“Harry!” he cried, and in a second he hoisted his body up and off the ground, grabbing for a stout limb. “Harry? Speak to me, son!” Gabriel yelled, trying to see up into the boughs of the tree. It was blastedly dark within the branches, and there were so many twisting, old limbs he could not see the entire way up.
“We are here, Papa. Lisha and me. A limb caught us.”
“Lissa’s with you?” Gabriel called, climbing still. He was climbing so fast and so furiously that the leafy branches were snapping in his face, cutting his skin. He cared not.
“We are here, Gabriel.”
It seemed to Gabriel that her voice came to him straight out of heaven, so sweet and welcome was its sound.
“I—I can see the top of your head,” she continued, a disembodied voice within the darkness of the old tree, but one that pumped comfort into his soul. She was above him, somewhere, holding Harry safe.
“If you turn your face—yes, that’s it,” she said, “and look up, to your right…”
Gabriel did, and then he saw her. Just as he’d imagined, his son was tucked securely in her arms. Her hair was in disarray. There was a slight trickle of blood from a scratch on her left cheek.
“Dearest God,” Gabriel breathed. “You are not hurt, are you, either of you?”
Lissa carefully shook her head, as though she feared any huge movement would send them falling again. “No broken bones, I believe.”
“Lisha came to save me, Papa. She climbed all the way to the top of the tree. Just for me.”
“She is very brave,” Gabriel said, hoisting himself up to the limb just beneath them, “considering her fear of heights.” From his point on the lower limb, Gabriel’s face was adjacent to Lissa’s. Without even thinking, he lifted one hand and brushed a twig from her hair, smoothing a haphazard lock off her brow. “If you hold very still, I’ll take Harry from you, climb down, and then come back for you.”
“For once, m’lord, I do believe I shall listen to your directive.”
Gabriel reached up, capturing Harry’s little body in his arms, then sliding him down off Lissa’s lap. The boy clung to his father, holding tight as Gabriel climbed down limb by limb. Once on the ground, he hugged his son close, placed a solid kiss to the top of his head, then climbed back up for Lissa.
She’d managed to climb down to the limb he’d just vacated. “Here, allow me to help you, m’lady.” Gently, he took her hand in his, the two of them backing down out of the tree together.
“You have a very curious and adventurous son, m’lord,” she said as they drew closer to the ground.
“And it appears he has a very true friend in you. Thank you, Lissa. You saved his life this day, of that I am certain.”
Once on the ground, the three of them moved quickly out from under the shadow of the tree. Harry appeared fearful that he would soon suffer a tongue lashing for spiriting away, but Gabriel only scooped the boy up in his arms, pressing his face into Harry’s blond curls.
“I am sorry, Papa, but I wanted to see the nesht… nest.”
“Ssh,” said Gabriel. “We will talk later about what lesson you should have learned from your adventure. For now, we must escort Lady Lissa home and—”
“No,” Lissa interrupted. “I shall find my own way home. I insist. You must hurry back to your own house and sound the alarm so that your servants and Miss Fabersham can know Harry is safe. Besides, there is something I must do this day,” she said, reaching out to run one hand against Harry’s cheek.
Harry grinned at her.
Gabriel wondered what was going on, clearly some secret betwixt his son and the woman who had haunted his dreams since he’d met her.
“Go,” Lissa insisted. “And please, Gabriel, do send word to me of a time when we can meet and… and discuss the note that was delivered to me this morning. I’ve something to say about this pact between us that you say is finished and complete.”
With that, Lissa smiled at Harry, then turned and headed for home. Gabriel was of the mind to trail after her, but something in her words warned him she would not be gainsaid this day. And something in her voice, and the way she looked at him, told Gabriel she was going to have a good deal to say to him—not all of it bad—once they had their meeting.
“Now what was all that about?” Gabriel wondered aloud, cocking one dark brow at his son.
Harry shrugged his shoulders, grinned, then snuggled against him. “I am glad we live here beside Lady Lisha,” he said. “And, Papa, I promise never again to climb a tree by myself.”
