A Grave Inheritance

by Kari Edgren

  At the end of my narrative, Henry released a low whistle under his breath. “Both Cate and Julian,” he said. “I would never have guessed.”

  I bobbed my head in agreement. “I know. Before coming to England, it hadn’t occurred to me that I might not recognize another of my kind, yet I’ve stayed under Cate’s roof for a full week without the slightest inclination.”

  Henry shifted, allowing me to snuggle deeper into his arms. “In hindsight, it makes perfect sense why she risked the king’s wrath by opening her home to you. I’ve plenty of friends in London, but she was the only one brave enough to extend an invitation.” He fell silent, and I again listened to the rhythm of his heartbeat. The knot had released its hold on my brain, coaxed away, I assumed, by the contentment I now felt from sharing so many burdens. Sure, I still had cartful of problems, but I no longer had to shoulder it alone.

  “What surprises me most,” Henry said after a minute, “is how she let her mother die. I’ve known Cate for years and never suspected her capable of harboring such a grudge. I wonder if it’s wise for you to continue residing here.”

  A strange sensation stirred in my chest, an impulse to defend Cate’s actions despite having had similar thoughts just a few short hours ago. “Mr. Larken might have been mistaken about Cate’s indifference to her mother’s illness.” My own father came to mind and his refusal to be healed. “Maybe her mother wanted to die and forbade Cate from healing her. Whatever the case, there’s no denying that she has already saved my life twice. Heaven knows, if she meant me harm, I wouldn’t be sitting here right now.”

  Henry stared into the fire, his brow heavy with thought. “Concern for your safety has clouded my better judgment. Cate has proven herself time and again, and I’ve no right to question her loyalty to either of us. There must be more to the story than even Mr. Larken knows.” Henry nestled his head against me and inhaled deeply. “So, is that all, or is there anything else you need to tell me?”

  A flicker of guilt warmed my conscience. From his playful tone, he didn’t really think there could be anything more after what I had already told him.

  To be fair, I had divulged everything of importance in regards to Julian, and saw no need to relate verbatim our entire conversation from the palace garden. Considering Henry’s jealous nature and apparent fondness for duels, only a simpleton would throw oil on that fire by needlessly reciting Julian’s various insults and attempts to win me over. The details of his sad past had sufficed to explain his ardent stance against my betrothal to a human rather than a leath’dhia, and due to some selective editing, Henry had taken the news of Julian’s proposal in stride. My limited version of events had been in the best interest of both men. So why did I feel so blasted guilty?

  Henry encased both of my hands in one of his own. “Why are you fidgeting?”

  I stared at the back of his hand, only now realizing that I had been twisting one of my rings. Unsure what to say, I remained silent, and let him draw his own conclusion.

  “No more secrets, Selah. I’ll not be left in the dark wherever our future is concerned.” He nibbled my ear. “To be clear, I mean anything that may threaten your life or interfere with our relationship.”

  Unfortunately, those parameters seemed to include just about everything from the past week. “Well,” I started, keeping my gaze fixed on Henry’s hand. “When Julian and I were in the garden...” The remaining words stuck like dry bread in my throat.

  Henry lifted his head and gave me a piercing look. “By any chance did Julian do more than proclaim his love tonight?” he asked with deadly calm.

  Drat!

  “What did he do?” Henry prodded me.

  “He may have done one other thing,” I said, rather vaguely. “But it’s of little consequence.”

  “I’ll be the judge of that.”

  So I feared. “You have to understand that it all happened very fast, and I don’t have the clearest memory of everything—”

  “Selah,” Henry warned.

  Fine! But don’t blame me if the truth isn’t to your liking!

  “Julian kissed me,” I blurted out. And I think I may have kissed him back.

  Henry’s arms flexed around me. “What sort of kiss?” he asked. “The quick kind on the cheek?”

  I shook my head, resigned to the whole truth. “More like the long kind on the mouth.”

  “I’ll kill him.” Henry’s voice was flat and eerily void of emotion.

