Forbidden Love (9 page)

"What happened to her?" Roanna murmured, fighting down her resentment at the thought of him belonging to any other woman.

"She died in childbed about a year later. The child died with her. I blamed myself because she was so young, only fifteen, and she hadn't wanted the marriage, hadn't wanted to be a wife in any way. Afterward, when I was able to put at least some of the grief behind me, I resolved to learn two things: how to bring a woman to the pleasure men take for granted but which I was never able to give to my wife, and how to heal so that I would never again have to watch someone's life drain away while I stood by helpless."

Deeply moved by his revelation, Roanna reached out to gently stroke his cheek. "You learned both most thoroughly. For you have saved my life and shown me ecstasy beyond anything I could have imagined."

Colin drank in the comfort she offered like a man parched by the unrelenting sun. He had never spoken of his wife since her death, burying his guilt deep within him even as it spurred him to become the man he now was. But the gentle balm Roanna gave allowed him to see the past in proper perspective. Whatever he should or should not have done, it was over. This was the present bright with the promise of everything he had ever longed for. He marveled at his immense good fortune as he gently gathered her into his arms.

"What about you? How did you reach the elderly age of nineteen without being at least betrothed?"

Roanna laughed softly against his bare chest. Once back inside they had not hesitated to strip off their clothes. She was finding the sight of him naked in the firelight Iflte a bronzed god to be highly distracting.

"You can thank—or blame—my brother for that. He has been reluctant to inflict me on any poor male."

Colin frowned. Such possessiveness went against the way he thought a brother should feel "Why is that?"

The faint thread of harshness in his voice made Roanna smile. She who had chaffed at any restrictions on her freedom now found she enjoyed his protectiveness.

"Because he has seen too many women given in marriages that made them unhappy. He always hoped I would wed someday, but only to someone I love, as he has done."

Mollified, Colin silently admitted that perhaps her brother wasn't so bad after all, for a Norman. He was even willing to consider that there might be some other explanation for his cousin's death than the one he had already heard. But whether there was or not no longer really mattered. He was resolved that there had to be peace between their families.

Exhilarated by their discovery of one another, they had no further need for sleep. When the food was gone, they settled back into bed as naturally as though they had done so every night of their lives.

Roanna managed a half-hearted squeal of protest that quickly gave way to delighted laughter as Colin trailed ruby drops of wine between her breasts before industriously licking them away. By the time he reached her nipples, she was already dissolving into the now familiar mist of desire.

Gently pushing her breasts together, he flicked his tongue across both as his huge body settled carefully over hers. In the midst of his intense arousal, he still managed to mutter thickly, "Tell me if you are sore inside and I will not enter you."

She wasn't. The only pain she felt was the spiraling need for him. All shyness gone, she took his mouth with her own, her darting tongue assuring him there was no need for restraint.

Having determined for himself that she was ready to receive him, Colin went into her swiftly. This time he wanted to remain within her as long as possible. Slipping his arms beneath her, he lifted her until she was almost sitting against the pillows. His own body shifted slightly so that they faced each other, his hands free to caress her at will. All the while, his organ remained within her, pressing just a few inches inside her womanhood.

Smiling at her surprise, Colin kissed her lingeringly as his fingers tugged gently at her nipples. He rocked slowly back and forth, savoring the sensation of building pressure. With only the tip of his manhood inside her, the long, hard shaft rubbed against her most vulnerable point

"I can't stand this . . . !"

"Yes, you can," he assured her with supremely male confidence. "We're only beginning."

Incredibly they were. Through long, exquisite minutes, Colin moved with her, exciting her with slow, languorous strokes that brought her to the edge of release.

Facing him, she stroked and kissed his massive chest, marveling at how the flat male nipples tautened at her touch. Her lips traced the long, ragged scar from his left shoulder across the breadth of his torso.

His own hands were busy caressing the soft inner flesh of her arms with a light, teaching touch before moving round to rhythmically caress her breasts. And all the while he watched her, the silvery eyes warm with loving passion.

