Savage Deception (Liberty's Ladies) (4 page)

“Let me tell you then, my dear. He’d have left you lying on the ground like a whore. You’re too innocent to realize what he intended for you. Believe me when I tell you that he can only hate the Sheridans. You’re going to be a Sheridan so he hates you. He hates you, Diana. Remember that.”

She was shaking so badly that she had to sit down. Kingsley stood before her with clenched fists. Could what he have told her be true? Was she so inexperienced that she’d mistaken Tanner’s words, his actions, for love? She’d felt so wonderful when he kissed her and touched her. How could he have meant to use her or have his way with her like Anne and Kingsley said? Nothing he’d done to her had hurt her. But then she remembered the hate on his face, and she knew now that Kingsley must be telling the truth. She was going to be a Sheridan, and if Tanner hated his family so much, then Tanner might seek to harm them through her. And she’d been such an easy prey, so very easy that she felt ill to imagine Tanner chuckling over her body’s betrayal in his arms.

“I don’t feel very well,” she told Kingsley. “I want to retire.” Kingsley took her hand and led her upstairs. He kissed her on the cheek before leaving her at her door.

~ ~ ~

“Tanner’s going to pay for this, Father. I swear he will.”

Harlan Sheridan watched as his son grabbed for a whip, the long black tail coiling on the floor like a menacing swamp viper. The older man held up his hands to prevent Kingsley from storming out the library door. “Don’t act hastily,” Harlan advised. “Tanner is a fine overseer. I don’t relish him lying abed for days during harvest time. We need all the slaves now, and especially Tanner. You know they don’t listen to anyone but him.”

“That’s because you’re weak, old man!” Kingsley hissed from between his teeth. He threw out the whip and grinned at the high, whining sound it made. “But I bet they’ll listen to me.”

Harlan was tempted to berate his son for this pitiful display of manhood. Sometimes he wondered from whom Kingsley had inherited such a mean streak. Celeste, his dear wife and Kingsley’s mother, had been such a gentle, doe-like person. She could never have harmed a soul. And he, well, he didn’t like violence of any kind. Perhaps that was why he was so pleased with Tanner. Tanner had the ability to make the slaves work with little complaining because all of them stood in awe of him. They worked hard to please Tanner, not Harlan Sheridan, and certainly not Kingsley. In many ways Tanner was master of Briarhaven. Now, however, Kingsley planned to punish Tanner for forcing his attentions upon Diana.

Most certainly, Harlan agreed that Tanner should be punished. He should have known better than to lay a hand upon Kingsley’s fiancée. The thought never crossed Harlan’s mind that Diana might have welcomed Tanner’s touch. But no matter what had transpired between Tanner and Diana, Tanner didn’t deserve to be whipped.

“I’m certain I can decide on another course of punishment,” Harlan assured his son. “You just forget the whole thing. Your wedding is two days away, and you can’t waste your time on disciplining an overseer.”

Kingsley reared back on his boot heels. “Oh, can’t I? You’d like that, Father. I know what sort of punishment you’d dream up for Tanner, something short and brief like a severe dressing down, followed by a friendly pat on the back. I know you think Tanner is worth his weight in gold. I wonder sometimes if you regret not legally claiming your bastard so he can own and run Briarhaven one day. Certainly you’ve never had any confidence that I could do the job.”

“That isn’t true, Kingsley.” But it was, and Harlan knew Kingsley didn’t believe him. “You’re my heir.”

“Then stop giving preferential treatment to Tanner.
I’m
your legitimate son, not that squaw’s bastard.”

“But Tanner is an efficient overseer. I don’t want him harmed physically and I don’t want him run off.” Harlan sat in the chair behind his large, satinwood desk. He suddenly felt very tired arguing with Kingsley, who was not one to let an issue die.

Leaning forward, the palms of both hands bracing the edge of the desk, Kingsley impaled his father with a look of pure disdain. “In that case, I believe that Diana and I shall have to reside in Charlestown. You can keep Briarhaven and your beloved Tanner. I won’t live where I am not master in my own home.”

“You don’t mean that, son.”