  Fear coursed through me, and I pulled away as far as his arms would allow. “No you won’t! I’ve finally found two other leath’dhia in the whole world, and I won’t have you sending one to an early grave in a jealous rage.”

  “What do you expect me to do?” His tone brimmed with exasperated anger. “Pretend it never happened? I won’t be able to look at Lord Stroud again without imagining his mouth all over yours.” Henry groaned, and I felt him stiffen behind me. “No. Apparently I don’t even have to see the man to envision what happened.”

  My cheeks grew hot, though I wasn’t sure if embarrassment or anger played the greater part. “What about Justine Rose? From your own confession, you did a mite more than kissing.”

  Henry snorted his indignation. “As if that’s a fair comparison. I hadn’t even met you yet.”

  “Well, what about Amelia? I hate how everyone thinks you two are betrothed. But you don’t hear me threatening to kill her.” Not that the thought hadn’t crossed my mind tonight.

  “The comparison is hardly applicable as I’ve never kissed Amelia, nor shown any affection beyond friendship. You’ll have to do better than that to save Julian’s life.”

  I drew in a breath, prepared to berate Henry into seeing reason when I suddenly realized just how little reason had played into his jealous outburst. Which meant Julian’s life would have to be saved by different tactics tonight.

  Shifting my weight, I subtly gathered a large handful of silk skirts. Then in one deft movement, I turned to face Henry, planting one knee on either side of the cushion and straddling his lap.

  His initial astonishment eased to a grin, and I leaned closer until our lips almost touched. “I suggest a duel.”

  Henry didn’t even blink. “Gladly. I shall have my second visit Lord Stroud in the morning.”

  I tightened my knees around his thighs. “You misunderstand, Lord Fitzalan. I have just challenged you to a duel. Do you accept?”

  He studied me for a moment. “I’ve never faced a woman before.” Firelight played against his skin, illuminated the mix of curiosity and amusement in his eyes. “Which weapons do you propose?”

  “Hmmm. What shall it be? Swords or pistols at twenty paces?” My body thrummed with excitement, and I had to exert every bit of self-control not to press myself against him.

  “I’ve always preferred swords à l’outrance,” he said, his voice noticeably deeper.

  “To first blood?”

  “To the uttermost.” His warm breath brushed my lips. “Does that suit you, my lady?”

  Henry moved his head forward to claim my mouth, but I pulled back just out of reach. “Oh, no,” I laughed. “I’ll be using an even more deadly weapon.” I tightened my knees once more as Brigid’s fire flared to life inside me.

  “And what would that be? I’ve heard the only suitable weapon for women is either poison, or their...” His voice trailed off and he swallowed hard.

  I leaned closer to whisper in his ear. “Shall I show you?”

  His hands gripped my back as a low growl sounded from deep inside his throat. “Yes, please...”

  Lowering my lashes, I gave him a seductive grin. “Then let the duel begin.”

  He offered no resistance as, one-by-one, I slipped the silver buttons through the buttonholes of his waistcoat, and the dark silk parted to reveal the white linen shirt underneath. The cr
avat came apart even quicker, and my pulse skittered wildly when his shirt fell open, exposing him to mid-sternum. He watched me through heavy lids, his body seemingly calm except for the soft rasp of air through his nose.

  My fingers turned anxious and every pounding heartbeat nearly undid me as I coaxed the front shirttail from his breeches. Never before had I behaved so wickedly, but having extended the challenge, I would dance with the devil before I backed down. His heated stare poured into me, and another growl emerged from his throat when I slid my hands beneath the snowy material. Emboldened by his reaction, I skimmed along his ribbed abdomen, teasing the skin until he quivered under my touch.

  A moan gathered in my throat from the exquisite feel of him, all warm velvety hardness just like I had imagined so many times before. At the last second, I bit my lip to keep silent rather then expose my weakened position and just how much I wanted to tumble into him. From his abdomen, I lightly grazed his ribs, power suffusing my skin when I reached his chest and pressed my palms into the thick muscles. Henry purred his approval, the deep vibration passing into me.

