“I don’t understand …” she murmured, her wits scattered by his unexpected presence and close proximity. He looked so handsome in his well-made suit, and he smelled wonderful. His smile was dazzling with those white teeth set amidst a darkly tanned face of handsome features. “I don’t even know your name or where you live. I don’t . even think I thanked you properly for your gallant rescue that first night.”
“But you did thank me, remember?” he hinted, seductively passing his tongue over his sensual lips as his fingers grazed hers lightly.
Leigh grasped his meaning and warmed even more at the recall of the stolen kisses they had shared. She trembled at his touch and stepped backward without even knowing it. “No matter. I wish to make certain I’ve done so properly. What are you doing here?”
“Trailing you, of course,” he teased, stepping forward again.
“Isn’t that what I’m suppose to do this time?” she came back too quickly. She watched his gaze travel over her, and hesitate at her throat. She saw his green eyes narrow and chill.
Harsh memories rushed into Jace’s head. “That was the original plan. What took you so long to get here?” he demanded almost harshly. “I was about to give up on you and go home.”
Leigh noticed that the playful mischief in his gaze had shifted to an emotion she did not understand. There was a sharp edge to his voice now, and that disturbed her. She wondered why hostility and cynical accusation seemed to exude from him. She sensed a tightly leashed anger and tension coming from the man. How mercurial he could be, she decided in annoyance. Baffled and alarmed by this egnimatic stranger who evinced a streak of danger, she replied, “Our ship was in need of repairs and we were delayed for a week. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll rejoin the party.” She tried to sweep by him, but he gently caught her forearm.
He faced her. “Won’t Chad be angry if you fail to enchant me? With a little effort, Miss Leigh, it could be an easy and possibly enjoyable task. Try it. I know Chad will be pleased since he wants me here so badly. Don’t fail twice in a mission.”
Leigh looked at him in utter bewilderment. Since he was dressed for the occasion and was inside the house, he must have been invited by their host. He seemed at ease, not cautious and alert as he had been those other two times. Why had he come to Africa, and how had he wrangled an invitation to this party? And what was all this about Chad? She stared at him, then said, “I don’t follow you.”
He threw back his head and filled the room with a hearty laughter which belied his fury with William Webster for giving his mother’s most prized necklace to Chad’s ward—or for selling it to Chad to use as a seductive token. The items in his father’s safe had been special family possessions, belonging to Jace. The old man had no right to those sentimental and ancestral treasures, or to get rid of them without giving Jace the opportunity to reacquire them himself. No doubt it had been part of the settlement for those faked debts! Then, for Chad to use Laura’s lovely neck to flaunt it in his face tonight was too much of a challenge, something that demanded repayment. To make matters worse, according to the hotel desk clerk, Webster hadn’t even come with them to Mombasa. Now Chad was trying to hire him, him, to lead their safari! No doubt his ward was the bait to entrap him, since Chad had a mistress along. But, Jace mused, was her role a willing one? He had to be firm to provoke information from her. “I don’t understand. I don’t follow you,” he mocked her claims. “I warn you, Miss Leigh, don’t tempt me to alter my first impression of you. That could be a dangerous mistake,” he threatened.
Leigh gaped at the man as if he were insane. She was too stunned to jerk free and run from the room. Why, she wondered, was he threatening her, taunting her, playing crazy games with her?
“I thought you were only a beautiful woman in trouble that night in London. For your sake, I hope that’s true. If you’re under Chad’s spell, I’d advise you to break it and sail home on the first ship to America. This is no place for a delicate creature, and Chadwick Hamilton is a voracious beast who will devour a careless victim like yourself. Did you tell him about our meeting, or did he already know I was in London? Did he arrange our little encounter near the docks? Were you supposed to snare me for him?” he questioned deviously.
That burst of words clearly told Leigh the two men were not friends. As for his other questions, she was completely confused. Dismay, and a little fear, flooded her seawater eyes. She yanked her arm from his light grasp and glared at him. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, sir. How could I tell my guardian about you when you’ve never told me your name—or anything about you? He’s going to be furious that you followed me here and that you’re being so hateful. If you want to stay out of trouble, then steer clear of me. I don’t want to hear any more of your accusations.”
Leigh brushed past him and headed for the door, then she halted and turned. Something strange was going on, and she needed—wanted—to discover what was afoot. With bravery and boldness, she approached him and said, “Yes, I do want to know. What do you mean and why are you so angry?”
He focused that challenging gaze on her and asked, “Were we supposed to meet that night in London? Did Chad want us to meet and get acquainted? Were you supposed to lure me here for some reason? I know how sly Chad can be, and I know he wants me here with you.”
Leigh mistook his meaning. She recalled Chad’s words about “stunning a friend of mine.” This stranger had been dressing for dinner when he had rushed to rescue her. He had gotten angry when she mentioned Chad’s name and her dinner appointment. Could he have suspected that Chad was throwing them together, and he didn’t like it? Had their first meeting been arranged to make this man interested enough in her that he would come along with them? That would be ridiculous and dangerous. Yet she questioned, “Are you the man I was supposed to meet that night? Does Chad want you to come on safari with us? Tell me exactly what you’re accusing me of doing.”
