China Bride by Mary Jo Putney

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Macao, China
February 1832

Kyle Renbourne, tenth Viscount Maxwell, concealed his impatience as he
politely greeted dozens of members of Macao's European community who had
gathered to meet an honest-to-God lord. Then, his social duty done, he
slipped outside to the veranda so he could contemplate the last, best
adventure that would begin the next morning.

The sprawling house stood high on one of South China's steep hills. Below,
a scattering of lights defined the sweep of Macao around the eastern
harbor. An exotic little city at the southeastern corner of the Pearl River estuary, Macao had been founded by the Portuguese, theonly European power to find favor with the Chinese.

For almost three centuries the enclave had been home to merchants and
missionaries and a rare mixing of races. Kyle had enjoyed his visit. But
Macao wasn't really China, and he was eager to be on his way to Canton.

He leaned against the railing, enjoying the cool breeze on his face.
Perhaps it was his imagination, but the wind seemed scented with unknown
spices and ancient mysteries, beckoning him to the land he'd dreamed of
since he was a boy.

His host, friend, and partner, Gavin Elliott, came through the shuttered
doors. "You look like a child on Christmas Eve, ready to burst with
anticipation."

"You can afford to be casual about sailing to Canton tomorrow. You've been
doing it for fifteen years. This is my first visit." Kyle hesitated before
adding, "And probably my last."

"So you're going back to England. You'll be missed."

"It's time." Kyle thought of the years he'd spent in travel, moving ever
eastward. He'd seen the Great Mosque of Damascus and walked the hills
where Jesus had preached. He'd explored India from the brilliantly colored
south to the wild, lonely mountains of the northwest. Along the way, he'd
had his share of adventures, and survived disasters that might have left
his younger brother heir to the family earldom--and wouldn't Dominic have
hated that! He'd also lost the angry edge that had marked him when he was
younger, and about time, since he'd be thirty-five at his next birthday.
"My father's health has been failing. I don't want to risk returning too
late."
"Ah. Sorry to hear that." Gavin pulled out a cigar and struck a light.
"When Wrexham is gone, you'll be too busy as an earl to roam the far
corners of the globe."

"The world is a smaller place than it used to be. Ships are faster, and
the unknown is being mapped and explored. I've been saving China for last.
After this visit, I'll be ready to go home."

"Why is China last?"

Kyle thought back to the day he'd discovered China. "When I was fourteen,
I wandered into a curio shop in London and found a folio of Chinese
drawings and watercolors. Lord knows how it made its way there. Cost me
six months' allowance. The pictures fascinated me. It was like looking
into a different world. That was when I decided I must travel to the East."

"You're fortunate that you've been able to fulfill your dream." There was
a hint of bleakness in Gavin's voice.

Kyle wondered what the other man's dreams were, but didn't ask. Dreams
were a private affair. "The ultimate dream may be out of my reach. Have
you ever heard of the Temple of Hoshan?"

"I saw a drawing once. About a hundred miles west of Canton, I think?"

"That's the one. Is there any chance of visiting it?"

"Out of the question." Gavin drew on his cigar, the tip flaring in the
darkness. "The Chinese are dead serious about keeping Europeans
quarantined in the Settlement. You won't even be allowed within the city
walls of Canton, much less permitted to travel into the countryside."

Kyle knew about the Settlement, a narrow strip of warehouses between the
Canton waterfront and the city walls. He'd also been told about the
infamous Eight Regulations that were designed to keep foreigners in line.
Still, in his experience, men with money and determination could usually
find a way around the rules. "Maybe crossing the right palms with silver
would give me the chance to travel inland."

"You wouldn't get a mile before you were arrested. You're a Fan-qui, a
foreign devil. You'd stand out like an elephant in Edinburgh." The
Scottish burr that lingered from Gavin's childhood strengthened. "Ye'd end
up rotting in some prefect's dungeon as a spy."

"No doubt you're right." Nonetheless, Kyle intended to investigate further
during his stay in Canton. For twenty years the Temple of Hoshan had lived
in his imagination, an image of peace and unearthly beauty. If there was a
way to visit, he'd find it.