Connie Mason (5 page)

“Enjoy your bath,” Damian grunted as he strode away. “I’ll take my bath elsewhere.”

He fished for the key and unlocked the door.

“Wait! I need fresh clothing. Those I was wearing are soaking wet. I canna leave without clothes.”

“I’ll see that your chest with your personal items are brought to you. As for leaving this chamber, ah, well, that’s another story. I don’t trust you, lady. You’re willful, stubborn, and untrustworthy. ’Tis becoming increasingly apparent that the convent won’t detain you.”

Elissa blanched. “Then what…?”

Damian didn’t offer an answer as he left her and turned the key in the lock.

Truth be known, he didn’t have an answer.

Damian returned to the hall. He stopped to draw himself a mug of ale from a nearby keg, then wearily sank down in a chair before the hearth. Dickon joined him a short time later.

“What are your orders concerning the Fraser wench?”

Damian stared thoughtfully into his mug. “I’m not sure sending her to the convent is a good idea. The lady is as resourceful as she is beautiful. I’m beginning to think there is no clear answer where Elissa is concerned. ’Tis obvious the convent won’t hold her for long. Look how easily she found her way out of the keep. She’ll escape the convent within a week of her arrival and flee to the Gordon laird.”

“You have to obey the king, Damian.”

“The Crown is interested only in keeping Elissa and Gordon from marrying.”

“That’s why she’s being sent to the convent,” Dickon pointed out. “Did she tell you how she managed to leave the keep?”

“Nay, but I’ll find out. I’m inclined to believe there’s a secret exit.”

“Of course,” Dickon exclaimed. “That’s how she did it. Shall I help you search?”

“Nay, I’ll find it.”

“What are you going to do? Perhaps you should send her to London and let the king decide her fate.”

Damian scowled. “I might be sending her to her death. I don’t want that on my conscience.”

“Bloody hell, Damian, there must be something you can do. I say send her to the convent and let the nuns worry about her. You can’t be blamed for her actions once you’ve carried out the king’s orders.”

“Ah, but I
could
be blamed, Dickon. I’m supposed to prevent a marriage. Should that marriage take place, I stand to lose my lands and my title.”

“I’m glad I’m not in your boots. What will you do with the troublesome baggage in the meantime?”

“Lock her in my chamber where I can watch her and throw away the key.”

Dickon’s eyebrows shot upward.

“’Tis not what you think, Dickon, though I admit I find the lady beyond tempting. My only concern, however, is isolating her from those who might be inclined to release her. I’ve inspected every chamber in the fortress and mine is the only one decently furnished besides those in the solar.”

Dickon sent him a skeptical look. “Where will you sleep?”

“I haven’t decided,” Damian said cryptically.

“Good luck,” Dickon said, rising.

Damian sat brooding over his ale until his damp clothing reminded him that he was in desperate need of a hot bath and food. Hailing a maid passing through the hall, he asked that a tub and food be sent to the barracks and issued orders concerning Elissa’s immediate needs.

Elissa heard the key turning in the lock and looked up expectantly. The door swung open and two men entered with her trunk balanced between them. Maggie hurried in after them, carrying a tray of what Elissa hoped was food.

Elissa huddled beneath the blanket she’d worn since her bath, watching as the men set her trunk down and retreated, leaving her alone with Maggie.

“I brought food,” Maggie said, arranging the tray on a nearby table.

“Have you spoken to Lord Damian?” Elissa asked as she nibbled on a hunk of cheese. “Did he reveal his plans for me?”

“Nay. He but instructed me to bring food to ye and fetch yer clothing. Oh, Elissa, what has he done to ye? Does he want ye for his mistress? Does he intend to ravish ye?”

“He’s done naught…yet, but I donna trust him,” Elissa said thoughtfully as she stuffed a piece of bread into her mouth.

Elissa was wary of Lord Damian but chose not to unburden herself to Maggie. She’d seen the look in the dark lord’s eyes; she could still feel the pressure of his kiss upon her lips and his hands upon her body. She might be a virgin but she wasn’t stupid. Damian wanted her. Wanted her in the same way a virile man wants a woman.

“What can I do to help?” “Who has access to this chamber?”

