Daughter of Darkness (33 page)

‘Don’t be cross with me,’ Willow implored, laying her head against the older woman’s shoulder. ‘I’ve been so happy of late.’

‘I doubt that not at all.’ There was no relenting in Edwina’s voice. ‘Your husband indulges your every whim.’ If the truth was told, she was annoyed that Willow spared her so little time these days. She turned, staring at the girl with indignant eyes. ‘A shooting match! What can Gerard be thinking of?’

Willow’s eyes sparkled with mischief. ‘No doubt he’s thinking he and Jeffrey will out-shoot James and myself, and win the purse.’

‘Do not confound me by stating the obvious. You knew very well what I meant.’ Her glance swept over the two Lytton males to settle on the figure of James Langland, who was squinting down the barrel of one of his pistols. ‘You cannot fool me, nor wrap me around your little finger like some I could mention.’

‘I would not try.’ Kissing Lady Edwina’s cheek, Willow sighed. ‘Gerard is very handsome?’

Edwina couldn’t quite succeed in keeping the smugness from her smile. It had been obvious to her for some time. Gerard had a self-satisfied look about him. When his eyes strayed to Willow, they contained an intimacy that spoke of knowledge.

‘He’s tolerably well set up,’ she agreed, pleased her prediction had come to fruition, and running her eye over Willow’s waist for signs of thickening.

‘I think he resembles you,’ Willow whispered. ‘But do not tell Ambrose I said so. He’s quite sure Gerard resembles him.’ She grinned to herself as a pleased look came into Lady Edwina’s eyes.

‘You may be right, my dear.’ Mollified, the old lady cast a fond eye at her eldest grandson. ‘He’s intelligent as well as handsome, as my dear husband was.’ She gazed down her nose at James. ‘A good bloodline always shows. Compared to Gerard, that man is a bag of bones.’ She ignored Willow’s giggle as she warmed to her theme. ‘I knew his grandmother of course.’

Quite agreeable to involved in a little gossip about James, Willow gave Lady Edwina a smile of encouragement.

Spreading her fan across her lips, Edwina began to elaborate at length. ‘Eugenia was a nonentity, one of the Herbert family of Gloucester. They were all puny creatures. Eugenia was all skin and bone, and had teeth like a horse. She was so conceited she couldn’t see her faults as anything but virtues. She bore thirteen children for her husband, and outlived him by fifteen years. James Langland is very much like her.’

Giving birth to thirteen children and outliving a husband by fifteen years didn’t sound like the actions of a puny person to Willow. She smothered another giggle. ‘James is not in the least bit conceited, Grandmother.’

‘Don’t argue with me, girl. If I say he’s conceited, he’s conceited. I can guarantee my grandsons will out-shoot him, then you’ll not be so smug.’

‘If you’d care to place a wager on the outcome… ?’

‘Ladies do not gamble.’ Edwina gave a loud sniff, then glanced around to see if anyone was watching. ‘You’ll not outsmart me,’ she hissed. ‘I’ll have five guineas on my grandson’s skills.’

James strolled to where they sat. ‘He nodded to Lady Edwina, then smiled and whispered in her ear as he offered her his arm. ‘There’s a gusty cross wind. It comes across the lake from the right. Shoot when the ripples are least active.’

It seemed as though everyone in the house had turned out to watch the contest. Tables and chairs had been set upon the lawn. Servants walked amongst them with tea in delicate china cups, lemonade, and trays of sweetmeats. Edward was there with his nurse, his adoring glance alternating between Jeffrey, and his new hero, Gerard. The day was warm, the wind fitful, but cool enough to remind them it was not quite May.

Gerard smiled when they reached him. Flipping the lid of a flat box, open he said. ‘These were given to me for my coming of age. I’d like you to have them.’

The two pistols had highly polished wooden grips with embossed silver trim. Gerard’s initials were carved into the handle where her fingers would curve underneath. He smiled at her a trifle quizzically when she expertly weighed them in her hands. ‘They were always a little on the light side for me.’

Her eyes caught his as he spoke, and a surge of desire left her breathless. A mocking little smile crossed his lips as he leaned forward and kissed her. ‘Good luck, angel’

‘You must allow her time to get the feel of these pistols.’ James took them from her hands, checked them and nodded his approval before he proceeded to load them. He gave her a wicked grin as he caught her eye. ‘I’ll set two stones on the top of the stone bench, cherub.’

