Dare to be Mine

by Allison, Kim

But that wicked little Catherine Edmonton had seduced him into helping her. Had promised him all sorts of delicious rewards did he but aid in her quest to ultimately become mistress of Greystone. He'd been such a bloody fool! But by the time he realized just how serious Catherine was in her mad scheme, he was already in too deep. She had threatened to turn him into the authorities herself and blame the entire thing on him.

  And now this. Elyssa, the next object of Catherine's vindictiveness, seemed to know about it. She was obviously taunting him. Like Catherine, she was threatening his manhood and everything noble he'd ever been.

  It all boiled over in that moment. The fact that not only would his employment end at the only decent job he'd ever had, but that he would most likely die by hanging, if not within the prison walls first. Fear gave way to anger and desperation. Will slapped the reins from Elyssa's hand and forced her back against the wall. romantic onslaughtdanger second

  It was over. And if he was going to prison, so was Catherine. And since Elyssa had mentioned doubts about Daniel, he would use Fredrickson's name to perhaps work in his favor. Did Catherine implicate him in her foiled plan to murder Elyssa, Will could tell the authorities that Daniel and Catherine had planned the entire thing themselves, and he'd been threatened into helping. Thus, he finally replied to Elyssa's query about Daniel's knowledge.

  "Lord Fredrickson knows about everything, milady," he lied, preventing Elyssa from escaping his hold. "He and Lady Edmonton needed the elder lord and you out of the way to get Greystone and the money, and finally be free to marry one another."

  Elyssa cried out at his wounding words, tears springing to her eyes. She wanted to tell Will to shut up, didn't want to hear one more word. Her soul was dying inside. "You are lying," she protested, a tear trailing a path down her cheek.

  Will could see that Elyssa was still in love with the young Lord Fredrickson, even after all this time and after everything he’d put her through. It was important to make her believe Daniel was guilty, to have Elyssa on his side did the need arise. And one way to ensure that was through female jealousy. Surely her devotion to Daniel would fade instantly if she thought Daniel was in love with Catherine.

  "They've been lovers for a very long time, milady. I thought you knew that. Fredrickson and Catherine planned his father's murder when they were still in Paris. After they found out everything had been willed to you, the plan had to be changed to include your death."

  Shaking her head in denial, Elyssa felt weak-kneed. It was true. Daniel was planning to murder her. And she had let him make love to her. Had returned his traitorous kisses and dared believe he wanted to reunite with her.

  "Please don't cry," Will coaxed, feeling more than a little guilty. He detested lying to Elyssa, for she'd always been so kind to him. Unlike Catherine Edmonton, that conniving bitch. Striving to calm her, Will placed his hand loosely over Elyssa's mouth. She struggled even more to escape him, but was no match for Will's strength. “Hush, milady,” he whispered, unwittingly tightening his grip on her as her eyes widened in panic, her hands clawing at his arm in effort to be freed.

  There was concern in his eyes, and pity. He uttered soothing words to Elyssa but she was nearly hysterical by that ti escaped her lips aemhime. Panicking, he tightened his hand over her mouth and Elyssa was hard pressed to draw her next breath. He is going to murder me! Elyssa thought in terror as white spots appeared before her eyes, blackness threatening to overcome her. There was a madness in his eyes, and Elyssa wondered how she’d never noticed the danger in Will before.

  Suddenly, his hand was gone from her mouth and Elyssa sucked in a great gulp of air. She was shocked to see her unlikely rescuer. Daniel had yanked Will off Elyssa and drove a staggering punch into his mouth. Blood spewed from Will's lips and he fell to the floor in a dazed heap. Daniel jerked Will up halfway and landed another vicious punch to his face.

  Elyssa nearly fell as she staggered toward the stable door to escape. She was shaking all over in fright. Elyssa shrieked as Daniel managed to reach her, pulling her snugly against his chest. Her cries only grew as Elyssa realized she was in the arms of another man who wanted her dead.

  Daniel had come to Greystone to speak to Will about the confusing conversation he'd had with Elyssa the previous night. He had no idea what she’d meant about Will and Catherine and some kind of plan for murder. It was insane! And yet it had to be investigated. For whatever reason, Elyssa was genuinely frightened. Indeed, she thought him involved in some way, and the thought sickened him.

