“Hawke left before I did, to marry the woman he’s loved for years. Stop worrying over my suitors, big brother; I tried to tell you he and I were just good friends. He’s a brother to me. He left to marry with my blessing. Get some sleep. I’m sure the soldiers will want to discuss those maps and notes with you later. I advised them to ask President Davis to replace you on this mission. With luck, his best agent won’t be incapacitated very long.”
“I should have listened to your last scolding. That leaves only two marriages to concern me: yours and Ellie’s.”
“You’re late again, Corry. I’ve taken care of both weddings.”
“Both?” he asked in bewilderment.
“I’m sure Ellie Greenleaf is ecstatically happy right this minute. As for handling my wedding, big brother, it isn’t necessary. I married Simon Travers on December 28.” The gold band glittered in his eyes.
Blane tried to sit up and demand an explanation. Fury sent blood rushing into his pale face. “You can’t…be serious,” he argued.
“I know you and Papa didn’t approve of Simon. But it’s my life, Corry, and I did what I needed to do. It’s too late to scold me or lock me in my room. Settle down before you tear out my perfect stitches.”
For five long and difficult days, Shannon played the devoted sister and talented nurse to Blane Stevens. As his wounds healed and his strength returned, he watched her like an eagle. When Sherman’s march on Columbia began to flood the wards with more wounded, the doctor suggested that Shannon take her “brother” home with her to provide another bunk for a soldier who was in worse condition. Blane would not allow her to extricate herself from the delightful trap.
The moment they entered her dwelling and closed the door, Blane seized her and kissed her feverishly. He ignored her struggles and protests. “Lord, I’ve missed you, Blue Eyes. I was a damn fool not to stay here and fight for you. I’m getting you out of this marriage to Travers; then you’re marrying me. Why didn’t Jeremy tell me about you and Travers when I sent him to check on you? Just wait until I get my hands on his miserable throat. All this time I thought you were living with Hawke! That’s the only reason I didn’t come back for you. Why the hell did you marry Travers?”
“Get your filthy hands off me, you traitor; then I’ll tell you.” She waited for Blane to sit in a chair before he collapsed. Omitting only the reason that lived beneath the hand resting over her abdomen, Shannon coldly and candidly related her many motives. She left out none of Simon’s crimes and black deeds. “When the war ends, so will this mock marriage. I was being courted by a lawyer in Boston, so I know exactly how to walk away from him legally and financially secure. All I have to do is stay out of his reach until then.”
Blane pulled her down into his lap. “If you fight me, I could be injured. Just sit still and talk awhile. I’ve got to know the truth, Shannon. Did you ever love Hawke and plan to marry him?”
“I never considered marriage to Hawke, for any reason. And I never loved him in the way you’re thinking. Hawke is a brother to me, Blane. He has been ever since we met when I was eleven and he was fourteen. I have no aversion to his Comanche blood, but that is one of the reasons I never mentioned him to you. Anyway, I had no idea you knew about him. The other is for personal family reasons. If you hadn’t deluded me or concealed those pictures, we could have dealt with Hawke and Corry that day I was shot or that day at Greenleaf. You have what you wanted. You obtained revenge for your family’s suffering, and Ellie has married my brother by now.”
“That isn’t all I wanted. I wanted—and needed—you. Think back, woman. Can’t you understand how I was led astray by coincidences and false evidence? I was hurt and angry and jealous that day. I didn’t mean all those cruel things I said. While we were traveling together, I was trying to figure out how to help Ellie and not lose you doing it. When I learned about this Hawke, I wanted him out of your life and mind. With the problems of Hawke and Corry solved, we can rebuild our relationship. We’ll get you free of Travers, then we’ll marry.”
Shannon used all of her strength to force Blane to release her. She looked down at him and responded, “You are a damn fool, Major Blane Stevens. By the way, I helped Eli escape your trap before I left Savannah. Too bad I was already bound to Simon before I discovered he was still alive. If not, I would be a captain’s wife today.”
“I’m not responsible for what happened to your home, Shannon. I saw the Blade’s mark on the columns as I was riding away. I was too mad to deny it. And I wasn’t trying to lay blame on you.”
