Jared looked slightly sheepish as he returned to Mariah’s side and swung her down into his arms. “I had to tell a small lie, sweetheart,” he confessed. “If he asks, you’re three months along and I’m about to leave on a six-month trapping expedition.” His mouth quivered with silent amusement until he realized she didn’t share his smile.
“Jared, we could have waited until tomorrow. I don’t like lying to a man of God!” She pouted and a tiny frown formed. “It’s not a good way to begin a marriage.”
“Mariah, it’s all I could think of…” He gently took her chin and tilted it so that her eyes met his. “It was either that or return home and sleep in separate beds.” He arched a blond brow at her and suggested, “I’ll tell him we’ve changed our minds, if you want me to.”
“No, of course I don’t! I’m sorry, Jared,” she apologized, “everything’s been so sudden. It’s more important to be married than how it’s done.” She stared up into his face and smiled. “Still love me?”
“If I said no, would you believe me?” he teased. When she grinned and shook her head, he admitted, “Well, I guess waking an irate preacher at two in the morning is proof of love! Come on, sweet, we have a ceremony to attend.”
Elias Morton was almost seventy but never in his long lifetime had he been awakened by a couple desperate to be married at such an hour. He still frowned at the fact that the young couple had sinned, but it was his duty to see that the child came into the world with a proper name. The ceremony, witnessed by his housekeeper, was over in a short time. Morton was impressed by the love that seemed to flow between the couple as they exchanged their vows in quiet, serious tones; and because of it, he forgave their impatience. After he blessed them and pronounced them man and wife, they kissed and it was only his loud cough that seemed to bring them back to reality. After he had signed the certificate and seen them to the door, he stood there a while, watching them disappear into the night. Before he locked the door, he said a silent prayer that the two would remain together as happily in the future as they appeared to be tonight.
Chapter 12
Jared held Mariah cradled in his arms, contentedly listening to the soft, rhythmic breathing that signified sleep. He had returned her to the house, to her room, following the ceremony. The magic of the night was still with them, and looking once more at her wedding ring, she had melted against him in warm, trusting surrender.
Now dawn was beginning to light the room as he gazed at the girl who had just become his wife. He was still awed by her matchless, exotic beauty and marveled that she belonged to him alone. Gently disengaging her arms, he dressed and regretfully returned to his own room. Mariah and he had talked of the future on the ride home and had both agreed that it would be best to keep the marriage a secret, at least until they had decided what to do with their lives. Each of them had explanations to make. Clay and Lil would both be furious at him and Mariah. He stripped again and yawned as he crawled into bed. He’d figure out how to tell Lil in the morning; now he had to get some rest. Strangely enough, his bride of four hours had worn him out more than a session with Lil would have. He smiled peacefully at the thought of Mariah as he drifted off to sleep.
Maddy had been in the kitchen brewing coffee and starting breakfast for the hands when she’d heard a noise in the hall. Curious, she peeked around the corner, startled to see Jared sneaking out of Mariah’s room and into his own.
She knew it would happen. That little half-breed bitch had come back like a ghost to haunt Lil and steal her man. Maddy had no particular regard for Jared, but she approved of anyone who made Lil happy. That blackhaired hussy was out to steal Jared away. Lil would have to be told before she had the shock of accidentally finding the two together. She would wait until this afternoon to tell her. Maddy had disliked and resented the girl from the moment of birth. She should have been left on the prairie to die, she thought spitefully.
Maddy heaved her bulk into a chair at the kitchen table and tried to think what to do while she peeled potatoes for breakfast. Perhaps she should get rid of this girl alone, without having to hurt Lil with the news. But how? She frowned at a potato and viciously gouged out an eye with her knife. A sudden and mysterious illness was often fatal here, where the nearest doctor was thirty miles away. Maddy’s dark eyes narrowed as she stared out the window, a triumphant smile creasing her worn face. Her hands moved automatically, continuing their chore. Three years ago they had had problems with coyotes. Normally afraid of men, they had been starved from the drought and it had made them bold enough to come near the ranchhouse, howling at the scent of cooked food. She’d been a nervous wreck from the sounds until Lil had purchased a poison that had killed them all within a day. Maddy had personally seen to hiding the bag of poison so that no one would accidentally get into it. Only she knew, or probably even remembered it's whereabouts. All she would have to do was mix a small amount in the girl’s coffee.
