The Tiger Prince

by Iris Johansen

  “I didn’t have the choice,” she said wearily.

  He studied her for a moment and then nodded slowly. “Patrick. I thought as much. A promise?”

  “And a debt paid.”

  “Well, I made no promise. I will tell Ruel.” “No!”

  Li Sung stared at her incredulously. “You wish him to continue to think badly of you?”

  “That’s all in the past.”

  “He should know you were innocent.”

  “I was not totally innocent. I deliberately blinded myself to—” She saw his jaw set stubbornly and hurried on. “Ruel now feels more guilt than I do about Ian. I won’t let him be alone in this.”

  He nodded slowly. “I should have known it was something of that nature. But carrying this burden is beyond the realm of caretaking, Jane.”

  “It’s no burden.” Jane smiled, eager to make him understand. “Don’t you see? I want to do it. Ruel loves me in spite of what he thinks I did. It takes a great deal of love to overcome an obstacle like that. He’s given me a great and wonderful gift.”

  “You will never tell him?”

  She shook her head. “And you must not either.”

  “You cannot keep such a thing a secret forever. He could not live with you and not come to realize you could never do this.”

  “Promise me you won’t tell Ruel.”

  “Won’t tell me what?” Ruel was coming up the steps. “More bad news, Li Sung? I thought the construction was going well.”

  Jane tensed, her gaze flying pleadingly to Li Sung’s face.

  “It is.” Li Sung hesitated and then said, “Jane wanted to break the news to you herself.” “What news?”

  “I’m going away for a while. You may have to wait to see your railroad completed.”

  Jane’s breath expelled in a sigh of relief.

  “I must go.” Li Sung started down the terrace steps. “She will tell you the rest.”

  Ruel watched him enter the palace before turning back to Jane. “What’s the problem?”

  “No problem.” She linked her arm in his. “But as Li Sung said, we’re going to have a delay. He and Dilam are planning a strategy to make him a member of the High Council.”

  “A delay is a big problem.”

  “We can make use of it. I’ve decided Li Sung is right. You can wait for your railroad.”

  He smiled at her and teased. “You’ll be in breach of your contract.” His curious gaze went back to the arched doorway through which Li Sung had disappeared. “That’s not all, is it? What’s this all ab—”

  She had to distract him. “We’ll renegotiate.” She paused. “After the wedding.”

  He went still. “Wedding?”

  “A wedding usually follows a courtship. You did say you were courting me.”

  “You didn’t mention—”

  “Are you trying to say you don’t wish to marry me? I warn you, I’m not a woman to take such an insult lightly.”

  “Of course I wish to marry you,” he said impatiently. “It’s you who have avoided the issue. You told me once that you had no liking for the life I offered you.”

  “Is the offer the same?”

  “You would still have to live on Cinnidar.” His lips twisted ruefully. “Though I suppose I could raze this place to the ground if you hate the idea of living in a palace as much as you claimed.”

  “Li Sung think Cinnidar is paradise. Paradise isn’t such a bad place to live.” She smiled as she glanced around her at the splendid many-leveled terrace. “And a palace is what you make it. I suppose I could make an adjustment.”

  “And your railroad?”

  Her smile faded. “I need work to do. Useful work. I can’t give it up.”

  “We have a railroad here, dammit.”

  “Suppose I’m not satisfied with just running your railroad? Suppose I want to build my own?”

  “You can build it here. You can build all over the damn island.”

  She looked at him, troubled. “There’s room for only one railroad on Cinnidar.”

  He threw up his hands. “All right, I promised you a railroad if you completed the contract on time. You’ll get your railroad. You can have mine. I’ll sign it and the right of way over to you.” He smiled ruefully. “That’s a hell of a lot of power I’m giving you over me. If you decide to cut off my gold shipments, I’m stranded. Does that satisfy you?”

  She smiled happily. “Yes, it satisfies me. I believe it will be good for you to have to worry a bit.”

