Johi unlaced the tent’s secret flap and tugged on Jace’s leg to warn him to make a hasty flight. Having sensed the man’s presence in the darkness, Jace clamped his hand over Leigh’s mouth to keep her silent.
“Leigh, are you awake?” Cynthia suddenly called out. “Can I sleep here tonight? I can’t disturb Louisa and Chad, but Reid and I are quarreling.”
“Stall a moment and I’ll be out the back,” Jace whispered into Leigh’s ear. He released her and left without a sound.
“Just a minute, Cynthia. Let me find the lantern and light it.” Leigh mussed her hair, clothes, and cot before striking a safety match that filled her tent with a soft glow. She was amazed at how quickly and silently Jace escaped exposure. She unlaced the flaps and lifted one. “What’s wrong?” she asked, yawning as if awakened.
“Reid is furious with me for behaving so badly at dinner. We quarreled, and he’s pouting. I had to get out.”
Leigh noticed how the brunette was scanning her tent. “You’re welcome to bunk with me, but you’ll need a cot or sleeping roll. Maybe he’ll settle down by morning.”
Jace joined them at the entrance and asked, “Is something wrong, Miss Campbell? I heard voices and saw you two standing here.”
Cynthia’s brown-eyed gaze went from Leigh to Jace, then back again. “This is silly. I shouldn’t have disturbed Leigh, or you, Jace. I’m sorry. I’ll go back to my own tent. Reid will just have to sulk and endure me. Good night.” The woman strolled away from them and returned to her tent, glancing back before entering.
“What was that about?” Leigh murmured, relieved they hadn’t been exposed. If Cynthia had arrived a minute later …
Jace scowled in annoyance. “I think someone suspects us. We should be careful for a while, Leigh. We don’t want Louisa and her cohort catching us and telling Chad. He would spoil everything. Go to sleep, love. We’ll talk tomorrow.”
Leigh watched Jace enter his tent not far away. She closed her flap and laced it, shaking her head in frustration. She did not like Louisa and Cynthia spying on her. Apparently the women wanted to cause trouble with Chad. Now that Leigh knew how much power and control her guardian possessed, she did not want to antagonize him. Learning that she was cavorting with his enemy would certainly cause problems for all of them. It would be so nice when November came and she was free of restraints. Jace was right, she decided; they had to be careful for a few days.
Leigh looked around her tent as she tried to figure out how Jace had fled. There were no marks on the ground, and nothing looked out of place. Then she noticed an area near one support pole where the right and back sides were laced snugly, from the ground to two feet up. She wondered if all tents had secondary openings in case of trouble out front. Tomorrow she would see. If not, that meant Jace had given her a special tent. Suddenly she fretted over how he had known he would need such a precaution. After all, he had ordered tents and supplies before their love affair began …
In another tent, Reid asked, “Where have you been?”
“I had to be excused,” Cynthia replied, stripping naked and reclining on her cot. She left the cover aside, but it was dark.
“This late? In the jungle? You aren’t that brave or rash.”
The brunette giggled. “Is that jealousy in you, Reid? Do you think I sneaked a visit with our handsome and virile guide?”
Reid folded his arms across his chest and gazed upward into the darkness. “If you did, I’m certain he wasn’t receptive.”
“Why, because you never are anymore?” she snapped.
“Can I help it if we don’t excite each other these days? Is that what’s the matter with you? Frustration? You were a bitch tonight. Maybe we should seek new partners when we return home.”
“That sounds like an excellent idea. We haven’t pleased each other in a long time. Is she already picked out, Reid?”
“Why should you care?” the man retorted. “You’ve never loved or wanted me or any man as much as you love Louisa.”
Cynthia gasped. “Don’t be absurd. We’re best friends.”
“That’s why you’re so cold and hateful, because I refuse to give you the information she wants. Chad’s past isn’t her business.”
“If it involves what’s going on here,” the irate female argued, “it most assuredly is her affair. Don’t tell me little Leigh has you enchanted, too. You’re wasting time and energy and emotions, Reid. Chad would never let you take Leigh from him.”
Reid wasn’t provoked as intended. “I don’t want Leigh.”
