau would be attending. That night she wrote a letter to her Aunt Virginia that carried just the right note of appeal. She drew a picture of lonely plantation life where mourning had isolated them from their friends and neighbors. She spoke longingly of the happy visits she'd always had at her aunt's house and conveyed it all with a tone of wistfulness. With her mother dead and her father in Richmond, Jenny knew Virginia's guilty conscience would prompt an invitation.

When the reply came, it invited both Amanda and Jennifer to stay until the middle of November. Jenny was over the moon and began packing at once. Amanda wasn't averse to spending a couple of weeks in Charleston, since the atmosphere between herself and Nicholas had become strained since the night on the gallery. Amanda brought Virginia's letter to the dinner table that night and offered it to Nicholas, wondering what his reaction would be.

He glanced down the page, then raised his eyes to her face. "I think it a splendid idea. You'll be able to go shopping for the new clothes I promised you for your birthday." His eyes played with hers until her lashes lowered to her cheeks and a rosy-hued blush crept over features.

"I have business in Charleston. We can travel down together in the carriage. I won't stay with you at Virginia's, but I'll keep in touch and when you are ready to come home, we'll travel back together."

"Promise you'll visit on the day I turn seventeen?"

"Sweetheart, as if I would miss your birthday," he assured her.

Jennifer Joy spoke up graciously as if there had been no bad blood between her and her brother-in-law. "Thank you, for allowing us to visit Charleston, Nicholas. You are very generous. I have to put my money in the bank, that is if there's any left after I go shopping."

Nicholas said smoothly, "Just charge the things to me Jennifer. I'm sure the Jackson sisters' extravagances won't put too big a strain on my pockets."

The next two days were taken up with preparations for the trip and packing. Amanda urged Mammy to help Jennifer, and she chose Cleo to assist with her own clothes. When they were alone, Amanda asked, "Does Brutus know that you were almost sold, Cleo?"

"No Miz Mandy. Ah don't think deres nobody brave enough t'tell him. Ah gets a misery in ma heart just thinkin' 'bout bein' separated from him. Yo' shore got yoself one good man."

Amanda hesitated. "Cleo, is Brute good to you? I mean... aren't you afraid of him?"

Cleo laughed happily. "Ah's afraid o' him, but dat's what makes it thrillin'. He sure can be fierce, but like a lot o' big men, he can be gentle too."

Nicholas was so vividly with her as Cleo spoke of her man, that she could feel his hands on her and smell his exciting male scent. Amanda felt a compulsion to ask her next question, and felt this was the only woman she could speak of these things with. "Cleo, tell me... is it very painful when a man... when he demands his rights?"

"Sometime it hurt. Sometime yo' like it to hurt," Cleo said with a grin, "but mostly it so wonnerful it like nuthin' else in de whole world. Yo' hasta find out for yoself, it ain't nuthin' nobody else can tell yo' about."

Amanda was embarrassed at her own ignorance and busied herself with her packing. Both girls decided to forgo taking personal maids since Aunt Virginia's household was run like clockwork and she had six upstairs personal lady's maids to take care of herself and two daughters.

The large enclosed carriage stood at the front door of Paradise awaiting its passengers. Jason, who'd been chosen to drive wore a smart new suit of clothes, since Nicholas did not care for livery. Jason had been up since dawn polishing the large black vehicle and currying the coats of the four matching carriage horses. Servants from the house had brought out what seemed a ton of baggage and strapped it to the roof of the carriage.

Jennifer, on time for once, stepped into the carriage and took the seat that would ensure she face the direction in which the coach would be traveling. Amanda followed and sat opposite her sister. Mammy Lou stood outside the carriage, issuing last minute instructions on how to conduct themselves at the fine homes they would be visiting in Charleston.

"Remember, Amanda Virginia, don't toss yore head an' put up yore chin in dat willful way when somebody say somethin' yo' disagrees wid." Without taking a breath she turned to the elder girl, "An Jennifer Joy, don't yo' dast to wear nothin' but mourning colors, elsewise folks gonna talk somethin' scandalous!"

Nicholas gave last minute instructions to Samuel, then climbed into the coach and deliberately sat down beside Jennifer. She had to gather up her traveling dress that was spread across the velvet coach seat to accommodate him.

Nick's glance roamed with pleasure over his wife, who felt shy under his admiring glances. She looked out the window pretending an interest in the passing scene, yet she could feel his eyes upon her all the while, and it made her breathless as if a hundred butterfly wings fluttered beneath her breasts.

"I declare there is nothing so fatiguing as travel, and no matter what, you always arrive hot and rumpled," Jennifer declared. Amanda murmured a reply, and Jennifer chatted on, yet her younger sister could not have repeated one word of her conversation. Nicholas silently overwhelmed her with his presence and whenever she dared to steal a glimpse of him, he was caressing her with his eyes.

Now he fastened them on her mouth and, try as she might, all she could think of was the taste and feel of his lips on hers. His glance traveled to her breasts, so prettily displayed in the demure gray traveling dress, then he raised his eyes to hers and enjoyed her blush.

Then he had the audacity to wink at her, and she felt the corners of her mouth go up, and he knew the elusive dimples would appear.

