Paradise Wild (4 page)

The townhouse on Beacon Street was brightly lit and filled with fresh-cut summer flowers from the Barrows’ garden. Maids in stiff black uniforms and white aprons circulated drinks among the early guests. This was to be a formal party, and guests would mingle in the large reception hall until dinner was announced.

Upstairs in Corinne’s bedroom, Florence worked on her elaborate coiffure while Corinne’s cousin Lauren paced nervously across the room behind them, her slippers with their tiny heels clattering noisily as she moved back and forth. This was Lauren’s second formal party, and she was anxious about the impression she would make.

“Are you sure this gown is suitable?” she asked for the third time.

“Yellow becomes you, Cousin. After all, you don’t want to wear anything darker at your age,” Corinne said as she watched Lauren through her mirror.

“But your gown is so daring, Cori, with only those thin sequined straps to hold it up. And rose silk is so beautiful. Mother wouldn’t let me have a gown like that. I’m sure I look old-fashioned.”

“Oh, stop fretting. I am a bit older than you, remem
ber,” Corinne remarked impatiently. “But I suppose I forget what it was like to be sixteen. You really will be the prettiest girl at the party, so stop worrying.”

Lauren smiled. “Maybe if you don’t come I’ll be the prettiest.”

“Don’t be silly. And looks aren’t everything. You know most men won’t look at me twice because I’m too tall for them. Small, delicate women like you are all the rage.”

Lauren blushed and changed the subject. “I wonder why Uncle Samuel didn’t have this party on July Fourth, just a few days ago. And why didn’t he give us more warning?”

“I don’t know, but I don’t care, either,” Corinne smiled. “A party is a party.”

“I suppose so. But this one was planned awfully fast. Mother had a fit because her dress wasn’t finished in time and she had to wear an old one. What was the hurry, do you know?”

“There is some man Father wants his friends to meet. He decided to do it this way with a party, to please me. We haven’t been getting along too well lately.”

Florence gave a
humph
to that as she slid ruby pins into Corinne’s hair. Florence Merrill had been with Corinne since she was a child, and she knew what was going on. The maid fastened the last pin in place, then left the room. Corinne fussed through her large jewel case.

“Will Russell be coming?” Lauren asked.

“Of course.”

“Still no luck in getting your father’s permission to marry him?”

“No. I haven’t given up yet, but I’m beginning to think it’s hopeless. Father won’t even discuss it any
more. I just might have to find someone else pretty soon if Father doesn’t show some signs of coming round.”

“Have you anyone in mind?”

“No. It’s going to be very difficult to find the man my father will approve of. He wants me to have a husband of strong will—‘A man you can’t boss so easily,’ were his exact words. But that kind of man would defeat my whole purpose.”

“I still say you should wait for love,” Lauren sighed.

“No, my dear,” Corinne said, her stiff lip showing her determination. “Marriage will be my life, so I must have control of it. I can always find love on the side.”

“Corinne!”

“Well, it’s true. In fact, I thoroughly intend to have discreet love affairs. I feel there’s nothing wrong with that since I know full well that every married man does the same.”

“Not
every
man.”

“But most of them. So why shouldn’t I?”

Lauren shook her head sadly. “You have such a cold outlook on life, Corinne.”

“No, I’m realistic. I know what to expect from a marriage, and I know the way I want it to be. And what I don’t want is a man who will try to assert his will over mine.”

“Would that really be so bad?” Lauren asked. She just couldn’t understand her cousin’s need to rule in her marriage.

“For me it would, yes. Now help me with this necklace, will you?”

Lauren came over to fasten a tear-drop choker of rubies and gold about Corinne’s neck. A matching bracelet was added, and Corinne chose a small ruby ring instead of her large one. She didn’t like to overdo it. The older matrons all wore many eye-catching rings
at once. Corinne liked to wear only one at a time, though she had many to choose from. She decided against ruby earrings. The glittering pins that held her long dark gold hair in place were enough.

“Who will be here tonight?” Lauren asked, nervous again now that they were ready to go downstairs.

“Just the usual crowd, though Edward and John Manning will be here with their father,” Corinne said absently. “And Adrian Rankin.”

Lauren smiled. These handsome young men were part of Corinne’s crowd of intellectuals and artists. “What about this man your father is giving the party for? Is he young?”

