Vengeance 02 - Trust In Me (21 page)

He did his best to ignore the tension in the chamber as he sat on the edge of the bed to remove his boots. He swore he could feel her eyes boring into his back. By the time he’d removed his tunic, she’d turned away again, much to his relief.

After a long moment of hesitation, he removed his chausses and got under the covers. The heat of her body had warmed the bed linens, and that in turn heated him in unwelcome places.

He laid back, arms crossed behind his head and stared at the canopy above him determined to think of something else. Hadn’t he lain in this very spot not long ago, thinking how quickly things could change? After the events of the past fortnight, he couldn’t hazard a guess at what the next one might bring.

*

The dream was vivid, filled with sensations so real that Elizabeth sighed with pleasure. Heat encompassed her, creating a haven beneath the covers from which she had no desire to emerge.

A feeling of well-being flooded her as she stretched within the strong arms that held her. Hard thighs molded her own. A heavy arm pulled her more tightly against the firm heat of his body. Desire speared through her as she wiggled her bottom to rest more comfortably against him.

Surely, she was dreaming.

Lips nuzzled the back of her neck, and Nicholas groaned softly. Shivers rippled down her spine at the sound and pleasure followed. She shifted again to enjoy the texture of his muscled body against her own. Strong hands encased her hips to draw her back against his groin.

She prayed she was dreaming.

Pleasure coursed through her, and she moaned with enjoyment. His fingers trailed along the sensitive skin of her waist up to her breast, kneading the softness there. She turned in the circle of his arms to allow him better access. Her head came to rest in the curve of his shoulder, her legs intertwined with his.

Desire swept through her in a wave, cutting through her languor. Awareness seeped in even as he pulled her closer.

This was no dream!

Shock filled her as she realized the truth. She was wide awake, enfolded by her husband’s strong arms, cradled by the length of his hard body. But this could not happen. Any moment now, he’d pull away. She couldn’t risk that, couldn’t bear his rejection again.

She opened her eyes and rose up on her elbow, prepared to berate Nicholas for his outrageous behavior, for taking advantage of her sleepy state.

He lay on his side, eyes closed, expression relaxed, his chest rising and falling in sleep.

Somehow, the fact that he wasn’t even awake made her angrier.

“You, sirrah, are a beast!” Before she could think twice on the matter, she lifted her pillow and struck him with it.

He jolted awake, his surprised expression giving her a brief moment of satisfaction. He looked at her incredulously. “What?”

“I am not some simple wench that you can use when you feel the need.” She scrambled off the bed, dismayed to realize her chemise was rucked up about her waist. Her face heated as she glanced back and saw Nicholas was getting an eye-full of her near-naked form. That made her even angrier.
How dare he look at her when he’d made it clear he didn’t want her!

“A knave of the worst sort!” she proclaimed as she threw another pillow at him, then did her best to pull her gown down. The darn thing stuck, and it took her several long moments to untwist it from her waist.

With a wary expression, he lowered the pillow to peek over the top at her. “Are you decent?”

“Of course, I’m decent. You’re the one who isn’t! Need I remind you of the terms of our agreement that you take every opportunity to wave in my face?”

“Do you always awaken so angry?”

With a growl, she looked around for something else to throw at him.

“All right, all right. No need to hit me with anything more.” He sat up in the bed with the pillow held tightly over his lap. His expression appeared rather sheepish. “I apologize, Elizabeth.”

With arms folded across her stomach, she eyed him cautiously. Perhaps he spoke with sincerity. “Thank you.”

“Now, if you’ll turn your back,” he said as he waved toward the window, “I’ll get dressed and leave you in peace.”

She moved away to stand at the window, barely taking note of the beauty of the morning. In no time at all, she heard the door latch. She spun to see it shut behind Nicholas, disappointed that he hadn’t bid her goodbye.

With a sigh, she collapsed on the bench, her anger gone, and closed her eyes. The situation was hopeless. Tears threatened despite her earlier promise to herself to cry no more. Why had she ever suggested that she and Nicholas marry? It had been a huge mistake and would last her entire life.

