Underground Captive (51 page)

    
             
Jared bowed deeply.  "Lord Jared Duncan Fleming, Seventh Earl of Lismore; Lismore, Scotland, at yer service,
mademoiselle
."

    
             
Nicollette's look of shock passed over her features so quickly he could have imagined it.

    
             
"So you are, indeed, the occupant behind the crest of Lismore Castle?" she whispered in wonder.

             
"Aye."

    
             
"We need to talk, Jared.  I mean, me lord," Nicki teased.  "All I did was come into your bedchamber to give you a bill of sale and all kinds of things have been revealed to me.  The best thing I learned was that Ricard is alive and well!"

    
             
Jared bristled, unnoticed to Nicki.  He'd pushed his tor
mented thoughts of last night completely out of his mind.  How could he have forgotten?  Nicki.  As always Nicki was the reason.  "I'm disappointed, Nicki.  Was that the best thing that hap
pened to ye last night?" he asked lightheartedly.

    
             
Laughing, she started toward the door.  "That was the best thing I
heard
last night. 
You
were the best thing that happened to me," she said, stopping to stand before him.  She stood on tiptoe on his feet and raised her lips to his mouth for his kiss.

   
             
"Ye cheeky little minx.  Ye're digging yer claws, I mean yer toenails, into my flesh."  He lifted her up to his kiss.

    
             
"Go to Mary Douglas and the others, Jared.  Don't let them think I've left."

    
             
"Ye're right.  I've got to try and keep Mary Douglas as calm as possible.  Everytime she gets excited, she calls me by my title.  Hurry.  Get to yer bedchamber and clean up."

             
"What will I do?  Where will I say I've been?"

             
"Let them wonder."

             
Between Mary Douglas's frantic call and Jared's appearance downstairs, a

half-hour had gone by.  He found his six most loyal servants and fellow countrymen waiting for him in the parlor.  Hugh, Malcolm, Robert, Mary Douglas, and Elizabeth were there with their heads bowed and hands clasped nervously in front of themselves.  It was Angus who walked up to him as spokesman for the group.

    
             
"Master Jared, I fear we 'ave let ye down," Angus said remorsefully.   "I am beggin' yer forgiveness fer us all.  We le' the lass gi' away."

    
             
The look of remorse and reproachment on their faces gave Jared reason for pause.  He really didn't want to frighten them, but he found it necessary to protect Nicki's honor.

    
             
Mary Douglas stepped forward, weeping bitterly.  Jared noticed then that her packed trunk stood by her side.

    
             
"Dinna send them away, Master Jared.  'Twas me blame and me blame alone.  I was pu' in care o' the lassie and I dinna do me task.  I'm all ready tae go, master!"

    
             
Jared took a deep breath to swallow the laughter that was just a hair's breath from exploding into wild hysteria.  Poor, sweet, sensitive Mary Douglas.  What a twit!  Of course, how could any of them know what a farce was going on?  He started to respond to Mary when the sound of someone tearing through the front door stopped him.

             
"
Monsieur
Fleming!"

    
             
They all rushed to the foyer.  Jared's eyes widened at the sight of Nicollette.  There she stood, wet and muddy.

   
             
Nicki met his merry, knowing eyes.  "
Monsieur
Fleming, I thought you said that stupid horse was gentle?"

    
             
"'Tis the lassie! 'Tis the lassie!" Mary Douglas cried hap
pily, pointing to Nicki, looking from Jared then back to 'the lassie'.

    
             
"Quiet!" Jared commanded.  "Let's do hear what the lassie has to say.  What happened to ye, Nicollette?  Everyone has been con
cerned for yer safety."

    
             
"I took Urak for a ride along the levee this morning and the beast threw me into the river.  I got lost and couldn't find my way back.  Why didn't you send someone to look for me, you vermin!"

    
             
Frowning, Jared stepped closer to her.  "Don't push it, ye little imp," he said for her ears alone.  "Ye're never to ride alone again," he said for all to hear.

    
             
"Och, Master Jared.  Please dinna scold the lass," Elizabeth begged.  "She must be frightened silly.  Come, lass, we'll prepare a bath fer ye." Elizabeth took Nicki's hand and began leading her toward the stairs.

    
             
Mary Douglas hurried behind them.  "Och lassie, ye dinna ken 'ow glad I be tae see ye!" Then as an afterthought, she turned to Jared.  "Master Jared, I dinna be leavin' after all!"

    
             
Jared stood looking after them.  What a marvelous sense of humor Nicki had.  The past twelve hours was the most wonderfully titillating he had experienced in four years.

             
And the past hour was priceless.

             
How he loved Nicollette!

             
In less than the space of a day, she had shown him how to laugh again

from his heart.  He hadn't felt so lighthearted since before Patricia's death.

*  *  *

    
             
He didn't have a care in the world as he and Angus arrived at the house by the ramparts.  He'd left word with Malcolm to inform Nicki and the other ladies that he had business to attend in the city and would arrive back home at dusk.  Jared felt wonderfully contented.  Even as he conducted his regular weekly meeting with Otto Kolb and deposited the money in the bank, his thoughts were back on Nicki.

