Betrayal (6 page)

She turned to leave. “You are very kind.”

He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back until he wrapped her in his arms. The light floral of her hair filled him and her warmth gave him a renewed purpose. “No. I am not. I have never been kind. I am practical and calculating, and you are of value. You can make it your mission to heal my body, Lizzy. My mission will be to heal your soul. I will do what I can to make you see how perfect and fearsome you are.”

He grazed the shell of her ear with his lips, and she gasped before pushing out of his arms and rushing from the room.

* * * *

Reaching up with both arms, Reece closed his eyes, accepting the burn in his muscles. He saw stars behind his lids before the pain eased. There was a time when loading a few bags into a carriage would have been nothing. He should have let the footman do the heavy lifting. Damn his body for being weak and damn his pride as well.

They had said good-bye to their hosts and Brice inside. William, Miles, and Joseph saw them off. Miles leaned in too close and spoke too softly with Lizzy. Reece had to push down a growl. When had he ever growled? He’d lost his mind and over a slip of a girl.

Her admirers returned to the house, leaving just him and Lizzy. Calm delight enveloped him. Most definitely losing his mind.

“Reece, we need to get moving. I told Mr. Cullum we would arrive in London in a few days.”

His companion, though lovely, bubbled too excitedly about their journey. He stifled a groan. “What is it you think you will find when we return to London, Elizabeth?”

“Do not be so miserable. You are going home. You should be happy.”

“Why would going back to London make me happy?” He was being cross, and she didn’t deserve it. Still, he couldn’t stop himself. He wanted his life back, but returning to London and his townhouse would not bring back the man he used to be.

She flounced her skirts and skipped over to the side of the carriage. “You will be back in your own home, and I have a surprise for you.”

Handing her up into the carriage, he stared at her sweet brown eyes. “You have a surprise at my house?”

Her grin was worth ten thousand pounds. “I made some arrangements, and you will be surprised.”

He rounded the carriage and climbed up. It took all his effort not to groan at the pain shooting down his back as he pulled himself into the seat. “What have you done, Elizabeth?”

Her eyebrows came together in a charming frown, and she drew her shoulders back. Her breasts thrust forward. “You can wait and see, and there is no need to take a tone, Reece. You are not my father.”

Since his gaze had scanned down to her alluring cleavage, he had to agree. Definitely not her father. He was also in no position to offer any woman anything. He took up the reins and snapped the horses into motion.

They headed down the lane away from the school. They would be in London in two days. She grinned and his heart beat faster. “What are you thinking about?”

“How much I have seen since we left Inverness.”

“It has been a strange blend of events. I’ll give you that.” He turned the horses onto the road south.

“I had never been outside of London a year ago, and now I have seen a good deal of Scotland and England. I have even been to a society wedding and not as a servant.”

Her joy washed over him in spite of his determination to be miserable. “You looked lovely. Did you enjoy being part of the
haute ton
?”

She shrugged. “To be honest, I was uncomfortable at first. But it was a lovely wedding, and Lillian looked exceedingly happy.”

Reece had known Lillian Dellacourt for many years. They had been partners since the day he found her starving and beaten on the side of the high road. He’d nursed her and fed her. They had gone to the demon hunter school together and fought a hundred battles in the streets of London. If not for his being poisoned by demons at the Battle of Fatum Manor, they would still be together.

Yet she had looked happy. It was perhaps the first time he’d ever seen real joy on Lillian’s face. He’d seen her elated at a good kill and amused when they would banter. Reece had proposed to Lilly in the first year of their friendship, but she had turned him down. Of course, she’d been correct. They were not in love with each other. She was his best friend, and it would have been a crime to destroy that relationship with a bad marriage.

Dorian Lambert made Lilly happy. She glowed with it. “Yes, I think she is happy.”

Elizabeth’s gaze locked with his. “And that pleases you.”

“It does. Lilly deserves happiness. She has been denied it most of her life.”

