She could say no more.
Mr. Blackstone approached her, slowly stepping into the stable, saying her name, attempting to calm her as one might calm a horse. “Lina, Lina, please tell me whatever has so upset you,” he coaxed.
It all happened in quite a blur. She saw an opening and a moment of weakness, so she took it. Spooking a horse, after all, was much easier than calming one, and so that is what she did to the gray horse, who whinnied frighteningly and rose upon his hind quarters, sending Mr. Blackstone dashing to one side to avoid the great beast. This gave Lina an opening to escape, and she ran through the stable doors.
It was dark outside and there was very little moonlight, so she knew as soon as she headed onto the great lawn of the garden that there was nowhere she could run to. Yet perhaps she could make it to the hedge, and dive into it, and disappear into the surrounding woods. It was a terrible idea, she knew, for the woods were easy to lose oneself in, and she did not know this area at all. She was frantic as she ran, thinking of where she would go, and what she would do, but love and anger were a potent mix that went straight to her mind and robbed her of any sensible thought.
It was, therefore, somewhat of a relief to hear the hooves of the horse that followed her, and the voice of Mr. Blackstone calling her name. The inky darkness only increased as she ran, and the sounds on the ample lawn were distorted, so she turned her head to gauge the distance from the estate. That is when the ground turned uneven beneath her feet, and a wrenching pain seized her ankle, and the dim gas lights, and the stars, and the black ground all entered a nauseating spin, until the cold, damp grass rose to slap her squarely across the left cheek.
“Lina!” Mr. Blackstone was saying as the horse hooves slowed and the horse snorted, and she heard his feet on the ground. His strong hands seized her by the shoulders and pulled her close to him, and his arms encircled her. He was warm, and she inhaled his scent and was dizzy again with affection. The pain in her ankle burned violently, but it was her heart that made her eyes overflow with tears.
“What has possessed you? Lina? Are you hurt?” Mr. Blackstone pushed her away to look at her face, but she knew he could not see her any better than she could see him. He placed a hand against her forehead. “Are you feverish? What has possessed you?!”
He sounded angry now, and Lina sobbed, shaking her head.
“Come, we shall return to the estate and you shall explain yourself fully,” he scolded her, as he lifted her beneath the arms.
Lina winced as she tried to stand on her ankle.
Mr. Blackstone pulled her to him, and she did not have the will to resist. She fell into his embrace and cried softly.
“You petulant girl,” he said, though his tone was not as harsh as it might have been. “Have you hurt yourself? Does it hurt very much?”
Lina could only nod.
And so he lifted her, easily and as though she weighed nothing, and set her upon the horse. He had evidently made peace with the gray horse she had intended to steal, and finished saddling him, all in but a moment’s time. When he looked up at her, his expression seemed partially bemused, though it may have been a trick of the light. “Are you able to ride this way?” he asked her.
She wanted very much to say no, or to fight him somehow, but it was occurring to her that her plans of escape were now senseless, and that she had no choice but to return to the estate.
She nodded, her lips pressed together.
She would return, but she would not be broken by her foolish sentimentality again.
“Let us return, then, and Callum shall see to your injury,” he said. It was then that she saw he was out of breath, and he paused to breathe deeply before asking her again, “Lina, my pet, what on earth has possessed you to do such a... reckless... thing?”
Lina pressed her lips together, and her heart burned. She only managed to say, “I do not wish to see Dr. Doyle.”
Mr. Blackstone looked at her for a moment, quite confused, and then, shaking his head, he began to lead the horse back to the stables.
* * *
But he took her to see Dr. Doyle anyway, or rather, he must have called upon him to attend to her in the surgery. Mr. Blackstone had carried her from the stables to the room, and Lina had no choice but to hold him around his strong shoulders with her nose close to his neck, inhaling the sweet, masculine scent of his skin. He said only, “You will be quite all right, you silly girl,” but several times, almost as though he repeated it for himself rather than her.
“You will not tell me what has happened?” he asked her, after setting her upon the bed.
