Ever the monarch, Lucien sent Godfrey away with a wave of his hand.
“My friend, I am tolerant of most things about you, but do remember that I command my servants,” Garrick said once they were alone.
“I’m aware of your rank in England, Garrick. I am also aware that your brothers have earned themselves baronies. Unusual as that may be, I am pleased that the Forresters have secured an Abcynian future in England,” Lucien said with a grin. “But I wish to speak to you of your wedding plans. You’ve hired maids for Angelica and a chamber has been readied for Aisley. Why haven’t I seen you visiting your lady?”
“I have reasons for staying away.”
In truth, Garrick had thought it was best to remain at a distance from Aisley until the moon waned. But he hadn’t been able to resist watching over her. She often walked about the forest without an escort. By visiting her in his leopard form, he could protect her and curb his desire to bed her before her courses began. Being near her before then was too much temptation for an Abcynian male aware of his mate’s fertility cycle.
He’d offered her a fortnight. By that time, a new moon would have begun and her courses would have ended. Though she would still be a temptation, he would have better control over his need to claim and she’d be safer in his presence.
While he admittedly did not know her well, he suspected Aisley had never lain with a man. The night they’d met he’d heard her heart racing, smelled her arousal, yet she had seemed unfamiliar with her feminine needs. She would have been raised to remain a virgin until she was wed by law and the Church and lie with a man only to beget a babe. Panthera Abcynians could not honor such a custom. If they wanted something, they took it, and he wanted to share his bed with Aisley every night. Even as he knew this to be true, he realized he would have to earn her affection and trust before they married but he would do all he could to win her favor. Once they married, he would move her into his chamber and keep her close, mating with her as often as he possibly could, whenever he wanted.
“If you must know, I am giving her time to accept what is going to be,” Garrick conceded, hearing Valiant’s voice coming from Angelica’s chamber. “I’d say more but my squire has returned. I wish to see Angelica.”
“The child enjoys her visits with Aisley.”
“Aye, she does. Angelica deserves a mother like Aisley.”
Garrick stood and Lucien followed him to the door. Silently, they made their way down the hallway.
Valiant intercepted them. “Good day, Father,” he said. “Lord Danford, if you wish to see Angelica I feel I should warn you that she was asleep when I turned her over to the nurse. She enjoyed her visit with your betrothed and played half the day.”
“This is good. I shall let her rest,” Garrick decided. “I am grateful you have taken on the task of escorting Angelica to Aisley’s.”
“I enjoy spending time with them. Do you know Aisley saw you in the forest?”
“Be very careful what you say,” Lucien warned. “Listen for servants before you speak.”
Feeling it was safe to reply, Garrick addressed his squire. “I wanted her to see me. It was imperative I learn how she’d react to it. She was not afraid.”
“That’s because she didn’t realize what you were.” Valiant hesitated and listened for privacy before continuing. “She thought you were a wildcat.”
“I’m not a cat.” He was half panthera. Being called a wildcat was an insult. “I’ll have to teach her the difference.”
“That may be difficult,” Valiant boldly said, failing to remember his place as Garrick’s squire. “Aisley claims she will not marry you.”
“She hasn’t the choice!” Furious with Aisley for attempting to deny him and with Valiant for being as bold as his father, Garrick almost lunged at the boy. “Aisley will become my wife and you will hold your tongue.”
“Might I suggest that you try visiting with Aisley before she comes to live here? As it is, she seems most upset with you for sending your cat to watch over her instead of doing so yourself,” Valiant said.
“Valiant, that’s enough!” Lucien corrected.
“Lucien, your son has a tendency to speak out of turn.”
“Now you might understand why he needs the discipline of knighthood. He is well aware that one day he will lead Abcynian kind and hasn’t yet learned humility.”
“I’ll not be ignored,” Valiant implored.
“Be very careful, son. We are in England. Here, Garrick is an earl and you are his squire, nothing more. If you’ve something to say, ask his permission and speak appropriately.”