It was Jace’s turn to be unintentionally misled by her words. She had taken a long time to come up with an answer, a bad one. “Come, Laura, don’t play more games with me. I’m here now. We both know that meeting on the wharf was no accident, and your mention of this safari wasn’t, either. The woman I rescue just happens to be Chad Hamilton’s ward. This ward just happens to mention they’re leaving Monday on safari. Her guardian just happens to want me along,” he scoffed.
“Tell the truth. It was a clever ruse to catch my attention, to get me here with you, wasn’t it? How did Chad know I was hiding there?” Cold lights glittered in his verdant gaze. A tight sneer controlled his mouth and a tic appeared along his chiseled jawline. “Well?” he demanded. “Did you lose your courage after getting a look at me? Was old Chad angry after you seemed to fail in your assignment?” he almost snarled. “I’m here now, so what do you two want with me?”
Leigh shook her head to clear her wits. “I wasn’t trying to meet you, and I didn’t tell you I was coming to Africa so you would track me here. I was trying to discourage your interest because you seemed devilish and smug, and maybe dangerous. I take it you know Chad?”
He obviously didn’t like her response. Leigh saw his furious gaze return to her necklace and linger there, growing colder and narrower by the minute. For an instant, she thought he was going to snatch it off her throat. Yet, when his gaze returned to hers, it was relaxed and enticing!
In case she might be telling the truth, Jace decided to soften his approach. “What else will you take from me, my tawny lioness?” he asked in a lazy voice.
His abrupt change took her by surprise, and she found herself gazing into those hypnotic green pools. She broke herself from their spell and queried, “Why should I want anything from a total stranger with such a quicksilver manner?”
“Well, I don’t suppose you want to come to my hotel room and retrieve your possessions. I can see you’ve already replaced them, or Chad did it for you,” he stated in an insulting tone.
Leigh’s cheeks flamed with vexation. “That is quite enough, Mr.— Whoever you are! I told you to keep them. I don’t need any reminders of that horrible night.”
“You really shouldn’t have worn such an elegant gown that night after agreeing to that little ruse with those … so-called sailors. I wondered why they gave up so quickly and easily. I imagine they weren’t paid enough to get beaten up by me, just enough to catch my interest and attention. Tell me, Laura, how far would you have gone with them while awaiting my rescue? What if I’d already left my hiding place and wasn’t there to be ensnared by your little game?”
Leigh wasn’t one to react violently to situations, but at his implication her hand lifted before she even realized it.
He seized it in midair and pinned it behind her, bringing their bodies into intimate contact. “Temper, temper,” he teased. “Such potent fire in those entrancing eyes. So beautiful and devious. Not such a delicate lady after all. Chad has taught you well about wild perils and sweet passions. Sometimes it’s too dangerous and costly to walk a wild trail, Miss Leigh. You should retreat before it’s too late.”
“I don’t know what’s behind all this, but I don’t like it, or you! When I returned to the hotel that night, I checked the dinner invitation. It said Stems Street, not Stams, so the mistake was mine, not Chad’s. Stop accusing him and me of trying to entrap you. Our first meeting was an accident, and you arranged the second one! First, you entice me to chase you, then, you threaten me to go away. I don’t understand you, and I don’t like your behavior.”
Her defense of his enemy annoyed him. Yet he was captured by the innocence in her eyes and tone. Maybe it had been fate’s design. Her eyes seemed to freeze into chips of blue ice, warning him of her rapidly rising fury.
“Take your hands off of me this instant. If there’s a problem between you and my guardian, your quarrel does not include harassing and insulting me. I won’t respond to your absurd accusations further, except to say I honestly was attacked that night in London. No tricks were involved on my part. If you don’t release me this minute, you brute, I’ll scream very loud,” she warned.
“And spoil Chad’s plans for all of us?” he taunted, appearing not the least troubled by her threat. He started off using the crazy coincidence to provoke her into revealing something—anything—useful, then summoned a crafty ruse. When she twisted in his arms and looked ready to call out, he added, “Not to mention the humiliating scene it would create in Alfred’s home. You’ll ruin the party and start a lot of nasty gossip. Naturally I’ll announce it’s a lover’s spat. After all, we met secretly twice in London. If Chad didn’t sic you on me, he’ll be most vexed and intrigued by that news. Shall we tell him?”
Leigh ceased her struggles but panted in frustration, “You rattlesnake! At least explain what’s going on inside that head of yours! Why do you dislike and distrust me? What have I supposedly done to you? In fact, who are you?”
He grinned as he lessened his grip on her. “I don’t dislike you, Laura. In fact, I feel just the opposite. You know who and what I am, my cunning enchantress. And you know exactly what I mean.”
Exasperated, Leigh sighed heavily and shook her head. “Think what you will, but I don’t have the vaguest idea. Besides, if you think you’re being tricked, why did you come to Africa? That’s an awfully long and expensive journey to undertake merely to scold me. Unjustly, I might add.”
