Passion's Series

by Adair, Mary

  William complained, "Oh, great. She nearly decapitates me for merely following your orders. For you, the true author of her distress, she suddenly becomes all sweet and soft before running into your arms." He squatted and scanned the floor. "Where are those blasted balls?" William retrieved his Baoding Balls and forcibly led his grandmothers from the room.

  Dawn clung to Raven. "Do you understand, my beloved? I would gladly die to keep you safe."

  He closed his eyes, praying he could protect her from the terror plaguing him. "My little sparrow, you must stop this foolishness." He framed her face with his hands. "You know we can never be. You don't belong here. You need to run where the breeze blows through your golden hair, where you can run and hunt and—"

  "Make love on the river bank with my warrior" she finished for him.

  Tension riveted him in place. The vision she painted was almost more than he could bear. He knew not which caused the most pain, the image of her with another, or the mental image of him loving her and knowing it could never be. Either way, pain sliced through his heart and left him reeling. He gently rubbed a finger along her bruised jaw, longing to touch her in other ways.

  "Kiss me, Raven," she demanded. "Then tell me you do not belong to me. Tell me you would let another hold me so."

  Blast her, she could always read his mind. He resisted her command, but she reached up and pulled his head down to hers. Their lips touched lightly. He fought his desire until she whispered against his mouth.

  "Kiss me, Raven. Kiss me now."

  His control snapped and he pulled her up. His mouth crashed down on hers and for an instant he knew heaven. He forced himself to break their embrace. Although he hated to hurt her, it must be done to protect her. Every day with him put her in danger. If the madman plotting against him knew how much he cared for Dawn, her life would be forfeit. He fought to mask his longing for her.

  "I don't belong to you, Dawn. I don't know where this possessive streak of yours comes from.

  "It comes from my mother. She loves my father. The Great Spirit told her they belonged together. Because of her misplaced pride, too much of their time was spent fighting instead of loving."

  "I know your parents' story. I was there, remember? I earned my warrior name when I went with New Moon to rescue your father from the French. This is not the same."

  "How is it different? You belong to me, I belong to you. I would give up everything to keep you safe. I would die for you. Someday you'll see. You, too, will be willing to give up whatever keeps us apart."

  Raven chuckled. So, his little sparrow was jealous. "Ah, so now you are talking of Marguerite. Is she the French enemy you must save me from?"

  Dawn shook her head. "No, my foolish love. I know you don't love Marguerite."

  Her simple statement surprised Raven. He had no misguided illusions about the relationship between him and his fiancée. Only a physical attraction kept them together. Their marriage would be solely a means to an end for each of them. For him it would bring a more stable place in society. For her it would bring financial security. Even the physical side of the union had changed since Dawn's arrival. No longer did Marguerite kindle his desire. Only Dawn fueled the flames of his passion, yet she could never be his and must never know his weakness.

  "This is a different world than you know, Dawn. People here don't marry for love, but for whatever benefits arise from their joining."

  "Then what are the benefits we can gain together?"

  He tried to pull away but she held him tightly. "Dawn, this is ridiculous."

  "I will tell you the benefits, my beloved. They are the same wherever we choose to live. We will have a life filled with laughter as we make love and watch our children grow. We will have a life where we can depend on each other in the darkest, saddest times of our lives. When one of us passes on to the next life, the other will find comfort in knowing we will someday be together again. Tell me, Raven, are these not all the benefits you need?"

  Raven pulled her head to his chest so she would not see the moistness gathering in his eyes. "Dawn, my beautiful, loving little sister. How will I ever make you understand."

  She reacted the way he knew she would. With a loud groan, she pushed from his embrace. "I am not your little sister. I will make you understand." Her voice softened, "Or I will die in the trying."

  An alarming chill slid along his skin. He turned to leave the room, hiding his apprehension. "Go to your room, Dawn. You have a lot to think about. When you get there, be sure your things are packed. After you have rested I am taking you to the Golden Lady."