“My apologies, Lord Danford,” Valiant said, lowering his eyes. “I have no wish to offend you. Might I speak?”
“Not if you intend to speak against me,” Garrick warned.
“I’d like to speak of my concern for Aisley,” the squire explained.
Sensing Valiant’s concern for Aisley, Garrick nodded. “Go ahead.”
“While I was visiting her, we started talking about English surnames and she asked if you knew her surname. More so, she wondered if you knew who her father was. I felt badly because I couldn’t answer. She was concerned about that, milord. What should I have said to appease her?”
“Nothing, you cannot answer for me, Valiant. From now on, you needn’t worry,” Garrick said. “I will acquaint myself with Aisley’s father soon enough. Once I’ve done so she’ll be more at ease with me.”
“Pardon, milord, but I’m certain her mother and father are gone. Mayhap from the plague,” Valiant ventured to say.
“What mean you, boy?” Garrick demanded.
“You’ve seen Aisley’s cottage from a distance. You must know she lives there alone. She’s literate and depends on no one but herself. I suspect her father was highborn or a scholar of some merit. When she talks of her mother or her father, she becomes sad and I do not wish to burden her with further questions about them.”
Valiant was right. Garrick knew Aisley lived alone and thought it was due to her work as a healer. She’d told him her parents were nearby and her affection for them had been real. It was possible that her father and mother were buried somewhere near Danford Village, which would explain why she still felt close to her family. It was also likely that she lied because she hadn’t trusted his intentions. As angry as he rightfully should have been, he believed she was trying to protect herself from a man she didn’t know.
“Garrick, Valiant is right. You should go and talk to Aisley.”
“I do not need advice from you,” Garrick said, glaring at Lucien.
“Don’t you? Tell me, what is Aisley’s surname?” Lucien questioned, raising a brow.
Garrick walked away. Granted, he’d spent most of the last three days preparing the manor house for Aisley and their betrothal. Admittedly, he’d been so tempted to consummate their pairing the first time he saw her that he hadn’t asked the simplest of questions. Vowing to make amends, he walked down the hall and wondered how long it had been since he attempted to pursue a woman.
Chapter Four
Wading in a cool, rippling stream wearing nothing but her chemise, Aisley fought back tears while adding a clump of sticks and leaves to a makeshift dam. Her throat tightened as memories of coming here with her Mama and Papa came forth.
This was the most trying of all the days in the year. She’d thought her grieving would get easier over time, but it hadn’t. She still missed them and wished her parents were here. If they were, she wouldn’t have to deal with her feelings for the Earl of Danford alone.
Knowing she wasn’t really alone in the forest, she spoke to her companion. “I know you are there, Sir Knight. I feel your eyes upon my back.”
When nothing came in the form of a saw or rumble, she straightened.
“I find it strange that I would talk to a cat���nay, a leopard.”
A light rumble followed, warning that the leopard was near.
“Might as well confess that, as infuriating as your master�
��s silence has been these last ten days, I like you…” she paused, bending down to adjust the barrier. “But you must have better things to do than following me about.” She’d only seen the tip of his tail and a bit of his face so far, but she knew when he was near. “Mayhap you should return to hunting whatever it is you hunt, rabbits, deer, squirrel, mice…I know not.”
Sir Knight grunted. He did that a lot. She thought it was because he disliked the task of watching over her.
“Then again, you’re only obeying Lord Danford. I wonder, will you ever show yourself?”
A rumbled sawing came forth, sounding much closer. Looking at the embankment and surrounding trees, she frowned. She saw nothing but green and brown forest.
“Hmm, mayhap you dislike the name I chose for you? Mayhap you are as mysterious as the Earl of Danford, but I think it suits you well. Lord Danford’s squire told me that the Earl’s brothers are coming to the manor and Valiant’s mother will arrive soon as well. She is to guard my virtue. This is good, but why, oh why, must I hear such things from Valiant and not the man I am expected to marry?”