"So beautiful," Colin gasped as their pleasure neared its peak. "Everything I have ever desired."

Grasping her waist, he pulled her down on the bed.

He wanted to be deep inside her when he came, driven by the most primitive desire to fill her womb. Roanna was infinitely soft and yielding beneath him, her slender body arched in rapture, as together they scaled the heights of ecstasy. Her joyous cries mingled with his own as they joined in exquisite union.

Sleep proved irresistible afterward, despite both their wish to stay awake and savor each other. They passed the remainder of the night nestled together, Roanna's golden head cradled on Colin's huge chest, his arms holding her lovingly.

The man-at-arms who rushed to their door shortly after dawn had to pound frantically for long moments before he was finally heard.

"
N
ormans, my lord, a war party, coming over the ridge at full gallop!"

Colin was out of bed instantly. Not even the blinding ecstasy of the last few hours could dull instincts honed since childhood.

"How many?" he demanded as he threw on his clothes. Roanna huddled under the covers, her face ashen, still dazed by sleep but all too aware of what the man-at-arms was saying.

Scrupulously avoiding looking at her, the warrior responded, "Fifty, at least, carrying the D'Arcy banner. They are in full armor and their weapons are already drawn. This is no parlay."

Clearly not, Colin thought grimly. He cursed the abysmal luck that had brought Roanna's brother down on him at such a time. Just when there was so much he wanted to say to her, so much to arrange, he had to go face her irate kinsman instead.

Seconds later, dressed and armed, he turned to her. "Stay here. Don't leave the bower."

Roanna opened her mouth to protest. She was useless there, whereas outside her presence might be enough to prevent what she feared was coming. About to speak, she hesitated. The man before her was not the gently passionate lover of the night before. Instead, he was every inch the implacable warrior chieftain, accustomed to absolute obedience.

It did not occur to Colin that she might object. In the everyday course of events, he was willing to accept some give and take, but when life and death hung in the balance he expected his will to be law. Without giving her the chance to say a word, he strode from the room, the man-at-arms hurrying after him.

Left alone, Roanna dressed hurriedly. It was a mark of her deep love for Colin that she gave serious consideration to obeying him, if only for a moment before her horror at what might happen drove her to leave the bower. She could not huddle inside while the two men she loved, albeit in totally different ways, shed each other's blood.

The stronghold bustled with orderly, purposeful activity. Women who moments before had been preparing food, washing clothes, or seeing to all manner of other chores had broken off their tasks to collect the children and usher them inside the great hall. That done, they took their places near the palisade, where they would help supply weapons to the men and tend the wounded

The gates were already secured, but not before livestock grazing just outside was hastily herded in and penned near the center of the compound. Boys too young to fight but too old to gather with the children were set to guard the cows, pigs, sheep, and horses.

There was very little talk. Everyone was well drilled in what needed to be done and went about it swiftly. Faces were grim, but Roanna saw no sign of panic. These people were resolutely determined to protect their homes, or die in the effort

Colin stood on the palisade wall surrounded by his most trusted thegns and housecarls, watching the Normans approach. Taller and bigger than all the other men and further set off by his pelt of coppery hair shining in the sunlight, he made an obvious target But he showed not the slightest concern for his own safety as he gave crisp orders for the deployment of their forces. Roanna's heart beat painfully as she prayed the fighting he anticipated could be avoided.

Ignoring the startled look of several men-at-arms, she climbed up a ladder perched along the high wooden wall to get a better view. It wasn't difficult to spot her brother. Like Colin, he was an unusually large man who towered head and shoulders over even the big, brawny knights who accompanied him. Riding at the front of his men, he brought the war party to within several hundred yards of the stockade, just out of mutual target range.

As the hot summer sun rose in the cobalt sky, Guyon pulled off his battle helmet. Hair as golden as Roanna's shone brightly. Even at that distance, she could she how tired and worried he looked. To reach the Algerson lands so quickly, he must have ridden hard through the night Once more, Roanna berated herself for causing so much trouble.

