by Kitty Margo
He had asked Judith shortly after the wedding, pleaded with her, in fact, for Lynna’s whereabouts. She had looked at him with unmasked fury in her eyes and informed him that if Lynna had wanted him to know her destination, she certainly would have told him herself.
Nobody would tell him where she was. Suzanne, Daniel, Silas, and Mary pretended not to know her whereabouts. Even Jasmine could not be persuaded or tricked into revealing Lynna’s secret hiding place. He had ridden into Charleston in hopes of speaking with her Aunt Gypsie, but although her house remained standing amid the rubble of the city, it was locked up tight as a drum and Gypsie was nowhere to be found. Thankfully, the earthquake had done little damage to Sea Grove or Cedar Hill.
Joshua resigned himself to the fact that Lynna did not wish to be found, not by him, anyway. He could not blame her for hating him. Hell, he hated himself. He gave the horse his head, not yet ready to return to his dearly despised wife, or her bed.
The horse raced with the wind, seeming to know where Joshua needed to go, and halted in front of the busy establishment where he had waited for his master so many times in the past. Going around to the back, Joshua made his way to the upstairs apartment unnoticed and made himself at home. He was pouring his third glass of brandy when Resa waltzed in.
“Joshua!” she exclaimed, as he looked to her like a small boy about to be punished. “What are you doing here?”
Giving her his glass of wine, he poured another. “Getting drunk... er.”
Is this not your wedding night? Why, the entire town is abuzz and practically every unmarried female is bawling into her pillow tonight because Charleston’s most eligible bachelor is no more.”
“It is.”
“Then why are you not with your lovely bride?”
“I have come to celebrate with you.” He raised his glass, but made no effort to drink. “To Mr. and Mrs. Joshua Jordan, who already have a jump on the ‘be fruitful and multiply’ bit.” He laughed harshly as he set his glass down and moved to take her in his arms. “Ah, Resa, my love. Why did I marry her?”
“Because you are a lusty devil, Joshua Jordan. I can attest to that.” She drew his head down to hers and smiled. “But if you were not, it would be such a shame.”
Joshua was unable to resist those ruby red lips so close to his own. Although, even though the kiss was pleasant, it held none of the passion that Resa knew him to be capable of.
“What’s wrong, honey?” She was silent as he told her his reason for marrying Suzanne. When he finished, she asked what was most crucial in her mind, “What about Lynna?”
“I don’t even know where she is. No one will tell me. They are all against me, every last one of them!”
“So, you gave up the woman you love, to marry the woman who carries your offspring?” She agreed he was in a mess. Hell, anyone would be, married to that highfaluting bitch.
“Yes, that about sums it up.”
“Joshua, are you sure she carries your child?”
“Yes.” He looked at her curiously. “Strange, but Lynna had asked the same question. Why would she lie? Her father, and especially her brother Daniel, assured me it was so.”
Resa’s unrestrained laughter filled the room. “For such a worldly man, you are most ignorant in the ways of women. Why would she lie, indeed? I will give you three reasons. One, you are one of the richest men in Charleston. Two, you are by far the most handsome and sexy man in the county.”
He looked askance at her with a devilish grin and quirked one eyebrow toward the ceiling as if greatly affronted.
Resa giggled, unable to contain the laughter that bubbled forth at his teasing. It was good to know that even though his life was a debacle, he could still joke about it. “Okay, make that the most handsome man in the entire state of South Carolina. And three, Suzanne Fletcher’s… or… Suzanne Jordan’s father would agree to anything she asked of him and you damn well know it.”
Joshua cringed hearing Suzanne’s new name and then was quiet, absorbing her words and wondering if Suzanne was capable of such deception. It took only a moment’s thought to decide that she was indeed.
“How long has it been since you made love to her?” Resa inquired, hating the mere thought of Joshua’s hands on the uppity twit.
“Almost four months.”
“Has she added any weight?”
“No, she is as scrawny as ever,” he answered, not even bothering to conceal his disgust.