Gabriel shook his head, his heart spilling over with love for his son… and for another person, a certain lady who dared to face her own fear of heights to save his boy.
He turned toward the path leading homeward, and as he walked, it suddenly occurred to him that Lissa had finally used his Christian name.
Chapter 16
Lord Langford arrived precisely at three o’clock. He was dressed superbly as always, with a tall-crowned beaver hat atop his blond hair. He swept the hat from his head, bowing deeply before Lissa after being announced.
“I was so very pleased to get your missive,” he said.
“Thank you for coming. I have something that belongs to you and would like—”
“Ah… my locket.” His face fell.
Lissa steeled her resolve, knowing she had to do this as quickly as possible. She reached into the pocket of her skirt and withdrew the locket.
Langford frowned. “I shan’t take it. Not yet.”
“My lord, there is really no point in prolonging this. And though I hate to be the one to dash your hopes, I—”
“My lady, please, allow me a moment, if you will.” He led her to her front door, opened it, then showed her his carriage that was on the drive. “I should like to show you something before we part company. I know you have asked me here today to bid me a final farewell. Given that, I wonder if you would be so kind as to come with me in my carriage. Before I take back the locket, there is something you must see.”
Lissa hesitated. She did not want to go anywhere with the man. At any moment, word could come from Gabriel that he was ready for their meeting. She wanted to be at the ready for him. In fact, after her ordeal in the tree, she had hurried home to a hot bath, then had changed into a fresh gown—one of her best. When Gabriel sent word, she would be able to head out of the house in a moment.
“I cannot imagine what you wish for me to see, and truly, I will still, at the end of our ride, return your locket.”
“Please,” said Lord Langford. “It is but a small thing I ask, is it not?”
Lissa realized he wouldn’t end his press until she relented. “Very well, then. A short drive, mind you. It shouldn’t take long, should it, to view this thing you wish me to see?”
Langford shook his head.
Lissa reached for her hat, then allowed Langford to lead her out to his landau and chestnut team.
They had gotten no farther than the end of the long drive, the hearty and well-matched chestnuts picking up speed, when Lissa espied a small, tow-headed figure dashing into their path.
“My lord, take care!” she gasped.
“Eh?” Langford said, confused by Lissa’s outburst. And then, thankfully, he too saw the small boy rushing foolishly into their path. He hauled hard on the leathers, causing his spirited cattle, their iron-shod hooves sparking, to plow to a sudden halt. “Damnation,” he groused. “What the devil—?”
” ‘Tis young Harry, my lord. Gracious, what was he thinking?”
“Obviously the lad wasn’t thinking at all. He nearly was cut down. I say, my lady, whoever is in charge of the little baggage ought to have his ears boxed for allowing—”
But Lissa wasn’t listening. As soon as the carriage stopped she jumped down to the gravel, not giving a moment’s notice to the height or even to her own ungraceful exit from the conveyance. Her thoughts were solely on Harry. She ran past the horses, straight for the child, whom she took by both shoulders
and then scurried to the side of the drive, away from the now nervous horses.
“Harry, what ever are you about?” Lissa demanded. “You should be home with your father! You could have been trampled, could have been—”
“I came to save you, Lisha, just like you saved me this morning,” he cut in. He thumbed in Lord Langford’s direction.
His lordship had dropped down from his seat to check on his horses. Now that he’d seen Lissa had the boy in tow, he stroked the horses’ velvety muzzles, murmuring soothing words.
“Harry, you are proving to be a perfect nuisance this day,” she said, then clicked her tongue, knowing she could never be angry with the boy. She instead hugged him tight, then held him back at arm’s length, and said, “We will drive you home so that your father doesn’t call another alarm, do you hear?”
Harry nodded.
Lord Langford came beside them then, his face livid with fury. “Of all the addlepated, hair-brained—”
Lissa instantly rose to her feet, turning to Langford. “My lord, please,” she said, interrupting his tirade, “I will ask that you keep your anger in check. The boy is a friend of mine.”
“A friend?” said Langford, glaring down at Harry.
