This Fierce Splendor: A Loveswept Classic Romance

by Iris Johansen

  Elspeth’s gaze flew to Silver. The girl was standing perfectly still, glaring at Shamus Delaney. “No!”

  For an instant there was an expression of utter weariness on Shamus’s face before it hardened in annoyance. “Then I’ll have Rosa send up some dinner to you. Delaneys don’t serve savages in the dining room at Killara.”

  “No, they prefer savages to serve them in the bedchamber.” Silver’s eyes blazed clear and hot. “As my father demanded of my mother. Only he never bothered taking her to a bedchamber. A blanket thrown on the ground was good enough for an—”

  “Shut your foul mouth.” Shamus’s eyes were suddenly glittering with fury. “I’ll not have your impudence here.”

  Elspeth couldn’t bear it any longer. Anger and pain held the two Delaneys captive. “No!” She turned and ran back up the stairs, her arm sliding protectively around Silver’s shoulders. “I don’t think I feel very well, Mr. Delaney. I believe I’d better go back to my room and lie down. Come with me, Silver.”

  “What?” Shamus’s face expressed first surprise, then anger, and finally, grudging admiration. His lips twisted sourly. “I don’t suppose you might recover if Silver joined us in the dining room?”

  Elspeth nodded gravely. “Being with Silver always makes me feel better, Mr. Delaney. You’re very lucky to have her as a member of your family.”

  It was a deliberate goad, but he failed to rise to the bait. “Yes, I’m very lucky in all my family.” His gaze carefully avoided Silver as he bowed mockingly. “Malvina’s waiting.”

  Elspeth kept a firm clasp on Silver’s hand as she half-pushed, half-pulled the girl down the steps. “We’re coming. I’ve always loved piano music.”

  “You haven’t heard the old woman play,” Silver muttered half beneath her breath. “You will wish you had gone back upstairs and covered your ears.”

  Elspeth learned what she meant in the next three quarters of an hour. Malvina drew sounds from the upright Chickering piano that were unbelievably unharmonious. Elspeth listened in amazement as Malvina thumped the keys with blatant disregard of tempo, her hazel eyes shining with enjoyment. Elspeth cast a surreptitious sidewise glance at Shamus sitting on the elegant amber tufted couch beside her and received another shock. His face shone with the same pleasure and pride as when he had earlier spoken glowingly of his wife’s accomplishments. Great heavens, the man must be deaf not to recognize that Malvina was an abominable pianist.

  Then, as Malvina finished the tune she was playing with a little flourish and turned to face them, Elspeth changed her mind. The look Malvina and Shamus exchanged was one of perfect understanding … and love.

  “A delightful performance, my darlin’,” he said softly. “You get better every time I hear you play.”

  Malvina’s cheeks flushed with pleasure as she rose from the piano stool, her emerald taffeta skirts rustling far more harmoniously than her recent effort at the keys. “I thought you’d like it, Shamus.” Malvina was suddenly no longer the grim, forceful woman Elspeth had met this morning. She was as eager and glowing as a young girl, her gaze shifted to Elspeth as if for approval.

  What could she say? Elspeth wondered wildly. She moistened her lips with her tongue. “It’s a very pretty tune. I don’t believe I’ve ever heard it played quite like that before.”

  She heard a small rude explosion of sound from the window alcove where Silver was sitting. Elspeth carefully avoided looking at Silver and kept her polite smile firmly in place.

  Without so much as a glance at Silver, Malvina turned with a sweeping movement of royal disdain. “There are some people who have no ear for music.” She glanced at the fine bogwood clock that graced the mantel across the room. “It’s growing late. We won’t wait any longer for Brianne. Shall we go in to dinner?”

  Shamus gallantly offered Elspeth his arm. “I told you we were in for a treat. Malvina could have been even better if she’d taken lessons when she was younger. She’s been trying to teach Brianne how to play, but the girl won’t sit still long enough to practice.” He shook his head. “My granddaughter would rather be down at the Mexican village or riding herd with the vaqueros. Do you know what she begged me to get her for her birthday? A new saddle! Malvina wanted to send her to St. Louis to buy some pretty gowns, but Brianne wouldn’t have any part of it. She wouldn’t leave Killara.” Affection and pride flickered in his expression. “She’s a Delaney through and through.”