“The party is for me,” Corinne reminded her. “Father just decided to combine business with pleasure. But about Mr. Burk, I have no idea. But he probably isn’t young.”

Lauren’s face changed to a look of excitement. “Did you say Burk?”

“Yes, I think Father said Jared Burk.”

“Why, that’s the man everyone is talking about. Haven’t you heard about him?”

“No, I haven’t been attending the daily social functions lately.”

If Lauren only knew why I haven’t, she thought. Corinne hardly ever went out in the day anymore. She spent her days sleeping because she sneaked out each night to meet Russell and a few other friends at their favorite gambling house. Her father probably knew, but he hadn’t come right out and forbidden her to gamble, not even when the last club she attended asked him to pay off her debts.

Her luck had changed recently. Why, just last week she had won a considerable amount. But it was nothing compared to what she would win if she could just play
in a no-limits game. Corinne’s greatest desire was not to have to worry about I.O.U’s that might reach her father, to be able to risk a thousand, two thousand, even fifty thousand on the turn of a card. But that day wouldn’t come until she married, or until she reached twenty-one. And she was too impatient to wait.

“I overheard our fathers talking about Mr. Burk,” Lauren was saying. “And my mother’s friends have been gossiping about nothing else.”

Corinne’s interest was aroused. “What is so intriguing about this Mr. Burk?”

“That’s just it. No one knows anything about him except that he’s terribly rich. They don’t even know where he comes from. People say he’s from somewhere out West, but nobody knows for sure.”

“Is that all?” Corinne was disappointed. “Just that he’s rich and from somewhere out West?”

“Well, it’s been rumored that he’s here to invest a few of his millions.”

“That would explain why my father is interested in him. What other rumors have you heard?”

“Only that he throws money around as though he had it to burn. It must be nice to be that rich.”

“I wouldn’t know,” Corinne remarked bitterly. Someday she would have money to burn, but it wasn’t fair that she had to wait.

They left Corinne’s bedroom and stopped at the top of the stairs to view the brightly lit hall below. The room was filled with richly dressed people of all ages. Most had drinks in their hands, and had formed small groups. As usual, the matrons had taken to the padded benches against the walls to watch the younger people and to gossip without being overheard.

The attractive tall stranger in white evening attire stood out. “Do you think that’s him?” Lauren asked.

“I don’t know,” Corinne admitted. “I can’t see his face.”

“Well, who do you know who is that tall?”

“I guess you’re right. Who is he talking to?”

Lauren moved off to the left, “It’s Cynthia Hamill,” she called softly, returning to Corinne’s side. “You should see her face. She’s positively glowing.”

“You know Cynthia,” Corinne said drily. “She’s at her most charming whenever she meets a new man.”

Lauren replied with distaste, “If you ask me, she’s a bit too flighty. And she flirts outrageously.”

“There’s nothing wrong with that, as long as you know what you’re doing. It’s fun. After all, it doesn’t go any further than a few innocent kisses.”

“Really, Corinne!”

Corinne smiled. She didn’t really like Cynthia, either.

“Give yourself another year or two, Cousin, and you’ll see there’s nothing wrong with a little flirting.”

But Lauren wasn’t listening anymore. “Look! He’s turning around.” And then she added breathlessly, “Good heavens! Have you ever seen such a good-looking man?”

Corinne was equally surprised, not by the stranger’s striking handsomeness, but by his youth. “If you like that rugged, outdoor type, I suppose not. He’s younger than I imagined he would be.”

“Yes. Young and rich and gorgeous!”

“Lauren, honestly! He’s just another man.”

Lauren couldn’t take her eyes off the stranger. “Look how dark he is. He must have spent most of his life under a hot sun to get that dark.”

“Not necessarily. Maybe he’s a foreigner.”

“A rancher, probably. They have lots of cattle ranches out West. Or maybe he’s a ship’s captain, or
even—even a pirate! He does look like a pirate, doesn’t he?”

Corinne was getting annoyed. The stranger wasn’t her type. She had found that all men with superb, powerful bodies generally had strong wills to match. You couldn’t dominate such a man.

“Why don’t you go ask him, Lauren. Then you can stop guessing and—”

Corinne stopped abruptly and caught her breath. The stranger was looking directly up at her. His stare was magnetic, and Corinne felt a chill race down her back. His eyes penetrated hers as if he were reading her thoughts, and for a moment she couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe.