Lina turned her head to the wall and pressed her lips together, for she must remain resolute before Mr. Blackstone’s charms. She had grown weaker in her resolve as he carried her, but when she felt she might seek his mouth with hers, she repeated Dr. Doyle’s vile words in her mind, over and over again, to harden her heart to the two men she had only hours before loved so much.
Perhaps... we could... if we consent, allow the Moulay to take his pleasure with Miss Blanchet before our wedding, then the Moulay might see fit to forgive the debt...
“But what has she told you?” Dr. Doyle hissed outside of the surgery when Mr. Blackstone met him in the anteroom. “What has she done?”
“I cannot coax a word from her now. She is talking nonsense. Perhaps she has a fever...”
The two men entered, and Lina attempted to turn her face away and cover it, but Dr. Doyle encircled her wrists and pulled her away from the wall.
The same look of concern clouded his face as well.
Well, Lina thought. How do you like that? Both of them, playing her for a fool!
“Lina,” Dr. Doyle said, looking into her eyes, his expression now clinical, examining her as a doctor might. He felt her skin and put his fingers on her wrist to feel for her pulse.
“Where are you injured, my love?”
Lina pursed her lips and closed her eyes to indicate that she would not cooperate with him. It was the only stand she could make.
“The matter seems to be with her right foot,” Mr. Blackstone said.
With her eyes closed, she could feel Dr. Doyle’s hands upon her body, squeezing her gently, pulling her clothing away to look at her leg, fingers pausing before they reached her throbbing foot. “She’s sprained it quite violently,” Dr. Doyle said, without touching it. “My dear Lina, whatever could you have been thinking? You shall have to rest your foot for weeks, my darling, and the wedding shall be delayed.”
This made Lina sob, a great howl which she attempted to contain but which warbled up in her throat anyway, and so she brought her hands to her face to cover it.
“Lina,” Dr. Doyle’s voice was saying, and she heard the two men speak to each other, though in snippets, for her own sobbing, trapped in her chest, was making it difficult for her to hear.
“Well, what has she said?!” Dr. Doyle snapped. “She does not suffer from a fever.”
“Could it be that she is delirious, or somehow gone mad?” Mr. Blackstone wondered.
Lina opened her eyes and pushed herself up on her elbows. “I have not gone mad!” she almost shouted.
The two men looked at her, silent.
“Lina,” Dr. Doyle finally said, very gently. He reached for her hands, and she recoiled.
“Please, my darling, tell me whatever has possessed you,” Mr. Blackstone coaxed again.
Her eyes flew from one to the other. How concerned they managed to look, how deceptive!
She glared at Dr. Doyle, and his words again surfaced in her mind, making her anger flare wildly.
“I heard you,” she heard herself hissing. And then it came pouring from her, louder with each word, rage building as she spoke. “I heard what you said to your friend! I heard you offer me to him! And I shall not be a plaything to... to...” her fists were balled up and she was furious, and then a great feeling of sadness swallowed her whole. “I loved you!” she shouted, imploding. She fell back on the bed. “I am such a
fool for loving you, you are so... very vile...” her crying consumed her words, for as much as she wanted to be strong and filled with rage, her sadness consumed her.
“But Lina, what...what are you speaking of? What is she speaking of?” she heard Mr. Blackstone say.
“I heard you,” Lina muttered, shaking her head. “I know what I heard...”
The two men exchanged glances, and Lina cried, not caring what they discussed.
“Lina,” Dr. Doyle said, addressing her, grasping her wrists and forcing her to look at him. “Where did you hear this? What did you hear?”
“I heard you!” she said. “I was in the... stairway. I heard your voice, I heard what you said. I shall never forget it. You said... ‘perhaps we can come to some arrangement, perhaps allow the Moulay to take his pleasure with Miss Blanchet...”
Doyle sat back, still holding her hands. For a moment he looked perplexed, as if he were reaching into his memory and not finding such a vile offer. What acting, Lina thought bitterly, and it angered her further. “Do not pretend you know not of what I speak, for I shall not—!”
