"But—"
"It's not far. Now just put your arms around my neck."
She did as he told her. She was so sleepy that she couldn't keep her eyes open. "Harrison?"
He was walking now, fast. The forest was growing dark. "Yes, sweet?"
"I do love you," she whispered. "No matter what I say. No matter what I do. You know that?"
"I know."
Once hearing Harrison's answer Leah closed her eyes, a small smile on her lips.
Chapter Fifteen
Slowly Leah became aware of a steady rhythm. Was she on a horse? No, not a horse. Someone was carrying her . . .
Leah's eyelids fluttered open as the memories of her attack came tumbling back. It was dark now. "Harrison?" She could feel her cheek pressed against his shoulder.
"Leah?"
She lifted her head to look up at him. He had bundled her in his torn coat, but she was cold. She must have gotten wet when she fell in the snow. "Harrison, put me down."
"It's not much further."
She pushed on his chest. "I'm all right. Really. Just cold. Will you put me down?"
He stopped, studying her closely. "You had a bad bump to the head. You certain you feel well enough to walk?"
"I was dizzy before. A little confused, but I'm fine now."
He slid her feet to the ground, but held her by the shoulders. "Steady yourself."
She hugged herself for warmth, her hands disappearing inside the sleeves of Harrison's coat. She was still a little woozy but she wasn't about to tell him that. "I didn't faint. I've never fainted in my life." She held her forehead. "Please tell me I didn't faint."
He smiled. "You didn't faint. You just took a little nap in my arms."
She closed her eyes. "I can't believe I fainted. What a weakling. I'm sorry."
He rubbed her shoulder. "Don't be a fool, Leah. You were unconscious. That doesn't make you weak."
She grimaced. "My head hurts."
"And well it should. You're lucky you're so hard-headed, else you'd have busted it clean open."
She looped her arm through his, pressing her body closer to him for warmth. "Let's get moving. I'm freezing and without your coat, you've got to be too."
"I didn't go back to look for your cloak." He pushed back a pine bough laden with snow. "I wanted to get you inside where it was warm. You're wet where you laid in the snow."
The snow crunched beneath her feet. "So where are we going?"
"I know someone who lives near here. A trapper and his wife. They'll give us food and something warm to wear."
Leah gripped his arm tighter, still a little unsteady on her aching feet. "How did you know them?"
"I told you. I was a scout for a short time, Kolheek and I both."
"Ah, Kolheek." She stared out into the shadowy darkness of the forest, feeling uneasy and disoriented. It was funny how the setting of the sun changed familiar objects into ghostly apparitions. "Where do you think he went?" she asked softly.
He shook his head. "Don't know."
She squeezed his arm. "Don't care?"
"Oh, I care. I loved him once as if he was a brother but he hurt me. He hurt the entire village and he put them all in jeopardy."
Leah was silent for a moment as she thought about the woman the two men had fought over. She had tried not to think about her, but she couldn't help herself. Harrison had said she was in love with him. "What did you say her name was?"
"Who?"
She smiled in the darkness. "You know who," she answered softly.
"Rain-Of-Spring?"
"Yes." She sighed. "I need to know, Harrison. Did . . . did you make love to her?"
"Yes."
She pressed her cheek to his arm. "It's all right, you know. I was married to another." When he made no response, she went on. "But you didn't love her?"
"I tried. I wanted to love her. I wanted to forget you. I wanted to marry an Indian woman and have her give birth to my children."
The word children echoed in Leah's head, but she couldn't bring herself to speak of children. Not of William. "You didn't love her, but Kolheek did?"
"Yes. He asked her to marry him a dozen times."
"Because you had said you wouldn't marry her?"
"I said I couldn't. She was too good a woman. It would have been unfair to marry her when I felt in my heart that I was still married to you. I hated you, but I still loved you." He ducked under a low-hanging branch, guiding her. "But even before she and I discussed marriage, he was already pursuing her."
"So when you turned her down, she still wasn't interested in Kolheek."
"No. She called him second best to me. She said it to his face. I always felt guilty about that."
"You shouldn't. You're not responsible for what others think or say."
"In private she told me Kolheek frightened her. She said she saw a darker side I couldn't see."
Leah held his arm tighter. It was obvious this was difficult for him to share with her. "What happened to her? How did she die?"
"She was murdered on the trail. She and her escort, a male cousin, were headed back toward their village further west of ours. They were both tortured and murdered."
"Who did it?"
"We never knew. White men they said but . . . " He grew silent.
"But what?" she asked softly. "You didn't think so?"
He turned to look at her and even in the darkness of the moonless night she could see the pain so evident in his dark eyes. "It always seemed too pat to me. My guess was that it was Indians—Shawnee, Delaware, someone trying to make it look like whites."
"Why would anyone do that?"
"I don't know."
"So what happened between you and Kolheek?"
"I don't know about that either. All I know is that after she was gone, after she was dead, things were never the same between us. We never saw eye to eye. He felt this constant sense of competition. He alienated his friends and family because of it. And I never felt quite at home in the village again. The magic was gone."
"I'm surprised you didn't go home to Delaware."
