Read Online Lilac Temptress by Elizabeth Davis - Free Book Online Page A

strolled
through the aisles and marveled at the interesting contents of this
variety store. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed a thin
gray-haired man watching him from behind the counter.
    “ Can I help you with
something, sir? Passing through town, are you? Need some supplies?”
the man offered.
    “ I was told that I could
find a map of Jadesville here,” Drake answered, making his way to
the front of the store.
    “ Well, you heard right. But
what do you want with a map of this town?” the clerk prodded. “Most
travelers just spend a night or two in Jadesville before up and
leaving. There’s not much for sightseeing around here.”
    Drake leaned against the counter,
grinning at the man’s remark. The man smiled back, exposing his
nearly toothless gums. “Tell me something—how often do you get
supplies into town?”
    “ Supplies?” The old man
groaned his despair. “A few wagons come into town every month from
New Iberia. Deliveries are made.”
    “ What do these supply
wagons carry?”
    “ Simple goods. The only
problem is that sometimes our supplies are delayed for weeks due to
raiding thieves, or Indian uprisings. Traveling through the
swampland can be difficult at times no matter how clear a path has
been laid. If the general practitioner has a really sick patient,
and doesn’t obtain the medicines...” the old man’s voice trailed
off. “Let’s just say a lot of praying goes on around here. But you
wanted a map right? Well I got maps.”
    The man fumbled behind the register
for what seemed like an eternity to Drake, before finally emerging
with a map.
    “ It’s in mint condition,”
he noted as he offered it to Drake to inspect.
    Drake paid him, and headed through the
exit opening the map for further study as he walked. He scouted the
small town most of the day, took notes, and kept a low profile.
Hours later he had completed his tour, and returned to his room—he
lie in his bed staring at the ceiling. He hadn’t realized when he
first started inspecting the town just how small and uninteresting
it really was with all of its dull matching buildings leaning
against each other. He carefully considered how he would approach
William before turning his thoughts to Sierra once again. She had
never left his mind, he realized. He had to see her
again.
    Jadesville was definitely no place for
a young vivacious woman like her, Drake decided. Anywhere, but
here, he thought grimly as he finally succumbed to his elusive
sleep.
    * * *
    Furiously, Sierra walked home alone
that night from the tavern. Now, she sat in her bedroom thinking
about Kyle. He had been bold enough to flirt with Claudine openly
while she and her husband, Trey Halerow, had drinks. Claudine had
never come into the bar before that. Sierra knew she was there to
see Kyle.
    She couldn’t figure out on her life
why Claudine had married Trey in the first place. Maybe Claudine
was greedy, she mused. It wasn’t unusual for a young woman to marry
a much older man. In fact, it was a commonplace. Men often traded
experience for youth—but a married couple was supposed to grow old
together, Sierra thought.
    Claudine, a pretty petite-blond,
hardly older than Kyle, behaved every bit as ignorantly and
impulsively as he. They were clumsy with their meetings. Frankly,
Sierra thought it a vulgar display for Claudine to make passes
right under her husband’s nose.
    Trey was too drunk to notice that
Claudine and Kyle had disappeared for a half-hour in the back. But
Sierra did notice, and she was furious. She thought about Trey for
a moment. He was not bad looking at all for an older man in his
early fifties. He might have given Kyle a run for his money had he
been twenty years younger. His dark hair was graying, and he had
nice brown eyes, but his body was too thin, and it made his head
appear slightly larger somehow.
    Kyle, on the other hand, was
beautiful. He kept his dirty golden hair long past his shoulders
and always held tight with a cord. His