Underground Captive (57 page)

             
"Aye, lass.  Like all the destruction the storm did," Elizabeth said, walking to the counter and getting a large bowl before heading out the door, going in the direction of the cooler.

    
             
"'Tis a good thing the master can afford the price o' all the 'elp 'e needs tae clean up 'Ighland Acres," Mary Douglas said, fixing a plate of stew for Nicki.

             
"He's hired extra men?"

             
"Aye, lassie.  They willa start coming on the morrow.  'Ere, ye missed breakfast, but this willa tide ye over 'til suppa," she said, placing the plate in front of Nicki.

    
             
"Thank you, Mary Douglas.  I am hungry."  Nicki picked up her fork and eagerly speared a tender bit of meat, placing the succulent morsel in her mouth.  Savoring the food and chewing leisurely, a thought suddenly occurred to her.  "Mary Douglas?"

             
"Aye, lassie?"

             
"Why didn't Jared have the men come today?  Did he have to personally pick the men who would come so he could keep my whereabouts a secret?"

             
"Oh nay, lassie.  'Ighland Acres is the master's special secret.  Noot even the lads at the carriage company ken Master Jared owns a 'orse farm."

             
"My Pa Pa and I certainly knew nothing about it," Nicki muttered, losing interest in what was left of her food.  "But after tomorrow everyone will know this place exists."

             
"Oh nay, lassie, dinna worra 'bout that.  The master willa stay oot o' sight.  The laddie, Morgan Turner, is gonna come from the city taenight and pretend 'Ighland Acres is 'is.   'E willa be the one givin' everyone Master Jared's orders."

             
"Why is it so important no one knows Jared owns this place?"

             
"'Tis the master's refuge.  After Lady Patricia passed, Master Jared bought this place and buried 'imself in 'is work.  'Twas a way tae combat 'is 'eartache, ye unnerstan'?  Using Mastermind--'twas Lady Patricia's favorite mare--and Satan, 'e started breedin' 'orses."

             
"Did Jared grieve long?"

             
"Nay.  'E was too overset wi' 'atred."

             
"Isn't he still?  After all, he still searches for her murderer."

             
A strangely sad look passed over Mary Douglas's face and a chill went through Nicki.  Somehow, she felt the look--the pity--had been for her.

             
"Aye, lass," Mary said.  "'E still searches."

             
"'Tis all wet and muddy oot there," Elizabeth interrupted, walking in, carrying the bowl, which was now filled with eggs and butter.  "It took me ages jus' tae walk across the yard."

             
"'Twas more than ages, Elizabeth," Mary Douglas said.  "'Twas lon' enough fer the lassie tae finish 'er meal."

             
Elizabeth sat the bowl on the counter, then glared at Mary.  "Go on with ye, Mary Douglas.  Between the pigs, geese, an' all the other creatures runnin' aboot and Angus and Malcolm wantin' some water from the well, 'twould 'ave taken ye ages too tae ge' back in 'ere."

             
Nicki giggled at the interchange between the two women.  "Is there any more coffee?"

             
"Aye, lass," Elizabeth answered.  "I, meself, made a fresh pot a little before ye come down.  I willa pour ye a cup."

             
"Do you need my help?'

             
"Aye, lassie," Mary Douglas said.

             
Elizabeth looked askance at Nicki.  "I don't know, lass.  Are ye sure ye be helpin' and noot destroyin' me food?"

             
"No, Elizabeth, I will not destroy the food."

             
"Then aye, lass."

             
"Usually 'Ighland Acres crew willa eat in shifts," Mary Douglas explained, "but taeday they willa all be takin' their break at aboot the same time."

After Nicki finished her coffee, she helped prepare meals for Highland Acres' crew, discarding her fichu when the heat from the stove became unbearable.

*  *  *

    
             
Jared sat astride King George, bellowing orders to all within earshot.  Those who weren't near, were already instructed as to what their chores were.   He felt a weariness to his bones.  Two of his mares had been killed.  One, Mastermind, an eight-year-old chestnut thoroughbred, had been Patricia's horse.  Mastermind had been mild of nature like Patricia.  He sighed inwardly, the ache in his heart because the last tangible reminder of her was gone almost too much to bear.  Nay, he did have a reminder of her.  Ricard's snuffbox and knife.

    
             
When he saw Nicki emerge in the dis
tance from the back of the house, he drew in King George and coldly surveyed the men as they ogled her.  Though the men at Highland Acres knew of her presence, most had only seen her from a distance.

    
             
She had a large tray with as many bowls of steaming food as was possible to fit on it.  The chilly breeze blew her loose raven tresses back from her lovely countenance, revealing her flushed face all the more.  All other thoughts vanished from his mind as she went to a small gathering of men.  Someone must have said something amusing for she laughed.  So did the men, but Jared thought that was more from their lecherous thoughts than from humorous words.

    
             
Grace and beauty personified, she glided through the small group as they took their bowls one by one.  Noting her tiny waist and the way the ruby colored gown clung to her, he realized she wore no petticoats and narrowed his eyes when he saw the low-cut bodice.  Any man standing over her would have a clear view of her breasts.  Because of her petite stature, most of them would.  Even if she bent over, the men would be rewarded with a view of what he considered his alone.

    
             
She went back to the house and emerged again a few minutes later, this time carrying a tray of glasses filled with lemonade.  He let out a string of curses.  He could strangle Mary Douglas.  Why the bloody hell would she allow Nicollette to come out in that dress with that lecherous crew lurking about?