  “First strike, my lord,” I murmured.

  His mouth curved to a slow, satisfied smile. “Acknowledged.”

  In search of safer ground, I retreated from beneath his shirt to run my hands up his arms to the crest of his broad shoulders. Heat burned on my fingertips as I scorched a leisurely line along the hollow of his neck. Moving upward, I brushed his cheeks and caressed the curve of each ear with fire.

  A small quake passed through him and he arched toward me. I parried just in time to keep a few inches between us.

  “Second strike, my lord.”

  His hands tightened on my back. “Acknowledged.”

  A gentle tug freed the black ribbon at his nape, and my pulse turned ragged from the shower of light brown hair that fell to his shoulders. Threading my fingers through the silken strands, I molded myself against him until his heat seeped into every part of me. On the verge of victory, I tilted my head up and nipped his bottom lip.

  “À l’outrance,” I breathed. To the uttermost.

  Desire flared in his eyes. In an instant, his mouth covered mine, the soft warmth sending a shock of pleasure straight through me. It spilled into Henry, and the sound of his groan turned my blood to fire. His arms trembled as he reclaimed my mouth with a growing hunger.

  In the last throes of our duel, he drew back a fraction of an inch and released a shaky breath. “You are a skilled fighter, my love.”

  Our foreheads remained touching, and I smiled against his mouth. “Do you admit defeat?”

  Henry shook his head and laughed. “Not on your life.”

  “Are you serious? Without doubt—”

  He stole my next words with another searing kiss that left me panting for air. “Any man alive would agree that I have won tonight.” His eyes sparkled deviously. “Strike me again, Selah. I promise to be brave.”

  Laughing, I planted my hands in the center of his chest to keep him at bay. “You are incorrigible! As the clear victor, I demand that you honor the terms of our agreement and forfeit any thoughts of dueling with Julian.”

  Henry sighed and leaned his head against the back of the chair. “For you I shall pardon Lord Stroud’s foolishness this one time. But mark my words, if he so much as glances at you in the future, I will cleave the man from neck to navel.”

  My eyes widened. “Would you really?” I asked in spite of myself.

  “Upon my honor.”

  His obvious sincerity nettled me to no end. Julian may have violated my trust on numerous levels, but he was still goddess born. And that made him family. “What is he supposed to do, gouge out his eyes? Certainly I’ll meet Lord Stroud in public, and then what will you do? Call him out for not being blind?” I huffed my indignation. “Cutting a man in half is hardly just rewards for looking at someone.”

  Henry’s mouth quirked up on one side. “You have only yourself to blame for my violent nature. Before we met, I was a docile pup compared to the beast I’ve become of late. It must be your goddess blood that feeds the warrior in me.”

  I rolled my eyes. “It’s not my fault that you can’t tame your own temper.”

  Two strong hands gripped my waist. “The only thing I want to tame right now is sitting on my lap.” Leaning forward, his breath tickled my neck. “I should wed you and bed you tonight. Then there would be no question as to whom you belong.”

  Heat swelled in my abdomen, threatening to undo the last strands of self-control. I wanted to belong to him in every sense of the word, and him to me. But not as the mistress. I would be his wife, or nothing at all.

  Besides, we still had one more score to settle. “That depends,” I said coyly. “Do you still think I’m unnatural?”

  He grazed me with his eyes. “Only in the best way. And once we are married I intend to spend the rest of our lives discovering the many benefits of your gift.” His smile turned downright wicked, and I felt myself grow flushed from head to toe. “In case you haven’t guessed, I’m not referring to your ability to heal.”

  Without warning, my self-control slipped another notch. He took that moment to stand and set my feet on the floor. “It’s late. You should be abed.”