Nicholas was filled with some kind of mischievous devilry today and he flirted outrageously with her under her sister's very nose, without Jenny being the least aware of what was going on.

After about an hour, when Jennifer lapsed into a cat nap, Nicholas stretched out his long legs, slid down slightly against the squabs, his hat tipped down over his eyes.

Gradually, Amanda relaxed and breathed easier. After a little while she got up enough courage to observe her husband.
How handsome he is when he's dressed up. That navy blue coat shows off his shoulders that are surely wider than any man's I've ever seen.
The pleated shirt with its snowy stock contrasted sharply with his deeply tanned skin and crisp black hair curling against his neck. His elegant boots shone so you could see your face in them, and above the boots, his thighs encased in cream-colored breeches were hard as whipcord with saddle muscles.

Her eyes lifted from the swell in the skintight breeches, and she was appalled to see that he was not asleep after all, but had been watching her appraisal from beneath the brim of his hat. He removed the hat and grinned wickedly.

After the lunch stop, the girls climbed back into the carriage and took the same seats they had occupied before. This time, however, Nicholas chose to sit next to Amanda instead of facing her.

She was relieved that his eyes would not be boldly teasing her for the rest of the journey, however she soon realized that he could make his presence felt in a way that could not be ignored. She tried to ease away from his large form, but to her dismay found herself anchored firmly close as he was sitting on the folds of her dress. She glanced up at him and his lips twitched in amusement at her plight.

Their bodies were so close she could feel the heat of him clean through the fine material of her gown. The coach jostled them together as it careened down the river road on its journey to Charleston. His arm brushed against the swell of her breast, but when she raised pleading eyes to his, he pressed himself even closer. His long thigh, hard and well-muscled, lay against hers and when he flexed that muscle, it sent a sensation through the flesh of her own soft thigh.

He was enjoying himself and there was nothing she could do without alerting Jennifer. When she relaxed a little and he knew she had accepted his attentions, he slipped her small hand into his, undercover of her voluminous skirt. His thumb stroked her wrist and felt the wildly beating pulse, and he knew without a doubt how much her heart was involved.

"Would you mind dropping me off at my friend, Sue Ann Winwood's house? She lives at the northernmost part of town and Lord knows if I'll get up here again once I get to Aunt Virginia's. You can tell her I'll get Sue Ann's coachman to drive me to the Battery in a couple of hours.

"I'll tell Jason, if you'll give me the address." Nicholas for once did not object to Jennifer's plans.

"It's the third, no I believe the fourth house on Rutledge Avenue, if you'd be so kind. Mandy, if Aunt Virginia makes any kind of fuss, tell her I'll be there in time for supper."

When the smart equipage drew up in front of the large house on Rutledge, Nicholas jumped out and handed Jennifer from the coach. She told Jason to take her baggage along to Aunt Virginia's, and Nicholas escorted her up to the door to make sure the young woman she wanted to visit was at home, then he returned to the carriage with all speed.

He did not take the empty seat, but threw his weight down beside Amanda and said huskily, "Alone at last. My God madam, the world conspires against us so we are never private." He scooped her up and sat her firmly on his knee before she could voice any protest, then his arms slipped about her and his head bent to steal a kiss.

As she gasped and turned her face from him, he leisurely enjoyed the soft blush on her creamy cheek. His closeness prevented her from breathing, and she feared that observers from the busy streets would see the carryings-on inside the coach. "Nicholas you mustn't," she whispered desperately. "People will see."

When his lips captured hers in a thrilling kiss, it ignited a tiny spark of desire to be his. She reached up to caress his neck where the crisp hair curled darkly, and he pressed her back until she was lying on the seat.

As his weight came down to hold her captive, she realized what was happening and pressed both hands against his broad chest.

"My darling love, how you've enjoyed teasing me this long journey, now when I have the opportunity to make a little love to you, you would deny me and say me nay," he teased. His lips came down on hers in a searing, crushing kiss, demanding that she say yea.

She gave herself up to the pleasure of his arms and without hesitation he reached up her skirts, allowing his hand to caress the bare flesh of her upper thigh that stretched above her stocking. She struggled, but it was in vain. She begged him to stop, but he laughed at her.

With a deft movement, he pulled down her stocking and slipped it from her leg.

In desperation she realized the big carriage had drawn up before Aunt Virginia's house.

Nicholas kissed the filmy stocking and tucked it into his breast pocket. "You wouldn't deny me a keepsake, would you?" he whispered.

Amanda was scandalized. "I can't go in wearing only one stocking."

"Of course you can. No one will see, and every step you take will remind you of me."

The corners of her mouth went up at his outrageous behavior.
He is a bold man to undress me in a carriage.

Nicholas did not simply drop her off on Virginia's doorstep, but suffered politely through afternoon tea, while the baggage was unloaded from the carriage and taken upstairs.

All the while Amanda sipped her tea and listened to her husband exchange pleasantries with her aunt and her daughters, she was acutely aware of her bared leg beneath her gown. Her blush would not subside and whenever she glanced at him, he gave her a knowing wink.

As he rose to leave he said, "Remember if you should need to get a message to me, I'll be at the Planters Inn."

Amanda spent the rest of the day dreamy-eyed, while her cousins pumped her for details of her devastatingly handsome husband.