Sir Knight quieted. Very strange, she thought. Mayhap the leopard had grown bored and left?
To her pleasure, the temporary blockade had deepened the water from her knees to her thighs. It would be perfect for soaking. The walk to the abbey where her parents were buried had taken the better part of the morning. After saying her prayers, she’d decided a cool bath would be ideal and returned to the stream.
As she was not a simpkin, she’d made certain she was alone before stripping down and stepping into the water. She hadn’t wanted her chemise to get wet, so she’d managed to knot the hem at her waist, leaving only her legs visible.
“You see, Sir Knight, I have made a pool deep enough to bathe,” she said. In all truth, she’d prefer to bathe unclothed.
With one last look about, Aisley left the stream and removed her chemise. She was placing it with her other clothing when she heard Sir Knight’s sawing roar. The savage sound frightened her far more than she’d ever been while knowing he was about.
“Oh nay, Sir Knight, you do not get to act as if you understand what I am doing,” she said.
The roaring altered from loud to a soft rumble. Something about the rough sound reminded her of Lord Danford and she fought the need to cover herself with her arms.
“Dear goodness, Sir Knight, you are making me nervous.” He was making her aware of her nudity.
Aisley prided herself on her chastity and cleanliness. Her menses had concluded and she wanted a cool bath. She was hot, tired and lonely. The stream would ease some of her troubles and make her smell good again. It shouldn’t have mattered that the leopard was near, but somehow she felt as if she were doing something wicked.
“I’m ignoring you, cat.” She tried to ignore the beast, but his rumbling increased as she placed her foot into the stream.
The water was cool. Its rippling current teased her bare legs and she suddenly became aware of the sensitive places on her inner thighs and the back of her knees.
What would it be like to feel Lord Danford’s big, strong hands touching the same places? Nay, nay, he would never touch her in such a manner!
Suddenly, the leopard roared in earnest, sending birds to flight and Aisley’s gaze skyward. “God’s teeth, I never thought to look up!”
Sir Knight sat upon a jutting branch, his bright green eyes watching her from above. Perched on his haunches, his long, silken tail hung down and swayed back and forth. Awed by her first full view of him, Aisley stumbled and fell to her knees. Chilly water splashed her shoulders, neck and face, dampening her hair.
When next she looked, the leopard was on all fours. The beast was twice the size of what she’d thought it would be and as dark as the squire claimed. Sunlight revealed spots on its fur.
“How long have you been there?” she whispered, feeling naked, wet and afraid to speak too loudly for fear of having it pounce on her from above.
Sir Knight roared, his repetitive sawing hurting her ears.
“Are you angry, Sir Knight?” She tried for calm, but couldn’t stop shaking.
The roaring ceased, then the creature’s eyes locked with hers. His fury could not be ignored and she wasn’t certain Lord Danford’s leopard would not harm her.
“Nay, do not leave that tree.” Regardless of her command, he turned and began a graceful descent from its branch.
Sir Knight jumped to the ground before she could blink twice. He prowled at the edge of the stream, pawing and roaring. Thinking the leopard didn’t like water, she decided to stay where she was.
“I’ll come out if you go back to your branch,” Aisley said. Trying to be brave, she scooped water into her palms and poured it over her head.
She prayed the leopard would not sense her fear. She told herself she shivered because of the cold water, not because she thought the big, black creature would attack.
With her eyes on Sir Knight at all times, she drenched her hair and bathed. Abruptly, his unsettling noise stopped and he went over to her clothing and lowered his face to her gown.
“What are you doing?” she wondered aloud, frowning.
The leopard sniffed her meager pile of clothing. He looked huge in comparison. She guessed that he out-weighed most Englishmen. His paws appeared to be a hand and a half in width and could likely kill with one deadly swipe. And, yet, while he was big, he was also regal and proud, commanding her respect.
To her dismay, the leopard grasped her gown and chemise in its mouth and carried them into the woods. “Wait! Nay, bring those back!”
The wretched thing didn’t return and Aisley grew angry.
