6
Faith finally managed to shove the earl slightly to one side so that she could crawl out from beneath him. He still wasn’t moving, his eyes were closed, and what looked like blood seeped from a nasty gash on his head.
“My lord?” She shook his arm. “Ian? We need to get away from here. I think someone is shooting at us.”
His eyelids flickered, and she took a hurried moment to look around. At least there was no sign of anyone clambering down the cliff toward them.
“Pistol . . . in my pocket.”
She barely made out the words, but immediately started looking through the earl’s capacious pockets and discovered a very fine dueling pistol along with extra shot and a flint. She also found his handkerchief and after making sure that the pistol was safe, dabbed at the blood streaming from the earl’s head.
“Don’t worry. It’s just a graze,” he murmured. “Head wounds always bleed like the devil.”
“Do you think you can stand yet?”
“I’m sure I can if you help me.”
He sounded more confident than she felt. He wasn’t a small man. If he lost consciousness he would probably take her down with him again and she hadn’t enjoyed the first experience of being crushed under him. But she had to make the attempt. What if the madman who’d shot at them tried again?
She helped him sit, noticing his ghastly pallor and the determined set of his jaw.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to run and fetch help?”
“And bring the whole house down upon us? I’d rather not.” He put his hand on her shoulder and she gladly took his weight as he forced himself to stand. “We’ll take our time, and hope no one sees us.”
“Can you navigate the cliff path, or would you rather walk around to the village?”
“The cliff will bring us closer to the house, won’t it? Let’s try that first.” He touched her cheek. “Don’t worry, Miss Pelly. If I become too much of a burden, you can leave me to be discovered by someone else.”
“Like the person shooting at us? As if I’d do that.”
“You are an exceptional woman, my dear.”
She smiled with a confidence she was sorely lacking. “Shall we move on, then?”
It was even more torturous than she had imagined. The beach was pebbled and sloped upward toward the cliff, and the path was steep and treacherously wet. Despite the earl’s best efforts to remain upright, he desperately needed her support and she fought hard to keep him erect. To add to their predicament, the steps cut into the side of the cliff were uneven, slippery, and set at unequal heights. Halfway up the cliff, the earl slipped, his booted feet scrabbling for purchase on the lower step before he finally righted himself. He knelt on the ground, his chest heaving, one hand wrapped tightly in the skirt of Faith’s gown.
“God, I’m sorry. I almost pulled you down with me.”
“But you didn’t.” Faith took another deep breath. “Can you continue? We are rather exposed here.”
His wound was bleeding through the handkerchief she’d bound around his head, but he nodded. “Yes, I’m ready if you are.”
She gathered the remnants of her strength to help him stand, but he shook his head.
“Actually, I think I’d do better to crawl up each step from here by myself. Perhaps you might go ahead, and make sure we are safe.”
She was fairly certain he needed her help, but she realized he was more afraid of hurting her by pulling her down with him.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, go ahead. Take my pistol.” He grimaced with pain. “You can fend off the seagulls.”
She nodded and edged past him to continue the upward climb. Apart from her labored breathing, all she could make out was the shrill squawk of disturbed nesting birds, and the waves rolling up on the beach. She refused to check back on the earl’s progress, concentrating her efforts on forcing her bruised body through the motions of climbing until she gained the cliff top.
There was no one in sight, and with a gasp, she sank down onto her knees to recoup her strength. Below her, she could hear the scrabbling of the earl moving toward her and the odd muttered curse. She leaned over the edge of the cliff and held out her hand.
“It’s all clear up here. I don’t see anyone.”
He grasped her hand and she helped pull him up the last few feet onto the flat cliff top. For a moment he stayed on his knees before slowly getting to his feet.
“Let’s try and get to the house.”
She allowed him to wrap his arm around her shoulders and taking as much of his weight as she could they made their uneven, ungainly way back to her home. A lone figure came sprinting toward them from the stable block and Faith stiffened.
“It’s all right, that’s my groom, Harper.”
The man reached them, his expression stricken as he gathered the earl in his arms. “My lord, what happened?”
“We were walking on the beach. I slipped and hit my head. Miss Pelly had to help me up the steps.”
“Oh my word, sir.” Harper kept walking toward the house. “What on earth where you thinking of going out at this hour?”
“I wanted to see the sunrise.” The earl paused at the back door and turned to Faith. “Thank you for your invaluable help, Miss Pelly.”
“You are welcome, my lord.” She bobbed him a curtsey. “I’m happy to leave you in such capable hands.” She turned away.
“Miss Pelly.”
She half-turned to look back at him. Despite the blood on his face he still looked remarkably handsome. It was her fault he’d been shot. If she hadn’t detained him in the secret passageway, they would probably have gotten home safely.
“I will see you this evening at dinner.”
It was a command rather than a request. She gave him her best social smile.
“I doubt you’ll be well enough, my lord, but, naturally, I look forward to your company.”
“Miss
Pelly
. . .”
She escaped before he could say anything else. What was the point of lingering, and hoping for a more romantic leave-taking? It was better this way. He’d preserved her reputation and said nothing that could compromise her in front of his groom.
He’d said nothing.
She didn’t deserve anything else. She picked up her sodden skirts, kicked off her ruined kid slippers, and made her way up the backstairs in her stocking feet to her bedchamber. Too much had happened to her in the past few hours. She needed to go to bed, sleep for at least a day, and
then
she could think about everything with her usual calm good sense.
With a sigh, she opened her door and almost squeaked when she realized her sister, Margaret, sat on the bed dressed in her nightclothes.
“Where have you
been,
you naughty girl?”
“I went for a walk on the beach to watch the sunrise.”
Margaret slid off the bed. “Don’t bother to lie. I came to find you last night, and you weren’t here then, either.”
