Borderland Beauty

by Samantha Holt

  Trembling in his arms, Lucy swivelled to look around him and squeaked as she noted their rapid advance. Her eyes met his briefly and he swallowed heavily. Damn, he should never have brought her out here unaccompanied. His foolish need to have her to himself had put them both in danger. In all his years of dealing with the reivers, he had never acted with such recklessness.

  Now he might well have killed them both.

  Fear thrummed beneath his skin as sweat made his hands slick against the reins. His stomach curdled as he imagined what they would do to Lucy. Nay, he could not allow that. Looking over his shoulder, he could now see the brutish expression of the reivers and determination settled in his heart.

  Directing the horse down the side of the hill, he pushed him to gallop harder. He risked the mount going over on the uneven ground as the grey rocks peeked through the snow but to do otherwise surely meant certain death. A wide river cut its way through the valley and Dominic jerked the steed to a stop and slipped from the saddle.

  “Dominic, what are you doing?”

  He snatched as his sword, the steel screeching as he wrenched is from its scabbard.

  “Dominic?” Lucy cried as the reivers became visible on the brow of the hill.

  “Run, Lucy. Go to Thornewall and stay there. They will have a hard time making it across the river.”

  “Nay, I will not leave you.”

  “All will be well.”

  Dominic swatted the mount heavily on its rear with his sword. The horse whinnied and bolted forward as Dominic gave it another sharp smack.

  Lucy pulled desperately at the reins but the horse would not obey, and it raced across the river, drenching Lucy’s skirts. Dominic watched Lucy’s progress across the empty fields until the reivers were nearly upon him. Their smaller horses would struggle with the depth of the river. If he could keep them occupied for long enough, Lucy would make it back to Thornewall safely.

  Lucy would be safe. That was all that mattered.

  His face split into a wide grin as the wild men approached and he hefted his sword into his hand. Aye, surely there was no better thing to die for than love.

  ~* * *~

  Cursing at the black horse, tears of frustration streaked down her cheeks as the steed took her further away from danger…and Dominic. Whatever he was to face, she wanted to face it with him. Would they kill him right away? A choking sob bubbled out of her throat. And she had never even told him she loved him.

  A thin band of trees lined one of the fields and she yanked on the reins. The horse did not slow its pace but it allowed her to direct it towards the old oak trees. The proximity of the trees forced the destrier to a trot and Lucy peeked over her shoulder. The reivers had not followed, which meant Dominic held them off.

  Gulping, Lucy squeezed at the reins. She wanted to go back to him, to stand and fight with him, but what could she possibly do? Surely they would have overcome him already, there were too many for him to fight off. Clenching her eyes shut for a moment, she uttered a prayer for his safety.

  Hopefully they would ransom him. In all likelihood, he would yet die, but if he was still alive, then she would do all she could. Straightening in the saddle, Lucy carefully coaxed the horse in the direction of Thornewall.

  The towers of Thornewall stood out against the pale hills and Lucy relaxed into the saddle. What had once seemed like a formidable fortress now felt like home. The drawbridge was up and she pushed on through the villagers with a hopeful eye on the gatehouse. Open the gate, pray open the gate.

  They did not spot her until she reached the ridge of the dry moat and James stared down at her from the battlements. “My lady?”

  “Open the gates. With haste,” she added, her voice cracking as her feet twitched against her stirrups.

  The rumble of the drawbridge shook the ground around her as it slammed into the snow and she wasted no time in bolting across it as the portcullis rattled. James hastened down the outer stairs and took in her soggy gown and bedraggled appearance. Before he could say anything, Lucy slid to the ground and slapped the reins of the mount into a waiting stable boy’s hands.

  “Lord Dominic has been taken by reivers.”

  “God’s blood,” James murmured.

  She gathered her skirts and started towards the hall. “Come, James, I have need of your aid. I know how we shall get him back.”

  The fair-haired man blinked at her and nodded. “My men and I are at your disposal, my lady.”

  Lucy gave him a curt nod and a determined smile. For too long, these reivers had destroyed so many lives, she would be damned if they destroyed hers, too. She would tell Dominic she loved him, and not even the devil himself would stop her.