  He planned to go to Catherine after speaking with Will if he didn’t get the answers he was looking for. When Daniel had seen Will holding Elyssa captive in the stable, he'd lost all self-control. Indeed, he wanted to finish what he started, but Will needed to remain alive to confess whatever he’d been about.

  Elyssa was nearly hysterical. He needed to calm her down and find out what transpired before his arrival. Loosening his hold on her, he asked if she was alright.

  A faint commotion grew louder as voices neared. Elyssa looked up through tear fogged eyes, stunned to see Sophie entering the stable in a rush with the authorities in tow. Pointing toward Daniel, Sophie said, "That is him. And the other one is lying on the ground."

  "What the hell is this about?" Daniel demanded, two officers proceeding toward him with their sticks.

  "Murder, Lord Fredrickson," Sophie sneered. She rushed over and placed her arms about Elyssa in effort to calm her. "And not a moment too soon," she added, noting Elyssa's distressed state. "Elyssa, are you alright? Did he hurt you? romantic onslaughtdanger second" Elyssa was unable to get any coherent words out, but shook her head in denial.

  As the two officers neared Daniel, he instinctively struck out at them, managing to get a well aimed punch in before being beaten with their wooden clubs. Barely conscious by the time they managed to control him, Daniel looked up at Elyssa, a steady trickle of blood running down his face.

  "Elyssa, tell them. I freed you from that bastard. Tell them." Glancing over at the still prone form of Will, who was likewise in custody by that time, Elyssa felt she would be sick. Even knowing his evil intentions toward her, Elyssa found it impossible to sentence Daniel's life worthless. There had to be another explanation.

  Nudging Elyssa, Sophie whispered, "Tell them what you know."

  "Elyssa?" Daniel pleaded as the constable looked toward her for her answer.

  Unable to remove her eyes from the visage of Daniel, bloody and beaten, she weakly replied as her heart shriveled inside, "Will and Catherine Edmonton were behind the murder of Percy Fredrickson. Will claims that Lord Fredrickson was likewise plotting my death, but I––,” Her tongue felt thick with the softly spoken words of betrayal. Her heart lurched at the look of despair and desperation in Daniel’s eyes at her accusation. In truth, she didn’t want Daniel arrested. Her mind was still foggy, her head ached fiercely, and she was merely repeating what Will had said.

  Daniel roared in disbelief, the officers roughly taking him and Will from the premises. Elyssa's eyes closed and she cringed at the foul words coming from Daniel’s mouth. She would never forget the wild, bewildered look in his eyes when she'd betrayed him. The hateful look he had left her with as he was dragged from the stables.

  “No!” she cried, reaching her hand out toward the departing form of Daniel as they took him away. Elyssa's stomach clenched in utter misery and she fell to her knees in wretchedness. This was all wrong. Daniel was innocent, she'd misjudged him. The look of absolute betrayal in his stormy gray eyes would haunt her forever.

  Elyssa spent the remainder of the day and all the next in her bedroom with the drapes pulled shut. Her weeping would not stop, her heart crushed beyond repair.

  CHAPTER ">Sophie was beside herself with worry. Her cousin was far more in love with the handsome lord than she had imagined. Sooner or later Elyssa would have to realize that she'd done the only thing humanly possible, else Elyssa would have ended up giving her very life in exchange.

  On t
he third day after the arrests, Elyssa decided to go to the prison and speak to Daniel. She knew he must hate her, would most likely want to throttle her neck, but something inside refused to let go until she saw him in person. She was going to do everything in her power to see to Daniel’s release, and she needed to tell him herself.

  Elyssa didn't tell Sophie of her plans, for her cousin would have put a stop to it. She waited until Sophie had gone for a ride then ordered the driver to take her to the prison. She hadn't bothered with her appearance overmuch, for the effort was simply too much.

