Rescued By the Spy

by Laura A. Barnes

  Charles spoke to her quietly as not to frighten her.

  “When I awoke after we made love this morning and you were gone; I was frightened you had vanished again.”

  Raina listened as he talked in his soft soothing voice. He spoke so soft and gentle as if he was talking to a wounded animal.

  “It seemed to be every time you were within my grasp you would disappear. I have searched for you for months. Every emotion a man can feel towards a woman, I have felt towards you. I almost convinced myself you were not worth the trouble. But every night when I would close my eyes I would picture the tortured look in yours and remember the care you gave me. The care and love that saved my life. I owe you my life.”

  “You owe me nothing Charles.”

  “That is where you are wrong my dear. I owe you the same gift you gave to me.”

  Raina rolled over, water splashing onto the floor. She pressed the front of her wet slick body into his. She trailed her fingers over the droplets of water on his chest.

  “But I have given you no gifts.”

  “You gave me the gift in believing. Believing when, no matter the depth of somebody’s deception, there is innocence lurking beneath. With innocence there is a heart portraying what is true in the end.”

  “Those are a fool’s thoughts.”

  “Then I am a fool.”

  Raina rolled back over and sat up in the tub. Standing up, she reached for the towel and dried off her body. She felt too vulnerable lying in the tub naked with him. Not only with her body naked to his eyes, but also her soul. She recognized in his eyes what was reflecting in hers. He thought to save her. She did not want his salvation or his gratitude. What she desired from him was too huge a wish to think she could have.

  Wandering over to her valise, she pulled out a dress for dinner. She would play along with his little marital scene for the servant’s sake. She would even discuss with Charles the information he sought after, but that is where it ended. There would be no happily ever after where the hero saves the heroine from all that is evil. Raina grasped of no other way of life, she witnessed enough destruction throughout her lifetime to know better. Those were fairy tales or the story of romance novels. Not the ever after of a spy whose main goal was to destroy the exact people who ruined her life.

  Charles finished his bath watching her dress. He regarded her quiet pensive mood and saw the gears working in her mind. She might be resigned to her circumstances for the time being, but he knew she was already planning her escape route. He would let her plan, but he would not let her follow through with any of them.

  Stepping from the tub, he dried off, wrapping the towel around his hips as he went to her. She had her back to him looking out the window. He did the buttons up her dark green gown. It was not elegant by any means but serviceable for her needs, he imagined. The need for her to slip in and out without being noticed. The only downfall to her plans was her alone dressed in rags would draw attention to her. Which is probably why she always was wearing hideous make-up to disguise her true beauty.

  There was no other beauty compared to her in his eyes. With her long dark hair tumbled in waves around her shoulders, to the curves wrapped around her body. She was every man’s fantasy. But to him it was her eyes that drew him to her. They held a vulnerability only he could see. Which was how he could read her; through her eyes. He knew when she was scheming, sad and when her desire for him was strong. There was one he never witnessed, which was happiness. It was an emotion he wanted to see reflected in her dark eyes. He wanted to see them lighten with joy.

  “We are at my parent’s cottage, they used to come here to escape the pressure of society.”

  “Where is here?” Raina tried to find out the exact whereabouts of the cottage.

  Charles ignored her question.

  “They brought me here when I was young. It has gotten little use in the last few years.”

  “Why?”

  “It was hard for my father to come back here. The place holds too many memories of my mother.”

  “What happened to your mother?”

  “She died from a fever a few years after Ivy was born. She contacted pneumonia after getting caught in a rainstorm,” Charles explained.

  “I am sorry for your loss,” Raina murmured.

  Charles pulled her back into his arms and pressed a kiss to the back of her head. He held her there as they watched the sun set across the open fields. The fiery gaze stretching out for miles as it began its descent into sleep. Turning into a pale orange as it tried to stay awake granting the open country a few more moments of light.

  Charles turned Raina around and kissed her playfully on the nose.

