‘What was?’
‘You asked about these ruins.’
‘Right, so I did.’ Raph would have been hard pressed to recall his own name at that precise moment. ‘Perhaps it served as a safe haven for a persecuted religious sect in some bygone war or other.’
She sighed. ‘Religion is often the cause of such conflicts, or so the history books would have it.’
‘You are a philosopher?’
‘I am a realist,’ Lucy said. ‘And in view of your comment about religion earlier, I assume you agree with me.’
‘Religion certainly has a lot to answer for, but it brings comfort to people. Something to cling to and believe in when the world ceases to make sense, which is much of the time.’
‘True. We all have to believe in something.’
‘What do you believe in, Miss Lucy Boyd?’
‘Me? Oh, I don’t suppose anything that is dear to me would interest a man of your sophistication.’
‘You do yourself an injustice,’ he said softly, linking his fingers together to prevent himself from reaching out and taking her hand.
‘It seems to me,’ she replied after a prolonged pause, ‘that I told you a great deal about myself when we were last alone. I confided in you about my father, my disinclination for children, matters I seldom talk to anyone about. And yet you remain an enigma. I know nothing at all about you now that I didn’t know before your arrival. You don’t like to talk about yourself, or your work, do you? Well, I suppose you cannot, and anyway you probably prefer not to think about it. Even so, I can see that you are preoccupied.’
She continued to stare at the view as she spoke, looking remote and unreachable, mature beyond her years. Raph suspected that he had offended her. His behaviour had certainly confused her, although that had not been his intention.
He thought of the problems that were weighing on his mind and the manner in which Lucy had declined to tell him anything about the confidences Ariana had shared with her. That showed both loyalty and maturity. Perhaps if he told her a little about himself, she would open up to him. How hard could it be for a man of his maturity to earn her confidence?
‘I have received a communication from a man who would probably be considered Lord Romsey’s equivalent in Spain,’ he told her after a lengthy pause. ‘If I am preoccupied, that is why. I can assure you that it has nothing to do with your company.’
‘They want you to return?’
‘Not precisely.’ Raph paused once again and rubbed his chin, taking a moment to formulate his response. He became aware that Lucy was no longer looking at the view but concentrating her entire attention upon him, a slight frown troubling her delicate brow. ‘There is a particularly brutal renegade in the west of Spain who stirs up discontent and opposes the government at every opportunity. He has been a thorn in our country’s side for decades, even before the war with Napoleon, and has a large number of devoted followers who are willing to do whatever he says. They cause considerable damage and destruction and their numbers are growing. Men who have lost almost everything are easy to manipulate.’
‘I have seen that here in England,’ she replied softly. ‘To a lesser degree, of course.’
‘The man, whose name I cannot reveal, is more slippery than an eel and has the luck of the devil. I have spent the last three years working undercover in the area trying to flush him out, but he always remained one step ahead of me.’
‘That must have been frustrating.’ She sent him a considering look. ‘You were risking your life every single day and getting nowhere.’
‘Be that as it may, my masters assure me that they now have definite proof of his whereabouts.’
Lucy looked highly dubious. ‘That, if you do not mind me saying so, sounds highly unlikely. You have been looking for him all this time without success but the moment you, one of their most valuable resources, resigns, this renegade suddenly shows his face.’
‘My thoughts exactly, but even so—'
‘They want you to capture him and bring him in?’ Lucy sniffed. ‘If they know where he is, surely someone else can do the honours? Although, I suppose they imagine that because you spent so long attempting to track this man down, you have a vested interest in seeing him brought to justice—much like your sister does with Lord Basingstoke,’ she couldn’t resist adding.
‘I do, but he will never see the inside of a courtroom, that much I can tell you.’
Lucy blinked at him. ‘Why ever not?’
‘Because the legal process would turn him into a martyr and galvanise his followers into seeking revenge. He will probably just disappear.’