Excited, now that she had thought of a solution to the problem, Maddy took a key from the belt around her wide waist and proceeded quietly down the hall to unlock a small, seldom-used closet. The bag marked with a skull and crossbones was just where she remembered. Taking a tablespoon of the white powder, she backed carefully out of the closet and relocked it. Padding quietly back to the kitchen, she heated a separate pan of coffee for her victim. The poison blended quickly and Maddy added enough sugar to disguise any bitter taste. Carefully washing her hands, she sat once more at the table, finished peeling the potatoes and had them frying by the time she heard the first sounds of others awakening. Lil usually slept until noon so that there was no way she could be blamed for the events of the morning.
At six-forty–five, the men began to file in, yawning and bleary-eyed, to sit at the long table. She served them quickly, anxious for them all to leave the kitchen. She wanted to be alone to consider her plan. No one would guess she had anything to do with the girl’s sudden and fatal seizure. As soon as Mariah finished the coffee, Maddy would retrieve the cup and wash it clean of any residue.
By nine o’clock Maddy had washed the dishes and straightened the kitchen. She set a tray with the doctored coffee and several sweet rolls she’d baked the night before. As she worked, she held a silent conversation with the long-dead Mike Draper. She talked to him often, especially when she had a problem to mull over and it always seemed to help her. Although the young girl she planned to kill was Mike’s granddaughter, she was also the daughter of one of the savages responsible for his death. She was sure Mike would approve of her revenge.
Mariah didn’t hear Maddy enter her room. She was curled into a ball beneath the covers, lost in dreams of Jared. Maddy cleared her throat as she placed the tray beside the bed and when the sound drew no response from the sleeping girl, she went to the window and drew the curtains aside.
Mariah slowly stretched, still trying to cling to her dreams. Jared had held her close within the shelter of his arms, where nothing could hurt her. Her eyelids fluttered open and she stared in surprise as Maddy came to stand near the bed.
“Brought you some coffee and rolls, miss. Lil told me you thought I resented you. Ain’t so and I thought I’d prove it by bringin’ you breakfast.”
Mariah smiled, pleased by the first kind words she had ever heard from Maddy. She decided she should have said something to Lil earlier. “Why thank you, Maddy, how kind of you. I didn’t mean to make trouble for you—perhaps I was mistaken!” She accepted the cup of coffee that was offered and complimented the servant on the rolls. Maddy smiled brightly and seemed pleased with the new relationship. Her dark eyes watched carefully as Mariah sipped at the coffee and she stayed to make sure Mariah continued to drink from the cup, then excused herself.
Mariah mused over Maddy’s change of heart. The woman had seemed sincere enough. She took another sip of the coffee and grimaced. She hadn’t wanted to spoil the new friendship by commenting, but Maddy’s coffee this morning was definitely bitter and overbrewed. She set it back on the tray, determined
not to drink any more. Rising, she took a bite of the rolls and found them delicious. She decided to dress and find Jared. In her newfound happiness, she hated to be parted from him for longer than necessary. Donning a pale cream-colored dress with tiny yellow flowers embroidered in a pattern across the skirt, she admired her reflection in the mirror. There was definitely a sparkle about her eyes today that Jared’s love had placed there. She stretched out her hand, staring at the ring that made her Mrs. Jared Bryant. She still couldn’t believe it was true. It would be a while before she could accept the fact that she was indeed married. Suddenly, Mariah felt a cramp in her stomach, then a succession of cramps that swept over her in wave after wave of pain. It eased a moment but then returned and her forehead broke out in a film of perspiration. Weakly she returned to the bed, sitting just as another wave of pain washed over her and the room blurred before her eyes. She moaned, unable to think what could have brought on the racking pains that seemed to be tearing her insides apart.
Mariah fell back on the bed, unaware of anything save the terrible anguish inside her. She didn’t hear the knock at her door, or the sound of Jared calling her name. She was fast becoming oblivious to everything.
