“Amy?”
“Shhh, let me focus,” she ordered as she closed her eyes. She felt him shift and place his arms upon her shoulders, but she tried to ignore his burning touch while she reduced the swelling around the vertebrae. When she finished and opened her eyes, she realized they were in an embrace. She tried to step away, but he held her firm.
“Chavier…Mr. Jones,” she whispered. “I think you have a bit of thrall in you.”
He released her and stepped back. “If there is thrall, Amy, it goes both ways.” He smiled as he arched his back. “Is this relief from pain permanent or temporary?”
“It will probably be temporary until I can find the cause. Has your back bothered you for long?”
“For years.”
“What do you do in a normal day of your life?” She sat down at the garden table, determined to solve his medical mystery.
He joined her and gave a censured answer.
Not satisfied, she interrogated him on where he worked and asked whether he lifted heavy books on a regular basis.
He replied he did not. “Why do you ask?”
“Because your injury looks much like a sprain where the muscles are being over tasked from lifting or pushing something heavy. The fact that the pain is chronic indicates you do this action often, but with your incomplete answers I cannot tell what it might be. However, I hope you know.”
Chavier smiled. “Yes, but I can say no more.”
“And you must do this yourself?”
He nodded.
“Can you not make it lighter or use pulleys?”
He shook his head.
“Then perhaps you had better plan on visiting me often.”
“Now that will give me great pleasure.” He smiled and kissed her hand. Once again, she was certain she felt his tongue against the tender skin between her knuckles.
“Chavier, is that kiss entirely appropriate?”
“It is if the lady enjoys it. She is the only one to notice the difference.”
“Oh…”
“Did you not enjoy it?”
“I did…I do…but it makes my heart beat faster and a tightness form in my throat, so you probably shouldn’t do it around Mrs. Halloway or Antonio. They know me too well and will see that I’m flustered.”
“That is excellent advice, Amy, and I will follow it.” He kissed her hand again, allowing the pleasure to continue for longer.
As she felt heat spread through her body, she forced unwanted words from her mouth. “I suppose it is time to return to the house.”
As they came around the house, she spied Darby and Domnika standing close, looking very romantic. She gently pushed Chavier back around the corner as she smiled at her grand achievement. “We will walk the long way around.”
As they approached a pretty orchard of trees, Chavier suggested a closer look. Amy paused. “If it were Darby who wanted to walk in the trees, I fear Gunter would show up with an ax, but I am hoping he won’t do that to you.”
“I would hope not. But if he does, I pray I will stand as courageously as Darby did to the sheers.”
“Yes.” She then laughed. “Darby met Gunter again today and demanded to know why Mrs. Stanton’s gardener was here. When I explained Gunter was my protector and there were three more, well I believe it broke his resistance to the possibility that a Russian princess would suit him better.”
Chavier frowned.
“Did you prefer Domnika yourself?” Amy asked.
He didn’t reply to her question, as he was lost in thought once again. She thought this odd habit of his most amusing.
“I think you are very handsome,” she declared and laughed because she knew he was not listening. “And I think I’ve made great progress of the count’s thrall. I was hoping you could find me an expert on breeding wild cats.”
“I’m sorry, what?”
“Which what?” she teased him. “You’ve been ignoring me for quite some time.”
“Whatever you said last.”
“You’ve been ignoring me for quite some time?”
He pulled her closer to him. “I am sorry you felt ignored. It was not intentional. Your discussion of Domnika being a Russian princess set me to thinking, and I will discuss those thoughts with you, but something you said was rather important and managed to break through my concentration. Now tease me all you like later but tell me now what you had just said before I said ‘what.’”
What had she been saying?
“Amy…” he growled.
“You aren’t accustomed to impertinence,” she teased.
“Nor am I known for patience.”
“Now I remember. I asked if you could find me someone who knows about breeding wild cats, for zoos perhaps.”
“Why?”
“Because I believe I’ve made progress on the count’s thrall. Did Antonio not tell you?”
Chavier paused. “I’ve not spoken to Antonio since the last time I was here.”
Amy was confused by his statement. If Chavier wasn’t the man Antonio reported to, who was?
She explained her theory to him including her tests with Catherine. “Which reminds me, do you have an address for the count?”
“Why?”
“Because I want to write him and tell him I need a letter in return assuring Catherine he left the country in good health.”
She could see Chavier was against the idea.
“Please, it would make a good peace offering between Catherine and me.”
“Write your letter, and I will see it sent.”
She sighed. “Never mind.” She turned back to the house.
Chavier grabbed her hand and pulled her to him. “Why did you change your mind?’
“Because you planned to answer the letter yourself, and Catherine would catch it immediately and be more convinced he’s dead and even angrier at me.
“How do you know I was going to do that?”
“Because I thought of doing that myself. It’s a very safe solution and has no risk if it’s believed. But it would not be believed. Catherine is no one’s fool. She will know if the count wrote the letter or not.”
“Write your letter and I’ll see it posted. When I get the reply, I do plan to read it first, but if there is no plan of abductions included, I will give it to you to give to Catherine.”
