Velvet Angel

by Jude Deveraux

  As soon as Elizabeth sent the letter off with the messenger, she wanted it back. In truth, she’d never met Judith Montgomery. If just a small portion of what Alice thought was wrong with the woman was right, Judith was a monster. She could hurt Elizabeth’s chances with Miles.

  The month before an answer came nearly drove Elizabeth mad. Roger kept asking her what was wrong. Alice did more than that—she sneaked into Elizabeth’s room, found Judith’s letters and read them, giving a detailed account to Roger afterward. When Roger merely turned away, Alice threw herself into a fit of rage which lasted nearly a whole day.

  Judith’s answer to Elizabeth was short: Miles would be camping twenty miles from the Chatworth estate on 16 February, just outside the village of Westermore. Sir Guy was willing to help Elizabeth in any way he could.

  This letter Elizabeth slept with, carried about with her and finally hid behind a stone in the fireplace. She walked about on a cloud for a few days, then came down. Why should she think Miles would want her again? What could she do to make him want her?

  “You are mine, Elizabeth,” he’d said. “You were given to me.”

  A plan began to form in her mind. No, she couldn’t, she thought. A giggle escaped her. She just really wouldn’t have the nerve. What if she “gave” herself to Miles again?

  As Elizabeth was in the solar conjuring delightful, naughty visions, Alice was in Elizabeth’s room, slipping about and searching. When she found Judith’s latest letter, she took it to Roger, but this time he didn’t turn away. For the next few days there were three people in the Chatworth house who were making plans—all in direct opposition to each other’s.

  Chapter 15

  “I MOST CERTAINLY WILL NOT!” SIR GUY SAID AS HE looked down at Elizabeth. His voice was low but it seemed louder than a shout.

  “But Judith said you were willing to help me.”

  Sir Guy drew himself up to every inch of his extraordinary height. The scar across his face was a brilliant purplish red. “Lady Judith”—he emphasized the word—“had no idea you’d ask something so preposterous of me. How can you think of such a thing?” he said in a shaming voice.

  Elizabeth turned away from him, gave a swift kick to the carpet on the ground. It had seemed such a good idea at the time: She’d get Sir Guy to deliver her to Miles, nude, rolled in a carpet. Perhaps the repeat of the scene would make him laugh and he’d forgive her. But Sir Guy refused to cooperate.

  “Then what am I going to do?” she asked heavily. “I know he won’t see me if I ask him straightforward.”

  “Lady Alyx sent her daughter to Lord Raine and the child acted as an emissary.”

  “Oh no! I’ll not let Miles get his hands on Nick. Miles would hire another nurse and add the boy to his collection. I’d never see Miles or Nick again.” She leaned against a tree and tried to think. If she did arrange a meeting with Miles she doubted if he’d listen to her. Her only real chance was to make his eyes darken with passion and then he wouldn’t be able to help himself. Perhaps she could talk to him, after they’d made love.

  As she was thinking, she toyed with her long black cloak, a lovely thing of velvet lined with black mink. It covered her from neck to feet. A new light came into her eyes as she looked back up at Sir Guy. “Can you arrange to give me some time alone with Miles? Not in his tent but in the woods? And I mean really alone! No doubt he’ll call for his guard, but I want no one to come.”

  “I don’t like that idea,” Sir Guy said stubbornly. “What if there were some real danger?”

  “True,” she said sarcastically, “I might wrestle him to the ground and take a knife to his throat.”

  Sir Guy lifted one eyebrow and ostentatiously shifted off the foot Elizabeth’d injured.

  Elizabeth gave him a small smile. “Please, Guy, I haven’t hurt a man in a long time. Miles is my husband and I love him and I want to try to make him love me again.”

  “I believe Lord Miles more than loves you—he’s obsessed with you, but you’ve hurt his pride. No woman anywhere has ever given him any trouble.”

  “I’ll not apologize for leaving Scotland with Roger. At that time it’s what I had to do. Now, will you give me time alone with my husband?”

  Sir Guy took his time before he nodded once. “I will no doubt come to regret this.”

  Elizabeth shot him a dazzling smile, her whole face lighting up. “I will make you godfather to our next child.”

