A Wicked Deception (4 page)

“Cold, beautiful princess?” he asked, as she
shivered. “I can warm you up.” He put his arms around her shoulders.

She tried pulling away, but he held her firmly. She wanted to scream and kick out at him, but sensed this would be useless as her puny strength couldn’t match his
. Keep calm, she told herself. Dear God, why had she agreed to dance with him so often? Why hadn’t she refused him? Told Michael or Robbie about him pestering her? Her own foolishness had placed her in this awful position, but if she remained calm, she might be able to extricate herself without creating a scene.

“We should go back inside, I don’t have a cloak.” She gave a nervous, high pitched laugh.

“Not yet, pretty girl.”

Before she realized his intention, he pulled her body hard up against his own.
His mouth closing over hers cut off a scream. His slopping wet lips, tasted of alcohol. He kissed her brutally, crushed her body so hard against him, breathing proved impossible. Kicking at his legs was useless against his superior male strength. She fought for survival. Desperately punched at his shoulders, using her fists with all the strength she could muster. If her hand had made contact with his face she would have scratched his eyes out. Everything started going black. Then she was free.

“Touch her again, Ogilvy, and you’re a dead man,” Robbie snarled. He
shoved Tom away and positioned himself between them.

“Oh Robbie.” She sagged against him with relief.

“Did he hurt you?”

Tears of relief pooled in her eyes. “He wouldn’t let me go.”
The tears poured down her cheeks. Why was she acting so foolishly now the danger had passed? Robbie draped his arms around her, and she rested her face against his chest.

“As for you, Ogilvy, you’re lucky I don’t kill you.”

“I only took a few kisses. She liked them too.”

“I hated them. I hate you, you despicable, drunken pig.”

“So innocent looking, aren’t you,” Tom sneered. “I wanted a few kisses. Not much to ask from a mining town whore.”

Robbie lunged at him
. His fist contacted so hard with Tom’s mouth it knocked him to the ground.

“I’ll get you for this, Pritchard,” Tom threatened as he rose groggily to his feet and advanced towards them
, fists raised. “I’ll get even with you too, Miss prim and proper Melanie. That’s a promise.” He swung away from them and stomped off muttering obscenities.

How good i
t felt being held in Robbie’s close, comforting embrace. He wouldn’t let anything bad happen to her.

“Why on earth did you come out here with him?”
Robbie demanded.

“He made me
, gripped my hand so tightly I couldn’t get free without creating a scene.” She broke away from him, remembering how he had neglected her for most of the night. “Anyway, where were you? You dumped me here and left.”

“I’m sorry, Mel
. You have to believe me. Something serious came up – about the miners. I can’t tell you what, but I always kept an eye on you. I saw Ogilvy dragging you outside, bastard.”

“I can’t go inside, I must look frightful.”

“You are a bit messed up.” He took her hand, squeezing her fingers reassuringly as he led her from the terrace around to the front verandah. “I’ll go in this way to collect your cloak. There shouldn’t be anyone around at the moment as supper is being served.”

He
strode inside, leaving her alone on the verandah. If he hadn’t come to her rescue the consequences could have been dire.
You fool.
Just because Robbie neglected her she had allowed Tom to take liberties.

When Robbie returned with her cloak, he
laid it gently across her shoulders, and she fumbled with the tie until he lifted her hands away. “Let me.” He adjusted it carefully. His knuckles brushed her cheek accelerating her heartbeat.

His breath, with
only a trace of whisky on it, warmed her face. “Oh Melanie, you’re so beautiful.” He groaned and gave her a quick kiss. “I wish we could get away from James, the diggings, everything, just the two of us.”

“I wish we could too
.” She wrapped her arms around his neck.

“We’d better get out of here.” He stepped back a pace
. “If Ogilvy spills his guts in there, I’ll probably be arrested for assaulting a police officer. Drunken bastard.”

“Robbie!
Stop swearing all the time.”

“Well, he is. Wouldn’t have dared take such liberties with one of the gentry, but he didn’t mind treating you like a whore
. Lucky I wasn’t carrying a gun, otherwise I’d have shot him down like the mongrel dog he is.”

“Don’t talk like that
. It’s dangerous. You could get into serious trouble if the authorities heard you.”

When she settled herself into the beautifully cushioned interior of the coach and arranged her skirts, Robbie slipped in beside her
and signaled the driver for them to be off.

They held hands i
n the darkness. Huge eucalypts bordering the road seemed black, almost grotesque, and she shivered, pulling her cloak around her more securely. This special night had been ruined by Tom Ogilvy. She should never have agreed to dance with him so often. He probably took it as an invitation to treat her like white trash. She once read in a book that’s how wealthy southern folk thought of ordinary working class people. A memorable occasion had been totally ruined by a drunken slave owner.

When they arrived at the homestead, a lamp stilled burned. Please God, let James be in bed
. She would be incapable right now of pretending the evening had been enjoyable. To go through one of his probing inquisitions would be an absolute impossibility. Robbie helped her out of the coach and motioned to the driver to leave them.

“I’m sorry about your night being ruined.”
He pulled her into his arms, and his mouth moved on hers. Tentative at first, but when her lips trembled in response, his kisses grew fierce, hungry, demanding a response that she willingly gave. His hand slid under the neckline of her gown. His fingers caressed the top of one breast.

“Oh, Robbie I love you so much.”

His heated skin burned like a firebrand. Passion consumed her. It came from deep within, sizzling along her veins until her whole body felt as if it had been caught in a massive fireball. Her nipples hardened, thrusting against the material of her gown. A whirling sensation built up in the pit of her stomach.

