Her eyes widened in surprise; the fury instantly gone.
“What are you doing?” she whispered, her voice shaking slightly.
Edward did not answer. Instead, he threw her hands high above her head and held them tight with his left hand. His right hand slipped down to her skirts and started pulling them up. The anticipation of what was to come aroused him even more, but he didn’t want to rush too much. Jane was wiggling under him, trying to escape, but his grip gave her no chance. Edward paid no attention to her efforts. He desired her and, whatever she said or did, he knew she needed him. Only good lovemaking could make this woman calm down, and he was going to do it.
Finally, Jane stilled. Her eyes fixed on him and a slight haze covered them. Was it desire? Edward wished it was. Her breath was getting deeper with every second spent under him. Jane licked her lips and Edward completely lost his mind. He covered her lips with a hard, demanding kiss. He could wait no longer. His passion needed satisfaction and his groin was ready to explode. Jane answered the kiss with equal passion, a moan escaping her throat. Edward released her hands and pulled her skirts up with both hands, not breaking the kiss.
When his hand reached the sacred place between her thighs, she moaned with pleasure, her hands buried in his hair. To his surprise she was wet and ready for him. Edward needed no more encouragement. He unfastened his codpiece and thrust into her with a long-restrained desire.
Chapter Ten
It was a dark moonless night. Clouds had covered the sky and a drizzling rain, mixed with the cold September air, made William wrap his coat tighter around him. The only thing visible was the castle behind their backs. Everything ahead of them was pitch black. William and his men used torches to light the road.
“Faster,” William commanded, holding the reins in one hand and the torch in another. “We have to hurry!”
They reached the top of a hill, where a good view to the village opened during the day. Now, in the darkness of the night, they could see nothing but the spurs of flames rising above the village. Voices of panicking villagers reached the riders, although they were still far away. The village was on fire. Again.
William cursed and urged his horse into a gallop.
When they finally reached the place, the smoke was everywhere, making it difficult to breathe. “Damn it,” William swore as he dismounted and handled the reins to one of his men. “How long can it carry on?” he mused aloud.
“As long as the bastard is alive,” Stephen answered.
“Do you think it’s him?”
“Do you have any doubts?”
William shook his head. Sometimes, he thought it was just his sick imagination. His brothers’ support made him believe that he had not been insane.
He moved his attention to the fire. There was only one burning house at some distance from the others. One of the walls was on fire, the rest of the house was undamaged, yet. They still could save it.
Some villagers were pouring water on surrounding houses to make sure the fire would not spread to them.
Good, William thought with a hint of pride. At least he had managed to teach them something.
Not wasting another moment, William took a bucket of water from a woman’s hands and rushed to the fire. The closer he was to the flames, the harder it was to see and breathe. The heat was burning his skin and it was hard to stay there for very long. William poured the bucket onto the fire and rushed back, away from the dangerous heat. Then he handed the empty bucket to one of the folks, took a full bucket and stormed back to the fire. His men and some of the villagers did the same. Soon, the fire was quenched. Tired, William was staring at the black wall with blank eyes until someone patted his shoulder. William turned around and faced James.
“You look exhausted,” James said, and nodded to a tree not far from them. “Let’s go over there, we need some rest.”
Silently, William obeyed. Indeed, he was tired, both physically and emotionally. These fires had been going on for a month or even longer. William had lost track of how long. They had started on his wedding night and had not stopped.
When they reached the tree, Stephen was already sitting there. Now that the fire had been extinguished, the only sources of illumination were moonlight and torches.
With a heavy sigh William sat down next to Stephen, leaned against the tree and shut his eyes. Every muscle in his body ached. “I am fed up with these fires. I am sure that Humphrey sets them in revenge for the wedding, but we cannot catch the bastard.”
“You know,” James said, thinking aloud, as he sat down next to his brothers. “Sometimes it seems to me that Humphrey knows about every step we make.”
“Yes,” William said under his breath, “I have noticed that. Every time we set a watch; we never find anyone. The fire is always set in the opposite direction. It seems that Humphrey knows in advance where we are planning to go.”
“I think we have a traitor among us. He gives out all our plans to Humphrey. Or Humphrey watches us.”
William had nothing to say. James was just saying aloud what William had been thinking to himself. Every night for the last two weeks they rode around neighbouring villages, checking for suspicious people. And every bloody time the fires were set in villages in the opposite direction from where they were. And every time they were too late to help extinguish the fire. If it continued like this, William would have to accommodate all the villagers in the castle – it was getting too dangerous to stay in the villages.
“Whoever it is, I need to find the traitor,” William said and looked at James. “The bastard will pay me for everything.”
The road back to the castle seemed longer than usual. Everyone was exhausted and in need of a good rest. When they finally entered the castle, it was long past midnight. William sent everyone to their beds and went to his chamber.
He opened the door, taking care not to make a sound, and entered the room. Only the glow from the dying coals softened the darkness. Elizabeth was peacefully sleeping in their bed. Her beautiful auburn hair was scattered all over the pillow. She was like an angel who had suddenly appeared in his life. Marrying her was one of the best things William had ever done, but now his people were paying the price for his decision.
