“I tried to wait in the stables for you, but some of Father’s men
were already there. I only narrowly escaped them, but I had to go into
the street. Fort caught me.”
“Your brother? He’s on your father’s side, is he?”
“Not any longer. It was because of him I escaped.”
It was uncomfortable to be having this conversation in the dark. She
couldn’t see his expression and his voice gave nothing away, but she
sensed an emanation of power from her right-hand side. This was the
officer questioning her.
“Escaped from where?” he asked.
Chastity hastily edited her tale. “My father had hired a house and
Fort took me there. They locked me in a room. I convinced Fort that I
didn’t know where Verity was, that I’d come to Maidenhead in search of
her. When Father arrived, however, he wasn’t fooled. He forced me to
change out of my male clothing.” Chastity sought evasion, but found
none. “He threatened to sell me to a brothel if I didn’t tell all.”
Cyn turned sharply. “He
what
?”
“He didn’t,” she added quickly. “Do it, I mean. He doubtless knew
I’d give in before it came to that.” Chastity wasn’t defending her
father so much as protecting Cyn. If she told the whole truth, he might
insist on riding back to have it out with the earl.
He’d die.
Leashed anger underlaid his voice when he spoke again. “How did you escape?”
“Fort objected.”
“Good of him,” said Cyn with an edge like a blade.
Chastity did feel genuinely inclined to defend her brother. “He
found it hard to believe that Father could be so evil. Anyway, they
quarreled and that gave me my chance to escape, but I had nowhere to
go.”
“And looked like a dockside whore. Dear Jesus. Thank heavens I found you when I did.”
“Amen,” said Chastity softly. “But you still should have cut free
earlier in the day and gone to London to get the license. Is that where
we’re going now?”
“I’m not sure you’re up to it.”
Nor was Chastity, but she knew he’d never abandon her. She couldn’t
be responsible for a delay. “I’m fine,” she said cheerfully. “I even
had a nap this afternoon.”
They rode on steadily. Chastity gathered all her strength. She
thought of martyrs, of Horatio at the bridge, of Pheidippides at
Marathon. Her task was slight by comparison, her injuries minor.
All the same, it must be all of twenty miles to London and nearly as
far again to Long Knotwell. She didn’t know if she could make it. She’d
learned that human beings had tremendous reserves when tested, but hers
seemed to have been drained. She could bear this walking pace, but when
morning came and they speeded to a canter, she feared she’d fail.
Even this snail’s pace made the cloth of the drawers rub against the
weals on her legs. Despite her resolutions she kept shifting, seeking a
more comfortable position. She must stop it. The slightest evidence of
distress would alert Cyn, and that would be the end.
They came into Woodlands Green as a clock struck ten, and passed quietly through the sleeping hamlet.
“Where are we going now?”
“South, I hope.” The devil-may-care humor was back in his voice. It
exasperated her even as she cherished it. It seemed impossible that
anything terrible could happen to her with Cyn Malloren by her side.
“Why south? I thought we were going to London.”
“But any watch will be on the Bath road that passes through
Maidenhead. If we go south we should meet with the Southampton road and
make good speed from there. Tired?”
“A little,” she confessed, knowing a denial wouldn’t be accepted.
She wondered how many more miles this detour would add to their journey.
“I’m not sure that I shouldn’t leave you somewhere… but whenever I do that, you end in a pickle.”
Chastity stared at his shadowy shape. Was that an admission that
he’d recognized her as Chloe? Surely he would have to say something…
“What exactly do you mean by that?” she asked carefully.
“I left you at the Saracen today and found you half-naked in a man’s arms.”
She sagged with relief. “You needn’t make it sound as if I planned it so, and it hardly establishes a pattern.”
“But perhaps it’s fate,” he said lightly. “If you’re destined for a man’s arms, I’d rather it be mine.”
Chastity lacked the resolution to pursue the matter. What would she
do if it became clear that he recognized Chloe? She melted at the
thought of being in his arms again, but squashed the selfish longing.
Cyn glanced at the shadowy shape of her in the dark. There were a
great many things wrong and he didn’t know all of them. She seemed as
fragile as cracked crystal, ready to break at the slightest shock. What
had they done to her? She hadn’t told the whole truth.
