This Fierce Splendor: A Loveswept Classic Romance

by Iris Johansen

  “I have no idea. Some men are … twisted. Did Da get him?”

  Elspeth shook her head. “By the time your father and the vaqueros reached the foothills, Torres had vanished. But your father isn’t giving up. He’s leaving right away for Shamrock to fetch Patrick and your brothers. He says they’ll track him down if it takes a lifetime.”

  A string of curses worthy of Ben Travis issued from Dominic’s lips as he struggled to a sitting position.

  “No!” Elspeth leaned forward, her hands outstretched to prevent him from moving. “What are you doing? Your wound—”

  “Hurts like the devil,” he finished between clenched teeth as he thrust the coverlet back. She caught a glimpse of naked thighs as he swung his feet to the floor. “Which is a damn good reason for you not to argue with me. I’m in no mood to take interference kindly. Go get my clothes.”

  “Get them yourself.” She stood up and glared down at him. “I’ll not be a party to this daftness. You were shot less than three hours ago, and now you’re behaving as if nothing has happened. I thought you were dead, the blood—” Her hands clenched at her sides. “He was aiming at your heart, you stupid man. If you hadn’t knelt at just that moment, you would have been killed and yet you …” She trailed off in a helpless sputter of fury. “You’re daft, Dominic Delaney.”

  “I’ve suspected that for some time,” Dominic said wearily. “But not daft enough to bring any more murderers down on my family, nor to stay at Killara and lure Ramon Torres back to try again.”

  “He won’t come back. He would be as daft as you are to come back.”

  “He was loco enough to take a shot at me within fifty yards of the homestead.” His gaze met hers unflinchingly. “A foot to the left and that shot could have blown your brains out. I’m not taking a risk like that again. I’m leaving Killara tonight for Hell’s Bluff.”

  She stared angrily at him. “And what if he follows you?”

  “I’ll be ready for him.”

  She wanted to scream at him, shake him, dig her fingers into that dark hair and pull hard. If she had to love a man, why couldn’t it have been one with less stubbornness and more sense? She was so frightened for him she was trembling and ill with it, and he sat there with his lips set and his jaw squared and she knew she could not sway him.

  “Very well.” She whirled and stormed over to the bureau and pulled open the drawer. She grabbed an indiscriminate armload of garments, carried them back to him, and hurled them on the bed. “There are your clothes. Don’t expect me to help you dress. Your mother said that a wound like that was nothing to a Delaney. I have other tasks to keep me busy if we’re to ride out of here tonight. I have no time for tending obstinate, bad-tempered—”

  “We?” Dominic frowned. “We aren’t riding anywhere. You’re staying here, where you’ll be safe.”

  She planted her hands on her hips. “Oh, no, if you’re determined to leave your sickbed, then we might just as well continue with our plans. Why should I let you go back to Hell’s Bluff when you promised to take me to Kantalan?”

  “Because the circumstances are different now, dammit. I’m being hunted.”

  “What’s different about that? According to what Patrick and Silver have told me, you’ve been hunted by these killers for—” She stopped: and tried to steady her voice. “I’ll not let you break your promise to me. I’m going with you to Kantalan, Dominic. Or do you want me to go alone?”

  “You can’t go alone. Torres knows you’re my wife. He’d follow you, use you to get at me.” Dominic’s stomach turned over as he had a sudden memory of young Sam Bergstrom’s eyes, open and staring, the round bullet hole in his temple. “He’ll kill you, dammit.”

  Elspeth smiled sweetly. “Then you’d better go with me, hadn’t you, Dominic?” She turned and strode toward the door. “I’ll tell your mother we’re leaving. She’s not going to be pleased. For some reason, she has a great fondness for you. At the moment I cannot imagine why.”

  “Elspeth!” His tone was somewhere between a growl and a shout.

  “You don’t need to raise your voice just because you’re not going to get your own way in this.” She glanced back over her shoulder. “I told you I had to go to Kantalan.”