“I know. Simon did those things. That isn’t my battle with you.”
“If you hate me and crave vengeance, why did you save my life?”
Shannon looked him in the eye as she shockingly answered, “I don’t hate you and I don’t want revenge. If there’s one lesson I learned well from you, Major Stevens, it’s the high price and pain of seeking misguided justice. But the most important thing you taught me was how to love passionately, blindly, completely, and eternally.”
“What are you saying, Shannon?” he asked in astonishment.
“That I love you, but it’s over forever between us.”
Chapter Twenty-One
“How can it be over if you love me?” Blane reasoned frantically.
“Because I don’t trust you and I don’t like you. And without those feelings, love and passion aren’t enough to sustain a relationship.”
“Do you have any objection to my trying to earn them? You won’t be sorry, love. For the first time since we met, there won’t be any people or secrets between us. We’ve been through all kinds of situations and emotional turmoil. Those experiences have got to make us stronger and closer. Give it time; make sure. Am I so despicable and unworthy? Let me prove you’re the one who’s wrong this time.”
Shannon looked him over speculatively and mischievously. Once they parted this next time, they might never meet again. Why not enjoy him? Why not let him soothe her loneliness, and her fears, and her desires? He owed her relief from all of the shame and agony he had brought into her life! How fiercely she craved him. Besides, she couldn’t get more pregnant than she was. She couldn’t be used or hurt again, for she knew what to expect and what not to expect from him. “If you think you can accomplish such a feat, you can try,” she challenged flippantly. “As I recall, you are ‘good company between the blankets.’” She saw him wince at his own words.
When Blane attempted to rise and go to her, she halted him. “Not tonight, Corry. We’re both too weary and addled. Give it a little time and care. You don’t mind if I call you Corry so I can get accustomed to it and won’t slip in public?” she teased. “I’ll put you to bed, then I’ll cook dinner. You are injured, love.”
For two days, Blane was on his best behavior. They chatted about anything but the war and their past troubles. They ate together, and they slept in the same bed. Blane helped her with the meals and dishes. He hauled in firewood and removed the ashes. He was amused each time she scolded him for those exertions. He teased her about her artistic “parlor stitches” on his temple and arm. She jested in return that he should be glad she had not embroidered her name on him and marked him as one of her many conquests. He didn’t want to tell her he was healing rapidly and easily, for he didn’t want her to evict him.
As they lay in bed one night, Blane turned toward Shannon and stroked her hair. He watched the flames from the hearth dance on her silky tresses. He noticed how the firelight settled and glowed softly on her skin. His finger moved slowly and sensuously over her lips. He wished he could look into those expressive blue eyes, but they were closed. “I know I promised to be patient, but I want to hold you. Do you realize how hard it is for me to keep my hands off you?”
Shannon opened her eyes and looked at him. “Do you realize it isn’t necessary? I said I didn’t trust you or like you, but I never said I didn’t desire you. I don’t want you to keep your hands off me. For your record, Major Stevens, I was a virgin that night at the Thomases; and no
man has touched me except you.”
Blane gazed into her eyes. “I’m sorry for what I said that day with Hawke. I was angry and jealous, but I shouldn’t have lashed out at you with such cruel lies. I wanted you to share my pain because I held you responsible for inflicting it. I was a damn fool. I love you, Shannon, and I’m sorry I’ve given you reasons to doubt it.”
“So am I, Blane. It was so good between us. Is it lost forever?”
His lips came down on hers and they kissed tentatively. He kissed her eyes, her chin, her nose, and then her greedy mouth. For a long time, all he did was hold her, kiss her, caress her, and study her.
Shannon wanted him and needed him, so she encouraged him to quicken his pace with her entreating hands and lips. When his mouth closed over her nipple, a shock of sensation surged through her body. Her breasts were so sensitive to his actions. She tingled and warmed. It felt so wonderful to have his hands leisurely wandering over her satiny flesh. She closed her eyes and opened her senses to those blissful feelings.