“If not that blond witch, then who? You’re hungry for someone.”
“Just because I no longer find you desirable and pleasing doesn’t mean I’m aching for another woman, like you are.”
Cynthia warned in a cold tone, “Stop it, Reid.”
He chuckled. “Can’t you take a joke, your ladyship?”
“Not when it isn’t amusing, lover. You and Chad are alike. He’ll be sorry if he discards Louisa for that little chit.”
“How and why is that, Cynthia?”
“Are you both blind? Our guide has captured her eye.”
Reid’s voice altered noticeably. “How do you know?”
“I don’t, but I would bet my life and money on it. I would say a hot romance is in the making. Chad will lose this time.” “Lose what?” he inquired, coming to full alert.
“Lose everything if he isn’t careful. He’ll never get Leigh, and he’ll lose Louisa if he keeps lusting for his ward and her wealth.”
“Who says Chad wants to get Leigh?”
Cynthia laughed merrily. “Wouldn’t you, in his place?”
“No, I wouldn’t. Chad doesn’t have to marry her to control her and the firm. Louisa is much better for him, and he knows it.”
“Does he, Reid?” she challenged. “I think he’s a little luststruck. He seems as bored with Louisa as you are with me.”
“Only because both of you are acting like shrews. All you’re accomplishing is to make Leigh look like a dream. If I were Louisa, I would behave myself. If she does, she has nothing to worry about.”
Cynthia was surprised. “Are you certain?”
Reeking with confidence, the man responded, “Absolutely. Now, be quite and go to sleep. I’m tired.”
Johi reported to Jace’s tent and revealed the conversation he had overheard in the couple’s tent. “Good work, Johi. Keep your eyes and ears open. Something is going on, my friend.”
For two days, there were no perils or problems, or any time for Leigh and Jace to speak privately. Someone was always underfoot. The women were allowed to bathe in a safe area of the river, soothing Louisa’s and Cynthia’s nerves. The group went walking, looking, and hunting. Pictures were taken. Chad shot an impala for their dinner. At night, Leigh and Jace kept their distance from each other.
On the third day, the safari party left camp early. As they walked along, Leigh asked Jace, “Are there really spiders as big as your hand, huge snakes, and wild cannibals?”
Jace chuckled and said, “Big spiders and snakes, yes. But man-or woman-eaters, not really. That was to test your courage, Miss Webster. I was glad to see you don’t frighten easily.”
“Didn’t you discover that in London?” Chad inquired, grinning.
“That I did, Chad,” she replied. “Look,” he said, halting them.
A herd of giraffes was browsing beyond them. “They prefer young trees,” Jace told them, “so they do a lot of damage. They can peel the leaves from thorny acacias without hurting their tongues, but it hinders new growth. Between them and elephants, they can strip all buds. Sometimes it takes an area a couple of years to recover.”
The five towering creatures ceased their feeding to check out the approaching group. Leigh observed the nimble, tall animals. Their hides were exquisitely patterned. Their tails flicked at pesky insects. Their ears wiggled to catch the sound of danger. Deciding they were in peril, the herd loped off at a long, easy stride on slender legs.
The lookout for a troop of baboons barked an alarm and the dog-faced creatures hurried into the underbrush while protesting the intrusion. Countless birds that filled treetops with colors, movements, and songs took hasty flight to land elsewhere until safe to return. Monkeys chattered loudly and scampered for cover, from which they observed the passing humans. An unseen lion growled. An elephant trumpeted. Bushes quivered to expose the escapes of frightened critters. Other small beasts scattered before their approach. The party continued their leisurely walk, searching for rhino today.
“Your Sporting Licence allows each of you to take five big game heads and four zebras, plus smaller eating game,” Jace reminded them. “Make certain you select wisely, as there won’t be a second chance. If we take more than is legal, we’re the same as poachers. Remember the laws and regulations at all times, and keep them.”
The license had cost twenty-five pounds for twelve months, and each member of their group had one. Yet Leigh didn’t plan to use hers. Hunting for food was all right, or shooting in self-defense, but she did not care to kill for sport. She only wanted to explore this land.