  Sir Guy snorted. “In one hour Lord Miles will be standing here. I will give you an hour with him.”

  “Then you’ll find us in an embarrassing situation,” she said frankly. “I mean to seduce my husband. Give us at least three hours alone.”

  “You are no lady, Elizabeth Montgomery,” he said, but there was a twinkle in his eye.

  “Nor do I have any pride,” she agreed. “Now go while I ready myself.”

  When she was alone, Elizabeth lost some of her bravado. This was perhaps her only chance to win her husband back and she prayed that everything would go well. With trembling hands, she began to unbutton her gown. She hoped she knew Miles well enough to know that he might be able to resist her logically, but could he resist her physically?

  She hid her clothes under leaves and, nude, she wrapped the concealing cloak about her body. To the world she’d appear to be a lady of decorum. When she was ready, she sat down on a stump and began to wait.

  When she first heard someone walking toward her, she stiffened, recognizing Miles’s step, quick, light, purposeful. She rose to meet him.

  At his first sight of her there was a look of welcome, of eagerness, but then his vision clouded and he looked at her coldly. “And have you misplaced your brother?” he asked.

  “Miles, I have arranged this meeting in order to ask if we might live together as man and wife.”

  “All three of us?”

  “Yes.” She smiled. “The two of us with our son Nicholas.”

  “I see. And what, pray tell, will your brother do without the sister he has so often killed for?”

  She stepped closer to him. “A great deal of time has passed since we last saw each other, and I’d hoped that by now you’d conquered some of your jealousy.”

  “I am not jealous!” he snapped. “You had a decision to make and you made it. Now I will have someone escort you back to your brother. Guards!”

  A look of puzzlement crossed Miles’s face when no men appeared at his call, but before he could say a word, Elizabeth opened her cloak, revealing her nude body. Miles, gaping, could only gasp.

  Elizabeth let the cloak fall closed but held it open to reveal the length of her from her waist to her toes, rather like when she’d first met him and was draped in the fur pelts. Stealthily, like a huntress, she walked toward him, put her hand to the back of his neck.

  Involuntarily, his hand went to touch the satin skin of her hip.

  “Do I have to beg, Miles?” she whispered, her eyes on his lips. “I have been wrong in so many things. I have no more pride. I love you and I want to live with you. I want more children.”

  Slowly, Miles’s lips moved closer to hers. He appeared to be using all his willpower to resist her. “Elizabeth,” he murmured, his lips touching hers lightly.

  Long-repressed and banked fires ignited between them. Miles’s arms slid under the cloak, pulled her off the ground as he clutched her to him, his kiss deepening. His mouth moved over her face as if he meant to devour her. “I’ve missed you. Oh God, there were times when I thought I’d go insane.”

  “I’m sure I did,” she answered, half laughing, half crying. “Why couldn’t you realize I loved only you? I could allow no other man to touch me.”

  He kissed away her tears. “I hear John Bascum had four stitches taken in his head from where you struck him.”

  She kissed his mouth and stopped him from talking. Without either of their realizing it, they were starting toward the ground. Elizabeth’s fingers were buried in the fastenings of Miles’s clothes, while his hand
s roamed eagerly over her body.

  “Unhand her!” came a deadly voice from above them.

  It took both Elizabeth and Miles a moment to understand who was speaking.

  Roger Chatworth held his sword on Miles.

  Miles gave Elizabeth a hard look and began to stand. “She is yours,” he said to Roger, his chest heaving.

  “Damn you to hell, Roger!” Elizabeth shouted up at her brother, grabbing a handful of stones and throwing them at his head. “Just once, can’t you stay out of my life? Put that sword away before someone gets hurt!”

  “I will hurt a Montgomery if he—”

  “You may try,” Miles sneered, drawing his sword.

  “No!” Elizabeth screamed, jumping up to stand between the two men, facing her brother. “Roger, let me make this clear. Miles is my husband and I am going to return to his home with him, that is if he’ll have me after the fools you’ve made of both of us.”

