The Bridal Quest

by Candace Camp

  She studied herself, turning her head this way and that trying to pull her expression into something more dignified—or at least less transparent. But it took only a minute for her give up, laughing. What did it matter, she thought, if everyone could guess that she was head over heels in love? All she cared about right now was the future that awaited her with Gideon. She could scarcely wait, in fact, to get started on the rest of her life.

  But there was the rest of the party to get through—and she rather looked forward to exploring the caves with Gideon—so she quickly changed into her riding habit and pinned the insouciant little cap to her head, angling it just right, so that the glossy black feather curled down to caress the side of her face. High black leather boots and black leather gloves completed her ensemble, and she took a last turn in front of the mirror, pleased with the image she presented. Unlike the high-waisted fashion that was currently the mode in frocks, the fitted jacket of the riding habit showed off her figure quite nicely, and the warm brown color went well with her coloring. Of course, she thought as she left the room with a light step, today she would have felt beautiful in rags.

  * * * * *

  Irene rode between Francesca and Calandra on the way down to the caves, leaving Gideon and the other men to entertain the rest of the girls. It would not, after all, be well-mannered to be too obvious about Gideon's preference for her company.

  They rode through the meadow and came around to the river, which they followed, led by the Park's head groom. They rode in the general direction of the distant hills, away from both the village and the road back to London. Almost imperceptibly, the lane beside the river began to narrow and the land beyond it to rise, until before long they were riding through a small gorge with limestone bluffs rising up beside them on either side. Finally the head groom stopped and spoke to Gideon, pointing ahead toward a line of bushes at base of the bluff.

  Irene shaded her eyes with her hand and saw a shadow behind the shrubs, darker and more substantial than the lacework of the leaves and branches. She dismounted, as did the others, and they made their way up the slight incline to the entrance of the cave.

  The entrance was an ink-black gap in the white rock, and though it was somewhat sheltered by a large boulder on one side, there was ample room for two people to pass through the gap side by side.

  The men had come equipped with lanterns, which they lit now, and the group started into the cave. Francesca and Irene brought up the rear, with Rochford dropping back politely to hold a light for them.

  However, they had barely made their way through the gap when Miss Hurley, quite surprisingly, became unnerved by the dark and the smallness of their quarters, not to mention the thought of the mountain of rock pressing down above her head, and she balked, refusing to go any farther. Francesca, suppressing a sigh, said that she would stay outside with the girl, and Mr. Surton, after a last, longing glance at the dark cave beyond, gallantly offered to remain to keep the ladies company. The rest of them went on, a somewhat depleted party.

  The cave was a tunnel at first, about the same size as the opening, but as they walked forward, it opened up into a larger room, and here the group stopped, gathering into a loose circle. Irene gazed around her in some awe.

  The cave extended in all directions past the reach of the lanterns, and everywhere rocks appeared to grow up from the floor or hang down from the ceiling, slick with moisture, so that they gleamed a little in the lights.

  The duke's scholarly friend, Mr. Strethwick, had come along on the expedition, intrigued by the prospect of the caves, and now the shy man, who had kept silent the entire trip, began to babble about the stalagmites and stalactites that lay before them, explaining their formation, going on about salts and minerals and limestone. Irene only half listened, too entranced by the eerie beauty of the scene to care overmuch about its origins.

  As Mr. Strethwick talked, the groom went back to their horses and brought in several tall torches, which he planted in the ground and set afire so that the main room of the cave was better lit, and they were able to take their lanterns off with them to explore further.

  The duke advised them to remain in a group and not go wandering off on their own, and such was the man's air of authority that no one disobeyed him. Irene was well content to stroll along with everyone else, especially after Gideon fell back to walk beside her.

  There was much to see, with smaller tunnels and caves opening off from others. There were odd rippling formations of stone and earth that looked like drapes, and others that seemed like waterfalls frozen in motion. The members of the group pointed out various rocks, saying how one looked like a kneeling man and another like a toadstool, and so on.

  Hunger, however, finally drove them back outside, where they found the picnic laid out and waiting for them by the river. Irene started to go over to where Francesca sat, but Gideon wrapped his hand around her wrist.

  "No, stay," he murmured in a low voice.

  She looked at him and smiled, nodding, then sat down on the rock beside him. He had chosen well, she realized, for the broad rock on which they sat was situated so that, though other people sat on either side of them, their rock jutted out in front of the others, leaving them almost alone together without giving the appearance of privacy or impropriety.

  They chatted as they ate, talking more about the caves than about themselves, but the important things were said in their smiles, and in the way their eyes met or his mouth softened when he looked at her. Afterward, Irene remembered little about their conversation, but she would always remember the contentment and peace she felt, the warmth and joy. She would never forget the sun upon her face as she looked up at Gideon, the bright green of his eyes when the sunlight touched them or the rustle of the leaves in the trees as a breeze passed through them.

  Later, she knew, she might worry about whether she had made a mistake in saying yes. She might wonder if it would be enough to be Gideon's wife, to know that he valued her as a friend and desired her in his bed, even if he never loved her. Fear might come upon her in the night, and she might cry to herself, knowing that she loved him with all her heart and afraid that he had spoken the truth when he said he could not love.

