The Spurned Viscountess Part 16

"But don't you wish to explore the pa.s.sage?"

"Not now. In the morning."

She accepted his arm and nodded. "That makes sense. I can't wait to see where it leads."

Lucien halted to nail her with a glare. "It's too dangerous for you. I'll do the exploring." The thought of her wandering alone in the pa.s.sages made his blood run cold. He'd stake his life the pa.s.sage connected with the smugglers' tunnels at the beach and perhaps the North Tower. It was the only thing that made sense. All the booty he'd discovered during his explorations had disappeared between one visit and his next. He knew for a fact the contraband didn't leave via sea or along the beach. That left only one alternative.

"That's not fair. I discovered the pa.s.sage."

Now was not the time to argue. He took Rosalind's arm and propelled her to her chamber. Get rid of her. Go and investigate now, before the smugglers discover someone has breached the pa.s.sage. Get rid of her. Go and investigate now, before the smugglers discover someone has breached the pa.s.sage. A snort escaped. h.e.l.l, who was he trying to fool? Each minute spent with Rosalind was a test of willpower. One taste of her lips left him craving more. A snort escaped. h.e.l.l, who was he trying to fool? Each minute spent with Rosalind was a test of willpower. One taste of her lips left him craving more.

At Rosalind's chamber, he opened the door and stood back for her to enter.

"I don't believe it," she muttered.

Lucien followed her gaze. The room and its contents were in a shambles. Her belongings covered the floor, the bedding ripped from the bed, the sheets shredded as if someone had thrown a temper tantrum.

Rosalind stomped inside her room. She rotated to face him, her face a mask of fury. "This is the second time tonight. That's why I never returned with the salve for your face. The maids and I spent almost two hours clearing the mess." She screwed up her face and, alarmed, Lucien wondered if she was going to cry. "The only gown I own is the one I wore tonight. All the others were shredded." She swiped a hand over her face.

d.a.m.n. She was going to cry. What was he going to do with a weepy female?

"Where am I going to sleep?" she demanded with a sniff. "It's so late, I can't ring for a maid again."

"You can sleep in my room." Lucien stilled as he registered his words. He'd said them without forethought, but he could hardly take them back now.

"In your room?"

"Yes," he said gruffly. He headed for the connecting door, holding the candle to light the way while he unlocked it. Allowing Rosalind in his chamber was a bad idea. On the threshold, he hesitated. Rosalind didn't seem to notice his diffidence as she surveyed his private rooms.

"What will I sleep in?" she asked.

His mind groped for an acceptable answer. "One of my s.h.i.+rts?" he finally suggested.

Her smile made his heart beat a little faster. "Thank you."

Lucien shook himself mentally and crossed the Persian carpet to the door of his dressing room. Minutes later, he produced a white linen s.h.i.+rt. He paused in consternation. Rosalind was eyeing his bed with fascination. He felt a tinge of amus.e.m.e.nt as he jerked his gaze away. Just wait until she notices the cavorting nymphs. Just wait until she notices the cavorting nymphs.

"Where will you sleep?"

"There's a couch in my dressing room."

Before he could speak, Rosalind darted into the dressing room. "You can't sleep on that. The mattress is as hard as an oak tree."

Lucien sighed. She was going to be difficult. He just knew it.

"Your bed is big enough for two."

Did she have to point that out?

A plaintive meow sounded from the other side of the connecting door, saving him from a reply.

"It's Noir," Rosalind said.

Lucien grabbed the chance to escape, if only for a few minutes. "I'll get him." He unlocked the connecting door, spied the kitten by Rosalind's bed, and played chase for several minutes. Finally, he cornered the kitten and returned to his bedroom at a much slower pace. Share the bed. He wasn't ready for this. Not at all.

Visions raced through his head without warning, visions that had little to do with sleeping. He paused, shocked at his thoughts. "h.e.l.l's teeth," he muttered.

He set the kitten down on the floor and tried to think when his feelings had s.h.i.+fted. The change had been subtle and sneaked up on him. He might feel an attraction for her, but that didn't mean he had to follow his inclinations.

"I changed in your dressing room." Rosalind walked to the bed without the slightest bit of hesitation, her legs bare to his gaze.

And he looked. He couldn't help it. His blood roared through his veins, his heart stuttering before resuming a rapid tattoo. Hands itched to touch her generous curves.

Her legs were long and slender for such a tiny thing. She perched on the edge of his bed and calmly unbound her hair. Pale golden locks fell over her shoulders one by one, glinting in the light of the second candle she'd lit while he was away.

"Which side should I sleep on?" Her voice sounded matter-of-fact, as if they'd done this a thousand times before.

