Dark Splendor

by Parnell, Andrea

  Clasping the flower in her hands like a precious jewel, she choked back a little cry. What would occur when Mr. Schlange told them who she really was? How would Roman feel about her then? Saddened at the thought of what would happen to her fragile new world at that time, she left the garden and returned to her room.

  Knowing the men would not be in to dine, Silvia sent a note to Martha and asked to have a light meal sent to her room. She had just awakened from a nap when Anna dutifully arrived with a linen-covered tray.

  “Are you feeling poorly, miss?” Anna pattered in with the large tray and set it on a small table near the window. She had brought enough food for three: slices of meat, bread and jam, sliced fruit, and a glass of fresh milk.

  “I am well, thank you, Anna. It is simply that I have some things to do in my room.” Silvia waited by the door until Anna reluctantly stopped her curious glances and, apparently satisfied that Silvia was indeed well, departed.

  Actually Silvia had nothing at all to do until her ride with Roman, and she almost found herself wishing Mr. Schlange would assign her some duties. She was unaccustomed to long periods of inactivity and there had been months of that on board the ship. Now that she was rested she would have preferred something to occupy her. Everyone else seemed to be busy. The servants, Eric, Morgan and Roman, even Martha had responsibilities. Perhaps there was some needlework she could do. When she returned from her ride she would be sure to ask Martha if she could assist in some way.

  Silvia slipped unobserved through the courtyard, arriving at the garden gate at the arranged time. She found the latch, lifted up the catch, and with a push heard the wide gate creak on the heavy iron hinges as it resisted her efforts. The thick wooden planks were sturdy and strong enough to serve as a barricade for an armed invasion but finally yielded to her shoves and swung outward. She immediately saw the horses tied in a stand of trees just beyond the castle. A moment later Roman appeared from behind the trunk of an enormous live oak and waved to her as she quickened her steps in his direction.

  The tumult of her feelings burst out in a smile of pleasure at seeing him. In a few seconds they were both sheltered beneath the armlike branches of the great oak where the ground was layered with leaves and spongy moss that had fallen from the trailing branches. A breeze rippled the green leaves above, making a linear play of sunlight on the horses’ shiny coats. When she saw Silvia, Cricket pricked up her ears and gave a little nicker. Silvia smiled and stroked Cricket’s velvety nose, pleased the little mare had taken to her so quickly.

  “Let’s not linger,” Roman said, gripping her waist and hoisting her quickly to the saddle. “Morgan has been hot on my heels all morning.”

  “He has good reason to be angry with you,” Silvia said, forcing a disapproving frown to her face. “You played an abominable trick on him.”

  “Ha!” Roman said scornfully, his eyes narrowing wickedly. “No worse than he has dealt me on many occasions.”

  Her muted laughter joined the gentle stirring of the breeze. Soon they were picking a trail through the trees, and when they emerged suddenly from the forest, burst out on a gently rolling field green with the wild plant life of Schlange Island.

  Silvia smiled, feeling free and happy as a bird released from its cage. She marveled at the natural beauty of the island, the play of greens in the landscape, and the sight of birds swooping to the ground in the distance feasting on the abundance of insects. A young brown rabbit scurried across the trail just ahead of the horses. Trader snorted and Cricket threw her head back and sidestepped as the frightened bunny bounded out of sight. Silvia caught hold of Cricket’s mane to steady herself and tightened her grip on the reins to get the horse under control.

  “Easy, little lady,” she whispered to the mare.

  “Watch her,” Roman warned. “She’s skittish of sudden moves, though I’ve never known her to actually bolt.” He leaned from the saddle and patted the mare’s neck. “It’s the only fault I’ve not been able to break her of. The rascal unseated Martha once, and my cousin has not cared for Cricket since.”

  Cricket gave no more trouble and Silvia soon relaxed her grip on the reins. They rode silently for a mile or more, reluctant to shatter the peaceful stillness with words.