  But at this moment, such worries did not cling to her. She basked in the warmth of his gaze; she remembered his lips upon her mouth and traveling down her skin. Right now, whatever it was he felt for her, it was enough.

  She caught Francesca looking at them speculatively once or twice during the meal, and she knew that her friend was not the only one. Gideon's uncle, too, cast more than one glance their way.

  After the repast, several people were eager to return to the caves—primarily the duke's scientific friend, who had scarcely paid attention to the delicious food, so intent was he on going over the delights of the cave with Rochford.

  Both the Salisbridge girls decided to relax by the river for a while instead of returning to the dark and damp of the caves, which meant that Francesca and Mr. Surton were freed from sitting with Miss Hurley and were able to join the cave party. They all strolled back inside, more at ease this time with the eerie dark interior.

  Irene and Gideon chatted and walked about, straying from the tight-knit group. She felt him slip his hand around hers, and she turned toward him, surprised. He inclined his head to the side, then picked up his lantern and led her farther away from the others. She followed him quietly, and, after a last quick glance around, they slipped into one of the other tunnels.

  She covered her mouth to suppress a giggle and concentrated on walking quietly, just as eager as he was to escape the crowd. Finally he deemed them to be far enough away, and he turned, pulling her close to him and kissing her.

  "I have been wanting to do that all day," he confided, setting down his lantern on the ground so that he could wrap his other arm around her, too.

  "Will you think me very bold if I tell you that I wanted it, too?" she asked, looking up at him flirtatiously.

  "I will, indeed, and I th
ank heaven for it," he replied with a smile, and kissed her again, lightly, on the lips.

  Then he laid his cheek atop her head, and they stood that way, simply holding each other for a long moment. He nuzzled her hair and murmured in her ear, "Perhaps we could find a secluded little offshoot and ...

  Irene giggled, feeling a trifle giddy. "Stop. You will have me sounding like Miss Surton."

  "God forbid," Gideon replied in a heartfelt tone. He raised his head and gazed down at her, then took her lips again in a long, deep kiss.

  With a sigh, he released her, and, picking up the lantern, they began to stroll through the tunnel, hands clasped, as aware of each other as they were of the cave around them.

  "I told my grandmother and Aunt Odelia that you have accepted my proposal," he told her. "They were, needless to say, delighted."

  "I am sure that Teresa will be much less so," Irene remarked drily.

  He shrugged. "Fortunately she has nothing to say in the matter. Will you mind having her living at the Park? She could move to another house if she makes you uncomfortable."

  "Oh, I shall be able to tolerate her," Irene replied easily. "I would not want to uproot Timothy. After all, he is your family, and you are fond of him, I know."

  "I am." He smiled at her. "But I am fonder of you."

  "That is good to know. I am sure that I shall put that to the test sooner or later," she went on lightly. "I have been told that I am not an easy person to live with."

  "You?" He looked at her in mock amazement, eyes dancing. "Who would dare say such a thing?"

  She cast him a speaking glance, and he leaned down to kiss her lightly on the mouth, following it with quick kisses to her eyes and cheeks and chin.

  "I like you just as you are," he told her. "An easy person to live with would doubtless drive me mad in two weeks."

  "Then I shall do my best to keep you sane," she bantered. In a more serious tone, she went on. "Gideon ... there is one thing I would ask of you."

  He glanced at her, a little surprised by her tone. "What?"

  "I would like my mother to live here, too. She is not happy living with my sister-in-law. She does not say it, but I know it is true, and—"

  "Of course," he interrupted her, releasing her hand to put his arm around her shoulders and pull her close. "I assumed that she would live with us. You do not even need to ask."

  "Thank you." She smiled up at him.

  "I would give you much more than that to have you look at me in that way," he told her, bending down to kiss her again. His hand slid down her back and curved over her buttocks, pressing her against him.

  A fiery tongue of desire licked down through her torso, and she trembled, her hands going up to his chest and digging into his shirt. She wondered, with a little thrill of excitement, what it would be like if he did pull her into some secluded part of the cave.

  Their kiss deepened, and he set the lantern down with a clank as he linked his arms around her, pulling her up and into his body, lifting her from her feet. His mouth trailed down her neck and nuzzled into the dark crevice between her breasts, and his breath rasped in his throat.

  With a groan, he set her down and took a half step back, sucking in a lungful of air. His eyes burned into her, glittering with passion.

  "Sweet bloody hell, but you tempt me!" he grated out. "I have only one stipulation for our marriage—that it be very, very soon!"

  "I agree." Irene drew a shaky breath and smoothed her hands down her dress. "Perhaps we should return to the others before we create a scandal."

  "Yes, I think you are right."

  He picked up the light, and they set off again, but after a few twists and turns, he stopped and cast a look around. "I don't think this is the way we came."

  She, too, had been growing uneasy for the last few yards, and she cast a look at him. "We are lost?"

  "Not very," he said. "But I think we must retrace our steps."