  “And you can think of nothing else,” he said between his teeth. “Nothing else is important to you.”

  “I’m glad you finally realize that.” She slammed the door and immediately wilted against its smooth panels, her throat tight with tears. She hadn’t thought she’d be able to hold on to her anger until she had gotten out of the room. She had been so frightened that he would ride out alone.

  Boldness had been her only weapon against that terrible fear. She could not offer him a love he did not want and would not value. There had probably been many beautiful women who had loved and wanted Dominic Delaney. If he had not stayed with any of them, a plain woman like herself could not expect to hold him by her side. And, if she could not hold him, then she must go with him and find a way of protecting him. To Hell’s Bluff or to Kantalan it did not matter, except that in the male-dominated world of the boomtown there would be many places she would not be permitted to accompany him.

  A sad smile touched her lips as she remembered Dominic’s last words to her regarding her obsession for Kantalan. It was just as well he didn’t realize that the dream of a lifetime was now dimming in comparison with the passionate obsession embodied in one man.

  She straightened slowly and then set off down the corridor, her footsteps firm and decisive as she went in search of Malvina.

  Ramon Torres carefully fastened the long, bushy branch to his saddlebags and remounted his horse. As he rode, the branch would drag behind him and erase all signs of his passing, a trick he had learned from his comanchero father. He had learned very little else from that mongrel son of a bitch, he thought bitterly, except to dodge blows when the bastard had imbibed too much tequila. He should not be so uncharitable, he chided himself. After all, it had been the bounty on his father’s head that had started him off on this most pleasant of occupations.

  He could feel the excitement tighten his chest as he kicked Chiquita into a gallop. He didn’t like this end of the game overmuch, but it would not last long, and then he would once more be the hunter again. Once he had lost Shamus and the men who rode with him, he would double back and begin to trail Dominic and his little bride.

  If he knew his prey, Dominic would not let a minor wound stop him for long. Torres felt a glow of almost paternal pride touch him with gentle fingers. He should be angry that fortune had again robbed him of his kill, but that was not the case. Now Dominic knew that he was hunted, so every one of the last moments of his life would take on the brilliance of a facet of a fine jewel. When Dominic finally realized the end had come, it would be with a dazzling explosion of sorrow and panic.

  It was a thought that soothed Ramon’s impatience and frustration and caused him to smile in pure joy.

  17

  Elspeth cast a quick glance at Malvina saying farewell to Dominic a few yards away by the fence of the corral; she reached into the pocket of her riding skirt. “I’ve written a note to Silver.” Elspeth thrust the folded paper into Rising Star’s hand. “Please give it to her when she returns this evening. I wanted to explain and thank her for everything she’s done for me.”

  Rising Star nodded. “I’m glad you thought of her.” She smiled sadly. “It is important that Silver feels she has value to those she cares about. There are too many of us who love her and yet are afraid to show that love.”

  Elspeth’s eyes widened. “But you can’t be speaking of yourself. Silver told me how you saw that she was educated and insisted she stay here at Killara for a portion of each year.”

  “It wasn’t enough.” Rising Star reached up to pat the nose of the gray mare, her gaze avoiding Elspeth’s. “I was afraid I’d lose what I had gained here. I’m not as brave and bold as Silver. I was afraid to take more than the tiniest step toward her. I will try to do
better in the future. Perhaps when my child is born …” She trailed off and smiled. “Everything will be different then.”

  “I hope you’re right,” Elspeth said gently. “Good-bye Rising Star.”

  “Go with God.” Rising Star took a step back. “Good luck finding your Kantalan.” The faintest shadow seemed to pass through her eyes. “I feel I should be going with you.”

  Elspeth shook her head. “You’re with child and there’s nothing for you in Kantalan.”

  “No, there’s nothing for me there,” Rising Star whispered. “Except, perhaps, my destiny.” She moved her shoulders as if shrugging off a burden. “But that is the Indian talking. I must think like a white woman now. Whites believe they can write their own destinies. You are right, my place is here with my husband and my child.” She turned away. “Now I must say good-bye to Dominic. Be sure to use the salve I gave you.”

