Conquering the Dark Axe (10 page)

TEN

The last bucket of water was poured into the tub and
the male servant, not one of her people, walked out into the corridor outside
the chamber and spoke with the men posted at the door.  Alexa took the
stolen moment to whisper to Camm. 

“Have you found out yet where he has hidden it?”

“Nay, my lady. I’ve looked everywhere and ‘tis
nowhere to be found.”  Camm said out of the corner of her mouth as she
pretended to be busy with the cloths she had laid near the tub for
her.  

Alexa cursed under her breath. Wretched man. “Please
search again.”  She reached out and grasped Camm’s wrist.  “Use every
caution. The last thing I wish is to bring his wrath down upon you, Camm. You
have been like a sister to me and Lisbeth all these years.”

Camm gave her a shaky smile as her eyes darted to
the guards at the door.  “Anything for you, mistress. I can handle myself
don’t you worry none.” 

“Come on, girl. Move it.”  One of the guard’s
yelled from the corridor.

Alexa shot him an angry glare.  She was still
lady here.  The pressure Camm applied to her hand drew her eyes back to
her.  Camm whispered with caution.  “My lady, please, do not make it
worse. Have your bath.” and her maid turned and quickly left with the
guard. 
Oh!  Her husband’s men did not acknowledge her as lady of the manor but as
his prisoner.
Camm could not find her sword soon enough for Alexa. Her pride and joy. Her
father had had the weapon forged for her on her tenth summer.

Alexa smiled remembering how heavy it had felt in
her small hands back then. She sighed, heavy emotion filling her chest as she
lost herself in the memories she’d spent with him, many a long night, mastering
the beautiful weapon.    

Alexa jerked awake with anxiety in her gut and then
let out a tired sigh. She’d fallen asleep in the tub.  Her gaze went to
the window.  It was not yet dark.  She wanted to be abed before he
came.  The hot bath had relaxed her a little too much and rising out of
the cool water, she wrapped one of the soft cloths around her body. Her
thoughts turned back to Rourke.

Over the past few days, when night came, she climbed
into bed alone, but woke during the night to find herself cocooned in his
warmth and pressed against his hard chest.  And she’d sleep like the dead
after, not waking again until Camm came at dawn with the tray to break her
fast.

Being in his arms, so close to him, even now with
the memory she could feel his smooth skin under her fingertips and it angered
her that she liked it. Alexa had at first refused to acknowledge it, but it was
true. His scent haunted her all day.  She was wound tight as a bow
and she had no idea why.  Aye, she did.

The damn man could at least bestow a kiss upon
her. 

Was he not affected being so close to her? 
Nay, he was not and the thought sent a jumble of emotions to her heart. 
He’d not acted on any of the chance brushes across her skin.  Just last
night she’d wakened to find his hand covering her right breast.  She had
tried to turn away from his touch, but instead she turned into it, seeking more
to her horror. The hard, sensitive peak had pressed into his palm and sweat had
broken upon her brow.  He had done nothing but drop his hand to her waist
and let out a light snore. 

She’d taken the opportunity in her frustrated state
to study his beautiful face.  More like taken advantage of him.  When
he slept he appeared even more beautiful because his face, more relaxed and
free of that fierce scowl captivated her. Long golden lashes swept over
chiseled cheeks and that mouth-  God forgive her; she had outlined the
shape of those full lips with her fingertips, nightly.  She felt safe
enjoying her explorations for he slept like the dead too and knew naught of the
liberties she’d taken to appease her curiosity.  She’d not shied away from
any part of him.

Even that hard part of him which seemed to stir
every time she’d lift the edge of the fur over his hip. She never looked long
for fear he’d wake and discover the awe and attention she gave to his body each
night. Aye, she enjoyed taking her fill of him. But he need not know.

‘Twas bad enough she looked forward to seeing him
and had even started to go to bed earlier and earlier each eve just to hurry
his presence along.  Like now.

She told herself it was the overwhelming feeling of
loneliness and sadness that caused her to do so and caused her to crave his
attention.  After all ‘twas his fault. 

