The Black Madonna (Roundheads & Cavaliers Book 1)

by Stella Riley

  ‘Christ!’ he breathed. ‘If you want to save the gates, there’s no time for modesty.’ And, pushing her skirt out of the way, he grasped her petticoats in both hands and gave a sharp jerk.

  There was a tearing sound as the tapes gave way and Kate had to hold on to the wall in order to keep her balance. Then, as eight ells of cambric slithered to her feet, she stepped out of them saying crossly, ‘Did you have to do that? One would have been enough!’

  But he wasn’t listening. He gathered up the whole bundle, gave it a brief shake and then stood up to wave it over the wall. One by one, three of the garments fluttered down to lie on the ground outside. A ragged cheer arose from the ranks of the besiegers.

  Luciano looked from the petticoat in his hand, to the ones outside the wall, to Kate.

  ‘My God. How many of the things were you wearing? Not that it matters. They seem to have had the desired effect.’

  ‘I daresay. Cyrus Winter is probably laughing his boots off,’ snapped Kate, snatching what was left of her underwear from his hand. ‘Well? What are you waiting for? You may as well go and let them in.’

  ‘In a minute.’ His attention was still fixed on something outside. ‘Somebody’s got visitors.’

  Kate looked – and promptly forgot about her petticoats. Three horsemen were riding very fast up the lane towards the Cavaliers.

  ‘Reinforcements?’ she murmured. ‘How very odd.’

  It became progressively stranger. The newcomers rode straight into the middle of Captain Winter’s little force and, without troubling to dismount, promptly embarked on something that looked suspiciously like an argument. Then, after a good deal of arm-waving and pointing, the impossible happened.

  ‘I don’t believe it,’ said Kate weakly. ‘They’re going.’

  ‘So they are.’ Luciano watched their erstwhile attackers mounting their horses and hauling their cannon sulkily back towards the lane. ‘I wonder why? Ah. It looks as though we’re about to find out. Do we shower them in rose petals and kiss their feet … or will a simple thank-you be sufficient?’

  Kate was still staring at the approaching riders.

  ‘Please yourself,’ she said in hollow accents. ‘It’s Kit.’

  Very, very slowly, he turned to face her.

  ‘Dear me,’ he said blandly. ‘What an interesting day we’re having.’

  Horribly aware that time was running out, she met his eyes and took a deep breath. Then she said rapidly, ‘Look. Don’t start pretending to believe what I said the other night about my betrothal – we both know you’re not that credulous. I’ll admit that it was fairly stupid – just as you, if you’ve a grain of honesty, will admit that you asked for it. But none of that constitutes a good excuse for … for making mischief.’

  ‘Does it not?’ He smiled disquietingly. ‘I should think that would depend on your point of view. Are you still determined to marry him?’

  ‘That’s none of your business.’

  ‘Not true. You made it my business when you named me as your motive.’

  ‘But you know perfectly well I didn’t mean it!’

  ‘No. In fact, I don’t – although I’ll agree it’s possible.’ His eyes mocked her. ‘But even that has its suspicious side.’

  Kate felt herself go pink and was damningly aware that she was doing more harm than good. She said carelessly, ‘Oh – it’s a waste of time talking to you. Believe whatever you like. I’m going to let Kit and his friends in. And, snatching up her now overlong skirts in both hands, she stamped down the stairs to the gate.

  Luciano watched her go. Hands, face and gown were all liberally smeared with dirt, her hair was escaping in all directions like a nest of vipers … and the once buoyant skirts trailed forlornly along the ground behind her. Mr Clifford, he told himself, was in for a surprise. It would be interesting to see how he took it. Or then again, perhaps it wouldn’t.

  ‘Hell,’ he said rather desperately to the empty air, ‘and damnation.’ And then, catching Selim’s eye resting curiously upon him, ‘Come on. After all the trouble we’ve been to, it would be a shame to miss the grand finale. And then, God willing, we can get back to the comparatively straightforward business of chasing perjurers.’

  * * *

  For a whole battery of reasons, Kit had no difficulty at all in taking Kate’s appearance in his stride. His two companions, on the other hand, had no such defences. Lieutenant Verney greeted the vision with flying brows and a grin; Lieutenant Harry Clifford looked first horrified and then frankly confused. But Kit, with Kate’s hands in his and his eyes on hers, was aware of neither of them. He merely said, ‘Kate, my dear … are you all right?’