A picture of her father formed in her mind. The tightness in her throat eased, the tears abated. He was the reason she was here. Her spine straightened. He still needed her to succeed in the task she’d set. She wouldn’t fail him, not like she’d failed in her attempt to protect the others she’d cared for.

She would make the best out of this situation. She’d given her word. Her problems would be dealt with one at a time, and the first task was healing William.

Chapter Twenty-One

Nicholas held still in the chair in William’s chamber, resisting the urge to fidget like a young boy. As best he could, he focused his attention on William rather than on his wife who sat spinning thread, just visible out of the corner of his eye.

He cursed his luck to be trapped there with her. The sweet fragrance lingering outside the door should’ve warned him of her presence. Once he’d entered and found her already with William, he couldn’t very well turn around and leave without looking like an ass. Since she’d already declared him one, he didn’t want to confirm it for her. Again.

She’d given him a reserved nod as he took a seat, her mask of cool politeness in place. They’d lived – nay, existed – in this awkward limbo for three days now, but it felt like an eternity.

Nights were the most painful. Unable to trust himself to keep his distance while he slept, he’d placed a rolled up fur between them, which had successfully kept him on his side of the bed for the past two nights. If he were smarter, he’d find another place to sleep, but he simply couldn’t resist spending the quiet of the night with her.

He actually slept when he lay beside her, the deep, dreamless sleep he’d missed of late. An odd sort of peace came over him once he heard her slow, even breaths and he could push aside his desire for her.

’Twas the strangest thing.

He stole a few moments each dawn to watch her slumber, but left before she woke. To be so close yet unable to touch her – those moments were painful indeed.

“Thank you for the thread and other supplies in the weaving solar.” Elizabeth’s attention remained on the spindle and thread she worked.

“’Tis your money that bought them.” Nicholas thought it only fair that he spend some of her dowry on her. Never mind the pleasure it had given him. He glanced over at her to find an odd expression on her face.

She looked almost disappointed at his response, but said nothing more, leaving him to wonder what she wished his answer would be.

When he’d first entered William’s chamber, he’d been glad she had something to occupy her attention, but her steady movements continually caught his gaze. And kept it. Long, graceful fingers nimbly worked the thread, filling the bobbing spindle in a rhythm that fascinated him.

Damn her and those hands! How was a man supposed to think of anything except those fingers weaving their magic
on him
? He shifted to ease his suddenly uncomfortable position in the chair and dragged his gaze once again back to William.

His nerves stretched taut as the silence grew long. It took all his will not to stand up and drag Elizabeth into his arms, to kiss her and touch her as he had in the cottage. He glared at William, longing to yell at him to do something, anything to break this unbearable tension.

Was it a trick of the light or merely Nicholas’s wish that made William look different? The blue-gray pallor his skin had held since his arrival seemed to have eased. Nicholas had been staring so hard at him that he thought perhaps he imagined it. He refused to ask his annoyingly polite wife if she thought the same.

As he watched, William’s lashes fluttered.

Nicholas’s breath caught. Had he seen what he thought he had? He stared intently, his breath suspended.

There! Surely his brow had wrinkled for a moment. Nicholas’s heart stuttered in disbelief.

“Did you see that?” Elizabeth asked, her voice quavering with the same desperate hope he felt. “He moved his finger.”

“Tr – ” He cleared the emotion from his throat so he could speak. “Truly?”

Elizabeth stood behind him, clutching his shoulder as she leaned forward to stare at William.

Nicholas wasn’t sure where to watch for more movement. His gaze bounced between William’s face and his hands.

“Say his name,” she commanded.

“What?”

“Say it. The familiar sound of your voice might help rouse him.” Elizabeth’s tone brooked no argument.

“William? Can you hear me?”

No response.

Elizabeth prodded him in the back, and he took it as a signal to move forward.

