Tracie Peterson - [Desert Roses 01] (23 page)

“It’s not proper. People will talk.” “People are already talking, Val. They’re saying things like, ‘How is it that Miss Winthrop should act so freely with other men?’ Or ‘Didn’t I hear that she’s engaged? What must her fiancé think?’ Those are the kind of things people are saying. You’re making me the laughingstock of our social circles.”

“It hasn’t been intentional. You and I both agreed that we should enjoy ourselves with other people,” Valerie protested in her defense.

“I believe we had both agreed to be discreet. You have obviously given no regard to that agreement. All last night you hung on one man’s arm or another. I believe you made the circle to include everyone—everyone but me, that is.” His eyes narrowed as he stepped toward her. “I would certainly hate to have people believe my soon-to-be wife was a woman of loose moral character.”

“You’ve never cared what anyone thought,” Valerie said, backing away from him. “Why concern yourself now?”

“Because I intend to win this election for your father. I intend to see us married and my future secured.” He paused. “I intend to have access to the Winthrop fortune—that’s all I care about.”

Her reached out to her and Valerie cringed and closed her eyes. When his touch didn’t come, Valerie opened her eyes
and noted his expression. It seemed a mix of frustration, disgust, and maybe even hurt.

“Please go,” she whispered, barely able to get the words out.

Joel shook his head. “No. I intend to have what you so freely give to everyone else. Your days of denying me are over.”

“Don’t do this, Joel. You’ll regret it, I promise.”

He took hold of her dress at the neckline and tore the material down the bodice. “The only regret I have is that I didn’t do this sooner.”

“It’s not what you think,” she pleaded. “Joel, I’ve never been with a man. I swear it. You may have all your jealous thoughts, you may imagine the worst—but I swear it’s true.”

He stopped, looking at her oddly. “I don’t believe you.” Panic swept through her like a fire. “I’m not lying. I’m a virgin. I may not act the part, but I’ve always remained that way—I do have my scruples.”

“Saving yourself for marriage, eh?” His voice took on a sarcastic tone. “Well, consider this your wedding day.”

Hours later, Joel left Valerie’s room in a sense of euphoria. Who would have believed the woman was chaste? Not that it mattered now. She was his. Now she’d have to marry him or face the embarrassment of her ruined reputation. He might have even managed to get her pregnant. What a delight that would be. She’d have to marry him in a hurry or lose her precious social standing in Charleston. Perhaps Joel would push for a Christmas wedding. That would give them enough time to finish this trip and settle back into a more normal routine.

He could see it all now—a beautiful Charleston wedding with all the right people in attendance. He would never be fully accepted as one of them because he was a Yankee and there still existed long, wounded memories of the War Between the States. Still, with Winthrop backing him, society would play their part. They might talk about him behind
his back, but to his face they would be the epitome of graciousness.

Smiling to himself, Joel felt as though he could move a mountain. Rufus Keegan had proved a rather unpleasant inconvenience, but that was behind him now. Keegan could no longer cause him trouble or make threats. He shook his head and frowned, remembering the man’s audacity. Keegan had said he would relay damaging information to the senator should Joel not bring him into their folds immediately instead of waiting for the election. Foolish man. No one threatened Joel Harper and got away with it.

Systematically, Joel would take care of each problem and see his life put in order. Tomorrow night would bring him victory—sure and sweet. He had Valerie where he wanted her. He had the senator eating out of his hand. And now Keegan was out of his way.

He paused at the top of the steps to glance back at the door to Valerie’s room. He thought he might feel some small measure of regret, but none came. He’d only taken what was rightfully his to take. There’ll be no more Luke Tolands or Rufus Keegans or Andrew . . . what was his name? Shrugging, Joel smiled. It didn’t matter what his name had been. He wasn’t a problem anymore.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Valerie stared up at the ceiling and wondered how her life had ever come to such a tragic place. She had no idea how long she’d lain there. Minutes? Hours? Days? Still too stunned to move, she nevertheless felt the pain and misery of her encounter with Joel. Closing her eyes against the images, Valerie wished herself dead.

How could anyone be so hateful and cruel? Joel had taken her innocence with hardly any more concern than if he’d been stepping on a bug. He’d appeared only momentarily stunned to realize she had been truthful about her claims of purity. But it didn’t stop him. He’d laughed then, and she could still hear the sound ringing in her ears.

He had told her, even as he raped her, that she was a worthless and stupid woman. He told her that he only placed himself in her life in order to get what he wanted from her father. Then he threatened her with worse if she dared to breathe a word of his admission.

Valerie was used to using others, used to moving them like pawns in her game, but this time she’d been on the receiving end. And it wasn’t at all the innocent act she’d thought it to be.

For years, she had convinced herself that the goal justified her poor behavior. Now she knew that wasn’t true. It had taken Joel’s attack to make her see the lie, however.

Rolling to her side, Valerie simply wanted to hide away in her room until her father decided it was time to leave the Grand Canyon. How she hated this place! Her entire life had ended here—nothing would ever matter again. The parties no longer offered her their magical illusions. Those wonderful moneyed people she often kept company with were of no interest. They couldn’t make things right again—not that a single one of them would ever care.

She wept softly into her pillow. A parade of faces came to
mind—Andrew, Luke, and so many others. She’d played with them, teasing them with her flirtations. She’d visited Luke in his cabin—knowing full well he’d never take advantage of her. She’d known she could take the game as far as she wanted with him, and that he’d stop when she told him to. Unlike Joel.

She cringed, still feeling his breath upon her. Sometime during his attack he’d had the audacity to tell her that she needed him.

“You’ll see it in time, my dear,”
he had whispered against her ear.
“You’ll see how much you need me.”

