Romancing the Earl

by Darcy Burke

  “Are you chilled?” Elijah asked. They had a light blanket, which he removed from the bag. He wrapped it around her shoulders, his fingers grazing her arms. The touch reminded him why he’d worked so diligently to keep her at a distance the past few days. Since Stratton Hall. Since they’d been so fortunately interrupted. Not that his body agreed. No, his body was quite frustrated with her proximity and the fact that he couldn’t finish what they’d started.

  She looked up at him, her eyes nearly as dark as the night surrounding her. “Thank you.”

  “I’m sorry about your face.” There were smudges in the grime, but she was still dirty. It did nothing to detract from her beauty—at least to him—or his desire for her. “Tomorrow night we’ll stop somewhere we can tidy up.” He hoped. There were few villages along their route, and they’d likely have to depend upon the kindness of a stranger. He glanced up at the sky. “We’re going to lose the moon shortly. Let’s find a place to sleep.”

  “Together?” she asked.

  “There’s only the one blanket, though I don’t really need it.”

  “You don’t?”

  “I’m accustomed to sleeping with just my coat for warmth, but then summer nights in Australia are warmer than summer nights in Wales.”

  “Are they?” she asked with keen interest. “Tell me how else they’re different. You’ve seen and experienced so much that I never will.”

  He heard the envy in her voice and felt a pang of regret for her. She was well aware of how her sex impacted her ability to enjoy certain experiences and it really wasn’t fair. He could see her enduring—enjoying, even—many activities that would be unseemly for a woman. He’d already seen her deal with highwaymen and an attack that had left her friend wounded. Yet, here she was, undaunted.

  With a gentle—and quick—touch against her lower back, he guided her to the rocks and sat down with his back against one. “Sit with me.”

  She sank to the ground beside him and pulled the blanket from her shoulders. Cozying up to him against the rock, she draped the cloth over them both. “For now,” she said, correctly guessing that he meant to protest.

  He should insist she scoot away from him, but sharing body heat would be a necessity as the temperature dropped even further over the next few hours. He’d known they would have to sleep against each other, but he’d hoped she might slumber before he gathered her close. And potentially spent a sleepless night.

  She settled next to him. “Tell me about Australia.”

  He lifted his arm and put it around her shoulders and stopped himself before he could stroke her—or think about why the action came so naturally. “It’s very big. At least, it felt that way because there were so few people.”

  “Did you meet any of the Aboriginals?”

  “You know their name,” he marveled. “I shouldn’t be surprised, given your intellect.”

  “Thank you. Tell me about the people.”

  He chuckled softly, enjoying her enthusiasm. “Yes, I met some of them. They are people, just like us, with families and traditions. But they live quite differently. They hunt and gather their food. I learned to hunt as they do.”

  She turned her head to look at him briefly. “You did? That must have been quite thrilling.”

  “It was.” He recalled the time he spent with a young man from a nearby group. “Using a spear takes some getting used to.”

  “A spear! I can see you wielding such a weapon. I’d already envisioned you as a fierce soldier. What else?”

  He wanted to ask how else she’d envisioned him, but decided that path led to trouble. Particularly when he thought about the myriad ways he’d envisioned her. “The food is different. I miss the macadamia nuts.” He’d brought some on the voyage, but they were long gone. “And various fruits.”

  Her eyes sparkled with interest. “What are they like?”

  “Sweet and delicious.” Like your mouth. This was a potentially dangerous conversation. He wondered if there was such a thing as a safe conversation when he was nestled under the stars with the most alluring woman he’d ever known, and he grasped for something to fill the pause created by his errant mind. “The stars are different in the southern hemisphere.”

  “Are they? I didn’t know that.”

  “My favorite constellation is called the Southern Cross. It’s used in navigation in southern seas.”

  “It’s so strange to think you were so far away. Did you miss England?”

  “No.”

  She turned in his arms and studied him for a moment. “You answered that very quickly. And definitively. You were happier away from here.”

