by Rebecca King
She ran out here because I had no reason to be coming this way. It was the safest place for her to be so she could avoid me, or so she thought.
The idea that she might have done something like this to avoid him was annoying and hurt more than he cared to admit, even though Morgan knew that it was because of what she had endured. He couldn’t blame her for not wanting to be faced with trying to find a way of avoiding another invitation or confrontation.
Setting all of that to one side for now, Morgan focused on finding her.
‘You cannot have gone too far,’ Morgan hissed.
After checking the fields one last time, Morgan kicked his horse into a trot and moved into the next field. It was alarming that Sissy wasn’t even visible on the horizon. Standing in his stirrups again, he studied the fields around him once more, this time more carefully. He was about to move further down the lane again when something fluttering in the far distance, at the base of Somner Hill, caught his attention. He squinted and tried to make out of it was a person, but it was too far away to be identifiable. Before he moved, he searched the rest of the landscape but there were no signs of anybody else moving out in the storm.
When a huge gust of wind tore at his great coat, Morgan cursed. Sissy was going to be ill if she hadn’t put her cloak on before she had raced out of the house. He would discuss that with her later, though, when she was back at home. Morgan eyed the area where he had seen the fluttering and waited. A large flash of lightning lanced the sky overhead. His horse reared and whinnied nervously. Morgan grabbed the saddle and cursed. The horse didn’t like being out in the storm either.
Determined to at least find out what that flickering was, Morgan loosened the reins and dug his heels into the horse. The closer he got the more Morgan was able to see that the fluttering was indeed a shawl flapping wildly in the stiff wind. Morgan swiped at his face and cursed fluidly when he watched Sissy try desperately to wrap the sodden material around her thin shoulders only to have the relentless wind snatch it mercilessly back out of her hands.
‘Damn it all to Hell,’ he growled, urging his horse into a gallop.
As he narrowed the distance between them, Morgan kept his gaze trained on the woman he wasn’t sure whether to hug or shout at. Thankfully, his horse covered the distance within minutes until Morgan could haul him to a stop. He jumped down but kept a tight hold on the reins. The horse danced about as thunder rumbled overhead but Morgan paid neither any attention. He stared hard at the woman he loved and decided, right there and then, that they weren’t going to part again until they had settled a few things.
Sissy knew she must look a fright. Rainwater had soaked her clear to the skin. She was sure that Morgan would be able to see everything that God had given her but had nothing to cover herself with. She had done her best to keep her sodden shawl around her shoulders, but it was useless given it was soaking wet too. She was cold, tired, and desperately wanted to go home. She was scared, confused, and thoroughly miserable because she knew that Morgan was furious with her. One look at his chiselled features, the dark flashing glint in his eye, the steady ticking of the muscle in his jaw, left her in no doubt that he was livid.
As furious as he had been in his entrance hall the other day.
She waited for him to rant at her like he had at the fop. She knew he was going to want to know what she was doing out in the middle of nowhere, but she had no explanation. Now that she was no longer alone, she was glad he was there, even if he was annoyed with her. To her surprise, when Morgan reached her, he yanked her into his arms and slammed a kiss onto her lips that was possessive, demanding, and unlike any other he had ever given her. It was raw and as elemental as the weather they were being buffeted by. It was powerful enough to sweep both their doubts away and leave them with nothing but the honest emotion that held them both under its control.
Sissy clung to his broad shoulders. Something deep within her yearned to be with him like this without anything standing in their way. Out in the middle of nowhere there was just him and her alone, free, able to be who they wanted to be, what they wanted to be. Able to do what they both wanted. She had no qualms about pouring all the emotion in her heart into that kiss. This was likely to be the only time in her life when she could do it. She wanted to savour every moment, to show him how she felt even if she couldn’t tell him.
Morgan allowed his self-control to slip. He clung to her and poured every ounce of adoration into the embrace that was coursing through him. He wanted her to feel his need for her, to understand just how important to his survival she was. He needed her to realise that this emotion they shared, the power of it, its uniqueness, wasn’t going to be found with anyone else. He wanted her to know that the only future either of them could ever have was with each other.
They could have spent the next several hours together, savouring the unity, being together at last without any problems cluttering their path. It was the loud crack of lightning directly overhead, which was so loud it made them both flinch, that finally made them stop.
Sissy looked up at him in stunned disbelief when Morgan lifted his head. She was pressed so tightly against him she could feel the heavy pounding of his heart. He was now just as soaked as she was but he was oblivious to it as well. For a moment, all they could do was stare at each other, until a rumble of thunder shook the ground beneath their feet.
‘We have to get out of here. We are going to get struck by lightning if we stay out here any longer,’ he growled, even though he wanted nothing more than to kiss her again.
The Sissy before him was someone he didn’t recognise and not just physically. The neatly coiffed curls, the prim somewhat shy demeanour, had completely vanished. The Sissy before him was wild, carefree, removed from all constraints placed upon her by society. He wouldn’t ever have believed it possible but in that moment, Morgan knew he fell in love with her a little bit more. He knew that he was looking at a real Sissy. He was stunned. Speechless. Amazed but so incredibly delighted that he almost didn’t want to move in case she disappeared again. There were few women who would allow their appearance to be wrecked by even a few small drops of rainwater. Most would have squealed and run for cover as soon as the first raindrop struck. Sissy, however, seemed in her element. She was like a child of Mother Nature, born from the rolling hills all around them. He adored her.