“Yes,” said Lissa, moving closer to the boy. “A very dear one at that.”
Langford, though not at all pleased by what had just happened—and clearly wanting to throttle Harry for the fright caused to his team—had sense enough to school his emotions to a calmer keel. “Forgive me, my lady,” he said. “Any friend of yours will surely be one of mine. But I will admit the boy gave me a bit of a fright.”
“As he did all of us,” agreed Lissa, shooting a stern but loving look at Harry.
He smiled up at her.
“He is not harmed in any way, is he?” asked Langford.
“No,” Lissa assured him, “thanks to your quick thinking, sir. But he is in need of a ride home. In fact, his family property is not far from us. You will not mind if he joins us for a short length, will you?”
Langford, though he tried to conceal it, did indeed mind. “No, of course not,” he said. Langford glared down at Harry, whose blue eyes were very much like his own.
Lissa, not liking the tone Langford had taken, took Harry by the hand. She headed with purpose for the carriage, young Harry beside her.
Langford, realizing he’d made an error in speaking so gruffly about the boy, hurried to catch up. He let down the step, helped the boy and then Lissa to alight, then shoved the step back in place.
“I think he’s mad,” whispered Harry to Lissa as Lord Langford strode once more to his horses and checked not only their reins but their moods.
“He is not angry,” Lissa whispered back, “only upset by your shenanigans.”
Harry frowned. “I didn’t mean mad like angry, but mad as, y’know, ‘touched.’ ” Harry made a little curlycue with the fingers of his right hand beside his temple. “Bedlam-mad, Lisha.”
“That is quite enough, young man. Now do sit still, and behave.”
Harry squirmed on the seat. “I came to be your chaperone, Lisha. Papa don’t want you alone with the man. I don’t either.”
Lissa’s heart did a queer flip-flop in her chest with Harry’s words. She would have hugged the boy and told him that she had no designs to be with Lord Langford for longer than it took to still his suit and see him gone. She would have jumped down out of the carriage and raced Harry back to Gabriel if she could. But Langford was now heading back toward them. She didn’t dare say what was truly in her heart. Instead, she said, “Doesn’t, Harry. The correct word is doesn’t; your father doesn’t like me being near Lord Langford.”
Harry nodded eagerly. “You’re right, Lisha. He don’t like it.” The boy sat back, folding his arms about his chest and beaming, obviously mighty glad he and Lissa understood each other.
Lissa, unable to help herself, smiled lovingly at the boy. Langford finally climbed atop the seat beside them, took up the leathers and then clicked the chestnuts into motion.
A few minutes of terse silence followed as they cleared the last of the drive and then made for the open country road.
Harry seemed pleased enough with just sitting back and swinging his legs forward and back, given his feet did not yet reach the floor beneath him. Lord Langford, Lissa noted, was clearly irritated by the boy’s restless nature.
“You gave us quite a scare back there, lad,” Langford finally said. “You should never be so foolish again. I pray your family will give you a good talking to. If I were your father, I would see you had no lunch at all and were sent straight to your rooms for pulling such a prank.”
Lissa was just about to verbally come to Harry’s aid when the boy, with all the brashness of a six-year-old, piped up and said, quite clearly, “Then glad I am you are not my papa, sir.”
Langford frowned, studying the road before them with more intent than was necessary.
Lissa, though she knew Harry should not be speaking to his lordship with such a brazen attitude, could not help but feel no animosity whatsoever toward the boy. After all, Harry had dashed in front of the carriage because he was worried about her and was attempting to be her white knight. He’d taken it upon himself to come to her aid, and had also played a perfect Cupid betwixt herself and his father. Lissa felt her heart melt a thousand times over just thinking about it all.
Langford handled the reins with undue force. “Just give the word, my lady,” said he, “when we are to turn off for the boy’s property.”
By the tone of his voice that moment could not come soon enough. Lissa wondered what would be Langford’s reaction when she directed him onto Gabriel’s long drive.
That moment came all too quickly, it seemed.
“The turn is just beyond this bend in the road, my lord. You’ll see the gates.”