  Elyssa had hardly eaten a bite since Daniel’s arrest, had barely slept. There were dark circles beneath her eyes, her hair aimlessly pulled back. She paid no attention to which dress she donned. Barely noticed that the shoes she wore didn't at all go with the drab brown dress she was wearing. She wore a long black cape, pulling the hood low over her face when she arrived at the prison. The sight of gold coins greatly hastened Elyssa's ability to see Daniel, although the jail keeper informed Elyssa that she wasn't likely to see the man she was expecting.

  "Fredrickson’s been in a constant fit of rage since he was brought here, milady. Mean as a rabid dog. I don't think you should get near him. Maybe just talk to him through the bars for a minute or two."

  "Nonsense," she replied, "I'm certain he won't hurt me with you standing nearby."

  "Hmpph," came the sound of disagreement, although the jingle of the gold coins lining his pocket gave the jailer no further cause for concern. If the lady was stupid enough to step foot into a cell with the man she’d put there, that was her problem.

  "Follow me," he grumbled, "but keep that hood over your face. We don't want you riling up the other violent offenders."

  Elyssa shuddered as she obeyed, obediently following the man's quick steps. By the time they reached the area where Daniel was located, Elyssa was nearly in tears. The foul odors that met her were horrendous, the wailing cri romantic onslaughturg">CHAPTER es of the prisoners echoing in her ears. She did her best to ignore the obscenities shouted at her and the jailer as they passed by. She started in fright each time he knocked his thick wooden stick against the cells to quiet them down. Finally, when Elyssa felt she would vomit from feeling responsible for Daniel being there, she ran into the man's back as he abruptly stopped.

  "Here we are," he announced. Yelling toward Daniel, the man said, "You got a visitor, Fredrickson. Now make nice and I won't have to break your miserable neck before you hang."

  Elyssa gasped aloud as she saw Daniel turn slowly about. His right eye was swollen, from an angry jailer no doubt, and his face was dirty and unshaven. His long hair was messy and blood stains covered his shirt. For a moment he was confused at the sight of the mysterious figure in the dim light, her face partially hidden by the hood of her cloak.

  Then he realized it was Elyssa. A snarl curled his lips down and his hands clenched into fists. He came at her, throwing himself against the metal bars separating them, trying to get at her. Wanting to hurt her.

  Laughing aloud, the jailer said, "See, missy? I told you he wouldn't be happy to see nobody." Striking out at Daniel with his stick, the jailer narrowly missed breaking it over Daniel's fingers. Pulling his hands back into the cell, Daniel continued staring spitefully at Elyssa.

  "Get that bitch out of here!" he bellowed.

  "Daniel!" she cried, tentatively holding her hand toward the cell. "I need to talk to you."

  "I don't want to hear anymore lies out of your mouth! You have done enough already."

  "I am sorry, Daniel," Elyssa cried. "I never meant for this to happen. I’m going to get you out of here!" Turning to the jailer, she asked, "Why has he been mistreated so? He is obviously in pain."

  "Caged animals get unruly and mean. They need to get beaten down. And this one's been a real pain in my ass."

  Interrupting Elyssa's pleas on his behalf, Daniel snarled, "Did you really think that by coming here youIn between kisses, lyhi d f could ease your conscience?"

  "No!" Elyssa cried. Her heart wept at the sight of him and she wished she could do something, anything, to help him. She opened her mouth to speak, but knew not what to say, for Daniel's loathing glare chilled her.

  "Get her out of here!" he roared, turning away as he shook in rage. The jailer led Elyssa away against her wishes, telling her she should have listened to him.

  She left the prison in a daze. It had been a mistake to go there. Daniel hated her. And he was in such pain, not only physically, but emotionally. And she was to blame. Elyssa hired the best attorney money could buy, hopeful that before long, a case could be made in Daniel’s favor.

  Two days later Daniel was released from prison. After a lengthy interrogation, Will had finally confessed the entire truth. He admitted that Daniel had in no way been involved in Percy's murder, nor of the plot to kill Elyssa.

  His attempt to portray himself as an unwilling participant in Catherine's devious plans did not work as he'd hoped, and Will was sentenced to five years in prison for his limited involvement in Percy's death. He had merely been a pawn of Catherine's and had basically just kept her informed of times Percy and Elyssa would be most vulnerable or completely alone so Catherine could complete her plans. He hadn't been present when she'd killed Percy. He knew only that Catherine had falsely planted the murder weapon somewhere among Elyssa's things in effort to frame her.