In a quietened tone, Jace informed and instructed, “The black rhino is a grazer or browser. Usually you find some in the same area with giraffes, and normally in pairs. With luck and from the signs, one is nearby, hopefully a solitary bull. From here on, be quiet and move with caution. If you spook one, he’ll charge. They don’t see will, but their hearing and smell are excellent. You’re only allowed one each because so many have been killed off for their horns.”
“Why?” Leigh inquired.
“People in the Middle and Far East believe the rhino has magical and medicinal traits. The Yemen make knife handles from them. One horn fetches thousands of dollars, so poachers love ‘em.”
“What’s the difference between a black rhino and a white one?”
“Not color, Chad. It’s the shape of their mouths. Black rhino have hook-lips. They’re prized the most. That’s what you’ll want.”
At the edge of a clearing, an elephant had stopped to scratch his side on a tree. The rubbing sound seemed loud in the quiet setting. The tree moved, despite its thick size. The bulky animal was mud-splattered to discourage insect attacks. The huge creature shook his head, causing his trunk to sway back and forth. It looked around with gentle eyes, and flapped its oversize ears to cool itself.
Jace lifted his hand and motioned for caution. “When he stops waving his ears, take care. That means he’s nervous. He can run over you without stopping and crush you flat.”
Slowly and gingerly they slipped into scrub woodlands. “A rhino always charges in a straight line,” Jace whispered, “so don’t get in front of him. You’ll never escape that deadly horn. I’ve seen men run clear through, then mutilated and trampled. Don’t hurt yourself by running into a thicket to escape or hide; it offers no barrier to him. He’ll crash through thornbushes as if they weren’t there, but you’ll be snagged and trapped. At first sight, you’ll think he’s clumsy, but he isn’t. He can stop and turn faster than you can blink. He’s unpredictable and fearless. Even the Masai, who’ll grab a man-eating lion by the tail, fear only the rhino. Do I make myself clear?”
“More than clear,” Louisa wailed. “I’d rather be in camp.”
“Just do as I’ve said and you’ll be fine,” Jace coaxed. “This first shot is Chad’s. Reid, you’re backup man. If you both miss, it’s me and Johi. Once we challenge him, somebody has to take him down. Then, the kill has to be marked on somebody’s license. The women will hang back with the bearers this time. They’re all tribal huntsmen and safari trained, so they know what to do. I’ve talked to you plenty for the past few days, so keep in mind what I’ve said.”
Grasslands loomed before them. Several giraffes roamed near flat-topped acacias, stretching their long necks to feed in the high branches. Near a cluster of thornbushes, Jace pointed to a browsing rhino, a black one. They halted and came to alert.
The grayish-brown brute was larger than Leigh imagined. An attendant egret and several tick-birds perched on a back that displayed lumps along the spine. His skin reminded her of unskillfully tanned cowhide that was old and crinkled. His flared ears resembled soup bowls. His large nostrils increased in size with each breath of air taken, which was hot and dry today. His small, beady eyes had numerous wrinkles surrounding them. Two horns protruded on his snout. One was short and straight, the other long, thick, and curved. Jace told them it was razor sharp for battling and digging.
The sky was clear. They were engulfed by a green-and-gold landscape, the area smelling like prairie grass during autumn. Still air was filled with tension and suspense. Chad quivered with anticipation and studied the beast. The three women hung back with several bearers and observed the sight. Jace unslung his weapon, then motioned Chad and Reid forward. Johi followed without a sound.
The cantankerous animal did not hear or smell them as Jace closed the distance from upwind. The grassy surface smothered the sound of their boots. Birds walked up and down the rhino’s back, pecking at ticks in the heavy skin folds. The birds were also the alarm-givers for the rhino. Jace had revealed—that on sighting or hearing them—the birds would dart upward, give shrill cries, and head toward the hunters as if to reveal their hiding place to their host.
With his gaze glued ahead, Reid stepped on a rock, causing him to stumble. The carbine was jostled in his grip. Red-billed ox peckers took noisy flight, straight for the men. The rhino’s head jerked upward from his grazing. Unchewed grass hung from his misshapen mouth. His fuzzy-edged ears twitched, and his spread nostrils sniffed the air. It only took a moment for the animal to come to full alert.