When her blue eyes looked dewy and she drew in a ragged breath of air, he suspected again that Chad was using her without her knowledge and consent. “It was no trouble, Laura. I live here. I sailed home the morning after our talk in the garden. That is what you and Chad wanted, isn’t it?”
“You live here!” she exclaimed in surprise. “Who are you?”
“Jace Elliott, coffee grower, safari guide, and whatever else you’d like me to be, Laura.” He watched her eyes widen and her face pale, and heard her sharp intake of air. But it was the curious array of emotions—alarm, hesitation, disbelief, confusion, even fear—in her large eyes that caught his complete attention and interest.
“You’re … Jace … Elliott? Brandon Elliott’s … son?” When he nodded both times, she licked her dry lips and stared at him. Part of it made sense now. She understood why the mention of Chad’s name that night on the dock had altered him. She grasped why he had been hiding, and why he had been so cautious and alert, and why he had been so certain they would meet again soon. He had risked capture by coming to her aid. But why did he think she and Chad knew he was there? Why did he consider Chad an enemy? Was there something between the Elliotts and Websters that she and Chad did not know?
Naturally he would be resentful toward William Webster’s granddaughter, especially if he didn’t know about the will’s stipulation. But, she fretted, why was he playing romantic games with her? For revenge? No, she reasoned, he had responded to her before learning who she was. But, she argued with herself, why had he endangered himself to meet her in the garden at Lord Salisbury’s? What did he want from her? As she eyed him closely, her mind hinted, So, this is Jace Elliott, the man who inherits half of everything if …
“What were you doing sneaking around in London? I thought you were wanted by the law and couldn’t—” She halted as he released her and let her sway against the wall behind her.
Jace had noticed her reaction to his identity. “So, you do know who and what I am; you just didn’t realize Sir Lancelot was Jace Elliott, isn’t that right? Why didn’t Chad tell you the truth before involving you?”
“Involving me in what? You’ve made so many charges and innuendoes that I’m confused. Please explain.”
“For God knows what reason, old Chadwick wants me to lead your safari. Of course I do have a reputation as the best guide here, but why does he really want to hire me, Laura? Why did he order you to lure me out of London? So I’d be here when you all arrived? Why?”
Astonishment glittered in her eyes. “Where would you get a crazy idea like that, Mr. Elliott? Jim Hanes is our guide. We’re waiting for his return so we can head inland. He’s late, but he’ll arrive soon. Even so, why should that request annoy you to such extremes?”
“Why indeed, his beautiful accomplice?” Jace mocked.
Leigh was irritated. They were just beginning to make headway in this mess. “Is there a reason why you keep calling me beautiful and accusing me of things I don’t understand?”
“Because you are beautiful, too beautiful and tempting. If I agree to head up your safari, how will you thank me this time?”
Leigh flushed in a mixture of embarrassment and anger. “You’re impossible, insufferable, crazy, rude, and bitter. Why on earth would we want you around us day and night?”
“That’s what I keep asking myself, woman. Chad and I don’t get along at all, so why did he send for me and want to hire me? And why is he using his tasty ward as bait for his little trap?”
“Chad sents for you? Why? He told me he had hired a man named Jim Hanes. He’s been to his office twice since our arrival to check on the delay. You’re mistaken, or downright lying.”
“If you’d like to see his written offer, it’s in my hotel room. Or, you can go ask him right now. It’s a fact, woman.”
She stared at him. “Chad would never hire you,” she argued.
Jace took in her reaction, and Chad’s arrival outside the door. Apparently, Chad had elected to pause a moment and eavesdrop. “Why wouldn’t Chad hire me, Miss Leigh?”
“Because you’re a wanted criminal,” she replied, not daring to tell the truth this time. Surely this was the last man Chad wanted around them. Obviously he was lying to glean information. Yet, if he and Chad never saw each other, what did Jace mean about their not getting along? More important, did Jace know about the will? She dared not ask. “We wouldn’t go into the jungle alone with you.”
To steal this golden treasure would avenge what Chad had done to Joanna, Jace speculated. If she vanished in the jungle, what would his enemy trade or do to get her back? Jace knew he needed to be with them and, for some reason, Chad was giving him an opportunity. He had to take it and uncover that motive. “The only way I’ll agree to work for Chad is for you to personally make the offer,” he bartered.
Leigh’s mouth dropped open and her eyes enlarged. “If that’s what is required, Mr. Elliott, you’ll never work for us. I wouldn’t ask you to take us if you were the only guide in all of Africa.”
Jace revealed a smug grin and responded, “Then I suggest you inform your guardian and group that there will be no safari. Without me, you can’t go inland. Jim Hanes has a busted leg, and there’s no one else available. That’s why you need me.”
“We don’t need you. We’ll buy maps and go by ourselves.”
Jace shook his head. “You can’t.”
“You can’t stop us, Mr. Elliott,” Leigh argued.
“Yes, Leigh, I’m afraid he can,” Chad stated from the doorway. “He can and he will, if we can’t persuade him to be our guide.”
Chad closed the door and joined them. The men stared at each other for a time. Leigh felt the animosity that permeated the room. Her curious gaze shifted from man to man. It was clear to her that they were not mere acquaintances, as Chad had implied.