“I worked late in the library, and fell asleep. I woke with the sunrise and decided to go out and enjoy the spectacle from the beach.”
Faith groped for the fastening of her dress, wincing as the salt water continued to find tiny cuts on her skin. Margaret stepped behind her and undid the laces of her corset.
“You didn’t get in this state sitting on the beach, sister dear. You’ve been with
him,
haven’t you?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Faith sat on the side of the bed, stripped off her stockings, and let her corset fall to the ground. “I’m going to bed. Good morning, Margaret.”
“I’ll tell Mother and Father.”
“Tell them what?” Her yawn wasn’t feigned. “That I was up with the dawn? They are more likely to applaud my industry than condemn it.”
“There is blood on your shift.”
“I fell on the rocks, and hurt my knee.”
“Faith.”
Margaret sat on the side of the bed and thumped Faith’s shoulder. “Don’t you understand? If he compromised you, he’ll have to marry you! You can have what you want for the first time in your life.”
“He didn’t do anything, and even if he had, I wouldn’t want a man who has to be
forced
into marriage.”
“Why not?”
Faith shook her head and got into bed. “It wouldn’t be honorable.”
Margaret snorted. “Honor is for men. Women have to use what God gave them.”
“By telling lies?”
Margaret pinched her. “The only person telling lies is you. I’m not stupid, sister, and I know what you’ve been doing.”
“Clambering around the beach and falling down.”
“I can
smell
him on you.”
Faith lay back and closed her eyes. “I have no idea what you are talking about. I smell like the sea.”
“Oh, Faith, are you going to let this opportunity to marry an
earl
slip through your fingers?”
“I’m going to sleep.”
With a huffing sound, Margaret rose to her feet. “You’re a fool, Faith.”
“Thank you. Please shut the door when you leave, and tell Mama I’m indisposed.”
Margaret slammed the door behind her and Faith opened her eyes. She could only hope her sister’s vanity would keep her quiet at least for a while. Margaret preferred not to share her audience’s attention with any other woman, particularly her sister. If she were lucky, she would wait until Faith was there to tease in person or until their guests departed.
Did she smell like him?
Unconsciously her hand drifted between her legs where she was still a little sore. A memory of him pulling out of her and coming against her belly made her shiver and cup her mound. She wished he were here with her now, where she could hold him against her breast and keep him safe. She could only pray Harper would guard him well.
On that uneasy hope, she drifted off to sleep.
When she awoke, the room was dark, and she slowly sat up. Her fire was barely burning, but she managed to light a candle from the embers, and illuminate the clock on her dressing table. It was five o’clock, but whether it was the same evening, or she’d slept through to the next morning, Faith wasn’t sure. She put a nightgown over her shift and found an old shawl to replace the one she’d lost. When she was decently covered, she quietly opened the door. All was silent in the hallway beyond. Outside the birds were singing, which meant it was probably just past dawn. Shielding the flickering candle flame in her hand, she made her way down the stairs, pausing to listen with every step.
A floorboard creaked in the hall below, and she stopped moving. Eventually, she made out the shape of a man and slowly let out her breath as he carried on walking, whistling as he went.
“Harper?” she called out to him.
“Yes, Miss Pelly?”
“How is the earl?”
“He’s much better, miss. He said to send you his apologies and his best wishes and that he was off back to London.”
“He
left?
”
“Aye, about two hours ago.”
“Oh. Did he mention if he might return?”
“I believe he’ll be back soon, miss. He left me, his horses, and all his gear here after all.”
“Of course, I didn’t think of that. Thank you, Harper.”
“You’re welcome, miss.”
She let him go, and turned toward the stairs. She might as well go back to bed and let the tears she’d been determined not to shed flow in private.
“Faith? Is that you?”
The voice came from above her, and she spun around to see her cousin, Michael, coming down the stairs. He was fully dressed and had his cloak folded over his arm.
“Oh, Michael, how are you? I wanted to talk to you about Robin. Do you have a moment?”
“Of course, cousin.”
“Shall we go to the library? We can be quite private there.”
He followed her down the hallway and shut the door behind him. The room was in darkness, the heavy velvet curtains keeping out the light. Faith coaxed the fire into life and turned toward him.
“How may I help you, Faith?”
She gathered the ends of her shawl in her fingers. “It’s about Robin. Do you think he’s been rather angry recently?”
“About Margaret? Yes, but one can hardly blame him. She
has
taken to flaunting her conquests right under his nose, even here in the only home Robin has.”
“She’s very young.”
“If she’s ready for marriage, she isn’t that young.”
“You like her too, don’t you?”
He smiled. “I had the sense to realize years ago that Margaret had no interest in me. I’ve been happy to cede my place in her affections to my brother.”
“But now it seems she won’t have him either.”
“Then she is a fool.” Michael’s charming smile disappeared. “Did you want me to intervene? To tell Robin to leave her alone?”
“Actually, I wanted to ask you whether there were other reasons for Robin’s ill-humor.”
“What do you mean?”
She moistened her lips. “The Earl of Westbrook thinks someone in this house is involved with the smugglers.”
“Does he?” Michael leaned back against the door, barring the only exit. “And what do you think? You’ve been spending a lot of time with the man. What have you told him?”
She raised her chin. “I’ve told him nothing. That’s why I’m asking you. I don’t believe my family is involved in anything
illegal
. Even if they were, I’d give them the opportunity to explain themselves, or reconsider their choices.”
“How very benevolent of you.” All traces of amusement had leached from Michael’s face. “That’s typical of your family. You think you’re so much better than the rest of us, don’t you?”
“Michael—”
“Giving Robin and me a home, making us express our gratitude for every crumb from the table. Forcing us to
work
for our living!”
“That is hardly my fault, is it? If you have complaints, perhaps you should take them up with my parents.”