Tempted

by Virginia Henley

  “I’m going to London,” announced Tina.

  “Ye’ll do no such foolish thing!” he scowled, not really taking her words seriously. “I’d go myself, except they’d hold me fer ransom, an’ Jamie would empty Scotland’s coffers tae gain ma release.”

  Angus stood with his back to the fire, sipping whisky he’d poured himself. Tina slipped to her knees before him in supplication. “Don’t you see, my lord? It is my fault he was taken. My brother learned he was Lord Vengeance through me and so betrayed him. If you do not help me get to London, I will go without your aid. I am determined upon it I vow to save him or die trying!”

  “Lassie, lassie, it took the party of women who accompanied the queen twelve days tae ride from London tae Edinburgh.”

  “Then give me a ship, my lord earl. We could sail there in two—less if there is a fair wind!”

  He gazed down into her lovely face. “Ye love him this much?” he asked with awe.

  “More!” she declared emphatically.

  Angus began to pace. Like all active men who couldn’t be caged, he thought better on his feet. Ada folded her tongue behind her teeth. She knew she could not dissuade Flaming Tina when her mind was set She sat quietly beside the pile of baggage waiting for Angus to decide their fate She knew better than to interrupt a man who carried more authority than any save the king himself.

  “A fast ship tae transport ye tae London is no problem. Yer safety is the problem.” He stopped pacing in front of Ada, stared at her breasts for two or three appreciative minutes, then said, “Ye can take diplomatic messages from Queen Margaret to her brother Henry. The queen will inform her brother that Ram Douglas is not this Lord Vengeance they seek and demand his immediate release.”

  “But Angus, how in the name of Heaven do we persuade the queen to write such things to the King of England? I only met her once and have no influence with her whatsoever.”

  He laid a finger beside his nose and winked at her. “I willna persuade her—ma son Archie will.”

  Tina stared at him blankly. They were speaking of Her Majesty, Margaret Tudor, Royal Queen of Scotland, not some kitchen wench who could be coerced.

  Angus was nothing if not plainspoken. “He’s fuckin’ her —she’ll write the letters tonight, or she doesna get laid. Ye dinna think he bangs her for pleasure, do ye? Christ, even Margaret is not that naive!”

  Tina blushed, and Ada laughed.

  “My servants are at yer disposal, lass. Ye rest while I go tae consult the king. He’ll run mad when he learns Black Ram Douglas has been taken.”

  After they bathed and dined, Tina and Ada fell asleep in the earl’s great bed. Their baggage stood ready at the door with their cloaks. They knew they would be awakened before midnight for the short ride to Leith, where one of Angus’s ships would take them from the Firth of Forth into the North Sea on the floodtide.

  Angus had put his sleekest, fastest vessel at her disposal, and miraculously the salty wind blew fiercely from the north, taking her down the coast of England as if it were aware that she was in a race against time. Angus had given her gold, as well as a letter of credit drawn on a London goldsmith. He had produced sealed personal letters from Queen Margaret to Henry Tudor, and a document of safe passage.

  Tina did not recognize the weatherbeaten ship’s master, but she knew he was a Douglas even in the dark. He told her they would arrive at their destination under cover of night in less than twenty hours. He also informed her he would go back out to sea the moment she and her servants, along with their mounts, disembarked. For though he had ship’s papers signed by the King of Scotland and the Lord High Admiral of the Fleet to satisfy London’s port authority, he was keenly aware that the English were taking as many ships as they could, impressing their crews and hanging their captains out of hand.

  Angus had insisted the two females be accompanied by two strapping male servants, and as they stood upon the London docks with their mounts and a mountain of luggage, Lady Valentina Kennedy realized that without the men’s physical strength, she would never survive long enough to reach the royal court

  They learned that the court was now at the king’s favorite residence of Greenwich, which sat on the River Thames before the City of London. Greenwich sat in its own vast parkland only a couple of miles from where they had disembarked. Although it was after midnight when the small party arrived, the lights of Greenwich, both within and without, still blazed brightly. Her male servants remained in the stables while Ada accompanied her to the palace.