“You mean she is not showing at all?” Resa’s eyes widened.
“Not that I can tell.”
“You could tell if she was, Joshua. She should be rounding by now.” She grinned anticipating his shock. “I was showing by my fourth month.”
“You were showing?” Joshua gasped. “You have a child?’
“Yes, a girl.” She watched as Joshua’s eyes took on a faraway look. “She is ten now.”
Joshua swallowed hard, for it had been about ten years since he and Resa first met. “Resa?”
“No, Joshua, you are not the father of my child, although, if I had thought of the idea at the time…” She grinned at his shocked expression. “No my love, I would never try to ensnare you into marriage and Suzanne will regret doing so, I fear.”
Joshua was still not convinced. “Resa, how can you be sure your child is not mine?”
“I am quite sure.”
“How?” he persisted.
“Because I was already carrying her when I met you.”
After listening intently to her as she talked about her daughter, he asked, “Why have I never met this child?”
“Because she lives with my brother and his wife.” She lowered her head shamefully. “This is not the life for her. Mariah is better off with a real family.”
“Mariah? You are Jake Almond’s sister?”
“The one and only. Mariah mentions your sister Malinda quite often.”
“I know your daughter well. She is a frequent visitor at Sea Grove.”
“Underfoot, no doubt.” Resa laughed, followed by a pained sigh.
“Not at all. I find her to be both headstrong and adorable, like her mother. Yes, I see the resemblance now.”
He saw the tear that coursed down her cheek before she promptly brushed it away. Glancing up at him, she tried to smile. “You keep an eye on Mariah for me, Joshua. Now you better get back to that little bride of yours before she sends out a search posse.”
“I suppose I should,” he took her into his arms, holding her close. “I will give her a few weeks, and if I find out that she has lied to me…” his voice trailed off as Resa’s hand moved to encircle his neck and make him forget his troubles, if only for a short while.
Joshua and Suzanne had been married for three weeks and still he hadn’t touched her. She was forever trying, unsuccessfully, to lure him into her bed with skimpy negligees, whiskey, and even a voodoo love potion from one of the slaves. She was confident that his resistance was weakening and he would be unable to deny himself much longer. What man could?
They had left for Sea Grove the day after the wedding, where Joshua had insisted on separate bedrooms, ignoring the questioning glances of servants and family. Suzanne had been furious, with loud bouts of crying, pouting, and screaming. Patricia, who had never heard such carryings on in all her born days, rushed to calm the distraught girl, but was unsuccessful, and after a few minutes of her caterwauling, eagerly fled the room. Suzanne would have been positively irate to learn the servants were fair rolling with mirth behind her uppity back, due to the fact Joshua refused to share the bed of his eternally sniveling wife.
Malinda refused to welcome her new sister into the family fold, pulling Joshua aside and accusing, “You told me not to worry! That you would never allow yourself to be trapped by Suzanne’s feminine wiles! Instead, you succumb to her… dare I say… meager charm, and wind up committing yourself, and this entire family, to a lifetime of misery.”
“I could not agree with you more, Malinda,” Joshua agreed, cl
imbing the stairs in search of Juanita, the voluptuous upstairs maid. She could help to drown his sorrow tonight. “Admittedly, I was a fool, but I seriously doubt the misery I have brought on this family will last a lifetime.”
“Joshua, whatever do you mean?” she shouted to his retreating back.
At the top of the stairs, Joshua turned, put his finger to his lips, winked, and when he was just outside Suzanne’s door, shouted for the very agreeable Juanita.
Just after midnight, Suzanne slipped into his room and began slowly and seductively removing her clothes. “Joshua darling, what is it about me that you find so unattractive? Is my body so repugnant that you cannot bear to touch me?” Naked, she held out her arms. “I am your lawfully wedded wife! Please, make love to me!”
Joshua was totally void of any emotion as he declared unequivocally, “I will not risk jeopardizing the life of my child. When the child is safely delivered, then, and only then, will I execute my marital duties.”