Chad spoke first. “Jace Elliott does have the power to prevent our safari’ if he refuses to become our guide. It’s the law here. The Imperial British East Africa Company and the Colonial Office won’t allow safaris without a special license and an approved guide.”
“What about Jim Hanes?” she argued.
“As Jace told you, Jim has a broken leg. He’s in Nairobi. There isn’t anyone else around to hire. Either we convince Jace to take the job or we miss our adventure. While I was at the Colonial Office, they told me Jace was expected in town any day now. I left a letter for them to pass along to Jace, offering him the job. I was hoping, after he met you, he would be persuaded.”
Leigh recalled Jace’s accusations. “Did you arrange that mix-up with the dinner invitation so Jace and I could meet in London?” she asked. “How could you allow those ruffians to terrify me? If Jace hadn’t come along that night, I could have been injured. Were you hoping I would ensnare Mr. Elliott for you?”
Chad looked shocked. He glanced at Jace, then back at Leigh. “He’s the one who rescued you when you were attacked?” he asked, looking totally surprised. “Why didn’t you tell me?” To his enemy, he questioned, “What were you doing in London, Jace? That was mighty foolish, don’t you think?”
“Don’t tell me you’re worried about my safety old friend,” the green-eyed man scoffed.
“Then, you didn’t arrange that incident?” she pressed to Chad. “You said you wanted me to meet someone important and ‘stun’ him.”
“Of course I didn’t. I wanted you to meet that client of ours who wants the jungle effect for his restaurant. We were going to discuss business over dinner. He had to leave London, so there wasn’t another opportunity for you to meet him before sailing. I didn’t know Jace was in London, and he was a fool to take such a risk.”
“But you told me you believe he’s innocent,” Leigh protested.
“What difference does that make? He can’t prove it.”
“Thanks to someone’s clever frame,” Jace sneered.
Chad ignored Jace’s last words. “I heard about your misfortune with the coffee crop,” he said, “so I know you must need money. Why don’t you accept my offer? I didn’t arrange your meeting with Leigh in London. I didn’t know you were around, and I didn’t know about Hanes’s accident until we got here. I was hoping you’d agree after meeting my niece. This adventure was planned for her enjoyment.”
“Laura Leigh is your niece? She doesn’t favor Fiona, so I guess that means your father had a bastard child hidden away who died and left you the responsibility of Laura.” To her, he scolded, “You said Chadwick Hamilton was your guardian, but you never mentioned he’s your uncle. Which Leigh was your father? Did we know him, Chad?”
Suddenly she realized that Jace Elliott didn’t know who she was. She recalled that night on the dock which explained why he had kept calling her “Laura” or “Miss Leigh.” It also put a new light on his earlier words and behavior …
When she held silent and pensive, Chad inquired, “Didn’t you tell him your name in London?”
“She gave her name as Laura Leigh,” Jace answered, “but I didn’t give mine. You know how it was, Chad—see but don’t be seen.”
Chad also comprehended Jace’s astonishment at discovering exactly whom he had rescued. But, my friend, he mused, you’re in for an even bigger surprise. “Allow me to make the proper introductions. This is my ward and stepniece, Laura Leigh Webster, William’s granddaughter from America.” Leaving that stunning news to sink in, Chad turned from Jace and said to Leigh, “You know by now this is Jace Elliott, the Great White Hunter and best guide in Africa. And we need him to take Jim Hanes’s place.”
Jace stared at the beautiful woman, who now seemed nervous. “You’re a Webster? Why didn’t you tell me?” That cast a new light on matters, one he liked even less. It vexed Jace to learn she had Webster blood and to recall she was traveling with this flirtatious scoundrel. “So, you two are family.”
Chad grinned at Jace’s reaction. “By marriage only.”
“If she’s a Webster, how can she be your ward?” Jace probed.
“I’m Leigh’s guardian until she reaches twenty-one in November,” the raven-haired man revealed. “She arrived in February after William’s death in December. She inherited Webster International and his estate.”
Jace couldn’t conceal his surprise and interest. Lord Salisbury hadn’t cabled this news to him, but he knew why: his friend didn’t want him getting desperate and daring. It was obvious now why the Webster home had been closed up and empty. “The old man is dead?”
In a solemn tone, Chad replied, “Yes. I’m surprised you didn’t learn about it when you were in London recently. Leigh is William’s only blood heir. I thought this trip would do us both good before we settle down to business. Leigh and I haven’t seen each other for a few years, so it seemed an excellent way to get reacquainted without a lot of distractions. Don’t you agree?”
Jace didn’t like the fact they were old friends … and family. Maybe she was a better actress than he had feared, or maybe Chad had worked his potent charms on her. But what did they want from him? If their meeting had truly been an accident but Leigh had recognized him and told Chad of his presence, perhaps they had lured him out of London on purpose. Perhaps Chad had feared what he would uncover there. Perhaps he had come here to end their war. No, he had to be wrong about Leigh; her behavior was convincing. If anything, Chad was using her.
“Why not let bygones be bygones, Jace? Take the job. We need a guide and you need the money. It’s a good deal for all of us.”