Willow’s eyes sparkled when Gerard gave an indulgent chuckle. He was not chuckling a minute or so later when the stones disintegrated into grit.

‘Holy priest!’
The exclamation came from Lady Edwina. She was discomfited when both Gerard and Jeffrey grinned at her. The chit had outsmarted her after all.

A crowd of rooks took to the air and circled around in noisy confusion above the trees. Detaching itself from the smaller birds, a raven soared across the meadow to circle the people in the garden. It came to rest on a gargoyle decorating a corner of the roof of Lytton house. From the attic window below, Nellie crooned softly to it. The raven’s bright stare surveyed the heads below, then settled on the dark pigtailed head of the tallest of the shooters. Tilting its head to one side, it made a harsh guttural noise in its throat and settled into its feathers.

Half an hour later and Willow and James were three points up. The two teams had only one shot each left when Jeffrey stepped forward. His aim had been consistent. He’d benefited greatly from James’s tuition. Jeffrey hit the target just off centre, bringing a spatter of applause from the spectators. Even the servants had stopped to watch now. The air was charged with tension. Jeffrey’s eyes sought his father’s for approval and they exchanged a grin.

James brought his gun up and fired. Distracted by a sudden shout from Edward, his shot went wide. He shrugged and stepped back. ‘The best of the next two shots decides the match.’

Willow didn’t look at Gerard when he took his stance, knowing it didn’t matter where his shot went. What mattered, was that hers hit the target dead centre. All her focus was on that one thought. She frowned as a distraction came into the corner of her vision. There was a raven soaring above them. A bad omen? She shivered as the sun lost its warmth. For some reason, she exchanged an alarmed glance with her mother. Sapphire half rose, shielding the sun from her eyes with her hands. There was a click as Gerard’s gun cocked.

Dear God! What was the raven about? The bird hurtled downwards, its neck outstretched, its beak glinting like a deadly weapon. Straight at her husband!

Everything happened in a split second. Cocking her pistol, she took aim and fired in one fluid motion. There was a scream from Sapphire. Gerard half-turned, his eyes flared and he dropped to one knee when he saw the gun pointed in his direction. His pistol automatically turned towards her, his finger tightened on the trigger. The expression in his eyes was as lethal as the gun in his hand.

No! Jeffrey’s shout had hardly registered on Willow’s ears when the raven hit Gerard’s shoulder. His gun discharged, the ball wrenching the pistol from her hand. It spun into the grass, the barrel shattered.

Silence pressed in on them, suffocating the sounds of the day. Her throbbing hand cradled by the other, she gazed at Gerard in horror, and he at her. He glanced at the dead raven, a mixture of revulsion and awe painted on his face as feathers drifted around him like black snow. When he looked at her again, there was pain and anger in his eyes. ‘You could have killed me.’

‘Impossible, my friend.’ The usual laconic tone was missing from the voice of James when he placed a restraining hand on Gerard’s sleeve. ‘She was aiming at the bird.’

The hand was cast aside as horror took precedence over the other emotions. ‘What’ s worse, I could have killed you.’ Color drained from his face at the thought.

How angry he sounded. There was a roaring sound in Willow’s ears and she experienced nausea. What he’d omitted to mention was he would have killed her had the raven not thrown him off balance. Choking on a sob, she turned and fled towards the house.

Damnation! The anguish in her eyes brought guilt flooding through Gerard. Didn’t she realize his anger was directed against himself? Dropping his pistol to the table he started out after her. When he entered her bedchamber she was curled in a chair by the window, a handkerchief pressed to her eyes. Her tears came as a surprise. This was no pretty appeal on her part, her handkerchief was sodden, her eyes swollen and red. The sound of weeping wrenched at his conscience. ‘You’ve taken this too much to heart, my love.’ His attempt to take her in his arms met with resistance as she stiffened and pushed him away. He dropped to his knees. ‘You had a fright, that’s all. There was no harm done.’

‘How can you say that?’ Her voice was tragic. ‘You were about to shoot me through the heart. I saw it in your eyes.’

She trembled when he reached out and touched her hand. The pain had diminished slightly. There was no swelling apparent so the bones were still intact. She winced when he carefully probed it. ‘It’s but a mild sprain, and should soon mend.’ He feathered kisses upon the site of the pain as if to heal the hurt. ‘What you saw was merely a reaction, my love.’