  ~* * *~

  Lucy.

  She was there, in front of him and yet he could not get to her. Some invisible force stopped him from marching across the snow and scooping her into his arms. He fought against whatever was holding him back, and Lucy called his name as her form shimmered against the ice. His senses tingled with awareness and he knew she was in danger, but he was powerless.

  His name echoed in his ears again and she was snatched from him as a blanket of darkness descended. His blood rushed through his skull, pounding painfully and he hauled open his gritty eyes with a groan.

  Dominic squinted through the haze that shrouded his vision as blurry figures stalked about in front of him. His wrists burned and he gave an experimental tug, only to realise that shackles held him in place. His head swam and nausea churned in his stomach as he scrambled to his feet.

  A blow to his ribs sent him back to his knees, but the sharp pain snapped him out of his stupor and he squeezed his eyes shut before hauling them open and taking in his surroundings. The glow of an open fire in the middle of the room hurt his eyes, and his nose twitched as the stench of stale sweat and rotten meat assailed his senses.

  Dark stone walls, their whitewash flaking and filthy, and battered wooden columns surrounded him. Beams blackened by smoke sat high across the ceiling. The keep was perfectly square and likely several hundred years old. He jerked on his restraints and realised they were attached to two of the columns, the great chains leading from the shackles around his wrists directly into bolts in the wood. He bit back a snarl when he realised that this meant the reivers had access to every part of his body, ensuring he would receive a thorough beating.

  If the look on the faces surrounding him were anything to go by, he could expect a very thorough beating. Dominic was willing to bet they were after a bit of revenge along with their ransom money.

  A heavy-set man with twisted teeth and pockmarked skin stepped in front of him, his hands on his hips as he eyed Dominic with a slanted grin.

  “You know who I am.”

  Dominic glared up at him and staggered to his feet. He waited for another warning blow from one of the nearby men but none came.

  “Aye, I know you. Odo of Ravenscroft.” Dominic spat at Odo’s feet.

  The older man laughed and his men followed suit. “And you are the great Lord of Thornewall. You have long been a thorn in my side, young Thornewall.”

  “Oh, aye, forgive for me for wanting to protect my people from Godless men.”

  Odo narrowed his eyes at him. “You’ve killed many of my men, Thornewall. We are merely trying to survive in this barren land.”

  “Your men deserved their fates. You believe you need to kill innocent men and woman in order to survive? I did not take you for a fool, Odo.”

  Stroking at his tangled grey beard, Odo stepped closer, looking Dominic over with steely blue eyes. “You killed one of my men and will have probably killed another before the night is out. ‘Tis unlikely he will recover from his injuries. Yet, you must have known we would keep you alive for ransom. Why kill my men and risk our wrath?”

  “I do not fear your wrath.”

  Odo smacked a fist into Dominic’s gut, winding him and forcing him to double over. He heaved in a breath as the pain clutched at his stomach.

&n
bsp; “You should,” Odo snarled. “I hold sway over your life now, Lord Dominic. Should you wish to return to that pretty young lass of yours, then you would do well to be cooperative.”

  Straightening at the mention of Lucy, Dominic wrested against the irons as they rubbed at his wrists.

  Odo nodded with a slow smile. “‘Twas the lady that fired your courage, was it not? Were you fighting for her?”

  Dominic smirked even as his blood ran cold at the thought of never seeing her again. “It matters not now, Odo. She is safe from your clutches.”

  “I had not thought the Lord of Thornewall held much regard for women. She must be quite a woman to have captured your attention.”

  Shaking his head, Dominic cast down his gaze. Ack, he could not let Odo see his vulnerability. His only vulnerability. Lucy.

  “You are wrong. I would fight to prevent any woman from ending up in your grubby paws. Your lack of honour is well known, Odo. Would that I could stop anyone from falling into your hands, woman or not.”

  “Honour? You try having honour when you are scraping for a living. The rich and powerful Lord of Thornewall speaks of honour! Ack, we are but humble men, lord, and have little time for your precious chivalries. When you are starving, will your honour feed you?”