Amy smiled and kissed him, or he kissed her, she was uncertain which.
Gunter interrupted the kiss. “Sir, it’s time to get Miss Amy back to the house so she can wash up for dinner.” His voice was stern with just a touch of disapproval.
Since the fellow stood to the left behind Chavier, he whispered to Amy, asking if she saw an axe. She looked at Gunter and saw no ax, but she did see immense disappointment that she had allowed Chavier to kiss her. She blushed with shame.
“I should go get ready for dinner.” She escaped his embrace and ran like the wind, leaving Chavier standing with Gunter.
“There is such a thing as protecting a girl too much,” Chavier snapped in agitation.
Gunter snorted. “No, sir, not to my way of thinking, there’s not. Besides, as far as I could see, I was protecting you as well.”
“What does that mean?”
“You’re the one with all the brains, I’m sure you can figure it out.” Gunter headed to the house, leaving Chavier alone in the woods.
Chapter 52
After dinner, the two couples took another walk in the garden. It was Amy’s idea. She wanted to give Domnika and Darby more time to secure their feelings. However, when she suggested it, Chavier did not hesitate to second the idea. She suspected she was in for a scolding for running off and leaving him to face Gunter alone. It had been very cowardly of her.
Thus, the moment they were apart from Darby and Domnika, she apologized. She had found that apologies provided first would lessen or sometimes prevent a scolding all together.
“Chavier, I am sorry I ran away and left you to face Gunter all alone. It was wrong of me, especial
ly since I may have been the one to initiate that kiss.”
“You do not think I am capable of standing up to the fellow?” he challenged.
She could tell by the outrage in his voice that she had managed to insult him further. “I’m certain you did so admirably, but that is beside the point. I should not have run. I should not have behaved so cowardly.”
“Why did you run?” he asked.
She was now sorry she had begun this conversation, not wanting to hurt his feeling.
“Amy, I hope by now you realize you can trust me.”
“I do,” she said and took his hand in hers. “You are a very good and honorable man.” She hesitated as she struggled to find her words.
“But I am an old man and not the passionate young buck a young girl desires,” he finished, his voice filled with resignation and sadness.
If she said nothing he would interpret her answer as a yes and he would go away defeated, but she knew how he hated to lose. She could not let him go away defeated by a lie. “That is not the problem at all. I find myself all too passionate in your presence. When your hands touch me, they sear my skin. When you kissed me, or I kissed you, I’m still not certain what happened, my thoughts went into a jumble from the pleasure.”
Just the mention of his kiss warmed her body. She took in a deep breath and steadied herself. “The problem, sir, is that I am deeply in love with another man, with Antonio. You may say I am not in love with him if I have feelings for you as I had described, but that is not the case. My love for him is as solid and certain as the ground we stand upon. It will not give way. It will not crumble.”
Chavier smiled at her with such tenderness her heart ached. He was such a good man. She hated that she had to cause him this pain.
“I know of no formal engagement yet announced. Is there a secret one?”
“Not exactly, but there is an understanding, an expectation. I am certain Antonio will ask soon.”
“But he has not said as much? He has not directly asked you to marry him?”
She blushed. “No, not in so many words,” she whispered.
“Has he told you he loves you?” Chavier persisted.
“His eyes tell me that he loves me. He called me ‘love’ once…” Amy now felt uncertainty where there was none before, and it frightened her, and then angered her as she realized Chavier, not Antonio was the source of this uncertainty.
She looked up at him with fierceness. “I may not be able to provide ample proof to you that Antonio loves me, so you must remain unconvinced. However, I remain firm in my conclusions, sir. Antonio does love me with the same intensity and firmness that I possess for him.”
Chavier breathed out as he gave her a pitying look of compassion. “I pray that is true, but until he asks you to marry him, you are not engaged, and you have every right to enjoy the kisses of another suitor, if they please you. I thank you for being honest with me about the slim chances of my winning your hand, but if you truly do enjoy my company and my kisses, I would like to continue this courtship until you announce your engagement. For while I do not like to lose, if the prize is very grand, I will continue to play, even if the chances of winning are low.”
Amy’s heart seemed to quiver at his words. “But there remains the reason why I ran. When Gunter saw me kiss you, he was very disappointed in me for betraying Antonio.”
Chavier cupped her face in his hands and lifted it up so he could look her in her eyes. “You did nothing wrong, Amy! Gunter is a soldier. He hasn’t the foggiest idea as to the rules of society and courtship. Until Antonio speaks and there is a formal engagement, you have every right to enjoy the kisses of other suitors. Antonio knows this. He will not see it as a betrayal. No one in society will see it as such.”
“But it will still hurt him,” Amy protested.
“It is supposed to be hard for a young man to see the girl of his desire courted by others. It is how they come to propose. If not, they would drag their feet forever and nothing would ever come to a proper end. It is the fear of losing the prize to another that sets their heart and gives them courage to speak.”
His hands remained cupped on her cheeks. She placed her own over his and pulled them away, leading them to her waist. Looking into his eyes, she slid her arms about his neck.
