Rebel Temptress (Historical Romance) (2 page)

Over the years Honor had grown close to her Aunt Amanda, who had never married and who ran Landau with an efficiency that had made it a very profitable plantation.

Meagan and her aunt had always been at odds, and Honor knew Meagan's elopement with Horace Elderman would be a bitter pill for her aunt to swallow. Not only was he from the North, but when he had moved to the Shenandoah Valley four years earlier, he had flashed his money about trying to buy respectability. He had built a huge, ornate brick mansion and staffed it with servants. It was rumored that he gave wild parties, and for awhile he had lived openly with a mistress. He found the people of Virginia unwilling to accept him, and when the war started he had even received threats against his life.

Honor had not known that Meagan was secretly seeing Mr. Elderman, and her announcement today that she was going to marry him and accompany him to New York had been a terrible shock to her and had sent their aunt to her bedroom, swearing she would not come out again until Meagan left the premises.

Darcy's voice broke into her thoughts. "Honey, you best go see to your aunt. She ain't feeling well, and we don't want her to have another spell with her heart."

Honor dried her tears and looked into Darcy's dark face. Darcy had been born on Landau Plantation and had nursed Honor's father and Aunt Amanda as babies. Landau was her domain, and she ruled the house with strict authority. The other slaves stood in awe of her, but with Honor, whom she loved more than anyone else in the world, she was always gentle.

"Darcy, I am worried about the effect Meagan's actions will have on Aunt Amanda. The doctor cautioned her against getting too upset."

Darcy shook her black head. "Miss Meagan got herself in a heap of trouble this time marrying up with a Yankee. She gonna come to grief, mark my word."

"I hope not, Darcy, but I fear you may be right."

"I knew that wild streak in her would get her in trouble one day," Darcy said with conviction. "She was always in a mess of trouble ever since she was big enough to walk."

Honor rose to her feet. "Hush, Darcy, you know Meagan is not like that at all. Prepare a tray for Aunt Amanda and bring it to her room. Perhaps it would be a good idea to send for Dr. Howard. It will do no harm to have him check her over, just to make sure she is all right."

Honor rapped lightly on her aunt's bedroom door. When there was no reply, she opened the door softly and entered. The curtains were drawn and it was dark inside the room. She could just make out her aunt's form lying on the bed. Not wanting to disturb her aunt if she were sleeping, Honor tiptoed to her bedside.

"There is no need to be quiet, Honor, I am not asleep. Has your sister gone?"

Honor sat down on the edge of her aunt's bed and took her hand in hers. "She has gone," Honor told her softly.

"Honor, there is something I have been meaning to discuss with you, and now seems as good a time as any."

Honor walked to the window and pulled the heavy gray draperies aside. The room was instantly bathed with the afternoon sunlight. Returning to her aunt's bedside, she stood looking down at her for a long moment. How fragile she looked. Blue veins showed through pale skin, and her eyes, usually so alert, were dull and lifeless.

"Aunt Amanda, you are not to worry about Meagan. She will be fine, I am confident of it." But Honor's voice did not sound convincing even to her own ears.

Her aunt sat up and leaned her head against the polished headboard. "It is not Meagan I wish to speak to you about. What I have to say concerns only yourself."

Honor sat down once more with a worried frown on her face. "What do you wish to say to me, Aunt Amanda?"

Her aunt reached for her hand and held onto it tightly. "While I have been lying here I have had a chance to do a lot of thinking. Today the responsibility of raising two motherless children seems to weigh heavily on me. Your father, my brother, would say I am a complete failure where Meagan is concerned. God only knows I tried to do the best I could with her. If only I could call back the years, maybe I could correct my mistakes."

"Now, you must not blame yourself, you have always been very good to Meagan as well as myself."

Her aunt frowned and shook her head. "You know I have always believed in facing the truth, and the truth is I have failed Meagan in some way."

Honor was about to protest but was silenced by a look from her aunt.

"I suspect Meagan was aware you were my favorite. I tried to treat you both equally, but it seems I was not successful."

Honor could not bring herself to tell her Aunt Amanda that Meagan had told her much the same thing just a short while ago.

"You look so much like my brother, while Meagan favored your mother. I have no excuse for favoring you except that you look so much like your father, and your disposition is so kind and loving it is easy to love you."

"I love you, Aunt Amanda, and you have always been generous with the love you gave to me as well as Meagan."

Her aunt touched her cheek softly. "Honey, when your father and mother were killed, I was happy that you and Meagan were coming to live with me. I never intended to marry, and the two of you became my whole life. It was such fun having two young girls around the house; it filled my life and made me feel a complete person."

"Why did you never marry?"

"That is a long story. I was very much in love with a young man named Rory. He was killed one month before we were to be married. I guess I never got over him. Oh, I had plenty of beaux who came calling and a few of them even offered for my hand, but I guess none of them could measure up to my memory of Rory."

Honor felt pain in her heart for how her gentle aunt must have suffered. Honor thought she must have been very beautiful when she was younger, for she was still an attractive woman in spite of her ill health.

"I am sorry for you, Aunt Amanda. It must have been very sad for you."

"Do not be sad for me, my dear. I have had my memories and my life has been full and not uneventful."

"I hardly remember my father and mother. When I think of my childhood it was always you who comforted me when I was frightened, or nursed me when I was ill. No mother could have done more or loved me half as much."

Tears came to the older woman's eyes. "You have become my whole life, Honor. You were the daughter Rory and I could never have, and I am very concerned about your future."

"My future is with you, Aunt Amanda."

