Leigh had been at the plantation for a week. She had halted her accusations and insults concerning Jace Elliott to prevent trouble between her and the housekeeper and to make a friend and ally of Abena. She had helped with the daily chores in the house and yard. The furniture and floors required frequent polish to prevent them from drying out in the equatorial heat. There were meals to be prepared, dishes to be washed, and laundry to be done. The cloth mesh screens were changed and washed when they were cluttered by the dead insects who had tried to get into the house.
Leigh had tried to help clean Jace’s office and bedroom, but Abena always refused and locked the doors while doing her tasks there. Leigh knew one reason for keeping her out of the office: she had sighted a rack of weapons on the wall. Leigh hoped no incriminating papers or letters from Brandon Elliott or William Webster were present anywhere. She also hoped no copy of the strange codicil was in his possession. She wished she knew whatever truth lay behind those sealed doors. Yet perhaps nothing more than weapons and his privacy were being safeguarded by the stubborn housekeeper.
The yard demanded much attention to keep the jungle vegetation from creeping into it and taking control. She had learned quickly that the jungle constantly attempted to recover any ground stolen from it. She enjoyed being outside and working in the area mostly shaded by large trees with persistent vines, colorful and melodious birds, and playful monkeys who chattered noisily when disturbed by her presence.
The same was true of the coffee fields. Workers from the Kikuyu village labored daily to keep back vines and weeds that would strangle the bushes if given a chance. Every week, the healthy shrubs required trimming and shaping. Leigh often watched the native workers through the iron fencing, as she was not permitted outside the high walls and locked gate.
She was eager to walk through the coffee fields and learn about Jace’s business. She wondered why coffee beans were called cherries, and why a crop took years to produce. She wanted to know why Jace Elliott was intrigued by this time-and energy-consuming crop and by living in a secluded jungle. He had moved here long before his trouble with the London law. Didn’t he find such an existence lonely and demanding? Was he still pining over the loss of Joanna Harris? Was more than the criminal charges against him imprisoning him here? Was he still tormented by that woman’s betrayal with Chad?
That thought pained Leigh. Neither man had told her about Joanna Harris. Both men, as if a conspiracy, had held silent to prevent her from learning why they would battle over her. Was Joanna one of those secrets Jace had promised to reveal later?
Leigh did not want to think about the two devious men and their lies, or the woman who had broken Jace’s heart, or Chad’s vile seduction, or the possible peril—emotional and physical—she now confronted.
Leigh jumped from the swing where she had been cooling herself after yardwork. She went inside to take a bath and to change clothes. She prepared everything, then soaked for a long time.
One day she had traced the tub drain to learn the buried pipe crossed the backyard, passed under the towering wall, and dumped into the jungle. She reluctantly had admitted how clever Jace was.
As Leigh dried herself, she also confessed how miserable she was. Despite her anxiety and doubts, she was eager for Jace’s arrival. She wanted to discuss everything with him. She needed to learn what he had in mind with this abduction. With her.
Leigh went into her room and found Abena there. Her possessions from the safari camp were being unpacked, sorted into clean and dirty clothes, items to be put away, and belongings to be repaired.
“Where did you get these?” Leigh inquired, lifting her brush.
“Thiku brought from Bwana Jace.”
Leigh was stunned. “Why didn’t you ask him to wait so I could speak to him? Where is Jace? What is happening?”
“Others believe you dead, buried at village,” Abena revealed to the distressed female. “They on way to Mombasa to leave on big boat. Bwana Jace be home in two, three weeks.”
“Did Jace send a message, a note, to me?” Leigh asked.
“Nothing. Others gone downriver. They believe Bwana Jace.”
“But how could they believe I’m dead and buried?” Leigh argued with the housekeeper. “Uncle Chad is too smart to be fooled. He would demand to see my body. How could Jace pull off such a trick? I don’t understand.” Leigh was angry with Jace for not sending her an explanation.
