Wanton Splendor

by Bobbi Smith

  "So, did you follow through on your threat? Did you turn him in?" George asked coldly.

  Emil looked him straight in the eye. "I told one of the Special Deputies with whom I had had dealings in the past, that I suspected him. Yes."

  George bit back a furious reply, "Had they caught him when you left?"

  "No."

  "Thank God for that."

  "Then you are not going to deny his involvement?"

  "No," he answered. "As a matter of fact, Emil, I am damned proud of it. You know how I feel about slavery."

  "Yes, George. I know and I've never understood how how you could turn your back on your heritage and just walk away."

  George shrugged, not caring to justify his motive to anyone and then turned his thoughts to his new sonin-law. There was no doubt about the fact that he admired Christopher for his brave stand on a very controversial issue and he wondered what could be done to rescue him from such a dangerous situation. Hopefully, he hadn't been captured yet and was just hiding out until he could make good his escape.

  With narrowed eyes, George studied Emil and debated approaching him with a compromising offer.

  "Emil," his tone was considerably lighter as he sought to come to an agreement that would settle everything.

  "Yes?"

  "I know you want Greenwood back."

  "Of course, that goes without saying," he admitted, trying to understand this new twist in the conversation.

  "What would you say to striking a bargain?"

  "Bargain?" he was instantly cautious. "What kind of bargain?"

  "Would you be willing to drop the charges you made against Christopher?"

  "And why should I?" he countered tersely. "Christopher Fletcher is a criminal under the Southern code and deserves whatever he gets!"

  "Ah, but right now, you have nothing. No Dee and no Greenwood. Suppose just suppose now-that I could get Katie and Christopher to agree to sell Greenwood to you for a reasonable price in return for you dropping your testimony against Christopher." George continued, "Everyone would benefit from it, too. Christopher would be cleared of all wrongdoing. You would have Greenwood and Mark could marry Jacqui and stay in Louisiana without the fear of being connected with all of this."

  Emil was impressed by the offer. Right now, he had only the satisfaction of knowing that he'd gotten the law onto Fletcher. But if he were to get Greenwood back-that might help to placate Marie.

  "Your proposal is worth considering..."

  "I'm glad you feel that way." George sat back in his chair. "You realize that I'm not in a position to make you a firm commitment until I know that Christopher is safe and alive and I have both his and Katie's approval."

  "Of course." Emil secretly prayed that Fletcher had escaped the certain death that awaited him in Louisiana.

  Emil smiled, lifting his glass. "Then let us hope that Christopher Fletcher is safe."

  "I'll drink to that."

  Katie opened the door eagerly when George finally came to her. It had been long hours since the confrontation on the levee and she had waited impatiently with Dee in their hotel room for him to let them know the outcome.

  "Well?" she asked eagerly as he entered the room.

  "I think I've hit upon a solution... but I have to talk with you about it first."

  "About what?"

  George sat on one bed while Katie and Dee sat with Jebediah on the other.

  "First, Dee, you're no longer in danger from Emil."

  "Thank God," they muttered. "How did you manage to dissuade him?"

  "Just a few, not so idle threats..." he grinned. "On certain occasions they work wonders."

  "Thank you, Mr. Kingsford," Dee said tearfully.

  "George, please, my dear. And you're most welcome."

  "But what about this `solution' of yours?"

  "Let me ask you this, Katie," George said. "Do you want to return to Greenwood?"

  "No!" the answer erupted from her. "I don't care if I never see that place again.",

  George chuckled, "I had a feeling that that would be your answer."

  "So...?"

  "So, what I proposed to Emil is this.. .that he goes back to Louisiana without Dee and as soon as he gets there, retracts the charges he made against Christopher."

  "He agreed to that?" Katie looked at her father in wide-eyed disbelief. "And just what does he get in return for this sudden change of heart?"

  Katie sounded cynical and George couldn't blame her.

