“Do not worry so about werewolves, Sedgewick. Think of the girl’s aunt. If she’s still alive, mayhap she would like to visit the child. We could arrange that.”
“You forget the Earl of Danford has put a price on my head if I’m caught on his land. I happen to like it on my shoulders.”
“There’s no such price on the aunt.”
“True, there’s no any reason why she could not visit Danford.”
“Tell me of the village where you found the girl and the aunt. More importantly, what is the aunt’s name?”
“Elita, Elisa, nay…I need to think.” Sedgewick tried to recall the aunt’s name while they rode through the woods.
John remained quiet. Sedgewick was certain that his companion was planning something.
Chapter Twelve
“While considering your strategy, make certain you are aware of the moves your opponent could make as well,” Garrick instructed. Ever patient when it came to playing chess, he leaned back in his chair and waited for Aisley to respond.
It was one of his favored activities and Aisley enjoyed playing the game with him. Unfortunately, she was defeated each and every night. They’d begun this routine a sennight ago, but she did not possess the mindset to defeat Garrick yet.
“I am trying, milord,” she said. It was difficult to study the board when Garrick’s cinnamon scent teased her. She wondered if his skin would taste as good as he smelled. She was glad the Earl’s kitchen staff favored the use of spice in food and wine, and cinnamon had readily become her favorite since moving to the manor. She especially enjoyed it in warm, mulled cider, something she’d never been able to have in the village.
Oddly enough, she’d grown bewitched with the scent since meeting Garrick. There had been a time or two during the dark of night when she thought she smelled him in her chamber. Each time she gathered her bedcovers up to her chin, certain he had come to her. But when she looked over, she spotted Sir Knight sleeping on the floor nearby. Rather than being alarmed by his massive presence, she found that Sir Knight’s nearness lessened the pang of regret she felt when she didn’t see Garrick in her room.
“Would you like me to advise you, Aisley?” Sir Lucien offered from a chair across the room.
The man, though large and blessed with a rather deep, beautiful voice, was easy to like. However he was as mysterious as Garrick at times and acted like a man with a loftier title than a lord. She also suspected the tawny-haired giant could be deadly.
“Nay, milord, I shall learn on my own,” Aisley replied after capturing one of the Garrick’s pawns.
“Patience, that is all you need learn,” Sir Lucien said.
Aisley spared Sir Lucien a glance. He sipped at a chalice of wine. She heard the servants whispering that the wine was made at Sir Lucien’s estate. Only Garrick and the marcher lord’s family were permitted to drink it and the kitchen servants were watched closely when they poured it into carafes or pitchers. She thought that was odd, but did not feel it proper to ask why.
“Cease distracting Aisley,” Garrick warned Sir Lucien.
Aisley watched Garrick capture a significant chess piece. As he straightened, his green eyes lingered on her face. Intrigued by the color, she almost leaned closer to make sure that his eyes were not the same as Sir Knight’s.
“Where is Catarina, my friend?” Garrick asked, holding Aisley’s gaze. Something warm fluttered to life within her womb, building stronger when his knee nudged hers.
“She decided to retire to our chambers early.”
“Is she unwell, milord? I can attend her if necessary,” Aisley offered.
“Nay, milady, you needn’t concern yourself with my wife tonight. She was tired and wanted to rest.”
Garrick eased back in his chair, her captured piece in his big hand. The queen was swallowed by his palm, revealing how large his hands were. “Mayhap you should check on her, my friend,” he said.
“I do not think it’s wise to disregard my wife’s wishes,” Sir Lucien replied, laughing softly as he drank his wine.
Garrick loosened his grip and began caressing the queen with his thumb. Claim you are tired and wish to return to your quarters. Aisley trembled at Garrick’s request in her mind.
“Make your next move,” he said aloud. Permit me to come to you tonight instead of Sir Knight. I want to be alone with you, Aisley.