  Elspeth was growing more curious about Brianne Delaney by the moment. She obviously held a very special spot in the hearts of her grandparents, judging by Shamus’s remarks. A Delaney through and through. She inhaled sharply as the tactlessness, even cruelty of those words impacted upon her. How did Silver feel to have her cousin spoken of with such warmth and affection while she was denied even recognition as a member of the family? It was incomprehensible to her that Shamus could be so warm and callous at the same time.

  She cast an anxious glance over her shoulder at Silver as Shamus escorted her through the archway that separated the parlor from the dining room. She sighed with relief as she realized she needn’t have worried about Silver’s reaction. She doubted if Silver had even heard Shamus’s words.

  The young girl was standing by the piano, her fingers caressing the black and white keys with a loving touch. On her absorbed face was an expression that was an odd mixture of wistfulness, wonder, and hunger.

  Elspeth was able to satisfy her curiosity regarding the Delaney “princess” a short time later. Brianne Delaney appeared in the dining room just as they were finishing their meal.

  Her appearance was foreshadowed by the sound of the heavy front door being thrown open, the light clatter of boots on the tiles of the foyer, and then a hurried, breathless voice. “I know I said I’d be home for dinner, but William wanted to show me a pond he had run across in the foothills. And then when we got back to Shamrock, Dominic was there and I had to talk to him, didn’t I? You know I haven’t seen Dom since he dropped by last year and I couldn’t just ride off without saying a word.” A slim, delicate girl dressed in a dark brown riding skirt and white cotton blouse suddenly appeared in the archway. She paused to catch her breath and Elspeth was allowed a moment to absorb an impression of rich auburn hair in a single thick braid, green eyes dancing with humor and spirit, exquisite classic features saved from any hint of coldness by the faintest golden dusting of freckles over a small aristocratic nose. Brianne Delaney might be the Delaney “princess,” but she was certainly down-to-earth royalty. She was too warm, too vital, too alive to be considered anything but entirely approachable.

  Brianne’s eyes brightened with curiosity as they fell upon Elspeth. She hurried forward, her hand outstretched. “How do you do. I’m Brianne Delaney and you must be Elspeth MacGregor. Patrick has told me all kinds of interesting things about you.” Her grip was as strong and cordial as her grandfather’s had been as she eagerly shook Elspeth’s hand. “I’ve wanted to see London and Edinburgh since Rising Star persuaded Patrick and me to study geography with her.”

  “We can’t even get you to St. Louis,” Malvina said dryly.

  “Someday.” Brianne laughed. “There’s plenty of time.” She turned to Silver seated at the place next to Elspeth and gave her an affectionate wink. “Isn’t that right, Silver? There’s no hurry about leaving Killara when there’s always so much to see and do here.”

  Silver returned her smile and Elspeth could see no hint of resentment in her expression. It would have been impossible for Silver not to be stung my the favoritism shown Brianne by her grandparents, but she obviously did not blame her cousin for their discrimination.

  “You’re too late for dinner,” Malvina said with an effort at gruffness. “You’ll have to grab a bite in the kitchen.”

  Brianne nodded. “Rosa will fix me something.”

  “And probably a better meal than she served us.” Shamus grimaced as he shook his head with mock ruefulness. “She wouldn’t want her pequiña to go hungry.” Then the amusem
ent faded from Shamus’s face. “Did Patrick ride back with you?”

  Brianne shook her head. “Cort told me he rode out of Shamrock five minutes after Dominic arrived.”

  Shamus frowned. “I thought he’d gotten over the foolishness that made him fly up at Dominic. I’ll have to have a talk with him. It’s not like Patrick to hold a grudge.”

  Brianne avoided her grandfather’s eyes as she said lightly, “Give him a little time. Patrick won’t let Dom leave Killara without settling their differences.” She turned back to Elspeth. “Why don’t I have Rosa fix me a tray and bring it up to Rising Star’s room? Then we can get comfortable and you can tell me all about Edinburgh and the journey across the sea and—”

  “Miss MacGregor hasn’t been well,” Shamus said. He turned to Elspeth. “You mustn’t let this wild gypsy impose on you.”