  “Shall we do justice to Mrs. Hobbs’ dinner my dear Lady Mallory,” he teased her wanting to see her smile.

  Raina granted him with a small grin. As she looked him up and down, she arched her eyebrow at him and whispered in her husky French accent, “You are a bit underdressed Lord Mallory for our wedding feast.” She teased him back.

  Charles threw back his head and laughed. His laughter vibrated off them in waves. His relaxed manner encouraged her to relax with him. She joined in his laughter with her own small chuckle. As he pulled away from her to dress, Raina was chilled at the loss of his embrace. When he threw her a smile over his shoulder, she felt his heat warm her again. His enjoyment filled her with a sense of belonging to something more powerful than she could imagine. It was the joy of contentment, of belonging again to somebody more than herself.

  After Charles had finished dressing in fresh shirt and trousers, he offered his arm to her. She noted he had dressed plain to make her feel more comfortable. No cravats, vest, or suit coat. He did not need to portray the aristocratic gentleman, he was only a man escorting his “wife” to dinner in their country cottage.

  As they made their way to the small dining room situated in the back corner of the cottage, they breathed the delicious aromas of Mrs. Hobbs’ dinner she prepared. She had set up the table in a romantic setting with candles in the center. Next to Raina’s plate lay a single red rose. The rest of the tabletop’s dishes were filled with so many delicacies. Raina could see smoked duck, roasted asparagus, tiny potatoes in a creamy sauce. It was what sat in the center that brought tears to her eyes. There next to the candles, sat a small wedding cake. It was decorated with tiny pink roses made from icing, strung across the cake. Raina could tell Mrs. Hobbs made the cake with love.

  She felt guilty for deceiving the kind woman. Since there was not a thing she could do about it, she decided to enjoy her time with Charles. When it came time for her to leave, she would apologize for their deception.

  Charles sat her in her chair and Raina picked up the rose to smell. Lowering her head, she brought the flower to her nose, smelling in the sweet fragrance while covering her eyes. She did not want Charles to realize the effect the table had on her.

  Charles sat next to her, pulling his chair up to the small table. Mrs. Hobbs had outdone herself once again. He needed to reward her handsomely for this. It was perfect. He watched the effect it had on Raina and knew it was working. Now all Charles wanted was for the evening to work its magic. To let things, progress slowly, it would be the only way to capture her heart.

  Over the course of dinner, Charles was the ultimate gentleman. He did not pressure Raina into discussing her “adventures,” instead he regaled her with stories of his youth. Making her laugh at the jokes he would pull on his sister Ivy and his grand exploits with his friends. His charming attitude even relaxed Raina into sharing a few of her fond memories of her brother. It was the first time since his death, the pain of losing him wasn’t so intense. Maybe it was the way Charles listened to her and asked questions that drew her out of the shell of pain she surrounded herself with. It was as if a giant weight was lifting from her heart, instead of only remembering pain she could now remember the joy he had brought to her life.

  There would never be a day that goes by she won’t miss her parents and bro
ther. The pain and loneliness were too deep. But talking with Charles made her recall the fond memories and the love she felt for them. That is what she needed to remember and feel the most.

  Charles could see Raina unwinding as they discussed their youth. He saw the weariness leave her eyes. While her eyes still showed deep sadness, tiredness, and a small amount of fear he also saw a spark. A spark of life. A spark he wanted to enlarge to a flame.

  Raina eyed the scrumptious cake sitting before them.

  “It looks too lovely to eat,” Raina sighed.

  Charles laughed, “But we must my dear, we do not want to hurt Mrs. Hobbs’ feelings, do we?”

  Raina joined in with his laughter, “Of course not, ‘dear husband.’ We must do her cake the justice it deserves.”

  Raina pulled the cake towards them. She handed Charles a fork. With a wink at him, she dug her fork into the delicious cake. The moist cake slid between her lips, dissolving in her mouth. Bringing the fork slowly out of her mouth, she made sure to lick off every drop of sweet frosting along the way. She moaned in delight as she licked her lips.