“Just me. Everyone has been warned away. The Demon has even posted a guard outside the door. He doesna trust ye, Elissa.”

“The bastard,” Elissa bit out. “Dinna worry, Maggie, I’ll think of something. He canna keep me under lock and key forever.”

“What if he…you know…wants ye in his bed?”

She chewed on her bottom lip. Maggie was too close to the truth. “He wouldna dare. I wouldna let him even if he did.”

“Let me help you dress,” Maggie said, removing items of clothing from Elissa’s chest.

“Aye, I’d prefer to be dressed when the Demon returns.” Placing temptation in his path was the last thing Elissa wanted.

To Elissa’s relief, the Demon Knight didn’t return. She had no idea where he made his bed and didn’t care as long as he stayed out of hers. Though she professed not to care, when Maggie appeared with her breakfast the following morning, she casually asked her kinswoman if she knew where and with whom Damian had slept last night.

“Dermot said Lord Damian spent the night in the barracks,” Maggie informed her. “I donna believe any of our kinswomen would have accommodated him had he demanded a woman, but some of the village girls have been…frolicking with the English soldiers since they arrived at Misterly. Mayhap Lord Damian invited one of them to his bed.”

“Perhaps,” Elissa said sourly. She had no idea why the thought of Damian bedding a woman of easy virtue should bother her, but it did.

“Speak of the devil,” Maggie hissed as the door opened and Damian stepped inside.

“Be gone, mistress,” Damian said, holding the door open for Maggie.

Maggie sent a pitying look at Elissa and scurried out.

“I’ve come for my personal belongings,” Damian said.

“When may I leave this chamber?”

“Perhaps never,” Damian returned curtly.

Elissa became immediately defensive. “You canna keep me under lock and key forever!”

“I am the master here, I can do whatever pleases me, and it pleases me to keep you confined.”

“I’d prefer the convent.”

“I’m sure you would. I’ve decided, however, that confining you in a convent isn’t satisfactory. I considered sending you to London for the king to deal with, but after careful consideration I decided he’d deal more harshly with you than I would. I don’t wish you harm, Elissa.”

“I willna be your mistress,” Elissa asserted. “I know how men like you treat women and I willna allow you to corrupt me.”

“Saving yourself for Tavis Gordon?” Damian mocked.

“He’s a better man than you are.”

“That remains to be seen.”

“I’ll die cooped up like this.”

Damian cocked his head to one side and stared at her. “Aye, perhaps I’m being unreasonable. I’ll instruct your guard to escort you outside for a stroll each morning and afternoon.”

He placed some personal items inside his clothes chest and turned to leave.

“Wait! I donna wish to turn you out of your chamber. If I’m to be confined, why not lock me in my own room?”

“The tower is easily guarded,” Damian explained. “Too many people come and go to the solar during the course of a day. You’ll stay here until I decide otherwise.”

“Where will you sleep?” The moment the words were out she wished them back.

A slow smile stretched Damian’s lips. “Do you care?”

Elissa turned her back on him. “Nay. You can sleep with the hogs for all I care.”

Suddenly she felt him behind her. Close. Too close. The heat of his body scorched her clear through the layers of her clothing. He touched her shoulder and she stiffened. A cry of alarm left her lips when he spun her around and forced her against him.

“Are you as innocent as you pretend, lady? I wonder…”

“Wonder no longer, my lord,” Elissa bit out. “No man has ever touched me.”

“I am a man, my lady, and I have touched you.”

“Without my permission. Let me go.”

“You enjoyed my kiss, Elissa, I know you did.”

“I endured it.”

“Can you endure another?”

“Nay. You have no right to torment me like this.”

Damian dropped his arms and backed away. “You’re correct. I have no right. Please excuse my behavior. Someone will come for my chest.” Then he was gone.

Elissa let out a shaky sigh. Her knees were quaking and her hands trembling. What was wrong with her? Damian had but to touch her and her wits scattered. What would have happened had he kissed her again? Sweet Mother, just thinking about the arrogant Lord of Misterly kissing her, touching her, made her heart pound and her blood heat. She had to be mad.