  He couldn’t lie. “I was.”

  “You wish you could go back.” The words were spoken softly, but with an edge of disappointment.

  “In some ways. In other ways, I look forward to being here.” He did? He’d resigned himself to his new role, even if he didn’t like it. But he realized he hadn’t really felt a purpose, a drive beyond fulfilling his duty. The army had taught him that nothing was more important than duty. And yet here he was, with Cate, and he felt as though he did have a purpose—finding this sword with her and avenging his brother’s death. Avenging? Did he really plan to punish the men who’d killed him? Perhaps not personally, but he would see them suffer for their crimes under the law.

  “You do?” Her lips curved into a smile. “I’m glad. But I wish I could go back with you. What do you miss most about it?”

  “My horse.”

  She laughed. “I see. So it isn’t really about the place at all, but about what you feel a connection to. I’m encouraged by this revelation. You don’t seem particularly close to your mother, and with your father and brother gone, I wondered if you cared about anything or anyone. Save Wade. It’s clear he’s important to you and you to him.”

  “You’re right about that,” he said quietly. Wade was about the only person he cared about. Until now. He looked into her eyes, lost the sense of time and place, felt her shift as she turned into him and laid her hand against his chest, leaned his head down . . .

  He pulled back, knocking his head back against the rock.

  Her face creased with concern. “Are you all right?” Her hand came up and cradled the back of his head.

  A shock of lust so strong it nearly took his sight, slammed through him. “We should sleep. Tomorrow will be a long day of travel.”

  She didn’t retract her hand. “How far will we get?”

  “Not near enough to Kentchurch, but we’ll find a place to spend the night.” He reached up and took her hand from his head. “You mustn’t be so familiar.”

  “It’s a bit late for that, isn’t it?” she asked with more than a dash of irony.

  “No, it is not. By necessity, we must sleep close tonight, but do not take anything else from it. There will not be a repeat of what happened at Stratton Hall.”

  She exhaled. It was a sound of longing and disappointment, and it nearly cut completely through his resolve. How he wished they could get to Kentchurch tomorrow. The sooner he deposited her with her parents, the better.

  She shrugged out of her coat.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I’d like a pillow.”

  He pulled the coat back up over her shoulders. “Use mine.” He removed his garment and folded it for her before laying it on the ground.

  “Won’t you be cold?”

  “No.” He was actually quite overheated at present and predicted it would be some time before he cooled.

  She looked at him with doubt, but eventually stretched out on the ground. He took the blanket off his legs, though he’d been quite thankful for it as a shield a moment ago. He settled the cloth over her and she drew it up to her shoulders. “Aren’t you going to lie down?”

  “Not yet. I will soon.”

  She gave him a saucy look. “I won’t bite. Unless you ask me to.”

  “Cate, for the love of God, please stop.”

  “Why? Is there any reason
we can’t pursue our mutual attraction? And don’t tell me you aren’t attracted to me.”

  “I can list many reasons, the primary one being the fact that you’re a virgin.”

  “Who said I was?”

  Hell and the devil. She wasn’t a virgin? He suspected that bounder Iscove was to blame. Elijah vowed in that moment to make hunting him down his very next project—as soon as he brought Matthew’s murderers to justice. “You shouldn’t say such provocative things—true or not.”

  She sighed. “I am a virgin, unfortunately. And probably destined to die one since I doubt I shall marry.”

  “You could marry.” She was intelligent, beautiful, and moneyed. She ought to marry, regardless of what she’d said to him the other day following the highwaymen’s attack.

  She arched a dark brow, barely perceptible in the fading moonlight. “Why would I? My life is exactly as I like it right now. Save the fact that you won’t bed me.”

  She really was trying to kill him. “Good night, Cate,” he practically growled.

  “Good night, Elijah. Don’t hesitate to inform me if you’ve changed your mind.”