  At the door, he paused and said over his shoulder, "I'll be back early tomorrow morning. I trust you will be ready to leave when I arrive." He left before she defeated his resolve.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Dawn's heart laid breaking and bruised in her chest. She wrung her hands and paced back and forth in the now deserted kitchen. She had to think of something, some course of action to protect the man she loved so deeply. Tears welled up in her eyes, blurring her vision and she wiped them away with trembling fingers. How could Raven not see that she was supposed to come here.. .she was! She pounded a tight fist into her palm.

  She stopped pacing and took a deep breath. She was a warrior, like her mother. Warriors do not cry. She could not allow her overwrought state of mind to hinder her thinking. The tears, as in defiance, spilled anew and a tiny sob escaped her. Raven was her life. She could not leave him here when he needed her. Why did he deny it so? Why did he deny her their love? She had to think of something. She resumed her pacing.

  "Dawn, come. Come quick!" Sara pleaded as she rushed through the door. In the few moments it took Sara to reach her, Dawn's mind had concocted the most horrendous thoughts.

  "It's Lady Montgomery. She's taken ill. You must hurry, she's asking for you."

  Dawn pushed Sara aside and hurried from the kitchen. She took two steps at a time up the stairs and ran down the hallway to Lady Montgomery's room. The door stood open and she dashed inside.

  "My dear, calm yourself," Lady Montgomery spoke with surprising strength from the bed.

  Dawn stopped in her tracks, a maneuver that required great balance to prevent her falling forward.

  "Please, dear, shut the door."

  Dawn straightened her posture and looked with suspicion at the older woman. Lady Montgomery lay in an abundance of overstuffed pillows and fluffy, down-filled duvets. Reaching behind her, Dawn gave the door a hard push, sending it home with a loud clank of the lock. Without taking her eyes from Lady Montgomery, she wiped the tears from her grimy face and took several deep breaths before proceeding to the lady's bedside.

  Lady Montgomery patted the bed. "Sit, down. We need to talk."

  "Sara said you were ill," Dawn accused.

  "Well, Sara, and everyone else, except you, me, and Victoria will believe so."

  A questioning brow rose as Dawn settled herself on the bed.

  "I wanted it to be me that played sick," Lady Gaylord spoke from her seat near the window.

  Dawn flinched. She'd missed Lady Gaylord's presence in the room. Of course, she was primarily concerned about Lady Montgomery when she entered. No matter, she scolded herself, her mother would never have been caught off guard in such a way. "Play sick?" She queried in a tone cooler than she had planned.

  "Yes," Lady Gaylord said uncomfortably and looked to Lady Montgomery for guidance.

  "You, mustn't be miffed, dear. We are doing this for you, after all." Lady Montgomery drew Dawn's attention back to herself.

  "For me? I don't understand."

  "Well, it's quite simple, really. You are for Raven," Lady Gaylord announced happily.

  "What?"

  "You are for Raven," Lady Montgomery repeated. "Victoria and I always know who is for whom in these situations."

  "We never had to go to such trouble to bring a match about before, but this is proving to be the best fun of all." Lady Gaylord was so excited, she popped up from her seat,
remembered herself and demurely lowered herself again.

  Dawn pressed a bruised palm to her smudged forehead. Her heart was broken, she didn't know what to do and the ladies were hip deep in some kind of game that only they were privy to. Now they were bringing her and Raven into their scheming as well.

  "I'm sorry, Lady Montgomery, Lady Gaylord, but I just don't understand."

  "First, you must call me, Grams or Granny." Lady Montgomery raised a hand to cut off any response from Dawn. "I insist. Now listen to your grams. I will explain."

  "You are for Raven, not Marguerite," Lady Gaylord interrupted once again as she popped up from her chair. "Nasty woman, that Marguerite. And you must call me Grams as well."

  "Please Victoria. Let me tell this one by myself." Lady Montgomery looked over to Lady Gaylord and smiled kindly. "It's important to me."

  "Oh, I understand, Wilhelmina. I will try not to interrupt again."

  "Thank you, dear."

  "You are so welcome."

