Her whole body tingled. She was going to be useful to Luc. And if she were successful, Luc would be a General within ten years and she would be able to say she had helped him up the ranks and he owed his success to this moment. She loved having her brother in her debt.
* * *
A day from Corpus Christi, Luc sat near their tiny cooking fire, staring into the cool night air. A heavy sprinkling of stars lit the night sky and as he watched a shooting star raced across it. The small fire crackled merrily, a counterpoint to his sour mood. Behind him, the horses stamped restlessly on their picket line as though in agreement with his mood.
A week in Callie’s company had left him with his nerves jangled and his blood hot. They had hardly spoken to each other. Each day, Callie would disappear and return with a rabbit, or a quail for dinner. Once she found some wild onions and cooked them with their rabbit. She was the most resourceful woman he’d ever known and he envied her. She knew who she was while he struggled to understand who he was.
In the distance he could hear the sound of running water. Callie had gone to bathe. Luc imagined her in the water with her skin bare to the stars and slick with wetness. He wanted to splash in the water with her and make her laugh. He wanted to caress her beautiful body and make love to her on the shore; to show her what her body was capable of and hear her groan with passion. He felt on a collision course with her.
The minute they’d left the Fort, she’d told him in no uncertain terms to leave her alone or she’d gut him. That threat stilled his hand when he wanted to touch her, kept him staring straight ahead when he wanted to look at her. The quiet threat in her voice had sent shivers down his spine. He’d never before known a woman who was as dangerous as Callie. Unlike other women who would attempt to intimidate with words, Callie had the means to make good on her threats. Luc never doubted she would do exactly as promised.
Each moment in her company was agony. He felt like a boy in the throes of his first infatuation. Esme was going to pay for this. Luc had expected to leave Callie behind and somehow, the next he knew, Esme was announcing that the General had approved an order to allow Callie would accompany him on the journey.
Esme was a calculating, conniving, duplicitous woman. If she had been anywhere near him, Luc would have told her. He knew what his darling sister was attempting to do. She wanted him to have a love affair with Callie, no matter what the risk would be for the both of them.
While her motives, whatever they were, were admirable. Only her means were suspect. Esme moved people around like pieces on a chess board, sometimes for no other reason than a whim. He was surprised General Hammond fell for such an obvious ploy. The General had the ability to see right through a man’s excuses, yet was totally blinded by a beautiful woman. A woman who was his sister.
He shifted and pushed to his feet. Callie was taking too long. He squinted into the dark. For all he knew she could have been attacked by rogue Indians or dragged off by wild coyotes. Maybe, he would just take a little peek to make certain she was unharmed, and then he would return to camp and attempt to sleep. Even though sleep came harder and harder each night.
Just a little peek.
He eased through the underbrush. A small deer, startled by his passage, bolted. He was making more noise than a herd of circus elephants. The sound of running water came closer and he topped a small rise to stare down at the river.
He felt a sharp blow to his belly and he fell to the ground staring up at the stars. Callie straddled him, a knife to his throat. He stared up at her shocked that she would attack him. He started to tell her that she was guilty of striking an officer and that was a court martial offence, but the words never formed on his lips.
“I told you, if you spied on me, I’d gut you.” The knife pressed tight against his skin. He felt the point jab into his skin and small trickle of hot blood oozed down his skin. He could smell his blood in his nostrils.
He gulped. “You were gone too long.”
She pressed harder against him. “A bath takes as long as it takes.”
She smelled wondrously of bayberry and wild flowers. Her skin shone moistly in the starlight. Her hair had curled up into a riot of black tendrils framing her slender face. She reminded him of a water sprite. A very dangerous water sprite.
“I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing,” she said, “but you need to leave me alone. I have more important things to do than be your fancy woman.”
“Callie, I was just worried. I’m your commanding officer and I’m responsible for your safety.”
“I can take care of myself.” She shifted back and returned the knife to its sheath. “You have to leave me alone. Stop looking at me. Stop undressing me in your thoughts. Don’t you understand black and white don’t mix...ever.”
Her words sent a thrust of pain through him so intense he gasped. If only she knew how close they were. “Callie, you don’t know anything.” He had almost decided to tell her when she shook her head.
“I know plenty.” She slid to the side and stood up, staring down at him. “You let me let me.” And she was gone, disappearing into the dark as though she were a part of it.
Luc sat up and rubbed his throat trying to gather the threads of his dignity. He stood and scanned the ghostly landscape. She was nowhere to be seen. He wouldn’t be surprised if she left him. He was behaving less than honorably. But he couldn’t seem to stop himself from making this situation intolerable for her.
During their long ride, he’d watched her, the way she swayed in the saddle, the way her legs dangled on either side of the horse. The way her hands gripped the reins.
They’d barely said a hundred words to each other, and despite her threat, he couldn’t stop watching her. He wondered what she would look like in the finest silk with her hair fluffed and ribbons flowing from the curls. He envisioned her in a gown of ivory silk to set off her tawny skin. If she would let him, he would purchase the finest rubies money could buy. The thought of the blood red jewels against her swelling bosom sent a shock of desire through him so strong he almost groaned.