  “Some husband he is,” Roger sneered. “He doesn’t come near you for months, hasn’t even seen his own son. Is this what you want, Elizabeth? You’d give up the home I’ve provided for a man who cares nothing for you? How many women have you impregnated since Elizabeth, Montgomery?”

  “More than you could in a lifetime,” Miles replied calmly.

  Elizabeth stepped closer to Miles as Roger lunged. “If I had any sense I’d tell both of you to go to the devil.”

  “Let me rid you of him,” Roger said, but when his sword tip touched Elizabeth’s cloak, he halted. “Have you no shame? Have you greeted this man like…like this?”

  “Roger, you are a pigheaded fool who understands only what is pounded into your head.” With a swirl of velvet and mink she turned, stood on tiptoe and planted her mouth on Miles’s. Miles was beginning to understand that this time Elizabeth was choosing him over her brother. He caught her to him in a rib-crushing embrace and kissed her with promises of tomorrow.

  Roger, fuming, so angry he was trembling, was unaware of the man sneaking up behind him. Nor did he hear the swoosh of air as the club came down on the side of his head. Silently, he crumpled to the ground.

  Miles and Elizabeth would have been oblivious to the crashing of a tree but something made Elizabeth’s eyes flicker open. A club was coming down on Miles’s head. She pushed him to the left just enough so that the club struck her and not him.

  Miles did not at first realize what had made Elizabeth go so completely limp. With one hand supporting her, he turned, but too late to avoid the blow that felled him.

  The three men, dirty, burly men, stood over the two men and a woman on the ground.

  “Which one is Montgomery?” one man asked.

  “How would I know!”

  “So which do we take?”

  “Both!” said the third one.

  “And the doxy?” a man asked, using his club to part Elizabeth’s cloak.

  “Throw her in with them. The Chatworth woman said there might be a woman and to get rid of her, too. I’m plannin’ to make her pay for each body. Now, get that man’s clothes off while I tend to this one.”

  The third man cut a long strand of Elizabeth’s blonde hair and tucked it into his pocket. “Come on, hurry up. The wagon won’t wait all day.”

  When Elizabeth woke, the pounding, galloping pain in her head was so bad she wasn’t sure she ever wanted to wake up. Even the ground under her seemed to be moving. As she started to sit up, she fell backward, banging her head not on the ground but on wood.

  “Quiet, sweetheart,” came Miles’s voice from behind her.

  She turned to meet Miles’s intense stare. He wore nothing but his loincloth, his arms behind him at an unnatural angle, his ankles tied. Beside him, snoring, was Roger, also bound.

  As Elizabeth’s head cleared, she realized her own wrists and ankles were also bound. “Where are we?” she whispered, trying not to let her fear show.

  Miles’s voice was deep, strong, comforting. “We’re in the hold of a ship and I would imagine we’re bound for France.”

  “But who? Why?” she stammered.

  “Maybe your brother will know,” Miles said flatly. “Right now we must free ourselves. I’ll roll over to you and use my teeth to untie your hands, then you can free me.”

  Elizabeth nodded, willing herself to calmness. If Roger’d had anything to do with their capture, he wouldn’t also be here, she told herself. When her hands were free, she gave a great sigh of relief, turned to Miles and instead of freeing his hands, she opened her cloak, pressed her bare body against his and kissed him. “Have you thought about me?” she whispered against his lips.

  “Every moment.” Eagerly he leaned forward to kiss her again.

  Laughing, she pushed him away. “Shouldn’t I untie you?”

  “The parts of me that need freedom have it,” he said as he moved his hips closer to hers.

  Elizabeth buried her fingers in his shoulders and invaded his mouth with her own.

  Only the loud, wakening groans of Roger made her pull away.

  “If I didn’t hate your brother before, I would now,” Miles said with feeling as Elizabeth sat up, leaned over him, and began to untie the ropes on his wrists.

  “What is this?” Roger demanded. He sat up, fell down again and finally managed to sit. “What have you done now, Montgomery?”

  Miles did not answer the challenge but rubbed his wrists as Elizabeth worked on the ropes on her own ankles. As Miles began to untie his ankles, Roger exploded again.