He kept everyone and everything away from her, even
if she had been the one in the beginning to tell him just so.  She was
perturbed that the hate she held for him seemed to lessen, almost against her
will as time passed and she was angry at the loss of that feeling.  She
wanted to hate him. But even as she thought it, Alexa knew it to be a
lie. 

Dressed in a clean shift, she moved back to the
bench near the window, a needle and tunic now clutched in her hands and sat
down.  She still had time to see to this before the sun set. She began to
work on the material sewing a second row of threading next to the
original.   The madness she suffered was going to soon end.

ELEVEN

Rourke trusted no one and so he had his own cook
take over the kitchen duties as head and Barnett’s cook had balked, albeit
quietly.  Now, after a few days, the two cooks acted as though the
arrangement had always been the way of it.  Other changes had occurred
within the manor in the week as well. 

Rourke was well aware of the fear the servants had
of him and the serfs had sworn their fealty to him, yet, the underlying hatred
and visible tensions, still ran amongst a remaining few, one group in
particular. 

A group of lazy Saxon guardsmen and their
wenches.  He kept a keen alert, along with Goran on the lot all the
time.  When he could not, trusted foot soldiers in his regime did. 
Like now, that lot was huddled about just inside the gates with his men
watching over them as villagers came and went reaping the harvest and doing
their daily chores.   

Rourke’s thoughts turned back to his wife and he
looked across to the manor at their chamber window.   He
grunted.  He was wound tight as a bow.  The first night he had been
too exhausted to care or notice anything and had slept like the
dead.   But after the second night he’d been ready to explode when
she had snuggled her hips against him.  Even Lina’s lusty charms had not
been enough to entice him to relieve the beast of desire Alexa had caused to
run rampant in his body.  He had thought after having at the Saxon
hellion, he’d get the raging need and her out of his system. 

He had been wrong.  He knew she did not think
he was aware of her innocent curiosity and he’d enjoyed every minute of
it. 

Rourke even looked forward to it and found himself
rushing through manor business of the day so he could retire to their chamber
earlier and earlier.  To find her abed only made the all-too sweet
anticipation even sweeter.  He trusted himself only if she were asleep,
for it was getting harder and harder not to taste the volatile passion they had
shared. Especially when she’d lower the fur back over his growing
hardness. 

She had whimpered in her sleep the first night, then
tossed and turned each night thereafter and only seemed to calm when he slid
his arms around her.  He’d no desire to tie her again for he liked the
feel of her hands on him.  Several lusty images had floated through his
mind when she had traced his mouth.  He touched a finger now to his lips
as he remembered the feel of her fingers against them.  He cast the desirable
image away when he saw something move in their chamber window. 

Alexa peered out the window. Another day of
imprisonment. A few dark clouds had started to fill the afternoon sky. 
The two guardsmen stood at their posts below.  She snorted. ‘Twould take
more than the two of them to keep her locked inside.  She was going stark
raving mad.  It was her home.  She knew it better than that unfeeling
Norman.   

Her gaze swept over to the cemetery and a lance of
pain sliced through her heart as did a spark of anger.  Lisbeth, why did
you leave me?  Alexa screamed inside.

She leaned carefully out the window. The two guards
were engaged in a heavily animated conversation, some of their words wafted up
to her on the light breeze and Alexa chuckled with disgust.  Battle, of
course and both, she knew, were exaggerating with tall tales.

Something out of the corner of her eye drew her
attention near the practice field where her gaze fell upon two lone figures
standing off to the side. Their large frames appeared to loom over the grounds,
their shadows falling like tall oaks across the yard.  They were too far
away, but from where she sat, it looked as though their forms faced the
manor.  She couldn’t see their faces from this distance, but she need not
to know who they were.

Their height alone gave them away along with the
feeling of the fear creeping up her spine. The eerie sense of being caught grew
ripe in her gut. Both men stood still and she waited a second.  Alexa did
not know that she stopped breathing as she waited.  He couldn’t see her
from that distance, could he?  The man would have to have eyes of a hawk
to be able to see that far.  Alexa chided herself, and let out a hard
breath and leaned further out. 

