The Lady and the Earl (43 page)

Allana took her large lunch and placed it in front of her on Lancelot’s saddle before spurring the giant horse to a gallop toward her sanctuary.

*
             
*
             
*

Declan
watched from the giant window at the top of the stairs
as Allana rode gracefully away, her
hair flow
ing
behind her.  She looked so regal on the back of that magnificent horse.  His heart
ached
.  He needed her and wanted her beyond anything he possessed.  Could he believe she was innocent of these dreadful rumors?  He wanted to, but it hurt too badly to hope.  Maybe he should just
challenge
Lucas to a duel and be done with him. 

“My
Lord
,” Arden said, interrupting
Declan
’s
thoughts.  “You called for me?”

“Yes, Arden,”
Declan
said
,
turning to his butler.  “Yes, I did.”  He would have to deal with Allana another time. 
There were more important things that needed his attention right then.

It was a beautiful ride to her secluded lake, but Allana did
n’t
care or notice today.  She cut through fields and pas
sed
farms
,
not bothering to wave or visit with the workers like she often did on these rides.  She just wanted to be alone and in a place she knew she
couldn’t
be touched. 

Soon she came upon the grove of trees where, in the middle, her lake remained undisturbed.  She followed her usual course, winding through the dense foliage of trees and
brush to the small stream which led to her lake.  Finally, after an hour of riding, she came to the briers that blocked the path and removed the barrier
she’d
created after cutting herself a passageway
those
many years ago.  She led Lancelot through the opening before replacing the brambles.

She walked to the edge of the cliff face where the stream tumbled to the lake below.  The beauty of the clear lake calmed her nerves slightly.  It was always the perfect remedy for any mood she was in.  Today she felt angry and hurt.  She needed to calm these feelings a bit more in order to think about how to approach the accusations
Declan
had shouted at her.  The way to do so would be to soak in the crystal-like water. 

She led Lancelot away from the edge of the cliff and followed a w
o
rn path down the right side of the rocky ledge.  This was the path she always took to get down to the lake’s edge.  Once on level ground she walked to a clear, grassy area where she unsaddled Lancelot and let him roam free.  The lake and meadow were well protected with the cliff on one side and briers and dense forest surrounding the other sides.  In some places the foliage grew right up to the edge of the lake, making it impossible to climb in or out of the lake there.  The area
where
she unsaddled Lancelot was one of the few places which gradually declined into the deep water, allowing a person to slowly wade into it.  Anywhere else demanded you to either fight your way through trees and foliage or jump off part of the cliff.      

It was a perfect day for swimming.  The sun was out, and the air was warm.  Allana pulled her blanket out of her saddlebags and spread it upon the grass.  She then proceeded to remove her clothes and slippers and lay them on the blanket until she was in nothing but her shift.  She walked to the shore of the lake, preparing to wade in when she heard some rustling in the brush.  She stopped short and looked around, trying to find the source, and spotted a rabbit
dashing into the undergrowth. 

“You had better run, little man.  I cause quite a splash,” she said aloud with a smile.  She giggled at her
words
almost forgetting the pain she had suffered earlier.  But then it hit her again, causing a sigh of
anger to escape her lips. 
Lucas created those lies
Declan
clearly believed
.
  He had to have, but why?  She knew the answer before
finishing
the thought.  It was to punish her for choosing
Declan
over him.  And it had worked.  Now she had to find a way to convince
Declan
the rumors were false, and the only real way to do that would be to tell him the truth of
Lucas’s
bruta
lity.  No, she wouldn’t give in
to
Declan
’s
childish behavior.  If
he’d
been man enough, he would have asked her about the rumors.  Instead, he accepted them without hesitation, not even giving her the benefit of the doubt. 

“He i
s
nothing but an insolent ass!” s
he practically shouted, feeling slightly better for it.  What else could she do to make herself feel better?     

She looked at the clear water from the lake and smiled deviously.  She was
n’t
going to wear her shift today.  She would swim naked.  She felt defiant, and stripping off her shift satisfied this feeling.  She waded into the water and let her body adjust to its cool temperature before submerging completely.  She swam for a bit, letting the water wash away her frustrations, but her anger at
Declan
’s
accusing words lingered.  She wanted to scream at the top of her lungs.  The need to do something else defiant pressed upon her. 

She looked up at the small waterfall coming from the stream above.  It was exhilarating to jump from there. 
She’d
done it several times in the past, but never in the nude.  In fact, this
was the first time she’
d ever swum in the nude.  She smiled her devious smile once more and swam over to the falling water where she climbed out onto the rocks and proceeded to climb the path to the top. 

As she stood above the lake, she felt a little foolish and insecure standing there exposed the way she was.  What if someone saw her like this?  She glanced around self-consciously to make sure no one was around.  What was she thinking?  Nobody knew about this place, so no one would see her.  She smiled to herself at her foolishness.  Then she spread her arms wide before diving gracefully off the twenty-foot ledge. 

