Harnessed Passions Page 5

  "I have little trouble with anything other than the saddle," Julia replied, surprised at how calm and even her voice sounded. "I've been told my form is top rank though."

  "I couldn't agree more. I noticed your form immediately," he said with a lopsided grin, and then added softly, "You're not a bad equestrian, either." Julia's delicate face turned a deep maroon as she stepped past him, brushing his arm slightly on her way. She felt a bolt of electricity shoot through her and found herself fighting the urge to touch him again - just to see if the shock had been real, she assured herself.

  "If your wit were as sharp as your tongue, you'd be in possession of a very deadly weapon," she snarled, forcing herself to sound irritated as she turned her attention back to her horse.

  "I apologize; Miss…” he paused, hoping she was anyone besides Julia Turner.

  “Turner,” she assured him with an arrogant tilt to her chin. “My father owns this land.” He wasn’t sure if he was shocked or aroused; he would be spending a great deal of time with this young woman in the next few weeks and was suddenly thrilled at the prospect.

  “Well, Miss Turner, as I was saying, I'm quite certain I'm not the first man to admire your beauty."

  "You seem to have me at a disadvantage sir," she informed him as she tossed the hay to the floor of the stall, desperately trying to ignore his unnerving comments. "You know who I am, but you've yet to introduce yourself."

  "My apologies again, Little Princess," he bowed slightly; the ponytail he had tied behind him fell to the front of his neck. "I am Daniel Browning, your father's legal advisor."

  "Ah yes, my father told me you'd be stopping by today. It must have slipped my mind; but than most trivial things usually do." She inspected him from head to toe as though it were the first time she had done so. "You're much younger than I expected, Mr. Browning. Aren't lawyers supposed to be sixty and bald?"

  "You're not quite what I expected, either," he replied in turn, inspecting her with a wicked gleam in his turquoise eyes. He wasn’t about to let her off with that kind of remark and not have a little fun in return. "I thought all nannies were old and scrawny with warts on their chins. I'm not sure of the age, but I am sure you're far from being scrawny and I see no warts a ’tall."

  "You’re thinking of witches and I'm twenty-two, not that it’s any concern of your business. But you are quite right, I'm not scrawny, nor am I a nanny. I've merely been helping my aunt and uncle by taking care of their children. Or at least I used to," she added, quickly evaluating her present circumstances.

  "My apologies yet again," he said with another half bow. Julia was certain he was mocking her, yet he was so handsome she couldn't seem to find the right words to put him down as she walked around him.

  The blue eyes bore warm sensual holes into her, forcing her to quicken her retreat out of the stables. She stopped the young stable boy near the entrance of the barn and instructed him to finish Biscuit then headed toward the house, Daniel in her stead.

  "Perhaps you could teach me how to ride, sometime? I'm not very good," he lied, feeling a sudden tightening in his breeches as he easily caught up to her, walking beside her on the path. "In exchange for the lessons, I'll be happy to teach you a thing or two."

  "There is nothing you can teach me Mr. Browning, which I care to learn. Besides, I thought you were here at my father's request? Shouldn't you be advising him or something?"

  "Your father is resting, so your mother suggested I come out here and introduce myself. We will be working very closely together, for a while at least, and the name is Daniel. Mr. Browning sounds too formal for my taste."

  "Well Mr. Browning, I don't need any advice and I don't need you to teach me anything. I have no intention on staying around here beyond October. By then my younger brother will be able to assume the duties of the stables and I will return to Boston, hopefully in time to salvage the remains of my social life." She walked through the back door and into the spacious kitchen beyond with Daniel nipping at her heels like a faithful puppy.

  "I wouldn't be so quick in assuming Jeremy's going to want your father's business. Victor has after all, asked you to step in for him. Your brother may feel left out." Julia stopped and rounded on him, hands on her hips as she stared into the blue eyes that actually seemed to be laughing at her.