“Oh, God.”
He finally dragged himself away, and she heard him gulping air into his lungs.

She trembled at the depth of feeling they aroused in each other.

“You’d better go inside,” he said, in a voice raw with emotion. “Before James catches us and takes a stock whip to me.”

***

August 1854

The new Governor for Victoria, Sir Charles Hotham
, arrived at the diggings. As Melanie let James help her down from the buggy, excitement and hope surged through her. For such a distinguished person to visit the diggings must mean the miners were going to receive fairer treatment from now on. An expectant murmur rippled through the crowd as he began to speak.

His speech started out conciliatory
, he took up a relaxed pose and a slight smile tugged at his lips. Someone at the back of the crowd booed him and his stance became rigid, his tone instantly changing. “Let there be no mistake, I will be taking a tougher stance than my predecessors. I will not tolerate lawlessness. I proclaim that from now on license searchers will be increased to twice weekly.”

Angry muttering raced through the crowd and Melanie shivered with trepidation. The Governor’s proclamation was inflammatory
. He obviously wanted trouble so the army redcoats could come in and crush the miners once and for all.

***

Winter turned into spring and the apple and peach trees in their orchard became laden with white and pink blossom. Wild flowers bloomed profusely, their perfume wafting on the breeze.
This is my favorite time of year,
with new life bursting forth everywhere, a time of hope and renewal.

She was kneading bread dough when the pounding of hooves broke the quietness of the day. Rushing outside
, she was shocked to see Robbie leap off his horse. He looked so pale with his burning eyes the only vestige of color left in his face.

“What is it? Has there been an accident?”
she dashed towards him.

“It’s James.” In three strides he made it to
her side. “The troopers have got him.”

“The tr
oopers? You mean the police? Wh … what happened?” She could hardly get the words past her quivering lips. James, dear God, if something bad happened to him. She clutched her chest, sick dread almost overwhelmed her.

“They came license hunting,
that bloody Ogilvy leading the pack. Father had found this new lead in a dried up creek bed. You know he hasn’t been too well lately, anyway he got so anxious to get things started James helped him chip away some clay and rock. The police came hunting for licenses. Even when we explained James wasn’t a digger they wouldn’t listen. I came straight over to tell you. Thought you might be able to persuade Ogilvy to let him go. If not, you have to pay a five pound fine.”

“Five pound
s! We don’t have enough money,” she wailed.

“Hurry, there’s no time to saddle your horse, ride up with me. Once James is taken to town, Ogilvy couldn’t help you even if he wanted to.”

She ripped off her apron and followed Robbie to his horse. He vaulted into the saddle. She put her foot in the stirrup and one hand on his wrist, and he helped her mount. Sitting behind him, she wrapped her arms around his waist as he heeled the horse into motion.

Having
wasted no time searching for a bonnet, the wind whipped through her hair, scattering the loosened strands across her face. What if something happened to James? She would never forgive herself if her actions with Tom Ogilvy got him into trouble.

As they breasted a hill, the mining camp stretched out before them, harsh and dusty in the spring sun. Most of the tents
looked dirty; the odd one or two that stood out starkly white belonged to newcomers to the gold fields.

The moment
Robbie pulled the horse up, she slid to the ground. Not bothering to wait until he tethered the animal, she dashed towards the troopers who continued rounding up diggers.

S
he spied her brother with his hands manacled to a tree stump, and anger consumed her. She raced towards him. “James, James!” When he turned around, she gasped in shock. Blood oozed from a wound at the side of his forehead.

“What are you doing here?”
He shook his head slightly, as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

“Robbie came to get me
. How could they do such a thing to you? Are you all right?”

“Yes.
” He rattled the chains binding his hands. “Look at me, anyone would think I’m a rabid dog.”

Robbie joined them, his face white with anxiety.
“Ogilvy’s coming, go over and speak to him, Mel.”

“Good afternoon, Miss O’Dea.”

She pivoted sharply, her eyes blazing. “Let my brother go. How dare you. He isn’t a miner, you know that.”

“Do I?” He gave a sniggering smile. “He’s been apprehended at the diggings without a license.”

“Please, Tom.” She edged closer, her eyes pleading with him. “You could set him free.”

He laughed harshly, his lips mean and twisted. How could she have been stupid enough to ever believe h
im a gentleman? He leaned down from his horse until his face almost touched hers. “Would you make it worth my while?” he leered.

His sordid query was degrading enough, but his treatment of James enraged her
. Without thinking of the consequences, she lashed out. Her hand connected with a loud crack against his cheek. It left a vivid red mark, and rage blazed in his eyes as she faced him, defiance in every cell of her body. Several diggers loitering near by snickered.

“I’ll pay you back for this insult,” he snarled, “even if it takes me months.”

He wrenched his horse’s head around and spurred it into a gallop, leaving the other troopers to round up their prisoners.

She returned to James, her shoulders sagging.
“I’m sorry, I lost my temper. Now things will be worse for you.”

James’ sudden grin c
ollapsed into a wince. “I’m glad you slapped him, serves him right.”

“What will we do? There’s only about two pound
s at home. Shall I try selling a sheep to raise the rest?”

“No
. Don’t sell any livestock. I’ve got few enough left as it is. Go over to Alf Johnson, he’ll lend you the money. Tell him I’ll work it off later.”

“I’ll go,” Robbie volunteered.

“No, it’s best if Melanie goes.” The two men exchanged glances, and she knew James passed an unspoken message to Robbie. He wanted her off the goldfields.