The Claiming (8 page)

The male child, whom Lill called Behn had finally tired of trying to eat the toys and had begun slapping them with his hands, scattering them in every direction. Jana had just crawled under the crib to retrieve the last of them when she heard that voice she was already beginning to dread.

Rubbing her head, she peered over her shoulder. He was standing in the doorway and although she could see little more than his legs, there was enough amusement in his voice to make her wonder just how long he'd been watching her.

It didn’t take a great deal of thought to realize that there was no dignified way to remove herself. The crib was against the wall. There was nothing she could do but to back out the way she'd come. Unfortunately, she discovered almost immediately that her hair had become hopelessly entangled with the crib. She struggled with it for a few moments, but quickly realized that it was getting worse, not better, and that it was far more than a strand or two.

"Uh … Mr. Camar?"

"Alain," he corrected promptly.

Jana blushed at the unmistakable laughter in his voice. "I ... I seem to be stuck," she admitted finally, realizing it was likely to amuse him all the more but that she had little choice.

"Stuck?"

"My hair is caught," she said stiffly.

She heard a low chuckle, but in a moment, he appeared at her side. She gave him a look that dared him to laugh. Amusement glinted in his eyes, but there was no other indication of suppressed mirth as he rolled onto his back, edged closer and reached up to untangle her hair.

"I suppose you're wondering how I came to be under here," she said tentatively.

He paused and his gaze flickered from his task to her face. He studied her for a long moment and Jana suddenly became aware of his nearness in a way she hadn’t been before, in a way she’d never been aware of any man before.

He unnerved her, set her heart to fluttering in a wild rhythm, but it had nothing to do with fear.

A slight smile played about his lips as he looked at her, drawing her gaze to his mouth. Her stomach executed a free fall, as it had when she’d been standing on the deck of the ship staring at endless space. Then, as now, she’d felt as if she was standing on the edge of an infinite precipice, teetering on the verge of falling. She could not have said what it was about those hard, sculpted lips that created such turmoil inside her, but there was no denying the effect it had upon her to look at him, to be so near him.

A wave of familiarity swept through her abruptly, leaving her almost dizzy. She closed her eyes, wondering how anything about him, or the situation could seem so familiar to her.

"I'm sure you have a very logical explanation," he said finally as he returned his attention to freeing her. "I believe I have it now."

"Thank goodness," she said lowering herself to her elbows slowly, expecting momentarily to feel the tug on her hair once more. None came and she smiled at Alain in gratitude.

A startled gasp drew her attention and she glanced over her shoulder in time to see Lill hastily retreat from the room. She glanced quickly at Alain to gauge his reaction. His expression was so eloquent of chagrin that, when coupled with the sudden release of tension, she dissolved into giggles.

“I see nothing at all humorous in having been caught in such an undignified position by one of my servants," Alain said, half in amusement and half in exasperation.

Jana stifled her laughter with an effort.

His smile faded as he studied her, replaced by a look that was half questioning and filled with intent as he shifted, bringing his face closer, his gaze straying to her lips.

Jana's amusement died instantly. As abruptly as the tension she’d felt before had disappeared, it returned, far more intensely. She gazed back at him warily, realizing that he meant to kiss her, wondering if she was supposed to allow it, but far more captivated by the realization that she wanted him to. Her heart seemed to stop beating altogether. Her breath caught in her throat.

He drew back abruptly, glancing toward the door and she was surprised at the depth of her disappointment.

"What the devil...!" he exclaimed in surprise.

Jana followed the line of his gaze and laughed shakily, feeling almost weak with the release of tension. "Behn! You bad boy! You are not to chew on boots! They are not at all hygienic!"

The baby’s face crumpled. She thought for several unnerving moments that he was going to burst into tearful wails. Instead, he reached for her.

Jana was too surprised to react immediately, but finally held out her hand. He grasped it, crawling over her legs and burying his face against her chest. Hesitantly, she wrapped her arms around him. It seemed to be what he’d wanted, for he settled quietly against her, sniffing and casting reproachful glances at the man who’d frightened him.

