“Well, well, missy, have ye come down ’ere just to brighten up me day?” He grinned, revealing gapped teeth.
Jewel’s breath caught in her throat. She didn’t like the way he was ogling her, and he had some nerve obstructing her way. Squaring her shoulders, she decided she’d just walk past him. “I don’t know what you mean, sir,” she snapped. “Kindly get out of my way.” She took a step to move around him.
He reached out so quickly, she couldn’t avoid the lecherous fingers that clamped around her arm. He jerked her next to his sweaty body, then dragged her further behind the big boulder. “Ain’t it a fact ye came behind this here rock just so I could get a feel of yer tits? I seen the way ye flirted at me earlier.”
She struggled as his grubby hands began groping under her jacket, pinching her breast painfully while he fumbled with her buttons. “Please,” she pleaded.
“I’ll please ye, honey—just give me a moment.” He nuzzled her neck, sliding her jacket to the ground.
His sweaty smell made her sick. She beat her fists on his chest, momentarily startling him. He yanked her arm behind her back, causing her to scream out in pain.
“So ye like it rough, do ye?” He slapped her, knocking her head sideways as he tried to keep her quiet. “Scream again and ye’ll regret it.”
Jewel didn’t realize she was screaming until the blow brought back another time—she’d screamed then, too. An evil man in a blue uniform stood talking to his first mate. Her fingers clutched the hilt of her knife, but she must have made a noise because the captain swung around as her weapon came down, catching the fleshy part of his cheek. He grabbed at the ripped flesh, causing blood to ooze between his fingers. Like an injured animal, he roared before capturing her wrist. He threw her across the deck, knocking the breath from her lungs.
Angrily, the captain swiped the blood from his cheek, revealing a jagged slash that ran from his ear to the edge of his mouth. Bending down, he clutched the small weapon before he straightened back to his full height. “Damn you!” he swore as he wrapped his fingers in her long, black hair, yanking her to her knees. “I could have gone easy on you, my dear little miss, but now you’ll taste the cat-o’-nine-tails.” With the bloody steel blade he savagely hacked off her hair, throwing the remains at her feet.
Someone was shaking her. Her memories quickly faded, replaced with the danger at hand. She glared at the miner, no longer afraid, then spat in his face. He cursed a colorful string of oaths, but loosened his grip as he wiped his face. Quickly, she pulled her knee up, catching him in the groin. Immediately, he released her as he grabbed his crotch.
“Damn bitch, ye’ll pay for this,” he croaked out.
Seizing the opportunity, she turned and ran from behind the boulder, but stopped short as she slammed hard into Adam’s chest.
He looked at her rearranged clothing, and she saw an uncontrollable rage surge through him. Taking her by the shoulders, he held her from him to view the rest of the damage. His gaze stopped on her cheek, where she was sure a purplish mark lingered.
“Did he hurt you?”
A muscle twitched angrily in his cheek as his eyes turned to pitch, reminding Jewel of death. She shivered beneath his fingers. His voice was threaded with anger, and she could sense his barely restrained violence.
“N-no,” she whispered in a struggling voice.
“Where is he?”
With trembling fingers, she pointed to the rock, and watched as Adam started around the boulder. The miner was staggering, but looked up when Adam approached him. The miner took a step backward, but stopped while he tried to size Adam up. Evidently he decided that Adam was a fancy bloke, and more than likely wasn’t even armed. The miner didn’t care for fancy blokes. The smirk on his face said as much when he spoke up. “Come on, Yer Lordship, if you want a piece o’ me.”
Adam didn’t get a chance to reply as the man charged him, hoping to put a head in his gut to knock him down, but Adam easily stepped aside. When the miner came at him a second time, Adam reached out and grabbed him by the throat.
“My lord, I meant no harm. Just having a bit of fun,” the miner struggled to choke out as he gasped for air.
Jewel could see Adam was killing the man with his bare hands. She grabbed Adam’s sleeve and tugged to get his attention. “Adam, please! I’m fine,” she pleaded. “He has learned his lesson. Just let him go.” He didn’t seem to hear her.