But Lina was interrupted by laughter. Her face turned icy and she glared at Mr. Blackstone, from whom it emanated. He was shaking his head, and he reached out and caught Lina’s wrist as she wrenched it free from Doyle’s confused grip and lifted her hand to slap him.
“What was the last thing you heard, my little mouse? Those words?”
He looked at Dr. Doyle, a smile on his lips. “Do you know that when I first visited the Harlowes, Miss Blanchet was out in the grove, sneaking up to spy upon me as I approached? Her guardian warned me of her habits.” He looked at Lina, still holding her wrist, and brought her hand to his warm lips. “You have been quite naughty, my dear Lina. And you have been quite misinformed. I do hope this teaches you a lesson about sneaking and spying upon your lovers.”
Lina was ready to continue her diatribe, but confusion caught her words in her throat, and she stared at Mr. Blackstone.
“What you heard, Lina darling,” Dr. Doyle said, his face lighting up with sudden recognition, “was my voice, darling girl... but if you ran away before the conversation ended, you would not have realized that I was acting as a translator for the Moulay, for his English is quite garbled.”
Lina stared at Dr. Doyle, and then her eyes flew to Mr. Blackstone, who was still smirking slightly, but was now sitting on the edge of the bed to stroke her arm. “You do not believe that we would entertain such an idea, do you, my dear Lina?”
“But I heard...”
“You heard me translate Laroui’s words, my dear Lina. You quite evidently did not stay to hear Mr. Blackstone’s reaction. I assure you,” Dr. Doyle said, smiling, “it was most... unrepeatable in its vulgarity. Fortunately, I did not translate it all,” Doyle added, looking at Blackstone, “and so we were able to come to an alternate arrangement with Mr. Laroui. One that does not involve you, sweet Lina.”
Lina’s arms went limp in their hands. She was crying again and could not stop herself.
“Lina, darling,” Mr. Blackstone said, pulling her tightly to him. “I would never let another man have you. You belong to us now. What more can we do to assure you of that?”
“I feel so...” Lina whispered. “I am so very...”
But she was unable to finish, for now her heart was exploding with relief and love again.
“I feel quite foolish,” she said at last.
Mr. Blackstone—for it would take her some time to think of him as Rohan—kissed her forehead and, unbelievably, smiled. “We acted rashly once, based upon a misconception, so I believe it is gentlemanly to forgive the same foolishness in our beloved bride.”
He pulled her close to him, his strong arms encircling her. “But you must promise to never, ever doubt our love again.”
Lina nodded.
“There is,” Mr. Blackstone added in a low murmur, “also the other matter, of your disobedience.” His hand traveled along her back, and to her bottom, which he patted gently. “That sort of naughtiness requires discipline. Though I believe Dr. Doyle will ask me to delay your punishment until your ankle has healed.”
He kissed her again.
“I shall await my punishment with great anticipation,” she told him, and the now-familiar coils of pleasure in her lower body moved delightfully.
She hoped her ankle healed rapidly.
Epilogue
Dearest Evangeline and Anna,
I hope this letter finds you quite well. I send my deepest apologies for failing to write to you, for I realize that our final goodbyes were most hasty and incomplete. For that I can only apologize, for Mr. Blackstone is a man of action and decisiveness, and I have been quite preoccupied since my arrival here at Blackstone Estate.
I do not know where to begin, so I shall simply begin, with the hope that you shall decipher from my excited scribblings the intent of my letter.
Mr. Blackstone is a most marvelous companion, and a very good husband, but as rumored, he is also quite eccentric. I attribute his eccentricity to his high intelligence, and wealth, and disabilities, for it is true that my dear husband was injured in battle and is most uncomfortable in public settings. As such, we were married in a most private ceremony, though I do assure you both that great attention was given to the ceremony in order that it be as grand and beautiful as any large wedding.