Sissy stared at him. She knew the storm was upon them, but bravely stood her ground when she knew she should flee. Boldly, she studied the rain sliding down his handsome features. Their gazes clashed. Without hesitation, she stood on tiptoe and kissed him but in the way she wanted. Instinct guided her, that and the love she felt for him. It was tender, loving, daring, but driven by passion she allowed him to see. His hands tightened on her waist, holding her steady. It was the only outward sight that he was affected by what she did. That, and the low moan that escaped him.
‘We have to get out of here,’ he hissed, resting his forehead against hers. It was the last thing he wanted.
Before she could object, Morgan swept her high into his arms and mounted his horse. Settling her against him, he dug his heels into the animal and guided it toward home. It was then that the Heavens really opened, and rain began to pelt them with icy shards of fury the likes of which hurt them both.
‘There is a shepherd’s hut over on the brow of that hill,’ Morgan called to her.
Sissy clung to him and buried her face against his neck. She trusted Morgan to guide them there and didn’t hesitate to follow his instructions when he said: ‘You have to hold on tightly. Once he gets running, we aren’t going to be able to stop him.’
The animal lunged forward and began to charge across open fields but not in the direction of the village. Sissy suspected that she knew where he was taking her. She wanted to demand Morgan take her home instead, to her home, but she also knew that by doing that it was going to prolong how long he had to be outside as well. She flinched when another streak of lightning lit the dark sky overhead. The thund
er crashed so loudly that it deafened them both and made the horse beneath them run faster. A huge gust of wind stole the shawl from Sissy’s thin shoulders and made Morgan curse. Sissy was already so cold it was worrying. Without her shawl she had absolutely no protection against the wind. While the horse ran, he did his best to wrap his great coat around her but it was difficult given how much they were jostled about.
‘We have to leave just as soon as the worst of the thunderstorm has passed,’ Morgan said as he guided the horse into the tiny shepherd’s hut. It was nothing more than a small square space with no windows and an open doorway but the roof was water-tight and they were at least out of the rain. The second the horse stopped, Morgan shrugged out of his great coat and draped it around her shoulders.
Shivering, Sissy murmured a thank you and huddled closer to him doing her best to wrap the coat around him too. Morgan clung to her not least because she needed as much body heat as he could give her.
‘But it is still raining,’ Sissy protested, peering at the sky that was visible through the open door.
‘The dark clouds cover all of the sky now, Sissy but it is dusk. I doubt this storm is going to blow over until morning. The thunderstorm won’t take that long to clear out of the way. When it stops lightning and the thunder gets quieter, we can leave,’ Morgan informed her briskly.
He too was starting to feel the cold. An icy breeze snuck up his spine and stole what was left of his comfort, but he didn’t care. What mattered to him more than anything was just how deep a blue Sissy’s lips were starting to turn. Desperate to keep his mind off just how dire their predicament was, Morgan tried to find something to say.
‘Tell me something,’ he said through chattering teeth. ‘Why did you run?’
‘I needed to get away,’ Sissy replied honestly, seeing no reason to lie to him.
‘From me,’ he stated flatly. It wasn’t a question. He silently prayed that she would deny it not least because her affirmation would hurt.
‘I didn’t want to lie to you if you came to invite us to your home again,’ she replied with a shiver. ‘I don’t want to lie to you.’
‘I came to see you, Sissy. I wanted to see you,’ Morgan growled. Even frozen he was annoyed.
‘You have no idea what life in the village has been like since that walk on the towpath,’ she whispered.
‘Because I am the wealthy Lord from the manor house and you are an impoverished spinster?’
Sissy decided that if he wanted to be frank then she had to be as well. ‘Well, you don’t know what I have to face in the village. You are a wealthy lord but also someone who has choices. People daren’t upset you.’
‘Really? How can you say that after what happened the other day? Charlton didn’t give a damn if he upset me, did he? And he belongs in my social circle,’ Morgan growled.
Sissy mentally winced because he had a point. ‘That wasn’t your fault. There is no need for you to apologise for it.’
‘I am responsible for how you were treated in my house. I am partly responsible for how greedy and calculating Mariette has become. If we had just put a few boundaries in place or stopped her behaviour when she had been younger she probably wouldn’t have gotten as bad as she is and wouldn’t have had to be sent off to Scotland. Unfortunately, neither Alicia nor I had any idea just how wayward she had become until you came to visit and she showed us how spiteful she was inside my house. I had no idea that she would object to you so vehemently,’ Morgan said. ‘I can only be glad that she has gone. Hopefully, by the time she returns, she will be able to behave with a little more maturity.’
‘I am sorry that she had to leave,’ Sissy whispered.
‘Are you?’ Morgan challenged. ‘I don’t see why. She has been nothing but mean to you.’
‘But she is your sister, Morgan.’
Some of Morgan’s annoyance vanished. ‘She doesn’t deserve your kindness,’ he said softly.
