Once a Mistress

by Debra Mullins

  “Lady Rothstone is not now, nor ever has been, my lover.”

  Hope sprang into her heart, yet doubt remained ever constant. “But Rosana said—”

  “Rosana repeated one of the many rumors started by the people of Besosa,” he corrected. “She was jealous because I could not love her.”

  “But there is something between you and Lady Rothstone.” She stepped out of his arms, and this time he let her go. “You kissed her. Embraced her. I heard how you speak to her.”

  “Diana, I have known the countess all my life.” He took her hand. “She held me in her arms when I was but an infant. Of course I love her, but more like an aunt or a mother. Not in the way you were thinking.”

  “But—” Doubt still lingered. “What about what just happened at the breakfast table? You acted more like a jealous suitor than a nephew, Alex.”

  “She is not my lover, Diana.” He coaxed her back into his embrace. “You are.”

  “I want to believe you, Alex.”

  He sighed. “The countess is in just as much danger from Marcus as you are,” he admitted. As she rested her head against his chest, he caressed her nape with his fingers. “She is isolated from society, and I am protective of her. My quest is her quest.”

  “Your quest is…?” Diana paused as a new idea took shape. She had seen no sign of passion between Alex and Lady Rothstone. A deep and meaningful bond, to be sure. Tenderness. But no sexual intimations whatsoever. “She loved your brother, didn’t she, Alex?”

  His fingers stilled, then continued stroking. “She did.”

  “So she, too, wants to see Marcus hang.”

  “Aye, that she does.”

  “And what is that name she calls you?”

  Alex laughed. “You could give the Inquisitors lessons in interrogation, my love.”

  She gave his shoulder a playful swipe. “Answer the question. What does that name mean?”

  “Alejandro? ‘Tis merely the Spanish translation of Alexander.”

  “Oh.” The more she thought about it, the more foolish she felt. She had let Rosana’s rantings cause trouble where there was none. Yet part of her still clung to the fears that had arisen within her. Compared to the sophisticated Lady Rothstone, Diana appeared an immature young girl, given to fits of temper. She made a silent vow to try and change that part of her. Alex needed a woman at his side, not a petulant child.

  “Diana, trust me.” He stroked her hair.

  “I do trust you.”

  “Good.” He looked down at her and smiled. “You must rest. Lady Rothstone is right. You do look pale.”

  “I am tired.”

  “Then sleep.” He traced a finger over her parted lips. “For you will not get much rest tonight.”

  Her cheeks warmed in reaction to his seductive teasing. She shoved him playfully. “Out with you. I cannot sleep with you here.”

  He took her hand and pressed a kiss to the palm. “Indeed, when I return, you will not sleep at all,” he promised. With a wicked grin, he turned away.

  Heart pounding, she watched him go, tingling at the knowledge that she would not be alone in that magnificent bed that night.

  Alex stopped just inside the door to the dining room. He glanced at Birk’s empty chair before looking to his mother, who still sat at the table.

  “Where is your suitor, Mama?” he teased. “Has that fickle Scot’s head already been turned by another pretty smile?”

  Lady Rothstone raised her head, a flush spreading across the aristocratic cheekbones she had passed on to her son. “Birk has taken his leave, Alejandro, but not before informing me of last night’s events.”

  “I had gathered as much.” He sat down at the table and helped himself to a piece of bread, trying to delay the inevitable.

  His mother tightened her fingers around the knife she used to peel a piece of fruit. “He told me all about that deplorable knife fight. Really, Alejandro! What sort of woman is this that you have brought into my home?”

  “She is a lady, Mama.”

  “Birk has said that. But what lady of breeding engages in tavern brawls?”

  A smile tugged at his lips. “Diana is an original, Mama.”

  “Now that I have met her, I can see that for myself. She holds herself well.” She pointed the knife at him. “So I blame you, Alejandro. What possessed you to bring an impressionable girl of good family to a tavern?”

