Desire and Deception (43 page)

From his position by the gunwale, Jason watched her, wondering at her thoughts. She reached out to touch the wheel, caressing the smooth wood,
then
turned to smile at him, her eyes bright as topaz and emeralds, making him catch his breath. If he hadn't given his heart to her long ago, it would have been stolen by that smile. When she looked away, he went to join her.

"I want to call her the
Matthew
MacGregor
,"
Lauren murmured when she felt Jason's presence, the huskiness of her voice betraying emotion that her cool features never would.

Jason gazed down at her, his eyes caressing her face, taking in its haunting loveliness. "Matthew would be honored . . . any man would be. But Matthew is a man's name. Are you sure you want to flout convention so drastically?"

Lauren looked up to find Jason watching her. His blue eyes were filled with tender amusement and a deeper smoldering light that made her heart skip a beat. "What's convention?" she replied, trying to ignore his burning look.

Jason laughed and flicked her nose. "Something I've been doing my damndest to get you to acknowledge, Cat-eyes—although I don't seem to be having much success, what with your woefully neglected upbringing. Very well, call her the
Matthew
MacGregror
if you like. But don't apply to me if you wind up with a mutiny on your hands."

And so the
Kite
was to be rechristened the
Matthew
MacGregor
.
Lauren went to see the ship's namesake the very next day, intending to offer Matthew a position as captain.

Since he didn't work for the Carlin Line on Saturday, she expected to find him at home, but when she drove up in the gig she had borrowed from Bellefleur, only Running Deer came out of the cypress-log cabin to greet her.

Not attractive by any standards, the Choctaw woman had squat, olive-toned features and coarse ebony hair that hung to her waist. She was wearing a beaded doeskin tunic and moccasins, and her expression registered surprise. "Lauren, I not expect you," she said in her soft musical voice.

"Probably because I've been frightfully negligent," Lauren replied with a smile. "I should have come to see you before now. But I have good news. Where is Matthew? I have to tell him about the ship we're going to buy."

Oddly, a wary look crept into the luminous dark eyes. "He
see
to traps."

"Does he mean to return soon? If not, I can go look for him."

"No."

Lauren's smile faded. Running Deer was standing at the foot of the cabin steps, twisting a fringe of her tunic and looking very much ill at ease. Lauren couldn't understand her lack of warmth, for generally she was as gentle as the forest animal whose name she carried. "Running Deer, are you angry with me for some reason? Have I done something wrong?"

The Indian woman hesitated. "No."

"Well then, what is it? You usually invite me to
to
tea."

"Come in, Lauren. You welcome always." She turned to mount the stairs then, leaving a puzzled Lauren to stare after her.

Lauren tied the reins of the gig to the porch rail and followed, entering the two-room cabin in time to see Running Deer hanging a rifle above the fireplace. "Something
is
wrong," she challenged. "You never greet visitors with a gun."

Running Deer shot her a nervous glance. "I make tea now."

"Please, Running Deer, I don't want tea. I want to know why you have to keep a rifle loaded."

Her dark eyes lowered. "Mat angry if I speak," she said softly.

"Is he in trouble? For God's sake, he's my friend. You can tell me."

"Matthew
say
you not to worry. You marry soon and
be
happy."

"Marry—" Lauren realized then that Running Deer and Matthew must be expecting her to marry Jason, but she let that mistaken assumption pass in her concern for Matthew. "Running Deer, you might as well tell me. I won't let it rest until you do."

She sighed softly. "He . . . he lose money. He
play
cards and lose."

"How much money?"

"Five thousand dollar."

"Five thousand!
I don't believe it! Matthew would never be so foolish as to gamble his life savings away."

"He
drink
too much. And the
man cheat
."

"What man?"

"
Duvo
."

"You mean Duval? Matthew was playing cards with Felix Duval?"

Running Deer nodded, worry apparent on her dark features. "The
man give
one week to find money. He
come
soon. Mat not have, go to jail."

Lauren stared at her, hardly believing. She had only seen Matthew briefly during the past week, and hadn't noticed any particular difference in his behavior. But then he wouldn
't
have wanted her to know he had gotten into debt. She couldn't understand, though, how he could have become mixed up with a man like Felix Duval. Felix usually patronized the higher- class gaming hells, where Matthew would never be invited. "Don't worry, Running Deer," Lauren said briskly. "Matthew isn't going to jail."

The Indian woman gave her a grateful smile. "The
man have
vows. . . ."

"Vowels?
That's an I.O.U.—a promissory note showing the amount of the debt, but it doesn't matter. Vowels can be bought back. Where is Matthew now? I want to talk to him."

When Running Deer said that he was trapping near the stream that ran through his small property, Lauren went in search of him. Before she was a hundred yards from the cabin, though, she saw the brawny flame-haired Scotsman coming out of the woods. He was dressed in fringed buckskin, and had half a dozen carcasses of small animals slung over his shoulder.