Her aunt looked at her sadly. "Honey, I am no longer a young woman, and with this bad heart I could go at any time."

"Do not say it; Darcy and I shall take such good care of you. I am strong. You have only to tell me what to do and I will do it. I can take most of the work of running the plantation from your shoulders."

"My dear child, I do not tell you these things to upset you. I only want to prepare you in the event I should . . . not be around."

Honor jerked her hand free of her aunt's and covered her face. "I do not want to hear these things, I could not bear to lose you."

Her aunt's voice became firm. "Honor, you will hear me out. We are talking about your future. Remain silent and listen."

Honor clasped her hand tightly together and tried to hold back the sobs that threatened to choke her. Aunt Amanda had never spoken to her about these matters before now, and it frightened her.

"If you can control yourself," Aunt Amanda said sternly, "I want your undivided attention. I want to tell you of the plans I have made for your future. I have sent for Mr. Wade, my lawyer. I am having him draw up a will making you my sole beneficiary."

"But, Meagan . . ."

"Meagan can look after herself; she has proved that today. She neither wants nor needs my assistance. It is you I am concerned with. Now, to continue: You have no one but me, and I want you to know that your financial future is assured. Landau Plantation is not a large one, but, because of excellent management, we are financially secure. Clyde Carson is the best overseer in the country, maybe in the whole state of Virginia. He is honest and completely loyal. You are to trust him in all things pertaining to the running of the plantation. Now, about any legal problems that might come up. I will instruct my lawyer, Chance Wade, to assist you in all such matters. Again, he is completely trustworthy.

"Starting tomorrow morning, I want you to ride out with Clyde, and I will instruct him to teach you all you need to know about running Landau. Also, starting tomorrow, I am turning the bookkeeping over to you. I want you to know where every dollar goes that is spent on this plantation.

"I will say this—know your friends. There will be those who will want to marry you just to get their hands on your land. Be wise and astute, and follow your heart. It will not steer you wrong. If the time ever comes when you do not know what to do, put your trust in the good Lord. You are very intelligent; rely on your own instincts." She leaned back on her pillow, looking very pale and weak. "Do you understand what I have been telling you?"

"Yes, I think so," Honor said, not fully understanding.

"You will do fine when the time comes. I have a lot of faith in your good sense."

"Aunt Amanda, do you think anyone will ever want to marry me because he loves me?"

Her aunt smiled and turned to face her. "You, my dear child, are going to be very beautiful one day. I already see the first signs of it now. You have always had to live in the shadow of Meagan, but one day, one day you will bloom, and heaven help all the men who come into contact with you. They will fall like ripened apples from a tree. Bide your time and wait for the real thing. Love wears many faces, not all of them are true faces. Sometimes you may think you love someone only to find out it was infatuation and not the real thing. The man who would win your love will have to be honorable and have a very strong character. Anything less and you would grow to loathe him in time. And if he is a weak man, you would become dissatisfied. I know this because you are too much like me."

"What do you think Jordan will do when he finds out that Meagan has married Mr. Elderman?"

Her aunt was quiet for a long time. "It is hard to say. Jordan is used to getting his way in everything. Jordan Daniels is a very handsome man, and I have always liked him, but he and Meagan are much alike. They do things without thinking them through, then live to rue the consequences. I would caution you where he is concerned. He does not have your stability; you are much stronger than he."

"Oh, no, Aunt Amanda, Jordan is wonderful."

"You think so now, but I think the day will come when you will think differently about him. Now suppose you go and tell Darcy to serve me dinner in my room. I want to conserve my strength for tomorrow."

Honor kissed her aunt on the cheek and walked across the room.

"Think hard on our conversation of today, honey, and remember all that I have told you."

Honor turned to face her. "I will, Aunt Amanda, I promise."

That night after Honor had gone to bed she pondered all the strange things that had happened in the space of one day. She thought of Meagan and hoped that she would find happiness, and she said a prayer for her aunt, whose health seemed to be deteriorating.

The talk they had had upset Honor more than her aunt realized. Honor loved her aunt and could not bear to think of a life without her. She was determined to take all the responsibility of running the house as well as the plantation from her. Dr. Howard had checked her over earlier and had told Honor that her aunt's health was failing. She had no doubt that Meagan's marriage plans had set Aunt Amanda back. It had been too much of a shock for her.

Honor had a feeling of dread. The future suddenly seemed so uncertain, with Meagan gone, the war, and Aunt Amanda talking of death. She knew she would have to be strong and shoulder most of the responsibility.

Her mind wandered to Jordan. He would be devastated when he learned of Meagan's marriage.

Jordan was tall, with curly blond hair and cool gray eyes. Honor had loved him for a long time now.

She remembered the time she had skinned her knee when she had climbed up an apple tree and fallen from one of its branches. Jordan had picked her up in his arms and wiped away her tears. Then he had insisted on doctoring her wounds himself. He had always called her little one and rumpled her hair and teased her like an older brother, never knowing that she loved him with every beat of her heart.

She pulled the covers up to her chin. She was so tired. Tomorrow would be soon enough to worry about her future.

* * *

The house seemed unusually quiet without Meagan. Honor had very little time, however, to think about her sister, as her aunt's health had deteriorated to the point that she had become an invalid and was unable, to get out of bed without help.

Honor's heart was heavy as she thought of how strong her aunt had always been. While she had been a child growing up she had thought of her aunt as indestructible. Honor felt pity for the woman whom she loved and who so unselfishly had taken her and Meagan into her home and raised them as best she could. She tried to spend as much time as she could reading to her aunt, but she had such a great responsibility running the plantation and learning the books, and so she had little time.