But Adam had heard her. Didn’t she know she could have been raped or even killed, all for what this man called “a bit of fun”? She was damn lucky he’d heard her scream and arrived in time.
He stared down at the man held in his grip. “No one crosses me and lives to tell about it! You’d best remember that for your future health.” Reluctantly, Adam let the man loose. “Get out of here. You no longer work here!”
The foreman ran up and stood beside Jewel before he moved over to Adam. “Your Grace, I’m so sorry this happened.”
Still angry, Adam turned, stopping the foreman dead in his tracks. “Michael, if ever I bring this lady with me again and one of your men steps out of line ...you’ll pay for it!” His lethal voice sent chills up Jewel’s arms.
Speechless, Michael nodded.
Jewel found she couldn’t move. She now had seen another side to Adam ... the fatal side ... the side she hoped never to see again. And she’d glimpsed another side of herself, too. She’d stabbed a man, and she really didn’t feel any remorse. Just what kind of person was she? Her body started quivering.
Something evil lurked in her past, and she felt as if it were waiting to reach out and snatch her back within its grasp. She took a gulp of air, wishing the tidbits of memory would mesh together . . . would tell her something. She needed answers, not more questions.
Adam joined her. He shoved her trembling hands out of the way and fastened her jacket.
“Are you sure you’re all right?” Once again his voice was calm.
She nodded, then looked up into his face. Was that really concern she saw in his eyes? She couldn’t be sure, but at least she could hope. Tenderly, he brushed the dirt from her cheek, and she wondered what he was thinking.
“Why, Adam?” Jewel asked. He’d almost killed the man with his bare hands. She liked to think he rarely restored to violence. She had to know.
“Because he touched you,” Adam said simply. “Isn’t that enough?”
Chapter Eight
Taking Jewel’s arm, Adam escorted her back to the horses, where he helped her mount, then mounted himself. Michael ran over, evidently not wishing to anger His Grace any further. “Good day, Your Grace. I’ll have the copper ready by the time you’ve requested.”
“Good.” Adam nodded. He tightened the reins and nudged Star into a trot, heading away from the mines. His hands trembled with barely leashed anger, but he looked straight ahead, trying to clear his mind. Despite the fact that the miner had caused trouble before, killing three other miners, the thought of almost taking the man’s life turned Adam’s stomach. But the worst thing was that he’d lost control of his emotions, and a man who did that could soon find himself dead. Adam’s jaw tightened. It wouldn’t happen again.
Jewel glanced at Adam from time to time, wondering what was running through his mind. Perhaps it would be better to leave him with his thoughts. She now knew why he was admired and feared. He wasn’t a dandy, and he could most definitely back up any threats he made. She respected him, and hoped his anger would never be directed at her.
After what seemed like an hour, she couldn’t bear the silence any longer, so she asked, “Why will you be needing copper?”
“I’ll be taking it back to America, for my ships. We line the bottoms with copper to prevent rotting and to make the ships faster.
Unfortunately, the conversation ended there. Jewel could think of no way to get Adam out of his pensive mood, so they became lost in their own thoughts and rode another hour in silence.
The country again changed from the ash-gray rocks of
the mines into the golden colors of late fall. Glad to be away from the mines, Jewel rode beside Adam until she grew weary from the constant jostling in her saddle. “Will we stop for lunch soon?” she asked with a hopeful glance.
He indicated a spot up ahead. “See that group of trees? I believe it’s the perfect place. We’ll stop there.”
The once-beautiful blue sky began to darken as thunder clouds edged their way across the horizon. Jewel hoped the rain would hold off until they returned home; she didn’t want anything else to spoil their day.
But she couldn’t help the groan that escaped her lips when she dismounted. The rough handling at the copper mines had taken its toll.
Jewel spread a blanket out beneath a large English oak tree while Adam retrieved the basket of food that had been prepared for their lunch. He proudly produced two wineglasses that had been carefully packed in a linen cloth. Soon they feasted on cheese, biscuits, and roasted chicken, topped off with white wine.
