Lover's Knot

by Louise Clark

  A lock of his hair tickled her nose and she burrowed deeper, trying to escape the thick, dark strands. His hair was tousled, as she was sure hers was, and she almost giggled at the thought of how very different they must look right now, compared to their elegant appearance when they arrived at the inn.

  Returning to Strathern Hall to change from her riding habit into one of her more fashionable gowns had been a gamble. Alysa had been certain that her stepmother would demand to know what she was doing and where she was going. Instead, Abigail had asked distractedly if Alysa had had any word of Prudence, then ignored her after she had said she had not. Thereafter, escaping from Strathern Hall without either of her parents realizing she was gone had been ridiculously easy. Abigail had hardly noticed her change of clothes and Lord Strathern had come in, announced he had no news, then promptly departed again to return to the search. When Alysa slipped out to meet Philip a short distance from the house, no one had noticed. The family and staff at Strathern Hall were too distracted by Prudence’s disappearance and Abigail’s distress.

  Alysa had expected to return shortly after nightfall. Though she didn’t think anyone would worry about her, she had been left a note with her maid, to be given to her parents should they inquire about her whereabouts. The note was damning, for she had been truthful when she composed it, and now, as she lay beside her lover, she could only assume that her father would have read her missive and become furious at her. However, at least he wouldn’t be despairing over the loss of both of his daughters.

  Alysa gently probed her emotional reaction to the fact that her parents were by now most likely aware of where and with whom she had spent the night. Foremost, she felt relief. Relief that she could now freely admit her love for Philip Hampton and her desire to be married to him. Relief that she need no longer oppose that love with the ideals and beliefs she had held for so long.

  Side by side with relief was a gentle melancholy that her love had to be exposed in this sordid way. She knew that her family would do its utmost to keep the news of her indiscretion from spreading, but inevitably it would, which meant that she and Philip would now be expected to wed. As there was nothing more she wanted to do than to marry Philip, this was not the cause of her sadness. Rather, she felt sorry for those who would happily gossip or smile behind their hands, for they would not understand the wonderful feelings that she and Philip had for each other.

  Alysa sighed and caressed Philip’s shoulder with a featherlight kiss. She was a practical woman who was not going to waste time moaning over what could not be helped. If it took an indiscretion for her to be together with Philip, so be it. She would happily endure the consequences now so that she could enjoy the rest of her life with the man she had fallen so deeply in love with.

  None of this had any bearing on finding Prudence. Alysa felt a little guilty that she had spent a night in heaven, while her sister had undoubtedly spent one in hell. She hoped that, wherever Prudence was being kept, she was being treated generously, but with Cedric Ingram involved, Alysa was doubtful.

  Under the gentle caress of her lips, Philip stirred. Alysa felt her body respond to his movement and to the prospect of his hungry gaze upon her. Slowly he opened his eyes and at the sight of her he smiled.

  “I was afraid that last night was but a dream,” he said in a husky voice that sent little ripples of pleasure up and down her spine. “I hesitated to open my eyes in case I found myself in my own bed at Ainslie Manor, alone. Then I felt your softness move against my rough skin and I knew I had not imagined our night together.”

  Alysa touched his lips lightly with her own. “No dream, dear heart, unless I am dreaming the same dreams you are.”

  Philip deepened the kiss. “Perhaps you are. Perhaps we are lost in the sweetness of our own imaginations. I have wanted you for so long, I can hardly believe you are mine.”

  Alysa gasped and rubbed her hand along his side. “This is real, Philip, believe it. This bed is real, this room is real, the feel of your body against mine is real.” She paused, then added softly, “My need for you is real.”

  He looked at her, a tender, satisfied smile in his eyes. Slowly he lowered his head to catch one of her nipples between his lips and gently suck. Alysa arched against him, her body responding to the promise of passion to come. He growled deep in his throat and gently nibbled the tender flesh. Alysa cried out in surprise, but the sensations were an exquisite pleasure. Philip ran his palm down her taut belly to the heartland of her desire and Alysa melted against him, her body already damp with promise.