  "Please, please, someone just tell me what this is all about." Dawn felt near to exploding. She was bruised, grubby, and all she wanted was a nice bath before she stretched out on her pallet for a long rest.

  "Marguerite is a nasty woman." Lady Montgomery patted Dawn's hand, which gripped a handful of bed covers.

  "And, she is not for Raven. You are. As I said, Victoria and I always know who is for whom. Anyway, we could not allow Raven to send you back home, now could we?"

  Dawn blinked and a grin slowly spread across her face. "I understand. You think Raven will allow me to stay if one of you is ill." She bent over and hugged Lady Montgomery. She brushed away a smudge on Lady Montgomery's face from their contact. "You're so sweet to put yourself out, but it won't make a difference. Raven is determined that I go home. This will change nothing. He would just feel that my being here is more of a burden for you now that you are ill. I mean, pretending to be ill."

  "Nonsense," Lady Montgomery sputtered. "I am ill. That means I get my way. And if little Mr. Raven doesn't know that by now, he soon will."

  "You had better not let him hear you call him that," Dawn warned with a giggle.

  Lady Montgomery reached to pat Dawn on the cheek in a grandmotherly way. "We have known Raven for a long time. The first time he came home with Willie during a break from school, he was just a boy."

  "A very serious young man. He explained to us that he was a man and not a boy," added Lady Gaylord with a soft chuckle. "We both fell in love with him on the spot. Such a solemn and determined child he was, far too somber for his age. He needed two grandmothers to love and spoil him. And we did that, didn't we, Wilhelmina?"

  "Yes, we did indeed. At least we tried to do so."

  Dawn's heart filled with tenderness for the two women. She took Lady Montgomery's hand in her own and pressed it to her chest. What she felt gave her own heart a lurch. When Dawn's gaze rose to rest on the Lady's face, she smiled reassuringly. Lady Montgomery was right. If one of them were ill, not a herd of buffalo could tear her from their side. She knew Lady Montgomery understood that she would stay.

  "All right. Maybe this will work," Dawn consented.

  "Of course, it will," Lady Gaylord popped up again. "But you must tell us all about your every adventure. We know you're up to something. Remember, we love Raven just as much as you do and we want to help all we can." She pulled her chair close to the bed. "What have you been doing every night when you sneak away? Why is Sara going with you?" She lowered her voice conspiratorially as she leaned forward. "We also know who is for Sara, you know."

  "Who is for Sara is not what this is all about, Victoria," Lady Montgomery addressed her companion and dearest friend with a firm, but kind voice before she turned back to Dawn. "But, Victoria is right, Dawn. We must be careful of Sara. She is very important."

  Dawn laughed, her heart made lighter by far by her two new 'grams'. What a wonderful pair of conspirators these two made.

  ***

  Raven noticed that Dawn sat in a shadowed corner apart from where he and Lady Montgomery sat. He glanced about the dimly lighted room. The heavy drapes were drawn to block out the light. The lanterns were dimmed and strategically placed for what he was sure would be the best effect.

  His attention drew back Lady Montgomery. He gently took her thin, small hand in his own much larger one and patted her hand affectionately. As he spoke gently to her he believed she did not realize he felt for her pulse. The irregular beat and slight variance in pressure confirmed she had a heart condition. He fought to control his concern and wished he had paid closer attention to the lessons James tried to teach him. James had finally conceded that Raven just wasn't cut out for such things and called a halt to his lessons.

  Raven spoke softly, "Grams, you know I will do anything, go anywhere for you, but what about William? Does he know about your condition?"

  "Yes, he knows that I have a weak heart. Though he is unaware of this most recent bout. When he left this morning, he had pressing business in Bristol. I didn't want to worry him and I didn't feel so under the weather this morning." She looked up at Raven, her eyes pleading. "Just an hour ago my physician suggested if there were anyone else that could leave right away to fetch the medication, I should not wait for William's return. It could take days..."

  "I understand, dear." Raven tucked back into place a stray lock of gray hair that had escaped Lady Montgomery's night bonnet. "Your physician said it could only be purchased in York? I know there are several reputable pharmaceuticals in London. Are you sure they don't have what you need?"