The breeze from the fall was cool against her bare skin as she soared through the air down toward the water.  She felt so sleek without her shift flailing about her.  She sliced through the water with hardly a splash, submerging into its depths.  She kicked her feet and floated smoothly to the surface, inhaling deeply as she emerged from the water.  That had definitely been worth it.  It was amazing how free she felt.  She didn’t realize one simple piece of cloth could make such a difference.  Closing her eyes she floated carelessly on her back, finally beginning to relax from her argument with
Declan
.

“So this is where you go
every day
.” 

Allana
immediately
righted herself and glanced around frantically.  Terror filled her insides.  He was behind her she realized, turning her head around to find the man who had spoken.  He was
crouched down
next to her blanket and clothes with his arms crossed over his knees, watching her delightedly. 
He’d
let his horse wander over to join Lancelot, so
he
could watch her.

“What are you doing here
?” she
asked with a bit of hysteria in her voice.  “How did you find me
?”
She
stayed out in the middle of the lake treading water, trying to stay as far away from him as possible.  How long had he been here watching her?

“It was
not
difficult
.  I s
imply followed your tracks.  I would
have to say, though,
I was thrown o
ff your trail when I lost them up there in the stream.  But then I heard your
sweet
voice,
and, upon further examination of the briers blocking the stream, I realized someone had placed them there.  Very clever,” he said with amusement.  “Now let me ask you a question.”  His mood sobered, and a dark look entered his eyes.  “Are you expecting company
?” he
asked motioning to the blanket.   

“What if I am?  What are you going to do then
?” she
said defiantly, turning to face him while trying not to expose her
bare body
.  She
needed
to get to her clothes, but how?

“Do not
test me, Allana.  You
’
re
not in much of a position to.  Now answer the damn question,” he replied dangerously.

She shrank back a little from his anger.  “What will you do when you know the answer?  Will you even believe it
?” she
asked in return.

“For your sake, I hope I do.”

Allan
a
looked away from him.  “No, I’
m not expecting anyone,” she said quietly.

“Good,”
came
his smug reply.  He eyed her, contemplating his next move.

Allana squirmed in the water uncomfortably under his scrutinizing gaze.  She needed her clothes, but how was she going to get them?  “Will you please throw me my clothes
?” she
asked calmly in
hopes he would comply.  It
didn’t
hurt to simply ask for what she needed.

“You could come to shore and get them if it pleases you,” he replied pleasantly as he lounged on her blanket and pulled an apple out of her lunch to eat.

“Ha!” s
he exclaimed, then after a moment asked hopefully, “Would you turn around so I could?”

“Why should I?  Yo
u’
re my
wife
,” he stated, emphasiz
in
g the last word.  “Besides, I’
ve already seen you, and I must say it was a very pleasant sight.” 

*
             
*
             
*

Declan
smiled as Allana’s pretty face turned red.  He was quite pleased he decided to come after her.  It had taken a while to make that choice, but watching her naked body squirm in the
clear water made him glad he’
d waited to follow. 

Earlier, after
Declan
had
watched Allana ride away, he’
d tried to get some work done, but she was all he could think about.  After about half an hour of staring blankly at papers and having Arden ask him several times if he was
well
,
Declan
decided to follow her.  He had to know if she was meeting with Lucas.  He
needed
to witness her infidelity for himself before he could ac
cept it.  So he’
d tracked her to this spot.  The spot where he thought he would find his wife wrapped in another man’s arms.  He was pleasantly surprised to find her alone and
bare
.  If
he’d
left sooner, he might not have had the opportunity to see her magnificent form dive off the cliff.       

“Oh, so
now
I a
m your wife,” she scoffed.  “That still
doesn’t
mean you have the right to see me this way, especially after the things you accused me of earlier!  Now please turn around, so I can come to shore and get dressed,” she said sounding more desperate than angry.

“Ah, let me think about it.”  He paused briefly, “No, I
don’t
think so,” he replied.  He
’
d made up his mind.  She was his, and he was going to make sure she knew it.  He
couldn’t
hold back any longer, especially now after finding her so magnificently alone.  Yes, they were both very much alone.  He smiled at the thought.  He was enjoying himself immensely.  All his fears about her and his determination to push her away had evaporated at the sight of her.  “Actually, I think I might take a dip myself.”

“You wouldn’t,” she screeched, looking frantically around for an escape route. 

He laughed lightly at her reaction.  Then he tossed his apple toward the horses and began tugging at his boots, watching Allana the entire time. 

She
panicked when he pulled off the first boot and started working on the other one.  “Don’t you dare,” she said heatedly
,
splashing water toward him. 
“
Declan
, stop!  It’s indecent.” 

“How is it indecent
?  We’
re married,” he stated as he stood to un-tuck his shirt.