  The afternoon was pleasant, though warm. Calm breezes continued to sweep the island in soft gusts. Cricket, full of energy, picked her feet up high and tossed her head, indicating her eagerness to quicken the pace. There was a wildness to this side of the island, an untamed look where the land was untouched by plows or herds of grazing cattle. Far ahead, a doe appeared with her young one at her side. Her proud head shot up when she heard the approaching hooves of the horses, and in an instant the frightened deer became a flash of white in two brown blurs as they leapt behind a cover of brush.

  Rugged gray rocks began to replace the marsh grasses and tidal pools as they rode. The faraway sound of crashing waves grew stronger. In the distance Silvia saw a high rocky crag jutting into the lively green waters of the ocean. Roman pulled Trader into the lead and led the way through swells of sand dunes thick with swaying sea oats. Silvia let Cricket have her head and the mare followed the big roan, her small hooves sinking deep in the white sand. When Trader walked into the ocean, Cricket stopped momentarily on the shore and whinnied to him.

  Trader snorted his impatience at the little mare’s hesitancy. The gentle waves licked at the gelding’s legs; Roman urged him further into the water until the foamy whitecaps were splashing the horse’s belly.

  Cricket hesitantly set one foot in the wet sand. She had no sooner shifted her weight when a wave washed over her hoof. With a jaunty toss of her head, Cricket danced into the water, flicking her tail, following the way Trader had gone. Roman waited until they were close behind before nudging Trader around the rocky protuberance toward the shore and finally into the confines of a hidden cove.

  Silvia’s eyes flashed in awe. Jagged rocks stretched out like the fingers of a rugged, earthly giant reaching for a handful of the ocean. The water within the giant’s grasp was a bright turquoise shade topped with milky white foam where it crashed against the rocks.

  Roman dismounted when he reached the sparkling sand. While Silvia and her mount forged through the frothy waves, he stripped off his shirt and tossed it across the saddle. In the bright sunlight, his bare torso gleamed golden from his broad shoulders to his narrow waist, and Silvia could not stay her eyes from the sight of him.

  The mare stepped slowly, picking her footing with caution. Swirling water splashed just below the hem of Silvia’s riding costume, an occasional wave dampening the lower part of her skirt. Nickering, Cricket reached the dry sand of the beach and halted to shake, covering Silvia with a fine spray and nearly unseating her as well.

  She was protesting Cricket’s lapse of manners when Roman’s strong hands circled her waist and pulled her effortlessly from the saddle. Her laughter rang out carefree and gay as he swung her in a slow arc above the silver sand. She felt a lightness in her heart she hadn’t known in more months than she dared remember.

  “Roman,” she cried out joyfully as he drew her near and enfolded her within the press of his arms.

  He laughed and dropped a quick kiss on her forehead before her feet had fully touched the ground and she had caught her balance. Silvia joined his laughter, throwing her head back in gleeful abandon and wrapping her slender arms around his neck. They stood for a moment circled in each other’s arms, Silvia feeling her breasts tighten as they crushed against his bare chest. She quivered, feeling as if a bit of flint had struck a spark in her flesh.

  Her breath caught softly in her throat. She could feel each draw of air molding her body closer to his. Her eyes closed tight, shutting out all but the light that burned between them. Another moment and she would have no choice but to yield to the sweet magnetism of his embrace.

  Roman, too, felt the spark of a flame within his flesh. His breathing quickened and deepened. Lest he demand more than he intended, he sighed and
loosened his hold from around her waist. Suddenly the mood that had held them disappeared for a time like the rhythmic waves teasing at their feet.

  Filling his lungs with a deep breath of sea air, that it might cool his blood, Roman led Silvia to a low, flat rock and in a voice hoarse and broken instructed her to slip out of her footgear. His own boots and stockings lay cast aside like winter garb on the first spring day. He strolled around her as she sat, casting his eyes out to sea and bending his will to obey his thoughts. He would bide his time.

  Busying herself with the task of removing her boots, Silvia tried to stay the longing she felt beginning inside.

