“Hey there, boy,” he said, bending to greet the dog. Friday had other ideas, however, bounding around William, barking relentlessly before running back down the hill while William stared after him, perplexed by his behavior. Friday returned, barking and running down the hill and back up again toward William, who finally realized the dog wanted him to follow him.
“I’m a bit busy, boy,” he said, but the dog was relentless.
“All right, then,” he said. “You are quite persistent. I’m coming.”
He followed Friday, who set a fairly good pace. William felt slightly ridiculous following the dog through the brush and into his woodland. For all he knew, the dog wanted to show him a bird or a rabbit he had managed to snare.
Finally, Friday stopped, sniffing around the base of a huge fir tree that had been on the property for years. His bark changed to one of excitement, and William thought he heard a “shh” coming from the other side of the fir.
“Hello?” he called out. “Is someone there?”
“Oh, William!” a voice cried, and he started in surprise and relief as Rosalind emerged from behind the tree. She looked rather bedraggled. Her hair was trailing down her back and around her shoulders, free of its pins, the long straight brown locks askew. Her cheeks were flushed, as if she had run a great distance, and the soft yellow of her dress was torn and muddy, clearly from a romp through the woods.
“Rosalind!” he exclaimed as he made his way hurriedly through the brush toward her, taking her in his arms and grasping her tightly to him. She finally let out a bit of a strangled noise, and he realized just how tightly he was holding her, so overcome he was with relief. He let her go but stayed close to her. “Whatever are you doing out here?”
“We have to go,” she said urgently, as Friday jumped up on her in excitement that he had managed to reunite the two. “Bart he’s — he’s after me. I tried to run toward you, to find the house, but I became utterly lost. I have no idea where I am or how to get back, and finally Friday somehow happened upon me, quite by accident, I’m sure, and I tried to follow him, but he was too fast for me. Then I heard Bart’s voice calling out for me, and I hid. We must go now, before he finds us.”
“Let him,” William said, his voice resolute. “But why — Rosalind, what happened?”
“Your brother and your mother,” she said, and he was surprised at the vehemence in her tone. “They truly do not want us together, William. So much so that they made some kind of an arrangement with Bart. Your mother lured me out of my room, your brother dragged me back to this cabin, and there I was left to wait for Bart, who was going to take me back to his home.”
William’s eyes widened at her words. What she was saying could not possibly be true — could it? Could his mother and brother be so evil as to work against his happiness, for all he ever wanted? And for what? He thought about it for a moment as he searched her face, which was open, earnest, willing him to believe her, to understand her. And the truth of the matter was that he did. As much as he wanted to deny it, he knew how underhanded his family could be. And yet, he could hardly believe they would go this far.
He gently reached out and ran his hands down her bare arms.
“Are you hurt?” he asked, bringing his thumb to her chin and looking her over.
“Nothing but a few scrapes from some offending branches,” she said with a bit of a smile.
“Good,” he said, and feeling so very grateful to have her here, safely with him, that he reached out and pulled her to him again but more gently this time, holding her close with his arms wrapped around her. He breathed her in, smelled the rose of her hair, felt her warmth through the muslin gown, and he realized deep within his soul that he never wanted to let go.
“Rosalind,” he said softly, finally releasing her with a kiss upon the top of her head. “I—”
“Well now, I am sorry to interrupt this tender moment, but I will be collecting my bride now, Southam.”
William turned at the words, his eyes narrowing as Lord Templeton approached. The man clearly was not one used to such exertions as trampling through the brush chasing after young women who did not want to be found, and he looked rather disheveled himself, though more than anything, he looked angry — very angry.
Friday crouched low in front of them and growled at Templeton, while William pulled Rosalind behind him as he faced Templeton. It was only then he noticed the blood coating his left arm.
“Templeton,” he said, as authoritatively as he could. “What you have done here is despicable. Return to the house, gather your carriage, and be gone.”
“I think not,” the man said with a sneer, though it was obvious he was beginning to weaken somewhat. “I am not leaving without my little bitch of a wife.”
“I am not your wife,” came Rosalind’s voice from behind him, as much as William tried to quiet her. “Nor will I ever be.”
“Do you truly think so?” he asked, and with great relish he pulled a firearm from behind his back, causing Rosalind to gasp. “I believe I hold the power now.”
“Templeton,” William said, holding up his hands in a sign of surrender as he slowly walked toward the man, hoping Templeton would move his aim from Rosalind to him. “What is your plan here? Do you truly believe you can take Rosalind against her will, spirit her away in your carriage, and force her to marry you without consequence? Come, man. We are past the point. This no longer has any sort of ending for you besides one of punishment. However, you still have a way to lessen it. Simply leave — by yourself, of your own free will — and never come back. Forget Rosalind, forget me, and return to your home, where you can happily live out the rest of your days.”
