Page 57 of Hidden Fires

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No one had a rejoinder to that, so silence descended again.

“I would love a game of bridge. Would anyone else be interested?” Olivia’s green eyes sparkled, and she looked younger and gayer than Lauren had ever seen her. She must have stopped the heart of many a New Orleans blade when she turned on the charm.

“That would be wonderful. Lauren, would you be my partner?” Kurt walked over to her and extended his beefy hand. Loath to touch it, Lauren shrank from him. And when had he started calling her by her first name?

With a broad yawn, Carson said, “Go ahead, Lauren. Olivia will play with Parker. I dislike bridge mysel

f.” He walked toward the door, saying over his shoulder, “I’m going into the library for a nap. Wake me when the game is over.”

Lauren looked helplessly toward Jared as he stormed out of the room without speaking to anyone.

Olivia smiled to herself. She hated to admit to a flash of concern when Lauren had mentioned their “outing.” Surely Jared was smart enough not to get involved with the chit any more than necessary. But if he wasn’t, Olivia planned to make such an involvement difficult, if not entirely impossible.

They gathered around the game table in the corner of the room and the rubber was soon started. Lauren was able to go through the motions without concentrating too hard. Her mind was on Jared and his whereabouts. She didn’t think he had left the house. What was he doing?

The rubber went on for hours. Carson eventually joined them and, diplomatically, cheered first one team and then the other.

When Rosa announced a cold buffet had been laid out in the dining room, everyone protested but strolled into the room and began filling their plates with leftover turkey, salad, and relishes. Olivia asked Rosa to fetch Jared.

They moved back into the parlor toting their plates. Lauren sat on one of the small couches in the shadows of the room. Realizing her mistake too late to move, she saw Kurt striding over to her.

“You didn’t get much to eat, Lauren,” he said as he sat close beside her.

She murmured, “I’m not very hungry.” His looming closeness would have taken away any appetite she might have had.

“You didn’t get any of the pickled peppers. Here, try one.” He lifted one of the peppers from his plate and offered it to her.

She remembered vividly the first night she spent in Coronado and the innocent-looking tomatoes garnishing the beans. “No, thank you. I don’t like them.” She shook her head.

“This isn’t one of the hot variety. It’s very mild. Look.” He bit into the pepper and chewed it slowly and deliberately to show her that he suffered no ill effects. “Come on, Lauren.”

Hoping he would go away if she complied, she leaned forward and took a tiny bite between her teeth. She sat up and pulled away from him as he smiled down at her.

When she looked away from that victorious smile, she saw Jared standing under the portiere watching them.

His fists were clenched at his sides, the muscles of his jaw working furiously. His eyes held a demonic gleam as he took in the scene. She realized how intimate she and Kurt must look to him, sitting together on a couch in the shadows.

“Jared.” Her voice was a strangled whisper.

Kurt whipped his head around, following her gaze. He spotted Jared and noted his fury. Turning back to Lauren, he chucked her under the chin playfully. “See, it didn’t hurt a bit.”

She practically pushed him from her as she stood and hurriedly followed Jared, who had spun on his heels and stalked out of the room.

She caught up with him in the hall and reached out a hand to restrain him. “Jared.” She cleared her throat. “Jared, I—”

“Shut up!” he barked at her and jerked his arm away. His face was contorted with rage. She wanted to shout at him, plead with him, and strike him all at the same time. Anything to erase the angry, accusing look on his face.

Rosa was cowering against the wall wishing she could escape unseen. Lauren saw her and, knowing that conciliation was hopeless, went to her. “Rosa, I’m going up to my room. I have a headache. Would you please extend my apologies to our guests?”

“Sí, señora,” Rosa whispered, hoping that Jared wouldn’t say anything.

He didn’t, but only glared at his wife as she retreated.

* * *

Jared lit another cigar and fanned out the match as he stood at the window of his upstairs room. He watched Lauren as she walked slowly along the fence that encircled the front yard. Wasn’t she cold out there? Yes, she was, he concluded when he saw her shiver slightly. What in hell was she doing walking around in the front yard in the middle of the night?

The Vandivers had finally departed. It had taken every ounce of self-control Jared possessed not to kill Kurt Vandiver with his bare hands. He didn’t remember ever being so consumed with anger and hatred just at the mere sight of a person.


Tags: Sandra Brown Historical