A Woman Made for Pleasure

by Michele Sinclair

  Chase leaned on the rocky wall for support as he quickly maneuvered down the steep path to the cave’s cliffside entrance. The rope Millie had used was exposed on the surface. The sun had risen hours ago. If Edward had followed Millie, at any time he would stumble onto the evidence leading him to their location. “Time is against us, love. The longer we spend here, the more time Edward has to find us,” Chase explained, deciding not to expound on all the reasons behind his urgency. “We need to leave immediately. I can hear the tide rising even now. We must reach the entrance before the water enters the cave. The icy currents in the Channel can easily drown a man. Although I do recall one spunky young girl claiming she was a fair swimmer,” Chase teased. He knew it would restore her spirits. It did.

  “I told you I was an excellent swimmer. And I’ll have you know that I still am,” Millie said, stopping to remove a pebble lodged in her boot.

  She watched him disappear around the corner. “Blasted man,” she muttered to herself. Even injured, his long legs could move faster than anyone she knew. The least he could do was wait for her.

  She took off the overly large boot and shook it. Nothing fell out. Millie reached in and discovered that it was not a rock at all causing her discomfort. Part of the leather on the inside had curled and was now rubbing her foot raw. “Nothing I can do about that,” she grumbled.

  She looked down the cave and could see a light emanating from around the corner. She sighed and yanked on the boot, murmuring under her breath, “I am no longer a child, Charlie Wentworth, and while I understand your urgency, does it necessitate your leaving me? I think not. I could have fallen. I could be hurt right now, and would you know? No, you would just wait until I finally collected myself and ran obediently to your side.”

  She smoothed back her loose locks and glared down the cave. Chase had still not returned, but the light was still shining just around the corner. He was waiting for her. “And probably going to give me a good scolding when I arrive. Well, just get your own self prepared, Charlie, because I have a few words I want to share with you as well,” Millie fussed as she intentionally took her time walking down the rocky passageway.

  Just as she neared the corner, Millie stopped cold. Someone was talking in a foreign accent. The voice was evil, cold, and full of hate. Millie instantly knew who it was—Sir Edward. They were too late.

  “Edward,” Chase said, opening his eyes. He felt as if his skull had been split in two.

  “Chaselton,” Edward replied, glad he had been able to bind Chase’s hands before he regained consciousness. He stepped back, out of reach, and aimed his gun. “You have no idea how much it pains me to do this, my boy. You were like a son to me, my protégé . . . my mirror image.”

  Chase heard the soft scuffle of feet behind the stone wall just behind him. He stilled his emotions. Five seconds passed, and Millie did not make an appearance. She must have heard the danger. She was safe, but only for now.

  Any moment, Edward could decide to explore the cave for the three items he so doggedly sought. Chase needed to buy time. He needed to persuade Edward to leave without searching the cave. But how? “It will never work, Edward. I have already sent word to Reece. Even if I am dead, he will see that you are brought to justice.”

  “I doubt that very much. Would you risk the reputation of every Rebuilder? Your father wouldn’t, and neither will you, nor will Reece. Can you imagine what it was like when your father told me of his plans to catch the traitor? How easy it was to circumvent your efforts to find any evidence?”

  “But I did find it,” Chase grated.

  “I let you find those letters in Spain, my boy. And I made sure none of it could be linked to me directly,” Edward scoffed. “I just wish I had been as clever two years ago. It turned out I was thwarting your efforts too well. Charles became suspicious when you never found a single hint of the Expansionists. He was so distrusting of everyone that he guarded his fears and began keeping only himself as counsel. He lured me into believing he was of a different mind and no longer considered the Expansionists a threat. Oh, slowly . . . very slowly. And nothing overt, nothing I would suspect. He was very clever. He made only one mistake. He forgot to tell you. You were still hunting for the traitor. When I discovered your father had not changed your mission to find evidence of the Expansionists’ activities, I knew he had played me false. It pained me to kill him; he was a good friend. One I regretted losing. It will pain me to kill you, as well, dear boy, but how you die is completely in your hands. Shall it be quick and reasonably painless? Or shall it be long and full of agony?”