  "If Christopher is reunited with us, alive and well. Then we will sell Greenwood back to Emil for a nominal amount, provided that Christopher's name has been cleared."

  "I only have one objection."

  "What's that?"

  "I refuse to sell him our slaves. I want all of the plantation's slaves to be given their manumission papers. He can have the land, but he'll not get another chance to abuse the servants." Katie drove a hard bargain.

  "I'll tell him."

  "Do you think it will affect his decision?"

  "I don't know. We'll just have to find out." George rose to leave. "Well, I'm going to call it a night. Why don't you do the same?"

  "When will you see Emil again?"

  "I'll speak with him in the morning. And as soon as I do, I'll let you know what he says."

  "Thank you." She kissed his cheek.

  Emil had decided to breakfast in his room and was about to begin when George knocked at the door.

  "Good morning, Emil. May I come in?"

  "George," he acknowledged and opened the door wider to give him entrance. "What can I do for you?"

  "I wanted to let you know that I did speak with Katie last night."

  "Yes. And?"

  "She has one change to make in our tentative 'arrangement'."

  "What's that?"

  "She wants the slaves." He noticed Emil's shock and hurried on. "Katie is most willing to sell you the house and the grounds but she is determined to keep the servants with her."

  "I should have known. She is, after all, your daughter," Emil meant his remarks disparagingly.

  "I'll take that as a compliment," George grinned at him maddeningly. "Well, what do you say? Are you still interested?"

  "Of course, I'm still interested," he snapped. "Would she take a separate offer for the blacks?"

  "No," his tone was final. "They are not for sale."

  "And what if I refuse to clear Fletcher's name?" Emil tried to get. better dealing power.

  "I am sure," he informed him coldly. "That a very good case could be made against you for your blackmail attempt against Katie and your kidnapping of Dee just last night. You're in Missouri now, Emil."

  Stalemated, they mentally circled each other, searching for a weakness.

  George took the hard line, knowing that the worst that could happen would be that Christopher's name would not be cleared. He waited for Emil to accept his terms.

  Emil felt as if Katie was deliberately trying to humiliate him with her request and it angered him to know that he had no effective way to counter her demand. Recognizing his position, he grudgingly agreed to her terms.

  "Very well."

  "Now. How soon are you leaving for New Orleans?"

  "There's a steamer out tonight. I plan to be on it."

  "Good. As soon as I'm assured of my son-in-law's safety, we will conclude our arrangement. Is that satisfactory to you?"

  "Yes. And I will send word to you at once when I find out something."

  "We'll be waiting. But be warned. If Fletcher's dead, you won't have seen the last of us."

  Katie tossed restlessly in her bed in the darkened hotel room, as sleep eluded her. There should have been some word from Mark by now and the continued silence was undermining her determination not to think the worst.

  She missed Christopher. Her entire being longed for him...his touch, his nearness, the gentle sound of his laughter. It seemed an eternity since he'd last held her and loved her. And yet, even now, she could recall his
every caress and warm memories of his demanding desire stirred her.

  "Oh Christopher," she moaned to herself. "Where are you? Please, please come to me."

  So much had happened since he'd left on his trip. Joel's murder-Andre's death-her escape to her father's protection. She wondered if he knew about it at all or if he was still in hiding unaware of the great changes that had taken place.

  Tears stung her eyes and, in the shadowed darkness of the room, she let them fall unheeded. Christopher was her whole world. Why, if something happened to him...No, she decided. He was safe. Katie wouldn't let herself even consider the alternative. Christopher was coming to her. Of that much, she was sure.

  The Reunion

  They would arrive in St. Louis the following morning and Christopher was torn between apprehension and excitement. Was Katie safe? He had fought thinking about it for the whole trip but no longer could he deny the possibility that Emil might have found her...

  Swearing under his breath, Christopher sat up on the edge of the bunk. In the beginning, when he had been denying his attraction to Katie, he had known that something like this could happen. But his common sense had lost out in the war of his emotions. Love had conquered all, even his hard logic.