The female child, Marly, apparently jealous of the attention Behn was receiving, crawled up to Jana and demanded to be held, as well. Jana pulled her close, too, pleased, though she wasn’t entirely certain why she was so gratified that they wanted her to hold them.

"Does the child make a habit of chewing on things that are inedible?" Alain asked coolly as he rose and extended his hand to help her rise.

Jana stared at him. He was criticizing her. It should have unnerved her. Instead, she felt a surge of anger, not, she finally realized because he seemed displeased with her, but because she did not like his coolness toward the infants. "He is an infant. He does not know what he’s allowed to eat.”

"That being the case, perhaps you had better find something a little more appropriate for him to chew on," he retorted coldly.

He pulled Marly from her arms and set the child in the crib, then reached for Behn. Reluctantly, Jana released him and he lifted the child and placed him in the crib as well. Jana scrambled to her feet as Behn almost immediately began to wail. Not to be outdone, Marly joined him.

As if the chorus was her cue, Lill rushed into the room.

Alain grasped Jana’s arm and led her into the hallway, closing the door behind them. They glared at each other for several moments in silence.

It occurred to Jana after a moment, however, that she would never have dared to allow Marty to see her anger and that being so near to Alain had so thoroughly thrown her off balance that she’d not even realized she had ceased to behave with any caution.

To her surprise and relief, he said nothing at all about her behavior. She tensed when he released her arm, but he dropped it to his side.

“We have guests, I suggest you set yourself to rights and join us as soon as possible." Turning, he strode down the hallway without another word or a backward glance.

Jana stared after him, torn between residual anger and a sudden onslaught of debilitating terror. He’d told her to hurry. She knew it was not wise to provoke him further by ignoring what had, clearly, been a command, but she was so in dread of what she would find downstairs that it seemed worth the risk of annoying him further.

Blane had been so accepting of her that she had ceased to consider that, in actuality, she was practicing deception only by her presence here. She was not the woman everyone seemed to think that she was. She did not have the right to be here.

Up until Alain’s arrival, she had not really considered that she had far more to worry about than the possibility that Marty might discover where she’d gone. She had enjoyed herself, looking upon her situation almost as if it was a game—far more elaborate than any she’d played before, and different, of course, because she was playing the part for many, instead of an audience of one—but still a game.

Alain she realized, however, would not be at all amused if he discovered her game of deception. He was far more likely to be furious than to chuckle at her cleverness, pat her on the head, and assure her he was very satisfied at the substitution of herself for the woman he’d chosen—which she now realized that in her infinite ignorance of the ways of the outside world and men in general, she had expected.

She dawdled over ‘setting herself to rights’ a full half hour and was on the point of sending down word that her headache had returned and she didn’t feel up to entertaining Alain’s guests when he sent a maid to fetch her. She went to greet their guests with far more dread than at any time previously.

Her anxiety intensified by several degrees when she discovered the visitors were none other than Mrs. Knight and her daughter, Katryn.

Even before Alain’s arrival, she'd begun to see Katryn as her nemesis. Katryn Knight, more than any other except, perhaps, Judeau Mahew, had forced her into confronting Alain's neighbors with her deception. She would have far preferred to hide herself away at Briar Hill since she had lacked the confidence that she would be able to convince everyone that she was who she was supposed to be, Jana of Orleans, but Katryn had, through verbal coercion, forced her into the position of having to entertain.

She knew Alain would not be pleased when he learned of it.

Blane had warned her that Alain would not want them to entertain the neighbors, but he had not told her how she might discourage them from coming to be entertained, nor helped her fend Katryn off when Katryn and Judeau had ‘helped’ her to organize parties for her unwanted guests.

Considering how very unpleasant he could be when displeased, she shuddered to think how he would react to the news.

She found it very difficult, therefore, to concentrate on emulating the behavior of the guests, as Blane had advised her, for fear that any moment Katryn or Mrs. Knight would say something that would bring Alain’s wrath down upon her. She was further unnerved, though not surprised, when the two women extended their visit until it would've been downright rude not to invite them to dine. It was typical of Katryn, who exuded an almost proprietary air whenever she visited.