  “I’d worry more if you left me.” He reached out and grasped her shoulders. “I’ve been thinking about it. Do you remember when you told me your entire world didn’t revolve around me?”

  She had only a vague memory of that night when she had felt so abandoned by Li Sung. “I think so.”

  “Well, my world does revolve around you.”

  She laughed. “I’m honored. It’s not every woman who has a kingdom like Cinnidar revolving around her.”

  “I’m not joking.” He drew her close. “I don’t ever want to go back to the way it was before.” His next words were muffled in her hair. “I was … lonely.”

  She felt the tears sting her eyes. This rare admission from Ruel was very difficult for him and only emphasized his trust in her. “So was I.”

  “Not like me. You reach out and gather people to you. I can beckon them near but I can’t trust anyone enough to be close to them.”

  She slid her arms around him. “Some people you can’t shut away. They don’t let you.”

  “I had to be close to you,” he said hoarsely. “I needed to be close to you. If you left me now, I don’t think I could stand it. I’d want to shout and roar and break the world into a million pieces.”

  Tiger burn bright.

  She fought back tears as she said lightly, “We wouldn’t want that to happen. I guess I’d better not leave you.”

  “Promise me.”

  He was oddly rigid against her, and she instinctively reached up to soothingly stroke the tight tendons of his nape. “Why should I leave you?”

  “Promise me.”

  His mother had walked away and left him. Ian, the only other person he had loved, had also left him. Death had not really taken his brother; he had walked joyously toward it. “You have my word,” she said softly. “I will never, never leave you.”

  The tension left him and he stood there holding her while the pink haze of sunset lazily crept over the terrace and blushed the mirrored waters of the geometric pools with a rosy glow. “I will make you happy, you know,” he said. “I promise I’ll make you forget how we started.”

  “No, you won’t.” She looked up at him. “I don’t want to forget one minute of it. The bad times and good are so blended together, I can’t give up one and keep the other, and, by God, I won’t give up one second of the good times.”

  “I’m glad you think the good was worth the bad. But it will get better.” He gave her a quick kiss, stepped back and slipped his arm around her waist, and led her to the balustrade overlooking the canyon. “I’ll be such a damn good husband, even Maggie will approve of me.”

  The descending sun bathed the mountain in scarlet glory.

  Beauty. Splendor. Paradise.

  Ruel didn’t appear to appreciate the view. His expression had suddenly become abstracted. “I’ll have to send the crews back to work the mine tomorrow,” he said absently. “I’ve had them working down at the docks helping Li Sung.” He was silent a moment and then suddenly turned and asked her, “How would you like to go to Johannesburg?”

  Her eyes widened with shock. “Johannesburg!”

  “Not for long,” he said quickly. “I thought maybe— Since there’s going to be a delay anyway, we might—”

  “Why would you want to go to Johannesburg?”

  “Well, today a freighter landed at the dock and the captain said there are reports of another big gold strike just north of the city there.”

  She stared at him in bewilderment.
“You have a whole mountain of gold just waiting for you to mine here.”

  He made a face. “I guess you’re right. Life in those camps can be pretty rough, and you’d probably hate it. I know I don’t need any more gold. I’m being completely unreasonable.”

  He was not being reasonable, but he was being entirely Ruel MacClaren, Jane realized suddenly.

  He’s not a man who is comfortable living in palaces, Li Sung had said.

  Cinnidar might be home for Ruel, but there would always be part of him that craved the adventure of the search. After a lifetime of challenging himself and the rest of the world, he would never be able to tamely accept living in this palace and the luxurious life Cinnidar offered.

  Any more than she would be able to accept it.

  Her spirits lifted at the thought, and relief poured through her with dizzying force. She had been willing to live here because this was Ruel’s home and she loved him and wished him to be happy, but she had not really been content with the idea. Paradise was a fine place to come back to when you were ready, but there was still a world out there to build and conquer.