All three mused in silence for a time. Jace’s spirit was troubled. Lord Salisbury had left town immediately following the party, so they hadn’t gotten to talk. He had hoped Webster would be with Hamilton. He knew how greedy both men were. A savage hunt was exactly what those two men would enjoy! Now, with Webster dead, all he could do was work on Chad to obtain the evidence he needed to clear himself.
Jace had been lying in wait for them. When they were late arriving in Africa, he had worried they had changed their minds or lied about their safari. Then the railroad had asked him to guide a work party to their next site. Since he’d used the new train to cover most of the trip out and back, it hadn’t taken long. He had planned to track them through the jungle and to find a way to join their group, but Jim’s accident had worked in his favor. If indeed, Jace silently scoffed, Jim did have a broken leg. That was something he needed to check on. He didn’t like surprises, and he had been given plenty tonight.
Jace wondered if Chad was hoping he’d fall for Leigh, trail her to London, and get captured and hanged. Jace also wondered how much Leigh knew about him and his past with Chad, and why she hadn’t told him her last name that night. Yet, upon reflection, he grasped how the oversight had occurred and never been corrected.
He pondered the situation. Now that Leigh Webster owned everything, including the holdings cleverly stolen from his father, where did that leave Chad and Fiona? Would Chad and his mother inherit it all if anything happened to Leigh, especially while in Jace Elliott’s care? If so, Chad could get rid of both of them while in Africa. That speculation disturbed and angered Jace. If Leigh’s innocence was genuine and there was a lethal plot against her, the blonde would be safer in his care while he exposed and defeated it than she would be if he refused and they returned to London.
Jace continued to sort the pieces to this puzzle. There was another road Chad could travel: marry Leigh and take everything. Jace had witnessed how his enemy watched the girl, so why bring a mistress along to mess up his seduction? Unless the redhead was a decoy to fool Leigh or to distract him. Without a doubt, Chad had a special reason for bringing Leigh Webster here and for throwing all of them together. Jace was going with them, but he couldn’t appear eager to do so. He had to let Chad convince him.
Leigh was trying to decide why these two men hated each other, and why they would even consider working together. Male pride? Revenge? A challenge to prove who was the better man? Why hadn’t Chad told her more about Jace? And, why would Chad risk having the resentful and intimidating man around them? Was her guardian trying to discover how much Jace knew about the Webster/Elliott connection and the curious will? How strange that her rescuer was Jace Elliott of all men! The best part was that he hadn’t known who she was until tonight.
As for Chad, he was delighted to have his plans proceeding perfectly. He didn’t like the fact that Jace and Leigh had met in London, but Leigh would never be attracted to a criminal. And Jace, Jace would view and treat her as William’s blood, as kin of the man who had taken everything from him. No, he decided, he didn’t have to worry about anything happening between those two.
“Well?” Chad broke the heavy silence in the room. “Don’t be stubborn and foolish, Jace. I’m willing to pay twice what you normally receive so this trip won’t be wasted. Even if we wait around for another guide, we could be in danger out there with a less qualified man. I’m responsible for Leigh, and I don’t want anything happening to her. Take the job,” he urged.
“It would never work, Chad. I’d be the absolute authority out there, and you couldn’t stand that. There are rules and regulations to cover sporting licenses, and you can be reckless and impulsive. The IBEA Company has laws governing the protection of animals in the Serengeti district, and that’s where we’d head first. They regulate the use and possession of all firearms. They don’t allow any skin, rhino horn, or ivory hunters; or permit natives to hunt during closed seasons; or allow sportsmen to take more game than the license permits. There’s no wanton shooting from boats; or shooting female animals, especially with young; or excessive killing just to get the best trophies. If you break the laws here, you can be arrested and fined, and your guide can lose his license. As I recall, you’ve never been one to like or obey rules.”
“I read the laws and regulations posted at the Colonial Office. I promise we won’t break any of them, and you’ll be in full control. That little accident that got your nose broken wasn’t entirely my fault. If there’s one thing you must know about me, it’s that I keep my word.”
Jace recalled Chad’s “word” in ‘92 vowing revenge: “One day when you least expect it, old friend, I’ll make you pay for what you did to me in South Africa, and pay dearly.” Chad had kept that dark promise. But, Jace mused, was the unwarranted revenge completed? He doubted it, and shook his head as if refusing the man’s job offer. He knew Chad wouldn’t give up easily. “Forget it, Chad. I’m going home in a few days, as soon as I finish some business with Alfred.”
Leigh glanced at Jace’s nose, wishing she knew the story behind that, as well as all the others between them. She said, “He’s right, Chad. Let him go. It wouldn’t work to hire him. In fact, I think it’s best if we sail home as soon as possible.”
“We haven’t spent all this time and money to be defeated now. You don’t want to spoil everyone’s trip, and you’ve been looking forward to this journey. We’re here now, so why turn back before we’ve been inland? If we only ride to the end of the rail line and see the sights, it’ll save our investment. I promise, if Jace won’t come to work for us, I’ll find someone else.” Lightheartedly he added, “Besides, I am your guardian until November. The rest of us are staying, so I can’t allow you to sail alone. It’s dangerous and improper. Remember what happened in London when you went out unescorted.”