  His mouth left her nipple and Alysa relaxed a trifle, only to tense again as his fingers toyed with the sensitive bud his teeth had aroused. “Tell me you want me,” he demanded huskily.

  She laughed. “Philip, I want you. Right now I can think of nothing else but my desire to be joined with you. Oh, yes, I want you!”

  Her hand stole down his torso to his engorged manhood. She touched him a little shyly. He had shown her what pleased him last night, but a man’s body was still new territory for Alysa. So was pleasuring it. Still, she thought it only fair that she try to give back some of the wonderful sensations he was giving to her.

  Philip groaned and took her mouth in a rough kiss that gave no quarter. If Alysa had not already been deep in the throes of her own passion, she might have frozen at the roughness of the embrace, but its hardness only deepened her need to be joined with Philip. Her legs slid open while her fingers tangled in his long hair, keeping his mouth on hers even as he entered her in one ruthless thrust.

  As he slid deep within her, Alysa felt herself soar. Her mind cried out with pleasure, even as her body fought and twined with his until they both reached that far place where heaven seemed very real. There they were one and the same, no longer fighting to reach their separate goals, but united in their success.

  Philip was panting as he pulled himself off of her. “I didn’t mean to be so rough, Alysa. Forgive me.”

  She nuzzled his neck with lazy enjoyment. “You gave me pleasure the way I needed it. Your touch made me wild for you, dearest heart. There is nothing to forgive.”

  “Alysa,” he groaned, “you are a very special lady. Have I told you yet how very much I love you?”

  She laughed softly. “You have now, in words. Last night your body told me in a thousand silent ways. Just as I hope mine told you. I could never have given myself to you so freely, if I had not already loved you, Philip.”

  He sighed and stroked her cheek. “It will not be easy when we return.”

  “I know.” She smiled, a mischievous look at odds with the gravity of the situation. “I left a note. My father will be seeking your head if he has had time to read it.”

  “I would gladly face him to settle your future between us, but at the moment I think Prudence’s fate is more pressing. Forgive me, Alysa, but I must put off asking for your hand until I have discovered what I can from Osborne. When Prudence is safe I will speak to your father.”

  “Do whatever you think is best, dearest heart.” Alysa’s gaze was steady. She refused to accept the common assumption that, having had her body prior to marriage, the man would then scorn the woman. Alysa trusted Philip and knew that he would ensure that all worked out as it should.

  He pulled her tightly against him. “Sweet Alysa,” he said on a sigh. “You are far too good for me.”

  Alysa only smiled.

  *

  Philip arranged to meet Osborne on the little rise on Ainslie property later that afternoon. Knowing that time was of the essence, he had simply sent one of his servants to the inn with a note and had him wait for a reply. With the time confirmed, Philip was able to secret Alysa at the meeting place well ahead of Osborne’s arrival, yet allow the man to appear to reach the site first.

  “So,” Philip said as he dismounted from his mettlesome black stallion. “You got the jump on me this time.”

  Osborne’s expression was smug. “You must be getting soft, Hampton. Usually it is I who se
ek the meetings and you who arrive first. What is it that is so important that you must needs send a message to me at the inn?”

  Philip’s bland expression hid a flood tide of relief. He had been worried that someone might have mentioned to Osborne that he had been at the inn, but he was certain that the man would have alluded to it somehow if he had been aware that Philip had been there with a woman.

  His ignorance gave Philip a hard-won sense of advantage. Now was the time to drive hard into his enemy’s weak spot. “You seem to be a trifle nervous, Osborne. Have matters begun to slip from your control?” He tied his horse to a tree and casually patted its smooth black neck. He was at pains to appear as if this meeting was of little more concern to him than any other.

  Osborne snorted. “Though Thomas Leighton has eluded me so far, I am not without resources. I’ve a troop of horse to subdue this neighborhood if I must, but I do not think I will be obliged to use them. I have other methods of capturing my quarry.”

  Philip finished rubbing his horse’s neck and turned. “Such as Prudence Leighton.”