Thiku had related most of the tale to the housekeeper, but the woman did not feel it was her duty or right to reveal it. Abena had been told of Leigh’s perils and of Jace’s feelings for the white girl. One of his most trusted bearers, Jace had exposed his daring scheme to Thiku, who had related it to the loyal Abena. Jace had sent word to the stout woman, telling her to take good care of Leigh but to watch the white girl closely for mischief and attempted escape.
Abena shrugged. To avoid a lie, she did not answer.
“Damn him!” Leigh declared. “He can’t do this to me. If I’m believed dead, Uncle Chad will take over my business. He and his mother will get control of my money and possessions. They’ll tell Aunt Jenna I’m dead. My friends will think I’m dead. This is cruel, Abena, mean and heartless. You cannot be a part of it. Please help me. I must get word home that I’m alive and well.”
From blind loyalty and love for her employer, Abena refused.
In desperation, Leigh reasoned, “What if an enemy captured Ka’arta and convinced everyone she was dead? What if relatives took your daughter’s money and belongings? Wouldn’t her family and friends suffer? Wouldn’t Ka’arta be terrified and angered? What if someone could help Ka’arta escape or send word home, but refused because she was loyal to the enemy who was holding Ka’arta prisoner?”
The woman did not change her mind, but did admit, “It sad, but must be this way. Bwana Jace not do evil. He has reason to steal you. When he comes home, he tell you.”
“He doesn’t have to tell me. I know why: half of my inheritance, and revenge.” There was no need to ask the loyal woman about Joanna.
Leigh played the piano for a time and noted that it needed tuning. She was reminded of the hours her mother had compelled her to practice. She hadn’t played in a long time, and her skill at the keyboard was impaired by neglect. Yet it soothed her tension and distracted her.
Suddenly Leigh wondered if the piano and music sheets had been purchased and brought here for Joanna Harris. That halted the blonde’s enjoyment and fingers. She closed the key cover. After dousing the lamps she had washed and filled today, Leigh left the room.
She was alone tonight, as always after Abena went home. The gate was locked, and the brown-skinned woman had the key. Leigh dared not seek a way to climb over the high wall. It would be reckless and stupid to escape into the hazardous jungle, and Leigh Webster was neither. Nor did she close windows and doors, as the wall kept out wild animals. With the closeness of the metal rods and height of the iron fencing from the ground, no snakes or small creatures could get inside the yard to find their way into the beautiful house. For now, she felt safe. It remained to be seen if that was true when Jace arrived.
Several nights she had tried to pick the locks on Jace’s office and bedroom doors, but without a proper tool, it was impossible to get inside. Since he had ordered them sealed against her nosing around, he must have something vital hidden there.
Leigh fetched the book she had been reading when Jace sneaked into her tent to drug her for this crime. She got into bed, needing the book to distract her from her loneliness and anguish. After finding a comfortable position, she opened it and saw two papers. One was his copy of their wager, and the other was a note from Jace. A very clever man, he had known she would reach for this book to finish it.
Leigh,
We’re breaking camp and heading for Mombasa today. It should take about two weeks to reach town and two weeks more for me to get home. It’s May 25, so expect me about June 25. Chad and the others fell for my trick. They’re sailing for London as soon as I get them back. He’s eager to get his greedy hands on the inheritance you said he couldn’t claim. Naughty of you to lie to me. Do I get another point for you endangering yourself with that deceit?
Study our contract and add up my points. I’m eager to start collecting them when I reach home. I miss you, woman. This next year will be a pleasant one for me.. You do realize I get a year because you couldn’t finish the safari. Afterwards, you’ll be released. You can go to London, shock old Chad, and recover your inheritance. You can explain to him how we tricked him until you reached twenty-one and were free of him. You can tell the law we were forced to fake your death to stay alive. Maybe in a year, Chad will earn you more money than he’ll spend or waste. Besides, you were willing to bet me a third, so he probably won’t cost you more than that.
Relax and get ready to enjoy me like I plan to enjoy you. We have a lot to clear up between us.