Needing no further encouragement, Chavier pulled her tight to his body and kissed her deeply.
Chapter 53
She slept alone in Antonio’s bed that night, since he never came home. She had dozed off in exhaustion and worry at four a.m. When she woke at six, he still was not there. She went to Mrs. Halloway’s room and quietly opened the door. It took her several minutes to make sense of what she saw.
Suddenly an arm slipped around her waist and pulled her silently from the room and closed the door behind them. Tomas led her to Antonio’s room and pushed her in, following. He wasted no time giving her a stern scolding about people deserving their privacy. “Gunter would kill me for letting you slip by me and seeing him with Ann.”
“Well, they didn’t wake up, so there’s no need for him to know. Tomas, I’m worried about Antonio. He’s not come home yet. He’s never stayed out this late. I think you need to wake up Gunter and Mrs. Halloway and let them know. I fear something has happened.”
While she had not convinced Tomas, anything had happened to Antonio, she had convinced herself, and she was certain it was because she had allowed Chavier to kiss her for so long. He assured her one kiss was allowed, but when that one kiss continued for twenty minutes, she suspected they stretched the rules of propriety, but it had felt so wonderful that she decided to allow her ignorance to excuse her participation.
There were also all those fiery caresses with his hands during the kiss. She doubted they were exactly within the lines of propriety either.
Thus, Tomas was forced to watch as she cried pitifully in deep heaving sobs that something had surely happened to Antonio.
Tomas left the room, promising to wake Ann. Even with that assurance, she couldn’t stop crying since it did not make her guilt and responsibility for Antonio’s absence less. She had been untrue to this great and wonderful love, and fate had deemed her unworthy and taken him from her.
Suddenly Antonio’s arms surrounded her, his lips covering her face with kisses. She looked up into Antonio’s tired but loving eyes. She threw herself at him and he tumbled onto the bed as if her strength overpowered him. She felt the wrongness in him.
Tearing away his shirt, she found the source. A dirty flowery patterned strip of cloth wrapped his stomach. The side was blackened with blood.
She rolled him onto his good side and cut away the bandage with scissors. After studying the small hole in his side, she focused her mind, so she could see beneath the skin. A bullet now lay in the muscle. A few small arteries had been cut but no serious damage had occurred. She brought her tray of medical supplies closer. Last night before Chavier left, he gave her a very unusual courtship present of medical instruments. She had assured him that she thought it a much finer present than flowers and sweets.
Now she thought it the finest present in the world as she selected a long armed slender tweezers, cleaned them with the whiskey, and closed her eyes, leading them down the torn flesh to where the bullet rested. With only a slight tug, the muscles gave up the round ball and she gently brought it out.
Of all the wounds she had healed for Antonio, this was the easiest. There was no infection, no large blood vessels needing cauterized. Even the passage way was narrow enough that she had no trouble getting the flesh to rebind. When she finished, only a slight pink hue on the skin gave hint of his injury.
Although she was utterly exhausted from her vigil during the night, her emotional outburst, and now the efforts to heal, she took the time to clean her new instruments, thinking how odd fate could be. Had she sent Chavier away after dinner she would not have received this gift that enabled her to heal Antonio so easily.
Once she put away her medical gear, she decid
ed to remove Antonio’s pants, so he could sleep easier. A smear of red on the crotch of his pants caught her attention. Sensing no injury, she removed his pants and then examined the stain more closely. The scent of a heavy perfume and his own seed filled her nostrils. Amy dropped the garment as if it were a cobra ready to strike. She turned back to Antonio, dead to the world.
He did not look like a man returned from a night with a lover. He looked like a battle-weary soldier, far too exhausted to wake and provide an explanation. The more she studied him, the more compassion filled her soul.
Uncle John materialized on the bed beside Antonio.
“He’s had a hard twenty hours. Do not judge him harshly for a brief moment of pleasure between.”
His words struck her hard. “So, he was with a woman?”
“All in the line of duty,” Uncle John assured her, causing her to scowl. “Amy, you cannot hold him to a higher standard than you take.”
She nodded. “I know that, and believe me, my standards will be higher forthwith.”
Uncle John smiled. “Then you must hold him to a lesser standard than yours. For what he did was in the line of duty. However, like you, he felt the pleasure he experienced was a betrayal to you, and he pulled himself back, refusing to enjoy her touches further. And when the woman realized he truly was not enamored with her, she knew he was a spy and shot him.”
Amy gasped at her uncles’ words and pressed her hands to her frightened heart.
“Instead of raising your own standard, Amy, I would suggest that in the morning you talk to Antonio about both of your evenings and come to agreement that there is nothing wrong in his taking pleasure in the line of duty, for there is greater danger in Antonio losing his fine skill for seduction, than his losing your love.”
“Then he does this often?”
“Only by orders. It is a skill, Amy, and has helped keep this country safe many times.
“But he told me he had been celibate.”
“He separates his personal life from his professional. In his personal life, he has been amazingly celibate.”
Love's Betrayals (The Extraordinary Life of Amy Winston Book 2) Page 30