Her back board-straight, Elizabeth turned her attention to the road. “I thought the groom was also very pleased.”

“He should be. He is a lucky man.”

“Were you in love with her?”

She didn’t know about mincing words. Part of her upbringing, he supposed. He liked that there was no need to make small talk with Elizabeth. The art of saying one thing and meaning another was the mark of a polite society, which she had yet to enter into. Would she change with time? The idea made his stomach sour. “A long time ago, maybe.”

“But not now?”

“You ask too many questions.”

She giggled. “Yes. I know.”

“I’m not in love with Lilly. I have known her a long time, and she is my dearest friend.”

“It must be nice to have a friend like that.”

Maybe he’d taken his friendships for granted. She’d likely left any friends behind when she’d joined the hunters. “Did you not make friends at the school?”

“Mei Lin and I are friends, but Cullum sent her on assignment months ago, and I have not heard any word of her. The few others who were at school with me have assignments in London or Edinburgh. I managed to visit with some of them during our extended stay.”

Clouds darkened the sky up ahead. “Am I not your friend, Lizzy?”

She turned in the seat and stared at him. “I do not know what you and I are yet. I admire you, and I believe you have been and will be a great hunter. Caring for you in Inverness gave me great satisfaction because you saved my life. I felt beholden to you and the others.”

The reins slipped in his sweaty palms, and he readjusted for a better grip. “You never told me that before. There was no need for you to repay me. We were doing our job when we pulled you out of the church.”

She wrapped her arms around herself to ward off a chill that didn’t exist. “I know, but I was still happy to be able to give something back, even if it was only to bring you a tray of food.”

“You did much more than that.”

A hay cart approached from the opposite direction. The Driver waved. Reece returned the greeting and eased to the side of the road to let the larger vehicle pass.

An hour later, the first drop of rain hit his head. He tugged the reins and stopped the restless horses. A few minutes later, they had the canopy raised, but it did little good against the driving rain.

By the time they reached a posting house, they were both soaked through.

Elizabeth’s teeth chattered.

“Get out of those clothes. I will ask the inn keeper for some towels.” He left her in the room and managed to get two drying cloths.

He knocked.

“Reece?”

“Yes, it is me.” He shivered, standing in the hallway like a fool, but she kept the door closed.

Belatedly, she opened the door just enough to stick one hand through the gap. “The cloth please.”

He tried not to laugh, but failed. “Are you naked or wearing a chemise?”

“None of your business. Are you going to give me the cloth or not?” Her voice rose higher than normal.

“You should know the temptation to force this door open and see for myself is overwhelming.”

The hand that poked out into the hallway fisted, then opened in demand.

He hesitated before handing her the towel.

She grabbed it, pulled it through, and shut the door.

Laughter erupted from his chest, and he leaned against the wall, trying to remember the last time someone brought him so much joy. He dripped a puddle in the middle of the hall. Still, he felt better. Maybe because a naked woman stood on the other side of the door or maybe because Elizabeth made him laugh more than he had in years.

Wrapped in a towel, she let him in. Nothing could have been more charming than her doe-like eyes staring up at him from the edge of the bed. She’d undone her braid, leaving her hair in waves around her face and shoulders. “Lizzy, you are lovely.”

“You are wet.”

He tugged his coat off, removed his boots, and tugged off his cravat.

She continued to watch him.

His body responded, though he commanded that she was a young girl and not for him. He had nothing to offer her and he never would. As he tugged his blouse from his trousers, her eyes never left his. His shoulder popped as he pulled the blouse over his head. Pain shot in the joint as it had from time to time since his injury. He threw the drenched cloth over the chair and massaged the flesh above his pain.

She crossed to him and took over his attempts to sooth the pain away. Rubbing firmly and thoroughly, she eased his pain.

The chill from the rain transformed into heat of desire. “Lizzy, you should go back.”

Her hand stilled. “You do not want my help?”

He took her hand from his shoulder and kissed her fingers. “I want too much, which I have no right to.”