Had she, in fact, escaped the brothel?
Had she been raped?
He longed with an aching intensity to consign Verity and her major
to the devil, and sweep Chastity off to a place where he could mend all
her hurts. He wasn’t sure he could feel easy leaving her anywhere, even
inside a friendly armed fortress. He had an insane desire to drag her
in front of him and ride with her in his arms. It was impractical.
She’d think him crazed. Why did he feel she was crying? Curse this
darkness. “Are you all right?” he asked again.
“Of course I am,” she snapped.
He forced his worries down. He could do nothing about them here.
“This lane’s rough, and I feel as if we’re going to ride into the
Slough of Despond at any moment. I’m going to lead my horse.” He swung
off.
Gritting her teeth, Chastity followed suit.
“You don’t need to.”
“I’d rather,” she said with great honesty. Walking wasn’t entirely
painless, especially now her weals had been rubbed by the cloth, but it
was preferable to riding.
They had to place each foot carefully, for the lane was badly rutted
and had deep puddles in places. They didn’t avoid all of them. Chastity
gave thanks they were both in boots.
They passed through two silent hamlets. At each one Chastity almost
begged that they stop and seek shelter. She fought the weakness and
trudged on. She could go another mile, just one more mile…
She had set herself—long ago, it seemed, and in another world—to
ensuring Verity and William’s safety. This was the last stage and she
would not fail them.
She stumbled and Cyn grabbed her hand. She gasped.
“What is it?” His finger gently touched and found a weal. “Are you hurt?”
“It’s nothing.”
“What happened?”
She pulled her hand away. “I hurt it. I scraped it on something.”
She pushed on and he followed. Chastity had tears in her eyes, as
much from weariness as pain. She blessed the darkness that concealed
them. She prayed that he wouldn’t make her talk.
He stopped. “I think, though I’m damned if I’m sure, that there’s a
barn over to our right, far enough from a farm to be unlikely to have
cattle in it. We need a rest.”
It was too tempting. Would she ever get moving again if they stopped? “I’m fine. We’re in a hurry.”
“At this pace? I wanted to be well away from Maidenhead, but we’re
certainly that. It makes as much sense to rest ourselves and the
horses, and make good speed later, as it would to push on and exhaust
ourselves. We’re even risking injury. Come on. There’s a gap in the
hedge here.”
Chastity had to follow, and in truth a large part of her was already succumbing to the allure of rest.
The dark shape turned out to be a barn, though a ramshackle one. It
contained some hay, though, and Cyn settled the horses with it, then
piled the rest and covered it with his cloak. “Come on, trooper. Time
to bivouac.”
Chastity eased down, feeling every ache and pain, but relishing the
sublime relief of rest. He sat down beside her in a shifting rustle.
She could scarcely see him, but he was a beloved warm presence. He
tucked her cloak over them.
He lay back and touched her shoulder gently. “Lean on me. You’ll be more comfortable.”
“What about you?”
“I can imagine nothing more delightful.”
Chastity wanted to, but feared he wanted to make love. She was too
tired. He’d probably find her hurts. She had resolved not to allow that
kind of commitment.
“I’m not trying to seduce you,” he said calmly. “You have my word on that. We both need our rest.”
She couldn’t distrust anything he said in that steady voice.
Chastity lay back gingerly and found the hollow of his shoulder. It
seemed designed to cradle her head. His arm came around her like a
shield and the warmth of his body soothed her chill. Exhaustion washed
over her, weighting her lids, fogging her brain. “Won’t it be dangerous
for us both to sleep?”
“Why? If your father finds us here, he’ll be using witchcraft. Go to sleep, Lady Chastity.”
“Don’t you mind?” she mumbled.
“What?”
“That I’m Chastity Ware.”
“I mind very much for your sake, love.”
She tried to make a movement of protest, but was too exhausted. “You can’t love me.”
“Don’t be bossy. I can do what the hell I like. Go to sleep.”
The next thing Chastity knew was his hand touching her face.
She opened her eyes to see a pale early light trickling into the
barn through gaps in the boards. Her eyes felt gritty, her head ached.
Everything ached. The few hours’ rest hadn’t helped.
“That bastard bruised you,” he said soberly. “I should have killed him.”
