Desire and Deception (61 page)

She watched as Jason went to stand at the railing where he could observe her. He was still wearing that inscrutable expression, she saw. Behind him the canvas sails were being raised, while in the muddy water below, a half dozen oar-driven skiffs took up slack in their lines as they made ready to tow the schooner into the river's main current.

When Jason lifted a hand to wave good-bye, Lauren found she couldn't watch any longer. Holding back a sob, she ordered her coachman to turn the carriage around and take them home. Then she made the mistake of meeting Veronique's eyes.
Eyes that were filled with compassion.
Slumping back against the cushions, Lauren began to cry again, silently, hopelessly. "He didn't even try to convince me to go with him," she said brokenly.

Veronique patted her hand. "Did you wish him to,
chérie
?"

"It is stupid feminine logic, I know. But yes, I did."

"It is not stupid!" Veronique replied with unusual vehemence. "And love is never logical!" She added a graceful curse to the gods above before
she
, too, found herself weeping.

It wasn't a long drive to the
Faubourg
St. Marie; a mere ten minutes passed before the carriage pulled to a stop before the house Jason had bought for Lauren. A small black boy jumped down from his tiger's perch to help his mistress descend, but neither of the ladies moved.

Seeing Veronique's tears, Lauren wiped her eyes.
"How heartless of me.
You, too, are in love. You've lost Kyle, just as I've lost Jason."

"
Non
, that is not true. I never owned Kyle's love. But you,
mon
chou
, your case is different."

"You think I am making a mistake?" Lauren asked with a sniff.

"
Oui
,
I do. And I think you know it as well. You love Jason very much,
non
?"

"So much that it hurts. Oh, Veronique, how am I going to live without him?"

"It is not too late. The ship may not have sailed yet."

"It is too late. It has always been too late."

There was another silence. "Well," Veronique said quietly, "what I know is that if I loved a man so much and he loved me, I would never let him get away. I would follow wherever he led."

Lauren looked up. "Even if you knew it could never last?"

"Even so.
I do not think anything would be too great a price to pay to know such happiness, however brief."

Lauren gave a mirthless laugh. "However brief," she repeated bitterly. "Do you know it has only been three months since Jason arrived here? And yet I first saw him nearly four years ago. I must have loved him even then."

"
Vraiment
?"

"Yes," Lauren whispered. For a moment she stared down at her clasped hands. Then she shut her gold-flecked eyes tightly and took a deep breath. "Samuel!" she called to the driver, "I've changed my mind. Please take me back to the levee."

Veronique stared at her, but when the horses began to move once more, the redhead clapped her hands in delight. "You are going to England!"

Lauren nodded slowly. She had amazed even herself with her decision, but she had realized she couldn't let Jason leave without her. She was his wife, no matter whose name was written on their marriage lines. The possibility that their future together might be hopeless no longer mattered. "I must go," she said thoughtfully. "And not just because Jason is my happiness. I could never be
complete
without him. He is the other part of me. I can't live without him. Nothing else matters."

Veronique squeezed her hand. "I do not think you will regret your decision. Oh, I hope the
Siren
has not yet sailed!"

"If it has, then I will hire a ship and follow him." Lauren wasn't surprised by her sudden calm. Indeed, she felt as if a tremendous burden had been lifted from her shoulders. She hadn
't
conquered her fears, nor could she delude herself that she was solving anything. She was buying a few more weeks, perhaps months of happiness. If the truth did come out, she would still be facing the threat of prison and hanging, but she had to take that risk in order to be with Jason. And perhaps she could find a way to soften the blow for him.

Now that she had made the decision, however, nothing would stand in her way. She urged Samuel to hurry, then reached for Veronique's hands. "This doesn't change the other part of our plan," Lauren said firmly. "You are not to go back to the casino—the house is yours for as long as you want it. Please, don't argue," she added quickly as Veronique started to speak. "I can't leave unless you are settled comfortably. The house is mine, so I can do as I please with it. But Jason would want you to live there, I know. He realizes what a wonderful friend you have been to me. And I doubt that I will
ever . . . I
probably will not need the use of it again. Jason said he arranged a salary for you with Sauvinet. Accept it as payment for taking care of the house, if for no other reason."

Veronique protested the generous gesture, but Lauren wouldn't allow her to refuse. Shortly they were hugging and laughing and crying as they said good-bye to each other.

"You will write to me and let me know how you like being a titled lady?" Veronique said as the horses threaded their way through the crowded street.

"Yes, my dearest friend. And please explain to Lila and Jean- Paul and Matthew and Running Deer—"

"Of course, but they will understand. Indeed, Lila will be ecstatic that you have chosen to be with your husband rather than to live with me. Mon
Dieu
!" she said suddenly as the carriage ground to a halt. "Is that not them?"