Jace
“You’re damn right we have plenty to get straight between us!” Leigh fumed. “You’re a fool if you think I’ll be held captive for a year. I never agreed to rule three. I don’t owe you anything. Your little tricks caused me to lose. That’s cheating, you green-eyed monster! And you won’t sweet talk me into becoming a willing partner in this foul deed. The repercussions are too serious. You’ll be in worse trouble for this crime, and I won’t take part of the blame and be sitting in jail with you.”
Leigh wondered what day it was. She added up her trek to the plantation and her incarceration. It had to be during the first week of June. That meant the others were nearing Mombasa and departure, and Jace would be heading … Would be home in less than three weeks.
With this trouble between them, how could she enjoy him? How could she yield again? Would he force himself upon her if she refused to comply? He hadn’t mentioned affection, only implied desire. He promised to release her after she served her sentence in this luxurious prison. Release her, Leigh accused, so she could return to London to snatch everything away from his hated rival. Chad would prosecute Jace for this crime and make a future together impossible.
Leigh wanted to cry in torment. It always came back to the men’s hatred and their vengeful war. They would do anything to hurt each other, to punish each other, to destroy each other. Did that mean Chad had committed those London crimes, as Jace had charged and as Louisa had remarked that last day in camp? Her guardian had ruined Jace’s love, but could he destroy Jace’s father? Could she be so wrong about the handsome Chad? Could her grandfather’s death have resulted from agonizing discovery of such evil? Why had Chad told Jace she lied about the Hamilton being unable to inherit? What was Chad planning to do about the codicil that included his bitter enemy as an heir? Did Jace know about it? Was Jace planning to collect half of her worth while holding her captive? So much, she scoffed, for her money meaning nothing to him! If he played this hand right, Jace could claim half and use her for a year …
Jace covered her mouth and kissed her. He held her in his arms, caressing her with great skill. He stimulated her senses and body. His lips and tongue worked magic upon hers.
Leigh returned her lover’s kisses and caresses. It felt wonderful to be in his arms again. She stroked his tantalizing flesh and rubbed his hard muscles. She squirmed to get closer to him. It was as if she were starving for him and could not feast. upon him fast enough. Her body blazed with desire, and ached to unite as one with his.
Jace trailed his fingers down her arm, up her side, and to her breast. His hand closed over it and gently fondled the firm mound. His fingers teased at the taut bud, and his mouth claimed it.
Leigh writhed in rising passion. She begged him to cease his enticing actions and to join his flesh with hers. As he parted them and rose to leave, she jerked upward to stop his curious withdrawal.
Leigh awakened with a start. She was alone in the dark. The bed was rumpled, her gown twisted about her body. She was drenched in perspiration. Tears rolled down her cheeks. “Damn you,” she pleaded, “stop haunting me! What are we going to do, Jace? How can we ever settle our problems? I curse you for making me love you and want you this badly!”
Jace and the safari party reached the termination of their river journey that same afternoon. The goods from ships at’ Mombasa were waiting to be picked up and taken to Nairobi. Chad asked if they could travel to Mombasa with the returning men and carts.
“Yes, but it’s much longer,” Jace told him. “We can walk to the rail line in two days, then it’s a half day back to town. With those men, it’ll require a week. Whichever you choose is fine with me and my schedule. If we travel with them, you can do more hunting from camp each night. All of the licenses aren’t filled.”
Chad inhaled deeply and said, “No, I want to get out of Africa as soon as possible. How will the train know to come for us?”
“It takes supplies up the line every two days,” Jace explained. “We’ll camp by the tracks, hail it, and catch a ride on its return trip.”
“Fine.” Chad responded.
Jace ordered the bearers to load up and begin their walk. He watched Louisa and Cynthia bid the African man and Daniel farewell. Cynthia and Louisa had enjoyed the captain’s attention and company. Chad had kept to himself downriver and in camp. Since no tents were set up each night, there had been no opportunity for Jace or Johi to eavesdrop. That irritated Jace, but he just wanted this trek over so he could get to Leigh. He was anxious and ready to learn the truth.