  “I don’t feel at all tired.” Elspeth found to her surprise that it was true. She had been so fascinated by the myriad complexities of the Delaney clan that she felt as if they had lent her a large quantity of their own vitality. “I would like very much to have a chat.” She smiled. “Though I imagine your account of your life here will be a great deal more colorful than what I can tell you. It’s true I’ve done a good deal of traveling but I’ve actually lived a very quiet life.”

  Brianne grinned impishly. “Well, from what Patrick says, you’ve recently been making up for any past monotony.” She turned away and started for the door. “Just give me ten minutes to talk to Rosa and then get the smell of horse off me and I’ll join you in Rising Star’s room.”

  “Elspeth is occupying your room because it’s the best bedroom,” Malvina called after her. “And Dominic is occupying his old room, and Silver’s here, so you’ll have to sleep in one of the guest rooms.”

  Brianne smiled and said over her shoulder, “I’ll sleep on the couch in the library. I’ve always loved the smell of that room. The scent of ink and the leather binding of the books and Gran-da’s pipe tobacco …”

  Then she was gone, her words drifting behind her as they had rushed before her, in a bright, shining trail.

  12

  The flames of the candles in the wrought-iron chandelier had been extinguished and the hall was in darkness when Dominic opened the front door. He paused a moment, looking at the stairs and silently cursing the time it had taken him to ride from Shamrock. He had wanted to see Elspeth before she retired to her room and it was almost midnight. He had been worried all day about whether Rising Star had told Elspeth she had a map to Kantalan, and now he would have to wait until morning to find out. He shut the door quietly behind him and moved swiftly toward the curving staircase.

  A door opened down the hall, releasing an arrow of light into the darkness and silhouetting the man standing in the doorway of the smoking room. “Dominic?”

  Dominic paused with his foot on the first step. “Yes, Da.”

  “Come in and have a drink with me before you go to bed. How’s the barn coming along?”

  Dominic turned and walked toward him. “It should be. finished by tomorrow evening. Josh told me to tell you he was going to ride up and check on those strays in the foothills before he came home.”

  Shamus nodded with satisfaction as he turned away from the door. “That’s good.” He crossed the room and dropped into the big chair by the fireplace. No fire burned in the dark grate on this warm night and his father had discarded his jacket, vest, and tie and rolled his shirt-sleeves to the elbow. “I can always count on Joshua. He’s a good, steady man.” He picked up his half-empty glass of bourbon. “Get yourself a drink and let’s have a talk.”

  Dominic smiled as he crossed the room to the cellarette and poured a small quantity of bourbon into a glass. This summons from his father was expected. During every visit to Killara there came a time when Da took him aside and tried either to bully or persuade him to his way of thinking. He might as well get it over with now as later. “Sean and Cort are doing a fine job with Shamrock.” He turned back to Shamus. “Are you going to leave them there much longer?”

  His father stretched out his legs before him and gave a long, mournful sigh. “I don’t know if I can afford to do without them here on Killara. Cort is crazy to try his hand at some fancy horsebreeding at Shamrock and I’d hate to take him away, but I may have to do it.” His heavy lids veiled his eyes. “After all, Killara is the primary property and I’m getting old. I can’t be expected to shoulder the burden much longer.”

  Dominic’s lips twitched. His father would as soon give up the burden of running Killara as he would give up his life. The rascal was positioning himself well in his first foray tonight. Dominic strolled toward the fireplace and seated himself in the wing chair opposite Shamus. “You have Josh. As you said, hes a good, steady man who eats, sleeps, and drinks Killara. You couldn’t hope to have anyone better at your side.”

  “Yes, I could.” Shamus’s lids lifted to reveal keen blue eyes glinting sharply in the lamplight. “I could have you.”

  Dominic instinctively braced himself and tried to keep his face expressionless. “No, you can’t have me. You don’t even need me with Josh around.”