When the rhino jerked his head upward twice and tossed the grass from his mouth, Jace shouted, “He’s on to us. Scatter! At fifty feet, we all fire if he isn’t down. It’s your game, Chad. Keep alert for a mate, Johi. There’s too many tracks here for one.”
Jace’s voice caught the animal’s attention. It lowered its head and charged in her lover’s direction, determined to gore the man. Leigh screamed, then clamped her hand over her mouth to prevent further distraction. Terror filled her as the beast ran swiftly at her love.
“Here, you bloody bloke!” Chad yelled.
The animal came to an immediate standstill, whirled in her guardian’s direction, and charged straightforward. Its pace was fast and menacing. Chad took aim but waited, and waited.
“Shoot!” Louisa shrieked in panic, but Chad held his fire and stance and ground. “Don’t be a fool. Kill him! Now!”
The animal came to an abrupt halt, located the noise, and raced toward the women. All except Leigh screamed. The hunter/bearers prepared for the attack. Leigh lifted her weapon and took aim, not realizing her gun was no longer loaded …
“This way, you monster,” Chad shouted. “You’re mine.” He yelled until he succeeded in attracting the animal’s attention.
Again, the enormous and strong creature changed directions. At fifty feet, Jace shouted, “Shoot, damn you. Stop playing!”
That time, the rhino wasn’t distracted and kept up his charge at the handsome earl. Both man and beast were committed to life or death in a moment. The black-haired man fired, just as Jace shot its front leg to halt its lethal intent. Chad’s bullet struck home first, and the beast stumbled and fell, dead near his feet. Chad sent out a whoop of joy, lifting and shaking his gun overhead in victory.
Jace hurried to him. The men exchanged challenging looks. “That was damn foolish, old friend. Don’t wait so long next time. Another minute and he would have had you on the end of that horn.”
Chad sent him a broad grin. “No way. You would have taken him down before he reached me. I know what a perfect shot you are. I wanted to get him close. I didn’t want to take a risk of ruining him. What a prize,” he murmured. “Louisa! Come take my picture with him.”
The redhead rushed forward and flung herself into Chad’s arms. “You scared me to death. I don’t like such sport, Chad. You’re reckless.”
Laughing, he argued, “I was never in any danger. Was I, Jace?”
“We’d have gotten him, but it was close. Too close, Chad. I warned you about showing off and being stubborn.”
“You shot him in the leg to slow him,” Leigh remarked. “You might have saved Chad’s life,” she pointed out to everyone. To make certain she didn’t insult her guardian, she added, “That was mighty brave, Chad. I would have been scared stiff.”
“It was awfully exciting. My head’s spinning and my heart’s pounding. What a surge! I feel ten years younger.”
“And I feel twenty years older, my love,” Louisa murmured.
Chad laughed and said, “It wouldn’t be the first time Jace saved my life, would it? You remember in ‘89 when I riled that native in the Somoan Islands by chasing his girl? I thought she was inviting me into her hut for the night. Her man and his friends started beating me senseless. They dragged me down the beach and tried to drown me in the ocean. I came up spitting dirt and water to find Jace all over them. He had to whip three men to rescue me. Broke his nose. What a fight. Those were some good old days, weren’t they, Jace?”
“Yep, and you’re still a reckless bastard,” he quipped, grinning at that amusing memory and rubbing the small bump on his nose.
“But we always won every battle, old chap, and they were fun.”
“What will we do with him?” Reid asked, motioning to the dead rhino and ceasing the merriment.
“One of the extra men will take his head downriver to be prepared,” Jace revealed. He called the bearers forward to remove the head, load it on a carrying board, and transport it back to camp.
A successful hunt completed, they headed back to camp. They reached the area by five o’clock, with plenty of daylight left. As the white men celebrated with wine, the natives sang and danced as they carried the board with rhino head round and round the campfire in a victorious ritual. Everyone watched and enjoyed the ceremony.