  Chase considered him briefly. “You will not get what you seek: the proof, the Rebuilders, power, nor the respect of the ton.”

  Edward’s laughter sounded like a sick hiss. “Think not, eh? I want the proof your father cleverly hid away, but I do not need it. Only you are aware of its importance, let alone its contents and location. With the recent mysterious deaths, the Rebuilders are experiencing an unexpected leadership void. As your father’s faithful friend and your trusted mentor, it should be effortless to step in and guide the floundering group. And as for Society’s respect, if I do not have it now, I soon will have. Do you remember the dark-haired virgin of whom I spoke so fondly? Of course you do. I believe you recently claimed her for your own quite publicly, if rumors are correct. Pity your engagement will be so short-lived.”

  Chase’s eyes glinted as he longed for something other than useless words with which to shelter and safeguard Millie from harm. “Stay away from her.”

  Edward inclined his head and clicked his tongue, but the revolver never once wavered. “Respect, Chaselton. You are correct that I covet it above all else—perhaps more than power. And Lady Mildred Aldon, the daughter of a wealthy earl, is a quick way to acquire it. She is intelligent, graceful, and though not conventional, she is a stunning beauty. With her as my wife, no one will remember my father was a trader. And those who do will no longer care.”

  “She will not have you. Think, Edward. If Marston and his handsome features could not tempt her, how will you?”

  “Marston was a fool. A fool who no longer lives to plague me. I probably should thank you for making it so easy for me to find and dispose of him. Of course, I made sure the evidence points to you and not me.”

  “Millie will know,” Chase countered, trying in vain to free himself from his bonds. “And there is nothing you could do to entice her to accept you. She is intelligent and will quickly realize what you are.”

  Edward watched Chase’s struggles and laughed. “And what am I, Chaselton? An Englishman who loves his country? A man who is tired of seeing British lands that Englishmen died for be handed back to the enemy?”

  “How many good men did you send to their deaths in New Orleans? You murdered them, Edward, just as you murdered my father, Darlouney, Eischel, and Brumby. Lady Aldon will never accept your hand—never.”

  Edward’s face flushed a dull red. “Maybe not for love, but she will be mine if she desires to protect those your father loved. Aimee. Your mother. If she refuses, the House of Lords will receive falsified evidence indicting most of your fellow Rebuilders. It is a bit drastic, but it is well within my abilities—and my inclination. I am a determined man, you see.”

  Millie swallowed heavily and began biting her lower lip. Think, Mildred. Think, she silently cried. Chase was obviously trying to buy time and warn her off, but to where? Edward was blocking the only exit. If she waited too much longer, Edward would get tired of verbally sparring with Chase, do the unthinkable, and then find her when he searched the cave. She looked around. There was no place to hide. No boulder—nothing.

  Millie brusquely rubbed her cheeks. She needed to find a way to get the upper hand with Edward. She scrunched down and peered around the corner, trying at the same time to remain out of view. Her pulse raced.

  Fifteen feet away, down a steep incline, was the mouth of the cave, and the tidewaters were already lapping into the entrance. Edward was standin
g just inside the lip, and she could just make out Chase’s Hessians outstretched. Then she saw the rope and realized his hands and feet were bound. Millie turned back quickly and took a deep breath. She had only two things to use to her advantage.

  Millie tiptoed out of earshot and then ran as fast as she could back to where they had camped. She grabbed the chest and started loading rocks into it. She picked it up and set it back down, taking out two of the larger stones. She closed the chest and placed the book, and then her amulet, on top. She smashed the chest’s amulet against a rock, shattering the amethyst. Then Millie selected the sharpest shard, grabbed everything, and headed back to the mouth of the cave.

  Millie paused at the corner and sighed in relief. They were barely audible, but she could hear Chase respond as Edward taunted him. She took a deep breath and began speaking as she turned the corner.

  “Chase, why did you leave so quickly? You left me to grab these things all by myself. Do you realize how heavy . . . they are . . . ?” Millie let the last few words die as she feigned shock at the scene.