Lucien grimaced, still hesitating while Rosalind finished loosening her hair and pulled back the covers. His gaze fastened on her legs and never moved until they disappeared under the covers.

"Shall I blow the candle out?"

Lucien cleared his throat. "No, I'll take it to the dressing room with me."

"You are coming back?" She patted the s.p.a.ce on the feather mattress beside her. "There's plenty of room for both of us."

Chapter Thirteen.

How long until morning?

Lucien tugged at the neck of his linen s.h.i.+rt, trying to ease the tightness as he stared at the English mouse in bemus.e.m.e.nt. It felt a bit like a hangman's noose, he thought with a flash of black humor.

"Well?"

She was pushy and oblivious to fear. Lucien still couldn't get past the fact his scarred face did nothing to scare her off. Most women turned away when they spied his damaged cheek. Even men averted their gaze, but not his English mouse.

He felt the weight of a stare and knew she was watching him. Again. Slowly, he turned. Her lips looked soft and pink in the candlelight. The taste of her mouth simmered in his memory.

"You need sleep," he murmured, still eyeing her lips and feeling unbearably tempted. "You'll rest better if I sleep in the dressing room." With that decided, he stepped toward his dressing room.

He couldn't leave! She wouldn't let him. Not when she was so close to finding out what went on between a man and wife in their bedroom. There had to be more than sleeping in the same room. She tossed back the covers and jumped off the bed. He was not sleeping in the dressing room.

Rosalind seized his arm and planted her feet on the floor like an anchor. Her hand connected with the warm, smooth skin of his wrist.

"Don't go."

Images formed immediately, and she let them flow. Embraced them and was pleasantly surprised. Instead of the face of the woman, she saw her own. Rosalind closed her eyes, concentrating hard, savoring the vision. Her heart sang at the victory, although it was a small one.

"You don't know what you're asking of me." Lucien's voice was tortured. She felt a tinge of shame, but not enough to halt the fight for her marriage or her determination to jolt Lucien from his lonely corner. She was alone too. They needed each other. Her hand dropped from his arm. "You're my husband."

"I'm not a good husband." Lucien turned to her. His face blazed with pa.s.sion, with pain. "I was married before." His voice caught and she saw his throat work.

From her visions, she knew of the other woman, but actually hearing him talk of his wife made her seem more real and a threat. A spurt of jealousy raced through Rosalind, but not enough to kill her thirst for knowledge freely given. "What happened?"

"She died." His face appeared carved with pain. "It was my fault."

Without thought, Rosalind reached to comfort him. She grabbed his waist and fell against his chest so he had to catch her. Impressions bombarded her. It was as if the dam had burst, releasing slivers of the past. Emotions, both heartfelt and painful, rushed through her mind like towering waves during a storm. Tumultuous. Powerful. She gasped, struggling to turn thoughts to words.

"Why?" She grimaced against his s.h.i.+rt at the totally inadequate response. Lucien blamed himself for the death. Yet she knew her husband to be a caring man, one who worked tirelessly in the village, a man who took the time to play with the village children.

"Francesca died."

"I'm sure it wasn't your fault," Rosalind said, her voice firm and sure.

"For a long time after Francesca and I married, I remembered nothing of my past. Then fragments returned, but they made no sense. Francesca and I discussed it, and she persuaded me we should travel to England and search for answers. She was expecting a child. I told her traveling would be dangerous, but she was insistent. I agreed because I couldn't bear to be apart from her. We traveled by boat, then by land. Bandits attacked us late one night." Lucien faltered, his voice layered with torment.

Rosalind pressed her cheek to his chest. His body was tight. Tense. It was wrong to push for details when it was obvious he was in pain, but she needed to know.

"What happened?" she whispered, pressing her body even closer, offering comfort in the only way she knew.

"Francesca...she was shot." He swallowed audibly. "She died in my arms."

Tears of sympathy built at the back of her eyes. Poor Lucien, losing his wife and child that way. "Were the bandits caught?"

The question tossed Lucien firmly back in the past, back to the night he'd lost Francesca. The fear. Anger. The pain he'd felt at the moment he realized Francesca was gone. The gnawing desperation for revenge...

"I'd give anything to bathe in warm, scented water," Francesca had said with a heartfelt sigh. "My bones ache from the journey today."

Concern crinkled Lucien's brow. He studied Francesca's pale, travel-stained face and felt instant guilt. "I knew we should have stopped at that last inn. Cara, Cara, you should have said something." you should have said something."

"Pooh, it was only midday," Francesca scoffed, making light of the extra miles they'd traveled. But Lucien noticed how her hands crept up to ma.s.sage the small of her back. "We are only two days from the coast," she continued. "It didn't make sense to halt early. Besides, we've stopped now."