Her throat tightened as she considered the thoughts which must have passed through her brother's mind in the last few hours, only to be quickly followed by a blush when she considered what he would say when he learned how she had in fact spent the night

That he had to be told she did not doubt for an instant Her new relationship with Colin was the best weapon she had to ensure that the two men would not fight. Guyon would have mercilessly slain any man who dared to seduce his sister, but when he realized that the shoe was on the other foot, so to speak, he would have no grounds for challenging Colin.

On the contrary, he would have the best possible reason to want the whole incident to end peaceful.

The urge to call out to him was almost irresistible, but she fought it down, knowing that were she to do so Colin would be greatly angered. For the moment at least, she had to defer to the men.

Not that they were handling the situation very well. Guyon's voice carried clearly on the slight breeze.

"Algerson, I demand you produce the Lady Roanna at once! Prove her safety or we attack!"

Only rigorous discipline hid Colin's slight smile of admiration. This D'Arcy was much like his sister. Both plunged head first. But unlike Roanna, he had a few things to learn about persuasion. Colin intended to teach him.

"You demand, Norman? Then I do not hear you. When you stand on Algerson land, you ask!"

Roanna began to move quietly along the wall to where the two men confronted each other. The way things were going, she figured she had very little time to waste.

"Your cousin died of his own folly," Guyon called back. "My sister will not suffer for it If you have harmed her, I will burn your stronghold to the ground and slay everyone within it!"

This last part was a lie. Guyon would kill any man in battle without a second thought, but he would never harm women and children. If he was forced to attack, his men had strict orders not to touch them. But he thought it best to appear as ruthless as possible.

Within the stronghold, his threat was believed. Other Normans behaved in exactly the fashion Guyon described. Since Hastings, they had rampaged across the land, raping and pillaging wherever they went. Only those lucky enough to be protected by powerful fords such as Colin had any measure of safety.

His words had exactly the opposite effect from what he hoped. Already firm resistance stiffened further. It was time the arrogant Norman dogs learned the worth of true Englishmen.

"You are fifty, Norman," Colin sneered. "We are hundreds. I will send your body back to your wife with my condolences!"

That was enough for Roanna. They could hurl insults at each other all day as far as she was concerned, but when they started talking seriously about killing, it was time to intervene.

Her sudden appearance at Colin's side shocked both men. "I told you to stay inside," he growled even as his eyes wandered over her lovingly. Having left her only minutes before, he was astonished to discover that she was even more beautiful than any memory his mind could retrain. It was all he could do not to sweep her into his embrace in front of everyone.

"She appears unharmed," her brother's lieutenant murmured. Like all the men, he nurtured genuine affection and respect for the Lady Roanna. Much as he hated to miss a good fight, he was relieved by her apparent well-being.

After his initial surprise, Guyon could only shake his head ruefully. Trust Roanna to triumph over any danger. Not only was she safe, but she showed not the slightest fear of Colin Algerson.

The look on the Englishman's face brought him up short. His mouth tightened ominously as dangerous sparks flared in his amber eyes. Guyon was no stranger to the passionate regard he saw on Colin's rugged features. He knew he himself had looked at his wife many times in just that way, and he understood quite well what it signified. If his sister's captor had dared to . . .

Guyon's stallion shied nervously. He could feel the sudden tension in his master. Big hooves pawed the air.

"Algerson, I would speak with you under flag of truce! Do you come out or will you allow us to enter?"

Roanna's small hand touched Colin's arm in a gesture that told her brother even more. "Let him come in, please! So that we may all talk It is the only way to settle this."

Colin was willing enough to comply. Things were going even better than he had hoped. It took only a short time for the terms of parlay to be arranged. Half a dozen thegns went out to the Normans to serve as hostages for the safety of Guyon and the five knights he led into the compound.

Barely had the Normans dismounted when Roanna was in her brother's arms. They embraced warmly. "Are you well?" Guyon asked softly when he at last stepped back to study her. His tawny eyes missed nothing of her flushed face, swollen lips, and luminescent gaze.

