Underground Captive (60 page)

    
             
"I go, Masta Jared, but first you answer a question for me, you," Odessa said sternly, pointing her forefinger at him.

             
"Anything, Odessa, anything," Jared said eagerly.

    
             
Her narrowed gaze searched his face.  "Why you not marry my mam'zelle since she carry your bebe in her belly?"

             
Jared's mouth dropped open.  His eyes were no longer sunken but stared widely in surprise at what he had just heard.

    
             
"You lucky she not lose bebe, her.  You better not shame her, you.  She good enough to lay with, she good enough to marry.  She no deserve to be disgraced."  Odessa stood frowning at Jared a moment with her thin arms folded.  Staring at him a few seconds longer to get her point across, she lightened her tone a fraction.  "I go tell them downstairs, me, that Mam'zelle Nicollette be all right!"  With that, Odessa quit the room.

    
             
It sunk in almost immediately, even while he was going through the shock of hearing it.  Nicki carried his bairn!  How she must despise him!  So much so that she risked her life and their babe's to get away from him.  Knowing she was car
rying his child, she even risked disgrace, her father's wrath and public censure.

    
             
She hated him so much she would no doubt have sent the authorities after him.  She would have sent that pitiful little
Monsieur
Laurent, who called himself a policeman, after him.  Nicollette hated him enough to see him dead!

    
             
Well, my Lady Fleming, hate me if ye must, but ye're mine now.  Ye carry my bairn and whether ye like it or not, I'll not let ye go.  Ye'll have to marry me.

    
             
Jared looked up at the sound of his staff coming into his bedchamber and saw their faces shining with happiness and relief.

    
             
"Oh, Master Jared, the ebony lady said the lassie willa be foine.  Saints preserve us and her," Mary Douglas said tearfully as she and Elizabeth went to the bed to get a closer look at Nicki.

             
Angus, who had followed them inside, spoke softly to Jared.  "Master,

Odessa kenned o' the lass's where'boots sae ye dinna 'ave tae worra that the lass's da

willa find oot."

    
             
Jared raised his brows in surprise.  "Are ye sure, Angus?"

    
             
"Aye, master.  Rags an' the woman are verra close.  When Rags found oot that the wee lass be 'ere, 'e tell Odessa but 'e make 'er promise noot tae tell the lass's da."

    
             
At these turn of events, Jared drew in a deep breath.  He'd wondered what he would say to Odessa.  Not only had he wondered what to say, he'd wondered what should he do about her.  Keep her at Highland Acres also or let her go and tell her not to divulge anything to Charles?  Thankfully, that problem had been solved for him.  Which brought him to another question.  "Angus, how did ye get Odessa out of the house?"

    
             
"The Duplantiers are resting at Parc Les Deux wi' the Clemenceaus.  Odessa come wi' a lot of trepida
tion but she were eager tae be at the lass's side.  Dinna fret, Master Jared."

    
             
"Parc Les Deux!  Of course!  Charles told me of his plans to visit the Clemenceaus weeks ago, but it just slipped my mind.  So 'twill be no problem with Odessa keeping our secret or returning her to Charles's house in the city.  At least that's some consolation."

    
             
"Aye, master." Angus looked critically at Jared.  "Beggin' yer pardon, master, but I 'ave yer bath ready.  If ye'd like, that is."

    
             
Jared smiled.  His household staff looked after him as though he were their son.  "Thank ye, Angus.  Ye're very thoughtful.  Not only would I like it but I need it," he said honestly, realizing while following Angus that it had been eight days since he'd last stepped into a tub of water.

42    

             
Jared sat in the chair he'd placed next to the bed and studied Nicollette.  She looked like a beautiful porcelain doll.  She stirred and moaned softly.  Her sinfully long, thick lashes fluttered like ebony butterfly wings and she opened her eyes, fixing her gaze on his face.  Sighing, she smiled slowly.

    
             
"Jared," she softly said, wondering why his handsome face was so drawn.

    
             
"Aye, Nicki?  Ye've come back to us," he said gently. 

             
Nicollette's eyes widened and she tried to sit up.  Her head spun and she lay back down.

    
             
"Nicki," Jared said, rising from his chair.  Sitting on the bed next to her, he put his arm around her shoulders.  He pushed her gently back down.  "I think ye had better go easy for now.  Ye've been very sick for a while."

    
             
"I...oh!  I..." Nicollette drew in a breath.  "I'm sorry if I caused you trouble.  I guess you know that I tried to run away last night.  Satan threw me...and...I...I don't remem
ber anything after that."  She frowned.  "I'll go to my room so you can have your privacy."

    
             
"Nay now.  Ye need not leave, Nicollette.  Ye've been sicker than ye think.  Ye didn't try to run away last night.  'Twas eight days ago," Jared said, his voice croaking with a curious gentleness.

    
             
"Eight days! Eight days? Why...why what was wrong with me?"

    
             
"Don't ye know?" Jared couldn't resist asking.  Surely, she'd tell him about the bairn now.

    
             
"How could I know what was wrong if I didn't even know I was sick?" she asked irritably.

    
             
"How indeed," Jared answered, the gentleness gone from his voice, realizing she still wasn't going to tell him he was to be a father.  "Ye developed pneumonia, Nicki.  Ye really were quite ill."