  He couldn’t bring himself to acknowledge her audacity with an answer. But that didn’t stop his brain from conjuring all manner of ways in which to satisfy her curiosity. How in the hell was he going to endure the next few days in her company?

  Chapter 15

  Upon waking, Cate had been disappointed to find that Elijah was no longer beside her. She’d been vaguely aware of him next to her in the night, of his warmth and presence. It had been both comforting and arousing, but she’d been so tired, she’d simply slept through it. And now he was gone. Or rather, saddling the horses.

  “Good, you’re awake.” His tone was sharp, closer to his military voice than the voice of the man she’d come to know and like very much. The man she knew cared about her more than he wanted to, and perhaps even more than he realized.

  She stretched her arms to the sky. “Yes. I slept surprisingly well. Did you?”

  He threw her a dubious glance, but didn’t answer. She took that as a no and wondered if she’d been the cause of his discomfort. She hoped so. He was being frustratingly stubborn.

  Once the horses were saddled, he offered her some cheese and bread to break her fast. “Eat quickly so we can be on our way.”

  He’d gone back to his autocratic ways.

  She devoured the food, not because he’d instructed her to, but because she was hungry. Then she slipped off to take care of her personal needs. When she returned, he stood beside her horse with an impatient look.

  “Are you going to be a bear all day?” she asked.

  “Miss Bowen, I am not a bear.”

  “Oh, you’re going to ‘Miss Bowen’ me now.” She huffed out an exasperated sigh. “Can’t we just go back to the way things were?”

  He helped her onto the horse, but kept his touch brief and brisk. “And how is that?”

  “Don’t be obtuse. You do that often. You pretend not to hear or to misunderstand. Or sometimes you simply ignore questions altogether. You’re a frustrating man.”

  “Isn’t that already on my list? I daresay I’ve lost track.” He was trying to be stoic, but a glint of humor showed through in his tone and the subtle arch of his brow.

  “Yes, it is. I’m adding provoking. And stubborn. And foolish.”

  “That’s quite a list. I do hope you’re writing it down. Come, let’s move to the road then I’ll come back and cover the evidence of our camp.”

  Cate walked her horse to the road and held his reins while he went back and erased their presence. She was exceptionally grateful to be sharing this journey with him—both for his company and his expert protection.

  He took the reins from her and climbed onto his horse. The morning sun was bright and hot, warming the dark coat covering her back. Generally, she would argue that men’s clothing was far more comfortable; however, today she would trade the layers on her upper body for a light day dress.

  They rode in silence for quite some time, varying their speeds as the terrain allowed. Finally, at midday, they stopped for respite. As they sat down for a light repast packed by their Welsh hostess, she considered whether she wanted to continue to vex him or choose a safer topic. It didn’t matter since he spoke first.

  “I know you said you’d come to Septon House with me, but I’ve decided that won’t be necessary. I think it’s wiser if you remain with your parents after we find the sword.”

  He’d decided? She wasn’t to be consulted? Cate gritted her teeth and tried to catch his eye, but he was fixated on something in the distance. She turned to see what he was looking at, but saw nothing and determined he was simply avoiding looking at her. “I want to see this through with you.”

  “It isn’t your problem.”

  It wasn’t, but that didn’t mean she didn’t care. “It is if Septon is involved. I need to know if he caused your brother’s death.” She’d tried not to think of her father or Septon being a part of this mysterious Order. Every time she did, her insides congealed and she felt as if she was going to toss up her accounts.

  “I would argue your logic. Septon’s involvement still has nothing to do with you. Unless you somehow participated.” Now he shot her a glance. “But you did not.”

  “Would you accept that I just want to help you? That I care what happened because he was your brother?” She didn’t think she was making an impact on him. “It’s unfair of you to deny me the opportunity to see this to the end. If I were a man, you would accept my help.”

  “If you were a man, many details about our association would be different.” His gaze dipped to her costume. “Despite how you are garbed, you are, however, not a man.”

  She was irritated with him, but the bead of appreciation in his assessment sparked hope within her. “How nice of you to notice,” she murmured.