The train picked up the safari party on Tuesday, June eighth. They were in Mombasa by dusk. At the hotel, Jace told Chad he would report Leigh’s death to the Colonial Office in the morning, then headed for his room to bathe and rest. The two women did the same.
As Chad spoke with the hotel clerk about sailing dates and arranging transportation of their stored possessions, the man revealed that Miss Leigh Webster’s things had been shipped to America after their departure inland, as the woman requested.
“What are you saying?” Chad demanded.
“Miss Webster asked for us to ship her baggage to Dallas, Texas, in America. She was planning to return home immediately upon arrival. We did as she requested. Is there a problem, sir?”
“None,” Chad stated with a dark scowl.
“See,” Reid told him. “See, she was lying about returning to London and marrying you. She was planning to sail to America, then sneak back to Jace Elliott.”
“If she was, she changed her mind during the safari. I changed it for her,” Chad refuted. Yet he was riled by this news.
“What about Jace and the will?” Reid hinted.
Chad had decided how to solve that problem. “Before we sail Friday, I’ll handle him. He won’t get anything. I’ll see Jim Hanes tomorrow and make him an irresistible offer, fifty thousand pounds and my silence if he doesn’t let Jace reach home alive.”
“How can you do that? You only have a little over fifty thousand in the bank here, and half’s to pay Jace with.”
A cold and evil gleam was in Chad’s eyes. During his misery, all the hatred for Jace had resurfaced, and increased. In his crazed mind, Jace had lured him here with dreams of final revenge and had gotten Leigh killed. His old enemy had taken away his two dreams and had to die. “I’ll give Jace and Jim twenty-five each tomorrow. Then Jim can take Jace’s money when he kills him and drops the body in quicksand. I don’t want any evidence left behind, and I want to be gone when he’s slain. When Jace can’t be found to claim his half of the inheritance, I’ll get everything.”
“Fiona will get everything, Chad.” Reid reminded.
The handsome and cruel man scoffed, “That’s the same thing. She wouldn’t dare cross me. If she tries, I’ll kill her, too.”
Wednesday, Leigh saw crimson spots on her undergarment. It caused her to realize that during the safari she had missed “Mother’s Misery,” as her aunt Jenna called it. She was glad she hadn’t noticed that absence, or she would have panicked, thinking herself pregnant.
Her female condition only lasted two or three days, and was always very light. She had experienced “Mother’s Misery” during those last few days aboard ship. She had skipped her monthly flow in May, but it had returned on time in June. Yet it wasn’t unnatural for a woman to skip a month here and there. Illness, extreme tension, medicine—and drugs—could delay or bring on the condition at times. She also knew that her mother, Mary Beth Leigh Webster, had given birth to only one child and Jenna Leigh Barns Hastings had given birth to none. Perhaps the Leigh women were not as susceptible to pregnancy as were most females.
She went to find Abena for help. Leigh touched her feminine area, blushed, and said, “I’m in my woman’s way.. I need cloth.”
Abena understood her hints. The woman fetched old linens from a chest and helped Leigh make pads to absorb the red liquid. Placing a small wooden box in the bathroom, she told Leigh, “Put here. At night when I go, I bury deep and sprinkle with pepper. We not want to attract hyenas with smell of blood.”
Leigh returned to her room to lie down. She had endured a restless and tormenting night. She wondered what Jace would have done if she had gotten pregnant. Surely he would marry her. Surely he realized such a complication was possible during a long and intimate stay with him. Another trick to entrap you, Leigh? she mused.
She propped on the bed to read herself into a sleepy mood. Before doing so, she murmured a quote from “Ode to Joy,” “Sweet magic brings us together,” then added a quote from “Lutetia,” “Wild, dark times are rumbling toward us.” Leigh told herself to calm down but she was unable to do so. Wild perils brought us together, my love, she contemplated, your hunger for revenge—and Chad’s. But sweet passion and magic nearly destroyed the past for you, Jace. Why can’t you let the dark past be over? Why can’t you let us have a bright future?
