03 - The Wicked Lady (19 page)

He lifted up and looked down at her. "Are you all right?"

She looked at him with accusing eyes. "Ye never said anything about pain."

He
watched her for a long moment. Thank God, the desire was still in her eyes. "It will only hurt that one time, I promise." He began to move again.

She felt passion rising in her like the hottest fire. The way he held her betrayed his hunger and she open her mouth further. She needed to taste all of him.

After several minutes she began to move with him. An odd sort of pressure began to build as she matched his every move, faster and faster until, without warning, everything exploded. She could feel herself being washed away into a sea of oblivion. From somewhere, she heard Trevor cry out her name in triumph, then he became very still and collapsed, sated.  He still held her within his arms and she savored the feeling of satisfaction he left with her.

Neither said a word as they let sleep claim them. But just before Trevor fell asleep, he murmured the words he'd spoken to Kristen the first time he'd met her.

"You are one wicked lady, Kristen Johnstone... make that Claremont."

"Aye, I am," she whispered. Then she leaned over and kissed his chin.

Somehow life would never be the same again.

Chapter Eleven

The next two weeks passed in a blur for Kristen. She and Trevor made passionate love at night, but in the daylight she hardly saw him. He stayed behind closed doors working, or so the servants told her. She began to wonder if he was going to great lengths to avoid her.

Yet, at night she'd tell herself she was being silly because Trevor was so warm and loving, taking her to heights she'd never imagined. Then, the next day the vicious cycle would start again. Kristen was beginning to think she was daft.

One thing was for certain. She was bored! Kristen had been active all her life, and sitting around doing nothing wasn't her cup of tea.

And today she'd decided she'd had enough, so she summoned Rebecca. After dressing in what Rebecca called a riding habit, Kristen decided to take a ride and enjoy the outdoors. It didn't matter that she'd never been on a horse before. Riding couldn't be that hard. Even children could do it.

Looking at her reflection in the dressing room mirror, she admired the light green riding habit made of soft linen. It would be perfect for the gorgeous spring weather they were experiencing. She tied back her hair with a lime green ribbon and let her unruly strawberry blond curls cascade down her back. There. She smiled. She felt better all ready.

Kristen encountered only a couple of the upstairs maids as she went downstairs. She didn't waste any
time heading out the back door.

So far, so good. She smiled.

As soon as the door shut behind her, she noticed something moving to her left. Turning, she spotted Hagan and a couple of the servants' children playing in the corner of the terrace under one of the many trellises that stood at each end of the brick veranda.

"Hello, Hagan," Kristen said as she strolled over to where the children played.

Hagan looked up. "Hello, Kristen. Where are you going?"

"I thought I would go riding."

Hagan giggled."But you don't know how."

"It canna be so hard. After all, ye learned." She pointed out. "Would ye like tae come?"

"Sure," Hagan said and immediately stood, but didn't follow his sister right away. He waited until she'd moved away from them. "Sorry," he whispered to his playmates behind his hand. "I need to protect my sister. She gets into all sorts of trouble." His statement produced several giggles from the children.

Kristen held out her hand, and Hagan ran to catch up with her. She wondered what he'd said to make the other boys giggle. Probably some deep secret. She was glad he was coming so she'd have some company.

"Where is Trevor?" Hagan asked innocently as he skipped along beside her while they made their way through the sunken path with clipped yews on either side.

"Working, I guess." Her voice sounded tired even to her own ears. "That's all he seems tae do." She finally sighed.

"Maybe he doesn't know how to do anything else."

Kristen glanced sideways at her brother. He sounded so wis
e. Far beyond his five years. "Ye could be right. We'll have tae teach him other things besides work. Won't we?"

"Sure. I like him." Hagan thought for a moment. "He might not like us riding without him."

Kristen gazed out over the velvet lawns and parterres. This place looks like paradise, she thought. "I think he's too busy tae care," Kristen said as her earlier irritation returned. How could anybody live in a place like this and not enjoy it? They went on across the lawns until they reached the stables.

Upon entering, Kristen could smell the leather saddles and horses. She hadn't realized that Chatsworth's stables were so large. Eight stalls lined each side. Several horses peered over the half-doors, watching the stable hands as they mucked out the stalls and put fresh straw on the floors.

A stocky man with a receding hairline and a pipe hanging out of the corner of his mouth came shuffling down the center of the stable. "What can I do for you, miss?"

"We would like tae go riding if ye don't mind fixing two horses for us?"

"It's called saddling," Hagan whispered behind his hand.

"Just give me a minute." The man chuckled at Hagan's comment. "And I'll have a horse and a pony saddled for you." He bowed curtly. "Name's Baxter, mum." He reached out and ruffled Hagan's hair. "This little scamp is taking a real lik'n' to that pony."

"Thank you, Baxter. My name is Kristen," she said to the man's back, as he'd already started on his way to do her bidding.

"See this big red horse." Hagan pointed up to a horse who looked curiously at them over the door. He had a white blaze going down the center of his face and was much larger than the rest of the animals.

"He's beautiful." Kristen moved over so she could rub his muzzle. "Feels like velvet."

"Let me." Hagan held up his hand, but he didn't quite reach, so Kristen picked him up and he stroked the horse.

"This is Trevor's horse." Hagan ran his hand over the horse's soft nose. "He's fast!"

"
'Twould take a big mon tae control this one," she murmured her thoughts as she lowered Hagan back to the ground. Trevor definitely fit that description.

"Ready, Miss?"