“Fine, beast, remain hidden. I’ll not come out just because you’ve stolen my clothes. Bring them back or I’ll inform Lord Danford of your deeds. Then again, he would have to speak to me. Since I doubt that will happen, we’re both stuck here. As to your master, if he means to discuss the possibility of marriage, he will have to show himself to me before the close of this day.” Feeling it was safe to challenge the Earl while dealing with his leopard, Aisley splashed water over her shoulders. “I’ll not marry a man who does not speak to me.”
A horrible roar split the foliage and the leopard leapt back into view from an undetermined distance and stepped into the stream.
Aisley cried out. She had no idea something so big could move with such speed.
“Nay, I command you to go. I do not like you this way,” she whispered, fearing a raised voice would provoke it further.
He did not obey. Steadily, slightly crouched, the creature came through the water. She felt like his prey and there was nothing she could do to prevent him from attacking her.
Unwilling to watch his approach, she closed her eyes. “Valiant promised you wouldn’t harm me. You’re supposed to protect me.”
Frightened and feeling betrayed, she cringed as heat from the animal’s body warmed hers. His muzzle nudged the place where her shoulder met her neck. His snuffling breath felt nice against her skin and then something tickled her nose. He smelled like cinnamon.
Unable to resist, she sneezed, forcing her eyes open. For several heartbeats, she couldn’t breathe as she stared into Sir Knight’s eyes and felt as if she knew them.
“If you’re going to kill me, do it quickly.”
He stood over her, his long whiskers touching her face. They tickled, tempting her to smile until he lowered his jaw to her wrist and took it into his mouth. He didn’t bite or hurt her. When he tugged on her arm, she stood. His hold was firm as he guided her safely out of the stream, stopping only once when her foot slid over a smooth rock and she thought she might slip.
“I cannot leave the dam,” she said. The slightest tightening of powerful jaws ceased any further objections.
Once they made it to the bank, Sir Knight freed her wrist and nudged her backward. Two ells into the forest, she discovered her clothing. A look about revealed that the leopard had carried her things to an enclosur
e hidden by bushes and trees.
“Amazing,” Aisley said, turning around to discover the regal giant had disappeared.
Mayhap her bare body frightened it away. She rarely looked at herself naked. She didn’t know if she could be considered pretty. Her one and only suitor had claimed that she was, though he’d not liked her freckles. Secretly, she wondered if her freckles and birthmark had been the catalyst for Lord Danford’s absence.
Trying to hurry, Aisley donned her hose, chemise and brown cote-hardie. It was an old gown, but it was comfortable for a day’s work. Highborn women wore houppelandes now, but she didn’t have the coin for fashionable gowns.
Fully clothed, she smoothed her fingers through her wet hair and headed back to the stream. She was surprised to see that Sir Knight had destroyed the dam.
“My goodness,” she gasped.
Sir Knight returned to her side when he heard her. Belatedly, she realized he was taller than a wolfhound. Valiant had told her leopards were not usually this large. Clearly she was dealing with an unusual animal. He seemed as intelligent as a man.
“Your assistance in tending to the dam is appreciated, but do not expect a reward after hiding my clothes.”
Aisley was tempted to scratch Sir Knight behind the ears or beneath his chin the way she’d once done to a kitten. Believing it best to avoid touching him, she clenched her hands and looked about for her shoes.
“I might as well go. I shall look for you on the morrow unless I decide to leave Danford.” Sad as that thought made her, Aisley sat on a rock to put on her shoes.
In truth, she did not wish to leave. More so, she didn’t want to leave Angelica. But the Earl was Angelica’s guardian now and she could not risk the consequences of remaining for much longer. If a brief encounter with Lord Danford had left her recalling those moments each and every night since they’d met, she suspected he could steal her heart. Worse, if he was the tyrant many feared him to be, he’d keep her from seeing Angelica. It would be easier for Angelica if she left before they became any closer. Already, she wanted to call the child her own.
SeductivePersuasion Page 4