He rose to sit on the side of the bed and reached for his brother’s hand. “Wake up, Will.”

This time, William’s mouth twitched.

“Oh!” Elizabeth gasped in delight. “He moved again!” She poked Nicholas as though to make certain he was truly watching. “Come back to us, William.”

“Open your eyes, brother,” Nicholas demanded. He fisted his free hand to prevent himself from grabbing William and shaking him. Instead he rubbed William’s arm with a trembling hand. “You’ve slept long enough.”

Nicholas’s efforts were rewarded. A soft moan, a lift of his fingers, a quirk of his brow, followed by a shift of his head. Then, to Nicholas’s delight, William’s eyes opened.

Wild joy swept through Nicholas. “William!”

His brother’s brown eyes narrowed, his unfocused gaze shifting around the chamber before landing on Nicholas.

“Good God, Will,” Nicholas exclaimed as his heart hammered madly. “’Tis past time you rejoined the living.”

William offered him a small smile before his eyes drifted closed.

“William!” Panic struck Nicholas as he grabbed his brother’s hand.

“Christ, Nicholas. Give me a moment.” William’s gravelly tone eased Nicholas’s fear.

Elizabeth touched his shoulder, reminding him of her presence. She bent down and whispered to him. At first, the words made no sense over the rush of warmth created by her breath in his ear. His mind absorbed her meaning at last. “Keep speaking to him.”

“Open your eyes again, William,” he commanded.

William’s eyes opened, then closed. He licked his lips.

Before Nicholas comprehended the meaning behind his brother’s action, Elizabeth was beside William with a cup.

“Here’s some water,” she said to him, as she held it to his lips.

William lifted his head unsteadily and sipped. “Thank you,” he murmured. His gaze rested briefly on her, his expression puzzled, before looking back to Nicholas. “What happened?”

“You were struck down during a joust. You took a blow to the head and you have a deep gash on your shoulder.” He looked at Elizabeth for a moment, wondering what more he should explain. But her joy was palpable, her face radiant as she gazed at William. Now was not the time to deal with the details of what had occurred or her involvement in them. He shifted his attention back to his brother. “We’re not sure how it came to pass.”

William’s only response was to frown. His eyes drifted closed again. “So tired,” he murmured.

“Nay! William, please!” Nicholas couldn’t bear to lose him to unconsciousness again so soon after he’d awakened.

With effort, William opened his eyes. His gaze caught once again on Elizabeth. “Why are
you
here?”

Elizabeth froze, her face suddenly pale.

Nicholas cursed his own stupidity. He should’ve guessed that Elizabeth’s presence might upset his brother. He hated to think how William would react when Nicholas told him of their marriage. What had he done by binding himself to his brother’s enemy?

Before Nicholas could try to explain, William’s eyes drifted closed again. “Need to rest,” he muttered and turned his head to a more comfortable position on his pillow. Within moments, his soft breathing told of a deep sleep. The steady rhythm – not quite a snore – was music to Nicholas’s ears.

Elizabeth drew a deep breath, her expression brittle, her joy of a moment past snuffed out by William’s words. She looked everywhere around the chamber except at Nicholas. “I’ll send one of the servants to fetch Mildred. She’ll want to see him.” Before he could utter a word, she left.

Nicholas turned back to his brother, his happiness at William’s recovery dimmed. Why hadn’t he anticipated this? The obvious pain in Elizabeth’s expression burned in his mind.

With a shake of his head, he told himself the important thing was that William had awoken. Certainly, he had a long road ahead of him. He’d need rest before easing back into life.

He’d warn Elizabeth to stay away from William until he’d had a chance to explain the situation to his brother. He only hoped he could make William understand why his former captor was now Nicholas’s wife.

*

Elizabeth eased the door of their chamber shut behind her, certain that if she slammed it, she’d shatter into a thousand pieces.

Somehow, she’d managed to find a servant to fetch Mildred and made it back to their chamber without breaking. She leaned against the heavy portal and drew a deep breath, but couldn’t get the air past the tight band across her chest.