  Catherine was taken into custody kicking and screaming, imploring her brother to take care of things. Blake was completely shocked upon hearing everything. He knew his sister had always been infatuated with Daniel, but he never imagined she could be so obsessed that murder would enter into her mind.

  Their attorneys advised Blake and his parents it would be a most difficult thing to prove Catherine’s innocence. Still, they'd professed, money always helped in these types of cases. There were always judges and jailers who could be bribed. Every man had his price after all.

  Elyssa was ecstatic at hearing the news of Daniel's innocence and release from prison. She signed Greystone over to Daniel, besides an exorbitant amount of money.

  Sophie and Blake were married in a quiet ceremony. They didn’t tell anyone until after the vows had been spoken. escaped her lips aemhi Elyssa asked Sophie to see that Daniel got the letter she wrote him. She was moving to London and would be staying with her family until she purchased her own home there.

  Sophie implored her to stay with them rather than leaving but Elyssa told her cousin it was for the best. Daniel would never wish to see her again. He had been through much over the past months, indeed throughout his entire life, and the very least she could do was to give Daniel what was rightfully his, and to leave him in peace.

  When Elyssa left Greystone, she did so with a sadness, but also an uplifting of her heart, for she imagined Daniel stepping foot inside as the rightful owner. He would finally have everything he deserved. And perhaps one day, he might even find it in his heart to forgive her.

  In between kisses, lyhi d f

  CHAPTER 21

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  CHAPTER 13

  CHAPTER 14

  CHAPTER 15

  CHAPTER 16

  CHAPTER 17

  CHAPTER 18

  CHAPTER 19

  CHAPTER 20

  CHAPTER 21

  Catherine stepped foot onto French soil once again. A coy smile graced her lips as she allowed the handsome man to help her disembark from the ship. It was good to come from a wealthy family, she mused silently. Blake had declared himself through with her forever and even her doting parents had been stunned at the things she'd been accused of doing.

  It had taken much gold to line the palms of various officials and judges in order to ensure
Catherine's release and exile to France. She would enjoy living in Paris again, and though England threatened her freedom did she ever return, Catherine didn't dismiss the idea that one day, one year, she might wish to return there. She did have a very wealthy family after all.

  Will had borne the brunt of Catherine's deviousness. After two weeks in prison he'd been found dead in his cell. Hanged with a rope given him by a jailer upon request. There was no investigation, no questions asked, for he was just another of the prison's victims. He had no family to mourn his death, no loved one to grieve for him.

  Elyssa's happiness slowly returned––as much as could be expected without Daniel as the center of her world. The time spent with her family greatly helped to lift her spirits. She was still a wealthy woman and received quarterly payments from her investments. Elyssa planned to buy her own home nearby, but for now she preferred to stay with her family. She didn't feel she could handle living alone just yet. It would only give her time to remember things as they might have been.

  She thought about Daniel everyday, hoped and prayed that he was happy. Elyssa knew he was living at Greystone and that he'd been given her letter. She kept in frequent touch with Sophie. In the three weeks since Sophie had married Blake, life was more glorious than her cousin had ever hoped for, and Elyssa's heart wept for what she herself would never have. escaped her lips a in the we

  She would never marry anyone else. She could only hope that one day Daniel might succumb to her plea and take her back. More than likely though, he would eventually find permanent solace in the arms of another. He would become the father of someone else's children, and the thought made her heart break into a million pieces.

  A few weeks later Elyssa visited Sophie and Blake. Their blissful announcement that Sophie was pregnant came as a great surprise. Elyssa congratulated them, while inside her heart was saddened. Would she always feel this heaviness inside every time her cousin shared wonderful news concerning her marriage and family?

  Later when Elyssa spoke alone with Sophie, she finally asked if Blake knew whether or not Daniel had ever read her letter, and if so, what had his response been. Sophie was clearly uncomfortable and Elyssa knew at once that he'd not been receptive to her humble plea.