Beneath the Black Moon (Root Sisters) (11 page)

But
she and Diana were lucky. Martin met them at the usual spot, near an old
footbridge in dire need of repair that spanned the creek. Few words were spoken
between the three of them, as they were all on edge and operating as quickly as
possible. The goods were handed over, they murmured their farewells, and then
Cam and Diana slipped away.

It
was on their way home that Cam sensed something. She couldn’t describe it at
first, or even pinpoint where it was coming from. She only knew that her hands
were shaking and that something had made goose bumps spring up all over her
skin. Cam glanced at her sister, wondering if Diana sensed it as well. Her
sister seemed tense, but no more than was usual for errands like these. Then
again, Diana was better at hiding her feelings than anyone Cam had ever met.

Cam
peered into the dark, trying to determine where exactly she and Diana were. It
wasn’t until she caught a glimpse of lights in the distance that she realized—
they were passing the Wickers plantation. This part of the forest belonged to
Brent’s brother. They were traipsing across Anderson land, which suggested that
whatever was making Cam nervous was coming from Brent’s home.

Hoping
desperately that she was wrong, Cam grabbed her sister’s hand. Diana gasped in
surprise. “Yes?” She hissed when she had caught her breath.

“Wait
here, I’ll be right back,” Cam said and then darted away before Diana could
stop her. She emerged quietly from the forest, seeing her way only by the light
of the moon since she had left the lantern with Diana. The Anderson lawn was
dark and so was the house, except for one upstairs window. Cam crept up the
lawn, carefully avoiding the strip of grass that was illuminated by the light
shining from that window. Whose room was that? Brent’s? And why did the thought
of Brent’s bedroom make her heart thump a little faster?

Cam
distracted herself from thoughts of Brent in bed by focusing on the eerie
feeling that had drawn her to the house in the first place. It was an odd
sensation, a sort of prickling foreboding that started in her mind and then
traveled down her spine. It was as though she were a child creeping through a
graveyard by night. Her legs quivered and the distant hoot of an owl made her
jump. Far above her in that lit room, someone passed by the window and cast a
shadow that jumped and twisted on the lawn before vanishing as the person moved
on. Cam crouched lower on the grass, hoping to avoid being seen, but at the
same time she couldn’t help but wonder if the person pacing upstairs was Brent.

It
doesn’t matter
, she thought. The nasty feeling was
definitely coming from Brent’s house and that was not a good sign.

She
waited until there was no one at the window and then crept back to her sister’s
side, disturbed by both the house and her incessant thoughts of Brent. They
hurried into the forest, keeping their heads low, and some of Cam’s nervousness
receded as they drew closer to home. They were just a few minutes away from
having successfully completed one more errand. It wasn’t enough– nothing they did
ever would be, but it eased the guilt somewhat and made Cam feel like something
more than a parlor ornament.

They
walked together in silence for a few minutes, until Cam felt Diana staring at
her. She returned her sister’s curious gaze. “What?”

Diana
sighed. “What is between you and Brent Anderson?”

“Excuse
me?” Cam blinked, confused by her sister’s almost accusatory tone.

“You
heard me. As your older and more… experienced sister, I think it would probably
be wise of you to consult me before you begin any affairs.”

“What?”
Cam nearly tripped over a root, but Diana caught her by the upper arm and kept
her from falling. “Affairs? What are you talking about? What gave you an idea
like that?”

“I
heard Aunt Beth quizzing Helen about it this morning after you left.”

“Quizzing
Helen about
what
?”

“And
if prissy Aunt Beth has heard the rumors, you can be certain that everyone in
the county has.”

“What
rumors?” Cam walked ahead of her sister, and then turned around and stood in
Diana’s path. “Diana, I really have no idea what you’re talking about.”

A
frown puckered Diana’s brow as she studied her younger sister. “No,” she said
finally. “You really don’t, do you?”

“What
is all this about?” Cam asked, linking arms with her sister as they kept
walking.

“Apparently
Brent was showing marked interest in you at Aunt Beth’s ball last night.” There
was a faint note of bitterness in Diana’s tone at the mention of Aunt Beth’s
ball.

“Marked
interest?” Cam repeated, outraged. “How could he possibly have been showing
marked interest in me when I wasn’t even there? What an absurd rumor.”

“He
was asking a lot of questions about you. You know how people are. He has a
reputation as a man who gets what he wants and doesn’t mess about, and
apparently you’re the first woman in Gaynor County that he’s shown any interest
in. The assumption is that he must be quite serious.”

Cam
cursed under her breath. “Oh, what a mess,” she muttered.

“If
you’re planning to marry him you might want to consider getting engaged soon,
before the rumors get too out of hand and he decides not to marry you after all
because you have a bad reputation.” Diana advised.

“Marry
him?” Cam couldn’t stop her mouth from falling open. “I’m not going to marry that
little sneak.”
Or, more accurately, that tall, wild, handsome sneak…

“Good.”
Diana said shortly. “Marry and you might as well kiss goodbye what little
freedom you currently have. I know it’s not much, but it’s better than nothing.
Especially since your reputation is still intact.
Barely
.” She admitted.
“Marry and there’s no difference between you and a slave.”

“Well,
I wouldn’t go that far,” Cam said. Diana’s attitude towards marriage
deteriorated more with each day that passed.

“I
would. Marry and there’s no difference between you and Mary.”

Cam
pictured Caro’s niece, with her exhausted eyes and thin frame. “No.” She said.
“There’s still a difference.”

“Maybe
so.” Diana finally conceded. “But if you’re not going to marry him then you
should cut all ties with him.”