  "It's obvious you've never met Jeremy. Otherwise, you would know he's not the sort of person to hold grudges, and I would thank you to stay out of my family affairs, Mr. Browning. Your position here is professional, not personal."

  "Quick tempered," he commented, unaffected by her sudden mood swing from indifference to complete irritation all within the span of ten seconds. "Your father warned me, you had a hot head. Temper quick as a whip and bite as deadly as a scorpion, I believe he said. Now I see what he meant. Your father contributes your mother's Italian blood as the culprit, yet your mother insists your father's Irish heritage is to blame. What do you think causes it?"

  "How about nosy lawyers?" she snapped softly, smiling so sweet it was almost nauseating. "Tell me Mr. Browning, what nationality flows through your veins? I detect the accent, though I am not very versed on such a disability." That should put him in his place, she thought with a smug smile.

  "I am from England, though many women find my accent attractive, even erotic.” He laughed when her expression turned a shade of pink, choosing to ignore it. “My mother was also Italian and my British. I suppose that's why I like lasagna and crumpets so much."

  "I'm hot and sweaty," she snorted, passing off the seductive wink he supplied her with as she turned her back to him. "If you'll excuse me, I'm in need of a cool bath," or a very cold one, she added silently. "I'm sure Mrs. Lester can scrounge you up some spaghetti and snails, or whatever it is you people eat." She glanced over at the elderly woman, whose rough stocky exterior gave no hint to her truly gentle nature.

  "I'm not much on insects and I thought spaghetti was a Chinese invention not Italian?" his wink at Mrs. Lester made the older woman chuckle. She quickly cleared her throat to hide her amusement and continued with preparing the evening meal.

  "As for your bath Little Princess," he called after her as Julia walked down the hall to the back stairs. "I'm an excellent back scrubber and I come with references."

  "I have no doubt of that, but I'd rather bathe with lye. I think it's a bit safer." Julia smiled to herself, climbing the stairs to the top floor.

  Daniel remained in the kitchen; his hearty full laughter lingered with her as she closed her bedroom door. She had to admit, the man was very handsome and extraordinarily sexy, even if he was forward and irritating. Two factors she often found undesirable and avoided at all costs. She had no time to get involved with anybody let alone her father's lawyer, she told herself, even though the thought of his hands massaging her back brought prickles to her aching long, so there was no sense in starting something she knew she'd never be capable of finishing. Boston was a long way from here and she was certain she would be back there before the year was up.

  Daniel stayed on through supper, retiring to the library at Victor's request for coffee and dessert. He and Julia remained quiet as they sat opposite each other in chairs beside the veranda, listening as Victor and Louise discussed the arrangements for his funeral and how Louise would conduct her life, once it was all over. They laughed about all the old boyfriends she would run into when she visited the East coast on her way to see her cousins in Europe, and how long she would have to wait until she remarried.

  Although Daniel knew it was merely a cover up, a way of hiding their grief and true feelings, he could see in Julia's face, the pain and confusion over her parents’ reaction. He watched her for several long minutes, hoping for a break in the conversation so he could change the subject and involve the woman in a more natural subject. When that didn't happen he was forced to remain silent and watch, like an outsider spying through the curtains on an unsuspecting scene.

  Julia's head ached from the conversation and she found her pare
nts' laughter, callous and barbaric. As the conversation continued she discovered her temper slipping and was forced to seek out the privacy of the warm evening in an attempt to retain her sanity. She stepped through the large glass doors and out onto the shaded porch beyond. The air was humid and the sky was clear with a temperature that seemed almost unbearable; but it wasn't enough to force Julia back inside. She inhaled the heated breeze, finding seclusion in a corner far enough away from the open doors so the laughter from inside couldn't be heard.