Blane deftly heightened her passion until she was aquiver with urgency. He entered her body with skill and tenderness. He lovingly labored until she was susceptible to every movement and touch. He knew how much pleasure and rapturous torment he was giving to her. It thrilled him, pleased him, and stimulated him. When he carried her to the edge of sensual ecstasy, he drove powerfully and talentedly to send her tumbling madly and wildly over its exquisite precipice.
After he had sated her, she was breathless and weak. She grinned at him and nibbled at his lips. “That was a marvelous peace token, Major Stevens. Perhaps that’s how I’ll charge you every day for room and board—unless it proves too much for a wounded male.”
“That’s the best medicine and treatment I’ve had so far, Nurse Greenleaf. If I get weak from overwork, you can carry out my stirring task. We do have a delightful partnership,” he jested roguishly.
The following day, Shannon found herself eager to get home. She laughed merrily when she arrived to find her dinner prepared. “I knew you would be tired, sis, so I’m earning my keep.”
“That isn’t how I requested payment, Major Stevens.”
Blane chuckled. “You misunderstand, Blue Eyes. I have dinner ready so we’ll have more time and energy to work off my debt.”
She returned his kiss and hug. “I always suspected you were very crafty and greedy; now I’m convinced,” she retorted coyly.
They had made love twice before Blane told her reluctantly, “I have to leave for awhile, Shannon. Will you be all right?”
In a mellow tone, she replied, “I was fine before your sudden arrival, and I’ll be fine after your departure. I had good training in self-reliance from my old partner. You’ve forgotten, I’m a temptress of destiny. I plan to force Fate to give me my due. Are you sure you’re up to traveling, Blane? That head and arm haven’t healed yet.”
“I have a few matters to settle, then I’ll return.”
“I don’t think you should return. I don’t want Simon discovering our affair and using it against me during the divorce. I have it all planned, and I don’t want you or anyone to spoil it. I have to be in control of the charges, not him. It’s been marvelous having these stolen days with you, Blane. We’ve made peace. Why not leave it like that for now?” She waited tensely for his response.
“Does the money mean that much to you, Shannon?”
“It isn’t the money, Blane; it’s my money—Greenleaf money. Would you allow an enemy to rob you and your family? It has to do with justice and principals. Besides, you’re forgetting a very vital point. Your sister is a Greenleaf by now, so our estate is partly your nephew’s. Would you want Simon to steal little Corry’s inheritance?”
“He’s dangerous, Shannon. I don’t like the idea of your challenging him alone. Don’t do anything rash until I’m around to help you.”
“This time, the law will side with me against him. I have plenty of valid charges for my petition, not the least of which are ‘Cruelty’ and ‘Fraud’ and ‘Wasting property’ and ‘Attempt on petitioner’s life’. If I’m lucky, I can find a way to prove ‘Partner is fugitive from justice.’ If necessary, I’ll lie my head off. Any of those charges are grounds for divorce and obtaining a third to a half of his holdings. Don’t intrude. Remember our relationship is physical, nothing more.”
“Maybe for you, Blue Eyes, but not for me. I love you, and I’m going to win you back.”
After making torrid love to her, Shannon watched Blane mount Dan and ride away. She couldn’t help but wonder what he would have said and done if she had asked him not to leave, if she had begged him to stay. But she was determined to teach him to be honest and considerate. She had to let him see what it was like to have her, and to lose her. She had to know if she could trust him, depend on him, win him completely. She had to make certain she had no doubts that his past mistakes and cruelties had been unintentional or uncontrollable. She had to make sure that he had no doubts or suspicions about her.
On February seventeenth, Sherman’s men conquered and razed Columbia. On Saturday the eighteenth, Charleston surrendered to the Union, an action that aided her survival. That same day, Shannon packed and left Georgetown with the Rebel troops who were heading by train to defend Wilmington, the last supply port. On Tuesday, Shannon was sitting on the sofa in Sarah Jane Sinclair’s parlor and having tea.
Shannon told the woman what destruction she had found at home. She asked about Jeremy and their holidays together. Shannon listened as the woman reluctantly confessed her switch in fealty, due to Jeremy’s influence and love. Shannon smiled empathetically as she explained her own divided loyalties. When Sarah Jane asked about the wedding band, Shannon exposed her clever scheme without shame or guilt.