“It wasn’t him you were fighting.”
“I should have killed them both.”
She smiled wanly. “Start defending me, Cyn Malloren, and you’ll have to take on the world.”
“Why not?” he asked lightly. “All I ask of life is challenge.”
She closed her eyes in despair, but then forced them open. She’d be asleep again otherwise.
He kissed her gently on the lips. “The first time I’ve kissed you in the morning. May it be the first of many.”
Her heart trembled, but she said, ‘“Unlikely.”
He touched her chin gently. “Why is that?”
“Once we have the license and see Verity married, you can carry on with your own life.”
“Mmm,” he said, looking at her with lazy eyes. She thought she recognized that look. She began to ease away.
He put out a hand to stop her. “I promised not to seduce you, Chastity.”
“Yes.”
“I always keep my word. Do you believe me?”
She couldn’t deny that. “Yes.”
“Then believe that this kiss is just a kiss, not a prelude to more.”
His hand moved tenderly, subtly against her cheek. “Forget the past.
Forget everything. You are a highborn young lady who finds herself
taking shelter with a rascal, a rascal who is smitten with her charms
into stealing a kiss, but who can be trusted not to try to steal more.
You can relax and enjoy it. Even if you feel obliged to slap him for it
later…”
He sank down on top of her and kissed her gently. At first his lips
were as soft as her own breath, but then they took possession of her
with slow, drugging skill which sent warm delight flowing through her.
It dizzied her mind away from the chill of reality.
When he drew back she couldn’t help but smile at him. “Kiss many
young ladies like that, my lord, and you’ll not escape the wedding
knot.”
“Perhaps I don’t want to.” He raised her hand to kiss the palm. And
froze. “What the devil… ?” He looked sharply at her. “Those aren’t
scrapes.”
She tried to pull her hand away, but he held on to it. “Who caned
you? Your father?” Before she could answer, he grabbed her other hand
to inspect it. then released it. “Why?” he asked. She’d never imagined
his eyes could be so dangerous.
She hastened to diffuse his anger. “I was impertinent. He was
doubtless within his rights.” She smiled wryly at the memory. “Among
other things, I called him a foul hypocrite.”
He relaxed a bit, shook his head, and soothed her hurts with a feathery kiss. “A strict patriarch indeed. How old are you?”
It seemed strange that he did not know. “Nineteen.”
“You’re too brave and bold for nineteen, but I wouldn’t beat you for it. Doesn’t he know he has a treasure?”
She realized Cyn didn’t understand about her father. Chastity
herself didn’t understand how her father had come to be as he was, but
she felt she might if she once had a chance to ponder the pieces of the
puzzle.
She told Cyn, “He doesn’t regard a bold female as a treasure. He wants me meek and sweet like Verity. We should be on our way.”
She said it reluctantly, and he responded the same way. Neither of
them wanted to leave this little heaven they had found, but duty
called. He pulled her up by her left hand. By superhuman effort,
Chastity didn’t cry out as her stiffened legs shrieked with pain. But
he noticed.
“What is it?” he asked.
“Just stiffness,” she said quickly. “I bruised myself all over when
I fell on those cobbles. I’m starved, though. I don’t think I’ve eaten
since yesterday breakfast.”
“Lord, haven’t you? I shared a fine dinner with Frazer. Right then, on our way, and the first order of business is to feed you.”
Chastity didn’t think she could make it onto the horse, but he
accepted her story of stiffness and bruises, and helped her up. As
bruises, abraded skin, and tender scabs shrieked, she told herself it
would get better as she loosened up. She didn’t believe it.
They rode slowly into a village called Wickford and halted at the
Brown Cow. It was a simple, low-thatched inn, and not a posting house,
but the innkeeper professed himself able to serve them breakfast in the
taproom. This proved to be empty so early in the day, but already warm
with a blazing fire. Chastity eased with relief onto a settle there and
held out her hands to the warmth.
Cyn stood at the other side of the fireplace and studied her
thoughtfully. “You really are at the end of your tether, aren’t you?”
“I’ll be all right when I’ve eaten,” she lied. What else could she
say? He wouldn’t leave her behind. He said nothing, but she knew he
didn’t believe her, and with reason. She forced herself to sit
straighter. “We can’t give up now.”