Lucy shuddered. ‘I see.’ She turned to give him her full attention. ‘Has it occurred to you that this could be your government’s way of pulling you back into their service, much as ours did with Papa? You are clearly valuable to them and they cannot manage without you.’
‘I wouldn’t go quite that far.’ Raph rubbed his clenched fist against his jaw. ‘I left the area in a hurry because certain members of the renegade’s inner circle raised doubts about my credibility.’
Lucy gasped. ‘Then you cannot possibly go back. You will be killed.’
‘That was always a possibility.’
‘I assume you didn’t much care because you thought your sisters were dead and that it was your fault. The guilt would have made you reckless.’
Raph conceded the point with a reluctant inclination of his head. ‘Possibly,’ he said.
‘Certainly,’ she retorted. ‘But things are different now. If you return to an area where your identity is suspect, and if these people are as ruthless as you imply, they will kill you without giving you the benefit of the doubt.’ She fixed him with a look of concentrated disapproval. ‘Which would destroy Ariana, who has only just found you again,’ she said in a tone of firm resolve. ‘I know you gentlemen live in a state of near-permanent patriotic fervour, but you have other responsibilities now, and they should take precedence.’ Lucy tossed her head, clearly incensed. ‘Since you have spoken to me about something so personal, I hope you will not mind my pointing out that your familial responsibilities should be your first priority.’
‘I know that very well. It’s just that I dislike leaving unfinished business behind me.’
She tossed her head in evident disapproval for a second time, sending blonde locks flying over her shoulders, unimpressed by his admittedly weak argument. If she had noticed the demolition of her coiffure, it didn’t seem to concern her, and she looked at Raph with condemnation in her expression. ‘If you want to kill yourself, there are more convenient ways to go about it that won’t leave your family wondering what has become of you.’
‘Sweet Lucy,’ he said softly. ‘So keen to be rid of me.’
‘Don’t you sweet Lucy me, Raphael Sanchez-Gomez!’ she cried. ‘You did me the courtesy of sharing this problem with me. Because I don’t agree with you, you appear to think that you can brush my opinion aside in a high-handed manner, dismissing my views as those of an immature female with no knowledge of the world.’
Raph chuckled, eliciting a frustrated growl from his lovely companion by way of punishment. ‘I do not think of you in the manner that you suggest,’ he replied. ‘Far from it, but I do most certainly feel conflicted about my duty and responsibilities.’
‘Then you must decide which is more important.’
‘If only it were that straightforward.’
‘It doesn’t have to be complicated. You have more than done your duty by your country. Now is the time to put yourself and your family first.’
Raph threw back his head and sighed. ‘You think I am selfish and want it both ways? And perhaps you are in the right of it.’
A suggestion of a smile hovered about her lips. ‘The possibility crossed my mind.’
‘Outspoken wench!’
‘Well, you asked. I should have thought you would be well enough acquainted with my character by now to realise that I give honest answers whenever possib
le.’
‘I do indeed,’ he smiled at her; an uncontrived gesture that made her turn hastily away from him and caused Raph to wonder what he had done to offend her. ‘Needless to say, what we have just discussed is in confidence. I haven’t spoken to anyone else about it and I certainly don’t want Ariana to learn of my conflicted state of mind.’
She took immediate offence and sprung to her feet. ‘You imagine I don’t know how to keep a confidence…Argh!’
She staggered as her foot slipped awkwardly from a polished and half-buried stone. Raph sprang to his feet and caught her before she could fall.
‘Here. Sit down.’ He guided her back to her piece of wall. ‘What have you done to yourself?’
‘My ankle.’ Tears sparkled on her thick lashes. ‘I have twisted it, I think.’
‘Let me see.’
He expected her to object to the familiarity. Part of him hoped that she would. Touching her intimately, albeit merely an ankle, wouldn’t help him to curtail the thoughts that crowded his mind whenever he was anywhere near her.
And even when he was not.