“You make assumptions, Reece.”

“Do I?”

“You assume that I do not want the same thing.”

He had to close his eyes against the wave of desire that assaulted him. “Go back to bed, Lizzy. Get under the covers and I will forget what you just said.”

The longing in her eyes faded. She shifted from foot to foot, pulled her hand from his, and fisted them at her side. Scowling, she did as he said.

Once she’d turned her back, he removed the rest of his clothing and pulled on dry trousers. There was no way he could be a gentleman and get into bed naked while Elizabeth wore only a towel, no matter how much she fumed at him or how sore he was. He dowsed the lantern, sending the room into complete darkness. He lowered himself on top of the covers, and she wiggled away from him so far she must have been touching the wall. “Please do not be angry with me, Lizzy.”

Still and silent, she made no reply.

His shaft betrayed him, making it impossible for him to fall asleep.

“Were you and Lillian lovers?” Her soft voice cut through the sound of rain thrashing the roof and window.

Lying was not out of the question. It would be easier to say no, and be done with this. He had deceived many people. Why should he care about doing so with Elizabeth? Yet his chest ached at the idea. “It is not my place to answer your question.”

“Then you are not attracted to me.” Her voice strained and too dark to see, he imagined the sorrow in those large eyes.

Again, he commanded himself to lie, to say words that would keep them both safe. He failed. “I am attracted to you.”

“Did the affair you and Miss Lillian share damage your relationship?”

“No.” There was much more to the answer, but telling this woman he longed for about a past exploit seemed abhorrent.

“I do not understand.”

“I am trying to protect you. Can you understand that?”

The mattress dipped, and her breath grazed his neck. “From you? Why do I need protection from you?”

He pushed himself to sitting and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. “I cannot have this conversation with you whilst lying in bed in the dark.”

“Then light the lamp.”

Standing, he thrust his fingers through his hair and searched for something to say that would stop her questions. “Impossible.” He grabbed his damp blouse and coat. “I’m going out. Get some sleep.”

“Reece.”

He could not win in his current situation. Either he would hurt Elizabeth’s feelings or compromise his own moral code. He held his tongue, snatched his boots, then stormed from the room.

Pacing the hallway for several moments, he ached for rest. He couldn’t go back in, so he trudged down the steps and found the innkeeper. It was no trouble at all to tell the over-animated man he and his wife had had a spat and she tossed him from the room. Luckily, another room was available, and he managed a few hours’ sleep in spite of the driving rain and disturbing thoughts plaguing him.

Elizabeth took up the reins and drove the horses hard for several miles. The rain had finally stopped in the early morning hours. The roads firmed up by mid-day, making it possible to set the horses into a slow trot.

Reece had tried to engage her in conversation several times as the sun climbed the sky. She had given short answers leaving no room for more small talk. His rejection still burned on the back of her eyes.

“Shall I drive for a while?”

She handed him the leather and crossed her arms over her chest.

“You cannot stay angry with me forever, Lizzy.”

“Why not?”

His smile sent her thoughts to the kiss they’d shared. “Because I am very charming, and you will eventually give in and adore me once again.”

“You are incorrigible.” But mirth pulled at her lips.

“Of course I am.” He sobered. “I also quite like the friendship we have developed, and I do not wish to lose it.”

A dozen questions about the night before and the small intimacies they’d shared riddled through her mind. She had already embarrassed herself enough. To continue to badger him about engaging in a romance brought her too close to begging. She took a breath and dropped her hands to her lap. “I too am very fond of our friendship.”

He covered her hands with one of his. “You still look out of sorts.”

“I’m just excited to be going back to London. I left beaten and afraid. Now I can return and give some of that back to the demons who tried to kill me.”

Returning his hand to the reins, he frowned. “Things do not always turn out the way we expect, Lizzy. Try to stay alive and do not be so eager to run into battle.”

“My first chore is to get you back into fighting shape.”