The Hidden Legacy

by Julie Roberts

  The room was small, the bed almost the width of one wall, the length leaving just a few feet to the fire. A pot of water hung from a chain and flames flared around several logs. Adam laid Meredith on the bed. He had made a bold promise about paying for the room; he hoped his tailor’s sewn-in thief-proof pocket was still intact – it was, tight against his stomach – four guineas and two silver crowns. There was a movement behind him. When he turned the innkeeper’s large body filled the doorway with his hand held out.

  ‘Here ye be, me good man. That covers a jug of yer best ale and a plate of ham and bread. Would ’ee have a shirt me size and a shawl for me colleen? Then we’ll not be needing yer services ’til morning.’

  A satisfied grin spread over the innkeeper’s face at the gold guinea placed on his palm. ‘I’ll send it up straight away.’ He pointed at Meredith. ‘She looks a bit worse than a tumble in the river. Got a bit out of hand, me thinks. I don’t want any trouble here, so keep yer Irish temper tucked well away.’ He pulled the door closed.

  Meredith stirred and Adam went to her. She was shivering and he pulled the counterpane over her from across the wide bed. At least the room was clean, something he had not expected from the condition of the tavern room. There was a tap on the door and a child came in.

  ‘Thank ’ee,’ he said and took the tray she carried. ‘Ah, and you have the clothes, please put them on the chair.’ He realised, as her cheeks flushed, their situation was very uncomfortable for her, but she obeyed, and curtsied before she left.

  Placing the tray on a small table beside a wash bowl, he ran his fingers through his hair. He had to get Meredith out of her wet clothes before she caught a chill that could turn to a fever in a few hours. He looked at her on the bed; she was not shivering anymore, but that didn’t change his decision. Picking up the bowl he went over to the fire and swung the iron bar into the room. Taking a padded square from the hearth he tilted the pot over the bowl.

  Still he hesitated; if he had to undress her, what would she think of him later? He eased the counterpane away and put his arm under her shoulders and smoothed the tangled locks from her face.

  ‘Meredith, wake up. You need to get out of your wet clothes. Can you hear me?’

  She opened her eyes and looked at him. They were glazed, uncomprehending. ‘Adam?’ Turning her head she looked past him. ‘Where are we?’

  ‘In a riverside inn. We have to get dried and warm. There’s a fire and I have a bowl of hot water. Can you stand up?’

  ‘Yes, I think so. I feel so cold. Can I get near the fire?’

  He helped her off the bed and saw how her eyes looked first round the room, then at the bed.

  ‘Where is your room?’

  There was no way he could soften his words, so he simply said, ‘Here. I had to use my Dello Murphy role; this isn’t the place to be the lord and lady. Especially the way we arrived. The last thing we need are questions and names; I’m the cocky Irish lad with his colleen who had a tumbling romp and fell in the river.’

  ‘Oh.’ Her face coloured bright red. ‘We are supposed to be … I mean, be here to …’ She glanced again at the bed. ‘Oh dear.’

  Adam laughed at her shocked expression. So, his outspoken lady wasn’t quite so fiery after all. ‘Come. Take off your clothes and they can dry by the fire.’ He pulled the damp counterpane off and dropped it beside the bed. Stripping the blanket, he handed it to her. ‘This will keep you warm, wrap yourself in it. I’ll wait outside.’

  He could see she was quite perplexed by all that was happening and he took her hands in his. ‘Everything will be all right, Meredith, just wash yourself and get warm.’

  ‘Thank you … and Adam, thank you for saving me.’ She didn’t take her eyes from him. ‘I couldn’t swim very well in that fast-running river. I owe you my life.’

  God, she looked so lovely, her green eyes full of trust, but to touch her now was the worst thing he could do. He stepped back and bowed. ‘I am at your service, Miss Sanders.’ He went out and left her alone.

  Meredith couldn’t get the day’s terrifying events out of her mind: Madame Lightfoot kidnapping her, Captain Raimunda and his awful ship. He would have forced himself upon her, no matter how hard she had fought.

