Microsoft Word - Jenny dreamed (18 page)

Even now, he could hear her making some very blunt remarks about her ruffian cousin from the West. Then again, she might decide that her best interests lay in charming the new owner of the estate. That was precisely why Erasmus intended to' accompany Devlan on his short. journey to Canterbury. The girl was as unpredictable as she was devious.

He had wired ahead to tell her when they would arrive. He could imagine how all those unlucky enough to be near her must be suffering as she vented her anger. He almost felt sorry for Bentley ... almost but not quite. Still, her fury should pass when she'd had time to think, and he knew for a fact that once she set eyes on Devlan's handsome face, she would find it easy to shift her plans to winning him over. There seemed to be a strong emotional tie between Dev and the lovely young girl he'd left in Montana, and Erasmus was counting on it to spoil any plans Cathy might hatch.

The week passed quickly enough in a blur of activities. With the signing of the papers that officially gave him authority over his inheritance, Dev felt changed, different from the man who'd come East only days before. The merchants, the tailors, the headwaiters at the fine restaurants where they dined treated him with deference now that he had suddenly become a member of the elite. At first he felt imprisoned by New York's tall, multi-storied buildings and lost among the bustling unfriendly crowds, but now Dev was undergoing a subtle personality change. His confidence was growing greater day by day. He was finding himself more at ease with the strange power that money had given him. It was a heady feeling, to say the least.

For what was to be his last night in the city, Dev ventured out on his own. He was very much like a child first learning to walk, testing to what extent he could survive alone in the cosmopolitan sophistication of New York. He began with dinner at Delmonico's and a lavish tip for the maitre d' gained him entree to one of the city's posh private gambling clubs, where he rubbed elbows with the fashionable dandies who carelessly wagered more than Dev could have made in a month's time back home. .

Sometime toward midnight, he and a newfound friend made their way to the most exclusive and expensive bordello in the city. With a benevolent generosity already warmed by several brandies at the club, Dev conferred with the madam, handing over a large sum in return for her assurances that she would close the house for a private party. Champagne flowed freely, and Dev saw the night pass in an amber-gold haze accompanied by the tinkling of ladies'

laughter and bawdy songs played by the black piano player.

Like a small boy gazing at the candy counter of a store, Dev was faced with a delectable choice of blondes, redheads, brunettes, plump and slender girls, -dark and fair, tall and petite ones. To pick from among them, Dev decreed that the girls must draw lots, picking numbers from his hat. In the manner of a grand sultan, he received them each in tum. By dawn he had exhausted five of the madam's best girls, two of whom were twins, and all of whom he had insisted on calling Jenny.

Madame Colette quietly entered the room at six the next morning to find Dev comfortably sandwiched between the auburn-haired twins. Ever the efficient businesswoman, she extracted his wallet from his coat pocket and took what she considered a fair amount to cover the costs of the expensive crystal broken in the previous night's wild carousing.

She was somewhat surprised at the number of large bills the wallet contained, though she restrained an impulse to be greedy. The young man was generous and obviously satisfied with her establishment. Last night's profits had come to a tidy sum, indeed, and she had no desire to kill the golden goose. Perhaps this handsome stranger would become a regular in the future!

A servant appeared at the door with a tray of strong, aromatic coffee and fresh rolls, and Colette motioned to her to enter silently before she herself moved to the bed and woke the twins, to shoo them from the room.

Dev woke groggily to the scent of the coffee. At first he wasn't quite sure where he was, at least until a solicitous Colette plumped the pillows behind his head and handed him a cup of coffee. His head throbbed miserably, his eyes were watery and bloodshot, and the cup of hot liquid wobbled precariously in his hand. It suddenly occurred to him that this was the morning they were to leave for the estate. He quickly gulped some of the coffee to clear his head, asked Colette to send for a cab, and was dressed and waiting downstairs in fifteen minutes.

Each jarring clop of the horses' hooves set Dev's head to throbbing anew, and he silently cursed his overindulgence the entire way back to the brownstone. He made the usual, morning-after vows of the hungover that he would never, ever indulge in an excess of drink again, but his belated good intentions did nothing to ease the pounding at his temples or the dry, swollen feeling of his tongue.