  He couldn't help but smile... it was one battle that he would never regret losing. Katie was his world... his life. In just their short time together, she had shown him how wonderful real love could be. Christopher knew now that he would do everything in his power to protect Katie and to keep their life together free of fear.

  Having made the final decision to give up his aboli tionist work, he wasn't distressed. In fact, if anything, he was relieved. For if he found Katie alive and well, he was going to spend the rest of his life being thankful for their second chance at love.

  Standing up with considerably less effort than it had taken him the day before, Christopher took several halting steps across the small cabin. He was pleased to find that the dizziness had passed. He couldn't say he felt wonderful but at least he was ambulatory and that was major progress.

  "You're up!" Mark was surprised as he entered the stateroom unannounced. "Are you sure you're strong enough?"

  Christopher grinned. "Probably not, but I'm doing it anyway. I have no intention of leaving this steamer the same way I got on it."

  "Yes, sir," Mark chuckled at his good-natured vehemence. But as Christopher's smile became more of a grimace, he invited, "Sit back down for a while. Don't wear yourself out today. Save all that energy for tomorrow."

  A grunt of pain escaped him as he sat down heavily. "So, how are you this morning?"

  "I'm fine. I just spoke with the captain and he says we'll be tying up in St. Louis right at dawn."

  "Good. Now, where did you say you stayed whenever you came to town with your father?"

  "We didn't make the trip that often, but when we did, we stayed at the Planter's House."

  "All right. That'll be our first stop."

  "If she's not there, we can check at the railroad office. I'm sure she'll have left a message for you there."

  Christopher nodded, anxious for this last day to be over. "Damn! I feel like we're never going to get there."

  "I know. But we will."

  Mark sounded calmer than he felt. With each passing day, his confidence in Katie's ability to protect herself had waned as all the "what-ifs" played havoc with his peace of mind. But tomorrow, their journey would be over and hopefully, they would find Katie safe and happy, awaiting their arrival.

  "Bring the table over," Christopher directed as Mark tried to get his thoughts together.

  "Not again," he groaned in humorous frustration.

  "Can you think of any other way to idle away the hours? It's going to be one very long day."

  Without another word, Mark pulled the table over and brought out the now dogeared, deck of cards.

  "We'll be waiting to hear from you, Emil. But if I haven't received any assurances about Christopher's safety in two weeks' time, then Katie and I will be coming South."

  "I'll be in touch before then, George," Emil stated firmly as he watched the roustabouts take his baggage on board.

  "I'm counting on it. And the news had better be good," he added one final threat.

  "Goodbye, George."

  "Emil."

  George watched as Emil mounted the gangplank and strode down the main deck to the companionway. Then, turning away, he headed back to the hotel to dine with Katie and Dee. They had ordered dinner to be served in his suite and he was looking forward to their small celebration. Emil was gone and Katie and Dee were safe at last.

  Christopher finished off his meal mechanically. He had had no appetite, but knew that he had to eat to build his strength. Nervous and edgy, he got up to pace the room.

  When Mark had left him alone to rest earlier, Christopher had forsaken sleep. Instead he had practiced walking and had almost attained his normal stride again.

  He knew he had to give the appearance of vitality even if it was an illusion. He couldn't take a chance on facing Montard from a position of weakness.

  "Finish eating, yet?" Mark joined him.

  "I just got done."

  "How about a drink?" He held up a bottle of bourbon and two glasses. "What do you say?"

  "I say, you're a mind-reader."

  "Not really. I'm just as nervous as you are," he admitted, pouring out two stiff drinks. "And I thought this might help to get us through the night."

  Christopher picked up his tumbler and took a deep drink, sighing afterward. "That's the best medicine I've had yet."

  Mark sat down on the single chair in the cabin as Christopher stretched out, once again, on his bunk.

  "Make sure not to get in any fights tonight," he chided Mark.

  "I have no intention of leaving this room," he countered. "And I definitely have no intention of picking a fight with you."