He knelt before her, lifted the injured foot and gently removed her half-boot. She cried out but didn’t ask him to stop. She had a very elegant ankle, Raph was unsurprised to discover, and the desire to run his hands up her shapely calf grew harder to resist by the moment. Raph swallowed, kept his gaze firmly focused on her foot and gently touched her ankle, which was already puffy.
‘Ouch!’
‘Sorry. Can you move it?’
She swivelled the ankle gently, biting her lip against the pain. ‘Yes, but it hurts.’
‘Hurting is good.’
‘That’s easy for you to say,’ she replied tartly.
Raph smiled. ‘The pain means it’s merely twisted, nothing worse.’ He extracted a clean handkerchief from his pocket and tied it tightly and expertly around the offending area. ‘Field dressings become second nature in my line of work. Does that feel any better?’
‘Yes, it helps. The dressing is supporting it. Thank you.’
‘My pleasure.’ Raph gently eased her boot back onto her foot and laced it tightly in the hope that it would offer additional support. ‘Will you be able to ride back?’
‘The injury is to the right foot, which won’t have anything to do when I’m in the sidesaddle.’
‘A good point.’ Raph paused and rubbed his chin, pretending to consider a situation that required no thought. ‘Now, how to get you back to Fizz over this rough ground.’
Before she could voice any suggestions, he leaned down and scooped her into his arms.
‘I can walk,’ she protested, but her words lacked conviction.
‘There is no need.’
Raph strode off with his light load in his arms, wishing the distance they had to travel could be ten times longer than it actually was. Wishing the short journey was already over. He had never met a woman quite so challenging. So capable of making him forget his resolve. Her arms had wound themselves around his neck and her teasing little smile played havoc with his equilibrium, such as it was. The pain in her eyes had been replaced with a vivacious sparkle that belied her sheltered upbringing and caused Raph to suppress a groan.
‘We are here,’ she said as they arrived at the place where he’d left the horses.
Raph lowered his head and covered her lips with his own, cursing his lack of discipline as he surrendered to an impossible burden of temptation. He broke the kiss quickly, leaving her blinking up at him in confusion. He would have offered an apology, or at least an explanation, but could think of no way to justify himself. Besides, he wasn’t the least bit sorry, so he remained silent on the point.
Instead, he lowered her gently onto her feet. ‘Support your weight on your uninjured foot,’ he said.
‘Thank you,’ she replied in an irritated tone. ‘I would never have thought of that.’
Raph grinned at her fit of pique, fetched Fizz and placed his hands on her slim waist to lift her into the saddle. He helped her to slip her uninjured foot into the single stirrup and handed her the reins once she was settled.
‘Comfortable?’ he asked.
‘Perfectly, thank you.’ But she refused to meet his gaze as she spoke. Raph knew that he had confused her with that fleeting kiss, but not nearly so much as he had confused himself. Damn it, he could do without the distraction of an added burden to an already guilty conscience!
They rode back to the Park in near silence. He lifted her down once they arrived at the stable yard, and she told him in response to his enquiry that she could walk without pain, albeit slowly and with a slight limp.
‘I am obliged to you,’ she said ungraciously, ‘even though I hold you entirely responsible for my injury.’
‘Me?’ Raph raised both brows. ‘What did I do?’
‘You provoked me,’ she said, ‘by calling into question my ability to keep a confidence. However, you have my assurance that I will not repeat the things we discussed, and I hope that will satisfy you.’
‘Not nearly,’ he replied with a wicked smile, ‘but it will have to suffice.’ He winked at her. ‘For now. Put some ice and a cold cloth on that ankle and the swelling will go down. Good morning to you, Miss Boyd,’ he said, causing her indignant expression to give way to a reluctant smile when he swept a deep and elegant bow. ‘I hope I shall have the pleasure of seeing you again in the very near future.’
‘Good morning to you, sir,’ she replied with asperity. ‘I wish I could return the sentiment.’
She limped away from him, leaving Raph shaking his head in admiration, wondering if he had finally met his match in a woman.