“Easier
said than done.” Cam argued.  She thought of the way that Brent kept poking
about and the fact that Caro and Grandma had asked her to keep an eye on him.

“Suit
yourself,” Diana said carelessly, but she looked uncomfortable as they walked
home together.

What
Cam didn’t tell her sister was that Brent had followed her home that day. He had
bid her farewell on the hill and then shadowed her through the forest all of
the way home. Had Cam been an ordinary girl she would never have known. He was
too stealthy and silent to be detected. The only reason she’d discovered him
was because she had charms that were especially designed to alert her to the
presence of one who wished to remain hidden.

She
didn’t know what to think of his behavior. What was he doing? Spying? Cam knew
better than to think that it had been because of her.

Whatever
Brent’s reasons, from then on he followed Cam on most of her weekly errands.
For several weeks she pretended to be unaware of his presence, but all the
while she wondered what he was up to. Did he suspect what she was doing for
Mattie Deveraux? Was he hoping to catch her collecting herbs for her
grandmother’s rootwork? Sometimes she was tempted to call out to him and ask
him what the hell he thought he was doing. Sometimes she liked the idea that he
was watching over her.

Whatever
his motives, his constant surveillance of her forced her to change her usual
habits. She was used to keeping a fairly regular schedule, but now that he
appeared to know what days she went out and when, she had to go out at other
times if she wanted to remain undetected. After three weeks of pretending to be
unaware of him, Cam finally cracked.

Dusk
was fast approaching as Cam left the house and strode into the forest. She’d
just returned home after a trip to the Charmon property, and Brent had followed
her the entire way. He was still there, lingering in the forest, and the desire
to talk to him— and possibly yell at him, had grown overpowering.

The
world was the blue-gray of twilight as Cam scrambled over logs and brambles,
heedless of any scratches she received on her way to meet him. But when she
reached the clearing where she had sensed him, there was no sign of him. Cam frowned,
turning in a circle to find him. A twig cracked behind her and she jumped.

“Cam.”
Brent emerged from behind one of the trees, standing on a rock with his feet
placed wide apart. As usual, his shirt wasn’t completely buttoned.

It’s
like he’s trying to taunt me
, Cam thought.

“What
are you doing here?” He asked, his gaze roving over her with concern.

“What
am I doing here?” Cam repeated. “This isn’t your property. What are you doing
here?”

“Walking,”
Brent said easily, without a hint of shame in his gorgeous eyes.

“You
do realize that when you walk around after someone for long periods of time
it’s considered following them— which is generally frowned upon?”

His
eyes danced. “What are you suggesting?”

“I’m
suggesting that you should stay off my father’s property and stop following
me.”

Brent
made a face as if he was injured by her words. “I thought we were friends?”

“I
don’t have any friends.” Cam told him flatly.

“I’ve
noticed.” Suddenly his gaze was sharp and speculative again. “I’ve noticed you
don’t have any suitors either.”

Much
to her chagrin, Cam blushed. She could feel her skin growing flushed from her
chin to her hairline, which was no small feat given her tan. Trust Brent to be
ill-mannered enough to point out her lack of admirers. Cam glared at him.

Brent
read her reaction immediately, as always. He took a step closer, grinning.
“What I don’t understand is… why?”

Cam’s
mouth opened and closed and when she finally answered it was with the first
thing that popped into her mind. “I have terrible table manners.”

His
smile widened. “Do you now?”

“Horrible.
My Aunt Beth despairs of me and none of the young men of the county want to
marry me because they know their parents wouldn’t be able to sit through a meal
with me.” She sounded so earnest she made herself smile.

Brent
came closer still. “Then they’re fools,” he said simply. He reached out slowly,
and his fingers seemed to hover there a moment in the twilight before they
touched her face. He caressed her once, gently, and then his hand fell back to
his side.

In
the second that followed she was almost frozen, entranced by him. She saw his
struggle as he leaned down over her, their lips practically touching, strands
of his hair tickling her face. She witnessed the moment when he muttered a
curse and gave in. He kissed her. The touch was warm and gentle first, and then
commanding as it grew hotter with yearning. His fingers splayed against the
small of her back, pressing her against him. Cam’s lips parted involuntarily as
she gasped, allowing his tongue entrance.

For
a minute Cam was completely passive, her senses swamped by all that she was
experiencing. Then, like a fire roaring to life, something woke inside of her.
She reached up and looped her arms around his neck, standing on her toes to
kiss him back. She combed her fingers through his hair, holding onto him to
keep him there. She could feel his heart pounding as he once again took control
of the kiss, his free arm wrapping around her waist and pulling her even
closer.

His
hand was traveling up her side to her sleeve, where he paused to play with the
strap of chemise, sliding his fingers under the strap again and again. Finally,
when she was close to panting, he slipped his hand into her basque. Cam broke the
kiss to lean back, gasping, and as she stared up at the sky with dilated eyes
it occurred to her what she was doing.

“My
God.” She froze, suddenly becoming aware of their circumstances and
surroundings again.

Brent
seemed to sense her shock, and he withdrew and brushed a lock of her hair
behind her ear. “Cam?”

Cam
took a few quick steps backwards to separate them. “I’ve never done anything
like this before,” she said, more to herself than him. She’d never even kissed
anyone before. Pecking Benny McPherson on the lips at the age of eleven because
Marianne had dared her didn’t count. Not even her wildest imaginings counted.
This was…

“
Absolute
insanity
,” Cam said, backing away from Brent.

“I
wouldn’t go that far,” he said. He was grinning with lips that still glistened
from kissing her.

“My
God,” Cam said, whirling to go. She wasn’t sure what else to do.

“Cam?”
Brent called after her, but at her name she sped up, until she was practically
running back towards home.