A reaction that had frightened even himself. He’d been thinking of the marquis each time he discharged his gun at the target. The man had become an obsession with him, and his anger burned like fire whenever he thought of him. When her shot had whistled over his head, he’d automatically turned and aimed. It had taken a split-second to register that she was not the marquis. The other half of the second did not bear thinking about.

His explanation did not drive the wary look from her eyes. Gently, he caressed the palms of her hands with his thumbs, his heart aching for her pain and insecurity.

‘You remembered I was his blood, she accused. If Jeffrey hadn’t shouted— ‘

He shook his head in denial. ‘The gun discharged when the raven hit me.’

Gradually she relaxed and taking advantage, Gerard leaned forward and stole the breath from her mouth with a kiss, coaxing softly. ‘I beg you to forgive me.’

His tone was a honeyed as his kiss had been and the beginning of a smile trembled upon her lips. ‘If you would but kiss me again, I’ll consider it.’

He was in the middle of obliging her when the door opened and his grandmother stalked in. She didn’t look in the least bit apologetic at interrupting what was so obviously a private moment. Annoyed, Gerard sprang to his feet and retreated to the window.

‘Ambrose has declared the match won by Willow and that Langland creature,’ Edwina grumbled. ‘I’ve come to pay the five guineas I owe.’ Her glance lit on Willow’s tearstained face and she gave a long drawn out, ‘Hurrumph!’ That will teach you to play with fire, young lady. Perhaps you’ll think twice before challenging my grandsons again.’ Throwing some coins on the bed she threw him a scowl and stalked from the room.

Despite his embarrassment Gerard found it hard to keep a straight face when Willow gazed at him. Eyes alight with merriment, her lips trembled with the effort of keeping it in. A quaver of laughter escaped her half-kissed mouth. ‘You’re indeed a dangerous man, Gerard. You ignite at the least provocation.’

‘You should have listened to her warning, angel,’ he growled, advancing on her with intent in his eyes and laughter on his lips. ‘Didn’t I just hear her tell you to think twice before challenging me?’

Her gaze melded with his, kept there with the passion smoldering in their depths. Her mouth blew shivering erotic kisses gently into his ear as he took her into his arms. Her voice had the husky, seductive tone he’d grown to love as she whispered, ‘Lock the door, Gerard, we’ll discover just how fiery you are.’

Sapphire was walking arm in arm with Willow in the garden. Deep in conversation, their intimacy was apparent for everyone to see.

Watching from the study window, Gerard gave an ironic smile. He tried not to resent the time she spent with her mother, but because he worried about Sapphire’s reputation he couldn’t bring himself to totally like the woman. She seemed to have taken over both his father, and wife, of late, and he felt excluded.

He turned and smiled at the man sprawled in one of the battered, leather chairs. ‘So you’ve decided to take the post Annie Tupworthy has offered. A wise choice, James.’

‘I wonder,’ James said. ‘Sometimes, it’s wiser to make a clean break from ties of the past.’

The meaning of the man’s words were not lost on him. ‘Willow would be broken-hearted if you left. Besides, she’s convinced herself that you and Annie Tupworthy are a good match.’

James grinned self-consciously. ‘If she’s got romance on her mind she can forget it. I have nothing to offer a woman.’

Handing James a glass of madeira, Gerard took the opposite chair. ‘It was Willow who recommended you for the position. You were always more than a tutor to her, James. She speaks of you with great fondness.’

‘Fondness I do not deserve, for I lied to her all those years.’ He contemplated the liquid in his glass. ‘I’ve never told this to anyone before, but you are her husband, and one day she might discover the truth. I’d not have her think too badly of me.’

‘What is it that’s troubling you, man?’ he urged when James hesitated.

‘I was sent to Coringal to be her gaoler. My instructions were to keep her in isolation until the marquis sent for her. She was to be denied help if she became sick. If she died, she was to be buried in an unmarked grave. The marquis suggested that if she was to die suddenly, my notes would be paid off that much sooner.’

‘And you agreed to that?’ Gerard was instantly on his feet, his eyes hot with furious accusation. ‘Why did you not challenge the man? You were the only swordsman in England who could have beaten him.’

‘Sit down, my hot-blooded friend.’ James cast weary eyes his way. ‘I had no reason to call him out. I owed him a great deal of money, and because of my gambling debts my family had cast me out. I had no other way of honoring the debt. Be thankful it was me and not some villain like Simon Carswell who was given charge of her. She wouldn’t have lived long enough to see her first birthday.’