  When she had heard Diego’s door open, she had feigned sleep. Her one thought was to use the whale bone, but when she realised Adam had come to rescue her she couldn’t believe it. How had he known where to look? What clue had given him the answer? Oh, there was so much she needed to ask him.

  Closing her eyes, she was in the river and the current was too strong for her to reach the bank. Yet to have escaped, she couldn’t drown. She fought with all her strength, but finally the river was winning. Adam had brought her to the surface, back to life.

  She looked at the bed again; there was nowhere else for him to sleep except on the floor. A sharp shiver ran through her and she unbuttoned her gown, lifted it over her tangled hair. It had torn in several places and the lace on the bodice hung in tatters; but it could be dried and was wearable. She removed her undergarments and folded them into tight squares; they would dry much quicker in front of the fire if she spread them out but the thought of Adam seeing such private pieces! Oh, she didn’t need the warmth of the fire, her inner shame did that.

  The fire had warmed the room and she stood naked, the steaming bowl of water in front of the blazing logs. She wetted the corner of the towel and rubbed it over her face, round her neck, and then dried with the rest. Slowly she washed her breasts, body and legs until she reached her feet. Her shoes were at the bottom of the river. She stepped into the warm water and stroked each toe, soothing away the cold. When she had finished the water was tinged brown and she tipped it into a pail beside the table. Meredith fingered the thin blanket. Would Adam be able to see her body through it? There was nothing else to use so she wrapped it round her shoulders and sat on the bed. How was she to spend the night? Adam was outside waiting for her to let him in. He needed to wash and dry his clothes, but the room was so small, there was no privacy. All she wanted to do was curl up on the bed and hide under the covers.

  There was a tap on the door, then another. Finally she called, ‘Come in.’

  Adam looked strained and tired as he closed the door and went to the fire. ‘Do you feel more comfortable?’

  ‘Yes, thank you, Mr Fox. I have left the bowl ready for you.’ She was burning all over; where was she to look?

  He reached for the bowl and took the towel from the table. Something in his movement made her look at him closely and she saw a red gash on his shoulder.

  ‘Sir, you have been wounded.’ She scrambled off the bed, forgetting her nakedness under the blanket and went to him. ‘How did this happen?’

  Adam shrugged, not turning to her. ‘It’s nothing but a scratch, one of the sailors whipped a cat-o’-nine-tails as I jumped overboard.’

  Meredith touched the skin around it. ‘It’s more than a scratch, Adam. Please fill the bowl with hot water and then sit on the bed while I clean it.’

  He turned to her, his eyes very dark in the glow of the candlelight. She thought he was about to say something, but he only nodded.

  She slipped the blanket under her arms and knotted the ends between her breasts. He filled the bowl and placed it on the table before sitting on the edge of the bed.

  Meredith had never seen a man without a shirt. She stared at him, fascinated by his broad shoulders, the dark hair on his chest. Using another towel corner she dipped it into the hot water and turned to face him and gently dabbed at the cut. He uttered not a word, but his muscles tightened. ‘I’m sorry; is it very painful?’

  ‘Some, but your touch is light.’

  Meredith soaked the towel again and stroked his forehead, his temples, and across his closed eyes. Through the cloth she felt his bristled cheeks, lastly coming to his slightly parted lips. She touched them with her finger and Adam opened his eyes. They were black coals, but with something in
them she wasn’t sure she understood. A shiver ran through her, but not with cold or fear. The room seemed to dim, the warmth filling every corner. The towel dropped to the floor.

  Those strong hands that had saved her drew her down on to his thighs. He kissed her bare skin above the blanket, his lips soft, each little touch sending an unknown sensation running through her until it stopped low, so low it went on down between her thighs, becoming almost a pain that needed something to satisfy it.

  A gasp left her lips as his hand slid inside the blanket, touching, stroking her belly, his fingers circling lower until he cupped her with his hand and the sensation grew. She lifted into him, not knowing what was happening, except she didn’t want him to stop.