  “Do you suppose those miners would need a railroad to take their gold to the city?” she asked.

  A brilliant smile lit his face. “It wouldn’t surprise me.”

  “Well, then I think we really should go to Johannesburg.” Her eyes twinkled. “After all, your mine might play out in a hundred years or so, and then our great-grandchildren would be left destitute.”

  “There’s always that possibility.” He threw back his head and laughed joyously before picking her up and swinging her in a circle. “You really wouldn’t mind going? You’re not just telling me that?”

  She shook her head. “I’d like to get off the train there and look around and see the sights. Cinnidar will be the last stop on the line, but I’m not ready for it yet.”

  He hugged her close. “I promise it will be for only a short while.”

  Their stay in Johannesburg might be for only a little while, but there would probably be other places, other times when Ruel grew restless and would want a change. Who knows? She might be the one to grow restless. They would have to learn to accommodate each other’s needs in the years ahead. That was what love meant, and God knows she did love Ruel MacClaren with her whole heart. “We’ll have to see.”

  “Now that we have our next move planned …” His hand tenderly stroked her hair back from her face as he whispered, “What didn’t you really want Li Sung to tell me?”

  Ruel was being as tenacious as always. She should have known he wouldn’t be distracted, she thought resignedly. “Nothing important.”

  “A secret? Secrets are always tantalizing.” He kissed her lightly on the mouth. “I’ll find out sooner or later, you know.”

  He probably would find out the truth, but perhaps it would be at a time when the pain was not so fresh. In the meantime she would make sure they both had something to think about besides the past. She changed the subject. “I’ll want to be back on Cinnidar by this time next year.”

  He frowned. “We’ll try.”

  “No, it’s important. We have to be here.”

  “What’s so urgent? We can put Li Sung and Dilam in charge of the railway and the mine.”

  She shook her head. “While we’re in Johannesburg I believe we should put our efforts to work on another project.”

  “What project?”

  “One to which every ruler of a kingdom should give serious attention.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “A child.” She nestled closer and whispered, “I want to have a child, Ruel. I want our child to be born here on Cinnidar next year.”

  Margaret boarded the Golden Hare two days later to set out for Scotland.

  “We’ll come back to Glenclaren for a visit next year,” Jane said. “But if there’s anything we can do to help, you must write us immediately.”

  “I’m not so helpless that I cannot tend to matters myself,” Margaret said impatiently. “Though I’ll admit I’ll be glad of your company.” She gave Jane a brusque hug before turning to Ruel. “Treat her well or you’ll answer to me.”

  “I tremble in terror at the thought.” Ruel brushed her cheek with his lips. “Good journey, Maggie.”

  “Marg—” She broke off. It was a small impudence and not worth bothering about. Ruel would never reform, but he was coming along much better than she had dreamed possible. “Of course I will have a good journey.”

  “She will not have it any other way. No storm would dare to touch her.”

  Kartauk. She tensed as she turned to see him striding up the gangplank. She had seen him only in passing since that night at the encampment, and she had told herself she hoped he would not come to bid her goodbye. Yet now joy was mixed with the sadness surging through her.

  He stopped before her. “Even the supreme deity must bow before Margaret’s will.”

  “Heathen blasphemy,” Margaret said. “Just what I would expect of you.”

  Jane glanced from one to the other and then gave Margaret a final quick embrace. “Good-bye, Margaret.” She took Ruel’s arm and tugged peremptorily. “Come on, Ruel.”

  He smiled with amusement and mockingly inclined his head. “As you command. I live only to make you happy.”

  Margaret snorted as she watched them walk down the gangplank. “Not likely.”

  “I disagree,” Kartauk said. “There is a certain amount of truth in his words. I’m surprised you cannot see it yourself.” He turned to look at her. “But then, your judgment is clouded at present.”