  With the pride of a cat, Tina spoke with a liveried footman who sent a message to the palace steward. “I am here as an emissary from Her Royal Highness, Queen Margaret of Scotland, with messages for her brother the king.” The steward found her a tiny suite of two rooms and told her that her grooms would have to be housed over top the stables. “I will speak with the chamberlain on your behalf, and perhaps tomorrow he will be able to furnish you with chambers more fitting, my lady. As you may see for yourself, Greenwich is overflowing at the seams Some are even sleeping in tents and pavilions set up in the great park for the celebrations.”

  “Celebrations?” Tina echoed.

  “The Harvest Home, my lady. ‘Tis celebrated every year at the end of autumn before winter sets in I suppose it started in pagan times, but now it is most definitely the Christian holy day of All Hallows” The steward was a busy man, kept running from dawn till dark by the demanding courtiers of Henry Tudor. He departed much more quickly than he had arrived.

  Tina threw open the leaded casement windows that let in the balmy night air and the laughter of people who were obviously enjoying themselves. She leaned against the casement wondering if she would ever laugh again. The merrymakers in the gardens and great park of Greenwich were oblivious to the fact that her heart was bleeding. Tina was superstitious and believed it was her destiny. It was the Bleeding Heart of Douglas. She bit her lip hard, trying to keep the pledge she had given Ram. He had fiercely demanded, “Promise me ye will never shed another tear!” and she had promised him faithfully.

  England was so much warmer than Scotland, the court was actually going to have an outdoor celebration the last day of October. Tina felt like a caged vixen. She wanted to run to Henry Tudor and demand that he release Ramsay Douglas, but things were not so simple. She would be lucky if the king even gave her an audience. She was counting on Margaret Tudor’s letters to pave her way to his exalted majesty, the King of England. At the back of her mind always was the superstitious fear that Ram would be the third unlucky death in the family.

  Tina did not expect to be able to sleep in the strange bed with pictures of Ram filling her mind, but slumber finally overtook her, and she drifted off to a place where she would find security. She opened her eyes to find herself clasped between the thighs of Ram Douglas, who was astride Ruffian. He was carrying her off to Castle Douglas, deep in the borders of Douglasdale. She recalled dimly that he had taken her virginity coldly in the dark of night, and now she was determined to seduce him, to fire his blood to madness, to induce such passion in him as he had never known before.

  His reputation as a lover was legendary, and she would not be cheated ever again. Tina moved against him artlessly. Her lashes lifted, and he received the full impact of her golden eyes. Ram gazed down at the flaming creature between his legs and cursed himself for a fool. He had denied himself this luscious woman because of stiff pride. Now the pride was rapidly evaporating while the stiffness remained.

  At that moment her lovely full breasts brushed across his swollen phallus, and he almost spilled himself like an untried lad. He slowed his horse, and his borderers thundered past and disappeared over the crest of the ridge, down into Douglas Valley. Tina knew that all Ram could think of was the fact that he had not yet glimpsed her body. He wanted those full breasts spilling into his hands. He wanted her lying on top of him so he could see the luscious alabaster globes nestle upon his darkly furred chest.

  Tina knew they were at last alone. He
r golden eyes teased him as they gazed at his hard mouth Before she was finished with him, she would own that mouth. It would do her bidding and fulfill her every fantasy. The lips would kiss and worship every inch of her flesh, the tongue would surrender and become a willing captive, begging to be imprisoned in her fragrant alcoves. That hard mouth would soften as it whispered words of love hot enough to melt her very bones.

  When Ruffian halted, her every sense was filled to overflowing with the heady sensuality of the dark Scot, but gradually she became aware of her surroundings. Surely it was one of the most beautiful spots on earth. Soaring both above and below them was a three-tiered waterfall. They had stopped beside the middle ledge where the water was fairly shallow. The waterfall above them fell down the rock like a misty wedding veil, while the waterfall below them plunged in a smooth torrent into what looked like a deep, bottomless pool.