His stride slowed as soon as he saw her, and his grim expression suggested he knew why she was there. "Go home, lass," he said quietly.
"This
isna
yer
battle."

Meeting the gaze of the man who had been like a father to her, Lauren returned a look of affectionate exasperation. "That has to be the most absurd comment you've ever made. You saved my life four years ago. Do you think I wouldn't give my help if you needed it?"

Matthew shook his head without replying,
then
strode past her, headed toward the curing shed in back of the cabin. Lauren followed, carefully picking up the skirts of her muslin walking dress as she entered the shed to avoid the clutter of stretching frames and dried furs. She had often visited Matthew there while he worked, and was familiar with the pungent odor, but even so, she tried not to breathe too deeply as she settled on a rough-hewn wooden bench.

Matthew had dropped his load and set to work on a beaver carcass, peeling back the fur with deft strokes of a knife. Lauren watched him in silence for a moment, before saying, "Running Deer told me Felix cheated."

"Aye, the cards were marked. And he had more inside his coat."

"Can you prove it?"

Matthew grunted in reply.

"Then you'll have to pay back the debt."

"I
dunna
have such a sum."

"But together we have enough."

"I
canna
let ye do it.
Ye're
to buy
yer
ship."

Lauren didn't tell him that she had already found her ship, knowing it would make his refusal more adamant. "It doesn't matter. I'm not letting you go to jail. How much longer do you have?"

"Till day after next.
But I
willna
take
yer
money.
'
Twas
I who acted the fool.
Ye'll
no' pay for that."

"Well, at least borrow the money from Jean-Paul if you won't take mine."

"Nay, the
mon
cheated! I'll no' give him one penny."

She could see she was wasting her breath. "Then what will you do?"

"I
dunna
ken."

Lauren rose then, brushing out her skirts. "Very well, Matthew. If that is how you feel, I won't argue." She had no intention of leaving it at that, certainly, but "she knew better than to tell Matthew what she was planning.

He was too familiar with her ways, though, not to wonder at her meek capitulation. "
Ye'll
no' do something daft, lass?" he asked, giving her a suspicious glance.

"Certainly not," she replied wryly, returning an innocent look. "I'm merely going to take tea with your wife. We have to plan what items to bring you when we visit you in jail!"

Eight hours later, wearing her green satin gown, powdered wig, and mask, Lauren descended the sweeping staircase of the gaming house. The reticule hanging from her wrist contained five thousand dollars.

She had had some difficulty persuading Monsieur Sauvinet to release so large a sum on such short notice, but it had been relatively easy for her to carry out the next part of her plan. First she sent a note to Felix Duval, requesting that he meet "Marguerite" that evening at the casino and
allow
her to redeem Matthew's vowels. Then after supper, she pleaded a headache and retired early to her room, avoiding Jason's penetrating glance and Lila's concerned one. When it grew dark enough, Lauren wrapped herself in a cloak, took a horse from the stables, and rode into town.

Veronique was delighted to see her, but gave Lauren's plan only a lukewarm reception, saying that gambling debts were male matters and should be left for men to settle. Veronique did agree, however reluctantly, to lend her support by keeping any guests away from the smoking room when Felix arrived.

He was already waiting when Lauren entered and carefully closed the door behind her. His dark face lit with a charming smile. "
Chérie
," he murmured as he moved toward her and took her hands. "How I have missed you."

Lauren was relieved by his greeting, for she hadn't known if her message would reach him, or if he would agree to her request. As always, he looked quite handsome; his elegant, slender build adapted well to formal evening clothes, and his black hair contrasted with his starched white
neckcloth
. "Felix," she said in her French-accented voice, "I am glad to see you as well. Thank you for coming."

When he carried her fingers to his lips, she had to control her impatience at his gallantry. "Did you bring Matthew's vowels? I have with me the amount he owes you."

Duval hesitated, gazing at her with a faint smile. "It pains me to refuse you,
ma belle,
but I cannot take money from so lovely a woman."

His answer startled her. She hadn't considered that he would refuse to accept the money. "But I am prepared to give you five thousand dollars. Are you saying you won't allow me to redeem Matthew's debt?"

He chuckled. "The debt has served its purpose. I had hoped it would bring you out of hiding."

"You had hoped—?" Lauren searched his face, wondering what he meant. Then quite suddenly she remembered an incident several months before, when Matthew had come to see her at the casino and she had introduced the two men. Afterward Felix had asked if Matthew was her lover, and she had laughed, claiming that his jealousy was unbecoming. She had shortly forgotten about it, but Felix obviously hadn't. That must be the reason he had sought out Matthew and cozened him into losing such an enormous sum.
To get to her.