Lady Hunter had a beautiful emerald pendant that Sir Lucien had given to her when they’d married. Aisley couldn’t help thinking that Garrick’s eyes were the same color as the stone. Beguiled, she replied in their way. You want to lie with me.
Garrick leaned back in his chair. I’ve wanted you since the night we met. We will do nothing that you are not ready for. His confidence tempted Aisley in a way she didn’t understand. What would happen if she permitted him to come to her?
“I haven’t any idea how to proceed,” she confessed, lowering her gaze to the board.
“Be patient and make one move at a time. There’s no hurry.” Garrick’s voice rumbled within her temples. Begin to trust me, little one. Let me come to you.
Aisley made as though she was thinking about chess. In truth, she considered his request. She trusted Garrick to protect her and the people of Danford. She trusted him with Angelica. Mayhap she could trust him when they were alone.
“Aisley, have you made your choice?” Garrick asked.
“Aye,” she said. You may visit. Lifting her head, she smiled. “After this game is finished, I shall return to my quarters and let Sir Lucien take my place at the board. Surely he is a better opponent when it comes to chess.”
“If you aren’t careful, the game will be over soon,” Sir Lucien said.
“I’ve already captured the queen,” Garrick said.
Curious as to his meaning, she returned her attention to Garrick. The queen still resided in his hand. His thumb caressed its finely etched curves and she imagined what it would feel like to have him touch her and caress her as lovingly as he did a chess piece. His blunt nail edged the queen’s breast and Aisley’s womb clenched so harshly she feared Sir Lucien would hear her gasp. Her nipples puckered and something warm and wet trickled down her inner thighs, distracting her from the game and her inevitable defeat.
Not long after, Aisley stood and shifted. She prayed the men were unaware of her sudden need to leave. Her chemise was wet where she’d been sitting and she feared they would know, regardless of being hidden by her houppelande. “It seems Sir Lucien was right. Mayhap we can play again soon, milord,” she said to Garrick.
“I would like that, my lady,” he agreed, grinning as though he’d won more than a game of chess.
“Until the morrow, gentlemen,” she said. A little nervous, she walked across the room and left.
Stopping to close the solar door for Garrick’s and Sir Lucien’s privacy, Aisley overheard Garrick speaking. “Would you like a chalice of wine?”
“I’ve already had my needed sustenance,” Sir Lucien said. “Your mixture is quite good, Garrick. I shall look forward to more in the morning. For now, I think I’ll make my way to my chambers.”
“I’ve something to ask before you go, Lucien,” Garrick said.
“Hmm,” Aisley murmured and she decided to move on.
What had they meant by that conversation? It seemed as though she had a lot to learn about Garrick. In a few sennights he would be her husband, yet she still knew so little about his past and his Abcynian ancestry.
Wondering if she’d ever understand her betrothed, Aisley found the corridor to her room. Once inside her quarters, she began to question the rightness of permitting Garrick to visit. Mayhap she should send him away and ask him about the wine in the morning.
A knock sounded on the door adjoining Elethea’s room to hers, bringing Aisley’s attention back to the present. “Milady, may I enter?” Elethea requested in an unusually hesitant voice.
“You may,” she said.
Elethea entered, and it took but a glance to know tha
t the maid was ill. She was pale, her eyes and nose swollen and red.
“Elethea!” Aisley rushed over and touched her hand to the maid’s brow. She was hot. “Hmm, I can give you something for your fever and aches if you’d like.” Carefully, she touched the maid’s throat and felt a slight swelling.
“You are gracious, milady,” Elethea replied with her face turned away. “I am told your remedies are now in the hands of the physician.”
“Then you should go to him at once,” Aisley said.
“I am supposed to attend you. Lady Hunter scolded me for leaving you alone.”
“You’re my maid, Elethea. You’ll do as I say. Go to the physician.” Aisley decided that if she was going to become a countess, it was time to use some of her newfound rank.
“Are you certain?” Elethea asked.