  Dominic met his angry stare with the tilt of his chin. “I do not deny that the years have been hard. The people of Thornewall have suffered since the plague but still they retain their respectability. They would not stoop so low as to rape and pillage.”

  Snorting, Odo cast a look around the room at the ragged men surrounding him. “We are hard-working men, Thornewall. There is naught we like more than to settle between a woman’s thighs at the end of the day but alas, we’re none so handsome and wealthy as you. We take what we must.”

  Dominic swallowed down the bile that rose in his throat as a wicked grin came across Odo’s face. “Would that we could have caught up with your fine lady friend. My men and I would have enjoyed her charms very much.”

  “Over my dead body,” Dominic snarled as his pulse pounded.

  Odo sniffed dismissively. “Aye, soon enough. Once we have your ransom money.”

  Sagging, Dominic nodded slowly. He expected as much, but his heart still pulled when he considered that he would never hold Lucy again. Would she hurt as much as he would? He prayed she would continue on without him. The thought of her living happily, mayhap even finding love and making babes one day, renewed his strength and he pulled himself up once more.

  “You may kill me, Odo, but Thornewall will continue to prosper. And you shall rot in your decaying keep with naught but your ill-favoured men to keep you company.”

  The old man’s face twisted and he bared his teeth with a nod to one of his men.

  Pain exploded in his ribs before he’d even registered the movement to his side. Another blow swiftly followed, knocking the wind out of him and he grunted. Determined to give Odo nothing, Dominic kept his gaze locked to his, a tight smile on his face.

  Dying for love must surely be the most romantic act of all. His let his grin expand as Lucy’s words echoed through his mind.

  Odo’s eyes narrowed and he brought his fist across Dominic’s face. The tang of blood swelled in his mouth and he spat at Odo, fixing his smirk back into place. There was nothing the old reiver could do to hurt him now. Not with Lucy safe. Stars swam through his vision as another fist smacked into the side of his head and he sagged against his restraints, welcoming the darkness that enclosed him.

  Chapter Twelve

  “There’s a lady to see you, my lord.”

  Dominic jerked his head up, wincing as his head pounded, the fog of unconsciousness clearing quickly as the words registered in his mind.

  Odo snapped his head around. “A lady?”

  “Aye, she says she’s here to negotiate the release of Thornewall.”

  Dominic’s gut clenched and he came shakily to his feet, biting back a groan as the blood rushed back into his arms, the strain of having his weight on them making his joints ache. His ribs stabbed with each breath and he suspected they were broken.

  Odo raised a brow with a grin at Dominic. “A lady, eh? Are the Thornewall men so cowardly that they send a lassie to do their bidding? Is she alone?”

  The watchman nodded.

  “Bring her in then.”

  The man scurried out and Dominic eyed the door warily. Not Lucy, not Lucy, not Lucy.

  His heart dropped into his stomach as she glided in, her head held high. He closed his eyes as his heart thudded in his chest, the movement so painful that he was sure it would shatter at any moment.

  He opened his eyes again to find Lucy’s gaze on him. A flicker of horror echoed in her expression before she tucked it carefully away, hiding it under a mask of cool composure.

  Ack, if they’d only killed him, then she never would have come. She would have been safe.

  “What can I do for you, lass?” Odo smirked as he studied her.

  Lucy wore a simple forest green gown, but there was little she could do to disguise her curves. Dominic suspected she had deliberately chosen a plain gown. Not that it made her any less beautiful. Hell’s teeth, what was she thinking? Odo’s expression twisted into one of malevolent lust. Dominic released a warning growl and received a backhand to his face for his troubles.

  Lucy flinched and turned her head quickly away, regarding Odo with a tilt of her chin, clearly un-intimidated by his scrutiny. “I am Lucy Montgomery, soon to be the mistress of Thornewall. I am here to negotiate the release of Lord Dominic.”

  Odo released a grating laugh, and the hall’s occupants followed suit, a round of nervous laughter rippling through the room.

  “You hear that, Thornewall? Your bonny bride is here to rescue you.” His smile vanished abruptly. “You bring coin?”

  “Nay.”