Passing Leigh to fetch a map from his tent, Jace murmured, “You broke rule one today, woman; you screamed. That puts me a point ahead, and you owe me a kiss. I’ll collect when it’s safe.”
Leigh had strolled around the day after Cynthia’s surprise arrival at her tent, to find no other shelter with a secret escape route. She wanted to know if Jace had used that special tent with other women in the past, or if it had been made just for her. If so, it had been mighty cocky of him.
Jace spread a map over one table. “We’ll head for the Ambroseli Plains next, then Kajiado, and on to Nairobi and the Aberdare Range. We’ll take the Tana River to the coast, then back to Mombasa. Every visitor should see the Great Rift Valley. After we reach Nairobi, it’ll mostly be sightseeing until we reach the river. There’s plenty of game along its banks. The trek should take about two months.”
“Sounds great, Jace. This is about the only place in the world we haven’t seen together. You ever thought of going back to Australia?”
“Nope,” Jace replied, wondering at Chad’s mellow mood.
“I still remember all those opals our ships picked up there and took to London. We should have invested in one of those mines. It would be worth a fortune today.”
“You and Jace were in Australia together?” Louisa hinted.
“Many times. When we were in the Royal Navy, our ship transported convicts to the colonies there, then goods back to England. The scum of mankind, right, Jace?”
“That’s right. Tasmania was said to be the ideal dumping ground for incorrigible prisoners. Port Arthur was a penal colony, one of the most notorious prisons in the world. Frankly I hated taking even convicts there. They were used like slave labor—if they survived the harsh conditions and brutal treatment. The guards used vicious dogs to hunt down escapees. They had this lookout on a place called Eagle Hawk Neck.”
“You remember Paddington?” After Jace nodded, Chad informed the others, “It was a legendary slum district in the eighties. The balconies were made from the iron ballasts in ships. You didn’t walk through there alone at night, did you, Jace?” The two men exchanged looks, grinned at a shared reflection, and shook their heads.
“What are the plans for tomorrow?” Reid asked as he poured everyone more wine.
“I thought we’d hunt zebra. The following day, if you’d all like, we can visit a Masai village. It’s quite interesting.”
“That sounds wonderful, Jace,” Leigh said with anticipation.
“If you don’t mind,” Cynthia said, “Louisa and I would like to rest tomorrow. We aren’t accustomed to so much walking. Then, we’ll be eager and ready to head for that native village.”
“Doesn’t matter to me,” Chad said in a casual tone. “What about you, Leigh? You coming with us or resting?”
Leigh wanted to be with her love. She wanted to study both men. And she didn’t want to be stuck in camp all day with those women harassing her with questions. “I want to see everything, so I’m going with you men.”
She felt Louisa’s cold stare on her, but she didn’t care. Jace and Chad smiled at her. “Tell us about native superstitions. Do tribes really eat blondes for good luck?” she asked, laughing merrily.
“Some do, I’m sure,” Jace replied after chuckling. “These people believe in witches, too. They’re associated with the night, with hyenas, snakes, and other detested creatures. They’re said to inherit or learn their skills to harm or slay people. Some of the tribes believe the soul—called Kra—of a departed leader lives in a sacred stool, and each successor joins it there at death. No crime is worse than for another tribe to steal one or destroy it, because the souls of past rulers are then lost forever. There’s even a secret society that forces warriors to commit suicide if they abuse their tribal positions. The Kikuyu believe that to spit on a person is a friendly gesture, the highest honor you can receive, a gift of himself. So, if a Kikuyu spits on you, don’t insult him by striking him or wiping it off.”
“You must be joking,” Louisa scoffed, frowning.
“Nope, it’s the absolute truth; I swear it. Ask Johi. He’s Kikuyu. Johi is my right arm. He knows this land and these animals better than anyone. A guide would be lost without an assistant like him. He’s one with nature and he has this big map inside his head. He knows what the natives and animals feel and think.”
Leigh noticed the affection and admiration Jace felt for Wanjohi. She saw the dark-skinned man grin broadly, exposing snow-white teeth and twinkling eyes. Each man was different, yet they were alike in many ways. Each had his own customs and personality, but each respected the other’s. It was apparent they worked well together, and complemented each other. Perhaps Johi would talk more later.
