Chasing Eliza

by King, Rebecca

  Turning the advance around a little, he scooped up a handful of dirt off the ground and waited until the man was only a few feet away before tossing the contents of his hand directly at his attackers face. It gave him enough of an advantage to dodge past the clumsy fool and quickly mount one of their horses. Gathering the reins of the other two, he nudged the horse around the bodies now lying face down on the ground and rode over to Eliza who was staring at the fallen men in horror.

  “Eliza.” Edward snapped, cursing fluidly at the sight of her ashen face. Although she hadn’t crumbled into screaming hysteria, she was clearly appalled by what she had just witnessed. Could she hold it together until they got to safety?

  “Eliza.” Edward shouted snatching Guinness’ reins and leading him around until they were all facing the same way. “Do you ride?” He rapped his knuckles harshly on her knee, hard enough to snap her out of her daze.

  “Do you ride.” He reiterated, watching the man stagger towards them, his sword raised in attack.

  “Y-yes.” Eliza whispered, trying desperately to cling to the relative reassurance of Edward’s familiar voice. “Y-yes I ride.”

  “Then can we go now please?” Edward snapped sarcastically, hoping that if she realised he was angry with her it would be enough to break whatever fear had gripped her.

  Pushing Guinness forwards he slapped the big horse harshly on the rump, rewarded when the big horse immediately lunged forwards. The sudden movement of the horse snapped Eliza out of her trance more effectively than Edward and he watched as she immediately snatched up the reins and began to ride the beast away from the clearing. Ignoring the snarls of the man running towards them, Edward nudged his own mount into a canter and dragging the remaining two horses behind him, took off after her.

  “Which way?” Eliza shouted as they rode across the rough field towards the far corner. She had ridden as a child and knew how to handle a horse, but Guinness was simply immense. Although his solid bulk beneath her was reassuring, she wasn’t sure she could handle him jumping over the low slung hedge directly ahead of them.

  “Go to the corner, I think I can see an opening we can go through to get on to the road. Do you know where we are?”

  “I think we are near Lymster, but can’t be certain in the darkness.” Eliza replied studying the area for a while as she tried to make out the shadows of the surrounding countryside. “I need to see a stone marker.”

  “If we get onto the road, we can find one.” He watched as Eliza settled into Guinness’ rhythm despite her earlier concern, and was answering his questions clearly enough to reassure him that she was managing to hold her fear at bay.

  They left the field and stepped onto the flat road surface with a sigh of relief. Edward glanced back but could see nothing in the top corner of the field except dark shadows. The horses behind him trotted along happily enough now they had left the scene of the bloodshed.

  With no imminent threat of pursuers for now, they had the time to slow to a steady trot without the fear of Guinness losing his footing on the uneven surface.

  “Stop a minute.”

  Eliza glanced across at him, every nerve stretched taught by what she had just experienced.

  She had seen enough carnage and bloodshed to last her a lifetime and to watch Edward, whom she had considered her saviour calmly kill those two men, chilled her to the bone. She was very grateful for the warmth of the woollen cloak that smelled so much of him, a man she didn’t know at all. Mentally she chided herself. In spite of everything that had happened, she had only known him a matter of hours and simply had no way of knowing if he was a cold-blooded killer, or the sensual seducer she had encountered in her room at the inn.

  Dutifully she reined to a stop and glanced across at him only to find three sets of reins being pushed into her hand.

  “Hold these for a minute; I need to check Guinness hasn’t been injured from the fall.”

  “Is he alright?” Eliza queried hating the thought that the animal could be hurt trying to help them.

  Edward ran his hands gently over the warm flesh of the large animal, reassured when he was met with nothing but a soft snort of pleasure as Guinness enjoyed the attention. Eliza watched as he crooned softly to the animal for several moments, rubbing him gently between his ears before giving him a pat.

  She shouldn’t allow herself to be so distracted by him but he was an enigma, a puzzle that demanded she discover which one was the real Edward. The harsh, ruthless fighter who ruthlessly killed in battle or the soft and gentle man who took the time in tense moments to soothe frightened animals.

  “He’s fine, just a bit dusty. Luckily the ground was soft from all of the rain we have had; I think it cushioned his fall a bit.” Edward relieved her of the reins and mounted one of the horses.

  “What are we going to do with them?” She nodded towards the two additional animals that trailed dumbly behind them.

  “When we get to the village we will stop and pick the fittest. We have no way of telling where they have come from, so cannot return them but we can leave them with a farmer who may be able to make use of them.” Edward frowned at her only to find her staring over his shoulder in horror.

  Silently she pointed down the road behind them.

  Edward glanced into the shadows and cursed roundly at the sight of another three riders approaching at a rapid pace.

  “There!” Eliza pointed to the dense thicket of trees on the side of the road further down the road.

  Edward studied the small copse of woods for several moments, assessing the danger. He should have stopped long enough to pick up one of the surplus swords and cursed his stupidity. He had been so worried about getting her away from the danger that he had forgotten the basics. De-arm your enemy. Nodding briskly at her, within moments they were heading in that direction.