After that uncomfortable confrontation, Elissa was escorted from her prison chamber for an hour twice a day to stretch her legs in the courtyard. She knew her clansmen weren’t happy with the situation for Maggie had told her there was mutiny afoot. She worried excessively about her mother and sister, until Maggie revealed that Lord Damian visited them regularly to inquire about their health and needs. Was there a side to the dark lord Elissa hadn’t discovered yet?

Late one afternoon Elissa was sitting in the courtyard with her eyes closed, her face tilted up to the waning sun, when she heard a familiar voice say, “You’re looking well, lady. Do you have everything you need?”

Her eyes flew open. “I need my freedom, my lord. And I want to visit my mother and sister. ’Tis cruel of you to keep me apart from my family.”

Damian gave her a long, thoughtful look. “Perhaps you’re right.” He offered his arm. “Allow me to escort you to the solar so you may see for yourself how well your family is being treated.”

Joy suffused Elissa’s face as she rose and placed her fingers on Damian’s arm. Dark looks followed them as they progressed through the hall and ascended the steps to the solar.

“Your kinsmen appear displeased with me,” Damian said, scowling. “I had hoped for acceptance.”

“You canna blame them for disliking you. Everything has changed for them. Their future is uncertain and they donna approve of the way I’m being treated.”

“I’ve done nothing to you.”

“I’m your prisoner.”

“Hardly,” Damian scoffed.

They reached the top landing. “Who would you like to visit first, your mother or sister?”

“Mother, please.”

Damian knocked on Lady Marianne’s door and waited for a reply.

“Come in, my lord.”

Elissa sent him a startled look. “How does she know ’tis you?”

“I usually visit this time of day. Shall we go in?”

Elissa was stunned. Did the Demon Knight have a heart after all? It appeared he had compassion for everyone except her. Her thoughts fled when she saw her mother, still pale, still frail, but looking much better than the last time she’d seen her.

Marianne’s eyes lit up and she stretched out her arms. “Elissa! My dear one. Thank you, my lord, for bringing her to me.”

“I’ll wait outside,” Damian said, closing the door behind him.

“Are you all right, Mama?” Elissa asked, kissing her mother’s pale cheek. “You look better. Has Nan concocted a new elixir for you? Lord Damian hasn’t mistreated you, has he?”

“I do feel better, dearling,” Marianne said. “Mayhap ’tis due to Nan’s medications and mayhap ’tis because I’ve decided life is worth living. And nay, Lord Damian has been verra kind. We’ve had some long talks. He made me realize that giving up isna fair to you and Lora.”

Stunned, Elissa could do little more than stare at her mother. “The Demon Knight said that?”

“Aye, and more. You havena been harmed, have you? I donna like to think Lord Damian would hurt you but I’d rather hear it from your own lips.”

“I’m fine, Mama. I’ve not been harmed in any way. I hate being locked up, and not knowing what’s to become of me is unnerving, but somehow I’ll find a way to get us to Tavis Gordon,” she vowed. “You’re getting better. One day very soon, you, me and Lora will leave Misterly together.”

“Take care, daughter,” Marianne warned. “What you wish for may not be the best thing for you.”

Suddenly the door opened and Lora flew inside. Damian followed in her wake. Lora’s cheeks were flushed but she appeared to be well on the road to recovery. Elissa opened her arms and Lora rushed into them.

“Lissa! I’ve missed you.”

Elissa sent Damian a sour look over Lora’s head. “I’d have come to see you sooner had it been allowed. What are you doing out of bed?”

“I donna have to stay in bed,” Lora replied, beaming. “Nan said I’m almost well. I hardly cough anymore. Damian promised to take me on his horse as soon as Nan says it’s all right.”

“You call his lordship ‘Damian’?” Elissa gasped.

“Donna scold me, Lissa, Damian said I could.” She skipped over to Damian and grasped his hand. “Will you tell me a story before I go to sleep tonight, Damian?”

Elissa’s mind refused to believe what she was hearing. What was going on? She met Damian’s amused gaze over Lora’s head and felt the shock of it clear down to her toes.

Once she had returned to Damian’s chamber, Elissa sat in the windowseat and let her mind wander. It was difficult to reconcile the ruthless man she knew with the gentle demeanor that Damian presented to her mother and sister. Was she the one who brought out the worst in him?