  “Do the two of you plan to free yourselves and leave me here? Elizabeth, how can you forget…”

  “Do be quiet, Roger,” Elizabeth said. “You’ve done more than enough harm already. Do you have any idea where this ship is taking us?”

  “Ask your lover. I’m sure he’s the one who planned this.”

  Miles didn’t bother to answer Roger as he turned to Elizabeth. “I want to know whether I have your loyalty for the moment. If someone opens the hatch I’ll jump him while you use the ropes to tie him. Can I depend on you?”

  “Whether you believe it or not, you have always had my loyalty,” Elizabeth said in a cold voice.

  “Have you tried demanding our release?” Roger asked. “Offer them money.”

  “And will you empty your pockets for them?” Miles asked, glancing at the small strip of cloth that Roger wore.

  No one said any more as the hatch began to open and a foot appeared on the ladder.

  “Down!” Miles commanded and both Roger and Elizabeth feigned sleep as they sprawled on the wooden floor. Miles silently slipped to the far side of the ladder.

  The sailor stuck his head down, seemed satisfied with the two prisoners’ silence and took another step. At the same moment he realized one prisoner was missing, Miles grabbed both the man’s feet and sent him sprawling. There was no sound except a heavy thud, lost in the creaking and groaning of the ship.

  Roger lost no time in springing into action as he lifted the sailor’s head by his hair. “He’ll be out for a while.”

  Miles was unbuttoning the man’s clothes.

  “And do you expect me to remain here while you take his cloths and escape?” Roger demanded. “I’ll not leave myself at the mercy of a Montgomery.”

  “You will!” Elizabeth hissed. “Roger, I am sick of your distrust. You are the one who has caused most of the problems between the Montgomerys and Chatworths, and now if we’re to get out of this, you must learn to cooperate. What can we do, Miles?”

  Miles was watching her as he struggled into the too-small clothes. Sailors were often chosen because of their diminutive size since small men could maneuver more easily inside the confines of a ship. “I will return as soon as I’ve found out anything.” With that he was up the ladder and out.

  Elizabeth and Roger tied and gagged the unconscious sailor and left him in a corner.

  “Will you always side with him?” Roger asked sulkily.

  Elizabeth leaned back against the wall of the ship. Her head hurt and her
empty stomach was growing queasy from the motion. “I have a great deal to make up to my husband. Perhaps Miles was right and there was something I could have done the day you came to us in the crofter’s hut. You’ve never been one to listen to reason, but perhaps I could have at least tried.”

  “You insult me! I have always been good to you.”

  “No! You’ve always taken advantage of what good you’ve done for me. Now listen to me. However we got into this mess, we must get out. You must cooperate.”

  “With a Montgomery?”

  “With two Montgomerys!” she snapped.

  For a few moments Roger was quiet. “Alice,” he muttered. “She brought me the letter from Gavin Montgomery’s wife. She knew where you were meeting your…”

  “Husband,” Elizabeth supplied. “Oh Roger!” she gasped. “Nicholas. He’s with Alice, alone. We must get back to my son.”

  Roger put his hand on her arm. “The child has a guard and they have orders not to let Alice near the boy. They won’t disobey me.”

  “But what will happen to him if we don’t return?”

  “No doubt the Montgomerys will take over his care.”

  Their eyes met and it was a moment before Roger realized what he’d said. He was very close to admitting that, just perhaps, he’d been wrong in his accusations of the Montgomerys. Maybe all Elizabeth’s thousands of words had begun to sink in.

  They turned, breath held, as the hatch door opened, and expelled it when Miles entered.

  Elizabeth flew to him, clasped his neck, nearly knocking the bundles from his hands. “We think it was Alice who arranged everything. Oh my Miles, you weren’t hurt?”

  Miles looked at her suspiciously. “You blow quickly from hot to cold and back again. No, I had no trouble. I brought food and clothes.” He tossed Roger a loaf of hard bread and handed a bundle of clothing to Elizabeth. After one glance at the bound and gagged sailor, silent, eyes wide open in fear, Miles sat down with Roger and Elizabeth.

  Besides the bread, there was dried meat and a vile-tasting grog which Elizabeth gagged over.