Lucien glanced around the rough camp they'd made in a clearing. It wasn't the ideal situation for Francesca and their unborn child. Several bushes provided shelter from the prevailing wind, and their camp was far enough off the track to escape the attention of pa.s.sing travelers. A small fire was burning within a circle of rocks. The two men who'd journeyed with them from the Bacci estate had gathered together leaves and gra.s.ses for bedding, and now that darkness had fallen, one was turning a rabbit on a spit over the fire. The scent of the roast meat made Lucien's stomach grumble in protest. It seemed a long time since their last meal.

Although the need to fill the holes in his memory was strong and nagged at him, Francesca and his unborn child were more important. "Come, cara. cara. Let me rub your back." Let me rub your back."

Francesca's rich laugh rang out. "Stop worrying! I'll be fine after a good night's sleep."

The distinct clip-clop of a horse's hooves halted their discussion, and they both turned. Lucien picked up his flintlock pistol and held it at the ready as three men rode into their campsite.

Oberon whinnied, pawing the ground in agitation. Lucien stiffened when he noticed the way their hats were tugged low over their faces. They traveled light with no luggage. He s.n.a.t.c.hed up his sword in his free hand and edged back, out of the light of the fire, gesturing silently for Francesca to do the same.

"Signor, they're armed!" one of their men shouted. He seized his musket and held it at the ready. they're armed!" one of their men shouted. He seized his musket and held it at the ready.

"Bandits," Francesca cried, grabbing a saddlebag and ducking for cover behind a leafy thicket not far from where they stood.

One of the hors.e.m.e.n cursed. A shot reverberated through the clearing, the acrid scent of gunpowder filling the air. Another followed an instant later. Both servants fell to the ground and remained there, unmoving. Obscured by the smoke of the gunpowder, Lucien darted behind the thicket, dread filling him until he located Francesca.

"Run," he ordered his wife. G.o.d, how were they going to get out of this? Nothing must happen to Francesca. "Hide in the trees while I distract them."

"No!" Francesca pulled a primed pistol from her saddlebag. She peeked cautiously around the undergrowth. "I won't leave you. There aren't meant to be bandits here. We checked!"

From experience, Lucien knew it was pointless to argue with Francesca. "Keep low," he said tersely. "Your white blouse catches the light."

"Told ya we should have crept up on them," one of the hors.e.m.e.n snarled. "Hawk will have our skins if we don't carry out his orders."

The familiar accent tickled at Lucien's memory. It wasn't Italian or French.

"English," Francesca whispered. "That doesn't make sense."

Who the h.e.l.l was Hawk? Lucien tensed, his heart pumping fear and anger through his veins.

"Can you hear them?" Francesca asked.

The uneasiness in her voice echoed his apprehension. Nothing about this situation seemed right. His stomach cinched tight, and he listened intently before shaking his head. "Wait there," he murmured. "I'll see if I can pick at least one of them off." Lucien knew they were there...waiting. The tension stretched tighter within him. d.a.m.n it, he couldn't even hear the horses. He moved cautiously, trying to nail their positions.

A shot rang out. An instant later pain flooded his shoulder. He fell.

"Lucien!" Francesca screamed.

Lucien scrambled to his feet, fighting the lethargy creeping through his body. Only a flesh wound. He pressed the heel of his hand to the wound and searched for the sword he'd dropped. He'd need it once he'd fired the shot in his pistol.

"There!" one of the hors.e.m.e.n cried. "There she is."

Lucien's head jerked up. He saw a flash of white. A musket fired. Francesca screamed and dropped to the ground.

"Got 'er," a man said in clear satisfaction.

"Someone's coming," another said.

Galloping hooves told of their rapid departure.

Lucien staggered over to Francesca. Panic like he'd never known roared through him. "Francesca? Francesca!"

He dragged her close, cradling her in his arms, searching frantically to find the source of the wound. The blouse ripped easily to reveal a gaping hole. She breathed in quick, shallow gasps, and Lucien heard a rattle deep in her chest. No! A chill raced up his spine with each labored breath Francesca took.

"Lucien." Her hands gripped him painfully. Her dark eyes glittered in the scant light cast by the fire.

"Yes, cara. cara." Lucien had to lean closer to hear. The blood kept rus.h.i.+ng from the bullet hole in her chest. He had to stop it. He ignored the burning in his shoulder to press down on the wound site. Her pained groan tore at him. He must stop the bleeding. He must.

"Promise me. Go to England. Find St. Clare. Promise."

"Don't talk, cara. cara. Save your strength. Let me tend your wound and stop the bleeding." Save your strength. Let me tend your wound and stop the bleeding."