“Don’t play games with me, Jace. I’ll admit I want Leigh, but only because she’s a special woman. I’ve changed since that trouble with Joanna. Leigh wants this trip; I want to give it to her. Name your price.”
Something still wasn’t quite right, Jace concluded. “Don’t take me for a fool, Chad. You have a mistress on this trip, remember?”
The two men knew a lot about each other. It was almost as if they had slipped back briefly into their old days together.
Chad took the only path he saw out of his tangled territory, to pretend he’d been unmasked and was being honest and desperate. “Only because the plans were made before Leigh caught my eye. I couldn’t change them without making her nervous. She’s a lady, so she wouldn’t have come here alone with me, guardian or not. She’s different, so I have to move slowly and carefully with her.” He fused his gaze to Jace’s and vowed, “I’m confident enough to make a wager with you. I’ll double your salary if Leigh isn’t mine before this trip is over. She’ll marry me the day we return to London.” He chuckled and coaxed, “Come on, Jace, for old times’ sake. We don’t have to forgive each other or forget our past, but this will settle things between us. I’m not afraid to risk everything. Winner takes all: the money, Leigh, the pride of victory, final revenge, and Webster International.”
Jace took the fetching bait. “You always were a betting man, Chad, and one for taking crazy risks. I can recall times it got us into deep trouble, but we surely had fun getting out of it.” Jace felt uneasy at the good memories and feelings that statement evoked. “What makes you think Leigh would want either one of us? Besides, you can’t bet something you don’t own.”
Chad felt that he had Jace hooked on his deceitful line, so he held on tightly to reel him in. “Leigh will be good for me. I need her.”
Mirthful laughter spilled from Jace’s lips. “Why, because old man Webster left everything to her? You need to marry her to get it all back? I know the feeling of great loss too well, old friend.”
“What difference does it make to you why I want to marry her? You need money, and I have plenty.”
“Plenty of hers, for the time being.” Jace eyed him. “What happened to you in South Africa, Chad? That’s when you changed, not after Webster got a hold of you.”
“I grew up, Jace, but you’ve remained a sentimental, rough boy. I’m rich and powerful and well respected. I run one of the largest companies in England, maybe in the world. But you, you’re still scrounging to survive, and partly with my earnings. You play the big game hunter, but you’re scared when it comes to a real challenge. If not, you’d have exonerated yourself long ago. You’re stuck in this uncivilized jungle forever, and your name’s as black as night. So which one of us is smarter and braver, and better off? You a coward now?”
“This time I’ll win. My usual price is twenty-five thousand pounds for two months. If you win Leigh, you won’t owe me a single pence. If I win Leigh, you double it and owe me fifty thousand. Well, old friend, do we have a truce and a deal?” Jace asked, as calmly as if he were saying good morning to an acquaintance. He wasn’t afraid to make such a bet, as Chad could never win Leigh, not with the plan Jace had in mind …
Chadwick glued his gaze to Jace’s challenging one. All the old hatred and craving for revenge stormed his body. But, no matter what happened, he couldn’t lose. If anything did occur between Leigh and Jace, he could always go back to his original plot to kill them. “Agreed—victory to the man who wins Leigh Webster during the safari. As soon as payment is made, we swear to stay out of each other’s lives forever.”
“If we both fail, you still owe my twenty-five-thousand salary.”
“Agreed. Anything else?”
“Before we sign a contract, remind Leigh of her bet with me and make certain your ward will live up to her end of the bargain.”
“What wager did Leigh make with you?”
“You heard her moments ago. She betanythingshe was as good in the wilds as I am. I plan to collect on her bet and yours. She has to hire me and she has to wager something of value.”
“What if she refuses to bet with you?”
“Use your charms to convince her, or the deal’s off. Make it appear her wager is the reason I changed my mind. If she believes I’m agreeing to please her, it’ll remove the edge you already have with her. That’s only fair. I’ll get her answer tomorrow.” At the door, Jace turned and said, “By the way, happy birthday, old boy. Now, we’re the same age again.” Jace left by the back door to avoid Leigh.
A guileful grin broadened Chad’s mouth. Jace’s arrogant demand had given him a clever idea. He would make certain to leave enough space between their wagers and signatures to fill in one other term without Jace’s knowledge, one he could use against his old friend if this bargain soured …
Chapter Eight
“Ididn’t mean a real bet!” Leigh exclaimed. “Is the man crazy?”
“That’s how it sounded to us, Leigh,” Chad replied. “Are you afraid he was right about it being too hard on you?”
“What about Louisa and Cynthia?” Leigh reasoned in annoyance. “Nothing was mentioned about it being too hard on them.”
“They’ve been on hunting trips with me and Reid several times. It’ll be difficult for those spoiled beauties, but they’ll do fine; they always have. What about you, my Wild West ward? Do you have any frontier spirit? You seem confident, skilled, and determined to me. What will you prove by refusing to bend a little? We both know he’s being stubborn and demanding, but that’s how he is. Are you going to let Jace Elliott believe you’re a cowardly weakling? All you have to do is ask him to be our guide and bet him a thousand pounds you’ll win. What difference does it make, Leigh? I’ll furnish the money, and help you succeed. What have you got to lose but a wonderful safari?”
At her pensive silence, Chad continued. “Besides, this will give you the opportunity to get to know Jace, and us the chance to observe him. We need to discover if he’s aware of that strange codicil to William’s will, and if he knows the reason behind it.”
“Is that why you proceeded with the safari Grandfather planned?”
Chad looked surprised. “No, Jim Hanes was hired as our guide, and I assumed we wouldn’t even run into Jace. This is a big territory. Jace just happened to be in town when I needed a replacement, so it seemed a cunning idea to solve two problems with one task. Think about it, Leigh, and don’t refuse too quickly. A safari and answers.”
Leigh strolled to the balcony door and gazed outside. She knew why Jace was not at his plantation; that night, in the garden at Lord Salisbury’s, she had told him about this safari. She needed facts about Jace and Chad, so she hinted evocatively, “What if Jace paid Jim Hanes to fake an injury so you’d turn to him for help? What if he knows about the will and is luring us into the jungle to get us at his mercy? That may sound crazy, but half of Grandfather’s estate is still enormous.”
Chad had to dispel her mistrust of Jace, as Jace was a threat only to him. Chad knew his ex-friend was not a criminal and would never harm Leigh, even if she was a Webster. For his scheme to work, he had to dupe and control both of them. “If Jace wanted to harm you, Leigh, he could have done so on the waterfront or before he fled England. While nosing around, he probably learned about our safari and rushed home to chase the beautiful woman he had rescued earlier. He has to be intrigued and charmed by you. If he’s tricking us, it’s only to embarrass me in the wilds. Now that I’ve seen and talked with him again, I can’t imagine Jace harming you for any reason. I just don’t want him learning of that codicil and thinking William was making requital. That could lead to trouble.”