  She kept her eyes from Roman’s face but found them instead straying to firm, bare calves as tanned and muscular as his torso. Her heart fluttered so in her chest that she took doubly long to shed her footgear. When it was done she found him watching her from a few paces away.

  “You’ll like the feel of the sand,” Roman said in a voice deliberately light. He grabbed her boots and placed them beside his own, safely out of range of the incoming tide. “Morgan and I used to come here as boys and strip off our clothes to swim.” His voice had once again become low and smooth. Kicking up sand as he walked, he returned and took a seat beside her. “Not that it mattered where we swam. We had the run of the island.” One side of his mouth pulled up in a smile as he made a sweeping gesture with his hand. “But here we could imagine pirates coming to shore at night and hiding their stolen gold.” He laughed heartily. “We must have dug up half the beach searching for treasure.”

  “And did you find it?” She laughed gently, smiling easily as she began to feel the mystique of the tiny cove.

  Roman’s smile held a special tenderness as his mellowing gaze met hers. She felt a curious tingling begin in the pit of her stomach and touched her hand to her abdomen in consternation. Roman made no response to her question until her brows raised inquiringly. She found his face occupied with a look that caused a sudden invisible warmth to settle over her. She knew instinctively he felt it too, the fine silken web beginning a delicate lacing between them.

  “Did you?” she whispered as his hands reached the back of her head and loosened her dark coils of hair. She was conscious of the warm sensuous touch of his fingers on her skin, soft and lazy and like the touch of the sun, soothing and warm. With gentle caresses he smoothed her tumbling tresses over her shoulders, running his fingers slowly through the silken curls.

  There was a depth to his smile she had never seen, a softening of his features that revealed secrets she could know only with her heart. Her lips parted softly as his piercing blue eyes caressed her face like a swathing of satin.

  “Not until today.” His voice was a velvety whisper followed by a moment of silence. Roman’s eyes turned a smoky blue and fixed to hers as the wind picked up and stirred a lock of sunlit hair over his temple. “In those days a treasure was gold.”

  A rakish smile curved his lips. Silvia dropped her eyes as her cheeks warmed and flushed pink beneath his admiring gaze.

  “Now I know a greater prize than gold.” Blue eyes roamed over her approvingly. She glanced up, and seeing the intensity of his gaze, once more lowered her head. “Fool I was not to know its worth from the first.”

  Slowly, encouraged by the hidden meaning of his words, she lifted her eyes to boldly meet his.

  “And is this treasure one you could value more than gold?”

  “Aye. One that is priceless and unmatched in all the world.” He stood and pulled her to her feet. “One I could not see for my own blindness.”

  She was like a fragile budding flower in his heart, a sweet unfolding blossom where he had expected nettles. The whispering wind and the golden rays of the sun heightened the lavender fragrance in her hair. In the sunlight her skin glowed with the luster of pearls and her eyes glittered with soft amber lights.

  “It is to my own stubborn nature I must set the blame.” He countered the swell of happiness in his chest. “I saw what I would and took you to be a worldly woman bought and paid to provide pleasure.”

  Silvia’s skin reddened in a blush that extended from her face to her feet. So that was what he had thought her. She caught her breath sharply.

  “And what do you see now?” she asked, the words falling brokenly from her trembling lips.

  “I see a woman who has never known the pleasure of a man’s touch. I see a woman who makes me forget my vow never to lose my heart.”

  He pulled her hands against his chest, pressed them to his flesh where she could feel the pounding of his heart.

  The gentle sea breeze feathered her tumbling curls around her face and shoulders as Roman brought her hands to his lips, kissing each one in turn. Silvia opened out her fingers to caress his cheeks as he dropped his hands to circle her waist. The nearness of him nearly drew her breath away and she lowered her eyes lest he see that his words had freed her heart to know the truth of her secret yearnings.

  A wistful sigh slipped like a whisper from her parted lips. She was bewitched by a golden Siegfried. She touched his shoulder, slid her hand over the corded muscles of his arm. Beneath her hand his skin was hot, heated to a feverish degree by the rapid pulsing of his blood. His hair had become molten gold spun into strands that captured the sun. Set in an aureate face were the blue flames that brought a radiant fire to her eyes.