  Interest flickered in Osborne’s eyes. “Yes, indeed, but how did you know?” He waved a dismissive hand. “No, let me guess. Strathern must be distraught at his youngest daughter’s disappearance. Did he come to you for help? How vastly amusing.”

  There was no humor in his eyes, or in Philip’s, however. “When I agreed to aid you in monitoring the activities of Royalist sympathizers in this area, I did not agree to become involved in the kidnapping of a gentlewoman. Return Prudence Leighton to her family, Osborne. She has no part in this deceit.”

  “Unfortunately she knows more than she should,” Sir Edgar retorted dryly. “Besides, I must use whatever bait is to hand to entice my man into captivity. If it means subjecting a woman to a few days of discomfort—” He shrugged, his meaning perfectly clear.

  This was much as Philip had expected. Though he had hoped for an easy victory, he was prepared for a long, hard campaign. His purpose at this meeting was to undermine Osborne’s confidence, so he countered with a small shake of his head and a steady, thoughtful reply. “Lord Strathern will not betray his cause by trading his son for his daughter.”

  Osborne shrugged again, still certain. “Thomas Leighton could feel differently. He might be willing to surrender himself if he believed his sister was in danger.”

  Philip snorted. “The sister he hardly knows? Prudence was but a child when he went away to war and after that into exile. He is tied more strongly to the Black Boy than he is to his sister.”

  Doubt appeared on Osborne’s face, but it was only momentary. “Idealists like Leighton tend to be a soft lot. Mistress Prudence might not be as close to him as the lady Alysa is, but she is a woman and in danger. Thomas Leighton cannot fail to respond to that.”

  As Osborne mentioned Alysa’s name, a shiver ran down Philip’s spine. He suppressed his fear ruthlessly, for he did not want Osborne to attach any more importance to Alysa than necessary. Instead, he acknowledged the truth of Osborne’s observation with a nod, then added, “If he hears of it.”

  “What do you mean?”

  It was Philip’s turn to shrug casually. “Thomas Leighton is well away from Strathern Hall and has no contact with his family. Unless someone notifies him that his sister is in danger, he will not know. Lord Strathern is not likely to do that, so….”

  The doubt in Osborne’s eyes turned to dismay. “A pox on the man!” he muttered. “I hadn’t thought of that.”

  “I take it your spy doesn’t know Leighton’s current whereabouts.”

  Osborne grimaced. “If he did I wouldn’t need to dangle Prudence Leighton as bait.”

  “It seems,” Philip said softly, “that your turncoat is not quite as useful as he first appeared to be.”

  Osborne grunted with some degree of disgust. “I’ve no use for men of his sort. None of these self-serving Royalists can be depended on in a pinch.”

  Philip acknowledged that with a sardonic smile. He allowed himself a moment to wonder if Cedric Ingram was as cold-blooded in his attitude toward Sir Edgar Osborne as Osborne was toward him, and decided he probably was. The two men deserved each other. Once Philip had Prudence Leighton safely out of their clutches he would sever his relationship with Osborne. The knowledge was a relief.

  Now though, he had to concentrate on extricating Prudence, preferably without danger to her. “There is a way of getting a message to Thomas Leighton.”

  Osborne cocked an eyebrow. “Through you?”

  Philip nodded.

  A calculating look appeared on Osborne’s face. “I suppose you were able to romance the details of his whereabouts from Alysa Leighton.”

  Anger flared in Philip, but he quickly suppressed the emotion. The situation called for cold, hard reason, not hot-tempered passion. If Sir Edgar Osborne wanted to believe that Alysa could be swayed into betraying her brother by a few honeyed words, so be it. “Lord Strathern and his daughter have always been close. He tells her more than most fathers tell their female offspring.”

  Osborne nodded, then said briskly, “Very good. Tell me where Leighton is and I will arrest him. When I have him, I will release the girl.”

  Philip put up a hand and laughed. “Slowly now, Sir Edgar. I said I could get a message to Leighton. I did not say I knew where he had gone to ground.”

  Osborne cursed. “State what you mean in the future! All right, if that is what it takes, send a message to Leighton. Tell him to come to the inn and surrender himself. The girl will be sent to her family afterward.”