On Thursday, after Chad paid him, Jace pretended to leave Mombasa for home. He concealed himself to make certain the two couples caught the steamer for London tomorrow. A telegram from Lord Salisbury revealed that Sean and Jaimie, the men who had attacked Leigh on the London waterfront, were stablemen for Marquise Cynthia Campbell. The two bastards had been killed while resisting arrest so no testimony from them was forthcoming. There was no news about the two men who had attacked Leigh at Fort Jesus.
Jace followed Reid Adams to the telegraph office late that afternoon. He also witnessed a meeting between Chad. and Jim Hanes this morning. He noticed that Jim was walking fine on a leg supposedly broken in early April. He decided to have a word with Jim later.
On Friday, the ship sailed with the two couples aboard. Jace and Johi searched for Jim Hanes to question the safari guide.
“Come clean, Jim, your leg was never broken. How much did Chadwick Hamilton pay you to fake that injury so I’d take his job?”
Jim sent him a sly grin. “Ten thousand. He’s gone now, so why lie about it? He really hates your guts, Jace, so I’m a little baffled by why he wanted you as his guide. He paid me twenty-five thousand to trail you homeward, kill you, and hide your body in quicksand. He said you’d be carrying another twenty-five I could steal. That’s a mighty high price on a man’s head. What did you do to him?”
“Not what he thinks. Why are you telling me this?”
“Why not? I’m not going to murder you or any man for money, not even for fifty thousand pounds. I took the bastard’s money because there’s nothing he can do to get it back. If he learns I didn’t carry out his orders and returns, I’ll be long gone. I’m sailing for Australia tomorrow. He provided me with a nice stake.”
“I’m glad you told me the truth. I knew he hated me, but not enough to murder me.”
Jace waited until the man who worked in the telegraph office locked up and left to eat. He had been unable to sneak inside last night to steal a copy of Reid’s telegram because the employee also lived in rooms attached to the office. When Jace located the handwritten page, he stuffed it into his pocket and slipped away unseen.
Before leaving town, he sighted the two men who had attacked Leigh at the old Portuguese fort. He and Johi raced them down and beat one man into answering his questions. He learned that a woman with “hair like fire” had paid them to abduct and sell the sunny-haired female into slavery. Jace turned the men over to the local authorities.
While riding on the train toward the river to catch a boat to the stop nearest Nairobi, Jace withdrew the paper and read it. He smiled, then frowned in rage. At last he had a piece of enlightening and incriminating evidence in Reid’s handwriting. When he was confronted with it, Chad would be furious. Jace was eager to wave this stolen page in the guilty bastard’s face.
At dusk, Leigh was washing her hair and bathing. Jace should arrive any day now, and she wanted to be ready to confront him at her best. She stepped from the tub and reached for the drying cloth.
“Still as beautiful and enchanting as ever,” Jace murmured.
Leigh whirled, dropping the bath sheet from her light grasp. Jace was leaning against the doorjamb, grinning broadly with a devilish sparkle in his green eyes. She retrieved the cloth and wrapped it around her naked and dripping body. Her heart pounded from more than startlement. Her face glowed a vivid pink from more than modesty and anger. He had caught her off guard, and her wits scattered at his sudden appearance and close proximity. “Damn you, Jace Elliott! How dare you sneak up on me like that! Get out of here, and close the door!”
“You weren’t shy or reluctant when you enticed me to join you for a bath after that quicksand incident,” he murmured in a husky voice, and strolled forward. He yanked her into his confining arms and teased, “Is this any way. to greet me after such a long and painful separation?” His mouth closed over hers.