Leigh also realized how special Jace really was. Clearly being a safari guide took a unique man, one who loved outdoor work, who craved excitement, who loved challenging danger. He was a man who stayed calm in perilous situations. He could endure the worst conditions. He was a skilled tracker and gunman, and he knew how to be a leader. He was smart enough to know how to handle people on hunts. He was well prepared with supplies and with entertaining stories and enlightening facts. He knew how to make people relax, to be careful, to leave his land victorious.
“Tell us more, Jace,” she encouraged as they dined. “We want to be prepared when we visit that village.”
Between bites and sips, Jace related more of Masai customs, “Spirits of dead ancestors have to be praised, mentioned, and supplicated regularly. The descendants believe their welfare is affected and controlled by them. Dead chiefs are especially important. Possession of their spirits gives the current ruler power, and it’s said to give the tribe fertility and a sense of well-being. They also believe that spirits of dead warriors inhabit objects and animals, particularly cheetahs. Some tribes won’t kill cheetahs, even if their lives and stock are in jeopardy. We don’t want to offend any of them, so we won’t hunt cheetahs, either. I don’t want any of you to break tribal laws and get snatched during the night for revenge. No treasure, even a jeweled ritual knife, is worth torture and death. Johi and I know this territory, but there are places where we could never locate you. When we visit the Masai village, keep your minds pure and your hands to yourselves. We don’t want trouble.”
Jace and Chad exchanged a long and silent look. Jace went on. “As with most whites, most natives believe in a remote and omnipotent high god who’s reached by sacrifice, prayer, and ritual.”
As Leigh captured the hints in Jace’s revelation, the conversation drifted to their hunt today and it was gone over in great detail.
“After our social call on the Masai,” Reid asked, “what will we hunt for next?”
“Leopard. There should be some in the forest a few miles away.” When Jace noticed how much the men and two women were drinking, he cautioned, “Don’t forget, no drinking on the trail. It dulls wits and reflexes. It also makes the sun seem hotter. You’ll sweat more and could pass out. Drink only in camp, and not too much.”
“I think we’re being scolded for excess,” Louisa teased.
In a pleasant tone, Jace remarked, “I don’t care what you do in London or Mombasa, Miss Jennings. But out here, I’m responsible for all of you. I know what’s best, so you have to obey my rules.”
Chad locked gazes with his old friend and nodded. “Jace is right, Louisa. The jungle is a dangerous place. If we don’t do as he orders, we can get into big trouble. Believe me, I know.”
Louisa caught a clue in the men’s expressions and moods, and asked, “What do you mean, Chad?”
Chad glanced at the redhead, then at the alert Leigh. “It’s one of those memories I’d like to forget. It was a long time ago, and I was reckless and greedy, a young man seeking the wrong challenge and adventure to prove his prowess.”
“Like you were today, my love,” the woman jested in return. “We have plenty of time to get your trophies, so don’t get greedy and take any more risks like that. I was terrified.”
“Next time, keep quiet. You had that rhino charging all of you. If I hadn’t turned him, one of you women could have been gored.”
Louisa pouted sultrily and commented, “I wasn’t the only one who screamed. Cynthia and Leigh did, too. We were scared and taken by surprise. We’ll do better next time. Won’t we, ladies?”
“It broke the tension and gave us experience, Chad. We’ll be fine from now on,” Leigh concurred with her self-appointed rival.
Talk continued for a while, then everyone parted for the night.
In her tent, Leigh mused on what she had learned today. She was glad the two men were getting along. If they did patch up their torn friendship, she and Jace would be free to drop their secrecy. She missed him terribly. She was with him every day, but it wasn’t the same; their closeness was absent. She longed to spend the night together again, but it was too hazardous.
In Jace’s tent, Johi revealed the news about Leigh’s weapon. The guide asked, “How did it get unloaded? You always check the guns when we return to camp. Did you see anything suspicious?”
A man of few words, Wanjohi responded, “No. She does not hunt or kill. It is dangerous.”