  He resisted the urge to squirm in his chair. He recognized that tone of voice from his childhood when he had been taken to task for some boyish prank. “She was not there for long, Mama.”

  “Long enough!” His mother gave up all pretense of eating and put down her utensils. “Had you brought her straight to me, she would not have been forced to defend herself against that doxy. Imagine, a young woman of her class forced to fight for her life in such surroundings! I am very disappointed in you, Alejandro.”

  He swallowed a mouthful of bread. “But she won the battle,” he pointed out.

  “No matter. It should never have occurred.” She lifted her cup of cocoa to her lips and sipped. “By the way, would you care to explain why you have brought her here? Why is she not home in the bosom of her family? Not that I question your decisions, Alejandro. After all, this is your house. But I am curious.”

  Alex poured himself a cup of coffee from the pot on the table, since his mother had dismissed the servants in favor of privacy. He raised the cup and paused before drinking, inhaling the pungent scent of the steaming black liquid.

  “You must wish me happy, Mama. Diana is to be my bride.”

  “Alejandro!” She put down her own cup with an audible click, her face reflecting her stunned joy. “Why did you not tell me sooner?”

  “Because Diana does not yet know.” He selected a tart from the tray in front of him. “How could I ask her to wed a pirate?”

  “But you are not a pirate! You are the Earl of Rothstone. She should fall to her knees and thank Dios for such an opportunity!”

  Grinning, he took a bite of the tart. Fresh berries exploded in his mouth. “I am gratified you think so highly of me, Mama, but you must remember that Diana knows nothing of my title. To her I am only El Moreno. And until Marcus is captured, I must remain so.”

  “Marcus,” she spat. “I shall be thankful the day he is no longer in our lives.”

  “I, too.” He finished the tart and picked up a napkin to wipe some of the stickiness from his fingers. “Mama, it is imperative that Diana not know who I am. I have told her that you are an old family friend who has known me since I was born.”

  “Which is partly the truth.” She sipped her chocolate. “But why the masquerade? Surely she is safe here on Besosa. Surely you can reveal yourself now.”

  “I dare not.” He met her gaze and held it. “This ‘masquerade’ as you put it, has protected you thus far. Marcus has never associated Lady Rothstone with El Moreno. I shudder to think what might happen if he did.”

  “But here on Besosa…Marcus never comes here, hijo. Surely you can tell her the truth while she is safe in your own home.”

  “No, the less she knows the better. He has abducted her once. I cannot take the chance of him doing so again.”

  “He abducted her?” She clutched her crucifix. “Dios, the poor child! Is that how she came to be with you?”

  “Yes, I rescued her from his ship. Though by the time I got to her, she had already escaped from him.” He chuckled. “She is quite resourceful.”

  “She must be, to have escaped such a villain.”

  “Indeed.” He grew serious once more. “But Marcus is relentless. If he captures her again, her ignorance may save her life. And yours.”

  “I see.” She paused. “Did he…harm her, Alejandro? Is that why you wish to wed her?”

  “No, he did not harm her, though he certainly tried. I arrived just in time.” He stood and took a last swallow of his coffee. “And I mean to wed her because I cannot live without her. I plan to speak to Father Felipe today. W
e will be married before I leave.”

  The countess shook her head. “That will be impossible, Alejandro,” she said. “Father Felipe died two weeks ago from a snake bite. The new priest has not yet arrived. “

  “Blast it!” He let out an exasperated breath. “I had hoped to give her my name before I left. Just in case…”

  “You will not speak of such things.” Her face pale, the countess began peeling her fruit once more. “You will return to claim your bride, hijo. I insist.”

  “Of course, Mama. I would not dare disobey you.” He dropped a kiss on her cheek. “Now I have to take my leave. I must see to the careening of the Vengeance. I shall return for the evening meal.”

  “Very well.” She took his hand and squeezed it. “I shall take the opportunity to get to know my new daughter.”

  He grinned. “I think she will surprise you, Mama. She is different from any woman I have ever known.”