  “If he will let me. He is very displeased with me at present.”

  “It will pass. I think he’s worried you may be harmed if he takes you with him. I’m surprised that he consented to continue with his plans to go to Kantalan.”

  “He had no choice. Do you think I’d let the man ride out alone with a hole in his shoulder? His mother may think he’s as invulnerable as Achilles and as immortal as Zeus because he bears the Delaney name, but I’m not so foolish.”

  A tiny smile tugged at Rising Star’s lips. “I see. No wonder Dominic is displeased. He does not like having his decisions challenged. Your trip to Kantalan may be more interesting than I had thought possible.”

  The sun was going down when Dominic and Elspeth rode out of the stableyard leading the two pack animals. Rising Star and Malvina gazed after them in silence until they were lost from view. Then Malvina turned briskly back to the house. “No use standing around here with long faces. They’ll be back. Dominic won’t let anyone keep him from getting what he goes after; he’s too much like Shamus.” She started across the stableyard. “I’ve got things to do. Shamus and the boys will be riding in from Shamrock soon and they’ll be wanting a meal as well as some food prepared for the trail. Rosa is weeping and wailing like a sick puppy over the way Torres used her.” Her expression turned grim. “She’s lucky I don’t knock her silly head off for letting that murdering bastard crawl into her bed, instead of putting up with her foolishness.”

  “I could help you,” Rising Star offered hesitantly.

  Malvina paused and for a moment Rising Star thought she was going to agree. “That won’t be necessary.” Her tone was stilted. “I can manage fine by myself.”

  Loneliness. Just once why wouldn’t Malvina let her do something? Rising Star wondered. Why couldn’t she share in the running of Killara? She was so terribly lonely … and weary of being treated with the forced politeness of a guest who had overstayed her welcome.

  Rising Star’s hands clenched slowly at her sides as she watched Malvina disappear into the house. Patience. She must have patience. It would be different when the child was born. In spite of what Silver claimed, the birth of the child had to be the key that would open all doors. Joshua would be home tonight, and she would no longer be alone. Even though Malvina refused to allow her to help in the kitchen, there were many things she could do while she waited. She could practice her French or compose a poem. There were always books, the wonderful world of books that had once been her challenge and were now her solace. She squared her shoulders as she started across the stableyard. She was a very fortunate woman and she would be stupid to permit herself to be depressed by Malvina’s coldness.

  Joshua was here!

  Even in the darkness Rising Star knew unerringly which of the riders in the stableyard was Joshua. He was not as tall as his father, his brothers, or Patrick; yet had his silhouette been identical to theirs she still would have been able to identify him instantly.

  She let the lace curtain she had held to one side swing back into place and ran over to the oval mirror on the wall. She quickly tidied her hair, straightened the folds of her white cotton robe, and pinched color into her cheeks. Then she drew a deep breath and sat down on the edge of the bed, clasping her hands on her lap. It seemed a long time before she heard Joshua at the door.

  He looked tired. His dark curly hair was frosted with fine motes of dust, and his green shirt, darkened by perspiration, clung to him like a second skin. Tenderness tightened her throat and moved through her in a soft, glowing tide. “You’ve been working hard at Shamrock?” She jumped to her feet and crossed the room toward him. “Are Anne and William well? Would you like me to tell Rosa to heat water for your bath?”

  He shook his head and answered the last question first. “I only have time to wash some of the sweat off me and grab a couple clean shirts. Da doesn’t want to let Torres’s trail get cold.” He crossed to the washstand against the wall and poured water from the pitcher into the basin. “Anne and William are fine.”

  “I was hoping you could stay until tomorrow morning,” she whispered as she stepped behind him. Her arms slid around his waist and she pressed her cheek to his back. “I have missed you. Have you missed me?”