“I’m sure Leigh didn’t remove the cartridges. Somebody tampered with her gun. Sharpen your eyes even more, Johi. I don’t like this.”
“She was in no danger. We are good shots.”
“We know that, but someone else doesn’t.”
“She fired in practice last night,” the black-eyed man added. “Perhaps she did not reload. I saw no one with her weapon.”
“I forgot about practice after we reassigned weapons. I guess you’re right, Johi. I won’t mention her carelessness to her, but from now on, I’ll remind everyone to reload after shooting.”
“That is wise.”
Louisa strolled around the camp after the others had left for the day. Chad’s rhino head had been placed in a boat, covered to avoid attracting heavenly scavengers, and sent back to Mombasa for preservation by a man there. She stared before her. The bright sun seemed to incredibly whiten the snows atop the distant Kilimanjaro. Every morning, they all stared at the awesome sight and wished they could visit it. The base of the towering mountain always looked periwinkle in the early-morning and late evening haze. The sky was a clear blue, and the jungle before it was a lush green. “It’s really very beautiful, Cynthia. It reeks of power and danger.”
“Since when do you enjoy admiring scenery?” the woman jested. “That’s all little Leigh does, gush over every sight and sound.”
“We’re here, so we may as well enjoy something. Let’s walk to that water hole and talk. The servants can’t see or hear us from there. I have something for you to do.”
The two women took their weapons for protection and excused themselves from camp. The bearers left behind were either off on their own or busy with chores. At present, some were doing the party’s laundry in the river, leaving only two men in the camp.
At the waterhole, Louisa found a spot where tall grass and scrubs concealed it from the campsite. No animals were about this time of day or with the clear river nearby for drinking. Louisa stripped.
“What are you doing?” Cynthia asked with wide eyes.
“Going swimming. It’s already hot this early. I’m miserable, and the men are at the river.”
“It’s dangerous,” the brunette warned.
“Not with you standing guard. Is your weapon loaded? That was very clever, how you removed Leigh’s bullets the other night. Too bad it gained us nothing. I wish that rhino had attacked her.”
“Thank you, but I meant that, Jace said the water is unhealthy.”
“That’s just Great White Hunter talk, scare tactics to keep us under control. Just like those bitter tablets. I can’t stand them.”
Cynthia was worried. “You’re taking them, aren’t you?”
“When I’m in the mood to punish myself, which is rare.”
“Louisa, you’re being foolish. Please obey the rules.”
“I do, but my own. Relax, I’ll be fine.” She wadded into the mucky water and took a short swim. After, she let the hot sun dry her flesh before pulling on her clothes. “That’s better. Now, listen carefully. Here’s what I want you to do.”
In Cynthia’s tent later, Louisa giggled and said, “You distracted them perfectly, my dear friend and accomplice.”
“Yes, but I got scratched up tangling myself in that underbrush. Of course, they never located that necklace I supposedly lost. Did you find anything important?”
“I didn’t search Jace’s tent. He’s too smart and could tell if I went through his things. No matter. I found what I needed in Leigh’s tent, and Chad’s. I never could look with them around all the time.”
“Well?” Cynthia prompted as the woman tended her injuries.
Louisa stopped removing thorn tips and dabbing on balm to reply, “I found plenty, more than I expected. Chad had his contract hidden well, but I located it. The sorry bastard,” she muttered, then revealed its contents to her astonished friend.
“So there is more to their wager than he led you to believe.”
“He certainly stands to lose more than money,” she scoffed in bitterness. “There is no way he’ll allow Jace to win and take everything. That means my treacherous lover has to get Leigh, not just prevent Jace from doing so. This isn’t a game or a joke, Cynthia.”
“But Reid assured me Chad wants you, not Leigh.”
“He lied, just like Chad lied. They’re in this sport together.”
“I don’t understand. Why would Chad bring you along and sleep with you beneath Leigh’s nose if he wants her? That’s crazy.”
“I’m confused about that point, too. I’m certain Leigh would have come with him, even if you and I weren’t along. I wonder what he needs with me.”
“To distract Jace?” Cynthia suggested.