“You don’t understand,” Templeton said, his glare darkening. “My cousin had everything. Our families were close, and he was the focus of his uncle and my father for our entire lives. He became the earl, was provided with a wife, and all the riches he could want. And he cared not for any of them. It was all just out of my reach, and now I want all that he had. You see, once I want something, Southam, I am determined to get it. Harold is out of my way now, so both the earldom and his bride can be mine. After all I have been through, I will not allow the likes of you to get in my way.”
William heard Rosalind gasp and he looked over to her, seeing her mouth agape as she stared at Templeton.
“You killed him,” she said in almost a whisper. “You pushed your own cousin down the stairs — how could you?”
“Oh come, Rosalind, it’s not as though you even liked the man that much,” said Templeton with bluster. “If anything, I did us all a favor to be rid of the boor.”
“You believe yourself to be any better?” William asked with a growl. “I should hardly think you to be a fair replacement. And do you not suppose the lady has a right to choose for herself?”
“Do you truly think you have any justification to be so self-righteous?” Templeton ground out, as the men came close to one another. “You, whose own family has conspired against her, not once, but twice? What do you think would ever come from a union between the two of you? Are you going to banish your own mother and brother in favor of a woman?”
William paused for a moment, then turned and looked at Rosalind, holding the gaze of the green eyes that stared back up at him.
“For the right woman — of course.”
They were both silent for a moment as she closed the distance between them, taking his hand as they stared at one another, seemingly forgetting, for this brief moment in time, Templeton and all of the trials that awaited them.
“Enough of this,” Templeton said, cutting through the thick tension that hung in the air. “Time to go. Rosalind, you’re coming with me. Southam, home to your party. And call off your dog, or I will shoot him.”
“Friday, down,” William said, but stood tall in front of Templeton, who was shorter but much stockier. William knew he would likely have a fair bit of strength on the man should it come to it, though Templeton held the gun in hand. Wil
liam leaned down and whispered in Rosalind’s ear. “When I move, run to your left — quickly.” As Templeton raised the gun to William’s face, William charged at him, catching him round the middle. Templeton gave a grunt of surprise as the breath shot out of him and he went flying backward. William threw a punch, and the two scrapped on the ground. William grunted as a tree branch bit into his back, before he flipped himself and Templeton over. He was holding the man down when suddenly the world went black before him as Templeton whacked the gun against his temple with a crack.
William fell backward, his vision hazy. He tried to push himself up to a sitting position, but felt nearly no ability to raise his body. Templeton leaned over him, holding the gun in front of him with a smile on his lips underneath a nose that William had bloodied, and all William could do was pray that Rosalind had run fast and far, so that at the very least she could escape this man and the future he would hold for her. Be smart, Rosalind, he willed. Follow your heart and find the love you deserve.
He closed his eyes and braced himself for the impending shot, but it never came. Instead he heard a muffled groan and the sound of something heavy hitting the forest floor. His eyes flew open to the most beautiful sight he had ever laid eyes on — Rosalind, hair floating around her face in a halo as the rays of sunlight that peeked through the forest canopy of leaves engulfed her.
William pushed himself up to a seated position, holding a hand to his head as he looked around him.
“Rosalind?” He stared up at her, and she wore a slight smile on her lips. “What did you…?”
“He was going to kill you,” she said simply, dropping the large, broken tree limb from her fingers, as if suddenly it had become to heavy to hold onto anymore. “I did what I had to.”
He shook his head in amazement, then reached his arms up toward her and she came to him quickly, lying nearly on top of him as he held her as close as possible, breathing in the scent of her hair, so fresh and clean, like the woodland he laid in.
William opened his eyes when he heard a bit of a grunt beside him. He turned his head to see Templeton twitch, though Friday stood overtop of him, pinning him to the ground.
“You hit him hard, love, but I’m not sure it was quite hard enough,” he said. “We best go before he wakes up.”
“What are we to do about him?” she asked, leaning back and looking into his face, brushing her fingers lightly over the bump he could feel beginning to form on his head where the bastard had hit him.
“Not to worry,” he said. “I have a plan.”
24
Rosalind had known she was near the house, but simply hadn’t been able to find her way. Now with William guiding her with his words, his arm slung over her shoulder as he stumbled beside her, she felt a bit of a fool as she realized just how close the house was.
“Not your fault, love,” he said, smiling at her. “These woods can be a bit confusing. You simply needed your guide.”
“Apparently I did,” she said with a rueful grin. “Although you are a much heavier guide than I would have imagined.”
He chuckled and seemed to try to shift some of his weight off her. He had attempted to make his way back to the house unassisted, but kept wavering off the path. When Rosalind had offered to help, he had resisted at first, but eventually relented and they had been slowly making their way forward since. Friday had long since returned to the house, apparently feeling his work as protector had been completed.
Rosalind looked over at him. “It’s all right,” she said. “You can give me more of your weight.”
His face tightened in apparent pain and he shook his head. “I’m fine.”
“No, you are not,” she insisted. “I’m stronger than you think.”
“Now that,” he said, raising a finger in the air as if to emphasize his point, “Is entirely true, and I am pleased that you have come to realize it.”