“I do. Try stopping me from punishing Tanner and see if I don’t mean to leave. You may not care that your bastard son, an overseer who is little better than a slave, pawed your future daughter-in-law. But I warrant that our guests might not look so kindly upon the situation. Some of them have young, pretty daughters and wives,” Kingsley reminded Harlan, “and there’s nothing a man hates more than to have one of his women fondled by a half-breed. Many of the men recall the difficult times some years ago when the Cherokees rose up and butchered some of the people around here.” Kingsley smirked, seeing the troubled frown on his father’s face. “And some men might not be too forgiving of Tanner for touching Diana. After all, he is part Cherokee and they might enjoy taking some of their vengeance out on him.”

“You’d actually like your brother to hang, wouldn’t you?”

Kingsley shrugged. “Tanner means more to you than he does to me. Now, Father, what is it to be?”

Harlan was defeated and he knew it. He’d wanted to protect Tanner in the best way he could. From the day the boy was born he’d looked after him and Naomi. He’d provided them with shelter and food, training Tanner for the job of overseer. He’d even had the boy tutored with Kingsley, much to Celeste’s chagrin. The boy had never disappointed him, though Harlan guessed he had disappointed the boy many times. But Tanner had never asked him for anything. Now, however, Tanner was a grown man and he wanted Kingsley’s fiancée. Diana was something Tanner could never have, and he should be able to see that. Yet lust had very little to do with the eyes, as Harlan well knew.

Truly, he didn’t want Tanner harmed by the hatred of the neighbors, a hatred he knew Kingsley could incite to his advantage. That would only result in Tanner’s death. There was but one alternative.

“Get that ugly smirk off of your face,” Harlan demanded. “I give you my permission to punish Tanner, but I warn you that if Tanner is maimed or killed, I shall find a way to make your life a hell.”

“My life is already a hell because of Tanner.” Kingsley went to the door, clutching the whip in his hand. “After tonight, I can start living.”

Harlan involuntarily jumped when Kingsley slammed the door. He felt like a coward, but he’d had to choose between his two sons. For the first time since his dear Celeste’s death, he laid his head upon his desk and cried.

~ ~ ~

For the rest of Tanner’s life he’d remember the shriek of the whip hissing through the air. As he lay on his stomach on the tiny cot in his room, and the hot summer breeze wafted over him, he thought he had died and gone to hell. His flesh burned and stung, bringing tears to his eyes. But he hadn’t cried and wouldn’t do so now, though he knew Kingsley had wanted him to cry out. Why else would Kingsley have personally lashed him after ordering two strong male slaves to tie him to a tree by the slave quarters? Tanner could still hear Kingsley’s raised voice, “Cry out, you bastard! Beg me for mercy!”

What a spectacle he’d been. Trussed up and whipped for Kingsley Sheridan’s amusement. Then, when he’d been near to fainting from the pain, Tanner had heard Kingsley laugh. “Here’s your great overseer!” Kingsley had shouted to the gathered slaves. “Now you all know who is master of Briarhaven.”

“I’m mas … ter,” Tanner slurred aloud, vaguely aware that his mother was there to smooth ointment onto the ugly red welts on his back until he cried out with pain.

“Forgive me, Mariah,” Naomi sobbed, referring to him by his Indian name. “I don’t mean to hurt you.”

After that he remembered nothing.

~ ~ ~

Would Tanner send a message to her? Would she see him again before she married Kingsley tomorrow? Diana wanted to see him and ask him if what Kingsley had told her was true. Had he only wanted her to ease his hatred of Kingsley?

Lying in her bed, she didn’t know what to think. Her memory of Tanner and the moment they’d shared almost convinced her that Kingsley was wrong. Tanner must have felt something special for her, he must love her. He had told her he loved her. But why hadn’t he come to her?

“Oh, Tanner, if you don’t come before the wedding tomorrow I shall know that you don’t love me,” she whispered into the dark night, a sob welling in her throat. “And I shall hate you for the rest of my life.”

~ ~ ~

“She hates you, Tanner. Diana hates you with all her heart. She was disgusted by your touch. She said you tried to rape her and hopes never to lay eyes upon you again, so when you’re able to travel, you will leave Briarhaven.” Kingsley stood above Tanner, more than a bit startled when Tanner, whom Kingsley thought was unable to move, lifted his head off the pillow to cast him a malevolent grin.

“I don’t recall her complaining too much. She liked what I did to her. Maybe, Kingsley, you should wonder about your innocent fiancée’s virtue. Did I take it, or did someone else before me?”