Kristen followed Baxter to the paddock where the horses were tethered.  Hagan wasted little time climbing onto his pony; however, Kristen hesitated as she stared at the odd seat.

"Let me help you, Miss." Baxter cupped his hands so she could put her foot in them.

Placing her hands on the saddle, she managed, somehow, to land in the right place, but decided she'd much prefer the pony that Hagan was riding than this tall beast.

Baxter scratched his head, his eyes sharp and assessing. "Are you sure you know how to ride, Miss?"

"Of course, I'm just a little rusty," Kristen lied, and tried not to look him straight in the face.

"Well, keep a firm grip on the reins. Like this," he positioned the leather straps between her fingers. "Take it slow at first and then it will come back to you."

"Thank you." Kristen turned her mount so they could head for the arched doorway. "What's her name?"

"Paznell."

"All right, Paznell. We're going tae be good friends." Kristen patted the animal's neck.

"Come on, Kristen," a merry voice called. Hagan had already left the paddock.

"Go, Paznell," Kristen commanded, but the horse showed no inclination toward budging.

"Kick her with your heel," Baxter instructed.

She did. Thankfully, the horse paid attention this time, and soon Kristen had caught up with Hagan.

"Murphy," Baxter called to one of his men who was pitching hay. "Run to the house and inform his grace that his little lady is going for a ride." He shook his head. "Just hope she doesn't break her fool neck. I'm not too sure she's ever seen a horse, much less ridden one."

Kristen and Hagan rode out away from the house. Hagan told her it was the way that he and Trevor always rode, so she followed Hagan's lead.

Streams of light peeked from behind puffy white clouds scattered across a light blue sky. The sun's rising had warmed the crisp air, and the sunlight soothed her body like a soft caress. The countryside was so beautiful and fresh that Kristen decided this was just what she'd needed. She'd been cooped up for too long. There was a certain feeling of freedom she liked from riding.

They had ridden for over an hour, and Kristen was feeling very confident that she'd master such a simple task. She knew this would be easy, she thought as she released her death-grip on the saddle and reins.

That wa
s when Hagan's pony took off, jumping a small stone wall.  Evidently, her mount didn't want to be outdone because Paznell took off after Hagan's pony, jerking the leather straps from her fingers.  Kristen screamed and clutched the saddle. Surely, the horse would stop when it got to the wall.

It did not.

Kristen went one way and the horse the other. The next thing she knew she was no longer on the animal but flying through the air. She heard herself scream again as she landed in a heap on the other side of the wall. 

She lay on the ground, gasping for air. Unable to breathe, it took a few minutes before she finally caught her breath. Sitting up, she straightened her clothing. The world still seemed to be spinning before her eyes.

Blast, did she ache. The ground was much too hard. Next time she'd ask for a shorter horse. Shoving her hair out of her face, she looked around for Hagan, but didn't see him.

Kristen decided she wouldn't move for a few minutes until her head stopped this crazy spinning. Looking out on the rolling hills in front of her, she noticed for the first time a large estate in the distance. It was every bit as impressive as Chatsworth, and she wondered who lived there.

A rider cut across the field and seemed to be coming from the house, but stopped at the second stone wall. This land is very funny, she thought. In the middle of this huge field were two stone walls no more than thirty feet apart.

Kristen realized the rider was a woman, but she couldn't see the lady's face very well. She had long, black hair and seemed about the same size as Kristen. She only paused a moment as she called out, "Are ye all right?"

Kristen couldn't help noticing the lady sounded just like herself. "Just a wee bit shaken, but my brother should be along shortly, thanks."

The lady looked directly at Kristen, smiled for a brief moment, then rode away.

Kristen sat there, dumbfounded. Maybe she had hit her head harder than she'd thought, because she could have sworn that she'd just seen herself on that horse. Impossible.

Horse's h
ooves sounded from behind her. The ground shook. Before she knew what was happening, the hooves came flying over the top of her head. She screamed and ducked.

"Christ!" Trevor swore as he dismounted and knelt down beside her. "If you wanted to go riding, I would have taken you." His hands moved along her legs, checking for broken bones.

She slapped his hands away. "Oh, would ye now? That would mean ye'd have tae leave yer desk." She attempted to stand, but her head was still spinning.

Trevor grabbed her as she swayed. "Are you hurt?"

"I seem tae have hit my head. I'll be all right, though." However, her words didn't match her actions as she leaned against Trevor for support. "Who lives on that hill?"

"Johnstone," he spat. "This is the tract of land that's in dispute."

"Why don't one of ye buy it from the other?"

"It belongs to my family," Trevor stated firmly. "I'll not buy something I already own."

Even with her head whirling, Kristen could see one thing clearly. "Ye know something?"

He gave her a questioning look, but didn't say anything.

"I dinna think ye really know what the feud is about."

Trevor gave her a half-laugh. "You are absolutely right."

"Then why--"

Trevor held up a hand. "I do not want to discuss the matter."

All right, she could see this was a touchy subject with him, but this feud seemed ridiculous to her. There had to be more to the story than she'd heard so far. Maybe one day she'd find out.

Hagan trotted up on his pony with Kristen's horse in tow. "Did you lose something, Kristen?"

Kristen glared at her brother. "I was doing just fine until that pony of yers took off."

"I didn't think your horse would follow mine." For just a moment, Hagan did manage to look a little guilty. "You should hang on better next time," he said.

"Do you think you can ride back?" Trevor asked.

Kristen straightened. "I think so."

Trevor escorted her over to the horse and helped her mount. Then he mounted, and they started for home.

"This is beautiful land. Funny, I feel as if I've been here before."