  ‘Perfectly.’ A faint frown marked her brows. ‘I don’t understand what you’re doing here. Or how – and why – you were able to send Cyrus Winter away.’

  ‘It wasn’t very difficult. He arrived too late to fight at Edgehill and must have decided to blood his fellows this way … or perhaps he wanted to make an impression. I don’t know. But he was acting without orders – and that’s something Rupert won’t tolerate. He’s said over and over again that officers rushing off on their own initiative only leads to disorder. So when Harry got wind of what Winter was doing, all I had to do was to get His Highness’s authority to stop it. Simple. And as good a way as any for you to meet my twin.’

  Kate smiled absently into the blue-grey eyes that were so like Kit’s and yet so unlike.

  ‘It certainly is – and we’re all in your debt. As you no doubt saw, we were just on the point of surrendering.’

  ‘And very charmingly too. The surrender of Banbury Castle yesterday was much less delightful.’ Lieutenant Verney stepped forward with a mischievous smile and held out her maltreated petticoats. ‘Yours, I think.’

  Long past being embarrassed, Kate accepted them with complete composure and a word of thanks before forcing herself into a greater degree of attention. ‘Haven’t we met before?’

  ‘We have indeed and I’m honoured that you remember it,’ he began cheerfully. And then stopped, apparently transfixed by something beyond her shoulder.

  Kate turned. Dorothy and the girls were crossing the yard towards them; all, that was, except for Celia, who had stopped dead as if she too had walked into a wall.

  The pieces fell into place. Kate’s gaze swivelled back to the lieutenant and she said expressionlessly, ‘Of course. Sir Hugo Verney. I remember you very well indeed – as, I’m sure, does my sister-in-law.’ She paused; and then, with a bright smile, ‘Dear me. I wonder how many more surprises today has in store for us?’

  * * *

  Once the inevitable greetings and introductions were out of the way, Dorothy ushered them all inside to partake of honey-cakes and wine and Kate, uncomfortably aware of Luciano del Santi’s sardonic gaze, took herself off to wash and change.

  It wasn’t, she told herself irritably, that she much cared how she looked – but she didn’t particularly want to watch Celia and Hugo Verney alternatively meeting and avoiding each other’s eyes; and her chances of saying the things she wanted to say to Kit looked fairly remote if Luciano was going to dog her every step. And then, of course, she needed time to let her nerves settle after that whole maelstrom up on the gatehouse.

  * * *

  Downstairs in the parlour, Hugo finally managed to sit beside Celia. He had been prepared for the sight of her but not what it did to him and he was still in shock. He tried to hide it, however, and said merely, ‘It’s a great pleasure you see you again, Mistress Maxwell – and looking, if I may say so, more beautiful than ever. Eden is a fortunate fellow.’

  ‘Eden,’ said Celia bitterly, ‘is fighting for the Parliament.’

  Faintly taken aback, Hugo looked around them to see who else was listening.

  ‘You needn’t worry.’ Celia’s smile was brittle. ‘They all know how I feel – and couldn’t care less. But let’s not talk of that. Tell me … how is your wife?’

  ‘When last I saw her, very well.’ A
knife was twisting in his chest. It was bad enough that he’d discovered he still cared; but if it turned out that she, too … or no. Best not to think of that. He said quietly, ‘If you don’t agree with the politics of this house, living here must be very hard for you. I’m sorry.’

  ‘Yes. You should be.’ For the first time, the blue eyes looked full into his. ‘Why did you come? You must have known I was here – so this is the worst thing you could have done.’ And, rising, she walked quickly away to the window.

  He was still staring at her unyielding back when Kate came in. And, because his mind was still in turmoil, he was the only one not to be struck by the transformation she had wrought. But Harry broke off his earnest conversation with Gianetta in order to stare, Luciano del Santi conducted a leisurely head-to-toe appraisal and Kit surged to his feet, saying blithely, ‘If that’s the silk we chose at the Exchange, it suits you even better than I’d expected. And how quick you’ve been! I was afraid I’d have to leave again without seeing you. We have to back by six – or at least, I do. That’s the trouble with being a glorified errand-boy. My time is rarely my own.’