  He finished his last bite and stood abruptly. “We need to go.” He held his hand out to help her up.

  She brushed crumbs from her lap and accepted his assistance. “That’s how it’s to be, then? I express my wishes, but it doesn’t matter? You aren’t my father or my husband. If I decide to follow you to Septon House, you can’t do anything to stop me.”

  “You are correct; however, I can express my concerns to your father about your safety. I can only hope you adhere to societal norms and actually listen to your father, who will certainly instruct you not to go.” He frowned at her. “But I am fairly certain you wouldn’t obey him or a husband either. It’s probably best you prefer to remain unwed.”

  Was he saying she would make a terrible wife? Any other woman would be outraged, but he was right. And what’s more, she had no quarrel with that. “My thoughts exactly. It’s also why you should accept my invitation. You won’t be spoiling me for any man.”

  “Please stop bringing that up.” He led her horse to a small rock and cast her a derisive glance. “Mount up yourself.”

  She did as he bade while he once again disguised any evidence of them having stopped, and soon they were back on the road. She guided her horse alongside him. “I’ve been giving this considerable thought. What else is there to do on such a journey, especially when one’s companion is frightfully close-mouthed?”

  “I’m not close-mouthed. We are simply trying to make a good pace, which doesn’t allow for much conversation. What are you giving considerable thought? Never mind. I don’t think I care to know.”

  “Your rejection. You have a high moral code. Is it from the military?”

  He looked at her askance. “Probably.”

  “As I’ve said before, you won’t be ruining me or spoiling me. I want to be with you and I don’t wish to marry you. Provided we can avoid pregnancy, there truly is no reason we can’t indulge our desires. You do know how to avoid pregnancy, I take it?”

  “Good Lord, woman, you would try a saint’s patience. Please cease in asking me such questions!”

  “Perhaps I’ll seduce you in
your sleep tonight.”

  He drew his horse to a halt and turned to look at her. She stopped and faced him. A few feet separated them, but it might have been a canyon. “You will not seduce me. And you will not prattle on about our desires. Yes, I know how to prevent pregnancy. I had a mistress in Australia and I’ve stopped in many ports around the world. I’m quite adept at not leaving my seed where I don’t wish it to be left and at protecting myself from all manner of disease. However, you shall not be privy to such techniques, as I have no intention of using them with you.”

  “You’re being foolish. We want each other and—”

  “Yes, I want you,” he thundered. “But I’m not going to have you. Not tonight. Not ever. I have no interest in marriage, and my code of honor would insist I marry you.”

  She blinked against the ferocity of his outburst. “Even though I don’t wish to marry you?”

  He ground his teeth together. “Your wishes do not signify.”

  Anger flared in her belly, driving away the desire. “I see. You are safe from my advances and my further interest. The surest way to earn my disdain is to discount my preferences. Congratulations, my lord.”

  She turned her horse and kicked her into a gallop. As for the dust they kicked up from the road, she hoped Elijah might choke on it.

  It was dusk and Elijah knew Cate had to be bone tired—he was. However, she didn’t show it. She sat as straight in her saddle as she had earlier in the day. Either she was exceptionally well-seasoned or her pride would rival that of any soldier he’d met.

  As expected, they hadn’t come across a village and likely wouldn’t until it was fully dark. They needed to rest. Thankfully, tomorrow’s journey would be relatively short. With luck, they would be at Kentchurch by noon.

  A collection of buildings and smoke from a chimney signaled respite ahead. Elijah only hoped the inhabitants would allow them to lodge in their barn. He slowed his horse and waited for Cate to ride up beside him. They hadn’t spoken since after lunch, when he’d used every weapon in his arsenal to discourage her attentions, including belittling her, which he knew would drive her mad. It had worked. Her outrage had been quick—and glorious, truth be told. He did enjoy watching the color rise in her cheeks and the sparks ignite in her magnificent eyes. He was going to miss her when they parted ways.