Lauren wasn't looking where Veronique pointed; instead her eyes were trained on the Siren. Amazingly, the ship was still docked at the levee. Even the gangway was still in place, although it was moments before Lauren registered this fact. She was busy searching the deck of the schooner for her tall husband.

There he was, standing beside the gunwale. Odd, but he seemed not to have moved since she had left him there twenty minutes before.

From this distance, Lauren couldn't see how tightly Jason was gripping the railing or how white his knuckles were. But she could see the blue gleam of his eyes as he watched her alight from the phaeton.

She had just stepped down when suddenly she came to an abrupt halt. Staring up at him, Lauren put a hand to her mouth. "My God!" she breathed. "He knew! Jason knew all along I would change my mind." Tearing her gaze away then, she looked accusingly at Veronique. "Were you in on this as well?"

"
Mais
,
non
!
I had no idea! But I think you would not be wrong to accuse Lila. She is grinning like the cat
who
lapped up all the cream."

"She is! And so is Jason . . ." Lauren began angrily. Then she caught herself. What difference did it make if her husband was a warlock who could read her mind, or that her friends had plotted against her? What mattered was that she would be with the man she loved.

Not that she wouldn't have a few words to say to Jason when they were alone,
she silently promised as he came forward to catch her up his arms.

He lifted her high, in full view of a crowd of interested spectators. "Back so soon, sweetheart?" he teased.

"Put me down, you wretch! I must say good-bye to Lila and the others."

His blue eyes smiled into hers. "You're going somewhere then?"

"You know very well I'm leaving with you. I decided someone must keep an eye on you. I don't trust Kyle to do it properly."

"Well, say your good-byes," he said, lowering Lauren to her feet. "We'll weigh anchor as soon as your trunks are loaded."

Astonished, Lauren stared at him. Then slowly, her mouth curved in a smile. "Do you mean to tell me they aren't already on board?"

Jason laughed. "I wasn't that sure of you." And since he was unable to resist the lips that curved so provocatively up at him, he bent his head to kiss her.

Before Lauren could reply or even respond, though, she was pulled from Jason's embrace by Matthew. "
Ye'll
have time enough for that, lass, when
ye're
alone on the ship," Matthew told her as he wrapped Lauren in his brawny arms.

She hugged and kissed him, then the others, saving Lila till last. Lauren clung to the older woman for a long moment. "Thank you, Lila. For everything," she whispered.

"You forgive me then?" Lila asked anxiously.

"There is nothing to forgive."

"I always thought you would be happy with Jason. Promise me you will be happy, Lauren."

Lauren laughed. "I promise I will try," she said, glancing up at her husband's sparkling eyes.

Lila turned to Jason then, her expression serious. "I expect you to take care of her, Jason. You had better not let any harm come to my girl, or you will answer to me."

Gallantly he raised Lila's fingers to his lips. "I will guard her with my life," he promised quite solemnly.

When it was time to go, he allowed Lauren one last moment with Veronique, then taking her by the hand, led her up the ramp and nodded to a grinning Kyle. Immediately, the Siren's crew sprang to life.

With Jason by her side, Lauren stood at the rail, waving good-bye. As the ship slowly drew away from the levee, she sighed, knowing she would probably never see any of her dear friends again.

A strong arm slipped about her waist. Feeling Jason's lips brush her hair, Lauren gratefully rested her head on his shoulder.

"Regrets?" he queried softly.

"No, not really," she replied, not wanting to tell him the true cause of her sadness.
"But they are my family.
Lila, my mother.
Veronique, my sister.
Matthew, my father.
I shall miss them."

"You haven't seen the last of them. Lila means to visit us next year when Charles is a bit older. I expect she can persuade Veronique to come, too, and if not, then we can return here. There are some advantages to owning a fleet of ships, you know." When Lauren didn't reply, Jason tilted her chin up. "I should like to be your family now, my sweetheart. Not that I'm interested in being your mother or sister. Or even father . . ."

Looking deeply into his eyes, Lauren couldn't help but be warmed by the tender light she saw glowing there. She nodded solemnly, reaching up to touch his cheek. "I've never forgotten what you said to me that night I first met you
. 'Partners, lovers, friends.'"

"I would be all that and more to you," Jason replied huskily. "But come now, Cat-eyes. Let's endeavor to be happy.
Said another way: Smile for me or I'll toss you overboard for the fishes."

It didn't take much effort on Lauren's part to dismiss her sad thoughts. Not when Jason was looking at her in that particular way. The gleam in his eyes made her pulse quicken.

Looping her arms about his neck, Lauren gave him a brilliant smile. "No, you won't throw me overboard," she disagreed sweetly. "You would never let me become breakfast for a few fishes if it meant missing your own feeding."

"Perhaps not.
But I must devise some sort of punishment for you."

"Why? What have I done?"

"Nothing except put me through one of the worst moments of my life."