  ‘Then we shouldn’t waste it.’ Standing demurely in her jade silk and resolutely ignoring the signor, Kate directed a bland look at her mother. ‘Will you excuse us for a few minutes? I’ve a letter to give Kit for Venetia – and several messages I want to add to it.’

  ‘Of course.’ Dorothy recognised the look but wasn’t sure what lay behind it. ‘Why not take Kit into the book-room? I believe Flossie had the fire lit.’

  ‘Thank you,’ said Kate. And, without more ado, led her betrothed unceremoniously away.

  As soon as they were alone, Kit slid an arm about her waist and said, ‘This is a privilege I’d not dared hope for. Have you really a letter for Venetia?’

  ‘Yes. But that’s not what I want to talk to you about.’

  ‘Better and better.’

  ‘On the contrary.’ Kate eluded his arm to close the book-room door behind them and then faced him grimly. ‘It’s damnable.’

  Quite slowly, the pleasure in his face turned to wariness. He said, ‘Something is wrong. What?’

  She drew a long breath and gripped her hands together.

  ‘I don’t want to hurt you – but it’s become increasingly plain to me that the situation between us can’t go on. So I’d like you to release me from my promise.’

  During the long silence that followed, her words hung unpleasantly on the air. Then he said abruptly, ‘Has someone been brow-beating you?’

  ‘No. Of course not. Though it is true that neither of my parents is particularly happy for me to remain neither formally contracted nor free. But --’

  ‘I don’t blame them. But that’s easily mended, isn’t it?’ His smile was tense. ‘I’ll have my father contact yours and we can be betrothed – perhaps even married – before Christmas.’

  ‘No,’ said Kate, annoyed with herself for stepping so neatly into a pit of her own making. ‘Kit, no. With things as they are, it would be a mistake.’

  ‘Ah.’ He rested his hands on the back of a chair and looked down at them. ‘The war.’

  ‘We can’t ignore it, can we? And I, for one, can see all too clearly what it’s doing to Celia and Eden to want to put you and me in the same position. Oh – I know it’s Celia’s nature to be discontented – but since she found herself trapped on what she considers to be the wrong side, she’s been ten times worse. And it’s tearing Eden in two. Do you want that?’

  ‘It wouldn’t be like that for us.’

  ‘How do you know?’ She paused to collect her thoughts, still determined to try and accomplish this without having to hurt him any more than necessary. ‘I won’t marry you while the war places us on opposite sides, Kit – and that is quite final. Neither do I see any point in continuing as we are. So I’ll ask you again. Will you release me from my promise?’

  ‘I don’t seem to have much choice, do I?’ Sighing, he let his hands fall to his sides and looked bleakly across at her. ‘What you’re really saying is that you don’t love me enough to take the risk … and I suppose that, deep down, I’ve always known it. I, on the other hand, have no such qualms – so you’ll have to forgive me if I can’t quite give up. I love you, Kate. Therefore, although I’ll do what you want now, I’ll be back when the war’s over to ask you again. You have my word on it.’

  It was the very last thing she wanted but, because her throat already ached for him, she could not say so. And then, as she sought for some gentle way round it, the door swung open.

  For an instant, sheer exasperation took Kate’s breath away and, when it came back, her first impulse was to scream with vexation.

  ‘God in heaven!’ she snapped. ‘Don’t you know how to knock?’

  ‘I beg your pardon.’ Luciano’s tone was courteously bland and there was nothing to indicate that he was drawing certain shrewd conclusions from the look on her face and on Kit’s. ‘In fact I’d forgotten that you were here and only came to collect a book your father was kind enough to say I might borrow.’

  ‘You’re leaving?’ asked Kate, sharply. And then, to cover herself, ‘What book?’

  ‘Machiavelli’s Prince. Richard tells me it’s recently been translated and I’ve yet to read in it English.’

  It sounded reasonable enough. Kate didn’t believe a word of it. Before she could say so, however, Kit said quietly, ‘I, too, should be leaving. So while you find the signor his book, I’ll just go and see if Harry and Hugo are ready. Excuse me.’