Strangely enough, however, about mid-way through the visit, Katryn’s behavior began to annoy Jana to the point that irritation gained the upper hand. She was, blatantly, flirting with Alain, giggling over nothing in particular, leaning close to speak in almost a conspiratorial whisper, touching his arm, brushing imaginary lint from his jacket.

Jana might be ignorant of many things, but she was well versed in the art of subtle, and not so subtle, flirtation.

She wasn’t entirely certain why she disliked it, but she found that her fear of discovery was slowly, but surely, displaced by anger the longer she watched.

It did not seem at all just that she had been forbidden to flirt, but Alain, who was supposed to be her companion, was allowed to.

It occurred to her after a while that Alain was not, exactly, flirting with Katryn. It was simply that he made no attempt to discourage her from flirting. Jana had no doubt that he could have, if he had wanted to. He did not seem the least bit uncomfortable about it, as he might have been if he had been laboring under confusion about how to dissuade her. In fact, he gave every indication not only of enjoying it thoroughly, but also that he was well aware it must be so obvious that Jana could not fail to notice.

When she realized it, anger completely overcame caution. She decided she would flirt, as well. Since Blane was the only male present other than Alain, she devoted her attention to him, pretending to be oblivious to the game in progress between Alain and Katryn.

She discovered fairly quickly that she had instinctively hit upon the correct counter to Alain’s annoying behavior. He very rapidly began to find it more and more difficult to concentrate on Katryn. Unaccountably pleased with his reaction, she was encouraged to flirt more and more blatantly with Blane.

By the time they sat down to dinner, Jana had begun to thoroughly enjoy herself. She’d come to realize that it was very unlikely Alain would retaliate for her performance. He was far too busy pretending he was enthralled with Katryn. He might be angry with her, but he could do nothing but stew in it unless he was willing, later, to swallow his pride and admit he had only flirted with Katryn to annoy her.

She ignored the little voice in her head that warned her she was playing a risky game with a dangerous man.

She also ignored Blane’s discomfort and the growing alarm in his eyes, determinedly mimicking Katryn’s behavior, smile for smile, touch for touch, batting eyelashes and all—glancing only occasionally toward Alain to gauge his reaction.

He met her gaze across the table just as Katryn reached to touch his hand for perhaps the tenth time. Arching a dark brow, he allowed a slow smile to curl his lips. Jana felt her face heat, with anger as well as the realization that he was as completely aware of her game as she was his. She returned her attention to Blane abruptly. "Oh, Blane, how you do run on," she mimicked Katryn, batting her eyelashes madly.

Blane, who had said nothing at all, who had, in fact, been on the point of taking a sip from his glass, choked and very nearly spewed his wine on the table. When he finally caught his breath, he glanced down the table to see if Alain had noticed. One look was sufficient. He had hoped Katryn had kept his brother too preoccupied to notice Jana’s peculiar behavior. Obviously, old eagle eyes had missed nothing at all. Casting about frantically for a distraction, he said the first thing that popped into his mind. "I saw the oddest advertisement in the news sheet this morning….”

The words had no sooner left his mouth than he remembered why he’d destroyed it before Alain could see it.

Alain had always seemed to have a sixth sense when it came to ferreting out subterfuge, however.

“Oh? I’m afraid I missed it. In fact, I was under the impression that the news sheet had not been delivered.”

Blane felt his color rise, but frowned, as if puzzled. “Really? I suppose I mislaid it somewhere. I’ll go look for it.”

Alain favored him with a look that froze him to his seat. “Now?”

Blane aborted his attempt to rise. “No! Of course not! Later. I’ll go look for it after dinner. I’m sure it’s around here somewhere … maybe slipped beneath the chair cushion.” He focused his attention on his plate once more.

Try though he might, however, he simply could not ignore the fact that Alain continued to study him. He looked up finally, questioningly.