  She sat in a small settee, unbinding her hair from the braid she usually wore and shaking it loose. She removed her slippers and raised her feet to the small table in front of her. Her skirts rose slightly, revealing her slender ankles and calves as she adjusted her position and laid her head back against the cushions. She closed her eyes against the painful thoughts that had been ravaging her soul since she returned to Kentucky and tried desperately to clear her mind.

  Visions erupted all around her, death, pain, loneliness, compelling her to think of something else, anything except reality. She closed her eyes tighter, recalling the images of her life in Boston, beckoning them to dance behind her closed lids. She smiled as she thought of her extraordinary, lively existence waiting for her back in New England.

  Her life with her mother's youngest sister and brother-in-law was far from conventional. She had a lavish room, an extravagant allowance for caring for their three children and freedom to shop and lunch with her friends as often as she wished. She met many new and interesting people since her uncle was the Mayor of Boston and entertaining was upmost on her own list of priorities. She loved to dance, and flirting with all the young men was a favorite pastime. She had many suitors, though none were the type that stole her breath as she had always dreamed. She and Heather would sit and talk for hours about the lovers they planned on having; romantic, chivalrous, passionate and endearing. What more could a woman want?

  The smile that crossed over her delicate features was honest and unrestrained as she thought of how easily she fit in with the lifestyle of Boston. Nobody knew she had come from a horse farm in Kentucky. Although her father's stables were anything but common, she still felt simple and plain. She hated anyone to know she lived on a farm with horses; it made her feel so mediocre.

  Julia's smile was soon replaced, much like her present circumstances, by a shadow of reality. She thought of how distressing her life at present was and what it was that chased her from Kentucky in the first place. If it hadn’t been for Heather’s death, she may never have left here five years ago; but it was because of that horrible day that she decided to leave and never look back. As a result, she found a life she enjoyed and a world so different from where she started out.

  Still, she knew she would have to face the fact she may never again leave Mayfield or her father's legacy; she was here to stay and sooner or later she would have to come to terms with her destiny. She thought of how she would have to write to Lena and Rupert and tell them she would never be coming back. She would have to tell her little cousins good-bye and pray they wouldn't forget her too quickly. Then there were her friends to consider. How was she to tell them she was forced to stay on her family ranch and pretend to know what she was doing, when most of them didn’t even know she was from a farm to begin with?

  Daniel had seen the expression on Julia's face when she left the room. It was one of anguish and disapproval. As soon as he thought it was safe - for reasons of protocol - he followed her out to the veranda where he found her resting in the small settee. She looked intriguing, with her bare feet and lower legs perched high on the table in front of her. Her long hair hung loose from its restraints and circled about her shoulders and across the arm of the chair, falling to rest on the floor of the covered structure.

  She wore a bright green cotton dress, with small white flowers across the tight bodice, hugging her exquisite torso. Daniel's eyes narrowed wickedly as he thought of the firm mounds of flesh, lying just beyond sight and the many hours he would love to spend exploring them. His mind imagined Julia exposed to his examination and responsive to his unique sexual skills. He could envision her tethered to his bed, moaning her deep climax as he played with her body before taking her, hard and fast.

  The smile that crossed her full lips caused the man to shift his stance with embarrassment and adjust the material across his growing erection. He was certain if she opened her eyes just then, she would be able to read his mind. He couldn’t help but wonder; would she be receptive to his suggestions or reject his advancements completely, if he were to offer to help her find a way to control her emotions over all that was happening around her.

  He stood there admiring her in silence, enjoying her beauty and the stubborn tilt of her dark head when the smile dissolved into a frown. The confusion and fear etched across her delicate face and her breathing changed slightly to one of labored effort, making her chest rise and fall. He didn’t know what she was thinking, but it was enough that Daniel was anxious to go to her, to ease the painful thoughts, to caress the frown from her forehead and kiss a smile back on her full angelic lips; but he knew she would consider his actions an intrusion. With a great deal of restraint, he cleared his throat bringing the young woman's attention to his presence. Her eyes widened filling with suspicion, yet he smiled tenderly at her.