When Mariah didn’t answer his knock, Jared thought she must still be sleeping. He had wanted to see her before he had breakfast and faced Lil, but he decided to let her sleep. The girl had had quite a night and deserved to rest longer. He started away and paused, as a longing to look in on her swept him. He’d be quiet, but he just wanted to assure himself he hadn’t been dreaming—that Mariah was really his.
Jared quietly entered the room and found Mariah fully dressed on top of the coverlet, her body twisted and doubled in half. He was instantly at her side, grabbing her into his arms. Her eyes rolled and it was clear that she was delirious. She moaned pitifully and her hands clenched and unclenched as pain swept over her again and again. An icy dread settled over Jared. When he left her four hours before, she’d been the picture of health and now…now she looked as though she stood at the threshold of death.
Mariah had slipped into a comatose state, her face waxen and clammy, and she was unaware of Jared’s presence. Jared gently laid her head on the pillow, smoothing the damp hair away from her forehead with hands that shook. He had to get help, had to find out what mysterious illness could strike her so swiftly!
Jared shouted for Maddy, but as he turned, he saw that she stood near the door, a calm look of resignation on her dark, weathered face. “Maddy, send for the doctor—quickly, woman,” he ordered. When the woman stayed still, not moving a muscle, his voice rose angrily, “Didn’t you hear what I said? Move!” Maddy continued to stare past him, as though she hadn’t heard him. Her eyes fastened on the still form of the girl, flickered to the coffee cup and then returned to Mariah.
Jared had seen her glance at the cup, and a terrible suspicion suddenly made his skin crawl. He grabbed the three-quarters-full cup and sniffed its contents. He slammed the cup down and shot across the room, grabbing Maddy’s arm. “What’d you put in it, you bitch?”
Maddy closed her lips tightly, viewing her handiwork as she refused to utter a word. Lil came into the room as Jared picked up the cup and, tugging Maddy’s head back, brought the poisoned liquid near. Lil could see her eyes widen with terror as she came closer to the death she had designed for Mariah.
Maddy saw death looming in the form of the lethal liquid and she tried to twist away. Jared’s hand relentlessly held her head still as he forced the arsenic-laden coffee to her lips. “It’s arsenic,” she shrieked. “Let me go, you bastard! I did it for my Lil—I saw you sneaking out of this bitch’s room. Do you think that your whore will live. She took enough to kill her!” The pressure on her head eased as Jared stared at Mariah, horrified by the woman’s evil, twisted idea. He shoved her away and he turned to issue a desperate order to Lil. “Go to the kitchen, put a tablespoon of salt in a glass of warm water and hurry, damn it, while there’s still time!" Stunned, Lil did as he commanded.
When she returned, Jared’s eyes, murderously cold and deadly, seemed to bore into her. “How much of this did you plan? If Mariah doesn’t pull through…” Jared swallowed with difficulty at the thought, and he let his warning trail off, far more ominous than a stated threat. His eyes went to Maddy, his mouth twitching with disgust.
Lil returned and handed the solution to Jared, placing a basin near Mariah as he slowly poured the salt solution down her throat. He waited until her natural reflex to swallow had allowed her to accept it. Seeing the tender worry in Jared’s face, Lil motioned silently to Maddy and the woman slowly crawled to her feet and followed Lil to her bedroom.
Mariah moved restlessly and her eyes flickered open, clouded and unfocused. Something in the gentle strength of the hands that cradled her head communicated love to her wandering mind, and she moaned Jared’s name once before waves of nausea overcame her and she was racked by convulsive vomiting. Again and again, the hands helped her to expel the life-threatening poison until she could no longer discharge any fluid from her retching stomach.
Gently the hands laid her head upon the damp pillow and she lay conscious but weak and limp from the ordeal. A cool cloth bathed her forehead and she was vaguely aware of a man’s voice, hoarse and low, whispering her name over and over in a broken lament. A languid, drifting sensation overcame her, and for a while a small part of her almost accepted the prospect of death, but she fought a silent but determined battle; she would not die when she had only just begun to live. Gradually her breathing became more even, and a slight tinge of color returned to her face. Silent tears of relief streamed down Jared’s cheeks, and he buried his head on Mariah’s soft breast.