It was growing dark. Elissa gazed out the narrow window at the mountains rising in the distance. How she wished she were free. She should be with Tavis right now instead of a prisoner of the Demon Knight.

A whisper of sound brought Elissa’s head around. The door opened and Maggie entered the chamber.

“I’ve brought yer supper, Elissa. Come and eat.”

Elissa sighed. “Set it down, Maggie, I’ll eat later. I’m not hungry right now.”

Maggie set the tray down, glanced furtively at Elissa, then whispered, “There’s trouble brewing.”

“What kind of trouble?”

“Our kinsmen are angry with his lordship for treating you badly.”

“Sweet Mother,” Elissa said on a shaky breath. “I want no bloodshed on my account. You must tell our people that I have not been mistreated, that I am well and coping.”

“I will tell them,” Maggie said in a hushed voice.

The conversation drew to a quick conclusion when Sir Richard knocked on the door, then poked his head inside. “Ah, there you are, Mistress Maggie. You’re wanted below.”

“I’ll try to return later,” Maggie hissed.

Elissa paced restlessly, her supper forgotten. There had been enough blood spilled at Culloden to last a lifetime and she hoped her kinsmen realized they had neither arms nor men to launch a rebellion. She wanted none of her kinsmen hurt on her account.

When Maggie failed to return to her chamber that night, Elissa sought her bed, but sleep was hard won.

Damian awoke at dawn and threw aside his blanket, shivering in the morning chill. Why was the barracks so cold, he wondered, thinking fondly of the comfortable room he’d given up to his provocative prisoner.

Banishing thoughts of Elissa, Damian stared at the cold hearth, a small frown drawing his brows together. Usually one of the servants came early and laid a fire in the grate, but for some reason no one had performed that duty today. He’d learned to heed his instincts and they told him now that something was amiss.

Dressing quickly, Damian left the barracks to correct any problems that might have arisen. He entered the hall, his gaze skipping over the empty chamber and settling on the cold hearth. Where was the cheery fire that usually warmed the cavernous room? Where was the sound of voices usually heard this time of morning?

The air carried no cooking odors, no sounds of pots and pans banging in the kitchen. An ominous silence prevailed. Curious, Damian strode down the passageway to the kitchen. It was deserted. No food was being prepared for the hungry men who would soon crowd around the trestle tables to break their fast. Damian spun around and returned to the hall, his boot heels echoing hollowly on the flagstone floor. Men were gathering in the hall for food and ale now, and Damian wondered how in bloody hell these men were going to be fed.

Damian spied Dickon and intercepted him.

“What’s amiss, Damian?”

“I wish I knew. Have you seen any Frasers about this morning?”

“Nay, but I’ll check the kitchen.”

“I already did. No one’s there. The whole bloody fortress is deserted. If Elissa is behind this I’ll wring her beautiful neck.” The words had scarcely left his mouth as he whirled on his heel and marched resolutely toward the tower staircase.

He halted abruptly when he spied Dermot hobbling into the hall.

“Where is everyone?” Damian asked harshly. “There’s no food on the table nor fires in the grates.”

“Nor will there be if ye continue to keep Elissa imprisoned in the tower,” he charged. “We donna like what yer doing to our lass, me lord.”

“I’ve done nothing,” Damian defended. “Ask Mistress Maggie, if you don’t believe me.”

“’Tis not good enough, me lord. Our lass shouldna be locked away from her kinsmen. If ye donna release our lass from the tower, no one will cook yer meals or till yer fields or harvest yer crops. The shepherds will let yer sheep go astray. Yer fortress will fall down around yer ears without the villagers who come in each day to serve ye. Release the Maiden of Misterly, yer lordship, and the people will return to their duties.”

Rage seethed through Damian. He was Lord of Misterly; how dared they dictate to him?

From the corner of his eye, Damian spied Sir Richard standing nearby. “Dickon! Assign three men to the kitchen until I can put an end to this blatant act of rebellion.”

Dickon sent him a skeptical look. “I doubt there’s a cook among the ranks.”

