Underground Captive (54 page)

    
             
Sadly, Angus walked to the door, glancing at her before step
ping into the hall, thinking  if Master Jared and the lass ever did tangle, 'twould take nothing short of a miracle to save his lord's life.

36    

             
Later that night, Jared brought King George to the stables to be wiped down.  He found Keith and the others cleaning the stalls, ridding them of the soiled straw, replacing it with clean.  When time permitted, Jared usually worked right along with them.

             
Keith put down his pitchfork.  "Master Jared."

             
"Aye, Keith?  Ye wouldn't be having any problems, would ye?" Jared asked, his brows drawn together in a frown, wondering why this daytime task was being done well after dusk. 

    
             
"No, master, everything's fine here.  It's just that Miss Nicollette has been sort of on the war path lately, sir.  That's why we're so late cleaning the stalls."

             
Jared arched his brow.   "What do ye mean, Keith?"

             
"Sir, she tried to kill Malcolm," Keith answered nonchalantly.

             
Jared's mouth dropped open momentarily.  "What!  How?" he finally thundered.

    
             
"Well, master, we don't let her go anywhere alone.  We won't let you down again, Master Jared.  Anyway, late this evening, she went to the landing as you know she sometimes like to do.  Mal
colm went with her.

    
             
"She sat on the landing dangling her feet in the water.  She told Malcolm to go to the cooler and get her some milk to drink.  Well, sir, as soon as Malcolm got to the bottom step, BAM!  She slammed the door shut on him!  The little air in that cooler was not enough to keep a gnat alive.  I tell you, Master Jared, that girl is--"

    
             
"Get on with it, man!" Jared urged impatiently.  "What else happened?"

    
             
"Yes, master.  As I said before, there is always someone watching Miss Nicollette and whoever is with her to assist that person if the need arises.  Hugh saw the whole thing.  He was giving Astriede a work out, but that was to kill two birds with one stone.  You know, watch Miss Nicollette as he worked."

             
Jared glowered at him.

             
Keith didn't like the look.  "Er...sorry, Master Jared.  Hugh watched her

run from the landing to the cooler with lightn
ing speed, he said, and slam the door shut on poor Malcolm.  Then she started running in the opposite direction and she didn't even have shoes on!

    
             
"It was lucky Hugh was riding Astriede.  He never would have caught Miss Nicki on foot.  Boy, that girl can run!  Hugh called out for someone to get Malcolm out of the cooler and he went after her.  He caught her all right, but she beat him something bad.  She bit him a few times.  I mean she chewed on him like he was a bone.  And scratches!  He looked like he tangled with a wildcat!

    
             
"Anyway master, we got Malcolm out of the cooler.  At first we thought he had died.  When we opened the door he was stretched out in the little space on the bottom of the cooler floor.  We dragged him out and found that he had only fainted from fright."  Keith finished his narrative grinning widely.  Recalling the sight of a befuddled Malcolm lying stiff on the cooler floor filled him with amusement.

    
             
Jared found no amusement in it whatsoever.  He scowled at Keith then turned on his heels and walked hurriedly in the direction of the house.  He found Elizabeth in the kitchen sit
ting at the table, shelling peas.  She put her work aside and stood up when he entered the room.

             
"Master Jared," she intoned.  "Thank God ye're back!"

             
Jared stared at her, afraid to ask why she was so relieved to see him.  He

didn't have to.  Elizabeth volunteered that information.

             
"Master Jared, the lass 'as dinna been nice," she began.

             
"So I've heard, Elizabeth.  What's she done now?" Jared asked, his anger

slowly beginning to simmer.

    
             
Elizabeth shook her head sadly.  "She drank tea wi' Mary Douglas.  'Twas this morning, master.  Only the lass put some of yer best scotch whisky in Mary Douglas's tea.  They 'ad more than three cups.  'Twas Mary Douglas who kept askin' fer more.  The lass told 'er 'twas 'er own special secret blend.  Poor Mary 'ad nae idea what 'it 'er, Master.  One minute she was coming inside from the gallery where she sat wi' the lass and the next minute she was face down on the parlor floor.  Just toppled right over." 

             
"Did Mary Douglas hurt herself when she fell?"

    
             
"She got a bad bump in 'er fore 'ead, Master Jared.  An' 'er nose seem tae protrude a little more."  She shrugged.  "But fer that she's fine."

             
"Good.  Where is she?"

             
"Sleepin' off the effects o' the tea, master."

             
"And where is that bloody, little she-wolf?" he snarled.

             
"If ye meanin' the lass, master, Angus an' Hugh tied 'er up in 'er

bedchamber!"

    
             
"Tied her up! Why?"  He narrowed his eyes, his anger towards Nicki dissipating, his protective instincts for her surfacing.

             
"She couldna be 'andled nae other way, Master Jared," Elizabeth answered

almost apologetically.

    
             
"Very well, Elizabeth.  Get on with what ye were doing."  Jared walked through the parlor, taking long strides to the staircase.  He took the steps two at a time and made his way to Nicollette's bedchamber.

    
             
Angus was seated outside her door.  "Master!" he nervously said, getting up from his chair.

    
             
"Step aside, Angus," Jared said angrily, pushing the door open.  Sitting in a chair, her hands bound behind her back, her feet bounded then bound to the chair, was Nicollette, helpless and fuming.

    
             
"Master, we 'ad nae choice.  We dinna ken what else tae do," Angus attempted to explain, seeing Jared’s wrath.