In her room, Lil nervously interrogated a shaking Maddy, as the faithful old retainer tried to explain the reasoning behind her murderous plan. Lil paled when Maddy explained, “I had to do it for you!” and revealed she had seen Jared sneaking out of Mariah’s room that morning. Maddy rocked, miserably bemoaning only the abortion of her plans. Furious at Jared’s infidelity, Lil was even more irate at Maddy’s bungled attempt to solve the problem without consulting her. No doubt, she also would have tried to get rid of the little slut, but in a much less obvious manner. Remembering the hard, merciless fury in Jared’s eyes, she knew she had to tread softly if she was to avoid suspicion. The romance could still be broken, if only she could have time. I need to think, she reflected. “Go to your room and lock the door until I come for you,” she ordered.
Masking her thoughts with sympathy, she entered Mariah’s room, noticing Jared slumped in a chair next to the bed, his hand rubbing his eyes in a tired gesture. “Jared, I had nothing to do with this…this outrage! How could you believe I would attempt to harm her?” She walked closer and saw his glare of cold doubt at her innocent protest. She worked herself into tears, aware that they would be her best defense. “I was still asleep when the commotion woke me. Maddy said she did it because you spent the night with Mariah. How would I have known that if I was asleep?” She knelt in front of the chair, a pleading hand dramatically touching his knee. “Even if you hurt me by sleeping with her, would you believe I could seek such a revenge?” The tears flowed freely down her cheeks and she made no attempt to wipe them away. “She looks much better, Jared…she’ll be all right.” Lil bowed her head and her shoulders shook with sobs.
Jared was exhausted by the emotional trauma of pulling Mariah back from the edge of death. He glanced over at her, noting the rhythmic cadence of her breathing and then at Lil’s trembling body, undecided whether to believe her denial. The memory of her white, shocked face as she’d stood watching by the door came back to him and he sighed heavily, getting up from the chair to pull Lil to her feet and place her in the chair. Her tears seemed real enough. Damn, he was tired, but he figured it was time they had that talk he’d been headed for when all hell broke loose.
“I’ll have to call the authorities in, Lil. This was a murder attempt, plain and simple. Whether she thought she did i
t for you or not, Maddy’s dangerous—too dangerous to be left loose. She could try again.” He paced the floor with long strides, then faced her again. “If Mariah had died, I’d have strangled that old bitch with my bare hands!” He poured a glass of water from the pitcher on the bureau and handed it to her. “I was coming to tell you about us when this happened.” He took a deep breath and continued. “Lil, Mariah and I were married last night.” Tenderly, he picked up Mariah’s pale hand, showing her the wedding band. “I’m sorry, I know it’s a shock…we meant to keep it a secret until I had a chance to settle things with you and decide what to do, but I won’t have you thinking she’s some kind of a slut who threw herself at me.” Lil almost cringed as Jared’s gaze swept over Mariah with a warm caressing possessiveness. “If anyone was at fault, I was. I wanted her and I went after her. You know what a stubborn son-of-a-bitch I can be! I’m sorry, Lil, but Mariah was the innocent party. If Maddy was crazy enough to blame anyone, it should’ve been me!” His look of pity for her made Lil reel as though he had physically struck her.
Composing her wounded pride, Lil rose and kissed Jared’s cheek. “You always said you’d never be trapped into marriage, darling. I suppose Mariah must be extraordinary to tempt you to give up your freedom.” She glanced thoughtfully at the pale, resting girl. “Perhaps I misjudged her. Thank God, she’ll be all right! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to be alone. There have been too many shocks this morning!”
Jared watched her leave, underestimating completely the violence of her hurt and anger. How could he, she thought despairingly. What can that simpering bitch offer him that I didn’t? The open wound in her heart felt raw and bloody, and she wished with all her being that Maddy’s plan had succeeded. Why couldn’t Mariah have died, leaving Jared for her to comfort? He would have forgotten the slut. In time, Mariah would just have been a dim memory. But, even as Lil comforted herself with the thought, she remembered Jared’s face, full of adoration as he glanced at Mariah, and she knew she was fooling herself. Even if the girl had died, nothing would ever have returned to the way it had been. Bitter gall rose in her throat, threatening to choke her. She hated both of them…the daughter she never wanted and the man she had wanted desperately.
Savage In Silk Page 12