“I know that,” Damian said curtly. Then he turned and strode away, his anger escalating as he climbed the spiral staircase to the tower. He dismissed the guard with a nod of his head, turned the key in the lock and burst inside without knocking. The first thing he noticed was the warmth of the room and the flames that spit and crackled merrily in the hearth. That made his mood even darker. He started violently when he saw Elissa standing beside the washstand in her shift. The light was behind her, rendering her fine linen transparent. His breath hitched. Heat spiraled through him as he feasted unashamedly upon lush curves and seductive shadows.

Her breasts were exquisite; full and round with delicious cherry red nipples. His passionate gaze skimmed over slim waist and curvy hips, pausing at the shadowy patch at the apex of her thighs. Would it be the same dark fire as the hair on her head? he wondered as his gaze locked on that enticing part of her anatomy. His arousal was instantaneous and he fought hard to ignore it. He forced himself to concentrate on his reason for being here, not on the seductive Highland vixen who had somehow managed to incite a rebellion while locked away in the tower.

Elissa stood frozen in place. “What are you doing here?” she gasped. “Go away!”

Stalking her, Damian backed her against the washstand and grasped her shoulders, his fingers digging into her soft flesh. The heat of her struck him with shattering force and he struggled to retain some semblance of control.

“What have you done?” Her eyes widened and he felt her shoulders stiffen beneath his hands.

“I’ve done naught!”

“Don’t play innocent with me. You know bloody well what you did. You encouraged your kinsmen to flout my authority. The fortress has been abandoned. My men are hungry and the hearths are cold.”

His gaze strayed deliberately to the hearth, and the fire blazing within. His lips curled with derision. “Yours, however, seems to be well tended.”

“Donna blame me for my kinsmen’s behavior,” Elissa braved. “They donna like Englishmen any more than I do.”

Damian stared at her lips and suddenly felt adrift. His nerve endings tingled with awareness and he felt himself harden inside his tight breeches. He tried to concentrate on what she was saying when what he really wanted to do was to stop her words with a kiss.

He dragged her against him. “I’ve done nothing to harm you. I’ve never laid a hand on you, but I know what I’d like to do to you.”

Elissa stared pointedly to where his fingers were curled around her shoulders. “You’re laying a hand on me now, my lord.”

Her words seemed to have little effect on him as he pulled her closer, until his mouth was scant inches from hers. She felt his swollen manhood stirring against her belly and tried to arch away, to no avail.

“The truth, lady,” he growled against her lips. “Did you advise your kinsmen to abandon the fortress?”

Elissa’s knees were quaking as his arms tightened around her. She could feel his brute strength, thinly restrained, and she braced herself against the washstand, gripping it so hard her fingers turned white. “I told you, I donna know what you’re talking about. I’ve spoken with no one but Maggie.”

His silver gaze slipped to her mouth and she shivered beneath the sudden impact of his fierce desire. She gulped back a surge of fear. She didn’t want his desire; she wanted him gone.

“Being locked in a room is obviously an uncomfortable situation for you,” Damian allowed, “but I have sufficient reason for confining you. You’re disrupting my entire household.”

“If my kinsmen have abandoned the keep, you have no one but yourself to blame. I had nothing to do with it.”

He released the painful grip on her shoulders and slid his arms down her back, caressing her and molding her more closely to him. Elissa shuddered. He was staring at her mouth as if he wanted to devour it. His eyes probed deeply into hers. She inhaled sharply and leaned backward in a vain attempt to escape his mouth as it came down hard over hers. Forcing her lips apart with his tongue, he forged deep inside her mouth. Trembling with a strange mixture of fear and awakening desire, she wrenched her head away and braced her hands against his chest.

“Why do you resist? I could take you now and no one would gainsay me.” He cupped the back of her head and kissed her again.

Elissa felt herself spinning and clutched at him to keep from falling. She thought she heard him groan, but the taste of him rendered her incapable of coherent thought. He ravished her mouth with possessive hunger. Flames touched her skin, kindling a burgeoning passion she’d never experienced before. She knew she was wicked to allow this but she couldn’t seem to help herself.

He rubbed himself against her thinly clad form. She felt the solid ridge of his sex prodding boldly between her thighs and warning bells went off in her head.
This is madness!
That thought turned into raw panic as Damian swept her off her feet and strode toward the bed. She was utterly defenseless; there was no one to protect her virtue. The Demon Knight would have his way, with or without her compliance. What truly frightened her was the fact that Damian made her feel things inappropriate for a maiden promised to another man.