  “I do need you,” Shamus growled. “The other boys are fine, but they don’t have the hunger. They could keep Shamrock and Killara prospering, but they’d never reach out for more. Ever since you were a lad I’ve known that you had the same taste for power that I have. Together we could own the whole blame territory.” His voice was fierce with intensity. “Hell, we could own the world!”

  Dominic laughed, his eyes dancing. “You mean I’m as greedy a son of a bitch as you?”

  “A little honest greed never hurt anybody; that’s how empires are built. I’ve given you a fine start here with Killara and Shamrock. Why don’t you see what you can make of it all?”

  The challenge was almost irresistible, the lure of home, the opportunity to take hold and build, the companionship of the people he loved. Jesus, he wanted it all so much he could taste it on his tongue like the bourbon he had just sipped. He gazed blindly down into the amber liquid in his glass. “There’s Patrick.”

  There was a snort of impatience from Da. “Do you want me to go down the list? Patrick is too young, it will be years before he’s ready to take over. Sean and Cort are more interested in horsebreeding than cattle. God only knows when or where Falcon will turn up. He loves Killara, but he hasn’t spent more than a month here since the start of the war. Joshua is steady but—”

  “I can’t.” The words were wrung from Dominic. “Do you think I don’t want to come home? God, I’d give my soul to—” He broke off and drew a deep, harsh breath. “It’s not possible.”

  “Why?” His father pounced. “I bought you your damn pardon. It bled me white, but you’re a free man now.”

  “I’m not a free man,” Dominic said. He took a hefty swallow of bourbon. He needed it. “You know why I can’t come back here. I told Patrick.”

  “You told Patrick you were afraid that one of us would get hurt if Durbin sent his hired guns here.” His father was glaring at him. “Do you think we can’t protect our own? This country is mine, and, by God, anyone who comes here will learn it.”

  “I can’t risk it.”

  “Why the hell not?”

  “No!” Dominic’s gaze met his father’s, his eyes blazing. “I know what can happen. I’ve seen it, dammit! And I’m not going to watch it happen again.”

  Shamus went still, his eyes narrowed on Dominic’s face. “Watch what happen?”

  Dominic drew a deep breath and leaned back in his chair. He should have known Da would claw until he got to the root of his resistance. “Two years ago I was in Virginia City. I was doing a little gambling, a little prospecting, anything that would keep me fed. It wasn’t a good time for me.” He looked down at the glass in his hand, recalling just how bad a time it had been for him. “I’d been on the run for eight years and there were times I almost wished I’d get caught, just to have it over. I was tired of mo
ving from town to town, tired of never being safe, tired of never being able to get close enough to anyone to call him a friend. I met a young farmer in a saloon in town. His name was Sam Bergstrom, and I think he was the only man in Virginia City who didn’t want to strike it rich. All he wanted was enough money to buy a farm and bring his parents over from Sweden. He was a kid, not much older than Patrick. I liked him a lot and we became friends.” His hand tightened on the glass. “For a while it made life … bearable.”

  “Only for a while?” Shamus asked quietly.

  Dominic nodded jerkily. “I was stupid. I shouldn’t have taken the chance, but I wasn’t really thinking. Two bounty hunters showed up about a month later. They weren’t good enough with a gun to face me, so they decided to bushwhack me.” His lips twisted bitterly. “But not in Virginia City. The vigilantes were strong as hell there, and they didn’t take kindly to outright murder. One morning I got a note telling me to show up at a line shack outside of town or they’d blow Sam’s head off.” He finished the remaining bourbon in the glass in one swallow. “They’d heard in town that Sam was my friend and decided to use him as bait. They ambushed me on the way to the shack, but I’d been expecting it and got away from them. As I said, they weren’t very good. I went on to the shack and found Sam.” His words quickened, he wanted to get it over with. “They’d shot him in the head. I suppose he was just in the way and they’d decided to get rid of him. He was probably dead before they even wrote that note.” He closed his eyes. “God, he was only nineteen.”

  “You killed them?”

  “I killed them.” Dominic opened his eyes to reveal a chilling bleakness. “I left the shack and went after them, and I didn’t make it easy. It was the only time I’ve ever enjoyed taking a life.” He set his glass down on the table beside him. “Not that it did any good. Sam was dead and I couldn’t bring him back.”