Price of Desire (53 page)

Wulf leaned forward, the sword swinging
.
“Go on.”

Mitter’s eyes shifted between them, weighing his options
.
He continued
.
“I was so excited
.
I
asked my cousin to show them t
o me and he laughed lightly, explaining t
hey’d given them all to some naval captain who’d expressed an
interest in
them
.
What need did they have of maps that showed things that weren’t
?
The best surveyors and artists were beginning to wind there way from Greece
.
They gave away their history, their legacy and thought nothing of it, but I did.

“I asked and questioned, wrote and inquired until it brought me here . . . only then I couldn’t find them
.
Oh, I found other things, your late husband had a most incredible library, I found clue after clue that I was on the right path, but I could not find the maps
.
I knew they were here
.
Burberry was clearly not a fool
.
He might not have recognized exactly what he had, but he knew they were objects of great value.
”
Mitter’s voice rose in volume as he reached the end of his monologue
.
He stared at the map on the table with lust and desire
.
His hands pulled towards it.

The sword swung forward again
.

The hands scurried back to his lap
.
The intensity of Mitter’s expression did not change.

“I couldn’t believe it when I heard you mention
that he’d showed the maps to a . . .
a child
.
How could he risk such treasure?
”
He turned a cold questioning eye on Rose, his fear forgotten
.
“I even searched through his bed chamber trying to find it
.
I found other maps, recent maps of ancient places, but I could not find the one I needed.”

“You destroyed the room, ripped
Burberry’s
things to shreds.
”
Rose’s dormant fury began to rise again as understanding filled her
.
“You ransacked my home.”

Mitter looked up, confused by her anger
.
“I needed the map
.
You shouldn’t have kept it from me
.
None of this would have happened if you’d left it where it belonged
.
It’s your fault.”

The sword swung fully up and came to rest against Mitter’s chest.

The growl came from behind her
.
“Watch what you say and remember who you speak to.”

Rose leaned back in the chair
.
She lifted her arm and lay her hand atop Wulf’s
,
bringing the sword’s point back down
.
She felt no pity for the man
.
He had destroyed her home, caused her to accuse Wulf and . . . well it didn’t matter exactly what
.
He had caused havoc all for the sake of . . . for the sake of a piece of paper
.
“Damn you, why didn’t you just ask me about it?
”
The words escaped her like a dam bursting.

“What?
”
Mitter wrenched back, harder than he had at the point of the sword.

“Why didn’t you just ask
?
I’d have sent it to Sir William with no question
.
If you’d asked I
’d
have been more than happy to let you trace it or even take it.”

“You would have
?
No one shares such treasures.
”
Mitter’s glance moved back to the map on the table.

Before Rose could answer Wulf pointed the blade at the map, his eyes glittering with dark intensity
.
“Show me.”

Mitter glanced at her nervously, but stood and moved to stand beside Wulf
.
She watched with disbelief as Mitter began to point and Wulf to question
.
More and more books were taken from the
chest as Mitter explained
how things fit.

Damn them both
.
Wulf’s shoulders still twitched with anger, but his eyes shone with interest
.
He might still be full of fury, but his excitement grew
.
She remembered the books of history by his bed, his occasional use of classical quote
s,
and a new understanding of the man built
.
Finally, realizing she was forgotten she stood and
moved
behind
them
.

Her body twitched with restless fury.

“Is this how you answer his treachery
?
By letting him tell you his dreams?
”
If she’d still held the sword she might have run them both through.

Wulf started
.
He turned,
his eyes seeking hers
.
S
he could see his anger renew, increased by the guilt of his interest.

His massive chest filled, and then relaxed
.
His eyes locked with hers
.
“I do not forget.
”
She could see the black demons in his soul
.
“If you say the word I will slay him now, or make it so he never walks again
.
I am fully capable of it
.
It is your decision
.
She is your daughter.”

He would do it
.
Rose could see it in those swirling pools of green
.
He would do whatever she asked.

Mitter had stilled at his words
.
His rapid breathing echoed through the chamber.

Rose shut her eyes, resisted temptation
.
If ever there was a moment for coolness and reason it had come
.
“As you have said many times
,
she is your daughter also
.
We must both decide.”