Sissy smiled gently. ‘She matters to you.’
Morgan’s heart skipped a beat. ‘So do you.’
‘I have brought you nothing but trouble,’ she replied wryly. To her surprise and consternation, Morgan nodded sagely. She gasped and looked shocked. Morgan grinned.
‘Before we get into any of that, we have to go.’ His gaze felt to her now blue lips and all trace of mirth died. ‘My house is closer than yours. It is important we get you warm as quickly as possible. I can send Hargreaves to fetch your aunt just as soon as the weather eases. It isn’t safe for anybody to be out in this weather.’
Sissy took his gentle chiding with alacrity. She knew that running had been an incredibly foolish thing to do and nodded because she didn’t want to trouble him any more than she already had.
Morgan nudged the horse out of the shepherd’s hut. As if to chide them both for their foolishness at being out in the storm, thunder shook the sky overhead. Morgan nudged the horse into a canter and guided it home. There was nothing he could do about the rain that continued to lash down all around them, or the sodden state of them both as they raced through the storm. At least they were together.
All Morgan had to do now was find a way for them to stay that way.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
At the house, Morgan jumped down from his horse and lowered Sissy to the ground beside him. When he saw her hobble to keep her balance, he realised that she had hurt herself. Sissy clung to him when he swept her back into his arms and carried her into the house through the servants’ quarters. It took her a moment or two to realise what he was doing. When she managed to tear her gaze away from him, she glanced around and blinked at the kitchen staff, who were all staring at them in amazement.
‘Mrs Hall, get us something to eat, please,’ Morgan called to the shocked housekeeper as he stalked by. ‘And some warm water. And get the fire going in the pink room as well.’
‘Sir? Will the young lady be requiring a doctor?’ Mrs Hall asked, racing across the kitchen toward them.
‘We won’t know until I can check her ankle, but something warm to change into would help. Get Boris to find an old nightshirt of mothers or something she can wear,’ Morgan replied. ‘And get that bed chamber fire going!’
The kitchen erupted into chaos. Maids scurried around as they raced to carry out their new orders. Morgan left them to it and carried Sissy through the house. Without hesitation, he marched past Ralph who had come into the study doorway to see what all the shouting was about.
‘Need help?’ he asked.
‘Not yet,’ Morgan replied. ‘Just get Hargreaves on stand-by. As soon as the weather clears, get him to go and fetch Norma.’
Ralph stared after him but wisely retreated to the safety of the study having decided it was best to leave Morgan to sort out his love life by himself. As far as he was concerned, anybody with lips as blue as Sissy’s where was perfectly safe should Morgan have any lascivious intentions.
Sissy remained quiet as Morgan carried her down the long hallway at the top of the stairs to a room which, when opened, was not the room she had been shown to previously by Alicia.
‘Where are we?’ she gasped, looking about the opulent room with awe.
‘In the bed chamber beside mine,’ Morgan replied, carrying her over to the bed.
When he set her down, Morgan did so with such care that Sissy felt infinitely delicate. He barely had the chance to step back before the door was opened and a maid and footman hurried into the room. The maid bobbed a curtsey before heading straight over to the fireplace. The footman deposited the heavy bucket of coal he carried onto the hearth. Together, he and the maid set about getting the fire lit.
‘Set up a bath, please,’ Morgan ordered.
‘No, really. Don’t go to any trouble,’ Sissy gasped.
‘It is no trouble,’ Morgan argued. ‘Besides, it is the quickest way to get you warm.’
The footman hurried out of the room leaving Morgan to drape a blanket over Sissy’s shivering shoulders. She tried to gasp her thanks but she was s
haking so much she sounded nervous. She shuddered when her wet hair touched the back of her shoulders. It was then that she realised she was sitting on the side of the bed getting it just as wet as she was. Jumping up she turned around and looked in dismay at the wet patch she left behind.
‘Don’t worry about it. Just get out of those wet clothes.’
Mrs Hall charged in then carrying what appeared to be a nightgown. ‘Filbert said you wanted a bath arranging, sir.’
‘That’s right.’
‘For you or the lady, sir?’
‘The lady, Mrs Hall. She needs to get as warm as possible as quickly as possible.’ Without asking Sissy if it was all right, Morgan swept her off her feet again but only so he could deposit her closer to the now roaring fire. ‘I am just going to get dry. I will be back in a minute,’ he promised Sissy softly before quietly letting himself out of the room.
‘Now, miss, you cannot stand around in that wet dress while the bath is prepared for you. Let’s get you dry and you can warm yourself by the fire. I have got a pot of broth warming. It will be ready soon. How about you get changed first, eh? Then you can have something to eat while we get the tub sorted. I am sure the master will be back as soon as he can.’ Mrs Hall busied herself preparing the room leaving Sissy to hobble awkwardly over to the retiring screen.
When she had disappeared, Mrs Hall shared a worried luck with Bess, the maid, but neither woman spoke as they set about doing their best to get rid of the blueness around their guest’s lips.
Sissy dropped the night gown over her head and clutched the voluminous folds around here. It shrouded her and was far too long but was considerably warmer than her dress.