While they ate, he eased back against the tree trunk, crossing his booted feet as he kept Jewel entertained with stories of his sea journeys, describing the beautiful ports he’d visited.
She listened eagerly, glad that his earlier angry mood had dissipated. His vivid descriptions of white sandy beaches and crystal blue seas were easy for her to imagine when she closed her eyes. She wondered why everything about the sea held such a strong fascination for her.
Adam stood and pulled her up with him. “Come with me.”
Together they walked across the field to a thicket of thorny bushes. She thought it impossible to go farther, until Adam pointed to a well-hidden path behind a little wooden gate.
“Where are we going?”
“I want you to see something.” He refused to elaborate as he tugged on her hand.
They walked down a well-trodden path until they came to a clearing and a beautiful spring. Bending down, Adam scooped up a handful of water and drank, then offered her some of the liquid cupped in the palm of his hands. She had to hold his hands to bring them to her lips, but the intimacy of the act surprised her, and she drew away as soon as she’d taken a sip of the sweet, cool water.
“Thank you,” Jewel said as she wiped a droplet of water from her chin. Looking over at Adam, she noticed his intense expression. “It’s beautiful here, and the water tastes fresh and clean.” She grasped at anything to lessen the funny feeling stealing over her. “I can see why you like coming here. How did you find this place?”
“This is the Madron Well.” He waved his hand over the water before he stooped to pick up a smooth pebble at the water’s edge. “I used to come here when I was small,” he said more or less to himself before skipping the rock across the water. “Would you like to hear the legend?”
Jewel nodded, wondering what kind of story could go with what appeared to be an ordinary spring.
Adam moved near her and draped his arm around her. This time she didn’t pull away, but laid her head on his shoulder, prepared to listen.
“Many years ago there was a poor crippled lad by the name of John Trelilie. All his life he had been forced to walk upon his hands. In 1650 he had a dream. He was told in the dream to wash himself in the Madron Well. At first he didn’t think anything about his vision, but he had this same dream again three times. The third time, it’s said, he knew he had to find this well. At that time, it was not an easy task to get here, for the ground was covered by thorns and thistles. John had to crawl. By the time he reached the well, he was cut and torn, so he crawled into the water to wash himself, just as the dream had instructed. When he climbed out, he no longer had to crawl, for he could walk upon his feet.”
“What a beautiful story.” Tears gathered in Jewel’s eyes. Adam turned her around. “Ever since that day, this has been known as the healing well.” Her tears told him she felt things deeply. Perhaps too deeply. She was so delicate-looking that he couldn’t help feeling he had to protect her. He liked touching her and holding her. Too much, by far. He wanted to kiss her mouth, but something stopped him. Instead, he placed a kiss on the end of her nose.
“My story wasn’t that bad?” he quipped.
She smiled and they walked hand and hand.
Returning to their picnic, Jewel poured Adam the last of the wine, then cleaned up the leftover food and neatly packed everything into the basket.
Adam sat back and leaned against the large, brown tree, watching her as she worked. She couldn’t imagine how badly she’d scared him at the mine. Without thinking or talking himself out of it, he reached up and pulled Jewel over to him, letting her back rest against his knee so she would face him as he spoke.
“Jewel, I’m sorry you had to witness that scene at the mine.” He paused, surprised at himself for apologizing. He didn’t make amends to women, especially ones that had disobeyed him. But somehow this young lady was different. The very thought of her being afraid of him was something he didn’t want. He needed to make her understand.
“The next time I tell you to stay somewhere, I mean for you to do just that!” He saw her eyes widen, and he softened his voice before he continued. “You could have been killed.” He brushed a stray hair from her neck. When he saw the faint bruise, his jaw tightened. The miner should have died.
“I’ll listen the next time,” she promised. “I just hate that the whole thing happened.”
“Tell me something.” Absentmindedly, Adam rubbed his fingers across the back off her neck. “How did you get away from him? He was quite a bit bigger than you.”