  “Then we have naught to discuss.” He rubbed a hand over his chin. “Montgomery you say? You’re Montgomery’s daughter?”

  “Aye, that I am.”

  “Then you know well enough what you need to do. Be gone before I change my mind and return when you have coin.”

  Wilting against his chains, Dominic let out a long breath. It was certainly not beneath Odo to hold a noble woman for ransom. Hell, he’d happily ravish and kill her just for the fun of it. Obviously, he wanted coin more than he wanted Lucy.

  “I know well how this works, my lord. I bring no coin. Instead I offer myself.”

  Dominic stiffened as the ache in his heart returned. What does she mean?

  Odo tilted his head. “You offer yourself? What is your meaning, lass?”

  “I am the betrothed of the Lord of Thornewall and daughter of Lord Walter Montgomery, I am a far finer prize than the lord himself. Take me in his place.”

  “Nay!” Dominic yanked at his shackles before a swift kick to his stomach sent him back to his knees.

  Odo’s face split into a venomous grin. “And what’s to stop me from keeping you and your betrothed? I could have a fine time with the pair of you, I think. What think you, Thornewall? Shall you watch while I ravish your fair lassie?”

  Nausea churned in his stomach as Dominic struggled to his feet, his muscles straining as he pulled on the manacles. “I will kill you first, Odo,” he snarled.

  Before Odo could respond, Lucy spoke up, “Think on it, my lord. I am of far higher value than Lord Dominic is. Release Lord Dominic and both he and my father will pay for my freedom. You may ransom me for twice as much as him. If you do not release him, then you are a fool, for you will lose out on a great deal of coin.”

  Stroking a finger across his lips, Odo looked form Lucy to Dominic and back again. “Why do you do this?”

  Lucy gulped and glanced over at him. “Because I love him, my lord.”

  Even as Dominic’s heart shattered, it soared in triumph. She loved him! He wanted to utter the words in return but he could not, not in front of Odo. He had revealed weakness enough. Locking his eyes onto hers, he wille
d her to understand. I love you, Lucy. More than life itself. Now flee.

  He would have to kill Odo and probably die in the process. If he could just create enough of a distraction, mayhap Lucy could escape.

  “Aye, well, many a foolish thing has been done in the name of love. You have yourself a deal, lass.”

  A faint smile played across Lucy’s lips and Dominic wondered how she could possibly be glad of such an outcome. Reckless, foolish lass. His life would have been an easy price to pay for her safety. Why could she not have done as he asked and remained safe behind Thornewall’s sturdy stone walls?

  Motioning for one of his men to release Dominic, Odo grasped Lucy’s arm and drew her close to him.

  As soon as the shackles were unhooked from the wall, Dominic jerked furiously on them, the metal cutting into his wrists. “Damn you, Odo. I will kill you, I swear it.”

  A second man grabbed at the trailing chains in an effort to control him but still he fought against them, inching closer to their leader. Odo sneered and snatched an eating knife from the table, pressing it against the curve of Lucy’s breast.

  Freezing, Dominic watched the blade as Lucy’s pale skin trembled. He allowed his hands to relax and Odo nodded with satisfaction. “Play nicely, Thornewall, and you’ll have your lovely lass back in your arms before long.”

  Dominic’s gut twisted and heat surged beneath his skin. He doubted it. Once he handed over the money, he would never see Lucy again. When he was free of these wretched shackles, he was going to wring Odo’s neck, he was going to string him up and tear him to pieces, he was going gut him from head to toe…

  “Remove his chains, but keep the shackles on. If he can make it back to Thornewall with those on, then mayhap he is truly deserving of such a fine lassie.”

  The chains clunked to the ground and Lucy visibly sagged with relief. Dominic shook his head in disbelief.

  “May I say farewell to him?” Lucy asked.

  Odo’s eyebrows darted up as he considered her. “Aye, as you will. One wrong move from either of you and I will run her through, Thornewall.”

  Dominic clenched his jaw, biting back the stream of curses and insults. His mind raced as he glanced around the hall. For the life of him, he could not see how to get Lucy safely out of Odo’s clutches. He did not doubt that Odo would make good on his promise to kill her should he make any false moves.