  "Normally my physician would have plenty on hand. It just so happens that he is out. The herb comes from the orient, you see, and his supplier is in York."

  Raven would have questioned her more closely, but could see she was becoming upset. He glanced over at Dawn. She sat meekly looking down at her folded hands. This alone told him the women were up to something. He was being manipulated and he knew it. Had they concocted a scheme to get him out of London for a while? If so, why?

  He had to admit some time out of London and away from Marguerite would do him good. Dawn planned on going with him, he was sure of it. Knowing Lady Montgomery was in no immediate danger with her heart, he concluded it safe to leave word for William to move the Ladies to Manor Oaks. On the way back from York he could leave Dawn. He was getting pretty good at this scheming, he congratulated himself. Now all he had to do was let Dawn's scheme play itself out. She would be caught in her own trap.

  He turned back to Lady Montgomery. "I'll fetch it for you," he said gently.

  "Dawn must go as well," Lady Montgomery insisted in a weak, soft tone.

  So the plan was to get them both out of London. "Why is that, Grams? Do you not realize I could go faster by myself?"

  "You know I will not hold you back," Dawn spoke up for the first time. "Da taught me well in the preparation of pharmaceuticals. I am as familiar with herbs from the orient as from our homeland. I know well what she needs and will not be cheated as you could be."

  Not wanting the game to appear too easy, he suggested, "So why don't we simply obtain the herb from your father's warehouse?"

  "The warehouses are depleted of herbs. I also know The Sea Maiden left port just before I arrived in London and will not return for several months."

  Raven turned to fully face Dawn. She stiffened her spine as she sat straighter. Raven controlled his features. "The shipping line belongs to my father. I have every right to check its inventory records and shipping schedule," she countered.

  "There is still the matter of the trip itself. Back home you would be able to keep up with me, Dawn," he conceded. "In fact, you might make it hard for me to keep up with you. But travel for a lady, which you are here, is much slower and more difficult."

  Dawn pushed herself to her feet in a determined gesture. "I am Cherokee. You of all people should know I am Cherokee wherever I go. This is not said with pride or shame. I say it because it is so. I have my buckskins with me and will
ride astride same as you. I will not argue this issue." She turned and left the room.

  ***

  Dawn stepped from the room and gently pulled the door to. Standing in the hallway, wringing her hands, Sara waited.

  "How is she doing, Dawn?" Sara's genuine concern reassured Dawn. What a comfort it was to know that Sara would be there to care for Lady Montgomery while she and Raven made their trip to York.

  Dawn took Sara by the hand. "Come with me." The two scurried down the hall to Dawn's room. Once inside with the door firmly shut, Dawn went directly to an open window and breathed deeply. How she craved the fresh air of home, especially after spending an hour in Lady Montgomery's room. That room was suffocating

  "Oh, dear Dawn, are you all right?" Sara's nervous fingers worried the waistband of her apron as she stepped closer. "You've not had time to recover from Lord William's mistreatment, and here you are taking care of Lady Montgomery."

  Dawn flashed her most reassuring smile. "I'm fine, Sara, and I have recovered from my experience at the warehouse. I've even forgiven William for bundling me away to the ship. He had no way to know I would be there. Besides, I've suffered far worse, and Lady Montgomery needs my help."

  Sara stepped forward, her lip between her teeth. She took a deep breath before she said, "You really should trust her care to me. I'm quite dependable."

  She patted Sara's hand. "And I know you are capable. In fact, I'm going to do just as you suggest. Now, you must listen closely. I have some things for you to do." She tilted her head so that warm rays from the sun caressed her face. The golden beams of light soothed her frenzied thoughts. "Once Raven and I have gone, go to Lady Montgomery's room and open all the curtains. It's important that she be aware of the rising and the setting of the sun. Do you understand?"

  Sara's eyes widened in alarm. "When you're gone? Where are you going?"

  Dawn faced Sara. "Lady Montgomery thinks she is pretending to be ill."