  Adam groaned and lifted his head. ‘Meredith, this is wrong, yet I can’t stop. All I can think of is that I almost lost you; how that vile captain would be taking from you what I hoped you would give me of yourself.’

  Meredith then knew what was happening to her. She loved Adam and this was her body telling her how to show that love to him.

  ‘I will willingly give it to you, my love. Here and now, I am yours until the dawn breaks the darkness of this night.’

  ‘And tomorrow, Meredith? What of tomorrow?’

  ‘Is another day; another time. I have survived kidnap, a captain who would have taken me whether I agreed or not. I don’t think he would have been able to control his men, either. Death would have been a certainty, had you not come to rescue me. Tonight I love because I want to.’

  She lowered her head and kissed those lips she had drawn in her studio, lips she had wanted to touch ever since awakening in this room. She ran her tongue along his lower lip, along the razor edge of his teeth. She opened her lips, kissing him until she was breathless.

  A moment of chill ran over her and she knew he had loosened the blanket; then his hand was caressing her back, moving lower. He cradled her and she felt for the first time his warm flesh. The dark hair on his chest rubbed against her and sent even more sensations rippling through her.

  He stood up and laid her on the bed, pulled the blanket over her, and spread her tangled hair. It made her feel like a wicked siren from the tales of sensational novels. But Adam, stepping out of his breeches, shocked her. He stood beside the bed, naked as she, looking like one of the marble statutes sculptured by Michelangelo she had seen in books.

  Adam lay down beside her, placed his hand on her belly, and looked into her eyes. ‘This is our night of surrender – given willingly and with love.’

  Meredith raised her arms to him and he came into them. This time he took command and kissed her with that same power he had on previous occasions, but this time her surrender was total.

  She floated on a cloud. He cupped her breast, touching the nipple with his fingers, his tongue, circling first with the softest of touch, then using his teeth to tease, then his mouth to suck. There was such pleasure she found herself helping him to draw deeper. When he moved to her other breast, the sensation became a torture. She couldn’t keep still, her body moved of its own will, teaching and telling her there was more to come.

  Adam moved her thighs apart, his fingers stroking the inside flesh until he reached the soft protecting hair that guarded her most private channel.

  Meredith gasped, a moment of shock ran through her, then sheer pleasure and wonder. She lifted and moved, felt his hand completely hold her, yet still there was not enough.

  ‘Adam, I don’t know what else I need, except for you to …’ she faltered, unable to put into words her desire.

  ‘It is time for us to join, to cherish each coming moment, as only man and woman can.’ Adam moved from beside her and knelt between her legs. His skin was hot, burning with the same intensity, and if she should be frightened, there was no such sensation. There was only the expectation, the knowing that this was going to be the most wonderful and pleasurable night of her life.

  He came down, lifting onto his elbows, taking her nipple once more between his lips. She knew this time what was coming, waited until her desire surged again deep within her belly, swelled to a crescendo only her lover could satisfy. She called his name, ‘Adam!’

  Then he parted her wide as he moved higher, kissed her so hard that her lips must bruise, but she didn’t care. Slowly he touched somewhere in her that was damp and soft. She opened wider and truly felt him as he slid into her.

  ‘Meredith,’ he whispered softly into her parted lips, ‘you are ready, ready for us to become one.’

  She rocked, pulling him deeper. The moment of pain was unexpected, yet even this could not stop her moving with him. It came as a spiralling sensation, her inside was pulsing, waiting for something, waiting … and then it happened … everything exploded through her: desire, delight, stars of emotion that lasted and lasted until it abated into exhaustion. Her body was coated with sweat, her fingers were gripping Adam’s shoulders; she had him trapped with her legs entwined round his back and he was lying on her, spent and sweating like she.

  He kissed her throat, trailing up to her lips and whispered into her mouth. ‘Are you alright, Meredith?’

  She slid her legs down across his buttocks, along his thighs and sighed. ‘Yes,’ a returning whisper, full of love.

  He moved from her and lay down, drawing her close. She shivered and he reached for the blanket, tucked it into her back.