When he released her, Leigh stared into his merry gaze. She felt weak and anxious. Her breathing was fast and shallow. Her cheeks were aflame, as was her body. Her pulse raced like a wild and unbroken mustang that was fleeing wranglers across the plains. Her heart throbbed in her chest and ears, and she wondered if Jace heard it, too. His allure was overpowering, his touch burning like a skin-searing tropical sun as his potent gaze and strong embrace held her captive. “Let me go,” she ordered in a strained voice, her throat clogged with warring emotions. “This wouldn’t look proper to Abena. Get out and let me dress. Then we’ll talk. You and I have a lot to settle, Mr. Sneaky Elliott.”
“Abena has left for the night. We’re all alone, my tawny lioness. She said you’ve … mostly been a good girl. That was wise.”
Leigh gathered her wits and used them. “Stop playing these silly games, Jace. We both know why I’m here. I’m your prisoner.”
“Partner, love,” Jace corrected. “I won our wager, so you owe me your undivided attention and delightful company.”
“I don’t owe you anything!” Leigh argued. “You lied and cheated. I lost points only because you plotted and carried out devious incidents. You can’t force me to honor a deal you won unscrupulously. I won’t!” she stated adamantly. “I only agreed to rules one, two, and four. I never agreed to rule three to wager a year with you.”
Unyielding, Jace persisted, “Our bargain is binding, Miss Webster, so you’ll have to abide by the rules we agreed upon. You allowed me to include rule three and you signed the contract.”
“As a joke, and you know it, you sneaky devil.”
“Did you mark it out or change it and initial the revision? No, so it’s part of our deal. I warned you to read carefully before signing. I won fair and square. Actually, under rule two, you owe me over an extra month because you were in trouble and danger every day. Why not admit you wanted rule three in and you wanted to break it?”
“I’ll admit to no such thing, Mr. Lawbreaking Elliott. I did fine without your interference. You ended the safari, not me, so I win.”
“Even if I agreed, the contract says if I terminate the safari for any reason, you get an extra prize: me, any way, any time, and any place you desire. Well, here I am: ready, willing, and able.”
Leigh frowned at the grinning man. “I decline my extra prize.”
“If you prove to me you won,” Jace reasoned, “you can’t refuse me. You can’t change the rules. We had a deal. You gave your word.”
“So did you,” Leigh protested, “not to cheat. All right,” she conceded with a taunting grin, “by the contract, I want you … in London, in prison, and for life.”
Jace laughed. “There’s only one catch, love; I never quit the safari. I finished it, but you didn’t. Therefore, I am the winner.”
“I didn’t finish because you tricked everyone. Kidnapping and faking deaths are illegal, even here in the jungle. This is British territory, and under English law. We’re both English citizens.”
“But I’m a criminal, Miss Webster; they don’t obey laws.”
“‘Alleged’ criminal according to what you told me.” Leigh scoffed in frustration. “In light of this illegal action, I’m not certain you told me the truth. I didn’t cancel the safari and wasn’t given a chance to earn more points, so how could I lose?”
“Simple: ‘prove unable to complete it … presence in my home for one full year … pay your debt immediately and in full.’ Nothing was listed as a disqualifying reason for being unable to finish.”
“Are you deaf? I never agreed to that! I can’t stay here a week or a year. Release me and I won’t press charges against you.”
“I won, Leigh. You’re mine, until I decide otherwise.”
“You promised you wouldn’t make me lose, or help me lose!”
“I didn’t. With all those curious accidents happening to you, there was no way you could complete the safari alive. I had to protect my interest and winnings.”
“By abducting me? By faking my death? By terrifying me?”
Jace watched her blue eyes dance with fiery lights. Her wet hair looked darker and flowed down her bare back. The drying cloth clung to her enticing frame and beads of water stood on her silky skin. “You left me no choice. We both know,” he mocked her earlier words, “you were lying and cheating. I kept my word. You will, too.”
