Summer of the Moon Flower (The de Vargas Family)

by Seaton, Annie

Voices drifted over the wall and she rose and moved to the gate. Dougal stood with Edward of Kilmarnock on the grassy rise leading to the beach and she quickly crossed to them with hope in her heart.

  Perhaps if Edward was here, all was well and she could leave.

  Dougal watched her without expression as she opened the small wooden gate and held it back for the wolfhound to follow her.

  “Edward.” She nodded to the young man and smiled to herself as his face flushed a deep red.

  “Sofia,” he mumbled. “It is…er…it is good to see you looking so well.”

  “And alive,” she replied sharply. “Do you have news?”

  Dougal shook his head at the younger man and Sofia drew a deep breath.

  “Do not treat me like a simpleton.” Her voice rose. “If there is news to be had, I want to know. Anything to get off this godforsaken island and leave this pile of stones behind me,

  “When it is safe, I will tell you and you can go back to your fancy life in Europe.” Dougal’s voice was short and a pang of regret lodged in her chest as the harsh words about his home left her lips. It surprised her but she had actually come to tolerate being on the island and living in his castle.

  Time to think and time to enjoy every day.

  It reminded her of the years she spent in the wilds of Cornwall with Indigo when the twins were born. Her time in Vienna was not her own and she had pondered on the reasons for the moonflower quest.

  Were they interfering with nature? Should they continue their research or now let it go?

  Now that lives were in jeopardy, it was time to rethink their plans, their ambitions, and their quest. Almost as though he had read her thoughts, Dougal continued in a softer tone.

  “Sofia.” She looked up into his face and was surprised to see sympathy on his face.

  “What? What has happened? Is my family safe?”

  Dougal took her hand. “There has been an…incident. In Vienna.”

  She looked from Dougal to Edward. “Tell me.”

  “I have been to Vienna carrying out a task for the Earl of Rothmore.” Edward spoke slowly. “I have spoken with your Professor and with your manservant Henri.”

  He looked at her intently and Dougal held her hand tightly. “The laboratory has been burned to the ground and all of the work destroyed.”

  “The work? Does anything remain?” she asked urgently. Confused thoughts filled her mind. Just as she was wondering about the reason for their quest…to receive this news.

  “The research notes, the elixir…all burned.” Edward’s voice was solemn.

  “The staff?” She looked to Edward as she thought of the professor and how much time he spent at the university.

  “All safe,” replied Edward. “The professor is down in Cornwall with Captain Thoreau and your sister. I delivered him there myself. Henri is keeping watch at your salon where business continues as usual. The other staff are still on their holiday.”

  She turned to Dougal as despair filled her chest. It seemed as though she was no longer needed anywhere. “Please, can I leave here now? Can I go to my sister?”

  He looked at her for a long moment before speaking.

  “No, I am sorry. It is still not safe. It is essential they believe you are dead. There are too many spies in Cornwall. The influence and the money of the Knights have corrupted many across the country.”

  Sofia stamped her foot in anger and the wolfhound gave a low growl. “When? How much longer?”

  Edward turned away as Dougal reached for her and held her close wrapping his strong arms around her.

  “Sofia, I beg of you to be patient. Edward and I are very close to achieving our goal. You have to trust. It is much more than your research and your life that is at stake.” She let her cheek rest on his shoulder and his warmth comforted her which surprised her. He was her captor, he had staged her death and would not let her free, but the simple touch of his skin on hers was enough to make her want to stay in his arms forever.

  She pulled away reluctantly. “So what now?”

  “We continue as we were. You will stay here and Edward and I will continue to work against the Council.”

  Sofia looked up and caught such a look of naked longing on Dougal’s’ face, she shivered and goose bumps skittered down her arms. She shook herself angrily.

  It is the cold wind that makes me shiver, not this man.

  She turned her back to the two men and snapped her fingers at the wolfhound. “Come Zeus, we will go to the kitchen where it is warm and we can have a sensible conversation with Mary.”