  Shaking his head, Philip said scornfully, “Have some sense, Osborne! Thomas Leighton is a courtier-in-exile, not an innocent from the country! He will no more trust your word than you would trust his. He will demand to know that his sister is truly safe before he surrenders himself.” Philip paused to allow that to sink in, then pushed his advantage. “Give Prudence Leighton to me. I can assure her brother that she is safe and where she is. If he wants to check on her whereabouts he will find I speak the truth. Then he will be free to surrender himself with good conscience.”

  Osborne almost accepted Philip’s reasoning, but at the last moment he shook his head. “Can’t be done. The Leighton girl is presently under the control of my local spy. He would never agree to hand her over to you.”

  Philip guessed that Cedric Ingram was intent on keeping his identity as a turncoat secret. If he believed that only Prudence and Osborne were aware of it, Prudence’s life was forfeit. The time had come for Philip to reveal that he too knew the name of Osborne’s other agent. He said in a hard voice, “Ingram need not worry. I have no intention of using Prudence Leighton for anything but the cause we both believe in. Why should he keep her?”

  Osborne’s eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed ominously. “How did you find out my turncoat’s name?”

  Philip’s mouth twisted contemptuously. “Through reasoning. I worked out who was heavily involved in the Royalist movement, whose background wasn’t as pure as it was supposed to be and who was not where he claimed to be at certain times. The person who fit all the categories was Ingram.”

  “You are brighter than I thought,” Osborne replied with a thin smile. “And perhaps more dangerous. Ingram will keep Prudence Leighton until we have her brother fast. I have no control over that.”

  “Then tell me where he is holding her. Surely you know that much.”

  “I do, but I am not certain I want the girl in your hands any more than I want her in Ingram’s.”

  Philip set his jaw over an annoyed remark and shrugged instead. “Very well. Capturing Thomas Leighton will not be quite so simple then.”

  “How so?”

  “He will want proof that his sister is safe. What will be needed is an exchange in the open. Would you agree to that?”

  After thinking about the suggestion for a moment, Osborne nodded. “I will ensure that Prudence Leighton arrives at the meeting place. You will guarantee that Thomas Leighton will be there
?”

  “Yes.”

  “Very well. Where shall this meeting take place?”

  Philip had worked out the site ahead of time, just in case he wasn’t able to convince Osborne that Prudence should be given into his care. “There is a place called the Fenwick Cliffs. It is an open area, but the ground drops off abruptly one side, while trees cover the other. You can see for miles in all directions, which makes it a good place for what we are planning. I will bring Thomas Leighton there tomorrow at midmorning. Agreed?”

  “Agreed.” A smile lit up Osborne’s face as he reached for his horse. “I shall be glad to be gone from this area and back to London. The comforts of that inn are few and I have come to enjoy the privileges my rank has given me.”

  Philip didn’t reply. He watched with hard eyes while Osborne mounted, then rode away. When he was sure the Londoner was beyond the sound of his voice he said very cautiously, “Alysa?”

  She emerged from a thicket deep within the trees. Philip grinned. There were leaves on her riding habit and her hair had been mussed by the touch of the branches. Though her expression was somber, she looked adorable to him.

  “Did you hear?”

  “Most of it,” she said, brushing bits of twigs from the velvet skirt of her riding habit. She looked up, her eyes searching his face. “Prudence is in very grave danger, isn’t she?”

  He nodded. “Ingram will not let her live.”

  She shivered. “Philip, why did you tell Osborne—who is an odious little man, by the way—that you knew that Cedric Ingram was the turncoat?”

  He caught her shoulders and rubbed them lightly. “So that Osborne would not go along with Ingram if he demanded Prudence be killed to ensure her silence. Dear lady, above all, Sir Edgar Osborne is a realist. He has no interest in Cedric Ingram beyond his usefulness as an agent. If he finds that Ingram is no longer able to serve him, he will cast him away without compunction. But if he thought Ingram would remain useful after all of this is over, he would not hesitate to allow the most heinous crime to be committed.”