But she didn’t need Joel or anything he had to offer. Luke had said she needed God, but she was certain God didn’t need her. Especially not now.

“You’ve brought this on yourself,”
Joel had said as he dressed to leave her.
“I might have reconsidered if I’d truly believed in your innocence. Of course, there’s nothing to be done now, but when you look in the mirror, you’ll see exactly who brought this to pass.”

For all her flirtations and wild encounters, Valerie had always managed to get away from difficult situations just in time. There was a certain thrill to her game. She would take herself almost to the point of no return, then turn and flee before life and its mongers could take from her what they would. Now all of that had changed. Joel was right. She’d brought this on herself, and now she had to live with the consequences. Or die with them.

She dozed off and on, refusing to get out of bed. The shadows of the day shifted, changing as the hours passed. Nightmares robbed her of any peaceful sleep. She couldn’t close her eyes without seeing Joel Harper staring back at her.

Hearing someone at the door to her room, Valerie held her breath and stifled her sobs. The door opened and the image of her nightmare took shape. Had he come to hurt her again?

“What are you doing just lying there? Have you been there ever since I left?” Joel questioned, turning on a light. “You’re
hosting a party in less than an hour’s time. Get up and make yourself presentable.”

“I’m not going,” she answered flatly. There was nothing else he could do to her. She wasn’t about to cower in fear.

“Oh yes, you are,” he said, coming to the bed. Reaching out, he grabbed her arm and pulled her from the bed. She collapsed on the floor at his feet, clutching at the tattered remains of her dress. “Get up!” he commanded. “Get up and stop acting like a child.”

Valerie could hardly think, much less make sense of his purpose. “Why are you here? Haven’t you caused enough damage?”

“I haven’t begun to cause damage,” Joel said with a laugh. He crossed the room to her wardrobe and pulled open the doors with great flourish. “Oh, here, wear the scarlet gown. That suits you perfectly.”

“I’m not going.” “Yes, you are. You aren’t going to give me any more trouble,” Joel stated, walking to where she sat on the floor. “You think I’ve done the worst thing to you—worse than anything else I could do—but let me assure you, my dear, that’s hardly the case.”

She looked up at him and met his hateful gaze. “I despise you.”

“And I despise you. You’re a willful, spoiled child who’s had everything handed to you on a silver platter. You may have Daddy wrapped around your little finger, but you don’t have me in such a position.”

Valerie felt anger surface where numbness had been only moments before. Surprising them both, she leaped to her feet and raised her hands to Joel’s face. She would have scratched his eyes out, but he took hold of her wrists.

“Good to see you back among the living.” “I wish it had been you who’d died instead of Mr. Keegan,” she said, trying to pull away from his hold.

“No doubt that is true. It certainly would make your life
less complicated, eh?” He narrowed his eyes, his brows pulling together. “Now get ready for the party. You have exactly half an hour and then I drag you out, dressed or not.”

“I need a bath.” “Then take one, but be quick about it,” he said, releasing her and pushing her away from him. “Oh, and one other thing, Val darling,” he said sarcastically, “I know I mentioned it earlier, but I’m concerned that you might not have been paying attention. Say nothing about what happened here today.”

Valerie lifted her chin defiantly. “Why? Are you afraid Daddy might send you packing if I tell him the truth?”

“I’m afraid something might well happen to
you
. You see, we mustn’t let anything upset this campaign. We must keep your father in the forefront as the most positive and beneficial candidate for the job of the presidency. Having a lunatic daughter won’t help his cause. Although having a dead daughter just might.”

Valerie tried to keep the fear from her voice as she replied, “I suppose having a raped daughter would only cause problems for the rapist. Perhaps Daddy could receive public sympathy over the fact that his aide not only raped his campaign treasury, but his daughter as well.”

“And who would believe such fabrications? After all, most everyone here, as well as elsewhere, knows full well that the daughter in question has lived life in a most provocative manner. You’re already known to do as you please, with whatever man you please to do it with.”

“I was a virgin. You stole that from me,” she managed to say.

“And who would believe that?” he questioned. “You dress in such a manner to suggest yourself quite free and easy with your favors. You hang on the arm of every man who shows you attention—you let them handle you in ways that make decent people turn in disgust. Who would ever believe such a nonsensical declaration?”

She shook her head, tears forming in her eyes. “You know it’s true.”

He grinned in wicked delight. “Yes, of course, but I’m the only one who does know it for sure. And if pressed, I’ll certainly say nothing of the fact—rather, I’ll take the public’s admiration and even sympathy for agreeing to marry such a promiscuous woman. I can manage to produce a dozen witnesses who will all swear to having been your lovers.

“No one will ever believe you, Val. If you declare me to be a rapist, I’ll merely speak to the issues of your sanity and bring in my friends to declare you quite the liar. Were sexual freedoms not already a somewhat socially acceptable thing in certain circles, you might already be facing four walls in a sanitarium—or perhaps some quiet little convent in Europe. Just remember that. Remember, too, I can produce enough information on you to prove whatever I need to prove. Even to give reason, after your father’s successful election to the office, for why his darling only child should end up miserably taking her own life.”

Valerie shuddered. “You’re mad. You’ve caused the death of people and you have no remorse whatsoever.”

Joel shrugged. “It’s rather like being hired to remove vermin. I do the job and eliminate unpleasant and nonproductive people from the world. Generally people don’t want to know the details of what I do, and neither do they care. They simply want the job done. I’m needed, my dear, for there will always be vermin.”

“Too bad you can’t eliminate yourself,” she muttered in reply.

“Now, Val, you don’t mean that.” He smiled at her as though he thought himself to have some special power over her.