He knew she wanted him despite her hostility. He was a man of the world. He understood a woman’s needs and despite her masquerade, Callie was a highly desirable woman. She was the type of woman who could inspired a man’s destiny as well as inflame his heart. Oh my God! Where the hell did that thought come from? He didn’t have a destiny. Hell, he didn’t want a destiny.
He thought he knew what he wanted from life, but Callie had upset the balance. She made everything that he wanted seem trivial. She had made him examine his own motives and what he saw didn’t make him feel as though he’d made the right decision all those years ago.
He’d made a promise to himself that he would help her get her land and make her tribe self-sufficient. Seducing her was not helping. He had to get back on track and start thinking like a soldier. Stop thinking about her.
He made his way back to the fire. Callie had taken her blankets and bedded down as far from him as she could without being in another country. He threw dirt over the fire and then poured the leftover coffee on the ashes. He rolled up in his blanket and closed his eyes.
Sleep wouldn’t come. The memory of his father putting him and Esme on the ship bound for France returned to him. What was he going to do about his father? Esme had painted their father’s plight as desperate, his health precarious. Luc couldn’t let the man who had given him life die without seeing him one last time. They were adults now, they should be able to speak to each other like civilized people.
He tossed and turned restlessly all night. Soon he and Callie would take a ship across the Gulf to New Orleans and then he would be faced with more problems than just Callie.
* * *
Callie was amazed. From the moment the paddle wheeler had docked, she couldn’t take her eyes from the women in their fancy dresses and the men in their elegant suits. As she watched them stroll down the banquette, she felt a thirst to be one of them. Callie wanted to be
a lady.
She sat back in the carriage and stared at the Cathedral and the fancy buildings around the park that the Captain had called Jackson Square. Corpus Christi had been a rough border town compared to New Orleans. Callie had been enthralled by Corpus Christi. She was enchanted by New Orleans. New Orleans was exotic and different with a sophistication in the architecture the people Corpus Christi would never have. That Callie would never have.
Carriages drove down the street, the harnesses of the horses jingling with bells. New Orleans was crowded and smelled of sewage. She couldn’t breathe because the air was heavy with moisture.
The carriage halted in front of a fancy hotel with ornate ironwork on the outside and arched windows with white fabric covering them. Captain Delacroix descended the carriage and motioned Callie to follow him. He told the driver to wait and then entered the hotel. Callie stayed as close behind as she could without stepping on his heels.
Tall pillars in a pinkish stone held the roof up. The floor was covered in carpet so thick, she didn’t want to step on it. Huge pictures of people in strange forms of dress hung on the walls. A white stone statue stood in the center of the lobby spouting water out of a jar. Callie stared. The statue wore no clothes and it was a boy. Her cheeks grew hot.
Red and white fabric hung at the windows, and the chairs were covered in a nubby blue fabric with a floral pattern. Callie stopped in the middle of the carpet and stared, unable to move. Was she in a palace? Her mama had told her stories of people in other countries who lived in huge buildings with lots of statues and fountains with water. She felt like she was caught in a dream.
A woman, wearing a hat that bounced with long curling feathers and dressed a beige gown, pushed past Callie and she bumped into a chair and tried to look like she belonged. She realized Luc wasn’t with her. She panicked and whirled around searching for him.
Luc stood at the reception desk speaking to a man in a fancy grey suit.
Luc motioned to Callie, who sidled up to him trying not to ogle all the fancy people and the fancy room. She didn’t belong here. Not the way her Captain did.
Luc spoke to the man behind the desk, “I want a suite with two bedrooms and servant quarters.”
“Yes, sir, Captain Delacroix.” The man pushed an open book toward Luc. “If you just sign in we’ll get you situated immediately. Best room in the house with a little room off the main parlor for your boy.” The man gave Callie a hard, unfriendly look. “Your boy can take your luggage around back and bring it in the servant’s entrance. Also, in the future, Captain, things may have changed here, but not that much. Please make sure your little darkie uses the back entrance at all times.”
Callie swallowed. Back entrance! She’d never walked in anyone’s back door. Now she knew why her mama had stayed in Mexico instead of heading back to Florida. In Mexico she was treated like a person. She had told Callie stories of how black people were treated in the South, and the man behind the desk had just confirmed those stories. Callie felt a spurt of anger in the pit of her stomach.
“My little darkie,” Luc said, his voice tight, “as you so crudely put it, is a commissioned soldier in the United States Army and will be treated with respect.”
The man looked her up and down. “Excuse me, sir.” The man smiled at Luc. “My mistake.”
Luc signed the register.
“I’ll get the luggage, Captain.” Callie stepped back.
Luc stopped her. “The hotel has porters for that.”
“But, sir...”
Luc shook his head. “One of the benefits in being the conquering army in this city is that we get to go wherever the hell we want.” He started toward the stairs.
Callie watched him, unable to make her feet move. Then he stopped and turned to look at her. He raised one eyebrow and Callie jumped forward to follow him up the stairs. She glanced back at the man at the desk to find him scowling at her.