  “Oh, that was amazing. You must try a bite Lord Mallory.”

  Charles groaned inwardly at the sight of Raina eating cake. He would never have thought the mere sight of a woman taking a bite of cake could fuel his desires. The image she portrayed as she licked her fork clean, turned him hard as stone. He wanted to be the frosting she licked off her lips. He imagined doing more than that with the frosting.

  “Don’t mind if I do Lady Mallory,” he said as he dipped his finger into the frosting on the cake and brought it to his lips. Sliding his finger into his mouth he sampled the sweet confection.

  Raina’s eyes grew large, and she gulped as she watched him savor the frosting. How did he make a mere bite looks so sensual? She stared as he dipped his finger through the frosting again, only this time he coated her lips with it. She guided her tongue around her lips, savoring the sweet taste.

  Charles leaned over and joined his tongue with hers, nibbling on her lips. Kissing her slowly he drew out every sweet flavor between their lips. Their tongues tangled into slow strokes. Long slow strokes filled their souls. The kiss controlled their senses where the only thing they felt or tasted was one another. Their needs poured over into the kiss, making it all consuming. Their passion filled kiss became soul shattering.

  Charles pulled back from the kiss and gently pressed one more kiss upon her lips.

  “Mmm, yes amazing.”

  Then he pulled back and ate the cake as if the kiss and not even transpired between them. He caught her watching him in a daze and winked at her. He nodded towards the cake, for her to join him.

  Raina couldn’t believe how he sat there eating at the darn cake, so nonchalantly as if they had not shared the most powerful kiss she ever had in her life. Then he did the unexpected and reached for her hand to hold, she noticed the small tremble and the pressure of his control. Looking up into his eyes she saw his desire, but realized he was holding himself back. It was then Raina understood, he was giving her time. Time, she needed to heal. He would be there for her in every way that mattered.

  Raina smiled up at him then, a smile of gratitude. Picking up her fork, she joined him in eating the most delicious cake she had ever tasted.

  Chapter Fourteen

  MAKING HER WAY ALONG the garden path, Raina took in the magnificent colors surrounding her. The flowers were awakening to life this morning from a deep sleep. Drops of dew glistened on their petals, some dropping like pearls into the air. As she took a deep breath, Raina drew in the sweet air of the country. Relaxing for the first time in months, she let her fingers glide across the top of the flowers. Coming to a rosebush, she noticed a few petals had fallen from a rose. Bending over, she picked up the discarded petals. Carrying them in her palm, she sat upon the bench nearby.

  She spread them in her lap, her fingers going over the soft, smooth texture. They formed around her fingers to cling on. Bringing one to her face, she caressed the petal across her cheek. Smiling to herself of the simple pleasure, she closed her eyes. Raina sat there for a while and let the sun warm her spirits.

  Lost in her thoughts, she was unaware when Charles had joined her on the bench. She had sensed his presence before he spoke but stayed silent. She knew he wanted to talk. Last night after dinner, he escorted her to her own room. After placing a chaste kiss upon her lips, he wished her sweet dreams. She laid in bed wondering at his act of chivalry when she drifted off to sleep.

  “What dangerous game are you playing?” he asked her.

  “I am not playing any games Mallory, I am only out for revenge.”

  “Look where revenge landed you last time.”

  She turned her head towards him and gave him a bittersweet smile, “I would have never met you if it wasn’t for that revenge.”

  “But you were ultimately wrong in that vengeance.”

  “Yes, but I am correct this time. This time I will destroy the man who destroyed my family.”

  “In the end it will destroy you. It has already begun to.”

  “I don’t see any other way. He must be stopped.”

  “And I will stop him, but not at the expense of losing you.”

  “But you do not have me.”

  “Don’t I?” Charles asked as he fingered the lace around her shoulders. He rubbed the fabric in between his fingers, back and forth.