“I am.” Gently, she took Elethea’s elbow and guided her to the door. In the hallway, she spotted a page lighting an oil lamp and called to him. “Boy, what is your name?”
“Ben, milady,” he said.
“Ben, would you take my maid to the physician?”
“I can assist her,” Sir Lucien said. To her surprise, he came around the corner without making a sound, filling the hallway with his presence. “Resume your work,” he told Ben.
“Aye, milord,” the boy said.
“Sir Lucien, my maid is sick. I insist that Jerold Baines treats her with marigold and barley water.”
“I shall see it is done.” Sir Lucien offered his hand to Elethea and led her away.
Aisley waited for them to disappear and then returned to her room. With a quick glance down the hallway to see if Garrick would come, she sighed and closed the door.
“Bolt it,” Garrick commanded from inside her bedchamber.
Aisley spun about and found him reclining on her bed. How he’d gotten there, she didn’t know. While she’d been in the hallway, Garrick had managed to sneak into her room, to tie back the bed curtains and remove his boots.
“How did you get in here?” she demanded, her hands clenched at her hips.
“Through the maid’s door,” he said. Smiling, he pushed up to his elbows.
“Convenient,” she grumbled. “I think it was wrong to allow you to come here.”
“It’s not wrong. Come and join me. Your bed linens are clean and soft, but they are missing your almond scent. Have I told you I’ve grown fond of almonds since we met?”
“You should leave,” Aisley said instead of acknowledging the compliment.
Difficult as it was, she tried to ignore the rightness of seeing Garrick in a bed they may share. Earlier, he’d worn his long dark hair tied with a leather strap. Now much of it hung down one shoulder to his waist, revealing the broadness of his shoulders. And though he was fully clothed, she could envision him laying there completely naked, herself beside him.
“Dear goodness,” she whimpered as the dampness that had begun in the solar worsened. A strange heat tightened low in her belly, sending warmth through her womb and maidenhead. The pedals of her woman’s entrance fluttered open, as if her body was preparing itself for Garrick’s taking.
“I told you to bolt the door,” Garrick said. “I’ve already taken care of the maid’s entrance.”
“Please, you really should go.” Aisley found it difficult to look away from him.
“That is not what you wanted in the solar.”
“I’ve changed my mind. We are not yet wed. Being alone could cause trouble.”
“Our betrothal makes you mine. There is nothing wrong with wanting to spend time together.”
“If we were to take a walk about the manor, go to the village or play another game of chess, being alone would be fine.” She paced as she spoke, aware that her eyes lingered upon him each time she slowed. “Here it may be impossible to resist temptation. I know what you want, Garrick. You want to lie with me. Mayhap I want that too, but I was raised to hear the vows of marriage before giving in to the duties of a wife. I fear I’ve become wicked.”
As she continued to move, cinnamon and something enticingly male found its way to her nose. Heat coiled within her belly, sharpening her awareness of Garrick. He watched her silently, her arguments deterring him not at all.
“Do not think you are wicked for wanting to lie with me. I want you to desire me, Aisley. Abcynian men mate for life. We mate because we want to show our women affection, to pleasure them daily, nightly. Desire is welcomed amongst my kind. It is always welcome between the two of us.” Garrick pushed upward until his feet touched the floor. “This eve you discovered playing chess can be a temptation. Did you not feel the wanting within your body? What you felt then and what you’re feeling now readies your body to receive me when I enter you.”
“Speak not of such things,” Aisley warned, though she’d been thinking something similar. Blushing, she turned away.
“What were you thinking when you first looked upon me in this bed, Aisley?”
“I dare not say.”
“Tell me,” he insisted.
“You know,” she said.
“Say what you were thinking.”
“That I wanted to see you lying there…”
“Naked?” he finished for her. “And would you like to lie here with me, Aisley?”
“Aye,” she said, flushing even hotter.