She finally managed to turn away. What on earth was the matter with her? She signaled to Lauren that it was time to join the party.

Jared watched with keen observation as the two young women moved languidly down the stairs in the manner of a grand entrance. The smaller, brown-haired girl with the pink complexion was pretty, but too young. Obviously shy, she kept her eyes downcast. The dark blonde was exquisite, though, an outstanding beauty. She seemed quite self-assured. Tall and stately, she was superbly proportioned, more perfect than a finely chiseled statue. Had he ever seen such ethereal beauty before? But he had to doubt such perfection, and wondered if corsets were responsible for the ideal figure.

There was something extremely compelling about this girl, and it wasn’t only her beauty. There was haughtiness about her, an arrogance unusual in a woman. It would be a challenge to make this one purr!

Could she possibly be Corinne Barrows? He frowned. Ned Dougherty’s report had said that she was extremely
beautiful. The more he looked at this young woman, the more he thought how well she would fit in his arms. Jared fervently hoped she was not Miss Barrows, for that young woman was as much his enemy as her father was.

Corinne noted the changing expressions on the stranger’s face as he watched her approach. She had seen appreciation in his eyes, even desire, but something else as well. It was as if he liked what he saw, but didn’t want to. This amused Corinne. Was he married?

“It’s good you could come, Cynthia,” Corinne smiled as she and Lauren reached the couple. “This party was so sudden I was afraid you might have had other plans and couldn’t make it.”

“I almost didn’t make it,” Cynthia replied. “But then Father told me who the guest of honor was going to be and, well—I just had to meet him.”

Cynthia was a small woman with a baby-doll prettiness. Corinne imagined that she would have fit perfectly in the Old South. But Cynthia was also very vain and did nothing to hide her vanity.

“And have you met him?”

Cynthia laughed, a tinkling sound that grated on Corinne’s nerves. “You’re teasing, of course. Really, Corinne, I don’t know why you didn’t tell me he was such a handsome and charming gentleman.”

“Is this by any chance the gentleman we’re discussing?” Corinne coolly nodded to Jared.

“You know it is.”

“Well, you see, I haven’t yet met Mr. Burk.”

She was stunned by the icy gray eyes. He seemed to dislike her, yet he had never even seen her before. He quickly masked his feelings and, with a fixed smile, bowed to her.

“I don’t think introductions are necessary,” Jared
Burk said in a deep voice. “We know each other’s names.”

“That is hardly proper, Mr. Burk.”

“Since when are you proper, Corinne?” Cynthia laughed, getting a stabbing look in return. Cynthia recovered quickly. “You don’t know Corinne’s cousin, Mr. Burk. This is Lauren Ashburn.”

“A pleasure, Miss Ashburn.” Jared smiled at her, but she was too tongue-tied to answer and just stared at him.

A maid passed with a tray of drinks and Corinne took one. It wasn’t like her to feel so ill at ease, but Jared Burk kept staring at her. Though his eyes held only interest now, she couldn’t help but remember the cold look he had given her before. She was still stunned by it, and piqued that he had deprived her of a proper introduction.

“Are you aware of the rumors making the rounds about you, Mr. Burk?” Corinne asked him pointedly.

“If there are rumors, they are undoubtedly exaggerated,” he replied smoothly.

“The good ones or the bad ones?” When he did not answer immediately, Corinne grinned slyly. “Have I embarrassed you, Mr. Burk?”

Cynthia was annoyed by Corinne’s obvious attack, sensing Jared’s discomfort. “Corinne, what’s gotten into you?”

“I’m just trying to get at a few facts,” Corinne replied innocently. “I only just heard about Mr. Burk today, but undoubtedly what I heard is only rumor and speculation.”

“I assure you there is no great mystery about me, Miss Barrows,” Jared said in a congenial tone.

“Then you won’t mind answering a few questions?” Corinne ventured, no longer keeping the sharpness from
her voice. “After all, you are a guest in my house, yet I know nothing about you.”

“Not at all—if you will be equally frank,” he countered.

Cynthia moved between them before more was said. “I haven’t seen Russell yet. Isn’t he coming?”

“Yes, he’s coming.”