Callie couldn’t believe the room Luc had taken for them. The furniture was fancy and looked so fragile she didn’t think it would hold her much less the Captain’s big body. The porter had arrived with the luggage and stood in the center of the room.
“Captain Delacroix, sir. I’m Cornelius Jardine and I’m in charge of this floor. Anything that you need, please let me know.” Captain Delacroix opened his wallet and flipped the man a ten dollar gold coin. Callie was amazed the man had received so much money for just carrying their bags and packs up to the room. The way things were done in cities was a lot different than out in the desert.
After Cornelius left, Callie wandered around the suite pretending she was the lady of the house. Her imagination took flight. She turned and found Luc sitting in a chair watching her, a slight on his face.
“I want to be a lady,” she blurted out.
A look of surprise swept over his face. “I ...”
She put her hands on her hips. “Don’t laugh at me,” she warned.
“I wasn’t going to laugh. I’m just surprised.”
“Why? Because you don’t think I can do it.” She glanced out the window at the street below.
“You’re a smart woman.”
“Then what?”
His eyes seemed to roll upward. “I just don’t understand why.”
“What do you need to understand. I’m just asking for your help. Will you do it? You’re the only person here I know who help me.”
He pulled off his gloves. “Esme can help you.”
“She’s not here and you are. Besides, I’d look pretty odd taking lady lessons at the Fort.”
“You have a point.” He tossed them down on a nearby table. “Do you have any idea what being a lady encompasses?”
“Pretty dresses and perfume and hats with lots of feathers.” She wanted everything.
Luc looked her up and down. “Being a lady means more than just fashion. But a new dress is a good place to start.”
“You’ll do it.”
“Yes.” He stood and jerked the bell cord to summon Cornelius. And when the man arrived, Luc said, “Do you know a dressmaker, who’s quick with the needle?” Luc tossed him another coin.
Cornelius glanced at the gold coin in his palm. “My sister, Eloise. I can have her here in half an hour.”
“Do it,” Luc ordered. “And tell her to bring her finest fabrics. This is a rush job. I’ll give her a bonus.” The Captain opened the top on a fancy bottle and sniffed then replaced the plug. “Also, send up some decent brandy and food. The best food this hotel has.”
The porter touched his black cap. “Yes, sir. Is that all, sir?”
“You tell everyone in this hotel that Captain Delacroix pays generously for exemplary service.”
Cornelius’ eyes grew round. He stood straight. “Yes, sir. I’ll tell them, sir. I’ll tell them all.”
After the porter had left, Callie said, “Does everyone in the town get paid to bring up luggage?”
Captain Luc walked around the room, glancing out the windows overlooking a huge courtyard. “It’s customary to tip for service. I tip better than most because I expect better service.”
“If I’d known you’d given me ten dollars, I would have carried up your bags, too.” That ten dollars represented a lot of money to Callie. That was almost a month’s wages.
The Captain laughed at her. He sat down on a chair and extended his booted foot. “Help me off with my boots.”
Callie rested her hands on her hips and tilted her head at him. “Are you going to tip me?”
The Captain started laughing. “You learn quickly, I’ll give you that. But since you’re already employed by the army, I don’t think so.”
Callie found herself joining in with his laughter. “I had to try.” She had to admit living in a city had some advantages. Money seemed easy to come by and except for the man at the desk, people minded their own business.
A knock sounded at the door and Callie opened it and found a young woman with curly black hair and lively brown eyes standing in the hall with
a pile of towels in her hand. “I came to prepare your bath and Cornelius thought you might like extra towels, sir.”
She cast a flirty smile at the Captain and Callie fought the urge to slap her and she didn’t know why she felt the way she did.
“Thank you,” the Captain replied.
Callie watched as the woman walked through the parlor to a door which she opened and stepped inside. A second later she heard the sound of water running. Callie stared after the woman realizing that she was jealous. How could she be jealous? Her mother had once said that being jealous of a man only meant one thing.
Chapter Twelve
Rafe checked the hollow log. Nothing was inside. He blew his breath out in frustration. The maps he’d paid for a week ago had still not been delivered. He sat back on his heels and stared at the rotting log. Damn it. If he knew who the man was from the fort who was giving him all this information, he’d lay in wait for him and throttle the man. He agreed to the conditions that went with the payment of gold and he wasn’t delivering.
The sound of horses filled the air. Rafe whirled and headed for shelter in the middle of a dense thicket of bushes. Coming to complete stillness as the sound of horses moved closer to his position.
Two riders stopped in the shade of a grove of oaks and dismounted. One of the riders was a woman dressed in a bright green dress and the other rider was a General, the brass insignias on his uniform reflecting the bright sun.
Rafe tensed.
The General dismounted from his horse and then helped the woman down. She leaned against him and Rafe saw the playful look on her face as she smiled up at him. Rafe couldn’t take his eyes from the couple. What a coup if he could kill himself a General of the United States Army. He slipped through the underbrush intent on his quarry, checking his knife in its sheath. A General, he thought. His wife would so proud of him.
After The Lies Page 16