He would deal with it eventually. He refused to give up until he caught Humphrey—and his accomplice. He sat down on the bed and stroked Elizabeth’s cheek. She smiled at his touch but did not wake up. This woman deserved his fight for her. He would never give her up, whatever the circumstances. She belonged to him and no one else could have her.
William kissed her forehead then started shedding his garments. Naked, he crawled into the bed and pulled Elizabeth into his arms. He remembered that when he had helped her run away, he had planned to make her his mistress. In his wildest dreams he could not have imagined how much she would come to mean to him. Lord, sometimes he thought that he was falling in love with her. Was that possible?
***
Jane smiled at the beginning of a new day and lazily stretched in the bed. Still sleeping, Edward pulled her into his arms, and made Jane’s smile even wider. She had forgotten what a pleasure it was to spend her nights in the arms of a tender lover. A feeling of chagrin squeezed her soul. She would give everything if she could wake up like that every day, not only when her husband was away. Each morning she woke up with Edward, they risked their affair being discovered.
But last night, her husband had been away, and Edward was here in her bed.
Jane smiled at the sleeping Edward and gently caressed his strong torso, her fingers studying every muscle he had, as if trying to memorize them. Slowly, her fingers moved down to the trail of hair trailing from his naval to parts beyond. Her favourite parts…
“If you go further,” he said in a low husky voice, his eyes still shut, “I will take you right now.”
Jane laughed hoarsely and rolled back on the pillows. This man made her feel loved and desired. What else could she want? William. Yes, she desired that man, but here
and now she had Edward. William’s turn would come later.
Suddenly, her stomach felt uneasy and nausea overcame her. Jane managed to roll over the edge of the bed, where she vomited onto the floor.
When her nausea was over, Jane slowly sat up and wiped her mouth, her eyes wide with fear and disbelief, fixed on the floor.
“Are you ill?” Edward asked with worry, taking her into his arms.
Jane shook her head in denial and moved her eyes over him. No, she wasn’t ill, she knew it for sure. The suspicion of what it could be made her tremble with fear. She’d not had her courses since the last time she and William had made love in the meadow. Before her wedding.
Edward tensed; his eyes narrowed. He was silent for a long moment, before he dared to ask. “Are you with child?”
Jane shook her head once again. “No,” she whispered, trying to persuade herself more than him. “I cannot be.” She looked up at him. “I cannot be with child,” she repeated. “Harmton hasn’t been with me for a long time. He has a new lover and he visits her every night.”
“Then I am the father of your child,” Edward whispered in her ear and landed a sound kiss to her temple. She could hear joy in his voice.
No, it wasn’t true; the babe was not Edward’s, but perhaps she could use this situation to her advantage.
“No,” she cried, and pushed Edward away. But Edward did not pay any attention. He pulled her back into his embrace, trying to calm her down. “I cannot be with child, Edward.” Tears started rolling down her cheeks and to her utter surprise, Edward kissed them off.
His tenderness and calmness infuriated her. Jane pushed him away and looked into his eyes. “Don’t you understand? The Earl will kill me if he finds out that I carry another man’s child.”
Edward took her face into his palms and looked into her eyes. “I promise you, Jane, that my father won’t touch you or our child. I will kill him before I allow him to hurt you.”
The tears kept rolling. Jane wanted to believe him, but deep inside she knew that he wouldn’t help. She was in great danger while she carried this child under her heart.
***
William gathered his trusted men in the study. In addition to his brothers there was Hugh Flemyng, the head of the castle guards. William had known Hugh since childhood. In past years they had been through many troubles, and every time Hugh proved that he was worthy of trust.
William was sitting by the table and moving his eyes from one man to another. “I wanted to talk to you with no one else around.”
“We are listening, William,” James said, giving his full attention.
“As all of you know, there might be a traitor among us. You are the only people I can trust. And you are the only ones I will ask for help.”
“What can I do for you, my lord?” Hugh asked, scratching his red beard.
William lifted a finger, silencing Hugh for a moment.
“I have a plan to find out who it is. I will take one of you to the village south of here during the day tomorrow. We will hide there and will be on watch for the whole night. The rest of you, plus some more of our men will go to the village to the east. If we have a traitor, or if Humphrey watches us, he can attack any village, except the one on the east. The village to the north might be one of those he will attack. We will be there to prevent it.”
Stephen frowned and shook his head. “The chance that he will attack the north village is quite small.”
“But the chance still exists,” James said.
“All right,” Stephen continued. “What if he attacks the village where you have set a trap? We don’t know how many men will be with him. I doubt that Humphrey does it all alone. Can you imagine what will happen if two of you face them? ‘Tis too risky.”
“We have to take this risk,” William said. “If there are more of us, Humphrey will get suspicious. He knows that we do everything together. If all of us disappear he will understand that something is wrong.”