“I hit him.”
“My sweet, you’re not that strong.”
“I am when it comes to hitting in the right places.” She blushed, but he saw the grin she tried to hide.
Adam chuckled. “I’d wager you didn’t learn that at finishing school.”
“Probably not,” she murmured, acutely aware of the gentle stroking of Adam’s fingers producing a pleasurable sensation throughout her body. She lifted her eyes to his, only to be captured by the softness that lurked in their depths. Had she ever been kissed before? Had she ever felt these strange longings now surging though her?
His arms tightened around her, pulling her closer while his gaze held her spellbound. She wondered if she should draw back, but much like a child looking into a secret treasure chest, her curiosity pushed her on.
What would it be like? Her anticipation grew. She was getting ready to find out because his lips were drawing near. His breath was but a whisper upon her face. The first tender brush of his warm lips made her heart catch in her throat, and her eyelids closed. She was lost in a dreamy world she never knew existed.
What Adam intended to be a chaste kiss was rapidly crumbling beneath him as he tasted the sweetness she offered him. Her soft, beguiling mouth became the only invitation he needed as he gave in to his longings and deepened his wine-drenched kiss. She responded by wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her body to his.
God, she felt good! He should release her. He hadn’t planned this. What could one small kiss hurt? Clutching Jewel to him, he gently parted her lips with his tongue, exploring her velvety softness. The once-tender kiss became a tantalizing excitement that unsettled Adam as he teetered on the brink of ripping off her clothes and easing the desires that ran rampant through his body. The very taste of her was like no other before. He had always been in control ... until now.
Shy at first, Jewel became an apt student as Adam’s touch released a burning passion in her. She couldn’t hold anything back, nor did she want to. She was curious if she was doing this correctly. Had she done this before . . . with someone else? Surely, she could remember such a jolting sensation. Trembling, she responded to his kiss, exploring his mouth the same way he had hers.
The brazen move surprised Adam. He lifted his mouth and struggled to restrain himself even though his blood pounded through his veins. Never had he felt such strong desire. He brushed his fingertips across her warm cheeks, and found himself memorizing every facet of her deli
cate features. He saw passionate eyes burning with desire just before her eyelids fluttered shut, and he claimed her mouth again. The taste and fragrance of her drove him crazy. She was an angel.
No, Jewel was a devil.
But he didn’t care. His lips moved along her neck, and his self-control slipped another notch as he unlatched the buttons of her jacket with dexterous fingers. He slid his hand beneath her blouse. Capturing a full, ripe breast, he rubbed his thumb back and forth across her nipple, and felt it harden with desire.
A bolt of lighting struck a tree across the meadow with a loud explosion, jerking Adam back to his senses. A groan of frustration tore from his lips. He pulled away. “I fear it’s going to rain,” he murmured.
“Yes, rain.”
Adam smiled at her. She didn’t seem aware of the thunder as it rumbled across the sky, issuing a warning of what was to come. And he felt rather pleased with himself, but he knew they would have to leave, even if he didn’t want to. He looked past Jewel’s wild eyes, noticing her puffy lips. Could she be as innocent as she seemed?
Struggling to control his ragged breathing, he whispered, “As much as I hate to, we need to be going. My sweet, you must be a goddess—a goddess from the sea sent to tempt me. And sweetheart, you have, so beware.”
He watched as she lowered her eyes shyly and began buttoning her blouse. At least she didn’t act as if this was something she’d done before, and that eased his mind. But he had no desire for her to feel guilty, and he was pretty sure that was how she felt. He could read it in her eyes.
He brushed her hands aside and helped with the last button. Placing a finger under her chin, he tilted it up so he could see her eyes before he spoke. “This was my fault, Jewel. I’ll try to control myself in the future.”
The breeze had turned to a gusty wind laced with moisture as they rode hard towards Briercliff, trying to escape the threatening downpour but to no avail. The rain finally caught up with them. By the time they reached the castle their clothes were soaked through.
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