Leigh could not vow she had never misled him, so she didn’t. He was so cocky, so handsome, so maddening. “I had no intention of breaking our agreement,” she informed him in a haughty tone and manner, “so you should have won it honestly. You didn’t. You planned this little abduction from the start. That night you rescued me on the waterfront, I told you I was meeting Chad. Your craving for revenge saw a way to get at him through me. That’s why you trailed me to Lord Salisbury’s and tried to dupe me with your charms. You wanted to get close to him, and I was your path; When I mentioned the safari and that Chad was my guardian, you saw an even better way to obtain vengeance, on him and Grandfather. You came here, lay in wait for our arrival, then pounced on me like a leopard. You were the one using me as bait in your trap for Chad, not the other way around like you accused at Mr. Johnston’s party. The wager was just another beguiling trick by a clever seducer.”
“At Alfred’s party, I thought I was being set up, woman, and you know why I believed it. I was right all along. Chad did have a sly motive: marry you and get rid of me. I’ll confess our wager began as a ruse, one to capture your interest. I was testing you and probing for information about Chad’s motives and your possible involvement. You were doing the same thing with me, so don’t deny it.”
She didn’t. “There was no plot, Jace Elliott. You’re mean, bitter, and devious. How did you pull off this stunt?”
Jace explained the snakebite ruse to her. “Reid only wounded the animal,” he added, “because I tampered with the sight on his gun. Johi kept them out of camp long enough for me to fool the others and steal you. I had men hiding and ready to track whatever Reid wounded to spare me that task and time. Very clever, eh?”
“Very illegal and cruel,” Leigh refuted. “Not only does Chad think I’m dead, but he’ll tell my family and friends. You have to let me contact aunt Jenna before he does. That news will crush her.”
Jace shrugged and nodded. “Fine. I’ll handle it. I’m sorry I didn’t think to send her a cable before I left Mombasa. Consider it done tomorrow. But we will have to swear her to secrecy about your survival. I don’t want anyone to know you’re alive yet.”
Leigh stared at him. “You’ll let me cable her?”
“I’m not a heartless bastard, Leigh,” Jace said. “Though, at times, you tried your damndest to rip it out of my chest.”
That accusation astonished her. He actually looked and sounded honest. “I tried to hurt you? Are you crazy? You’re the one who had me terrified at the fort, unloaded my gun during a dangerous rhino hunt, put drugs in my canteen, lured me into quicksand, fixed Louisa’s gun to almost kill me, then faked my death. You did all those wicked and dangerous things just to win a stupid bet, and you claim I-”
Jace straightened and stiffened. His hands moved to her shoulders and shook her gently. “Shut up and listen, woman. The men who attacked you at the fort have been arrested. A woman with red hair hired them to sell you into white slavery. The men who attacked you on the waterfront in London are dead, killed resisting arrest. They worked in Cynthia’s stables. I asked a man there to check out everyone around you. I knew they weren’t sailors, and you told me they smelled of horseflesh. You also caught their names and gave their descriptions. I don’t have to tell you who Cynthia’s best friend is.”
During the past few weeks alone, Leigh had come to realize how much Louisa hated her, and how suspicious she was of the redhead. Mention of the vixen who had flirted with Jace in Mombasa and in camp and who had said such horrible things that last day provoked her to scoff, “The same woman who shared old times with you! The same woman you were playing with in the river in an attempt to anger me.”
Jace frowned and said, “I’m not going to deny that first charge again, because we both know it isn’t true. But the second one is true.”
Leigh moved from him, causing the hot hands on her bare shoulders to fall to his sides. His clothes were damp from contact with her. She lifted her robe and donned it, also leaving on the drying cloth. “Then why did you tell her about our wager? It was a secret.”
Jace lifted one brow quizzically. “I didn’t.”
“How did Louisa know about it? I certainly didn’t tell her. She confronted me about us and the bet that morning you pulled this stunt.”
Jace mused for a moment, then surmised, “Perhaps she found your contract. It was hidden in your tent, and she did remain in camp one day.” He didn’t want to suggest Chad had told Louisa about the wager, after Leigh had confided in her guardian. He would solve that mystery later.