Stephen finally agreed with the plan. “I am going with you then,” he said and moved to the door. “I hope the meeting is finished.”
William nodded. It was already late, and he wanted to go to bed. He had had little sleep this morning and could understand why Stephen was trying to leave as soon as possible.
When everyone left, William got up and walked to his chamber.
Elizabeth was waiting for him by the hearth.
“You look tired,” she said. When he entered, she got up and moved straight to him.
She was beautiful, as always. The simple linen chemise that she wore suited her just as perfectly as a velvet dress. Her gleaming hair fell down her back.
“It was a hard day,” William said wearily and allowed Elizabeth to undress him. He loved these intimate moments.
“You spent the whole night fighting the fire, and then you hardly slept this morning,” she remarked. “You need to sleep. I hope Humphrey will not make a surprise attack this night.”
“I agree,” he answered, not really wanting to talk. Sleep was the only think that he desired.
When William was undressed, he went to the bed and pulled Elizabeth with him. He covered them both with a blanket and pulled her into his arms. He hid his face in her hair and shut his eyes, ready to fall asleep.
“I worry about you,” Elizabeth whispered. “Humphrey will never stop.”
“He will. We will set a trap for him tomorrow.”
Suddenly, Elizabeth turned around to look at William. Her eyes were wide with worry. “Don’t risk your life, William. I will not survive if something happens to you.”
William embraced her and pulled into his arms. “Everything will be all right. Do not worry, lass.”
***
At noon the following day William and Stephen left the castle. Elizabeth stood on the castle wall, watching them, her heart heavy with worry. Humphrey was a dangerous enemy and Elizabeth did not approve of only two of them leaving together. They needed more men. Last night, when William told her about the plan, he didn’t want to listen to her when she begged him to take more men with him. He had said that it would be too risky, as the traitor might be one of those people, so they preferred to go alone.
Although it was an early September day, the air was getting quite cold and the wind on the wall was strong, but Elizabeth did not seem to notice. he She snuggled into her coat but did not move from her spot. All she could think about was William. Silently, she prayed for his plan to go well.
When William and Stephen were near the forest, ready to disappear among the trees, Elizabeth saw a group of around twenty riders on the hill, entering the wood from the other side. Her stomach knotted instantly. Could it be just a coincidence? Was she wrong to assume the men coming toward William and Stephen were up to no good? Elizabeth didn’t know and she didn’t want to guess. If they were the enemy, then William and Stephen did not have a chance.
Elizabeth watched them intensely, nothing else existed for her in that moment. The riders did not hurry to enter the wood. It seemed that they were waiting for something. Were they setting a trap? Elizabeth gathered her skirts and ran to the stairs as fast as she could. She could not remember how she crossed the yard and reached the great hall. She screamed as loud as she could when she ran into the hall,
“James!”
Her brother by marriage appeared from the cabinet, closely followed by Hugh, and they looked at her with worry on their faces.
“William and Stephen!” she cried out of breath and trembling from head to toe. “They are in danger. There are about twenty men on the hill on the other side of the forest. They are waiting for William and Stephen.”
James frowned at once, his eyes full of concern.
“Is it a trap?” he asked, his eyes peering at Elizabeth.
“I don’t know, but I am afraid it is. I was watching them leave from atop the wall.” Tears stuck in her throat, and her voice broke, “Please, help them.”
They stormed out of the great hall. Elizabeth r
ushed after them, wiping tears as she went. She had seen William’s chief of the guard around the hall before, but for some reason, today she had a bad feeling when she looked at him. She knew she had seen him at her father’s castle, but was he just one of the wedding guests, or had she seen him there before that day? James cursed, bringing her back to the present.
“Hugh, we need to gather some men. We are leaving now.”
Once outside, Hugh gathered a company of men and followed James, who had already mounted his horse and was waiting for them by the gate.
***
William and Stephen took their time through the forest. They had the whole day ahead of them and were in no hurry. Any rush would more likely raise suspicion if someone was watching them. They rode in silence, enjoying the beauty of their surroundings: the birds’ singing and the colourful autumn leaves.
When the brothers almost reached the end of the forest, a group of riders appeared in the bend in the road ahead. William wanted to pass by, but the riders spread shoulder to shoulder and stopped in the middle of the road, blocking the way. William threw a quick look at the man in the centre. Humphrey. The wide grin on his face promised nothing good.
William and Stephen stopped, their horses’ heads shaking in response to their riders’ tense hold on their reins.
“Well, well, well,” Humphrey said. “Look who we have here.”
“We finally meet,” William said, his eyes narrowed.
Humphrey was there for a reason. William knew that the fight was inevitable and only one of them would survive. William looked at the enemy. There were at least twenty of them. William and Stephen could not escape, but they wouldn’t give up without a fight. If William died, he would take others with him.
“Why are you so stubborn, Baron de Broke?” Humphrey asked. “You know how much I desire Elizabeth. You should have given her back to me a long time ago. Now, look at your estates. How many houses have been destroyed?”
His Rival's Daughter (Stafford Family Book 1) Page 18