  Tina reached up her hands until she could grip Ram’s powerful shoulders, then she pulled herself up against him until she was in a sitting position. “This is the closest to Paradise you and I will ever get,” she murmured.

  “Hold on tae me,” he said huskily, and obligingly she clung while he dismounted. Her flaming hair brushed his cheek, and he buried his face in it, inhaling her fragrance until he was dizzy with need.

  Tina smiled her secret smile. Black Ram Douglas seemed to have no idea she was the consummate temptress intent upon enslaving him. He thought the skillful luring was all his idea as his experienced hands denuded her of her clothes and he pulled her down to his nakedness among the dark green grass ablaze with wildflowers.

  His caresses were fierce, his kisses savage. His tongue plunged into her soft mouth, ravishing her until she yielded and opened to his plunder. Her thighs too opened beneath his onslaught, and she wantonly arched her mons so that he could sheath his shaft all the more deeply. When Ram Douglas made love, its force was that of a storm at sea. He was frighteningly intense, centering his whole attention upon forcing her body to respond to his. And it did. Her body caught his wildness, reveling in the rough power, matching his passion, excitement, and total possession.

  Tina could not hold back any longer He brought her to shuddering climax, yet he was not yet ready to spend. For one terrifying moment fear swept over her because he would not withdraw. Her pulsations quivered against his marble shaft, making it swell and engorge until she was stretched to the limit, then miraculously her love cream anointed his entire length, and the silken friction of his plunges aroused her to new plateaus of sensation.

  Ram took her beyond pleasure. Tina knew she would shatter to bits if she moved one hairsbreadth or breathed too deeply, and then suddenly she somehow knew that if she did give up her last shred of control to this man, it would bring her the ultimate in fulfillment. She plunged up as he plunged down, a blissful scream was torn from her throat, and they both experienced sensations the gods might envy.

  The dream stopped, then began again at the very edge of the waterfall. Ram stood behind her with his strong hands cupping her shoulders. His lips kissed the top of her head, her throat, then the nape of her neck. “Dive with me,” he urged. Tina shrank back against the naked length of him. Had he said dive with me or die with me?

  “I know ye have the courage for anything, ye just proved it in the grass.”

  Slowly she felt his arousal grow against her bare back. This man admired courage more than any other quality, and she knew if she abandoned herself to him and dove down the waterfall with him, she would own him, body and soul, forevermore.

  Slowly she raised her arms wide and allowed him to clasp her wrists. She moved back against his magnificent torso until her feet were between his. Together they raised up on their toes and, as one, arched outward in a graceful dive. An exultant feeling of omnipotence engulfed her as they plummeted toward the water. When they hit the pool’s surface, Tina awoke with a violent start. She lay still, not wanting Ram to evaporate with the dream. He evoked such powerfully strong emotions, even while she slept. Surely the bond between them could not be severed. Somehow she would find a way to save him.

  Ada awoke by six and in her best gown ventured forth to take the measure of Greenwich and the men and women who trod the hallowed halls. Still in a reverie from her dream, Tina looked through the open casement into the gardens. The grass was still a brilliant green, and the scent of the late-blooming roses wafted on the balmy breeze. The flowerbeds were a riot of chrysanthemums, hollyhocks, asters, and Michaelmas daisies. The trees of the park had only just begun to turn color, and a sprinkling of crimson and gold could be seen among the green leaves.

  Only servants were about at this early hour, and as Tina leaned out the window to get a better view of Greenwich, she could see the tops of the striped pavilions in the great park. With firm resolution she pushed away thoughts of Ram and vowed to concentrate upon the task at hand.