Leigh had suspected Chad of revealing that news, but Jace’s guess sounded more logical and probable. “You could be right.”
Jace responded with confidence. “I’m sure I am. As for those drugs in your canteen, Chad was responsible. Johi overheard him mention it to Reid after your ‘death.’” Leigh’s eyes narrowed in impending debate. “But he wasn’t trying to poison you,” Jace quickly added, “just make you ill so he could end the safari and get you out of my reach. He was worried that all his lies and deceits wouldn’t keep us apart. You were bait, Leigh, but not mine. The safari was his idea. He plotted it to get revenge on me. You were his tool to pry his way into my life again. Since that frame in London failed, he sought another road to victory. Chad told you about our past in Mombasa just to win your favor and to prevent anything from happening between us. He was playing on your tender heart and suspicions; he figured, by confiding in you, you would be fooled about him. I promised to reveal everything and I will, in time. I didn’t want you to know about our quarrel because it would make me look bad before you could get to know me and judge the truth for yourself.”
Leigh knew he hadn’t talked about the wager, but she didn’t broach that topic yet. “Even if that’s true, none of it changes what you planned and did to me, Jace Elliott. You had my clothes and things sent here as soon as we left Mombasa. You prepared a tent you could sneak into and out of at your pleasure. Then, all those curious incidents happened. After we got close, you should have trusted me and confided in me. You had plenty of time to expose the truth, and you owed it to me, but you held silent. That last night, I tried to coax the truth from you, so we could be totally honest with each other. You responded by kidnapping me! What am I supposed to think and feel, except you were duping me from the start?”
Jace grasped what she must be thinking. “I had your clothes sent here because I was planning to find a way to keep you here and safe until November. I suspected Chad would either slay you or ensnare you in marriage to get his hands on Webster’s estate. I couldn’t allow either to happen to you. I wanted you to have your things to use during your stay. I knew there was no way to get them up here after the safari. As for that secret exit, that tent is mine. Sometimes I need to slip out of camp at night, so it allows me to do so without being seen. After we … got close, I let you have it to conceal our relationship. Chad must have located it and gotten suspicious. That’s why Louisa and Cynthia kept sleeping there with you. That’s why he wanted to do us harm.”
“After this imprisonment, I’m supposed to believe you and trust you?” she reasoned. “I’m supposed to accept your charges against nearly everyone on the safari? What did Chad do after my death?”
Jace walked to the door. He turned and said, “It’s been a long journey to and from Mombasa. We’re both on edge. Why don’t you dress while I get something to wet my throat? We have more matters to discuss, don’t we?”
Leigh’s gaze met his troubled one. “Yes, we do.” He left.
Leigh wrapped the colorful sarong around her and secured it. Abena had given her several. It was hot most days, and the garment was cool and comfortable. She brushed her hair. The honey tresses were almost dry, again due to the African heat. She was nervous, wary, and a little frightened. She was baffled by Jace’s words. She wondered if this ruse was for her protection and if it had been necessary. She quivered, thinking of the long night ahead.
Leigh joined Jace in the kitchen. He turned and smiled, looking her over with pleasure. His pulse quickened and his heart raced at the provocative sight. His loins burned and ached, aflame with desire and hungry with need. “Would you like juice? Abena makes it fresh every day from tropical fruits. Or would you prefer something stronger?”
Leigh noticed his reaction to her, and she felt the same. “Juice is fine. I’d like to keep my head clear.”
Jace chuckled as he poured the tasty liquid. “Me, too,” he said, handing her a filled glass. He lightly clicked his glass to hers and said, “To our time together and all the surprises it will bring.”
Her somber gaze met his probing one. “Why are you hurting me to get back at Chad? Which one of us will suffer the deepest and longest? Me, not Chad. For a time, I really believed you and I had something special. Suddenly you changed. You became mean, snide, and mysterious. Everything was good between us, then you backed off and spoiled it. Why, Jace? Are you going to force me to …”