  * * * *

  “Come, Edward, we too shall go in from this cold and partake of some wine.” Dougal spoke to the young man as they watched Sofia cross the courtyard. Despite the homespun wool dress, she still carried herself like a lady of quality and her beauty shone through the plain garb. Her hair had lightened from spending so much time outside. He knew she roamed the coast each day searching for a way to escape and he fully understood her desire.

  Dougal looked up at his castle, an awesome grey stone silhouette against the darkening September sky. It was time to finish what they had to do and end the Council’s influence forever. The next few days were critical; Edward had gathered support from the local knights and they were about to make their move.

  Although Dougal was longing to stay in his castle without the constant trips to the mainland, it would be a lonely place once Sofia returned to Vienna. He turned abruptly and went to call his hound, before he remembered the dog’s allegiance was now with Sofia. He smiled grimly; she had bewitched the whole castle, servants and animals alike. Edward opened the gate and they crossed the courtyard to the castle where they would make the final plans to remove the Council.

  Chapter 13

  Mary and Sofia had prepared a special meal in honor of Edward’s visit. Sofia and the two men sat at the large trestle table on the dais to partake of the meal as Mary served and cleared the courses.

  Edward belched and then blushed his usual bright red. “Oh… please forgive me, Madame.”

  Sofia laughed at his embarrassment. “I will take it as a compliment, Edward. Mary has taught me much about preparing meals.”

  Dougal sat back and watched the candlelight play on her face. Shimmering silver light shot from her hair which was bound tightly in braids around her high forehead. Her deep brown eyes looked back at him unwaveringly and it was almost as though he could read her thoughts.

  “I am going to turn in for the night,” Edward said. “If I may be excused?”

  “Certainly,” Dougal replied. “You will need a clear head for tomorrow.”

  Edward bid Sofia goodnight and wandered out through the kitchen. The crackling of the flames in the huge fireplace filled the silence in the cavernous room. There had been a shift between them since he had held Sofia this afternoon in the courtyard and even with Edward between them at the table, the tension filled the room.

  No doubt the reason for his hasty exit.

  He sat back and sipped his wine, conscious of Sofia’s unwavering stare fixed on him.

  “Dougal, would you walk with me?” she asked suddenly.

  “Can I trust you not to assault me and try to escape?” He smiled trying to lighten the tense atmosphere between them.

  “I think you can trust me,” she replied. “I have come to trust you over the course of these weeks.”

  He stood and came around the table to her and held his arm out to her. “We shall walk on the ramparts. It is a clear night.” He looked down at her as she stood and took his arm. There was something about the tilt of her head, the sudden smile that took Dougal by surprise. All antagonism had left her and he sensed her confidence in him was growing.

  “You do know it is almost over?” he asked in a low voice. Sofia’s eyes narrowed as she took his arm and rose to her feet.

  “I believe so,” she replied.

  “You will be free to go.”

  They walked silently across the large room and
into the corridor at the base of the steps leading to the ramparts.

  Sofia chuckled softly and the happy sound filled Dougal’s chest with warmth.

  “I have become accustomed to walking up stairs and not having the convenience of my automated devices in Vienna.”

  “I do not think we will ever have them in Scotland,” replied Dougal. “Even with the death of Queen Victoria and the change in government, the Scottish parliament remains adamant we will not turn to what they call the ‘new fangled’ contraptions.”

  “Not so ‘new fangled’ in England.” Sofia smiled up at him and his heart kicked up a notch as she leaned into him. “One day, I shall take you to visit my sister and you will be quite happy to do without them. The English models are so archaic it is necessary to wear ear muffs to ride in their perambulators.”

  “Their dirigibles are comfortable,” he replied and then he chuckled. “But the poor automaton I took as my wife when I visited your salon in Vienna ended up a pile of springs in the airship. Poor Edward was quite distraught.”

  Their silence was companionable as they climbed the stairs, each lost in their own thoughts. Dougal pushed open the heavy door at the top of the stairs and they stepped onto the rampart that circled the entire castle.