“You arrogant whelp!” Kingsley raised his whip and would have struck Tanner had not Harlan entered the room at that moment.

“Touch him again and I’ll send you packing!” Harlan’s usually calm voice boomed. “Now get out of here, Kingsley, and prepare for your wedding. You’ve wasted enough time and energy here.”

“I’m finished here anyway.” Striding to the door, Kingsley laughed. “Such a touching picture of father and son that my heart bleeds. But remember, dear brother, I’m marrying Diana. Think about her in my bed tonight and all of the nights when you’re far away from Briarhaven.” Seeing Tanner wince, Kingsley chuckled anew and went out into the bright sunshine of his wedding day.

Harlan sat on a small bench beside Tanner’s bed. “I apologize for my son.”

“Yes, you should apologize for him. He is a clod and an arrogant fool who shall make Diana’s life a hell, but she’s not my concern any longer. I’m leaving Briarhaven today.”

To Harlan’s surprise, Tanner slowly began to sit up. Harlan reached out to help him, but Tanner withdrew and practically growled at him. “I don’t need your help!”

“I see that you don’t,” Harlan admitted with a hint of a smile. “You never did.”

“And that amuses you?”

“I don’t find it amusing, but I do respect you. You’re able to stand on your own two feet and take life’s punches, whereas Kingsley is weak like me. He would never have survived what you have.”

“I doubt I’ll survive it now.” Tanner rose on unsteady feet, grimacing with the hot pain that flowed across his back. “I’m leaving Briarhaven today. Please look after my mother for me.”

For a second Harlan appeared disappointed, then he said, “I promise you that Naomi will be well cared for. Where are you going, Tanner?”

“Away. I don’t know where and I don’t care.”

“Under the circumstances, this is the best thing for everybody. Do you need any money?”

“Nothing from you, sir.”

Standing up, Harlan peered sadly at his older son. “You’ve never called me Father, always sir or Master Harlan, but never Father. I should like to hear you say it just once, Tanner.”

Tanner swung around to face him, oblivious of the wracking pain caused by such a violent movement. “And I wanted you to call me Son, but you never did. Not even when I was a child and sick with fever, almost dying, did you call me anything but Tanner or boy. I’ve been nothing to you but a piece of handiwork, spawned on a cold winter’s night on an ignorant Indian girl who was so besotted with you and your great wealth that she abandoned her people for you. I’m a disgrace to you, but you’re such an ‘honorable’ bastard that you can’t admit it. Tell me I’m wrong. Prove to me I’m wrong. Call me Son so I can call you Father.”

Harlan’s mouth dried up. He opened it to speak, but long years of denying Tanner’s claim to the Sheridan name had forced him to behave in a certain fashion. For twenty-six years he’d pictured himself as the benevolent but distant father figure who was assured of his bastard son’s affections. Now he realized that Tanner’s respectfulness toward him didn’t come from love but from a wound more angry and deep than the ones Kingsley had inflicted. Worst of all, he’d allowed Kingsley to hurt him. Harlan felt that he should be able to say to Tanner, “Yes, you are my son,” but he couldn’t do it. Not now, not after all of these years, not after what he had let Kingsley do to Tanner. He felt Tanner would be unable to forgive him, and he couldn’t bear the brunt of Tanner’s hate. What if he acknowledged him as his son and Tanner wouldn’t call him Father?

Clearing his throat, Harlan moved to the doorway. “I have to dress for the wedding. My thoughts and good will go with you.”

Then he was gone, and Tanner was left standing in the middle of the tiny room until his mother reappeared. “Did you say your farewells to your father, Mariah?”

“I said farewell to Master Harlan, Mother,” he snapped, his face ashen.

“You’re unwell, Tanner,” Naomi gently chided and placed a thin hand on his arm. “Rest. You can’t leave today.”

Tanner felt awful, worse than he’d ever felt in his entire life, but he was going away today and no one was going to stop him. Looking at his frail mother, he saw she resembled a tiny doll with large, black eyes. Delicate high cheekbones stood out starkly on a face that was much too thin and lined with years of worry. He gently touched the raven black braid, neatly plaited, that lay across her shoulder, then hugged her. “I must go. You see how things are.”