When he entered the hall, pale and shaken beneath his dark, golden tan, Erasmus was waiting for him. Although the old lawyer had every right to be irritated with him, since Dev's night out on the town had delayed their plans to travel, he merely raised a brow at Dev's sheepish apology and ushered him into the study.

When Dev finally remembered what it was he'd been drinking, a servant was dispatched to the cellar for a bottle of the same. Several cautious sips did seem to ease his headache, though he followed Erasmus's wise counsel and laid it aside before it undid him again.

Erasmus offered no rebuke, remembering he'd sown a few wild oats of his own when he was Dev's age. Instead, he suggested that Dev retire to his room and sleep until he felt recovered. They would leave the following morning. The young man would need all the rest he could get before meeting his relatives at Canterbury Hill.

Ten

Catherine Harper sat before the mirror in her dressing room, frowning at the reflection of her terrified maid. Mary's shaking hands had once pulled Cathy's long, blonde curls and now threatened to do so again. Why must the stupid girl fumble so with her coiffure, she thought irritably, on the very day she must look her best! That horrid old skinflint, Paisley, was due to arrive at Canterbury with the "heir" he'd dug up. Heir, indeed! The fussy, old-maid lawyer would go to any lengths to see that she was denied the money that was rightfully hers.

The inevitable finally happened -Mary snarled the brush in a burnished, golden tress. Cathy whirled, screaming, "Get out, you numb-witted little bitch---one of the stableboys could dress my hair more skillfully than you!" The maid stared at her for one horrified moment of indecision, then wailed and bolted toward the door, but not before the hastily thrown hairbrush clipped her shoulder. "And stop that godawful howling!" Cathy ordered callously as the weeping Mary tugged open the door and slipped out.

Cathy sighed heavily in exasperation, now irritated even more. Not only was she forced to rise and cross the room to retrieve her brush, but she would have to work her hair into some semblance of a style. Luckily she was already dressed or she would have had to call back that sniveling excuse for a lady's maid!

At least they were not expected until the early afternoon. She would have a little time left to prepare herself. By now Bentley was probably opening his second bottle of the day and would be a help only if he grew besotted enough to stay in his room. She was sure Erasmus had already described her in the. worst possible light to this cousin of hers- if he truly was her long-lost cousin! .

Picking up the brush, Cathy returned to stand before her mirror and study her reflection. The pale lavender brocade did make an enchanting sight, with its lace-trimmed bodice molding her full breasts so provocatively. It was a touch risque for daytime wear, but this threat to her future security called for drastic measures.' With her hands poised at her waist, she turned from side to side, critically checking for any imperfection, no matter how slight.

With sudden inspiration, Cathy peered closer and arranged her hair loosely across her shoulders. For several minutes she brushed and fussed at her curls until they gleamed like a gossamer veil of gold. The effect was just what she desired, a soft demure contrast to the rich material that draped her lush figure. If Devlan Cantrell was any kind of a real man, he wouldn't be able to resist her! Cathy whirled delightedly in front of the mirror, enchanted by her own image.

What if he had a wife? The disruptive thought intruded upon her happy mood, but she quickly dismissed it as unimportant. She'd handled married men before. In fact, at times, they slipped more easily under her influence than the more independent bachelors she'd known. No, there was no reason to worry. Men had always flocked around her, drawn like bees to a fragrant flower, and she had no reason to suppose that this one would be any different from the others. Suddenly, there were sounds from the driveway infront of the house, and Cathy raised her head, listening.

Could they be here so soon? She hurried to the window and carefully drew back the edge of the velvet draperies to peer down. A carriage was just pulling away, headed in the direction of the stables.

Two men, one short and the other tall and broad-shouldered, stood on the steps below. The shorter was Erasmus. When he doffed his high-crowned hat with a sweeping gesture as though offering the house for his companion's inspection, his shiny, bald pate gleamed like a beacon on a dark night.