His large form stepped toward the manor.  She
froze. 

Nay! 

The bastard could see.  She pulled back only to
groan aloud as his pace quickened and his long angry stride brought him closer
and closer.  She did not move until he was near enough for her to see
clearly the fierce look on his handsome face.  Oh damn!  She backed
away and ran to the bed.  Not that it would do much good, she thought, it
was too late and her gasp lodged in her throat when the door opened.

Alexa was panting short breaths over the close call.
‘Twas Camm.

“Oh, mistress!  You gave me such a start. 
I thought you would still be abed.”  Camm closed the chamber door, her
arms full of fresh linens and a clay jug of water.  “I am so glad to see
that you are feeling better today and moving about. Worried, I am, about your
health a great deal. ‘Tis hurtful to see you kept in here like…Forgive me,
mistress. It’s just that you are not yourself and- and I cannot bear to lose
another in this family.” 

Alexa reached out to pat the maid’s hand as Camm’s
eyes filled with tears.  “Oh, Camm, thank you for your concern, but worry
not. This melancholy will pass soon enough as will my confinement. Trust in me.
‘Tis going to take more than his Norman ways to knock the breath out of
me.” 

“But, mistress, I beg you be careful. We know not
all what he is capable of.”

“I agree on that.”  The gruff voice filled the
chamber.

Neither of them had heard him come in.  By the
look on his face, he had seen her indeed and Alexa forced herself to meet his
gaze.  She had to show him he could not intimidate her, even if he did.

“Were you not ordered to only enter this chamber
with my permission, Camm?” 

All color had left her maid and Alexa felt her
tremble under her hand. Why could she not enter?  Camm was her servant.

“My-My lord, begging your forgiveness. I am so-
sorry.  I just wanted to see if my lady needed anything.”

“You deliberately disobeyed me then?” 

His thunderous timbre had Camm shaking harder. 
It even rattled her and Alexa gave Camm’s hand a hard squeeze, and shot him an
angry look as she said, “She meant well.  Why does she need your
permission to enter my chamber?”

His murderous glower pinned her to the bed. 
Something warned her not to correct him in front of her maid, but Alexa
disliked his behavior toward the maid. Camm meant a lot to her. 

“Never question what I do.” Her mouth fell open at
his words, but he turned to her maid. “Camm, leave our
chamber and I
will see to you later.”

Alexa started to protest and Rourke saw it. 
She seemed to think better of it and gave a reassuring pat to the back of the
maid’s hand before the little woman darted out of the room. 

Alexa cleared her throat. It was the most words he’d
spoken to her just then than he’d done all week.  She had noticed his
correction on the chamber.  Our chamber.  She watched him walk over
to her.  Angry and still he looked good.  She gritted her teeth over
that uncontrolled thought.  His eyes blazed brightly as he leaned over
her.  Alexa held her breath.

“Your precious people will respect me, Alexa or I
will get rid of every single one in whatever manner is most convenient and
quick.”   When her eyes widened with knowing, he was pleased and
continued. “Never speak or try to correct me again in front of anyone. Ever.”
Alexa boiled and shouted back, “I am the lady of
my
manor and still have
a say in what goes on here! This imprisonment does not change that fact. And
best the rest of your Norman swine guards need to respect that.” 

His brows shot up.   The scar she’d given
him on his throat paled and was the only indicator that her words did not sit
well with him.  When he spoke, his tone came hard and clipped.  

“Do you not yet know the measure of my impatience?
You have no say in anything! Those Norman swine protect you only because I
order them to. Otherwise you’d have been dead a long time ago.’Tis a wonder you
have survived this long with such a foul attitude. Never underestimate what is
before you. I care not what you want. Know this, my men will never accept an
Anglo-Saxon bitch as their lady.”
Alexa could not stop the hurtful gasp from leaving her mouth. His words
stung.  She turned away sharply and crossed her arms. “Think you I care
what they think or you? I do not!”