  "Good, although right now, I've no doubt that you could lay me low with one punch."

  Mark laughed and refilled both their glasses. "But it wouldn't be much of an accomplishment to beat up a man who has spent the past week flat on his back in bed recovering from a gunshot wound."

  "Guess not," he agreed. "Although there was a time when I think you would have taken great pleasure in It."

  "That's for sure. That first night-during the cardgame... you were so cool about the whole thing ... so professional."

  "I had a reason to be. I wanted to get Dee back for Joel and since Andre had refused to sell her.. .win ning Greenwood was the only quick way."

  "But you acted like you didn't want to gamble for the plantation."

  "If I'd seemed too eager, Emil might have backed down."

  "It was all a ruse?"

  Christopher shrugged eloquently. "I didn't plan it that way. I just took advantage of the opportunity offered me."

  Mark shook his head in admiration as he downed his whiskey. "You know, I'll admit I didn't like you in the beginning, but now I'm damned glad Katie married you."

  "I'm damned glad she married me, too," he grinned and took another drink. "Katie's unlike any woman I've ever known."

  "She is something. Until we came South, we had never realized how open and unrestricted our lives had been. We both had trouble getting used to all these `do's and don't's'. Katie more than me, because she didn't want to be here."

  "I know. Katie told me all about your father forcing her to come with you."

  "Father never really forced her. It was more like gentle coercion."

  "Well, no matter, I'm just glad he did it."

  Mark smiled lopsidedly as the whiskey began to affect him. "Me, too."

  "I told Emil that if we hadn't heard anything from him in two weeks' time that we would be coming South ourselves."

  Katie nodded her assent. "Frankly, I'm ready to go to New Orleans right now to look for him. I don't know if I can last two more weeks."

  "It's better that we stay put, for the odds are that Christopher is on his way here.
Emil said that they hadn't caught him yet when he left to follow you North. And in my experience, the first twenty-four hours of being hunted are the most dangerous. Once Christopher found out that they were after him, I'm sure he took every precaution."

  "I hope you're right."

  "Your father is right, Katie. Mark was watching for him and I'm sure he took care of everything."

  Katie smiled softly at their attempts to cheer her. "Thanks," she patted Dee's hand. "I know that you're just trying to cheer me up."

  "Not really," George explained further. "If we left now, we might very well pass him on the river and never know it."

  "I hadn't thought of that."

  "I'm sure we'll be hearing from Mark real soon, Katie," he reassured her.

  The first light of day found a bleary-eyed Mark helping Christopher to dress.

  "I think we've got it," he said as he pulled the shirt up over Christopher's injured shoulder and then aided him with his sling.

  "Thanks. In another week, I'll be able to do it myself. How close are we?"

  "They're just looking for a place to dock," Mark answered. "Then it's just a matter of a few minutes. Why don't you lie back down until we're tied up? I'll come and get you when it's time to leave the boat."

  "Fine." Christopher needed the extra rest for his head was aching as badly as his shoulder. "How's your head?" he finally asked wryly.

  "I don't want to talk about it," came his answer as he headed for the door. "I'll be back."

  "Shut it softly," he called.

  And Mark laughed as he went out on deck.

  The Mississippi River looked black and smooth in the early morning light and Mark watched it flow past, fascinated by its deceptive appearance. It looked tame.. .this wide waterway... as if one could float forever undisturbed, but Mark knew in its dark, swirling heart, it was a treacherous beast. Beneath the river's calm surface, lurked immeasurable dangers that were waiting just waiting-for the right time to catch the unprepared unaware.

  As their steamer glided up to the riverbank, hard muscled roustabouts grabbed the thick hemp ropes that were thrown and hauled the boat in, tying the massive stem-wheeler to the metal rings buried deep in the levee.

  When the plank had been lowered, Mark went ashore and hired a carriage for them. Then, after directing the driver to get as close as possible to the steamer, he went back for Christopher.