Underground Captive (25 page)

Underground Captive
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
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Stooping down, she felt his head.  Hot!!  "Jared?  Jared? 
Monsieur
Fleming!?  Oh,
Mon Dieu
!  He's been hurt.  There's blood on his chest!"  She forgot any lingering doubt that she harbored.  In its place was fear that he was terribly wounded and might die, despair that she may have found him too late and concern that he'd suffered any kind of pain at all.

    
             
She sprang to life within seconds of recovering from her initial shock.  "Get him to the house, Zeke.  Daniel, saddle Rosebud.  I have to summon the
docteur
."

*  *  *  

 
             
Nicollette and the doctor returned to the manor within two and a half hours.

"Next time send a slave to fetch me,
mademoiselle
," Doctor Caron said as Nicki led him to where Jared was.

    
             
Jared had been situated in one of the guestchambers directly across from her father's bedchamber, two chambers away from her own.

    
             
"What difference does it makes who fetches you,
Docteur
Caron, as long as it results in getting you here."  Nicki chewed on her lower lip, watching as the doctor took Jared's temperature, checked his wound, then took his temperature again.

             
"The difference is you look like you need a doctor yourself from so much

excitement.  Slaves are more conditioned to such activity.  It's a clean wound,

Mademoiselle
Duplantier," he continued, through with his probing.  No taller than

Nicollette, the little man's tone was always as solemn as his looks.  "The bullet

passed through his shoulder."

    
             
"So he will live?" she drawled on a whisper, frowning as she looked at Jared's unmoving form.

"It's hard to say,
mademoiselle
.  He has a high fever."

"Because of the wound?"

    
             
"The wound may be starting to fester.  Or perhaps he has pneumonia.  I can't tell which at the moment.  Or it may be some other hidden disease."

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Nicki released a silent curse.  "
Monsieur
docteur
," she began with as much patience as she could muster.  "I saw him just last night and he was in perfect health.  I assure you he has no hidden illness."

    
             
"Then my assumption was correct.  It has to be from festering or pneumonia.  I will cleanse and bandage the wound,
mademoiselle
.  In a couple of days, if he is still alive, we will know what is causing his fever."

    
             
Nicollette fell silent, observing Doctor Caron as he dressed Jared's wound and taking notes so she'd be able to apply a new bandage later in the day.

    
             
"There is a bedchamber down the hall where you can rest and--" she began after the doctor was through with Jared.

    
             
"
Mademoiselle
, I am afraid I must get back to the city."

"But you can't leave him as he is.  He may need you."

    
             
"I am sorry if that will be the case.  However, I can't be of more help to him until I know what is causing his fever.  I must insist you take me back to the city.  Regretfully, I have other patients in need of my services.  I will try to return at your summons."

    
             
Undecided as to whether she wanted to cry or kill, Nicki summoned Sophie.

    
             
"Yes'm, mam'zelle?" Sophie said, coming into the room.

    
             
"
Docteur
Caron wants to go back to the city," Nicki said with a brittle smile.  "Show him to the parlor and go find Sam.  Tell him to drive the gentleman back to the city with the utmost haste.  My maid will see to you,
Docteur
Caron.  Excuse me."  Not wanting to look at Jared's still body and confront the rush of emotion at seeing him there, she left the room.  She went to the dining salon with the intention of having breakfast but she'd lost her appetite.  Instead, she went back out on the veranda.

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Who could have done this to Jared?  To add to this atrocity, a poor slave had been found near Jared.  The man had been bound and gagged with a large knot on the back of his head.  He'd need bed rest for at least two days from what one of the Duplantier slaves told her.

    
             
Jared had been left out there to die like an animal without shelter.  If the cold-blooded bastard that did this to Jared were in front of her now she'd try her best to run him through with one of her father's dueling swords!

    
             
Worrying over Jared's condition, a frown creased her forehead.  Deciding the only remedy for her frayed emotions would be to look at him again, she returned to his room.

    
             
Nicki pulled a rosewood armchair from across the room and situated it near the bed.  Sitting down, she studied him a long while.   For the remainder of that long day, Jared didn't move.  And neither did she.  Unable to sleep for worry over Jared, she kept vigil the entire night.  She bathed his forehead with cool damp cloths.  Dipping her finger into a pitcher of water that sat near the bed, she wet Jared's lips.

             
At dawn, she knew she must do something else.  Parched and pale, he burned with fever.  Staying seated, Nicki poured a glass of water from the pitcher that sat on the table next to the bed.

"Jared," she whispered.  "Please, cheri, you must drink this."

    
             
But he was unconscious.  She managed to get a drop of water between his lips.  Then, she dipped her index finger in the glass and rubbed it over his fever blistered lips again.