Look who’s talking about being proper! Leigh almost scoffed. Legally Chad was responsible for her. Until November, she was required by English law to obey him. She could refuse and leave; she could even return to America. Chad wouldn’t really stop her. But that was silly and rash, and it would cause trouble between them.
She summarized the situation in a calm voice. “I sailed from America alone and unharmed, so you know I can take care of myself.” She glanced at Jace and shrugged. “We can’t go on safari without Jace Elliott. Obviously he isn’t interested in or willing to help us. He also doesn’t like any of us, and we’d be under his control out there. But you’re right. We’re here, so let’s stay and enjoy ourselves. We’re also clever, so we’ll think of a way to salvage this trip.”
Chad’s unfathomable gaze locked on Jace’s impassive one. “Is no your final answer, Jace?” When the man did not respond, Chad asked, “Leigh, will you leave us alone to talk privately? There’s something Jace and I need to settle, an old problem.”
“Of course,” she replied, then glanced at Jace and left the room.
Chad spoke first. “We were close friends for a long time, Jace.” He saw Jace frown, but he continued. “We both know we can’t ever be friends again, but we’re grown men. It’s time we started acting like adults and at least formed a truce. Despite what happened between us, we’re even now. Our private war can be over if you let it die.”
“Even?” Jace scoffed, his green eyes glittering with hostility. “You call ruining Joanna and helping Webster take everything from my father getting even? You call those cruel deeds simple bygones? You had no reason to seek revenge against me. I told you I searched for you, and I tried to repay your losses. You had no reason to use and hurt Joanna, to turn her into your harlot. One day you’ll pay for that, you sorry bastard. Where is she?”
“I don’t know,” Chad answered honestly. “I haven’t seen or heard from her since she left me.” He exchanged glares with Jace.
Jace knew Chad hadn’t gotten rid of Joanna Harris, because he had received several letters from her over the years. Yet someone had to be mailing them for her from ports around the world, which prevented him from discovering her whereabouts. Nor had Joanna ever told him what had happened between her and Chad. Maybe that was Chad’s unfinished business with him, to make sure he and Joanna didn’t get together again and talk. Jace craved answers to those secrets. If only he or Salisbury’s detectives could find her and … “Did she leave you or was she discarded like all your other used-up conquests?” Jace refuted coldly.
“She’s the only woman who ever discarded me. It didn’t work out between us, so she left London. I’m surprised she hasn’t gotten in touch with you. As for your innocence years ago, you’re a liar and a betrayer. Jed and the others told me you never searched for me. You sold our claim and left South Africa with all our diamonds. You left me to suffer and die at the hands of those savages.”
“You’re a blind fool, Chad. I told you in London when I found you alive that they were lying. If you’d bothered to check it out, you would have discovered I tried for weeks to track you down and rescue you after your capture by those Matabele warriors. There wasn’t a trace anywhere. I assumed you were dead. I didn’t know you had survived and escaped until I saw you in London. After I left South Africa, I was too deep in the jungle to get any news from home. When I did, Father never mentioned your return home; he probably figured I knew about it. I told you the truth that day, but you refused to believe it. We were best friends. We did everything together. Didn’t that count for anything? How could you believe I would betray you over some shiny stones? Did we ever really know each other? Or have we changed this much since the old days? Best friends to worst enemies. How sad and stupid. You shouldn’t have destroyed Joanna and my father to get at me.”
As on that day long ago, Chad didn’t want to believe Jace. If he did, it would make all his actions and losses his own fault, something a man like Chad couldn’t accept. Too, he needed the driving obsession of Jace Elliott to give him strength and purpose. He felt if they ever made real peace—which was undoubtedly impossible after all he had done to Jace—he would become the weaker one again. He had loved Jace like a brother; in fact, deep inside he still loved him. But by brutally cutting Jace from his life, he had found power, and he never wanted to lose that intoxicating feeling. Besides, after all he’d done, it was too late to turn back now.
“Joanna was the one who came after me, Jace.” Chad informed him. “Believe it or not, but I thought I was in love with her. After we were together for a while, we both realized it was a mistake. She left town because she was ashamed of what she had done. As for your father, I liked and respected him. Brandon made that business deal with William, not with me. They were planning some joint projects together. When your father … died, what did you expect William to do, lose his large investment by not laying claim to it?”
Chad ruffled his neat hair and exhaled loudly. He was feeling desperate to trick Jace. “Look, I doubt you were embroiled in that mess with Stokely, and I guess you’ve suffered as much as I have. I’ve never had another friend like you. We shared a lot. Frankly I still miss what we had together, but I know it’s lost forever. You’re right; it was a sad and stupid mistake. Can you blame me for hating you after what I endured and was told? Not by one man, Jace, but by several. Friends or not, you have to admit you looked guilty. Why don’t we let our dispute end here? We don’t have to like each other for you to take this job. Dammit, man, I was the one who warned you to escape that day.”