“Duties! You never considered it a duty before!”
He had not even attempted to stifle a yawn as he turned over, ignoring her still outstretched arms.
“How in the hell am I suppose to deliver a child when you refuse to touch me?” she gritted through clenched teeth, before fleeing the room and slamming the door loud enough to send picture frames leaping from the walls.
Suzanne knew time was fast running out and she was getting desperate. People would soon start questioning why she was not showing. What would she tell them? Several times she had caught Joshua fixated on her flat stomach. She caught the glimmer in his eyes and the smile that played across his lips and imagined he was thinking of his little brat that she carried safely inside her. The horror! Even though the mere thought of ruining her slim figure appalled her, she had no other choice.
In a state of total desperation, she realized that Joshua might not desire her, but plenty of other men did. She may never know who fathered her child, and she didn’t care. Her only concern was creating one, before it was too late. Besides, it would serve Joshua right to raise another man’s offspring after his cruel and neglectful treatment of her.
So, it happened that by the end of the following month, Suzanne had frequently been with William, the new stable boy her father-in-law had hired, and Sawyer, the son of a neighboring plantation owner. She found Sawyer to be too unskilled, and William too slow for her taste, but after a few weeks under her tutelage, William was soon able to satisfy her completely. But still her monthly flow continued on a maddeningly regular basis. What if there was some female problem and she was unable to conceive? Dear God! How would she excuse such deceit to Joshua?
If she hadn’t been so convinced she would become with child presently after their marriage, she could have feigned a miscarriage, but Joshua would in all likelihood have had the marriage annulled. How was she to know he would avoid her like the plague? He must have ice water flowing through his veins instead of blood.
When Joshua finally admitted to himself that he had been played for a fool, his hatred for Suzanne increased tenfold. He had permitted himself to be ensnared in her trap and his ignorance had caused him to sacrifice the only woman he would ever love. He had accepted that, but Suzanne would pay. Dearly! He was sure beyond any doubt now that she was not carrying his, or any other man’s, child. She had paraded around in front of him naked often enough, trying to entice him into her bed.
The following days he kept a careful vigil and observed closely her every move. He was watching when she slipped silently out of the house around midnight. He saw her greet William, with no small amount of exuberance, and the two of them enter the barn from the rear. He waited and then crept silently inside, guided to their hiding place by Suzanne’s passionate moans. Walking to the edge of the dimly lit stall, he stood watching them. He actually felt sorry for the man as Suzanne dug her long nails into his back, trying to devour him.
“Well now, what have we here?” Joshua drawled, smiling pleasantly. “I fear I have ignored my duties as a husband for too long and my darling wife was forced to turn elsewhere for satisfaction. Although, I sincerely doubt that any one man is even capable of such a monstrous feat.”
Suzanne gasped in horror, pushing William from her roughly as she grabbed her gown and tried to cover herself. “Oh, thank goodness you came when you did, Joshua!” she sobbed, breathlessly. “He threatened to kill me if I did not submit to him!”
“You are saying the moans I heard were cries of fear?” He was enjoying her groveling immensely.
“Yes! Oh Joshua, I was so terrified!” she cried, clutching her gown to her breasts and nervously reaching out to him. “Thank God you arrived in time!”
“Do not touch me, Suzanne. And please do not think me dim-witted. Your touch sickens me!” He watched her cringe from the pure hatred reflected in his voice. “I watched you from the time you left the house until now and you certainly were not forced against your will. In fact, you were enjoying yourself so much that, in all honesty, I regretted having to disturb you.”
“You bastard!” she sneered, sensing the ruse was over. “I know what you hope to accomplish with your hateful words. But believe me; you will never get an annulment. And Lynna will have you only over my dead body!”