  Kate watched him walk across the hall towards the parlour and then looked back at Luciano. She said flatly, ‘Someone will murder you one day.’

  ‘That is not at all unlikely.’ He began scanning the book-shelves. ‘But I don’t somehow think it will be you, Caterina.’

  ‘If you’re going to start all that again, it almost certainly will be me! And please stop calling me that!’ She stormed over to the window-seat and snatched up a leather-bound volume. ‘Is this what you’re looking for?’

  ‘Yes … and no.’ He took it from her and placed it on the desk. Then, closing in to lay his hands on either side of her face, ‘I’m considering something which I believe occurred to both of us at a singularly inopportune moment earlier on.’

  Paralysed by shock, Kate stared unwinkingly back at him. And when no more clues appeared to be forthcoming, she said unevenly, ‘I don’t understand. What are you doing?’

  He said nothing but his smile melted her bones and his eyes suspended her in liquid darkness. Entirely without haste, one hand moved down over shoulder and arm to her waist and drew her closer, while the fingertips of the other explored her cheek and jaw with tantalising lightness. She knew she ought to move or say something to break the spell but everything about him combined to mesmerise her; the curve of his mouth, the touch of his fingers, the faint scent of his skin. So she remained in his hold, letting the unfamiliar tide continue to flow tingling along her veins and ceased caring what motive – if any – possessed him. All that mattered was the warmth of his body against hers … and her own growing need to hold him.

  Yielding to it, she slid her arms up around his neck and buried her hands in the long, crisply curling hair. He smiled again and, as if it was the signal he had been waiting for, finally bent his head to hers.

  His lips were cool and firm yet lazily unhurried and the first touch of them made her breath hitch. The arm around her waist held her closer still and his other hand drifted enticingly up her nape to cradle her skull. Slowly, willingly, Kate’s mouth opened under his – and the world outside his arms promptly disappeared. The floor dissolved beneath her feet, flames licked her skin and suddenly she was drowning in fathom upon fathom of unimaginable sweetness.

  It was more than she had ever dreamed of … yet still not enough.

  She wanted to know the texture of his skin, the imperfect line of his shoulders, the flat plane of his back. She wanted more. She wanted him.

  All the sensible
denials and sterling resolves of the last two years fell away in as many seconds, leaving only one shining truth behind. She loved him.

  The kiss stretched out into infinity … and ended too soon. Slowly releasing her mouth but still holding her close, Luciano looked first into the dilated green eyes and then, almost reluctantly, towards the doorway. And presently, coming back to earth sufficiently to be aware of his unnatural stillness, Kate stirred herself to follow his gaze.

  Kit Clifford stood there, his face white with shock.

  Luciano’s hands fell from Kate and he took a small step away from her … while heavy, airless and unpleasant, the seconds ticked by in silence.

  Then finally, in a tone like splintering glass, Kit spoke.

  ‘I see now why you were so anxious to be free, Kate. It’s a pity you couldn’t bring yourself to be honest with me … but, in the circumstances, I don’t suppose I should find it all that surprising.’ And with one last, bitter glance, he was gone.

  The silence lingered. Kate discovered that she was shivering. Or shaking. She wasn’t sure which. She looked at Luciano. He was a trifle pale but otherwise seemingly composed. She had no idea what to say so she waited for him to speak.

  Then, with a faint, crooked smile, he did. And the world tilted.

  ‘Forgive me, Caterina. Dirty tactics – but effective. And someone had to do it.’

  She stared at him and he watched the significance of his words reach her by degrees; saw her eyes widen, first with disbelief and then with hurt; saw her realise, as he’d intended, that the kiss in itself meant nothing.

  And because, in truth, he was angry with himself, he said a little roughly, ‘As I said, I’m sorry. But if Clifford loves you – if he really loves you – he’d never let you go without a very good reason. And now he has one.’

  ~ * * ~ * * ~

  SIX

  Although it was completely uneventful, the ride from Thorne Ash to Oxford was far from pleasant and when Selim’s third attempt at conversation brought forth a third sarcastic response, he relapsed into silence. The amir was clearly ripe for the vengeance that lay ahead … which, although it was entirely proper, meant that he was best left alone.