You simply must come for a visit, and with Mr. Blackstone’s permission, you may come any time and stay as long as you wish.
However, we intend to travel extensively upon the continent, including my beloved homeland, for it turns out that Mr. Blackstone is quite fond of France, and in any case wishes for me to have whatever I desire. Anna, you will remember how much I wished to travel? Mr. Blackstone has said that we may go anywhere I choose, provided that his trusted personal surgeon accompanies him to all places.
And so, I arrive at the most wonderful news of all! We shall be arriving at Green Grove Manor in less than a month, by way of our journey to London. At that time, I shall be very delighted to see both of you again.
Mr. Blackstone has told me that I may invite you to travel with us to France, and wherever else we may wish to go. He will of course cover all expenses for the voyage. You need only to desire to accompany us. I ask you to consider my offer as you await our arrival.
Oh, but please do join us. I have also invited our dear cousin Charlotte, and I so hope you both shall come. I assure you there will be a great many balls and social parties, and Mr. Blackstone shall ensure that you attend them in the finest regalia.
Anna, we shall at last see France as we dreamed!
With my warmest regards, and great joy in my heart that we shall see each other soon,
Lina
The End
Stormy Night Publications would like to thank you for your interest in our books.
If you liked this book (or even if you didn’t), we would really appreciate you leaving a review on the site where you purchased it. Reviews provide useful feedback for us and our authors, and this feedback (both positive comments and constructive criticism) allows us to work even harder to make sure we provide the content our customers want to read.
If you would like to check out more books from Stormy Night Publications, if you want to learn more about our company, or if you would like to join our mailing list, please visit our website at:
http://www.stormynightpublications.com
More Stormy Night Books by Samantha Madisen
The Warrior’s Mate
For generations maidens of Adena’s people have been taken as brides by the powerful men of the Tlani clan, in tribute for their continued protection, and when she comes of age Adena is given to the mighty warrior Lor Quinn. Stripped bare and displayed before the assembly, her suitability as a mate is tested and confirmed for all to see before she is claimed publicly by her new husband to consummate their union.
Lor’s dominant lovemaking excites Adena far more than she ever would have thought p
ossible, but it is only when she is led to Lor’s training chamber after the ceremony that she begins to fully realize what it means to belong to him completely. He will explore her body thoroughly, punishing and pleasuring her as he wishes until she is left blushing crimson with shame yet still aching with need and longing for him to take her in any way he pleases.
Adena soon discovers that Lor’s plans for her extend beyond their bedchamber, and as part of her training she is brought to a doctor for an intimate, humiliating examination as often as her husband feels it necessary. Any defiance merely earns her a hard, bare-bottom spanking, yet though his firm-handed dominance often leaves her with flaming cheeks and a sore bottom, as Lor’s mastery of her body deepens Adena’s passion for him burns hotter every day. But can she truly learn to embrace life as a warrior’s mate?
Buy on Amazon
His Captive Mate
When her ship crashes on a foreign planet during her first hunting trip, Dazea shudders at the thought of being captured by the barbarians who inhabit this wild, primitive world, and her fears are soon realized when she is caught and taken captive by the ruggedly handsome Captain Hawk Agnon. His civilization turns out to be more technologically sophisticated than she had expected, but this only increases her shock when she finds out that Hawk plans to take her as his mate.
Among Hawk’s people, women obey or face the consequences, and Dazea soon learns the hard way that defying her future mate will result in a long, hard spanking on her bare bottom. To make matters worse, she discovers that a sore bottom is far from the most humiliating experience in her future, because when the time comes for Hawk to claim her, it will be done in public.
After a thorough, intimate examination proves her ready to be mated, her training begins. In spite of everything, with each firm punishment and each helpless climax the intense need Hawk’s dominance has kindled within her burns ever hotter. Soon enough she will be on display, naked and blushing, as her handsome, dominant mate publicly demonstrates his complete mastery of her body. But when that day comes, will she be able to resist the shame of begging for more?
Theirs to Train: A Victorian Menage Romance Page 19