    
             
He smiled at her daring.  How she managed to slip out unnoticed and come back in the condition she was in had to be the tale of the century! 
How indeed
?

    
             
Thinking more seriously about it, a frown creased his brow.

    
             
'Twas true.  No one saw her leave.  How easy 'twould have been for her to escape.  But she didn't.  But what if she had?  Would she have told anyone what she knows about me
?

         Jared sensed her contentment, sensed that she wanted to stay.  She may desire her freedom to see her family once again, but she wanted to be at his side.  However, 'twas because of what had happened between them in the past hours.  With that knowledge, he didn't worry that she would try to leave.  Even if she did, she would never accomplish it.  With the scare, his staff had this morning, she would never be out of sight of one of them.

    
             
After making his bank deposit, Jared decided to try a new little restaurant called Soileau's.  It was just two blocks from the Duplantier house on Rue Dauphine so he decided to put King George in a nearby stable and walk.

    
             
He hadn't gotten ten feet away from the Duplantier residence when he heard someone shouting his name.  Turning, he followed the sound of the voice, looked up and saw Charles leaning over his balcony, waving to him.

             
Damn! I don't bloody need this.
  He smiled and waved back.  "Hello, Charles," he called. 
What is Charles doing in the city?  Last evening at Crescent Wood, he made no mention of a trip here
.

             
Charles leaned over the railing.  "Where are you going, Jared?"

  
             
Jared pointed in the direction of the restaurant.  "Soileau's," he called.

             
Charles beckoned him to come.  "I won't have it!" he yelled.  "You're dining with us!"

    
             
As much as he didn't want to, he accepted.  He couldn't think of a gracious way to refuse.  "Well, Charles," he said after he'd gotten upstairs.  "Ye're very generous as usual."

    
             
"Nonsense, Jared.  I don't see as much of you as I used to," Charles replied.  "You've been very busy of late."

             
"Aye, I have been."

             
Antoinette came into the parlor and Jared stood up.  "Jared, welcome."

    
             
Jared caught her hands in his and kissed her cheek.  "Thank ye, Antoinette.  'Twas very gracious of ye to let Charles invite me to dine on such short notice."

    
             
"Anyone but you and I would not be so gracious."

    
             
"What's this?  Is my bride flirting with my friend?" Charles asked good
-
naturedly, winking at Jared, awaiting his wife's response.

             
Antoinette laughed.  "Heavens no!  I would not have you two fighting a

duel over me."

    
             
Jared chuckled.  "Don't get him started, Antoinette.  He's been challenging me to a duel ever since I met him."

             
"Your coolheadedness has always prevailed,
mon ami
.  The Clemenceaus

have invited me and the rest of the family to come to their plantation at the end of October and stay through December first.  Antoinette and Blanche wouldn't allow me to refuse.  They think I need to get away from Crescent Wood because everything there brings my daughter to mind," Charles said, somewhat sadly.  "But Nicki was headed to
Parc Les Deux
when she was taken.  I think the Clemenceaus and Parc Les Deux will be as much a reminder of my daughter as both Crescent Wood and this house."   He looked at Jared in silence a long moment.

    
             
"There's been no word, Jared.  I fear my Nicki has met her death.  As Antoinette and I were leaving Crescent Wood this morn
ing, I received word from Ricard.  He wrote he'll keep looking, but I think all is lost.  Ricard also stated in his note that he can't bare to stay at Crescent Wood without Nicollette.  Without making an effort to find her...." his voice trailed off.  His eyes watered but he didn't shed the tears that were lurking.

    
             
It touched Jared to see such anguish on his face.  He didn't know what to say.  He paused.  What was there to say?  Nicollette was as precious to Charles as she was to Ricard and Jared.  What kind of bastard was he to sit across from Charles, so obviously heartbroken, when Jared knew where Nicki was?  When, he'd taken her innocence?  When, indeed, he intended to kill Ricard?

    
             
"I don't believe Nicollette is dead, Charles," Jared said finally, trying to sound reassuring.  "There has to be another explanation.  Don't give up hope!  I haven't."
Nay, he hadn't.  Only he hadn't given up the hope that Nicollette Duplan
tier would become Nicollette Fleming.

    
             
"You haven't?  I don't know what it is about you, Jared, that makes me believe you're right, but I do.  I believe I shall have both my children back with me some day."

             
Antoinette summoned them to the table with the dinner bell and Jared

didn't get a chance to reply. 

    
             
He stayed longer than he wanted.  Charles looked to him for the comfort he couldn't give without returning Nicki.  How and why had Charles come to put such trust in him?  Jared felt like a traitor for the first time in his life, for that trust was so undeserved.  Bitter bile rose up in his throat.

    
             
Charles was his friend and he would shatter Charles Duplantier's life even more.  Because when that elusive chance finally came to confront Ricard, he would surely kill him--despite his best efforts to think otherwise.  Despite the voice that told him it was an ob
session and it was time to let go.

    
             
Despite the voice that told him killing Ricard Duplantier would bring him more torment and he would never have the peace that he sought.