    
             
"Get out!" Jared commanded with a calm belying the true ex
tent of his anger.  "I'll deal with ye later!"

             
Angus quickly went out, closing the door behind him.

    
             
"Nicki, I'm so sorry.  Let me untie ye," Jared said solicitously.  Not  uttering a sound, Nicki pinned him with a venomous glance.

    
             
Jared stooped to untie her.  She was a little wobbly as she stood up, rubbing her hands together to restore the circulation.  He reached out to her to guide her to the bed.

             
"Don't...touch...me," she hissed.

    
             
"God's blood, Nicollette, why the deuce have ye been so difficult?" Jared growled, throwing his hands up in frustration.

    
             
Nicollette stood in the middle of the room, her voluptuous body shaking with fury.  "You...you pig dung!  You maggot!  How dare you have me followed around like a...a...a prisoner!  How can you not trust me after what passed between us?"

    
             
"'Twas their decision to shadow ye, Nicollette, after they thought ye had truly escaped two days ago.  I gave no such order," Jared said angrily, attempting to defend himself.

    
             
"I suppose it was their decision to truss me up like a plucked chicken and leave me to rot in that chair," Nicollette snarled, "while you cavorted with your harlot in New Orleans!"

    
             
"I would never have anyone tie ye up, Nicollette," Jared told her, ignoring her reference to Judith.   "I intend to speak to them about that.  But ye brought it on yerself.  Ye've been a wild tigress."

    
             
"I've been seduced, lied to and thrown aside," she corrected in a blaze of temper.

    
             
"Just why are ye so angry, Nicollette?" Jared asked, irate too.  Yet, he knew why.  Being watched and trailed by his servants, after what had passed between the two of them, and thinking that he still did not trust her must have hurt and humiliated her.  Shamefully, he realized, he did
not
trust her!  "Do ye realize the havoc ye've wrought in the past two days?  I'm sorry that ye were made to be uncomfortable but ye brought it on yerself!"

    
             
Nicollette balled her fist and swung with all her strength.  She caught Jared by surprise.  Her fist landed squarely on his left eye and he fell back against the chair.  "You decayed reptile," she shrieked as she began throwing the contents of her vanity in Jared's direction.  "You lecherous cur!  How dare you!  You went to her.  You went to your...your...whore after what happened between us and you didn't even trust that I wouldn't try to escape.  You low
life viper!  I hate you!  Don't you ever touch me again, you poisonous insect!"  She picked up a silver wine goblet from her vanity, left there by her the night before, and let loose, aiming at Jared's head.

    
             
Jared, who had started to get up holding his hand to his eye, wasn't quick enough.  The goblet caught him on the side of his head.  He went down again and was still.

    
             
"You...you...
Mon dieu
!"  Nicollette stood in stunned surprise, breathing rapidly.  "Oh,
Mon dieu
!  No!  Jared!"  Her anger spent, she rushed to where Jared lay sprawled on the floor.   "Jared!  Oh, I'm so sorry.  Please forgive me.  I didn't mean it!"

    
             
"Ye've given me a black eye and ye say ye didn't bloody mean it?" Jared growled, folding her in his arms.

    
             
Nicollette pulled back and started to say something, but Jared brought her head down and pressed his lips to hers.  She squirmed in protest.  He kissed her expertly, his tongue probing, thrusting.

    
             
Nicollette twisted her head.  Jared tangled his hand in her hair, pinning her to him.  She tried to fight the feeling of excitement flooding her as much as the man causing the feeling.  But she found herself losing her resistance to both.  And he claimed her mouth with a relentless anger; a hopeless frustration.  Nicollette felt the power in his taut muscles as he crushed her to him.  She moaned softly in her wanton response to him.  In
credible thrills tingled her whole being, rendering her help
less.

    
             
Her struggles ceased.  Abruptly, Jared pulled his mouth away from hers.

    
             
Nicki’s heart hammered violently in her chest.  She stared at the bluish tint on his eyelid, the results of her blind anger just moments earlier.

    
             
Jared pushed her aside and sat up, his eyes as cold as an ice cap.  "Ye've caused enough damage around here,
mademoiselle
," he snarled.  "I suggest ye behave or I'll--"

    
             
"Or you'll what?  Tie me up again?  What more can you do to me?" Nicollette spat, her anger returning full force.

    
             
Jared stood.  "Ye little spitfire.  Don't tempt me to show ye what I can do to ye.  'Twould not be pleasant, I assure ye."  He grabbed her by the shoulders, digging into her soft flesh as he pulled her up.

             
She flinched.  "Unhand me!"

    
             
"Would ye like to take over Mary Douglas's duties for a few days?  And then after that Hugh's duties?  And Malcolm's?  Do ye know what Hugh does?  He helps train the horses.  He also cleans out the stalls and helps keep all the stables clean.  A real dirty job--dirty, dangerous, and tiring.  And Malcolm?  He takes care of the food supplies for the horses, the farm animals, and all the servants, inside and out.  Tough job, my little Creole.  Ye couldn't even do Mary's job, let alone Hugh's or Malcolm's."  He withered her with a menacing look.  "There will be no more warnings, Nicollette," he said through clamped teeth, removing his hands from her shoulders.  "Ye
will
cooperate.  If ye step out of line one more time, ye'll find yer
self shoveling hay in the stables.  And ye can sleep out there!  Ye can just take yer chances with the men out there!"  He stalked across the room to the door, knowing he lied.  He'd never allow Nicki to sleep out in the stables.  If any of the men looked at her wrong, he'd have to kill them.