  “Keep quiet.” Edward ordered as they picked their way through the dense foliage to stand as far back from the road as possible while still keeping it in sight. Leading the small group as far into the trees as he could, Edward dismounted and motioned for Eliza to follow him.

  “Hold on to these.”

  Eliza quenched in fear as she stared up at the big round eyes of their horses glaring haughtily at her through the darkness, and silently prayed they wouldn’t take it into their heads to run off. She turned to Edward only to find he had completely vanished. Twisting around she couldn’t see or hear anything, and wondered how such a big man moved so silently.

  She sent a silent prayer heavenward and watched as the three riders moved slowly down the track directly through the middle of the thick, yet small copse of woods. They were scanning the trees on either side of the road, clearly searching for her and Edward.

  Eliza knew for certain they could see her, and any moment now they were going to shout and come barrelling through the woods towards her. Tension coiled low in her belly and she rested her head against Guinness’s huge head and waited.

  The minutes seemed to drag by indeterminably as the riders moved slowly down the track without stopping and eventually disappeared from sight.

  Seconds later, her low squeak of surprise was silenced by the large hand that clamped over her mouth, stifling her scream perfectly. She swayed with a huge wave of relief, her knees threatening to buckle beneath as she realised it was Edward.

  He silently pressed a finger to his lips and motioned for her move. With startling ease he hefted her into the saddle, swinging up on his new horse moments later. As silently as possible they made their way back through the trees towards the road.

  “We can’t go back there.” Eliza whispered nodding towards the road they had just come down.

  “We aren’t, we are going to cut across country and find a milestone so we can find out where the hell we are. Then we will find ourselves a tavern so we can get some food, and rest – in that order - and then you can tell me everything you know.”

  “I have.” She whispered defensively, not reassured by the lack of movement behi
nd them.

  “No you haven’t.” Edward declared dismissively. “Unless I am mistaken, those men aren’t the drunken revellers from the tavern.” He glanced across at her and knew he had hit a nerve when she shifted guiltily and pretended to study the horizon. He knew that if it was daylight her beautiful cheeks would probably be stained with a guilty blush.

  “If we are to get you to safety, you have to tell me everything Eliza.” Although he kept his voice low, his tone lost none of its warning.

  “This isn’t your problem Edward. You need to go back to Peter and tell him that I know nothing. Jemima disappeared about two weeks ago. I haven’t seen or heard anything from her since.” Eliza sighed, hoping her sister had stuck to the plan and left a note in their hiding place.

  “It isn’t that simple.” Edward replied, easing his horse across the unfamiliar field. “I cannot just let you walk away now. I can get you to a place of safety, where you can stay until Jemima is found, and your future is decided.” He didn’t like to admit that for his own peace of mind he needed to ensure that she was safe and well. Sometime during the past few hours he had become concerned for her wellbeing far too much than he was comfortable with, but there was little he could do about the sudden driving need to claim her as his. Not only did he want her safe, but he was also intrigued by her story and wanted to learn as much as she could tell him. He was a warrior and a warrior never back down from a fight.

  It appeared there wasn’t that much difference between himself and Peter after all. Edward mused, considering the strength of feeling she had brought out in him after only a few hours’ acquaintance – and most of that had been while being pursued by an unknown, yet persistent enemy.

  “What do you mean?” She didn’t like the ring of finality in his voice, as though the matter had already been decided and didn’t need to be questioned. She didn’t want anyone deciding anything for her. After the events of the past few months she considered she was the only one qualified to make any decisions on her behalf and she certainly didn’t want anyone of such short acquaintance deciding what was best for her.

  “I mean that I need to know what has happened to you to bring you to that run down cesspit back in Derby.” He threw her a pointed glance, daring her to be evasive or untruthful. “You will then tell me everything you know about your pursuers. Once the people who want you so badly are dealt with, you and Jemima can decide what you want to do with your lives.”

  “Does Peter know about Jemima’s situation?” Eliza shuddered as a cold sweep of night air stole beneath the folds of her cloak with icy intent. Glancing over at Edward’s thin shirt she wondered if she should offer him his cloak back. Her heart clenched with guilt; he must be frozen in the cold breeze with nothing but the thin material to protect him.

  “Situation?”

  “What drove her to move to Derby.”

  “I’m not sure. I know they met while you were in Devon. She approached him for help for some reason and confided in him before vanishing. He has been desperate to find her ever since and has followed her – your – trail through to Derby. He has practically pulled the town apart in his quest to find her.” Edward could see nothing wrong with confiding in her thus far. If she understood the depth of Peter’s involvement, it just might earn her trust and make her feel able to confide in him.

  “You cannot in all conscience drop me on his doorstep and expect him to accommodate me. After all, it isn’t me he is looking for.” Eliza reasoned, feeling a pang of envy that her sister, her beautiful fun-loving sister, had someone so adoring of her that he would move heaven and hell to find her. “I cannot go with you. At the next village you need to let me down so I can find my own way.”