             
"Oh."

             
"Odessa's here.  She helped to make ye well."

             
"Odessa?"

             
"Aye."

             
"Oh, Jared, may I see her?"

    
             
"Of course, ye may, only settle down.  Ye're too weak for all this excitement." With one final look at Nicki, Jared turned and left.

    
             
Nicollette had managed to sit up when Jared and Odessa came back into the room.

    
             
"Mam'zelle Nicollette! It be good to see you sittin' up again," Odessa said tearfully.

    
             
"Oh please don't cry, Odessa.  It's not that bad.  Really.  I'm all right.  I'm just hungry," Nicki said happily.

    
             
"Then maybe ye'd better eat something," Jared suggested.

    
             
"Yes, mam'zelle.  Some soup for right now.  I make it, me.  You eat and get strong."  Odessa took Nicollette's hand in her own.  "Yes, mam'zelle, you eat and get strong.  You need nourishment now."  She gave her hand a gentle squeeze then let go.  "I go make the soup, mam'zelle," she said and retreated from the room.

    
             
Nicollette turned to Jared.  "I don't know how you got her to come here, Jared, but thank you.  I suppose you know if you let her go back, she'll tell my father where I am," she said smugly.

    
             
Jared contemplated her a long moment, working the muscles in his jaw, trying to keep his rising anger in check.  'Twas beyond his comprehension that she gave no thought to the child she carried.  Even now, she seemed oblivious to the fact that she was with child.  Well, he would play her bloody little game.  He would not men
tion that he knew she carried his heir.  He would see just how blasted long she would try to keep it from him.

    
             
"I wouldn't worry about that now, Nicollette," he said in a carefully controlled tone.   "Just con
centrate on getting better."

    
             
Nicollette's gaze swept over him.  "Somehow I expected a dif
ferent reaction from you, Jared.  You don't seem at all concerned."

             
"I'm not."

    
             
"Master Jared, I've brought the lassie some nourishing broth."  Mary Douglas brushed past Jared, carrying the broth on an ornate silver tray.  "Lassie, lassie, dinna try that again.  Ye 'ad every one sick wi' worry over ye.  Especially Master Jared.  'E wouldna leave this room.  'E sat 'ere by yer side 'til the ebony lady made ye well again."

             
Nicollette glanced up in surprise at Jared.  He glared at Mary and a frown knotted his brow.  Poor Mary Douglas.  She had no idea that her loose tongue was about to get her in trouble again with the master.  It was apparent to Nicki that Jared didn't want her to know that he'd been worried about her.

             
Mary Douglas placed the tray in front of her. 

             
"Thank you, Mary.  Please tell Odessa I would like to see her."  Nicki thought it best to get Mary Douglas back downstairs away from Jared's rising wrath.

    
             
"Oh, I canna do that, lassie.  Odessa 'ad tae be back 'ome before yer da found 'er missin'.  She said goodbye and tae eat yer soup sae ye can grow strong."

    
             
Nicollette stared at Mary Douglas, before meeting Jared’s frozen look.

    
             
"I have business in the city, Mary Douglas.  Don't let her out of yer sight.  I want her here when I get back.  Nicollette, if ye're smart ye'll stay put," he snarled, and stalked through the door.

    
             
Nicollette aimed her bowl of soup at Jared’s head.  Mary Douglas quickly rescued the container, lifting it from Nicki's hands.

    
             
"Nay, lassie, dinna throw soup at the master," Mary Douglas chastised.   "Betta ye do wi' it what 'tis intended fer.  Ye're betta nourished wi' it in ye than spattered against the wall."

    
             
"I wasn't aiming at the wall, Mary Douglas.  I wanted to see if I could crack his thick, arrogant skull!" Nicollette fumed.  "I hate him! The self-important, vile toad!"

    
             
"I willa noot listen tae ye defile the master, lassie.  'E's a good lad and ye shouldna say those things aboot 'im."

    
             
"Well, maybe you won't feel so loyal to him when you find out he's run away and left you all here to face the music alone," Nicollette snapped, still irritated.

             
"What d' ye mean, lassie?"

    
             
"Odessa will tell my father where I am, Mary Douglas, and he'll be coming after me.  Why don't you just help me to get home before that happens."

   
             
"Och that willa noot 'appen, lassie," Mary Douglas informed her.   "The ebony lady willa noot tell.  She kenned all aboot it long before now."

    
             
"S-she already knew before she came here?"

             
Mary Douglas nodded.  "Aye, lassie.  She kenned."

    
             
Nicollette swung her legs over the side of the bed.  Im
mediately, a sickening nausea overcame her.   The room spun around her, pulling the contents of her stomach up, and she retched.

    
             
Mary Douglas rushed to her side.  "Lassie! Ye shouldna be gettin' up.  Ye be too weak.  Mayhap ye betta lie back down."

    
             
Nicollette didn't argue.  She eased herself back in bed.  Mary Douglas placed a cool linen cloth on her forehead that she'd dampened from the water in the washbowl.

             
"'Ere ye feelin' betta now?"

    
             
"Yes, Mary.  Thank you.  I don't know what came over me.  I felt very ill suddenly.  I think I will lie here and be quiet.  You needn't fear.  I'm too tired to try to leave again."