“Good morning.”
Edward’s voice rumbled huskily from above her head. Slowly Eliza tipped her head back. She tried to remove her leg only for Edward’s hand to tighten on her knee, keeping her still.
“Morning.” Eliza replied, blushing at their intimate position. “We should get up.”
“Yes, we should.” Instead of letting her knee go, Eliza felt his hand slowly slide over her thigh, slowly trailing upwards over her hip before traversing the inward dip of her hip. His fingers brushed the sides of her breasts as they swept gently over the curve of her chest before gently cupping her chin.
“Edward.” She whispered softly as his head slowly dipped towards hers.
“Ssshhh.” The soft glide of his lips against hers stole any further protest, and most of her thoughts. Briefly she tried to hold back from the sensual onslaught, but found herself unable to withhold her instinctive reaction to the tender caress of his mouth against hers. Sliding her hands over his broad shoulders, her fingers tangled in the soft curls at the nape of his neck, tugging him closer as he deepened the kiss.
He was determined this time she wouldn’t have regrets and wouldn’t draw away in an attempt to pretend nothing happened. This time, she would spend the day knowing she had been thoroughly made love to, totally compromised and completely his.
Later that morning, they ate breakfast in companionable, if hurried silence before ordering their horses. It was agreed they would ride throughout the day to try to get to Leicestershire sometime before midnight - if they were lucky. It would mean a long day riding; something that Eliza didn’t relish, but given the current threat to Jemima’s life, was necessary.
“Will you be alright?” Edward murmured, drawing her to stand behind him as the men left the small parlour just after dawn. He towered over her protectively, a look of concern on his face as he studied her. Although the smudges beneath her beautiful eyes were still there, they had lost some of the darkness. A sign that she had slept well. He had ensured she had eaten sufficient to sustain her throughout the arduous day they faced.
In reality he really wanted to take her back upstairs and wile away the morning in the big bed. Her willingness to do everything he had asked of her without question had touched him deeply, bringing him a level of satisfaction that still hummed through his veins.
Eliza still carried the delicate flush of satiation on her cheeks that matched the soft, slightly dazed look of a woman who had been completely satisfied by her lover.
Edward felt a surge of masculine pride as he studied her. Whatever had happened to bring her regrets the first time he had taken her had thankfully not reappeared this morning. He took the opportunity of being alone with her in the parlour to capture her lips in a very thorough kiss that left them both gasping for air, and Eliza hanging on to his neck with trembling knees.
“God Eliza, you unman me.” Edward growled, eyeing the table behind her for several moments, wondering if they had time. “You are so beautiful.” He actually ached with the depth of emotion she brought out in him.
“Am I?” Eliza whispered, staring up at him in disbelief. She wasn’t aware of the glint of hope that shone in the amber depths of her eyes or the fact that he was moved deeply by her innocent reaction to his declaration. She had clearly not expected him to compliment her in such a way and that stirred him.
“Oh my dear, most definitely.” He dropped a kiss on her neck as he slid a hand into the long hair at the nape of her neck, tipping her head to one side to allow him to nibble her ear. “And you’re mine.” He growled slamming his lips onto hers in a rough kiss that left her in no doubt that she was indeed his.
It was several long moments later before he reluctantly lifted his head to stare down at her. “You must be sore from this morning.” His voice hoarse with desire. The urge to possess her there and then was so strong that his fingers tingled with temptation but he had to keep his mind on the current situation. If they delayed any longer Dominic, most probably accompanied by Sebastian and Peter would return and want to know what was taking them so long. He could hardly say he was busy making love to his future wife.
Closing out the tempting image of her lying on the bed beneath him as she found release he dug deep and turned his attention to his most pressing concern. “If you get uncomfortable you have to tell me and I’ll find an excuse for us to stop for a while.”
Eliza nodded, touched by his level of concern for her wellbeing. He had done things to her, with her earlier that morning that had left her body humming with pleasure. She had never considered the sensations he had wrought within her were possible and she couldn’t find it within her to regret what they had done. It had seemingly brought about a change of attitude in him that was startling.
Although her battle hardened warrior was still there, he had a softer, more caring side to him that swept aside her earlier doubts and worries over his attraction to her. She carried the evidence that he was physically attracted to her, but was he beginning to feel something for her emotionally?
A wild surge of hope swept through her as she followed him meekly out into the stable yard. Whatever the future held for them, she knew she had no choice but to follow his lead and hope her dreams could come true.
It was a weary group of travellers who arrived in Leicestershire just after midnight the following night; their horses practically dropping with exhaustion.
Conversation had long since diminished as tensions rose with the twilight the closer they got to Leicestershire. They had all agreed that Rogan had most probably made Derbyshire or Leicestershire his temporary base and that was why they had only been chased to Padstow. Scraggan had to be in Padstow overseeing the continuing smuggling operation, and was waiting for them to arrive with his own group of men.
Their return to Leicestershire meant they were returning to the watchful eyes of Rogan and they all accepted that the risk of being challenged increased significantly with nightfall. As a result they were all vastly relieved to see the vast, unlit bulk of Haverstock Hall appear out of the gloom before them.