  ‘Sleep awhile. We need to be gone before the innkeeper rises from his bed.’

  Meredith curled close, warm and cherished. She obeyed without answer and closed her eyes and slept.

  Adam didn’t sleep. He lay wondering what sort of monster he was to take advantage of Meredith when she was so vulnerable. Yet it had not been lust. His love for her had been growing daily. Then she had gone missing, and he had seen her being taken aboard the ship. Could his fear of what might have been turned him into a demented man? A man who could not control his desire to have her?

  All he had done was compromise her completely. He would ask her to marry him and all could be put right within a few weeks. If there was a child it would have his name and no shame would be put on Meredith. This made him feel a little easier, yet he could not quash the memory of his own behaviour.

  The fire had burned low; he got up and put on another log. Her clothes were almost dry and he turned them over. His own breeches, which he had flung down, unheeded, were still damp but he ignored that and pulled them on. The shirt brought to him by the child was thick and coarse, but it fitted well enough.

  Meredith stirred and he went and lay back on the bed. Shaking her gently he lifted her into the crook of his arm and kissed her softly on the lips. ‘It is time to go.’

  She opened her eyes and looked into his. He had wondered what would be in them – fear, hate, regret – but they held nothing but sleep.

  ‘There is food before we leave. Would you like it now?’

  Meredith pulled the blanket up to her chin. ‘Could I have something to drink, please?’

  Realisation of what they had done dawned in her eyes; what her position now meant. He wanted to say something positive, but now was not the time. He got up and fetched a tankard of last night’s ale.

  After the first sip, her nose wrinkled. ‘This is awful.’

  ‘There’s only water from the pot over the fire and I don’t know where that has come from. Would you like bread and ham?’

  ‘If the food is better than the ale, yes please.’

  Adam brought over the tray and sat at the foot of the bed, handing her a platter with a little of each. While he ate the stale bread, he tried to read her expression, but she kept her gaze fixed on the blanket. Only the embers of the fire, falling to ash, filled the silence.

  When they had finished, he said, ‘I’ll go and see if the innkeeper locks his tavern door. Hopefully, he won’t have taken out the key. Get dressed; the man may be more astute this morning. I don’t want a lot of questions.’

  The stairs creaked, somethin
g he had not noticed last night with all the babble going on. The key was still in the lock. He unlocked it and placed the key behind the counter, just in case the innkeeper decided to trap them here, maybe demand more money, even call the constable.

  Adam tapped on the room door and went in. Meredith was standing beside the bed, her gaze fixed on the rumpled sheets and he had no need to wonder why. He wrapped the shawl around her shoulders. ‘All is quiet, let us go.’ She didn’t move. ‘Meredith,’ he said softly, ‘it’s time to go. Everything will be all right. We will be married. If we are careful, no one need know.’

  She came alive at his words. ‘No one need know! We have been missing all night, together! There can be no hiding what happened. If we explain, then Frederick’s secret will be known. That must not happen. Do you hear me! I will accept the consequences.’

  He swung her towards him. ‘There will be no disgrace. Have you not heard a word I’ve said? We will be married.’

  ‘No!’ She shouted that one word with such force he was completely taken aback.

  From somewhere in the inn, voices sounded. ‘Now is not the time for this. Come, we must be gone.’ He took hold of her hand and pulled her towards the door, stopped and listened for any footsteps. There were none. They descended the stairs and left.

  The inn seemed to float in a deep mist that rose from the river and fields in the pale grey dawn. Adam picked Meredith up and moved quickly away from the inn, taking a dirt track that led inland.

  ‘Sir, I am capable of walking, I don’t need to be carried like a child. Please, put me down.’

  ‘Shh. Voices carry a long way when all is silent. We shall soon come to more dwellings, mostly lived in by Chinese families. Perhaps we can buy you a pair of shoes.’

  ‘And what about your feet, do you have feet of iron? Really, Adam, I won’t break in two.’ But she didn’t struggle. Perhaps now she was fully awake common sense would prevail.