“That can be arranged, I assure you,” he replied ominously. “And you are woefully mistaken, Suzanne. You see, you will grant me an annulment, for I have witnesses who will attest that you copulated with them during our marriage. Our Marriage! Hah!” He laughed harshly. “What a farce. But not to worry, for it is all but over.” His eyes were like cold steel as he said, “You will grant me an annulment or I will drag your family’s good name through the mud and there will be a scandal the likes of which Georgia has never seen.” He turned to William, who was still cowering against the wall. “William, will you swear in a court of law that you fornicated with my darling wife?”
“Yes sir, Mr. Jordan! Be happy to!” he replied eagerly. “We fornicated more times than I can count, in fact.” He was getting off lightly if that was all he had to do and he did not even glance at Suzanne as he made a hasty retreat from the barn. He had expected Mr. Jordan to kill him when he caught him with his new wife. Instead, much to his surprise, the man had actually seemed genuinely pleased to find them going at it. Damn! Rich people were a peculiar lot.
“Get packed, Suzanne. I will be returning you to your parent’s home first thing in the morning. If you agree to the annulment, we can put this entire fiasco behind us and move on with our lives. If not, then I feel reasonably certain your parents will be both distressed and appalled to learn of your lies and multiple…indiscretions.”
“Joshua, you cannot mean this!” She could not let him go, not without one last try. “You could love me if you would only give yourself the chance. Joshua, please! William meant nothing to me. It was a mistake.”
“And Sawyer, was he a mistake as well, Suzanne?”
Her gasp echoed through the otherwise quiet barn. “What? How did you ever find out about both…?”
“That doesn’t matter. What matters is that I don’t care to love you.” His tone was final as he turned, walking out of the barn and out of her life. “Lynna is the only woman I will ever love.”
Chapter Seventeen
The magnificent waterfall cascading down the mountain reminded Lynna of a giant staircase rising majestically up the face with lacy moss clinging to the smooth stones under rushing water. The sight left her breathless. If ever there was a paradise, Jamaica was it. Almost without thinking, she had removed her dress and plunged into the inviting water, knowing she had found her place of peace and tranquility in this new land. Many times since coming to Jamaica, she had climbed the sloping path to the top of the waterfall, tempted to dive into the deep pool below, but her courage always fled when she stood at the top of the precipice looking down.
She left the water, shaking her head as her eyes wandered over the tanned legs on display below her chemise. The Jamaican sun had turn
ed her skin a light golden brown. Would she ever be magnolia blossom white again? She sincerely doubted it and certainly not as long as she remained in Jamaica, which she hoped was a long time to come. She had no desire to return to Magnolia House. Her only regret was that her Aunt Judith could not be here to enjoy the splendor of this lush tropical paradise with her.
“Hello.”
Horrified, Lynna gasped. She had just climbed out of the pool and quickly darted to the shadows of the forest, scrambling to grab her dress and clutch it to her breast. “Oh, hello.” She exhaled a deep sigh of relief to witness a little girl, with long golden locks similar to her own, smiling back. “I did not realize anyone else was here.”
I know,” the child said and giggled secretively. “You never do.”
“I never do?” Lynna panicked. Who else had been watching her? “You mean you have been here before, when I was… swimming?”
“Oh, yes, lots of times. I told Father and told him there was a beautiful mermaid who lives in the pool at the waterfall, but he never believes me.” She removed her shoes and dangled her dainty little feet in the cool refreshing water, looking Lynna over from head to toe. “I finally convinced him to accompany me today, but just when we were about to leave, there was another problem at the distillery and he could not come.”
“Thank God for that.” Lynna shivered involuntarily at the thought. “It would have proven most embarrassing for me if he had.”
“You are a mermaid, aren’t you?” The child asked, leaning over to give Lynna’s feet a closer inspection and seeming extremely crestfallen to find feet instead of a tail. “My mother would read me stories about mermaids. I know they are beautiful creatures that live in water and have big, beautiful tails. Where is your tail?”
Lynna’s hand went to cover her mouth, not wanting the child to think she was ridiculing her. “Thank you very much for the compliment, but, no, I fear I am not a mermaid. See? I have legs and feet just like you. Come and sit with me and tell me your name. I am new to the island and know few of its people.”