Eliza could see little of the stone structure other than it was simply immense. She shot Dominic a worried glance as they rode down the long, sweeping driveway and around the outside of the huge house towards the low lying stable block hidden in some trees at the rear of the property.
As they drew to a halt, Dominic rang a solitary cast iron bell sitting high on the wall at the end of the stone structure. Eliza winced at the harshness of the sound as the heavy iron rang loudly through the still night air.
Within moments a ruffled stable hand approached, still tucking his shirt into his breeches.
“My Lord!” He exclaimed, clearly aghast at the lateness of the master’s arrival. Without hesitation he took the horses and led them into the stables behind him.
“Are you alright?” Edward’s tired voice rumbled softly in her ear as he moved to stand beside her. Eliza fought the urge to lay her head upon the solid width of his chest and instead smiled at him in gentle reassurance.
“I’m fine but tired. If I never have to ride a horse again, I will be a happy person.”
Edward smiled in sympathy, swamped with mixed feelings of their arrival at Havistock. He was glad to get there in one piece, which was something he wasn’t certain they would manage if he was completely honest. It also meant that it would be more difficult to spend the night with Eliza without cementing their relationship to the point that marriage was essential.
Given they had made love several times over the past couple of nights, it was unquestionable to consider that they wouldn’t marry. As far as he was concerned, it was only a matter of time before they married.
That left them in an uncomfortable situation given Jemima’s impending fate.
They couldn’t celebrate their marriage the way he wanted given one of them was about to be hung.
“Get me a fresh horse.” Peter ordered, making no attempt to follow the group as they began to make their way towards the
house.
“Peter?” Dominic paused and glanced enquiringly back at his brother-in-law.
Peter glared at him defiantly. “I’m going to Derby Gaol.” He announced flatly.
“Tonight? Do you think that is wise?” Dominic argued. “You are exhausted. You’ll be no good arguing her case if you fall asleep.”
“I can’t wait another day.” He shifted uncomfortably and glanced warily at Eliza. “We don’t know when they intend to carry out the sentence.” He lowered his voice to prevent the stable lad overhearing. “Another day may be a day too long. I’ve got this far, I won’t delay my journey to Derby another second.”
“You can’t go alone.” Sebastian sighed, eyeing Dominic with a sense of defeat. He stared at the hulk of Havistock Hall longingly for several moments, thinking of his warm and welcoming wife lying in the big bed all by herself, and reluctantly turned to the others.
“Eliza, you need to stay here.” Edward ordered, taking hold of Eliza’s arm and turning her towards the house.
“What? No.” She dug her heels in and yanked her elbow out of his firm grasp. “I’m going with you.”
“They won’t allow us all in, and it is no place for a lady.” Edward’s voice was hard and uncompromising.
“I’m not a lady.” Eliza argued, growing desperate. “She is my sister.”
“You don’t want to cause her any more distress by appearing there unannounced and getting her and yourself emotional. She has to be strong to get through this, and so do you.” Edward raised a hand to halt her argument.
“Edward’s right.” Peter offered. “They won’t let you in.”
Eliza stared at the hard and uncompromising faces of each man in turn and felt a weary sense of defeat settle over her. She was exhausted beyond belief, but wanted desperately to go and see her sister. She turned beseeching eyes to Edward who uncompromisingly shook his head. She considered that after the past few days, she knew them all well enough to realise that further argument would get her nowhere. She wasn’t going.
“Look, I need to at least leave a note that we are back but heading over to the Gaol. If you can show Eliza which room to sleep in Edward, we’ll go. We should be back by noon and by that time our contact from the War Office should be here, if he isn’t here already.” Dominic stalked towards the house, clearly expecting everyone to follow him.
Sebastian remained at the stables to help prepare the horses and Eliza suspected, to make sure Peter didn’t leave without them.
As they marched swiftly through the house, Eliza saw very little of the shadowed interior. The confusing web of corridors interspersed with a vast array of rooms of differing sizes made her so confused that she wasn’t sure whether she was at the front or the back of the building when she began to climb what appeared to be the main staircase.
With only the faint flickering of the solitary candle Dominic carried to light their way, Eliza saw little other than the darkened shadows of the portraits staring down menacingly at them. She ducked her head with a shudder and hurried past them, moving significantly closer to Edward’s reassuring bulk.
Within moments, Edward was leading her into a huge room that was quite obviously a bedroom. He quickly lit the fire leaving Eliza to allow her eyes to adjust to the gloom. She didn’t have to say anything, Edward sighed deeply and moved to stand before her in front of the new roaring fire, drawing her comfortingly into his arms for a few moments to savour the feel of her against him. He longed to climb into the big bed beside her, but couldn’t shake the feeling that they were on the verge of something that would change all of their lives.
“I’m sorry darling but it really will be best if you remain here. It will be dawn by the time we get there and if we do manage to gain access, we don’t know how the staff at the Gaol will welcome us.” He didn’t add that he didn’t want her at the Gaol in case it was already too late.