  Sofia’s quick gasp filled him with pride in his home. The full moon was rising across the firth and a silver path of moonlight lay on the still sea. The wind had dropped at dusk and the sea was like a rippling sheet of silver cloth, a long slow and heavy swell rising and falling with the tide. Despite the lack of wind, there was a chill in the air and Dougal pulled Sofia close to him.

  Sofia was taut with apprehension; for many weeks she had searched ceaselessly with one goal in mind—to escape this island. Now the time to leave was coming close, she was filled with regret and longing for this man holding her. He was a good and righteous man and she would miss him. She very much wanted to believe that he would miss her as well. Just a few months ago, she would have been appalled by the need consuming her. It was time to leave and return to her old life, before she changed her mind.

  But they had one last night.

  Dougal watched he without speaking, his eyes grave and wary. She lifted her hand and placed it against the rough stubble on his cheek. He held her gaze and turned his lips into her palm. Warmth shot through her skin and she pressed against his hard body. With a muffled groan he dropped his head and captured her lips with his. The need that rose in her was ripe and so huge it overwhelmed her. She wanted no more than to fall into it and wished suddenly they could just be two people who could stand and kiss in the moonlight while the shadows grew long and deep.

  “Just one night,” she murmured against his lips.

  “Need me as I need you, Sofia.” His breath was warm as it mingled with hers.

  She couldn’t deny him as he deepened the kiss and she closed her eyes losing herself in her feelings as the moment spun around them. He pulled back and looked at her for a long moment.

  “Come to bed with me,” he said softly as the shadows played across his face. Turning to the stairs, she held her hand out for him to follow and led him to the small solar where she had spent the past six weeks.

  He sat upon the soft feather bed and she placed her fingers on his lips.

  “No words,” she murmured stepping back into the moonlight. The rough wool dress fell to the floor and she reached up and unbound her braids. Her hair fell to her waist as she turned to him. His breath was warm on her skin and she pulled his head closer and rested her forehead on his hair as his tongue flicked at the tips of her breasts.

  He pulled her to the bed and quickly shed his breeches and shirt. He rolled on top of her, capturing her mouth with his and she clung tightly to his bare shoulders, kneading her fingers into the tight muscles of his broad back. His skin was wondrously smooth and hot and she opened to him.

  * * * *

  Dawn light spilled across the bed through the open casements. Sofia lay on her back staring up at the timber beams high above them. Next to her, Dougal breathed slow and even. A night of passion lay behind them and she stretched remembering the feel of him against her and inside her. She caught her breath on a muffled sob and a solitary tear ran down her cheek as she looked at him trying to imprint his face on her mind.

  He lay sprawled on his back, only partially covered with the sheet and his chest rose and fell with each breath as he slept. It would be dangerous, he had spoken of what would come today and she was fearful. A small white scar, just faintly visible sat above his top lip. Her eyes lingered on his strong face and she traced the raised skin with a light touch.

  This life was not for her and she could take no joy in the feelings she had for this man. She had to return to Vienna and continue in her quest, despite her doubts; there was a laboratory to rebuild and staff to care for. It was time to return to her own life and she would get there however she could. The bed moved beside her and she smiled as Dougal’s hand tangled in her hair and pulled her down to him.

  Chapter 14

  The next time Sofia woke the room was full of flickering sunlight and Dougal was gone. He had kissed her farewell and promised to return within two days and she’d drifted back to sleep. Dressing with nervous haste, she reached for a warmer dress as the scurrying of the clouds across the sun warned of a chill wind. Today, she vowed she would find a way off the island and be gone when Dougal returned.

  After she had breakfasted with Mary, she headed out for a walk. Breasting the slope of the hill furthest from the castle, she paused as a small flock of bleating ewes crossed beneath her. Shading her eyes with her hand, she looked down at the small shingly beach below. The tide was low and the entrance to a cave was exposed. A cairn of rocks was piled at the entrance and it appeared there had been a rock fall which explained why she had not noticed it before. Setting off down the cliff path, small pebbles slipped underfoot and rolled down the path ahead of her, disturbing the birds nesting in the cliff. They rose high above her, squawking and complaining as she disturbed their morning slumber.