Elissa hit the mattress and tried to scoot away from Damian’s weight, but he caught her about the hips and rolled her beneath him. She gave an involuntary cry when he slid her shift upward with a sweep of his strong hands.

“You mustna do this! Send me away, but donna dishonor me.”

She felt his muscles tense, then his mouth swooped down on hers again, as if he hadn’t heard her. Slowly, purposefully, his hands explored her quaking body—her breasts, the slope of her back, the curve of her waist, the shape of her thighs. Elissa feared her ravishment was just moments away when a small voice called to her from outside the closed door.

“Lissa, Lissa, can I come in? Tell the bad man to let me inside.”

“Lora!”

Damian jerked backward, his face a mask of bewilderment as he stared down at Elissa. “Bloody hell! I must be mad.”

His thoughts coincided exactly with Elissa’s.

“Get off me!” She shoved against his chest and he sprang to his feet. Elissa was off the bed in an instant. She quickly donned her gown, then rushed to the door and flung it open.

A man-at-arms held Lora by her thin arm. “I caught her sneaking up the stairs, my lord.”

“Release her!” Damian barked.

“Damian!” Lora squealed, flinging herself at Damian the moment she found herself free. After a quick hug, she launched herself at Elissa.

Elissa searched her sister’s upturned face then gathered her in her arms. “What are you doing here, sweeting?”

“I wanted to see you.”

Damian’s grin appeared genuine as he touched Lora’s bright head. “Are you all right, little one? Should you be out of bed?” Lora nodded to both questions. “That’s good news indeed. Now all we need to do is get your mother well.”

Lora fingered the fine plaid of her gown and slid Damian a shy smile. “Well, mayhap I told a tiny lie. I still cough, but not as much as I did. Nan said it won’t be long before I can run and play again.”

Her words were followed by a fit of coughing.

“Perhaps I should carry you back to bed,” Damian offered, holding out his arms to the child.

“Nay,
I
will carry my sister to bed,” Elissa declared. She had no idea why Lora was so enamored of the Demon Knight, for she found him arrogant and offensive. He would have taken her virginity with little remorse had Lora not appeared at a propitious time.

“I should like Lissa to carry me back to my chamber,” Lora said, sending Damian an apologetic look. “I miss her. Why don’t you play with me like you used to, Lissa?”

Elissa shot Damian an aggrieved look. “You must ask Lord Damian that question, sweeting.”

Lora stared up at Damian with all the innocence of a five-year-old. “Why donna you want Lissa to visit me?”

Damian looked decidedly uncomfortable. “There are things you don’t understand, little one.”

Lora’s next question threw Elissa off balance. Judging from Damian’s expression, he was as stunned as she was. “What are you doing in Lissa’s bedchamber, Damian? Mama said a man and woman shouldna be alone unless they are wed. Are you and Lissa married?”

Elissa blanched. “Nay, Lora! You know I am promised to Tavis Gordon.”

“Your sister is mistaken, Lora,” Damian said with authority. “Elissa and the Gordon chieftain will never marry.” He turned his intimidating gaze on Elissa. “Take your sister to bed, lady. We will finish this discussion later.”

Elissa scurried off before Damian could change his mind. Even this small concession was welcome. She spent two enjoyable hours playing with Lora in her chamber. Then she tucked her sister in bed to rest and hastened to her mother’s chamber. Marianne was still pale but appeared somewhat stronger. At lunchtime, Nan arrived with a tray laden with enough food for the three of them to share.

“Maggie carried a tray to Lora,” Nan said. “The lassie ate her fill and fell asleep.” She grinned at Elissa. “Ye tired her out, lass, but yer visit did her a world of good. She’ll soon be well and scampering about as if she was never ill.”

“Elissa, love, have you been let out of the tower for good?” Marianne asked hopefully. “Lord Damian is a good man, I knew he’d realize how senseless it was to confine you.”

“Lord Damian a good man?” Elissa choked. She could tell her mother a thing or two about the Demon Knight but didn’t want to upset her.