  She carefully chose a gown of Tudor green embroidered with silken roses and wore her magnificent hair loose, held back by only a green ribbon embroidered with seed pearls. Ada was breathless as she closed the door behind her. “You’ll never guess—all the Howards are here! Their servants are everywhere and throwing their weight about as if they were England’s premier family. It seems Lord Howard’s son Thomas is the king’s admiral. He’s a great hero at the moment. The whoreson pirate captured some Scottish ships near the downs and hanged their captains from their own yardarms.”

  Tina’s hand went to her throat. My god, what if Dacre had already hanged Ram Douglas? Nay, surely she would know deep in her heart if Ramsay were dead. It brought home to her with a jolt that Ram’s life hung by a thread. She must do something, anything, to aid him.

  Ada said, “The king and court usually attend morning mass, so obviously you must too.”

  As Tina stepped into the autumn sunshine, she felt its warmth upon her face. For the first time she felt a ray of hope, as if it were a sign from heaven Here was her golden opportunity to take Fate into her own hands. The morning seemed bright with promise.

  She arrived at the chapel early and chose a seat near the front of the church where she could see and be seen. When the chapel began to fill up, she was struck by the resplendent fashion of the courtiers. The men dressed like peacocks, far outshining the ladies in their magnificent attire. Tina thought the shirts beneath their doublets were fancier than the delicate undergarments Ada fashioned for her. High points of lace rose above the neckline of their doublets, and frills and ruffles were at every wrist. The silk brocaded and embroidered doublets and trunks were sprinkled generously with gemstones that Tina had never seen. She was familiar with jet and beryls, but stones like opals, moonstones, orange citrines, jacinths, and chrysolites, she had never even heard of.

  When the king arrived, Tina realized it was he who set the fashion and his nobles slavishly copied him. Tina studied him intensely, willing him to glance her way as the music rose and soared about the vaulted chapel. He had a very similar build to her brother Donal and her father, yet he was bigger, like a giant. Bluff King Hal, as he loved to be called, had a great barrel chest and a broad, ruddy face He wore a flat velvet cap encrusted with gemstones and ostrich feather tips over thinning reddish hair.

  He had a sandy-colored, close-cropped beard that was repeated on every male face in the chapel. His hands were as hamlike as those of Bothwick, but he wore rings on every finger and even his thumbs. Around his neck he wore two chains, one solid gold, the other embedded with emeralds. Smaller shoulders would have been bowed down by their weight.

  Tina bethought how her own King James wore an iron belt concealed about his hips as a penance. Therein lay the difference between the two monarchs. One had an inner strength of character; the other was all show and surface splendor.

  When Tina bowed her head to pray, she had no idea that the lustful eyes of the king were riveted upon her. There were not many beautiful young women at Henry’s court, and Valentina Kennedy stood out like a delicate crystal goblet among thick glass jars. The lus
ty, youthful king grew hard beneath his codpiece. The tired wife of his deceased brother, Catherine of Aragon, to whom they had wed him, did not nearly satisfy his sexual appetite, which increased daily. Henry made a mental note to ask his chancellor to find out who she was.

  When the service was over, the king left before anyone else, and the gentlemen attendants who crowded after him were so numerous, Tina was prevented from catching up with him outside. She returned to her rooms and found Ada awaiting her with the chamberlain.

  “Madam, if you have messages for His Majesty, I will present them to the chancellor.”

  “I had hoped for an audience with the king. His sister entrusted me with a message of a personal nature.”

  The chamberlain looked offended. Didn’t the stupid little bitch know men lived or died by the king’s favor? “In England we have a thing called protocol, madam. I suggest you acquaint yourself with it.” He glared at her and held out an imperious hand for the letter.

  Tina’s temper flared hotly. “In Scotland we have a thing called courtesy. I suggest you acquaint yourself with it.”

  He inclined his head and left her to cool her heels. She would need him before he needed her!

  Ada said, “I learned that Lord Howard has just been named head of the king’s armies. Of course here at court, the Howards use their titles of Countess and Earl of Surrey. Tina, he could be of vital importance if he could be persuaded to help you.”