William’s question echoed in her mind, a spear of pain accompanying each reverberation. Having Nicholas angry with her had been one thing, but the possibility of William despising her seemed much worse. In her heart, she’d believed Nicholas to be wrong about most of the things of which he’d accused her.

Now, doubt hung over her.

If William felt the same way Nicholas did, that seemed to mean Nicholas had been right all along to be so angry with her. Though she’d known it unlikely that William would remember anything about her explanation of where she would take him and why, she’d never dreamed he’d hate her for it.

Surely that had been hate she’d heard in his tone.

She hadn’t thought of how she’d feel if William loathed her for what she’d done. Regardless of the deeds of her father, only she was to blame for hauling William in the cart. She had to believe that journey had worsened his condition considerably. When she’d arrived at Staverton, she shouldn’t have abandoned him at the gate. She should’ve announced herself and begged Nicholas for mercy and offered to tend William.

But nay. She’d made things worse. Both men thought her a villain with no honor. There was simply no way to fix this. No way to make amends for what she’d done. William and Nicholas detested her for her actions. She’d gained nothing and lost everything.

Her breath came in short pants. Her heart raced. Panic welled up inside her. William was right. She shouldn’t be here. She had to leave.

Now.

At once. The idea of facing either brother again was unbearable.

She ran to her chest at the foot of the bed. Frantic, she dug through the clothing and linens until she found what she sought – the leather bag she’d brought with her the day she’d left Amberley.

Had that been only a fortnight ago?

She yanked it out and stuffed it with the first kirtle she touched, then another, and another. Gowns and undertunics littered the floor as she worked, her movements frenzied. She needed to leave a message for Nicholas, perhaps she could entrust Mary with it. She’d tell him... Her movements paused.

What? She’d tell him what?

That once again, she’d fled? That she couldn’t face the consequences of her actions, and she had to go? Her hands faltered as her mind stumbled over the reality of her leaving. She sat back on her heels, the band across her chest so much tighter than the simple gold band that adorned her left hand.

Nay. She couldn’t break the vows she’d spoken. She couldn’t leave.

She had to face both Nicholas and William with her head held high. Though they might not believe her, she knew that she’d meant no harm. She’d only tried to do what she thought best for everyone involved. And her father still needed her protection.

Her heart heavy, she lifted the bulging bag and set it back inside the chest, then shoved the clothing strewn about the floor in as well and closed the lid.

She covered her face with her hands. What a fine mess she’d made of things. Nothing was to be done but live with it. To move forward with this life as best she could. To ignore her own hurt and focus on making up for the pain she’d caused Nicholas and William.

She heard a sound at the door and rose slowly, certain it would be Nicholas. She glanced around the chamber to make sure the evidence of her aborted departure was hidden from view. Hopefully, he came with further information on William’s recovery.

Or perhaps he’d come to ask her to leave after all.

The door opened, revealing the tall form of her husband. She tried to read his expression but couldn’t tell what thoughts his mind held.

“William?” she asked.

“He’s sleeping. I think he’s sleeping.” He frowned as though not quite convinced that was true.

“He’ll continue to need lots of rest.” She held herself still, trying not to wring her hands or reveal the depth of her distress in any way, holding desperately on to her mask of polite concern. “Did Mildred arrive yet?”

Nicholas nodded. “She didn’t say much other than to tell him it was about time he woke. Mary is sitting with him now.”

Elizabeth attempted a smile, but couldn’t manage to make it convincing. Her heart hurt too much.

Nicholas’s expression was somber, his blue eyes intent on her. What could he be thinking?

Finally, he cleared his throat and moved to where she stood. “Elizabeth, I think you should stay away from William, at least until I have a chance to explain...things to him.”

Heat flooded her cheeks as an even stronger wave of hurt rolled through her. Words escaped her, so she simply nodded, clenching her jaw to keep her emotions in check.