  Reaching the bottom of the path, she held her dress above her ankles and jumped the last few feet onto the wet sand. A small cave had been exposed by the rock fall and Sofia stepped inside and waited for her eyes to become accustomed to the dark. Rotting wooden boxes and small kegs covered in glistening seaweed littered the floor. The cave was under the high tide mark and water had filled it just a few short hours ago. She shivered—it would be very easy to get caught here by the waves. Hesitantly she stepped further into the cave and to her delight, her gaze fixed on a small wooden boat. Hurrying over, she ran her hands along the sides—it was intact and the oars were still fixed in the rowlocks. If she could drag it to the water, it was but a short distance to the mainland, even less with the tide out.

  She recognized the old boat for what is was and for a fleeting moment wondered if Dougal was involved in smuggling. Many stories of smuggling on the Cornish coast had graced the dinner table when she’d lived with Indigo and Zane. Now in, she knew he despaired in his role of sheriff of ever defeating the smugglers

  Sofia had no money and no other clothes and there were none of her possessions to retrieve. For a brief moment, she considered bidding Mary farewell, but she shook her head. The wind would come up even more as the day got later and it would be too rough to row the short mile to the mainland. She would worry about what she would do once she got there. Of immediate concern was the manner in which she would pull the boat out of the cave and down to the sea. The shoreline was pitted with rock pools and the beach was a mix of shingle and sand.

  Sofia stepped from the cave and searched the shore line for the clearest route to the water. She raised her hand and shaded her eyes from the morning sun glinting off the narrow channel of water between the small island and the mainland. The beach circled around the bay in a deep horseshoe shape and piles of fallen rocks covered the sand. The shingle at the south end of the beach was clearer and Sofia tied her skirt up into a loose kn
ot and set to work. It took more than half an hour of tugging and pushing before she grunted with satisfaction when the bow of the small boat reached the low tide mark. She took off her shoes and put them in the boat as small waves washed around her bare feet. Allowing the boat to float for a few minutes in the chilly water, she checked it was intact and free of leaks before she gave it one huge shove and clambered into it. Using one oar, she pushed at the shingly bottom and the boat scraped and floated in the deeper water. The wash of the outgoing tide pulled it into the channel and Sofia dipped both oars into the firth and started to row.

  A shrill cry from the shore caught her attention and she turned her head swiftly, half expecting to see Mary on the beach calling her back She breathed a sigh of relief as the kittiwakes circled above the cliff returning to their nests on the side of the cliff.

  It took only ten minutes of gentle rowing before she reached the mainland and euphoria swept over her. Putting one oar aside she pushed to the right to turn the boat to the rocky shoreline but the euphoria disappeared as a rogue wave caught the boat and spun it around. Sofia fought to control the direction of the boat as the current picked it up and carried it toward the rocks ahead. The front of the small boat slammed into the jagged edge of a large black rock close to the shore.

  Sofia screamed as the boat tipped to the side and she slid into the icy water. She grabbed the rock with both hands and scrabbled to find a foothold in the shingle in the knee- deep water. Once her feet were firmly in the shingle, she turned and held the boat steady beside her. Pulling it behind her, she made her way to the shore as she looked back at the Isle of Rothmore and a pang of regret settled in her chest.

  A cloud passed over the sun and the castle where she’d spent the last few weeks stood dark and shadowed. A sense of foreboding overwhelmed her and she prayed Dougal and Edward were safe.

  After safely stowing the boat behind a large rock above the high water mark, she squeezed the water from her skirts and put on her shoes. For a few moments she sat in the sun trying to get warm, but when her body began to shake from the cold, she decided movement would warm her more quickly. She climbed to the top of the low cliff cresting the edge of the beach and looked to the east.