Page 66 of Master of Paradise
"I see. Thanks Sam." Nicholas sat on longafter Samuel retired for the night. He had a decision to make, andhe didn't want to make it for the wrong reasons.Amanda couldeasily get swept up in this voodoo thing. It holds a certainforbidden fascination, and she is vulnerable to its allure.Heknew he must stop it before she became involved; nip it in the bed,so to speak. But the enigma was how to go about it? He couldconfront her of course. Forbid her to associate with the slavesfrom the cabins, force her to stay indoors at night. She would doher deliberate best to thwart such a ban, but in the end his wordwould be law.
He knew he could prohibit the practicealtogether, make it taboo, but that would breed resentment againsthim, because Bernard Jackson had allowed it, and he too had closedhis eyes to it until now.
Nicholas lit another cheroot and leaned backto contemplate the different avenues that were open to him.Onething is certain. I don't want Amanda flirting with voodoo.She needs something in its place. Something that will catch andhold her imagination.Amanda needs freedom. She hates tofeel trapped. I know to my cost she can be headstrong andwillful.
Nicholas was haunted by her beauty andadmired her spirit that accepted any daring challenge, but thoughhe had been tolerant of her antics up to now, this voodoo thingmade him realize he must gain more control over her.She needssomething to occupy her quick mind, capture her imagination, andhold her interest. She may not be old enough to be a wife, but sheis old enough for a romance,he decided.
Nicholas had no designs to take asixteen-year-old to his bed, but on the other hand he had nointention of waiting two years for her either.Amanda is mywife, and I will decide when this marriage will be consummated, allagreements with her father to the contrary.
The more he thought of it, the more he becameconvinced that Amanda needed a romantic interlude to fill all herwaking and sleeping hours. He was also wise enough to realize thatif there was an element of secrecy about it, it would hold anirresistible appeal for Mandy.
The following evening, when dinner was over,and twilight floated into darkness, Nicholas went out into thegardens. He slipped into the gazebo that stood at the far end ofthe rose garden. Anyone walking to the Jackson Plantation fromParadise would have to pass this way. The summer house had anornately carved railing above which were screens. Two sides of thesix-sided gazebo were open lattices. It held comfortable wickerchairs, a hammock, and hanging baskets of profusely bloomingflowers.
Nicholas stood in the shadows and waited, notknowing if he wished her to come. He could hear the drumbeat, andit beckoned. It had a strange, pulsing quality that he could almostfeel in his blood. He did not realize how tense he was until he sawher coming, then the tension miraculously left him. It was as if hehad been waiting for this moment all his life.
Amanda moved slowly through the rose garden,the warm evening breeze ruffling her pale green lawn dress abouther ankles as she came lightly down the path toward him. He waiteduntil she passed the summer house without sensing his presence,then called to her softly. "Amanda..."
She turned quickly, with a fleeting look ofsurprise... guilt... fear? It was gone in a heartbeat, so he couldnot be sure.I'm not here to question her, only diverther.
"How lovely to meet you in the garden."
His voice was warm and deep, and heldsomething intangible that intrigued her. She was indeed diverted,forgetting her destination the moment Nicholas was near. "My headis filled with the scent of roses. We have the most beautifulgarden that could ever be," she said dreamily.
"Shall we enjoy it together?" He stepped fromthe shadows of the gazebo.
They walked side by side along the pebbledpath that led past the labyrinth of the maze, and the moon played agame of hide and seek, coming from behind a cloud and touchingeverything with gold dust.
"At night the garden has a different beauty.It has a mystical aura like an imaginary place from a book, andbecause of the darkness, the heady scents are intensified."
He stopped and looked down at her. "It is amost romantic place."
Amanda caught her breath, and she knew herpulses quickened at his words.
He moved on slowly and her steps matched his,in tune with all he was saying and feeling. As they walked towardthe reflecting lake, Nicholas reached out to capture her hand inhis. Her delicate fingers curled intimately into his large, bronzedhand, and she could hear her heartbeat pounding in her ears.
"You like things to be mysterious andenchanting, don't you?" he mused softly. "You like to blur the hardedges of reality and escape into a fantasy every once in awhile."
She gazed up at him, wondering how he alwaysguessed her innermost secrets.
He led her onto the ornamental bridge andthey leaned there, hand in hand, in the scented moonlight anddreamed silently for long moments. He looked down at her upturnedface that held the age-old allure of woman since time began. "Youmay not be old enough for marriage, but I think you are ready to bewooed," he said low. His thumb brushed the pulse in her wrist andhe felt it race madly at his words.
The water reflected the towering cypress andmoss-draped oaks around its edge, as well as the bridge and the manand girl who stood so close upon it. She shivered at his closenessand laughed. "A water sprite just went under the bridge."
He whispered, "I refuse to believe it'sfairy-haunted. I know why you shivered." Though it was dark, heknew she blushed. "Come," he said, and she followed.
In and out of the moonlight and shadows theywalked down their own driveway, where the trees arched theirbranches to form a cathedral of dark green to guard theirsecrets.
As they skirted the house, the flower bedsoffered up their various perfumes to the hot night air. The spicyfragrance of the pinks mingled with the heady scent of the nicotineplants, and night-blooming stocks. "It evokes comparison with theGarden of Eden. It must have been similar to this. A paradise forthe two who loved there," he murmured.
"Shall I be Eve?" she whispered.
"You shall," he affirmed, and brought hersmall hand to his lips. Each finger received his kiss, and she wasenthralled with the pretty gesture. Their feet sank deeply into thecushiony green turf of the lawn that stretched down to the river.The water looked smooth as shadowed silk, and gave off a murmuringsong that was soothing to the senses.
The insistent drumbeat had stopped, yetNicholas's blood ran through his veins like rich red wine, and heknew he must curb his rampant male desire so that he would notfrighten his young wife.
"Whenever I feel unhappy, the sound of thewater always calms my troubles."
"Do you see this little path between thelaurel bushes? I think we should put a garden seat in that alcoveand call it a tranquility area."