Roanna nodded shakily. "I am so sorry. This is all my fault"

"Nothing matters except that you are safe," he assured her sincerely. His throat tightened painfully. Roanna would always hold a special part of his heart He could never condemn her for anything she might do. But if anyone had hurt her, he would drench the ground in blood.

The watchful eyes of Colin Algerson reminded the Norman of where he was. Silently he studied the man who had dared to steal his sister from within the shadow of his own keep.

The two men assessed each other warily. Honesty forced them to admit that had they met under different circumstances, they would have been disposed to like each other at first sight Both exuded strength and intelligence, as well as the calm self-confidence that marked them as leaders. They might have been friends, but contrary fate had decreed otherwise.

"We will speak inside," Colin said, gesturing toward the great hall. Briefly he considered sending Roanna back to the bower where she would be spared any arguments that might ensue. The stubborn set of her chin warned him she would not accept such a suggestion kindly.

Once inside, the two men wasted no time getting down to business. As Roanna and their most trusted retainers listened, Guyon said, "Your cousin bribed one of his guards to bring him wine. While drunk, he stumbled and fell against the stone wall of his cell. He was found the next morning, dead of a head wound. The guard has been punished and I have brought the body for you to see. If you look at it fairly, you will know I speak the truth."

Colin didn't need to examine his cousin's remains to believe what the Norman claimed was at least possible. Such behavior followed the pattern of a misspent life. It was ironic that the dead man had by his end unintentionally achieved great good. The barriers that had made any shared future with Roanna seem impossible were now gone forever. It only remained to convince both her brother and their two peoples that she belonged at his side.

"I suspect" Guyon continued when he was not immediately challenged, "that you were told he was executed. Considering all that has happened in this land, it seems inevitable that we believe the worst of each other."

Colin's eyebrows rose fractionally. He had not expected such reasonableness. "I may have been hasty in my judgment" he admitted softly.

"I thought you might be," Guyon muttered. With just a touch of skepticism, he added, "Yet you refrained from harming my sister. Very commendable."

Roanna shifted uneasily. She did not like the hard glint in her brother's eyes, which tended to see too much anyway.

Very softly, he went on, "I would wager there are few ladies who could come through such an experience untouched and be returned safely to their families. You do intend to return her?"

Colin smiled slightly. He had no compunction about where the conversation was inevitably headed. In fact, he and the Norman were understanding each other perfectly. It saved quite a bit of time.

Standing tall and straight, his legs braced slightly apart, he said matter-of-factly, "You may wish to reconsider the question of her return, since you are quite wrong about her being untouched. Your sister is no longer virgin."

Roanna's horrified gasp did not quite drown out the low, feral growl that broke from Guyon. His amber gaze turned to molten fire. A dull flush suffused his face as he took a step toward the fierce warrior who had dared to violate his sister. A massive fist lashed out, smashing into Colin's stomach.

Though he was prepared for the blow, it drove the breath from him. He swayed, but did not fall. Nor did he retaliate. As his men unsheathed their weapons, surrounding the Normans, he ordered, "Stand down! That was deserved."

Ruefully rubbing his middle, he added, "But don't expect me to permit another, you and I are going to have to strike a truce if we are to be brothers-in-law."

Still flushed and angry, Guyon shook his head in disbelief. "You English cur! Do you really expect me to force my sister into marriage with you out of some perverse sense of honor? I would never condemn her to live with a man who took advantage of her helplessness."

"It wasn't like that!" Blushing fiercely, Roanna glared at both men. She was outraged at Colin's abruptness and appalled by her brother's reaction. But she was not about to let such a charge go unchallenged.

Before she could say another word, Colin curtly dismissed his men from the hall. They had served their purpose and he saw no reason for them to be privy to revelations of such an intimate nature, Guyon, already suspecting what he might be about to hear, did likewise.

Not until the three were alone did Roanna say quietly, "Colin did not take advantage of me in any way. On the contrary, I took advantage of what I knew to be our mutual desire for each other." Her head rose proudly. "I know many would say I behaved immorally. But I do not regret it for a moment"