  “And is this treasure one you would keep?” she whispered.

  “Aye. One I would hold and keep and cherish.”

  “And would you possess this treasure?”

  “Aye. If I could. That is another lesson I have learned.” He kissed the palm of her hand. “Treasure is not the bounty found on pirate ships, nor the gold and jewels buried in forgotten places in the sand. Treasure is the gold and silver hidden in the heart of a man and a woman.”

  “You speak of love,” she said softly.

  “I speak of the wealth a man and woman can give one to the other.”

  “Is that the treasure you would take?”

  He brushed the straying hair from his forehead. “The treasure I speak of cannot be taken. To have value, it must be given freely.”

  His fingers loosened the buttons of her riding coat and slipped it from her shoulders, letting it drop to the sand, and as it did, he released the soft bow at the neck of her blouse.

  Nervous now, Silvia trembled beneath his hands. She tried to halt the surging tide of warmth his nearness stirred. Did he speak of love or of some other emotion tied to love? She knew only that he started a reckless longing inside her that would not be stilled. Had she known it would come to this? Was it for this end she had followed him like a faithful pet to this hidden place?

  His hands caressed her shoulders, a welcome weight that cooled her skin beneath his touch. His long fingers trailed nimbly downward to curve around the fullness of her breasts. Silvia felt a tingling as the peaks tightened beneath the rhythmic stroking of his thumbs. A whimpering sigh escaped her as his hands slipped to her waist, pulling her close. His lips moved like a hot flame on her throat while he pressed one hand to the small of her back, bringing her firmly against his loins. The other he wrapped in the black silk of her hair and gently pulled her head back. Silvia’s lips trembled with the uncertainty of her choices as his mouth possessed hers with searing kisses.

  Arms about him, she found the curves and planes of his back beneath her exploring hands. His skin was smooth and damp and she could only marvel at the strength banked within the steel muscles.

  Is this not a treasure worth having?” he whispered in her ear as his lips found hers again, parted them and then devoured them with kisses that drew the breath from her body.

  Trembling, she slipped a hand to his lips, halting his assault before she lost the last remnant of resistance.

  “Would you take all that I have, Roman?” she whispered shakily.

  His gaze changed and the passion cooled in his eyes. He sighed, a long drawn-out whistle of breath that seemed to ease his mood.

  “
Nay, little flower. I will take only what you will give, though I think you do not yet know your own mind.” His hands had not left her body, though his voice had taken on a patient tone even he could not understand.

  No words would come, and she looked at him pleadingly through eyes as round and golden as a harvest moon.

  “Nay,” he whispered, kissing her neck. “‘Tis you who must seek the treasure and unlock the chest. I will wait.”

  He caught her by the waist and lifted her like a child, to the top of a rock. A moment later they were running hand in hand across the sand to explore a small cave across the cove. When the sun began to fall in the sky and they had replaced their boots and begun the ride back to Serpent Tree Hall, his embrace had become a sweet, glowing memory set in her heart as eternally as the sun hung in the heavens.

  Silvia rode beside him, eyeing him wistfully, longingly. In the innermost cache of her mind she knew he would have his way. He was a wily, crafty pirate who had set her aflame, seeking his treasure.

  Chapter 7

  “It’s spiteful,” Martha snapped, pressing her fingertips to her temples and rubbing small circles. A sheet of paper bearing the black imprint of the Schlange crest rested on the table before her. “This, after weeks of refusing to see us, weeks of not even letting us know the state of his health.”

  Her face drawn and lips tight, Martha read again the few sentences scrawled in her uncle’s unmistakable hand.

  To my nephews and dear niece, Martha:

  During my illness I have had time to reflect on many matters at Serpent Tree Hall which are unsatisfactory to me. The time has come for us to alter the course of things here. Put all business aside. On Thursday at the dinner hour I will join you to make an announcement of supreme importance and to outline the changes I expect of each of you.