Wulf stepped towards her, took one hand in his, the other still tight on the sword
.
“I thought that no one was supposed to know, that it was our secret
.
Now, I’ll have to kill him.”

“No! I won’t tell anybody
.
Not sure what you’re talking about anyway.
”
Mitter hopped from leg to leg.

“If it were only me,
”
Wulf glared at the shivering man,
“you
would not escape the bite of punishment, of pain,” his fist tensed – and relaxed, “but, I am not alone
.
We must all live
with
the decision.”

“Then I shall send for the magistrate, let the authorities deal with this vermin.
”
Rose didn’t even turn her
glance to Mitter as she spoke.

“Yes.
”
Wulf thrust the point of the sword down
.
It pierced the rug and
stuck in the floor
.
“Dammit, n
o
.
Who would believe the tale we tell
?
Troy
.
Treasure maps
.
Buried riches
.
He’d probably be back at his books in a fortnight.
”
He yanked the sword free with one hand.

Rose curled her hand into a fist, her nails scraping against the palm she held
.
“Then what?”

“Exile, I think
.
He dreamed of fa
r off lands – let him live them.
”
Wulf sounded sure, but not satisfied.

“Yes.
”
It was not enough, but she could see the sense of it
.
“I
want him gone from my home with
in the hour, from the village within the day, and from this country within the fortnight.”

Mitter looked up
,
startled, her words had penetrated his fear
.
“Leave, but I can’t leave yet
.
I’ve only . . .
”

Rose did not even look at him, she turned to Wulf
.
Wulf did not move other than his eyes
.
He turned such a glare on Mitter, such a freezing dead stare, a look that demonstrated just what demons lurked behind his careful words
.
Mitter’s mouth clamped shut, not another syllable escaped.

Wulf rubbed his finger against her hand, opening it, ‘til their hands lay flat together, palm to palm
.
Rose could feel his muscles ease as the contact increased
.
He spoke quietly, weighing each word.

“It will
be
so
.
I will take care of it.”

Wulf took the maps and books
and hurried notes
,
and lifting them placed them back in the chest
.
He did not glance at them once
.
Mitter remained silent.

Wulf jerked his head towards the door, and Mitter slunk forward
.
“Wimberly leaves for London on the morrow
.
I believe he has much experience sending refuse on its way
.
He dreamed of finding ancient cities, maybe we’ll let him experience just how enjoyable digging for the
m is
.
Of course, as the patron
s of such an – expedition we’d be entitled to any treasure found.
”

Mitter’s head drooped completely at that and Rose could only nod as Wulf shepherded him out of the room
.
She heard Wulf call to a footman and then the heavy thump of the front door
.

It was over
.
She collapsed into the chair and felt her heart begin to beat again
.
It was over and again Wulf had proved his strength, his willingness to let her lean
.
It was not a familiar experience, but neither was it an unpleasant one.

She leaned her head back against the chair and considered, planned, listed.

Wulf found her just as the sun
set behind the woods, sending startling bursts of crimson across the sky
.
She reclined on the low stone wall of the terrace, her gaze far off in the distance, the dying sunlight turning her hair the clear color of amber
.
For a moment he just stood and watched
.
She was the most beautiful thing he had ever known
.
He’d been right that first time he saw her
,
when he’d thoug
ht she was all he aspired to – a s
imple village lass or queen of the manor – she was all he needed.

“He is gone
.
Wimberl
e
y will collect him in the morning
.
He will not step on English shores again.”

Rose nodded, but did not look his way
.
Her shoulders were straight and stiff.

He walked towards her
.
“I talked to the vicar
.
I’ve arranged for a ceremony at noon tomorrow in the chapel.”

She was silent for a moment her gaze still locked on some distant view
.
When she spoke it was so softly he had to strain to hear
.
“This isn’t what I wanted
,
you know.”

“I know.” His chest tightened as she spoke.

“I always know what I want and I am always right
.
I had such a perfect plan
.
I knew just how everything should be.
”
Her voice shook with emotion.

He didn’t trust himself to speak
.
He’d known he wasn’t what she wanted, but to hear her state it so bluntly.

“I had the rest of my life planned, and in little more than a week you’ve turned it all around
.
You’ve taken the staid, calm life I was planning and turned it into wonder and adventure
.
How could you do that?”