     *  *  *

             
Nicki was exhausted.  She'd stood over a hot stove most of the morning and now needed a rest.  Taking a glass of lemonade, she walked to the front gallery and stood, hoping to catch a breeze.  Briefly, she considered asking assistance in her escape from one of the men who would arrive tomorrow.  She could never do that.  For one thing, she knew if Jared was going to stay out of sight, she had no hopes of getting near the men.  And also asking assistance would, in effect, give Jared's secret away, wouldn't it?  How would she ever be able to explain her presence here without telling the entire dreadful story of his secret identity?

             
Vermin or not, she wanted no harm to befall him.  Therefore, she would go back to her original plan of gaining everyone's trust.  She wanted so badly to see her family again.  Taking a sip of lemonade, she sighed.  
             

    
             
"Nicki?"  The rich, rolling mellowness of Jared's voice cut into her thoughts.  She turned toward the door, where he stood, his square jaw set in a hard line.  She arched an eyebrow.

             
Walking onto the gallery, he came and stood next to her.  Looking down at Nicki's breasts, he cursed softly.  "Are ye daft?  Don't ye know what bloody trouble ye could have caused by being out here?"

    
             
He was angry with her and she knew immediately she had over
stepped her bounds in his way of thinking.  If she wanted to be trusted she had better remember to act like it.  Without Jared's trust, the others wouldn't readily give theirs either.  "I only did what Mary Douglas and Elizabeth asked of me, Jared.  And you've never before objected to my walking around the grounds.  This isn't something new.  I
do
come outside.  Quite often, as a matter of fact."

             
"Aye, but 'tis muddy and wet and very easy for ye to fall out here and hurt yerself."

             
"I'll be careful, Jared.  But they really do need my assistance.  Excuse me, I have to go gather the bowls and glasses from the men."

             
"Nay, Nicki.  The only thing ye'll do is stay inside the house, especially half-dressed as ye are.  There will be more men arriving tomorrow and ye are not to go near them."  His eyes, full of anger and desire, met hers.

    
             
Returning his gaze, Nicki thought about what he said.  Half-dressed?  She wouldn't believe that he was really jealous, though it sounded suspiciously like he was. 

    
             
"Go inside, Nicki," he commanded softly.

    
             
Giving him a dazzling smile, she turned and went into the house feeling very confident.  It didn't matter that Jared had demanded she stay indoors when the men arrived at Highland Acres.   She had expected it.  She would still bide her time and wait.

*  *  *    

             
During the month following the storm, she saw less and less of Jared.  The first week and a half he was either in his library or his bedchamber.  Under Morgan's instructions the men worked from sunup to sundown, doing as much of the major tasks as possible.  While not nearly completed the work outside had been alleviated somewhat.  The extra men finished what they were hired to do and were paid off, thus leaving the rest of the tasks for Highland Acres' regular crew and freeing Jared to help out and Morgan to go back to New Orleans.  After that, Jared worked and ate with the men.

    
             
Nicki worked inside to try and relieve some of the extra duties Mary Douglas and Elizabeth had acquired with all the additional cooking they had to do.  Usually by late evening, everyone was dead tired.  After the kitchen was cleaned, Mary Douglas and Elizabeth went to their quarters.

    
             
Nicki's routine was the only one in the household that had changed.  She

began to read more.  Being a fast reader, and a fast lear
ner with the ability to retain her knowledge, she read books about all breeds of horses.  She felt she learned enough about horses to now apply it to a working knowledge if it ever became necessary.

    
             
She read Shakespeare, Dickens, Chaucer, and of the legendary King Arthur and his Knights of the Roundtable.  She read of France and Scotland.  Most of the time, she snacked as she read.

    
             
And when she retired at night, after having eaten a huge sup
per, she found herself, after only a few hours, getting ravenously hungry again.  She would go back down to the kitchen to find something to eat and she found herself having to explain to Jared, several times, what she was doing in the kitchen.  When Jared didn't hear her go down, Angus or Mary Douglas or Elizabeth would sit with her while she ate.  Or maybe they would simply look in on her then go back to their sleeping quarters.  Nicki hadn't planned on it happening the way it did, but they began trusting her to be alone in the kitchen at night.

    
             
Another week passed before Jared allowed Nicki to venture outside once again.

    
             
Dressing to go outside for the first time in five weeks, Nicki found her breasts sore and tender to the touch.  Actually, they'd been this way for several days.  Damn it all to hell but her monthly was probably going to show up, since it had been almost two months since she’d last seen her womanly occurrence.  If that weren’t enough, her food hadn't stayed on her stomach that morning. 

    
             
Outside, she discovered the barn had been rebuilt, the corral fences were back up and the roofs on the stables had been replaced. 

    
             
After that first day, Nicki usually went to the corral to visit the horses.  Most of the time, in the early mornings and late afternoons she felt terrible. Whatever illness she suffered from, she wished it would end quickly.

    
             
She began to watch Keith and Billy put the horses through their paces.  She made it a point to give Jared's favorite horses a lump of sugar or a pat on the head.  Only Satan responded to her.  He took to walking up to the fence, without encouragement, to nuzzle her.  Since she had to climb on the lower rung of the fence to reach the animal, Billy left a small stool for her to stand on to give her height.  Nicki was sure Satan looked forward to her visits.  He had began to wait for her lump of sugar and pat on the head.