Chapter 18 #3
“Thank you, Prue. You’ve prepared us a fine wedding supper,” he said. “But I think my bride and I would like to be alone—”
“Oh, my, I’m sorry,” the cook interjected, glancing at Susanna with embarrassment. “Here I am, talking on and on. Of course you two want to be alone, it being your wedding night and all. Have a good evening, then.”
As Adam closed the door after Prue and drew the bolt, Susanna tried not to panic, reasoning that he must share her room, and her bed, for the sake of appearances. It also made sense that they would retire early, which would give the servants the impression of conjugal bliss.
Actually, she doubted she had anything to worry about.
Adam had made no move to touch her or even to come near her all day except when other people were about, which there certainly weren’t now.
Maybe he would sleep on the divan to avoid coming into contact with her.
She felt much calmer now that she had thought through the situation.
Yet that didn’t stop her heart from leaping in her breast when he met her eyes, his handsome features set inscrutably.
“Very good, Camille. That’s exactly how I want you to act from now on around the servants and everyone else, for that matter. No different than you did before I discovered the truth about you. That shouldn’t be too difficult, considering your remarkable gift for deception.”
Susanna bristled at his mocking tone. “You seem to have deceived everyone at Briarwood as well, Adam, beginning long before I arrived here. Why, even poor Mr. Cary didn’t guess what a mercenary bastard you really are—”
“That’s another thing you’re going to stop,” he said sharply, walking toward her. “In light of your upbringing, I’m not surprised you also have a gift for cursing, but you’ll do well to sweeten your language from this moment on. A lady doesn’t spout oaths like a common guttersnipe. Do you hear me?”
Determined to vent her anger, Susanna ignored what he had just said, despite his uncomfortable closeness. If he insisted she had become an impostor out of greed, then she could bloody well express her interpretation of his actions!
“I saw many of Mr. Cary’s letters to Camille, Adam.
I heard him speak of you the last time he came to England.
I think you purposely worked your way into his good graces, leading him to believe you were industrious and trustworthy while the whole time you couldn’t wait to possess his daughter and his plantation!
You seem to believe that I’m capable of murder.
How do I know that you didn’t murder Mr. Cary to win what you so coveted? ”
He stopped within arm’s reach of her, his stunned expression hardening into one of restrained rage.
“It’s amazing how close you’ve come to the mark, my love, but you need to be told the truth. It wasn’t me who murdered James Cary for the reasons you describe, but the man you would have married, Dominick Spencer.”
“What are you talking about—” She gasped, her eyes widening in fright as Adam suddenly grabbed her shoulders and shook her hard.
“No,” he said harshly, his furious gaze burning into hers.
“You just listen. Dominick knew James Cary would never allow him to court his daughter so he rid himself of the man, very cleverly staging a hunting accident only one day after he came here to Briarwood to harass James again about the matter. They had a violent argument out in the fields—and if you don’t believe me, ask Josiah Skinner.
We both saw and heard it. James had no intention of letting Dominick near his daughter, and do you know why? ”
Susanna shook her head, in complete shock over what he was telling her.
“Because he believed me when I told him that Dominick was a monster, a cold-blooded killer. I was never going to reveal any of this to you for fear of hurting you, but in light of the circumstances I don’t see any reason not to now.
After what you did to me, you deserve to know that I’m not the only one who has been manipulated, and why. Then you tell me how it feels.”
Wondering wildly at his cryptic words, Susanna struggled to no avail against his cruel grasp as his voice fell almost to a whisper.
“Let me tell you about your precious Dominick, the charming, well-respected gentleman you wanted so badly to wed. I’ve seen him whip slaves to death without blinking an eye, his face flushed from the pleasure of it.
As a punishment to those who disobeyed him, I’ve seen him use curry combs to scrape away flesh and then add salt to the wounds.
And with equal relish, he’s cut off the hands and feet of slaves who dared to run away and slashed out the tongues of men, women, and children foolish enough to mumble resistance. ”
“No,” she breathed in horrified disbelief. He rushed on, his eyes tormented in his remembering.