  “I certainly hope so, given the unsuitable women you usually prefer.”

  “Mama!” To his consternation, he felt his cheeks flush. For the past few years he had consorted only with women of easy virtue. But he had never realized that his mother was aware of it. The thought made him distinctly uncomfortable.

  Lady Rothstone laughed. “Do you think me so innocent, Alejandro? How do you think you came to be born?”

  His ears burned as his face grew hotter. “I choose not to think of that at all.”

  He kissed her hand and exited the room before she could comment.

  Chapter Sixteen

  She sensed a conspiracy.

  Diana paced her room, her silk and lace night rail billowing about her. The nightclothes had been provided by the countess, as had the other garments Diana had worn for the past two days. The clothes Alex had bought her had disappeared, and she resented that they had been taken without her permission. The borrowed apparel fit well enough, if a bit big in the bosom.

  Diana sighed. The countess was trying to come between her and Alex, she was sure of it. The woman appeared to be generous and kind, determined to see that all of Diana’s smallest needs were met. Yet she herself would do the same thing, Diana mused, especially for a rival. It was bad enough to be thought a bad hostess by friends or strangers. But to be considered a bad hostess by one’s rival, well, that was courting disaster to be certain,

  She fingered one of the blue velvet bed hangings. She had to admit, Lady Rothstone was an exceptional hostess. And that made her dangerous.

  She was subtle. Sweet. The soul of courtesy. And determined to keep Alex and Diana apart.

  Oh, she was discreet about it. But it was amazing how often she would appear just as Alex made some romantic overture. How she would need him for some small task right that moment.

  Sometimes when Alex wanted to speak privately with Diana, the countess would ignore all hints to leave the room, forcing him to either forget what he wanted to say or to whisper it.

  Aye, the woman was determined to keep her from Alex, Diana thought. He said that Lady Rothstone had loved his brother. And that he had known the countess all his life. And Diana believed him. But Diana had also seen the love shining in Lady Rothstone’s eyes every time the countess looked at Alex.

  Just because he had never asked her to lie with him, did not mean that the countess did not desire that very thing.

  A breeze blew through the chamber from the open terrace doors, making the candles flicker. The briny scent of the ocean filled the room, reminding her of those last blissful days aboard Alex’s ship. She glanced outside. The full moon hung like a silver coin against the black velvet of the night sky, beckoning her. She drifted out to the terrace and stared up at the stars.

  “Alex,” she whispered into the night. “Where are you?”

  “Right here, my sweet.”

  She whirled at the sound of his voice. He sat on the stone balustrade in a darkened corner of the terrace. A grappling iron and a coil of rope lay at his feet.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “I came to see you.”

  “But how did you get here?” She glanced at the rope and then back to him. “You didn’t…”

  “Indeed I did.”

  “You climbed up the side of the house? Using that? You could have been killed!”

  He laughed. “Hardly, love. You forget, I climb masts higher than this wall every day.”

  There it was again. That word. Love. She wondered once more if he meant it, or if it was just a casual endearment to him. She almost asked him, but a knock on her bedroom door forestalled the question. Lady Rothstone’s muffled voice carried out to the terrace.

  “Diana, are you there? ‘Tis Lady Rothstone.”

  “How does she do it?” Diana mumbled.

  “Answer the door,” Alex said. “I’ll still be here when you return.”

  Muttering under her breath, Diana went back into her room and opened the door to yet another intrusion.

  “I’m so sorry to disturb you, my dear,” Lady Rothstone said with a sweet smile. “I just wanted to be sure you had everything you needed.”

  “Oh, yes,” Diana responded. “I have just what I need. Thank you for asking.”

  “I want you to be comfortable here.” The countess glanced past her at the terrace doors and frowned. “You really should not leave the doors open at night. All manner of nasty creatures can wander into your room.”

  “I enjoy the night air.”

  “Nonetheless, I would not wish any harm to befall you.” She slipped past Diana and headed straight for the terrace.