  “An excellent question. Lord Chaselton, do you have an answer for the good lady?” Edward asked, his voice full of mockery.

  Chase just stared at the man standing just out of reach.

  Millie bent over to set the chest down beside Chase and released the sharp stone from her hand. She gathered her courage and stood to look at the evil man who held their lives captive. “Sir Edward.”

  Edward shifted his focus, but the pistol he carried never moved from its target. At any moment he could fire. At this range, Chase would not survive the wound.

  “My dearest lady, I must say you are amazing. Even clad as a man, with your hair tousled and dirt smudged across your cheek, you are indeed desirable.”

  “And you seemed to have acquired an accent.”

  “Actually, after so many years abroad, I consider the English form of speaking an accent as it requires more thought.” He paused and spoke again, this time in the voice she recognized as Sir Edward. “Would you prefer, my dear, to tell you of my plans for us in this dialect?”

  Possessive fury roared through Chase. “Stay where you are, Millie.”

  “I think not,” Edward sneered. “Lady Aldon, would you please join me at my side? And bring with you the items you just set down. Do not worry, my dear. I shall shortly assume their weight.”

  Millie stared, wide-eyed. She knew that if she responded too fast to obey Edward’s order, it could be just as lethal for Chase as a complete refusal.

  Millie took a single step forward. She eyed the water filling the cave. Soon it would seal them in. “What do you want, Sir Edward?”

  “Besides yourself? That chest and that book. Tell me, my dear, what were its contents?”

  Millie slowly knelt down and picked up the book and the amulet along with the chest. “I would appreciate it, Sir Edward, if you would refrain from such familiarities. Especially under the circumstances.”

  “Come now, my dear. A husband would be lucky indeed if you were to bring even half the passion to your marriage bed that you exert when riding your monster of a horse.”

  “Millie, do not take one step!” Chase shouted. His eyes shifted and he vowed, “I swear, Edward, I will not wait for your trial. I fully intend to kill you.”

  A sick smile invaded Edward’s bland features. “Really? And will your ghost be able to manage that feat before or after I bed the succulent Lady Aldon?”

  Every muscle in Chase’s body flinched as he watched Millie begin to walk toward his nemesis. Every protective instinct wanted to stop her. But he had to stay alive if he had a prayer of saving her.

  Keep Edward talking, Millie said to herself. Chase had better be right about the temperature of the Channel, she thought as she stopped just a few feet from Edward’s reach.

  “Do not play games with me, Lady Aldon. I will only remove my aim from his chest if he is dead.”

  Millie swallowed heavily. Edward was on a steep incline and his view of the cave’s mouth was hampered. The tide was rising. In a few minutes the entrance would be completely filled. Millie had a narrow window to make her move. One jump and Edward would realize his folly.

  “I am not playing games,” Millie countered. “But I must ask, what makes you think I will marry you?”

  “To keep me quiet, of course.”

  “And how is that persuasion?”

  “Did Chaselton neglect to disclose exactly what is in those items you now hold in your hand?”

  Millie nodded her head.

  Edward smiled at Chase. “Clever, dear boy. My lady, somewhere in those items are several letters between Charles’s father and me. The man ingeniously gained my trust and claimed to support my ideals and plans. You see, my dear, even if you had escaped before my arrival, those documents would have done you no good. For those letters implicate not only me, but Chaselton’s father as well. Are you willing to sully the Chaselton name?”

  Millie stared, pretending to mull over Edward’s assessment. She glanced over her shoulder. The pain she saw in Chase’s eyes ripped at her heart. “Charlie, remember how you found me so long ago—alone, with only one option? I must leave now that same way.”

  And then she dived into the cold water lapping into the cave’s tunnel. She aimed down and kicked as hard as she could. The chest was helping drag her farther into the sea’s depths. Millie could feel the current swirling around her and thought her lungs would soon burst. Only when she saw Edward almost on top of her did she drop the chest. He grabbed it with both hands and she smashed his jaw with her boot. He faltered and began to sink, still holding on to the chest. Millie headed toward the surface as fast as her legs and arms could take her. It was hard to know if she was going in the right direction. The frigid water was murky and all one color. Frantically, she searched for the lighter shades of the surface.