“Warned me?” Jace hinted skeptically. “You stood there and gloated over the trouble I was in. You made sure I learned every grim detail from you. If I hadn’t bound and gagged you and hidden you in that warehouse, I doubt I would ever have escaped.”
Chad shook his head, but grinned. “As much as I hated you, old friend, I wouldn’t have exposed you. Death would have been a merciful end. I wanted you alive to suffer like I had. Every time I looked in the mirror, I was reminded of your desertion. If there’s one thing those Matabele warriors taught me, it was that dying releases a man from pain. You want to know how many times I prayed for death, Jace? Plenty, just like I knew you would.” Chad sighed heavily. “But that was six years ago. You can’t go on hating a man forever. I’ll never forgive you for what you did to me, but I understand how greed can blind and control a man. Let’s leave it at, you made a mistake. I’m a rich and respected man now. William left me plenty of money and a good position; I was like a son to him. William was a good man, Jace. He turned me and my life around, and I’m sorry he’s gone. As for our trouble, I don’t need to spend any more time and energy on the past. Let it finally be over for both of us,” he lied.
Jace stared at his former friend. It was a pretty and colorful picture that Chad was painting, but Jace wasn’t buying that cheap canvas. “A truce, is it?” Jace murmured.
Leigh knocked on the door and opened it. She tried not to look at Jace Elliott, who seemed to be the center attraction in the room. “Chad, it’s late and most of the others have left. We should be going. I’ve kept Louisa and the others out, but she’s getting impatient.”
“Let her,” Chad replied. “This is important.”
“I’ll tell them you’ll join us shortly,” Leigh hinted.
“Wait, La—Leigh.” Jace directed his gaze and questions to her. “Tell me, Miss Webster, do you honestly want to go on this safari? Do you understand what you’re getting yourself into out there? Are you willing to face the dangers, the discomforts, the cramped tents, the lack of privacy, the demands of such a long trek?” He noted every changing expression in her eyes and on her face.
Jace held up his hand as he continued, “Spiders as big as my hand. Vipers that can strike you dead within hours. Huge snakes that drop on you from trees, encircle your body, and slowly squeeze the life from it. Hungry bugs that crawl and feast on your pretty hide. Insects that suck the blood from you or bury themselves under your skin or nails while leaving their nasty germs inside you: the tsetse fly, the malarial mosquito, tunga fleas, and hookworms. Crossing rivers infested with man-eating crocs and irritable hippos. Jungles teeming with hungry lions, rogue elephants, and more.” He paused in his melodramatic performance. “Then, there’s quicksand, plants that can slay you as easily and quickly as a black or green mamba, natives who eat pretty blondes just for good luck, and the pure hardship of such a journey. Is that how you want to spend the next two months? Or, are you only being a good little girl and meekly obeying Uncle Chad?”
His last question provoked Leigh to uncommon recklessness. She thought she grasped Jace’s motives: to discourage her, to make her the one to cancel the safari. In an angry tone, she related, “I’m not a coward or a weakling, Mr. Elliott. I was half raised on a Texas ranch. I’ve battled snakes, wolves, rustlers, insects, and other perils. I’ve worked in rainstorms, sleet, and snow, and beneath a blazing sun. I’ve been on cattle roundups that had plenty of hardships, dangers, and little privacy. I’ve forded rivers as perilous as any you have here. And no amount of easy walking can compare to sitting in a saddle from sun-up to sundown, so I can put up with discomforts. I haven’t cried, or been terrified, or felt too weak to make it, and I’m not afraid of spiders. I can ride, shoot, track, walk, and work as good as the best man.”
Leigh saw a mocking grin slip across Jace’sarresting face and settle in those laughing green eyes. His mood and expression seemed to say he was flinging down a gauntlet before her and daring her to retrieve it. Challenged and vexed, she rashly continued. “I’m willing to bet anything, my physical and emotional stamina are as good as yours. I don’t scare easily, and I’m strong and smart. I don’t take foolish risks, and I obey orders. I doubt your jungle can demand more than I can handle. If it does, I’m certain our guide can come to my aid with a few lessons. I’ve camped out many times, but we slept in bedrolls on the ground, no nice tents. So this trek will be a simple luxury.”
When Jace’s expression altered to one of respect, she added, “There is nothing I would honestly enjoy more than going on a safari. I have no doubts I can withstand its minor hardships. The problem is, I doubt I could cope with your irascible nature and mercurial personality. In fact, I’m positive you would spoil the trip for me. If the safari depends upon my personal plea for your assistance, then forget it. Good night, Mr. Elliott. I’ll see you outside, Chad.” Leigh closed the door and joined the others to explain the delay.
Chad and Jace chuckled. “She’s quite an amazing woman, my little Leigh,” Chad remarked. “Well, did she convince you?”
“If a man must use a woman to get his way,” Jace ventured, “at least select a beautiful and tempting one, right? What’s the real bargain with your fetching ward? A peace-offering, old friend? She’s beautiful, intelligent, and wealthy. I think I’ll accept your retribution and sacrifice in exchange for a truce and the job.”
Chad’s grin faded instantly. He replied before thinking, “don’t be absurd. Leigh isn’t a peace offering for Joanna. She’s mine, or will be soon. She’d never respond to the likes of you, not with those criminal charges hanging over your head.”