  They turned back, following the wide tunnel to where it narrowed. Within a few minutes it opened up into a larger cavern—not as large as the expanse where they had first entered the cave, but nevertheless a high-ceilinged room—one in which Irene was certain they had not been before.

  "We are lost!" she exclaimed, a little squiggle of panic rising in her.

  He took her cold hand and raised it to his lips. "Don't get anxious. We will find our way back out, I assure you."

  He raised the lantern and glanced about the cavern. "It's an interesting place. Look at all the caves opening off this one."

  She looked at the darker openings at the edge of the circle of yellow light cast by the lantern. "I hope you don't intend to explore any of them."

  "No. But I think I'd like to come back someday and spend more time." He finished turning all around, his light falling on the cave wall closest to them. He paused. "That's odd."

  "What's odd?"

  He took a step closer to the wall, holding the light nearer to it. "This wall. Look. It isn't like the others."

  Irene followed the direction his finger pointed, intrigued despite her uneasiness. "It looks like—well, like rocks piled up."

  "Exactly." He set the lantern down at the base of the wall and squatted down. "Not like the solid wall everywhere else. Look."

  He reached out and ran a finger down a rock, dislodging moist earth. "These are rocks with earth shoved in between and on top, like a crude wall, but the soil has largely melted away. Look at how much has slid down to the bottom."

  Irene frowned, leaning over to brush her fingers over the surface. "You're right. Someone built a wall here. Why?"

  He shook his head. "I don't know. But it's odd."

  He scooped his hand down the side, dislodging more earth and revealing the stones beneath, then ran his hand up the wall. "It goes up only to here. And it's about two feet wide." He added decisively, "I am going to see what's behind it."

  Gideon dug into the wall with both hands, working out a fairly flat rock. It came loose with a scraping sound, and after that the work went much more easily. Irene pulled her riding gloves out of her pocket and put them on, then knelt down to join him. There was an odd feeling in the pit of her stomach, and it grew as they cleared out a larger and larger hole. Behind the rocks lay the deep black of nothingness, and a fetid smell crept out on the air.

  There was something very strange about anyone constructing a wall inside a cave. Why would it have been necessary to fill in this hole? She supposed it could lead to something dangerous, a steep drop-off perhaps, but why not just post a sign of warning?

  The caves were little used. Clearly, from what Teresa had said, Lord Cecil had thought them dangerous. Irene imagined that others did, as well. She could not help but wonder if that reputation of danger came from something other than physical difficulties. Perhaps criminals used these caves to—to what? Well, she wasn't sure, but it occurred to her that the wall might have been erected to hide some sort of contraband.

  Smugglers came to mind. But surely they were too far from the sea here. Thieves, then. People stole things, then hauled them here and hid them—but to what purpose?

  She tried to imagine what could be so necessary to hide as to make it worthwhile dragging it all the way up the gorge and through the caves to this out-of-the-way spot. It would have to be something one would want hidden for a long time. But surely most things that one stole were only worth something if one sold them. Thieves did not steal silver and then hide it for years—and how much could one steal, anyway out here in the country?

  Gideon was moving faster as they worked, and the opening widened rapidly. Finally it was large enough that he was able to lift up the lantern and shine it into the hole. They leaned in on either side of the lantern.

  The light reached only a few feet, enough to reveal a small denlike cave, not tall enough for a man to stand upright in, that stretched back about six or eight feet. The glow of the lantern bathed the area in a dim light, revealing an object lying about four feet from the opening. It wa
s about five feet long and draped over with a thin white cloth. And it was unmistakably a human form.

  Chapter Twenty

  Irene stared, no sound issuing from her throat. She sat back on her heels abruptly and turned to look at Gideon.

  He let out a low curse.

  "Selene."

  "Oh, my God." Irene's hands went to her cheeks. She realized that she was shaking.

  Gideon had put into words the exact thought that had formed in her head. He tore at the rest of the rocks, clearing out the entrance. She reached out and laid a hand on his arm.

  "We don't know that."

  He paused and cast a look back at her. "I know. Who else would it be?"

  "We must not disturb the ... the body. Someone may be able to—"

  "Identify her?" he asked, and nodded, looking a little calmer. "Yes. You're right. I won't touch ... the body. But I have to see."

  He pushed the lantern inside and crawled in after it. Irene followed him. Again he turned to her.

  "You do not need to do this," he told her. "It will not be a sight fit for a lady."

  "I must," she replied. "You are going to look, are you not?"

  He nodded and said nothing more to dissuade her. They crept closer, holding the lantern up so that its light fell fully on the body.

  The woman's body had been wrapped like a mummy with some dark, now rotting, material. Over her head and shoulders was draped a thin white material, stained with brown and yellowish marks. Irene realized that the white fabric was actually a petticoat.

  Beneath the gauzy white cloth were the wizened, nearly fleshless features of a skull, a few strands of dark hair still clinging to it. Irene sucked in her breath, feeling suddenly a little nauseous and faint. She straightened away from the body and closed her eyes.

  "Are you all right?" came Gideon's voice close to her, and she opened her eyes to look into his questioning, concerned ones. "You should not see this. Why don't you go back out?"