Langford’s nostrils thinned. “B’god,” he muttered, having cleared the bend and seeing the gateway to Wylde’s property. “You mean he lives on Wylde’s property?”
Lissa braced herself. “Meet the Honorable Harry Gordon, son of the sixth Earl of Wylde, my lord.”
Langford gaped at her. ” ‘Tis his son?” demanded his lordship, as though Harry was both deaf and dumb.
“Sir, please,” Lissa admonished. “Just turn to the right. I will see Harry safely to his doorstep. No doubt his father is beside himself with worry.”
“No doubt,” sneered Langford, “and yet the man is nowhere to be seen. I dareswear, my lady, Lord Wylde is not the prince you’ve painted him as being. He is as heartless as rumored, and—”
“My lord, “Lissa cut in, voice crisp and stinging, “that is altogether enough.”
Langford was past listening, however. “I’ve detested the fact that you have been near Wylde these past many days, my lady. No one of your sweet disposition should be so swayed by that monster. The man is an uncouth beast, not fit for your gentle company.” Langford snapped his team to an even faster pace, whisking past Gabriel’s gates.
“Sir,” Lissa demanded, “you will turn this carriage about and take us onto Lord Wylde’s property, and you will do so this instant.”
Langford shook his head, a sudden, wild gleam in his eyes. “No. Do not try to dissuade me, my lady. I shall not leave you pray to that man’s machinations. I am what is best for you, make no mistake. In fact, what I wished to show you on the drive is what is truly in my heart… I wished to make you see the light of day.”
Harry, listening to their exchange, sat up straighter in the cushions, glancing at Lissa and then Langford, then back at Lissa. His eyes were wide, but not with fright—not yet, anyway. He seemed to be saying to Lissa that Langford was as mad as he’d suggested.
“Wylde will not love you like I will love you,” Langford continued. “He cannot, for his heart turned to stone years ago. I cannot abide watching you leave your heart clear for such a swine. I must do what I must do, my lady.”
Lissa wrapped her left arm about Harry, pulling the boy
closer to her and away from Langford. “And what, pray tell, is that?” she demanded.
“Make you see the truth. I must take charge of this impossible situation you’ve wound yourself into with Wylde and do what is best… for you and for me.”
Lissa felt the pounding of pure dread wash through her. She held tighter to Harry. “And the boy?” Lissa asked.
Langford glared down at Harry, who looked quite prepared to stick his tongue out at the man. “He will have to join us, I am afraid,” said Langford, turning his attentions back to the road and the bend his team was rounding at a dangerous speed. His top hat was torn away by the wind, leaving his blond hair to be whipped about his head in a crazed manner. Everything about the man appeared crazed. “I cannot chance moving onto Wylde’s lands lest you be so foolish as to try and get away, my lady.”
Lissa couldn’t believe what was happening, what she was hearing. Her own bonnet was in danger of being snatched by the wind, the long ends of its ribbons snapping behind her head. The rush of air smarted her cheeks.
“Stop the carriage, Langford,” she demanded. “Stop. Now.”
Langford shook his head, hunkered down and drove his team to an even more chaotic pace. Lissa feared they would all meet their deaths with the hideous ride ending in a sickening heap of wheels and horses’ hooves.
Langford navigated an especially nasty turn, one that nearly upset the conveyance. The three of them were threatened with a hideous pitch to the right, which nearly promised to see them tossed off the seat and into the ditch alongside the road.
Lissa clutched at Harry to get a firm hold on him. The carriage settled once more onto the roadway, but Langford did not let up on the leathers.
“Your foolish liaison with Wylde was bad enough,” he said through clenched teeth, forcing his team onward, “but now you are cozying to the boy Wylde calls his own. I won’t have it, Lissa. I will not! I know now I must save you from your own self. In time you will come to understand my actions.”
“What actions?” Lissa cried, alternately watching both the road ahead and Langford, all the while holding close to Harry. “What are you talking about?”
Lady Lissa's Liaison (To Woo an Heiress, Book 1) Page 18