“Can you obtain a divorce and settlement so easily?”
“I know the law, Sarah Jane. You mustn’t worry about me.”
“But that awful man is searching for you. He’s been here twice. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s offered a reward for you.”
“He won’t find me or harm me. Where is Molly?” she asked worriedly, knowing that the hateful witch would betray her at the first opportunity.
“She ran off to England with a sea captain. He was more like a pirate, if you ask me. That sister of mine is a fool.”
Once more, Shannon found herself living in the lovely suite on the third floor. There wasn’t time for her to look for work. On Wednesday, under the command of Union general Schofield, Wilmington peacefully surrendered to Generals Cox and Terry. As if by magic, Jeremy Steele arrived to protect his love. The hotel was crowded with Union officers, and Shannon volunteered to help her friend with the chores.
Meanwhile, in South Carolina, Sherman was viciously carving his way through the state as he headed toward Fayetteville. Reports were that he was chasing Johnston with a wild-eyed thirst for the Rebel’s blood. And in Virginia, Sheridan and Grant were attempting to snare Lee between them.
Jeremy took possession of Molly’s suite of rooms on the first floor, a suite that adjoined Sarah Jane’s. From the beginning, Jeremy informed the arriving conquerors of his identity and Union loyalty. As his fiancée, Sarah Jane, as well as her hotel, were spared any trouble. As for Shannon, she performed kitchen tasks to keep busy and out of sight.
For eleven days, the two women and Jeremy ran the hotel without problems. Shannon was continually aware of how closely and intently Blane’s friend observed her. One day he made her so edgy with his stare and coldness that she demanded tersely, “Why do you dislike me, Jeremy? Why did you tell Blane all those lies about me?”
“Were they lies, Mrs. Travers? Do you really think you’re good enough for Major Stevens?” he asked skeptically.
Shannon was stunned by his sharpness and words. “You sent that letter to me, didn’t you? You wanted to drive me away from him. Why? What have I done to you? I know Sarah Jane told you why I married Simon. What right do you have to interfere in the lives of others?”
“Blane is my friend. When I saw how you were blinding him, I had to save him from you. You aren’t fit to come near him.”
“You planted the false evidence,” she accused. “You wanted them to arrest me and execute me. How could you kill innocent people to hurt me?”
“I ain’t done nothing to you but send that letter and tell Blane you was living with that Comanche. I knew that would end your spell, faster than telling him about you and Eli or you and that Travers.”
“You malicious bastard! That isn’t true. Eli is my friend and Simon is my bitter enemy! I love Blane Stevens, you fool!”
“Then why did you whore to Travers to get your way? No good woman would sleep with a snake for money and revenge. Why should the Flame be scared of false evidence, unless she’s guilty? If you loved Blane and you was a real patriot and agent, you would have asked for Union help in Savannah. I know about tempting witches like you.”
“How dare you,” she shrieked contemptuously. “You’re vile, Jeremy Steele. You don’t deserve a woman like Sarah Jane or a friend like Blane. I’ve never been touched by any man but Blane. If you hadn’t been creating these vicious charges against me and pouring them into his head, we would be married today. If you were such a damn good agent, you’d know I’m innocent.”
“An innocent woman doesn’t marry the man who supposedly tricked her and stole her money and burned her home.”
“That’s enough, Jeremy,” Blane warned from the doorway. “She had no choice when I deserted her and left her at his mercy. I wish you hadn’t interfered, because you’re mistaken about her.”
Shannon glanced beyond Jeremy to settle her burning gaze on the handsome man who was staring at her in such a curious manner. Did he believe what he had said? Or was it a ruse to disarm her?
“Don’t be fooled by this tempting witch, Blane,” he warned.
“Oh, she’s fooled me all right, but not how you think.” Blane purposefully strolled forward. He halted near Shannon and examined her with his keen gaze. “Why didn’t you wait? I went to Georgetown looking for you, then I searched Charleston. I was just about to head for Savannah when a captive mentioned the ravishing redhead who had tended his wounds before heading to Wilmington. I found Corry.”
Destiny's Temprtress Page 47