  She hurriedly glanced away from him. “It is kind of you to come bid me farewell. I did not expect it.” She held out her gloved hand. “Good-bye, Kartauk.”

  He took her hand. “You would have expected it if you didn’t have your head buried in the sand.” He frowned. “I do not like this glove.” He stripped off her black glove and she felt the warm shock of flesh on flesh as both his big palms enclosed her own. “That’s better. Now I can get on with it. I will give you a year of mourning before I come to you. I would allow you more, but that would probably be a disaster. I would find you in a nunnery or married to some dried-up cleric who would give you only duty and no joy.”

  She stared at him in astonishment. “I told you there could be nothing for us.”

  “Because you’re confused and filled with false guilt. You’re not usually so muddle-headed. Given time, I’m sure you will realize Ian would want you to take your happiness where you find it.” He smiled. “With me.”

  She shook her head. “I would always remember—”

  “Yes, you will,” he interrupted. “But I will see that the memories are not bitter.”

  She stared at him dazedly. She heard the departure bell ring and welcomed it with relief. She must banish him and also this hope springing within her. “You must go.”

  He lifted her palm to his lips. “One year, Margaret.” He dropped her hand and turned away. “Expect me.”

  She watched him start down the gangplank, her heart pounding, her emotions in chaos. She rushed to the rail. “No, don’t come. You won’t be welcome.”

  “I’ll be welcome.”

  “What of your work for Ruel?”

  “We may come back here.”

  “My place is at Glenclaren.”

  “We will discuss it after we’re wed.”

  “We will not wed.”

  He stepped onto the dock. “Of course we will. You’re not a woman to live in sin.”

  “I mean, we will not—”

  “Of course, if you really wish to stay in that cold land, I suppose I could reconsider my decision not to give your Queen Victoria the benefit of my genius.” He frowned. “But I will not do a head of her. Those double chins …”

  The gangplank had been taken up and the ship was moving away from the shore. He stood there on the dock with his powerful legs astride and the breeze lifting his glossy brown hair.

 
“It will do you no good to come,” she called desperately. “Stay here, Kartauk.”

  He shook his head. “How can I? I’ve discovered I cannot bear the thought of any other apprentice. You know I cannot allow my work to suffer.”

  “I will only say no.”

  “At first. But not last, my Margaret.” He smiled and his expression lit with such loving confidence, she had to believe him. “In the end you will say, ‘Aye, Kartauk.’”

  About the Author

  IRIS JOHANSEN, who has more than eight million copies of her books in print, has won many awards for her achievements in writing. She lives near Atlanta, Georgia, where she is currently at work on a new novel.

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  SARAH BAYOU, LOUISIANA

  1:05 A.M.

  October 4

  The flatboat glided slowly through the bayou.

  Too slowly, Jules Hebert thought tensely. He had deliberately chosen a flatboat rather than a motorboat because it would be less obtrusive at this time of night, but he had not counted on this case of nerves.

  Keep calm. The church was just up ahead.

  “It will be fine, Jules,” Etienne called softly as he wielded the oars. “You worry too much.”

  And his brother, Etienne, didn’t worry enough, Jules thought in despair. Ever since childhood it had been Jules who was the serious one, the one who had to accept the responsibility while Etienne ambled along through life with endearing blitheness. “You arranged for the men to be waiting at the church?”

  “Of course.”

  “And you told them nothing?”

  “Only that they would be paid well for the work. And I parked the motorboat to bring them where you told me to.”

  “Good.”

  “It will all go very easily.” Etienne smiled. “I promise you, Jules. Would I let you down?”

  Not intentionally. The affection between them was too strong. They had been through too much together. “No offense. Just asking, little brother.” Jules stiffened as he saw the dark looming silhouette of the ancient stone church in the faint moonlight as they rounded the corner. It had been deserted for over ten years and exuded dampness and decay. His gaze flew to the sparsely scattered plantation houses on either side of the bayou.