Chapter Fifteen
Amos looked up from his conversation with Zach and Adler when Raph tapped at the door and joined them in the library.
‘Ah, there you are,’ he said. ‘Ready to re-engage in your former profession?’
‘You might encounter a rough crowd in the Falkirk Tavern,’ Zach explained in response to Raph’s quizzical look, ‘but I doubt whether your lives will be under any serious threat. There’s something about that place nagging at the back of my mind, but I can’t for the life of me recall what it is. Whatever stirred the memory occurred sometime back.’
‘A dispute that you were obliged to settle, I dare say, your grace,’ Adler remarked.
‘I hope I have not kept you waiting,’ Raph said.
Amos had seen him riding back to the estate with Lucy Boyd and wondered where they had been. Raph offered no explanation for his delayed arrival, however, and Amos decided against probing.
‘Not in the least, but if you are ready we might as well be on our way.’
‘Can I…’ Raph glanced down at his casual attire.
‘Absolutely.’ Amos too was dressed in shirtsleeves. ‘The better to blend in.’
‘Don’t take any unnecessary risks,’ Zach advised.
‘Yes, Father.’
‘Get out of here!’ The duke laughed and waved them off.
‘What can I expect in this den of thieves we are about to frequent, Lord Amos?’ Raph asked as they strode towards the stables.
‘Precisely that. Rough characters who have had to be tough to survive. However, most of them do actually draw the line at cutting throats. Purses are more in their line. Oh, and call me Amos.’
Their horses were brought out and the two men mounted up. Hurricane kept pace with Falcon easily, despite having been ridden already that day and not given much time to recover. They exchanged little in the way of conversation as they rode towards Winchester, arriving quickly thanks to the quality of their horses.
‘We’d best leave them here,’ Amos said, turning into a busy posting inn, where harried grooms recognised Amos, ignored the protests of customers waiting ahead of them, and ran up to take their mounts.
‘Thank you, Peterson,’ Amos said, tossing the man a coin.
‘Always a pleasure, your lordship.’
‘This doesn’t look like the Falkirk Taver
n,’ Raph said, impassively eyeing the inn that teamed with activity.
‘It’s not, but believe me, if we left our horses anywhere near that place, not only would they stand out like beacons announcing our presence, but they probably wouldn’t still be there when we came out again. If they were, they would definitely be without their saddles and we would be obliged to count the legs. Most of the men who frequent that place would knock you out for the contents of your pockets, but I dare say you’ve become accustomed to worse places in your line of work.’
‘That bad?’ Raph asked, falling into step with Amos as they left the mews and turned towards the poorer part of town.
‘See for yourself.’
The streets became progressively less prosperous, the houses more tightly packed as they made their way into the backstreets. Barefoot children ran everywhere, and the two men soon acquired a small convoy of them, dogging their footsteps. The stench was decidedly unpleasant but no one attempted to accost them, emphasising the fact that Zach’s efforts to restore law and order and the stiff punishments dealt out to miscreants were having the desired effect.
‘Makes one appreciate everything we take for granted,’ Amos said, watching a woman shooing a half-starved dog away from her doorstep with a broom handle.
‘Quite so,’ Raph replied, not seeming unduly affected by the squalor.
‘This is the establishment that we have come to frequent,’ Amos said, nodding towards a sprawling, dilapidated tavern crammed between a coal merchant and a second-hand clothes shop. The grubby goods on offer in the latter looked as though they might have had half a dozen previous owners, and Amos felt a moment’s sympathy for the poor blighters who would consider themselves fortunate to acquire them.
‘Are you sure this is it?’ Raph asked sceptically. ‘Can’t imagine any gentleman willingly venturing into the place, no matter how great the temptation.’
‘That’s rather the idea, I imagine. Even if word of the girls being in the area has reached the ears of the authorities, this is the last place they would think to look for them.’
Beyond the Duke's Domain: Ducal Encounters Series 4 Book 4 Page 20