"You wouldn't dothat."
"Why not? I'm very fondof Ian, and he's been complaining I haven't visited him enough of late. You cancome here in the mornings or you can sit there beside Ian and have me watch youand know every moment what I'm thinking, what I'm wanting to do with you."
She wouldn't be able to bearit, and Kartauk was aware of that as he was aware of everything else about her."I was thinking just yesterday that you were kind, but that's not true.You're very cruel."
"I'm neither kind norcruel. I'm only a hungry man whowillbe fed. Even if it must be hardcrusts instead of hearty fare." He turned and walked toward the doorleading to the veranda. "You look a bit distraught, and it takes a steadyhand for the carving of a seal. I think we'll wait until tomorrow to start tofashion it. And after we finish the seal, I think it's time I did a statue ofyou... "
Chapter16
Ruel gazed blindly at the sunstarting its descent behind the mountain.
Jane should be here within thehour.
He should be satisfied. Hewassatisfied, dammit.
The forfeiting of the penaltymoney had hurt her, not only because of the loss itself but because the defeathad been to him. She had been made to feel helpless and defeated.
She needs to win.
Dilam's words in thebelimtentcame back to him. Well, she hadn't won this time. He would never forget herexpression of numb horror as she had looked at the damage wrought by theelephant. He had felt something twist inside him and he wanted to reach outand—
Comfort? The instinct meantnothing, he assured himself. It was entirely natural to admire a foe who hadfought a valiant fight, but that did not mean he was softening toward her. Hecould not soften.
He turned heavily away fromthe window and moved across the room to the chair by the fireplace. Soon itwould be over. The loss at Elephant Crossing had been only the beginning. Bythe time she left this summer-house, he would have the satisfaction of knowingshe had been punished as she deserved. That's what he wanted, wasn't it?
Christ, of course it was whathe wanted. This rawness fraying his nerves was only impatience now that he wasso close to his aim.
Impatience... and lust.
The dark blue curled tile roofof the summerhouse shimmered gray in the moonlight. Light streamed from thearched windows, casting fan-shaped shadows on the grass.
He was waiting for her.
Naturally, he was waiting forher, Jane thought impatiently. He had been waiting for her for over threeyears.
She braced herself and thenwalked quickly down the terrace steps and the path leading to the summerhouse.
She could get through this. Hewas only Ruel, not the mandarin she had let her fears exaggerate to giantproportions. He could not harm her if she did not allow it. She drew a deepbreath as she reached the door and then flung it open. She said flatly,"I'm here."
"I see you are."Ruel was sitting in a superbly crafted Louis XV chair before a marble-tiledfireplace. He wore all white, as he had the day they had arrived at the palace,and his golden tan and sun-streaked hair shimmered in the firelight in sharpcontrast to the elegant garb. He appeared perfectly at ease in this tastefullyfurnished room with its air of restrained European luxury. But then, Ruelalways appeared confident and at ease wherever he was, she thought bitterly, beit pounding spikes in a torrent of rain, presiding at the dinner table at thepalace, or cooking bacon over a campfire in the middle of the jungle.
He rose to his feet andwrinkled his nose. "And, unfortunately, I not only see you, I also smellyou."
"I could hardly ridetwenty-five miles in heat and dust and not smell of horse." She closed thedoor. "If you don't like it, I can leave."
"Oh no, I was never oneto forgo a meal because I had to prepare it myself. It makes the feast onlymore satisfying to know it's been created to one's exact specifications."He stood up and moved across the room toward the lavender- and cream-coloredbrocade curtain that divided the room. "In fact, I anticipated this littleproblem. I had boiling hot water brought from the palace ten minutes ago."He pulled aside the curtain to reveal a small area that appeared much largerdue to the mirrors that graced all three walls. A royal-blue and white Chinesecarpet gave only occasional glimpses of the polished oak floor and, across theroom, a white satin spread covered a wide bed draped in diaphanous mosquitonetting. He smiled faintly as he followed her gaze and then gestured to a hipbath filled with steaming water occupying the corner immediately to the left ofthe brocade curtain. "It's fortunate you were on time, or the water wouldhave turned cold."
"It wouldn't havemattered," she said quietly. "I assume you're going to watchme?"
Some indefinable emotion flickeredacross his face. "Most certainly."
She sat down on a wide whitesatin-tufted chaise longue a few feet from the tub and took off her boots andwool socks. "I thought you would."
"Why?"
"You want me to feel...exposed, humiliated." She stood up and started unbuttoning her shirt."It's all a part of it."
"How perceptive of you torealize that. Actually, I had in mind something else as well." He paused."A mistress is handled with a little too much delicacy. I thought I'd letyou sample the joys of being treated as your mother was treated."