Jace came to full alert, and noticed how Chad glared at him for eliciting that slip. Chad had bewitched and ensnared Joanna easily and quickly. Would Leigh Webster be any different, any stronger, any wiser, more honest? To compel the man into further slips, Jace teased, “Well, I’ll be damned. You want her for yourself. Is that what this little safari is all about? You want to get her away from all her admirers in London so you can charm and seduce her and get your greedy hands on her inheritance. You want to show her what a big and brave man you are in the wild. Aren’t you afraid I have more charm and skill than you do? Aren’t you afraid of me winning Leigh and stealing everything you desire? That would make us even, old boy.”
“Don’t play games with me, Jace.” Chad warned. “I’ll admit I want Leigh, but only because she’s a special woman. I’ve changed since that trouble with Joanna. Leigh wants this trip, and I want to give it to her. Name your price.”
Something still wasn’t quite right, Jace concluded. “Don’t take me for a fool, Chad. You have a mistress on this trip, remember?”
The two men knew a lot about each other. It was almost as if they had slipped back briefly into their old days together.
Chad took the only path he saw out of his tangled territory, to pretend he’d been unmasked and was being honest and desperate. “Only because the plans were made before Leigh caught my eye. I couldn’t change them without making her nervous. She’s a lady, so she wouldn’t have come here alone with me, guardian or not. She’s different, so I have to move slowly and carefully with her.” He fused his gaze to Jace’s and vowed, “I’m confident enough to make a wager with you. I’ll double your salary if Leigh isn’t mine before this trip is over. She’ll marry me the day we return to London.” He chuckled and coaxed, “Come on, Jace, for old times’ sake. We don’t have to forgive each other or forget our past, but this will settle things between us. I’m not afraid to risk everything. Winner takes all: the money, Leigh, the pride of victory, final revenge, and Webster Inter-national.”
Jace took the fetching bait. “You always were a betting man, Chad, and one for taking crazy risks. I can recall times it got us into deep trouble, but we surely had fun getting out of it.” Jace felt uneasy at the good memories and feelings that statement evoked. “What makes you think Leigh would want either one of us? Besides, you can’t bet something you don’t own.”
Chad felt that he had Jace hooked on his deceitful line, so he held on tightly to reel him in. “Leigh will be good for me. I need her.”
Mirthful laughter spilled from Jace’s lips. “Why, because old man Webster left everything to her? You need to marry her to get it all back? I know the feeling of great loss too well, old friend.”
Riled, Chad argued, “What difference does it make to you why I want to marry her? You need money, and I have plenty.”
“Plenty of hers, for the time being.” Jace eyed him and asked, “What happened to you in South Africa, Chad? That’s when you changed, not after Webster got a hold of you.”
“I grew up, Jace, but you’ve remained a sentimental, rough boy. I’m rich and powerful and well respected. I run one of the largest companies in England, maybe in the world. But you, you’re still scrounging to survive, and partly with my earnings. You play the big game hunter, but you’re scared when it comes to a real challenge. If not, you’d have exonerated yourself long ago. You’re stuck in this uncivilized jungle forever, and your name’s as black as night. So which one of us is smarter and braver, and better off? You a coward now?”
“This time I’ll win. My usual price is twenty-five thousand pounds for two months. If you win Leigh, you won’t owe me a single pence. If I win Leigh, you double it and owe me fifty thousand. Well, old friend, do we have a truce and a deal?” Jace asked, as calmly as if he were saying good morning to a mere acquaintance. He wasn’t afraid to make such a bet, as Chad could never win Leigh, not with the plan Jace had in mind …
Chadwick glued his gaze to Jace’s challenging one. All the old hatred and craving for revenge stormed his body. But, he plotted, no matter what happened, he couldn’t lose. If anything did occur between Leigh and Jace, he could always go back to his original plot to kill them. “Agreed—victory to the man who wins Leigh Webster during the safari. As soon as payment is made, we swear to stay out of each other’s lives forever.”
“If we both fail, you still owe my twenty-five-thousand salary.”
“Agreed. Anything else?”
“Before we sign a contract, remind Leigh of her bet with me and make certain your ward will live up to her end of the bargain.”
“What wager did Leigh make with you?” Chad asked.
“You heard her moments ago. She bet anything she was as good in the wilds as I am. I plan to collect on her bet and yours. She has to hire me and she has to wager something of value.”
“What if she refuses to bet with you?”
“Use your charms to convince her, or the deal’s off. Make it appear her wager is the reason I changed my mind. If she believes I’m agreeing to please her, it’ll remove the edge you already have with her. That’s only fair. I’ll get her answer tomorrow.” At the door, Jace turned and said, “By the way, happy birthday, old boy. Now, we’re the same age again.” Jace left by the back door to avoid Leigh.
A guileful grin broadened Chad’s mouth. Jace’s arrogant demand had given him a clever idea. He would make certain to leave enough space between their wagers and signatures to fill in one other term without Jace’s knowledge, one he could use against his old friend if this bargain soured …