  “I won’t countenance such a possibility. Wherever you go, I go.” Edward was loathed to leave her anywhere, especially after all of the trouble he had gone to ensuring her safety thus far. She was going to be delivered to Peter’s safe keeping, via his brother’s residence – whether she liked it or not.

  He didn’t want to stop and consider that his determination to take her to Peter and Dominic may be driven by the need to see her again in more normal circumstances.

  “They are following again.” Eliza gasped, catching sight of three riders heading in their direction across the fields. Was it her imagination, or was the darkness giving way to meagre shade of light? “They’re coming fast.” She tried to keep the panic out of her voice, but fear swept through her when Edward glanced over his shoulder and cursed.

  They raced side by side through the night, hooves pounding with brutal fury as they tried to escape the relentless determination of the three determined pursuers.

  Eliza knew they couldn’t be the same men Edward had shot earlier, so where were they coming from? With the arrival of the new pursuers, Eliza had little doubt now they were Scraggan’s men.

  “Go into the trees again.” Eliza gasped, knowing they didn’t have a chance of outrunning the three menacing shadows looming closer with each passing mile, especially as they had no way of knowing just how many more lay hidden further ahead.

  “Why?”

  “Do it!” She ordered ignoring his look of surprise as she nudged Guinness directly into the path of Edward’s horse and in doing so gave Edward little option than to follow her instructions. Within moments they were crashing through the dense foliage and uneven forest floor.

  Edward paused, wondering what she was planning. He studied her carefully, a little nonplussed at this new, decisive Boudicca-style side to her and he wasn’t sure he was all too comfortable with it. He suddenly wondered what it was like to be on the wrong side of her temper, and if all of that fiery passion re-appeared between the sheets.

  “What the hell are you doing?” He snapped watching in horror as she slid from Guinness’ back and held out the reins to him. “Get back on now!” He ignored the strips of leather she held aloft and pushed his horse around, effectively trapping her between the horses. “Eliza, don’t play games, get back on so we can get out of here.”

  “Listen to me.” Eliza snapped dropping the reins on the floor when he made no move to take them from her and removing the cloak. “We have a better chance of evading them if we split up.”

  “No!” Edward’s abrupt dismissal of the notion rang clear through the night air.

  Eliza pointed to the far distance. “Lymster is over there, I am sure of it. On the outskirts of the small village heading towards Derby there is a large barn, a huge monstrosity that sits in the middle of nowhere. There is no way of getting to it without being seen from any side.” She handed him his cloak, persistently pushing it at him when he refused to take it.

  “Lymster is back on that road.” She nodded towards the narrow strip of road barely visible through the night. “You ride Guinness and I’ll ride your horse. If you wear the cloak, they will think you are me and will most probably chase you, but on Guinness they don’t have a chance of catching you. He is too big for me to control if he decides to take his head and I don’t feel comfortable riding him at a gallop, especially on my own.”

  She watched with satisfaction as Edward reluctantly dismounted and donned the cloak, seemingly accepting the wisdom of her plan. A tiny shiver of awareness swept through her, as he placed his hands on her waist and hoisted her up on to the smaller horse, pausing only long enough to make sure she had the reins before mounting Guinness and shaking out the cloak behind him.

  His eyes met and held hers through the darkness.

  “This is sheer insanity.” He growled hating to acknowledge that together their chances weren’t good. They could out-run a group of three men – maybe, if they were lucky. But they couldn’t out-run a continual flow of people. The horse would grow tired sooner rather than later given their exertions already. It was growing increasingly more important that they found somewhere to rest and take sustenance.

  “If you can find somewhere to gain some provisions for us then bring some with you.” Eliza offered cheekily, trying to alleviate th
e sheer terror thrumming through her veins, only this time her fear wasn’t just for herself, it was for him too.

  “You had better be there.” Even through the darkness Eliza could see the distinct glare of warning in his steady eyes.

  She was in the process of turning her horse around in the opposite direction to Edward when a hand on her thigh stopped her. Her head turned just in time to capture the swoop of his lips against hers. Her instinctive gasp was captured by his hot mouth as he kissed her swiftly with no trace of tenderness. The large palm he slid into her hair cupped the back of her head, holding her steady to the hungry possession of his dominance as he sought to convey all of the words he could not put voice to, through the persistent pressure of his kiss. Although brief, Eliza felt she had been branded and sucked in a stunned breath when his lips broke away from hers just as quickly.

  “Be safe.” He whispered, turning his horse away with one last, lingering gaze. “I’m waiting until dawn only and if you are not there I am coming after you.”

  With that promise lingering on the air between them, he nudged Guinness through the foliage towards the field on the far side of the woods. Eliza watched until he melted into the shadows before nudging her horse in the opposite direction.

  It was the hardest thing she had ever done; riding away from his reassuring presence. It wasn’t until the silence of the woods settled around her that she realised just how much she had come to depend upon him, how important he was for her safety. She could hear the pursuers crashing through the trees behind her, urging her onwards without mercy. Sending a silent prayer heavenwards she cleared the trees and immediately nudged her horse into a gallop.