  Raina moved her shoulders out of his reach.

  “Just because you bedded me twice, does not mean you own me Mallory.”

  Charles leaned closer to her, sliding his hand around to her neck. He rubbed her tenseness away, showing her a patience which made her weary. His thumb worked into her skin, easing her tight muscles into jelly. He bent his head to whisper in her ear, “I never said I owned you.”

  Raina rose from the bench and moved a few paces away. She could not think with him so near, touching her and whispering in her ear. He took over her emotions to where all she did was feel. Feelings that had no room in this time and place. Looking over she saw him sprawled out, with his arms spread wide across the back of the bench. He had one leg thrown over the other, crossed over his knee. As calm and carefree as he tried to portray, Raina saw the one thing which gave him away. He couldn’t keep his foot still. His shoe bounced up and down through the air. Not fast and quick, but enough for Raina to see his agitation.

  Her father had trained her on this. He taught her to take notice of the people surrounding her. Everybody always displayed body language that gave away to their true feelings he would say. So, while it would appear Charles was waiting to be patient, he wanted answers sooner than later.

  “Why did you go to Blackstone’s?”

  “Your sister needed me to deliver a letter of apology.”

  “You knew he was involved with Shears, how could you put yourself in that danger?”

  “But you are forgetting, I wasn’t at risk. I was Ivy Thornhill’s companion Mrs. Whitlow, who was delivering a personal message to his lordship,” Raina said in her Mrs. Whitlow impersonation.

  Charles glared at her sarcasm.

  “Exactly how personal did the message end up being Raina?”

  “I did not kill him Charles, he was already stabbed when his butler showed me into his study.”

  “Then why didn’t his butler help him?”

  “He was unaware of his injury, when the butler closed the door, his lordship motioned for me to come closer. He grabbed my arm and whispered that I was next, laughing as he died. What I do not comprehend is how he realized who I was.”

  “This is where you are naïve in the game we play. Every player in this game knows their opponents and what their next moves will be. That is why we continue going around in circles until one of us can outsmart our enemy. This game will continue for years. I for one am ready for this to end, I have too many loved one’s lives at stake.”

  Raina paced back and forth along the path in the garden, listening to his words.
She still didn’t understand how her identity was leaked. She had been so careful in her disguises, she had fooled many people, including the Thornhills. There was only one man she was trusting with her secrets, he would not betray her, would he? If so, he was also betraying Mallory and the Thornhills. Was he friend or foe?

  “Maxwell.”

  “What about him?”

  “He was the only one who had knowledge of my whereabouts and wasn’t he the one who was present when you were beaten to near death again?”

  Charles shook his head in denial.

  “It was not him. I recognize he is in a bad place and cannot be trusted. Maxwell would not intentionally put either one of us in danger.” Charles defended his friend.

  “He will if it will gain him the information he desires more than everything else.”

  “He is on our side, he is undercover.

  “Maxwell is after his own agenda don’t you see Charles. He is not working to stop Shears, he is after information only Shears holds. He is nothing but his pawn. Maxwell will help destroy us if he can gain what he most desires.”

  “And what is that my dear?

  “You are his ‘trusted friend,’ don’t you know?”

  He didn’t want to believe Maxwell could betray him with Shears. Maybe he was in trouble and ought to be extracted. No, she was wrong. Maxwell was playing his cover well if he was able to fool everybody that trusted in him. He needed to convince Raina that Maxwell was on their side.

  “Maxwell will not betray his friends and country for any reason. He is but playing a part in this game. He must gain the trust of Shears to help end him. If along the way he must pass him information, it will not be any details that put us in harm.”

  Raina could see she was not getting through to Charles about Maxwell. She kneeled in between his knees and grabbed a hold of his hands.

  “I realize this is hard for you to believe, but for everybody’s sake, you need to see your once trusted friend has gone over to the enemy’s side. For whatever reasons, he is no longer one of you and he cannot be trusted.”