  My shoulders slumped with disappointment. The brevity of our reconciliation made the separation all the more unbearable. “You don’t have to leave so soon,” I said, while silently vowing to behave. “The servants already know you’re here. Another hour or two won’t hurt.” Unless Lucy Goodwin found out, and then there would be hell to pay in the morning, regardless of what did or did not happen between us.

  Henry tucked his shirt into his breeches and started re-buttoning the waistcoat. “No one knows I am here. When I arrived at the front door, Sophie said that you were out with Cate and sent me away for the night.” He ran his fingers through his hair to smooth some of the tangles. “I returned to the carriage to await your return when a young girl slipped past the wall into the gardens. I followed to the back of Cate’s property where she disappeared into an old well. It didn’t take long to figure out that the well led to a series of tunnels and hidden passages that run through the grounds and walls of the house. By good luck, I found my way to your room rather than stumble out on some unsuspecting soul.”

  I started in surprise. “Fanny told me the house was built new for Cate and Lord Dinley. Why do you think they would need so much secrecy?”

  “I’ve no idea, unless it has something to do with being leath’dhia.” Henry tied his cravat before retrieving his greatcoat and hat from the dressing table chair.

  “Come here,” he said, taking my elbow. “I need to show you something.” He steered me the few steps to the far side of the fireplace where I watched in bemused silence as he ran his hands along the heavy stones that trimmed each side of the hearth.

  “What are you doing?”

  “There is a lever here to open the passage.” An entire wall panel disappeared from view.

  “Holy Mother!” I exclaimed, staring into the gaping black hole. “Where did that come from?”

  “It’s how I got to your room.” Henry lit a candle from the mantel. Then taking one of my hands, he pulled me close. “I have to return to the palace now.”

  I shook my head. “You said you were done with Amelia after what she did tonight.” Just the mention of her name turned my stomach sour.

  He pressed my hand to his chest, right over his heart. “I need to see the king if he is still awake, or find out through other means what retaliations he plans to take for my actions. As I tried to tell you earlier, my banishment from court may be the least of our worries.”

  My stomach lurched from sour to a curdled mess. “Do you think he will have me sent to the Tower?”

  Henry frowned. “The king’s temper is matched only by his pride. After what I said to
Amelia and his courtiers, it’s likely he’ll do something rash if I don’t try to smooth things over.”

  “Damn that man!” I cursed. “How much longer are we to be held under his thumb?”

  Henry’s hand tightened around mine. “Listen to me, Selah. Once I’m done at the palace, I’ve got to return home to speak with my father. If there is any sign of trouble while I’m gone, I want you to follow this corridor down into the tunnels. I will meet you there.”

  Speaking was becoming increasingly difficult. “What will we do then?”

  “Sail to France until things calm down.”

  “What if the king finds us first?”

  Henry tilted his head down and kissed me. “I’ve already told you,” he murmured against my lips. “There is nothing in this world that can keep us apart.”

  Releasing my hand, he stepped into the passage. “Try to get some rest. I will send a messenger the moment I know anything.”

  A hundred words flooded my mouth, but the door closed and he was gone.

  Chapter Twelve

  A Day Well Spent

  The first message arrived with the sunrise. Having spent much of the night pacing the floors, and peeking outside at every sound, I had finally managed about an hour of sleep, curled up in the armchair. A soft knock on the door brought me upright.

  “Come in,” I said, my voice abrupt as I jumped to my feet.

  Sophie came into the room. “A letter just arrived for you, miss.” She held out the folded paper. “Delivered by one of Lord Fitzalan’s footmen.”

  I snatched it from her hand and dashed over to the window, which offered the only light in the room other than a sputtering candle stub. Breaking the wax seal, my eyes flew over the scant words.

  All is well—please relay my sincerest appreciation to Cate.

  Henry

  My breath came out in a rush. “Merciful saints!” I cried in a hoarse whisper. Relief flowed through me as I read the single line two more times just to be sure. With each pass, the nightmare of dark tunnels and perilous sea crossings began to fade, like most bad dreams did once the sun came up.