She blushed, understanding his words went beyond the physical efforts she was making.
As she looked at him closely, she could tell he was trying to hide his discomfort. He gave a slight groan as he brought a hand to his head.
“What is it?” she asked, concerned.
“It — it seems the blow to my head has triggered the return of one of my headaches.”
“Your headaches?”
“Yes,” he said with a sigh as he nodded. “At times, particularly when I feel under any sort of pressure, my head starts to pound furiously. I can hardly describe it, but the ache within overcomes all else and it is all I can do to even function. That is why I overindulge, because I am trying to rid myself of the pain.”
“Oh, William,” she said, her eyes wide as she thought back now to his sudden mood swings, the way his hand always came to his head in what she thought was a simple habit. “Why did you not tell me?”
“It seems foolish and a poor excuse for my untoward behavior,” he said with a shrug. “And it will not go away. I have tried everything, seen every doctor, and short of boring holes in my head — which some wanted to do — nothing seems to work. Although, I must say, as strange as it sounds, your presence brings about a calm that seems to help dull the pain in the early stages.”
He paused for a moment, the silence stretching between them as she thought on his revelation. “I suppose I should have told you sooner,” he continued. “I was a bit ashamed, to be honest. I did not want you to know how routine it had become, that what you have witnessed were not solitary incidents, but rather a villain that will not be vanquished. I do not know if it will ever go away, Rosalind. It’s something that I shall always have to deal with, that will continue to make me into a bit of a beast, I’m afraid.”
“Yes, you should have told me, you silly, stubborn man,” she said, shaking her head as she pointed a finger into his chest. “Oh William, I kept thinking you were pushing me away, that you wanted nothing serious with me, when all this time it was something else that was bothering you? If nothing else, I could have helped you!”
“There is no help for me,” he sighed. “I told you, I have tried it all.”
“When I was young,” she said, slowly, her heart warming as she remembered, “I had a nursemaid. Her name was Gretchen, and she was ever so wonderful. She showed me love when there was none to be had in my house, when my parents were busy with society, and I had no one else to keep me company. Anyway, she suffered much the same. Whenever her headaches appeared, she concocted an herbal remedy. I remember the ingredients, peppermint being the strongest. She would extract it from the leaves, rubbing the scent over her temples, her neck, and drinking a tea of it. It never entirely did away with the ache, she said, but it certainly dulled the pain some. Have you ever attempted something like that?”
“No,” he said with a shake of his head. “Though I suppose it’s worth a try.”
“Wonderful,” she said, happy he had agreed. “We shall try it then. You must understand, William, whatever might help or not, you do not have to keep anything from me. I will be there to help you.”
He gave a quick nod before stilling his head, apparently the movement being too much, though he managed a smile. “Understood, my lady.”
When they reached the house, he suggested they enter through the servant’s doors to avoid the attention of the guests or his family. She quickly agreed, and despite the horrified looks they received from the servants, they assured them all was well. William asked them to say nothing and they agreed, their loyalty clearly with their viscount and not his mother. Rosalind could understand why. Lady Southam had certainly not made herself particularly beloved by the servants of the manor.
William interlaced his fingers with hers, and Rosalind felt warmth shoot through her, running up her arms and through her body with a tingle. It felt so right, so lovely to be with him, despite the fact that there was still so much unspoken, and many an obstacle between them and the life she tried not to allow herself to hope for. She had always dreamed of loving with all of her heart, of what it would feel like to
be completely loved and accepted in return. She had not, however, allowed herself to consider the possibility of it coming true for fear of how much it would hurt for it all to be taken away from her.
And yet, despite how hard she had tried to resist, how much she had pushed William and all she felt for him far away from her, she realized she had completely lost her heart to him. She could only hope that he would feel something of the same in return, that they could find a way forward together.
Now, however, was not the time to tell him of this. Not when Bart would be appearing from the woodlands where she had bashed him over the head with a fallen tree branch. She could hardly believe what she had done. If she had taken even a moment to contemplate her actions, she knew she could never have gone through with it, but when she had seen him holding the gun up to William, she had acted on instinct. She had hardly been able to lift the branch, but she found just enough strength to bring it down over his head. It had been a rush that she couldn’t describe, that she wasn’t sure she could duplicate if she had to again, though if she ever had to do anything to save William’s life, she knew she would do all she could.
“Rosalind,” he said softly as they reached the entrance to the hallway. “Slip up to your room and change. Do not let anyone see you. Stay there until I come for you, all right?”
She nodded and he eased the door open a crack. Apparently seeing no one in the hall, he gave her a quick nod and put a hand to her hip as she slipped through the door and up the stairwell. She stole a quick look back at him as he watched her go. He gave her a wink before she slipped up the stairwell as fast as she could.
Rosalind entered her room, collapsing against the bed as the adrenaline began to drain out of her and she considered all that had just occurred. She jumped when she heard a soft knock at the door, freezing as she tried to remain silent.
Loved by the Viscount_A Historical Regency Romance Page 16