  "Am I disturbing you?" he asked, walking to the chair opposite the beautiful brunette and turning it around to sit backward on it.

  "What can I do for you, Mr. Browning?" she squirmed her way to a proper sitting position, pulling her legs down from the table.

  "Well for start, you can stop calling me Mr. Browning. It sounds strange coming from you. My name is Daniel, remember?"

  "I know what it is; I just don't care to know you well enough to use it."

  "You are a determined young woman, aren't you Little Princess? Well no matter, I have complete confidence you will call me by my name, eventually."

  "What makes you so certain?"

  "I've made it my goal for you to want to know me well enough to feel comfortable with the intimacy that goes along with first names."

  "Then you're bound to be disappointed, Mr. Browning."

  "That may be Miss Turner, but let's just wait and see; it would prove a great sport, don’t you agree?" Silence fell between the two when Louise joined them bringing a final end to their conversation. She looked tired and worn out, her shoulders hunched over as though she had been carrying around the burden of the world for many long years. She sat down next to Julia on the settee with a sigh of exhaustion, smiling to her daughter wearily as she patted her hand.

  "Your father finally retired to his room. How are you holding up, dear?" The concern was genuine, but Julia chose to ignore it and turned her emerald eyes on the older woman, narrowing her stare slightly.

  "Fine; though not as well as you and father, as it would seem."

  "What's that supposed to mean?" Her mother's brows drew down across her eyes, in a deep frown.

  "How can you tell father you're going to start seeing other men, once he's dead? Have you no consideration for the feelings of the man you’ve spent more than half your adult life with? I can't believe you could be so heartless." Julia's anger raged inside her forcing Daniel to stand up, retreating to the stone enclosure of the veranda wall. He had never witnessed a catfight between humans before, but the expression on the two women's faces made him think he was about to get his first lesson on the subject.

  "How dare you speak to me, like that?" Louise's temper, quickly matched that of her daughter's and she watched Julia stand and pace her way to the table. "What do you know about love, or loyalty; tell me that? You've never known anything beyond flirting and teasing. You've never felt any real emotion for another person, or offered any form of commitment to anyone other than yourself."

  "We're not discussing my relationships, mother."

  "What relationships? You've never been with a man long enough to have a relationship. My only crime is that
I love your father enough to allow him to think I'll survive once he's gone," Louise's voice broke, her hands shook with her sorrow and pain, her legs felt weak as a baby as she tried to stand on them.

  "If you had ever stopped your frivolous antics long enough to fall in love, perhaps you would understand the commitment and sacrifice that goes with loving another person. It is important that the man you love, believes that you will survive even if your heart and soul is being ripped apart with each second that passes by." The tears ran unchecked down the older woman's cheeks as she hurried back inside, forcing her shaky legs to move beneath her.

  The silence that fell around the veranda was so thick it felt stifling. Daniel remained by the small stone wall that surrounded the patio, watching the emotion pull at the beautiful young woman’s face. Her breathing was more labored than it had been a short time ago when she reclined in the settee.

  He knew the tension involved was more from the weeks of pent up emotions that suddenly exploded to the surface, and not so much out of anger. He felt sorry for both women, but at the moment he sympathized with the older of the two. Where Louise had spent many long months watching her husband deteriorate before her very eyes; struggling to keep a sense of calm and normalcy flowing through ever hour, Julia was fighting the grief that screamed within her for revenge. She didn’t want to lose her father and she didn’t want to think that life was changing so quickly and not in a good way.

  Daniel kept his gaze steady as he watched the torment flood across the young woman’s face; fear, anguish, regret all creased her brow deeply and pulled at the corners of her mouth, making her appear more frightened than anyone he had ever seen before. It took all the strength he had to fight going to her, pulling her into his strong embrace. She felt alone in all of this while she tried to absorb and comprehend what was happening around her and right now, there was nobody willing to stand up for her .