  “Lady Rothstone, wait.” Diana attempted to stop her, but the countess was already standing out on the terrace. She looked around and seemed to find everything to her satisfaction.

  “Well, ‘tis a beautiful night, isn’t it?” she said as she came back into the room. “Just don’t leave the doors open all night, my dear. You don’t want a snake slithering into your bed.”

  “Certainly not.” Bemused, Diana watched her hostess cross the room to the door.

  “Sleep well, Diana.” With a placid smile, Lady Rothstone left the room, closing the door behind her.

  Diana rushed out on to the terrace. She looked to the corner where Alex had been sitting. No one was there.

  “Alex?”

  “Here,” came the muffled reply. She heard a scraping noise, and moonlight flashed off a metal object that flew over the balustrade to hook there firmly.

  She rushed over and looked down. Alex clung to the base of the terrace. As she watched, he took hold of the rope and began to pull himself up.

  “What in heaven are you doing down there?”

  “Hanging,” came the grunted reply. One hand appeared, followed by Alex’s head and shoulders. He strained to pull himself over the stone railing. “Help me up. I’m losing my grip on the wall.”

  She grabbed two handfuls of his shirt and tugged just as he managed to shove himself over. The two of them fell in a tangled heap.

  “God’s bones, Diana! Are you hurt?” He quickly rose and extended his hand.

  “I’m fine.” She allowed him to pull her to her feet. “I cannot say the same for this nightdress, however.” She sighed at the tear in the shoulder of the fragile silk garment. “How shall I explain this to Lady Rothstone?”

  Alex fingered a dangling piece of lace. “You could tell her you were overcome with lust, and the gown tore while you were ravishing me.”

  She rolled her eyes. “I dare not tell her that lest she try it herself.”

  “What!”

  “Don’t look so shocked, Alex. I have seen how she looks at you.”

  He stared at her for a moment in stunned silence before he burst out laughing.

  “Don’t laugh.” She hit him in the chest with her fist. “She has been plotting to keep us apart. We have not had more than a few moments alone together in the past two days!”

  “Aye, ‘tis true.” Trying to stifle his chuckles, he took her shoulders and rested his forehead against
hers. “My sweet, do you not realize what she has been doing? She has become your duenna.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “‘Tis the way of the Spanish. In Spain an unmarried young woman of good family is never left alone at any time, especially with a man. Lady Rothstone respects you. She knows you are a lady and sees chaperoning you as her duty.”

  She stared at him. “Are you certain?”

  “Aye, quite certain. She regards me as a son, not a potential lover.”

  “Well, it seemed as if she were trying to keep us apart.”

  “Indeed she was, my sweet. To protect your virtue.”

  “Ha!” Playing with the lacing of his shirt, she slanted him a flirtatious look. “Unfortunately, my virtue has already been stolen by a charming, dark-eyed scoundrel.”

  “Scoundrel, eh? I suppose your seductive wiles had naught to do with it.”

  “Never. I was an innocent victim.”

  “Poor child.” He pulled her close against him. “Ravished, were you?”

  “Aye.” She stared at the sensuous masculine mouth poised above hers. “And I have not even told you the worst part.”

  He slid her nightgown off one shoulder and pressed a kiss there. “And what is that?”

  She brought her lips close to his ear. “I want to be ravished again, but there are no charming scoundrels about.”

  “Well then,” he murmured, scooping her into his arms, “I suppose I will have to do the deed.”

  Her whisper of assent drifted away on the breeze as he carried her to the bed.

  Much later, Alex stroked a hand over Diana’s naked hip and murmured, “I must leave in the morning.”

  “What?” She lifted her head from his chest and looked at him with distress in her gray eyes. “You still intend to leave me behind?”

  “Only for a short while, my sweet.” He smoothed a lock of hair back from her face. “Marcus awaits, and I must leave with the tide.”

  “Take me with you.”

  “I cannot.”

  “But why? I will be safe with you. And perhaps I can help.”