His helplessness at this moment compared with his vitality on the dueling

fields or even the previous evening, brought another surge of anger rushing through her.

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She dipped her finger in the water and moistened his lips several more times before she settled back in her chair.

    
             
Jared's eyes opened slightly but they glazed over as white-hot pain seared through him when he tried to move.  He was positive he was imagining things.  Nicki sat on the edge of the bed, looking down at him with a steady gaze.

    
             
Nicollette picked up Jared's hand.  It was cold.  Then she placed her other hand on his forehead.  It was burning hot.  When she explored the exposed parts of his body further she found that the only parts that were cold--ice cold--were his hands and his feet when she flipped the covers over at the end of the bed to feel them.  Holding his large, callused hand in her own, she gently caressed his cheek with her other hand. Tentatively, she moved her hand away from his face, clasping his hand in a prayer like fashion and clutching it to her breast.  Slowly, she began massaging his hand, trying to bring warmth back into it.  After doing that for several minutes she brought his hand to her mouth and applied feather light kisses to each of his fingertips.

   
             
Her eyes burned with tears of anger--tears that she refused to let fall and anger directed at the unknown assailant.  It was mid-morning and he would die if his fever didn’t abate at all.

    
             
"Nicollette?" Jared murmured weakly, opening his eyes a little further.

    
             
"
Oui
?" she said softly, surprised and relieved that he'd awakened.  His hand that was already raised to her face gently stroked her cheek before he lost all strength and let it fall away.

    
             
'Twas a gesture to comfort Nicki for she seemed distraught.

Jared's eyes closed.

"Jared?" Nicollette whispered with fear.

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"N-N-Nicki, w-where am I?"

    
             
She brought her hand to his cheek and stroked it gently.  "At Crescent Wood."      
             
"Ye must summon my four servants here," he said feebly and told her where he lived, before closing his eyes again.

    
             
Nicki's brows furrowed and she withdrew her hand.  Glancing at him despondently before exiting the room, she hurried down the hall to the winding staircase to head for the carriage house.

    
             
Going to New Orleans for the second time in two days and not examining her worry and melancholia further, she told herself she'd fight for Jared’s life with everything in her.  Not only would she get his servants, she'd also get Odessa, with her healing potions and herbs, from her father's house on Rue Dauphine.

    
             
It was unnecessary to summon her father from
Monsieur
Foucher's plantation.  He couldn't do any more for Jared than she could.  Non, let him continue his visit as planned.  While Jared was in his present condition she could take care of him herself.

    
             
Under vigorous protests from all the slaves, including Odessa, Nicki retrieved Odessa from the Duplantier house then the two of them crossed Canal Street and went to Jared's house near the ramparts.

   *  *  *

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Angus waited all Sunday for the knock on the door, indicating someone had come with Jared in tow.  Frantic and worried the entire day about the man whom he felt quite fatherly toward, he was ready to go to Crescent Wood to see what had happened to Jared.  However, Hugh and Robert insisted Angus do no such thing, eventually talking him out of carrying through with his plans.  As worried about Jared as Angus, Hugh and Robert were not as frantic and therefore reasoned better.  The two of them made Angus realize that questions would arise as to why he thought Jared would still be at the plantation.  Not an uncommon occurrence to be an overnight guest at large plantations, because of the far distances from the plantations to the city, the Duplantiers would wonder why a servant would be so concerned about his master's whereabouts.  Angus--all of the servants--refused to jeopardize Jared.

The knock Angus anticipated finally came late Monday afternoon.   When he opened the door, the small, beautiful visitor before him took him by surprise.  He stared with dread and wonder at the girl.

    
             
"
Pardonnez-moi, s`il vous plait
,
Monsieur
," she said.  "I'm Nicollette Duplantier of Crescent Wood Plantation.  I've been sent by
Monsieur
Fleming to retrieve his four servants.  Will you kindly tell them to make haste and come immediately?"

    
             
It sounded more like an order than a request.  Her manner was exactly like that of a plantation aristocrat, haughty and poised, despite her lovely smile and diminutive stature.  Angus felt chagrined, sure that this very bonny lass standing before him was the same Nicollette Duplantier whose home his master was at Saturday night.  Her good breeding came through to the surface.  However, where was Jared? His master's absence worried him.  Hadn't Jared asked to be brought back to this house?  Was he too ill to be moved?  But, then, Jared sent Nicollette.

    
             
The last Angus had seen of Jared, Jared was instructing Angus, Hugh, and Robert on what to do when he was brought home....

    
             
"Well,
Monsieur
, do you intend to stare at me until the sun sets or do you intend to relay
Monsieur
Fleming's message to his servants?  Maybe, you'd prefer if I did it myself?"