“No woman could distract Jace with a wager like that at stake. Perhaps there’s something we don’t know about Webster’s will. Perhaps Chad and his mother won’t inherit if anything happens to Leigh. Perhaps the only way Chad can get anything is to marry that little witch.”
“But Leigh is William’s only heir,” the brunette reasoned. “As his widow, Fiona would have to inherit, and Chad would get it later.”
“Not if William has an illigitimate heir somewhere, or he left everything to a friend. The old man was sly, and he might have caught on to Chad’s evil before he died. You have to admit, my lover has been acting strangely since the old man’s death and Leigh’s arrival.”
“If Chad can’t inherit, he’s worthless to you.”
“Not if I let him get Leigh first, then get rid of her.”
“You can’t be serious! Help your lover win another woman?”
“If that’s the only way to succeed, I have no choice.”
“We don’t have time for more games, Louisa. After we get home, neither of us can conceal our dire straits much longer.”
“We can do it long enough for Chad to get his hands on that fortune. We’ve come too far and done too many things to lose now.”
“But what if you help him win Leigh and you’re wrong?”
“That’s a chance I might have to take. I haven’t decided yet. This information is too fresh. I have to give it more study. For now, we have to quell this romance between Leigh and Jace.” Louisa revealed what she had discovered in Leigh’s tent: the contract with Jace.
Cynthia was shocked. “You mean their wager is a farce? It isn’t for one thousand pounds as Chad thinks? She actually bet one night with him against his plantation? How could any man risk so much to spend a night between her legs? How does she plan to find time to make her payment, especially if he wins more than one night?”
“Obviously little Leigh isn’t as pure and innocent as I imagined. We know she can’t win his plantation. I think she wants to lose to him. That gives her a reason to justify yielding her maidenhead to him. You know how prim virgins are; they have to pretend that surrender isn’t their idea. That’s why she agreed to all those silly rules.” Louisa gave her friend a brief summation of the rules in the contract. “No doubt she’ll find ways to break rules one and two and pay him along the trail, because it won’t be possible to pay him later. We’re sailing as soon as this safari ends. Of course she wouldn’t break rule three because she could never pay off that loss. Chad would never let her out of his sight for a year. She probably wants to enjoy Jace here, then work on Chad back home. The greedy bitch!”
“What if she’s fallen for Jace Elliott and hopes he’ll marry her after she gives him her virginity?” Cynthia speculated.
“She’s not that crazy. Jace is a criminal in exile.”
“If Chad has to win her and can’t, we’re all, except those two, losers.”
“Until I decide what to do, we’ll have to make certain Leigh earns more points than Jace. That should worry and distract our guide.”
“What if you tell Chad about their secret deal? He’ll yank her home so fast her head will spin for weeks.”
“No. I don’t want him to panic and mess up things. If he was really worried about Jace winning, he would be pursuing Leigh more energetically. Part of what Chad said must be true; his little wager was to provoke Jace into working for him. I think he’s after Jace for revenge. If our guide gets killed, Jace isn’t a threat to Chad’s plans for Leigh. It’s clever, get rid of his foe and get the girl.”
“Of course, that must be his plan. He’s so devious and cunning.”
“Not as much as we are, Cynthia. For now, we’ll be very generous and help Chad, without his knowledge naturally. Until we know more, we have to keep Leigh and Jace apart.”
“You want me to have a fight with Reid and move in with her?” Cynthia suggested.
“That’s too obvious and suspicious. We’ll just keep them on edge and in doubt. I’ll work on Jace; you work on Leigh. Maybe Chad will let something slip. I’ll keep a sharp eye and ear on him. If Chad has to win Leigh to become Webster’s heir, I must know soon, as that would change my plan. If not …”
“But what about the other part of Chad’s bet with Jace? The part about winning five thousand dollars each time they sleep with Leigh? Surely one or both men will try to collect on it, many times.”
“I’m surprised Jace Elliott let Chad include such a lowdown term. Obviously Jace isn’t as honest and honorable as we thought.”
“If Leigh’s as hungry and eager as it appears from her wager, one of those men could earn a lot of extra money if he’s clever.”