“I can’t just appear as an unannounced guest here.” Eliza murmured, feeling uncomfortable in the luxurious splendour of the huge room.
“You are expected and can bring Isobel and Amelia up to date with everything in the morning. If you want a lie in and have breakfast in bed, just tug the pull.” He motioned to a long embroidered strip of material hanging beside the fireplace. “The maids will see to anything you need, including a change of clothing. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
He could sense her argument, but was determined not to allow her near the gaol to witness its gloomy sense of desolate hopelessness. On this occasion he was going to follow his instincts and protect her from her own determination.
Reluctantly she nodded, her shoulders drooping in weary defeat.
Edward tipped her chin up until her eyes met his. “Promise me that you won’t try and sneak out after us?”
Eliza huffed inelegantly. “I don’t even know where in the house I am. I will have to wait until the maids get up to show me where the stairs are.” She muttered making no attempt to hide her confusion.
“Try not to worry. If we can bring Jemima back with us, we will. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He whispered, resting his forehead briefly against hers for several moments. After several moments he placed a gentle, lingering kiss no her pouting lips and reluctantly moved away.
He found Dominic closing the door to the master suite quietly behind him as Edward moved down the corridor.
“Do you think this is wise?” Edward whispered, taking the stairs downwards alongside his elder sibling.
“No, but I understand Peter’s sense of urgency. We really don’t know when they are planning to carry out the next spate of hangings. Hopefully we aren’t too late. The man from the War Office hasn’t arrived yet so it looks like it is down to us.”
Edward sighed and smothered a yawn. He really wanted to climb the stairs and crawl into the bed beside Eliza, but a gnawing sense of urgency dogged his every footstep.
The sudden chiming of the large grandfather clock as they passed hung like an ominous omen in the silence of the large cavernous hallway as the men slipped into the night.
Chapter Eleven
When Eliza awoke the following morning, her thoughts immediately turned to the men and her sister at the Gaol.
As she stretched against the luxurious softness of the thick mattress, guilt assailed her. She should be over at the Gaol arguing to get Jemima released, and felt practically useless just lying around in bed. Eyeing the bell pull for several moments, Eliza shook her head with a sigh and eased from the crisp sheets.
She had removed her dirty clothing the night before and was now left with a problem. Should she don the same dirty and smelly clothing she had worn for the past few days? Or should she ring for a maid and request a dress? She had never rung for a maid before in her entire life and was filled with uncertainty.
Her problem was answered for her when the door suddenly opened and a young maid quietly entered. She drew to a startled halt as she saw Eliza and mumbled a hasty apology.
“I’m sorry ma’am. I didn’t mean to disturb you. The mistress told me to bring you this by the mistress.” She carefully placed the most stunning dress Eliza had ever seen on the chair beside the bed and stood back to wait for further instruction.
Eliza stared longingly at the beautiful cloud of pale peach muslin liberally sprinkled with tiny pink flowers that awaited her. The long flowing material was gathered beneath the bust and embellished with lace edging and tiny capped sleeves made of the most stunning lace.
She followed the young maid’s lead and saw to her ablutions, before stepping into the dress the maid held out for her. Encased in the softest muslin, Eliza was speechless as she sat at the dressing table and watched the maid set about her startling transformation. She watched with something akin to awe as her hair was primped, curled and pinned into a riotous cascade of curls upon her head to complete her look of regal elegance.
It had been some time since she had seen herself in a looking glass and Eliza took a moment to study the astonishing transform
ation that had happened in such a short space of time. Not only did the dress make her look like someone she didn’t know, but there were other changes to her that were startling.
Her breasts were still full and round but her waist was thinner than ever before. Her curves more pronounced due to her recent arduous riding and lack of appetite. She twirled in front of the mirror, delighting in the simple feel of the soft material against her skin. She felt like a princess.
The thought made her pause, a slight frown on her face as she considered the vision in the mirror. Her feminine delight in the new luxuries waned as she remembered her sister wallowing in squalid filth in a condemned cell in the darkest parts of Derby Gaol.
She jumped at the light knock on the door and turned to wait.
After several long moments when nothing happened, Eliza called out a hesitant. “Come in.” Not certain if the person knocking was waiting for a response or not. It felt strange to be in command of anyone other than herself.
“The mistress asked if you would like to come down for breakfast or if you wanted a tray in your room ma’am.” The young maid murmured respectfully.
“Oh – erm, I will go down please but I need you to show me because I don’t know my way.” Eliza murmured apologetically. “I’m sorry, I don’t know your name.”
“My name is Maggie, ma’am. I’ll be your maid while you are here.”
“Hello Maggie.” Eliza paused. Should she introduce herself as Eliza? ‘Ma’am’ sounded awfully pompous. But she had never had a maid to herself before; how friendly was she supposed to be?
“My name is Eliza, Maggie. I hope you and I can become friends while I am here.” She offered hesitantly, looking at the flicker of surprise on the young maid’s face with concern.
“Oh, ma’am if you are ever so sure?” The young maid gasped, clearly relieved that the new guest was so affable.
Chasing Eliza Page 18