  Using the stone shard Millie had dropped beside him, Chase finally cut through the ropes binding his wrists. Fear ripped through his heart as he rushed down and plunged into the sea. Pain lashed through his leg as salt water soaked his wound. Chase ignored it. His only focus was on finding Millie. Adrenaline surged through his veins as he breached the surface. Where was she? He dived again. He came back up. A stiff breeze was making the sea choppy. It was impossible to see across the water for any distance.

  Millie was kicking. She was sure of it, though she could no longer feel her legs. She had been swimming up, fighting the current, for what seemed like forever. Just as she knew her lungs could hold out no longer, her face felt the slap of cold wind and she gasped for breath. Millie told her arms to move and swim to shore, but they would not respond. She felt herself slipping beneath the surface of the cold water. She glanced around and did not see Edward. You are safe, Chase, she thought as she felt the waves sweep her under.

  Her mind was just accepting the inevitable when strong hands grasped her and shoved her up and into the icy air. She inhaled. From far away, she heard Chase yelling at her. It rankled her. She had saved his life and still he would not give her peace.

  “Please stop ordering me around, Charlie. I cannot abide being told what to do. I want to sleep now. I am so cold, so t-tired . . .” Millie stammered, her last words trailing off as she went limp again.

  “Stay with me, Millie. God, don’t leave me now. I need you. I cannot live without you. Do you hear me?” Chase yelled at her, fighting the pounding waves. Dragging her limp body, he swam along the cliff wall until there was an opening.

  Chase lifted Millie onto the grassy shore and started rubbing her limbs. She was breathing, but she was a frightening shade of white. “Come on now, love. Wake up. I know you are cold, but I need you to open your eyes and speak to me. I thought you said you were an excellent swimmer.”

  Chase stripped off her one remaining boot and her breeches and began to furiously massage her legs and feet. He moved to her arms. There was no response. Chase smoothed her hair away from her face. She was so pale, and her lips were an u
nnatural bluish gray. Tears began to fall. He leaned over and kissed her. It was soft, full of longing and love not yet realized. “Please, Millie. Please don’t leave me.”

  Millie felt so cold and so tired. She didn’t want to wake. She wanted to be left alone in her misery. But the voice was pleading with her, and something inside her knew she had to respond. “I am an excellent swimmer, Charlie. It was the damn chest. It dragged me down, and I couldn’t let go until I knew he would go for it.”

  Chase sat back, pulling her with him. She was going to make it. Millie had more fight in her than any man he had ever met. Sheer pride would see her through. “Indeed, my love. You are an excellent swimmer . . . without a chest.”

  “I killed him.”

  “No, the waters killed Edward. That and his greed.”

  Millie shook her head against Chase’s chest. “No. I kicked him. I saw blood.”

  Chase kissed her hair and replied, “You did the right thing, Millie. There is no way he could have survived these cold waters this long without help. It’s done. It’s over, my love.”

  Millie coughed against his neck. She was still cold, but Chase’s brisk rubbing was helping to thaw her frozen limbs. She sniffed. “Aimee and Jennelle will be quite miffed about missing all the excitement. Never was there an adventure to compare with today.”

  Glad she was alive, Chase could not find it in himself to be angry with her. “And never shall you experience an adventure like this again, my love. Not if I have anything to say about it.”

  “I know you will not believe me when I say this . . . but I think I have had enough excitement for a while.”

  He chuckled and kissed her wet hair. “I pray you are incorrect. I was hoping the adventure of becoming the next Marchioness of Chaselton might be of interest.”

  Millie could not believe it. She was wet, cold, and shivering, and still she found herself physically drawn to this man. Suddenly she wanted nothing more than to strip naked, tear his clothes off, and make love to him. Too bad her limbs were too numb to agree. “I don’t know,” she drawled out in an obvious and mischievous manner. “Will it be interesting?”