The young man-unencumbered by a wife, thank God-had to be Devlan Nicholls Cantrell. He also drew off his hat, and she had a chance to study' him as he gazed around and then glanced up at the mansion. Even as she admired the fashionable cut of his attire, her heart sank. She could no longer deny to herself that Erasmus had found the true heir. Devlan's bold, handsome features almost exactly duplicated those in the portrait of his father, Rian, that hung in the green drawing room.

Her acceptance of the truth brought only a momentary disappointment as she toyed with the possibilities that now lay open to her. This newfound cousin was attractive and apparently unattached. He could be influenced to see things from her viewpoint; and what pleasure it would be to exert her influence on that young man!

Cathy hurried across the room and slipped quietly into the hall, pausing at the bead of the stairs. She would wait until just the right moment to sweep gracefully down the long flight of stairs to the entrance hall. "First impressions are lasting impressions," a chiding voice echoed from the past. Containing her eagerness to meet Devlan face-to-face, Cathy slowly began her descent to the foyer where he stood with the lawyer. With one plump, white hand balanced on the polished oak banister and her skirts trailing the steps with an enticing rustle of the silken petti-coats, she floated down to meet them.

Erasmus was pointing out the finely detailed work of the skilled artisans who'd built Canterbury Hill over one hundred and fifty years before, when Dev's attention was drawn to the stairwell and his cousin's presence. Prepared as he was for this first meeting, the actual sight of Cathy was jarring, jolting his belly with the power of a physical blow. She really was beautiful, with the flawless, creamy complexion of a china doll that had come to life. Her eyes, fringed by long, golden lashes, met his for the briefest second before she demurely lowered her gaze and swept across the hall to join them. As though he were her favorite uncle, she flashed a brilliant smile at Erasmus and held out her hand.

"Ah, dear Cathy ... you're looking as lovely as ever!" The lawyer's amused, I-told-you-so look flickered at Dev before he pressed a gallant kiss upon her hand and turned to present her.

He could only hope that the boy would remember and heed his repeated warnings of Cathy's guileful nature now that he was faced with the full effect of her ripe, blonde beauty.

"As I promised in my note," he said with a nod of his head to Dev, "your cousin Devlan is here to take his rightful place as the master of Canterbury Hill. I know you'll do your very best to make him feel welcome."

Cathy's answering laugh was light and coquettish, concealing her anger at the old man's emphasis of her cousin's prerogatives. "Why, Erasmus, you ol' darlin',"

she drawled in a soft Southern accent. "You'll have poor Devlan here thinkin' I resent his presence!" She faced Dev, ignoring Paisley's amused expression while she concentrated all her wiles on her intended quarry. "Really! Nothin' could ever be further from the truth, cousin Devlan."

She neatly insinuated her arm within the crook of his elbow, leading him off toward the front drawing room, all the while staring up into his eyes as though he were the only man in the world. "For a long time now, I've known that Canterbury needed a firm hand to take control and," Cathy ran her fingers lightly across Dev's hand with obvious admiration, "you do seem possessed of a firm hand. It's clear to me that someone's been listenin' to my prayers!"

Forgotten in the hall, a disgruntled Erasmus Paisley followed the two cousins into the room.

Cathy was going to be more trouble than he'd thought; he could tell that her clinging to Devlan's arm and oozing honeyed sweetness was having an effect. It seemed he would have to stay longer than he'd anticipated; the look of fascination on Dev's face suggested he had been taken in by Cathy's role-playing.

Cathy apologized that her husband was not available to greet Dev properly. "Bentley suffers from a ... frail disposition. He's a bit under the weather today." The lawyer silently mocked the excuse, guessing that by this time the lush was more likely under the bed than the weather.

Suddenly Cathy released Dev's arm long enough to throw her hand up to her cheek in mock horror, blushing a becoming rose color as she exclaimed, "Merciful heavens, but I have forgotten my manners! What must you think of me--you've come all this way and I haven't even offered you-all refreshments! My only excuse is my excitement at havin' you home at long last."

Cathy leaned forward, presenting Dev with an ample view of her breasts peeking forth from their lacy prison.

"If I make amends by ringin' for a servant this very minute, you will forgive me, won't you?"