  “Yes.” She could feel the muscles of his spine tense against her cheek. “Yes, I’ve missed you.” He dipped his palms into the basin and splashed water onto his face. “Hand me that towel, will you?”

  She stepped back and handed him a white towel from the rack. Loneliness. Yet he had said he had missed her. She mustn’t demand too much. She knew he didn’t like to be crowded, but it was so hard not to— “You’re tired. Perhaps you could join them later.”

  He shook his head as he dabbed the water from his face. “I want my chance at Torres.” His voice was harsh. “He shot my brother, dammit.”

  “It was not a serious wound.”

  “That’s not the point. He shot him. No one is going to hurt one of my family and ride away. You should know by now that Delaneys don’t forgive harm to one of our own.”

  She flinched. “I do know that, Joshua.”

  “I guess you do,” he said wearily, staring into her strained face. He threw the towel onto the washstand. “I’ve got to get downstairs. Da wanted us ready to leave by the time fresh horses are saddled and the provisions packed.” He took a step closer and kissed her gently on the forehead. “Are you all right?” he asked awkwardly.

  “Yes.”

  He hesitated, looking down at her with a curiously tormented expression. “And the child?”

  “Well. I think it must be a boy. He kicks with the strength of a warrior.”

  A shadow crossed his face. “You’re not in any pain?” His palm gently cradled the curve of her cheek. “He doesn’t hurt you?”

  Her hand covered his on her cheek, holding it there, desperately savoring the tenderness of the action. “There is no pain, and if there were, it would be pleasure-pain. We are going to have a fine son, Joshua.”

  He stared down at her softly glowing eyes and for an instant she again saw the torment before his hand dropped from her cheek and he turned away. “Take care of yourself while I’m away.”

  “When will you be back?”

  “I don’t know. We’ll be gone as long as it takes to find that bastard.” The hardness was once again in his voice. “We don’t want him on Dom’s trail.” He opened the door. “Good-bye, Star.”

  “Joshua—”

  He looked back over his shoulder inquiringly.

  “Nothing.” Her teeth pressed into her lower lip. “Good journey. I will miss you until you return.”

  He smiled. For a moment there was no torment, no harshness, no veil of guilt or memory between them. He was the young Joshua who had come to her village and captured her heart with his boyish smile and loving passion.

  He closed the door behind him, leaving her with loneliness … and hope.

  Silver threw open the door and burst into the room. Her clothes were as dusty and her skin as dirty as Joshua’s had been. Her gray eyes were flashing. “Is it true?” she demanded. “I saw Pat
rick downstairs. He told me of the wedding, the shooting, Torres … Elspeth has really left without me?”

  A tiny smiled appeared on Rising Star’s face. “I believe that was always her plan. That’s why you went back to the village to hire a fine guide for her.” Her gaze searched Silver’s face. “But I think you had no intention of fetching a guide to lead her to Kantalan.”

  “I did not lie,” Silver said hotly. “I went to the village as I told her I would. Can I help it if I am the best guide in the village? She is far better off with me.”

  “Elspeth has Dominic now. He will see that she comes to no harm. You trust Dominic, Silver.”

  “Yes, but I wanted …” Silver nibbled at her lower lip. “This is all very strange. Did the old woman force her into the marriage?”

  Rising Star shook her head. There was no use arousing Silver’s fervent protectiveness by revealing Torres’s schemes. “It was not Malvina’s doing. Elspeth wed Dominic of her own will.”

  Disappointment clouded Silver’s expression. “I thought perhaps …”

  “I know.” Rising Star picked up the folded slip of paper from the desk and handed it to Silver. “She left this note for you.”

  Silver unfolded the paper and scanned it quickly. Disappointment showed plainly in her expression. “I am not to follow her. She will see me when she returns. She holds me in the greatest affection.” She suddenly crushed the paper in the palm of her hand. “But I want to be with them.”

  “She would only send you back,” Rising Star said gently. “She feels she has taken too much from you.”