The glide of stocking feet on stone brought her around just as she reached for the door handle. Garrick stood, his hand outstretched, tempting her to take it. “Bolt the door and come lie with me.”
Goodness, she wanted to do precisely that. She shouldn’t. She should be stronger and resist temptation. “If I come to you, Garrick, you’ll want to do more than sleep.”
“Aisley, I want you whether you’re near or far away. The bed will make little difference.” When she stayed put long enough, he lowered his arm. “Be assured that I am capable of holding my desire at bay. As I told you in the solar, we’ll do only what you want. Come to me.”
“I don’t know what I want.”
Garrick came to stand beside her. The confidence of an earl clung to his shoulders like a cloak as he leaned over and slid the bolt into a notch, locking her in with him. He was a noble, a man used to getting his way, few telling him nay.
“I think I know what you want,” he said. “Trust me to protect your chastity until you decide to give it to me.”
Unknowingly, he broke the spell he’d placed on her. “If you want me to trust you, tell me at least one thing that you keep from me.”
“You’ve learned much about me since our betrothal.”
“Have I?” Refusing his outstretched hand, she retreated. A good distance from him, she leaned back against a table to watch him. “I’ve learned about your allegiance to England and the war with France. I ached for you when you told me how difficult it was to lead men into battle, knowing many would die. I cried thinking something could have happened to you during those times. I might never have known you at all if you hadn’t returned when you did.”
“You cried for me?”
“Aye, I do care about you, Garrick, more than I aught.” Aisley remained steady in her position, grateful the table offered support. Strangely, her knees were a bit weak. “My feelings grew stronger when I’d learned how deeply you were affected by the loss of villagers and farmers due to plague reaching Danford. It is obvious that your responsibilities as an earl are difficult, but you handle them with dignity and respect. You are not a tyrant.”
“Yet you hesitate to come to me?” Garrick frowned as he watched her from the slight distance, his arms at his sides.
“I hesitate because you haven’t spoken of your past or your gifts. Gifts you share with Lucien and his family. Can you at least trust me enough to tell me why the four of you drink wine that I am denied?”
“Ah, you overheard my conversation with Lucien about sustenance.” Garrick’s acceptance of her question startled her.
“Will you tell me about the wine? I would ask Lady Hunter about it
if I thought she’d answer, but I’m certain she would tell me to wait for you to explain.”
“Aye, you need to know.” Garrick pushed away from the door and moved to the center of the room. “The wine is mixed with spices and herbs from my garden.”
“We strolled through the garden the other day. The herbs grown there are not normally found in England.”
“Nor are they found in any known country unless grown by those of Abcynian lineage.”
“Why?” Aisley asked. “Are your ancestors that much different than Englishmen?”
“They are,” he answered. “The herbal wine is considered sustenance to Abcynians. It enables us to adapt to the conditions and cultures we’ve adopted over time. Sustenance aids in healing injuries and illnesses and slower aging.”
“Hmm, it sounds rather interesting. Would it be possible for me to partake of it? If it aids healing, it might be something I can offer the villagers.”
Garrick’s expression grew stern. “Sustenance is forbidden to you for now.”
“I see.” Straightening, she hoped her dwindling confidence wasn’t evident. “What of your wives? Were they privileged enough to drink your precious wine?”
“My wives?”
“You were married twice before, weren’t you?”
“You know I was. Have you spoken of Edith or Cambria to anyone else?”
Aisley glared at him. “I have not. Lady Hunter warned it would be improper for me to do so.”
“Good,” he breathed.
“You haven’t answered the question. Does my simple upbringing deny me the right to drink wine reserved only for nobility?”
Garrick narrowed his eyes. “The wine is forbidden to you until we are wed and mated.”
“I must lie with you before I can drink spiced wine believed to give better health and a longer life?”
Patiently, he closed in on her, his gaze steady on her face, daring her to keep still. When she made to step aside, a simple touch of his hand to her elbow steadied her.
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