"Don't think I didn't consider it. I'd already built up a wall between my father and me. I thought about going home and mending that wall."
"But?"
"But I couldn't, Leah. I couldn't go home and see you on Edmund's arm, in church, at a party, at my father's dining table. I couldn't bear the thought of seeing the two of you together and knowing you slept with the bastard."
Leah sighed. This was all so complicated. How could she tell Harrison that Edmund had never laid a hand on her? Would he believe her? If he did, then he would realize William couldn't possibly be Edmund's. Then he'd know the truth.
"How much further?" she asked, changing the subject. "I'm so cold."
"We've got to be close. I keep expecting to see smoke from their cabin. We should smell it by now." He sounded concerned. "It's been a long time. I hope I'm right about where we are."
For a while they trudged through the snow in silence, both lost in their own thoughts. Leah was finding it harder to keep up, but she pressed on. Her William was still out there somewhere. He still needed her.
"Ah hah!" Harrison suddenly murmured.
"Ah hah?" Leah looked up. She'd been so busy trying to put one foot in front of the other and keep from stumbling that she hadn't paid attention to the path ahead. "You see the cabin?"
"There ahead." He pointed.
Leah squinted. At first she saw nothing, but then she recognized the outline of a tiny log structure nestled among the snow-covered trees. There was no light coming from the small glass window on the front wall. No smoke rose from the chimney. "There's no one there, is there?"
"Doesn't appear to be." He released her hand. "You stay here while I go and make sure it's safe."
She gave a laugh. "You're talking to a woman who just killed a man and left him in the snow to rot. I'm going with you."
Harrison opened his mouth to argue, then closed it. "Just stay c
lose to me." He pulled his knife from its sheath and slowly the two approached the log cabin.
"Hallo?"
There was no answer.
"Hallo in the cabin?"
They reached the front door. A leather thong hung through a hole in one of the wooden planks. Leah pulled on it and the door swung open. It was pitch dark inside and cold.
Harrison pushed past her, his knife in one hand. He stepped up into the cabin and stood perfectly still for a moment. He looked down at Leah standing in the snow. "There's no one here." He offered her his hand.
Leah took his hand and stepped up into the cabin, closing the door behind her. They stood for a moment letting their eyes adjust. It seemed even darker inside than outside.
"Stay here and I'll see what I can do about some light," Harrison instructed. He walked across the room, bumping into an object and sending it skittering across the floor. "Damned stool," he muttered.
Leah smiled to herself.
On the far side of the room she could hear him fumbling with something. He was down on his knees. She thought she could make out the outline of a stone fireplace.
Harrison struck a piece of flint and steel and a spark leaped from his hands into a pile of waiting kindling. In just a moment the spark was spreading.
Leah drew closer. "A fire all ready to be started?"
"Noah's that kind of man. He must have taken his wife home to visit her people, that or he's out checking his trapping lines."
She put out her hands to warm them. There was dried blood on her wool gloves. She snatched them off and threw them on the floor. "You certain he won't mind."
"Noah? No. He leaves his door unlocked for a reason. He always said his home was a haven to the troubled traveler." Harrison rubbed his hands together. "Now let's see what we can do about getting you warm."
"It'll heat up soon enough in here and then I'll take off my damp things." She still held her hands out to the fire. The warmth felt so good.
She looked around the tiny cabin almost completely devoid of any furniture. Metal animal traps hung from the ceiling. On one wall was the fireplace. On the opposite side was a narrow bunk built into the wall. Between the two was a row of cabinets and a small table and a stool. The other lay on its side in the corner where Harrison had kicked it. Near the door she spotted huge piles of something, animal skins it looked like. The room smelled of tanning oils and woodsmoke. "Do you think there's anything to eat?"
"I'm sure there is. Knowing Noah, his larder's full."
"I'm starved. And my feet hurt." She sat down on the bearskin rug in front of the hearth and tugged off the too tight shoes. Her feet were so cold and achy that pins and needles shot through them.
Harrison banged around in cabinets and tins behind her. "Some smoked venison and even a few corn muffins. Noah must have just left." He came back to her gnawing on a muffin. "Take this and I'll fetch us some water."
Leah took the leather bag of venison strips and the tin bowl full of muffins. Harrison returned a moment later with a bucket of snow. He dropped it onto the hearth and then grabbed a log from beside the fireplace and tossed it onto the fire.
Leah patted the hide rug she sat on. "Enough work, sir, come sit with me and dine."
"I'd be pleased to, my lady." He bowed in a gentlemanly fashion and then dropped down beside her.
She pushed a strip of venison into his hands "My hero. You've saved the day again."
He laughed. "It was stupidity on my part to have gotten into that situation to begin with. I should have been more careful. I should have known sooner that they were approaching, but I was too busy fighting with you."
She gave him another strip of venison. "What matters is that we're both safe."
"You know I'm proud of you, Leah. You're a brave woman."
"I do what I have to." She stretched out her feet, wiggling her toes.
"How's your head?"
"Hurts, but not like my feet."
"Your feet?"
She pointed. "The shoes we bought from the farmer's wife. They must be two sizes too small."
He frowned. "So why didn't you say anything?"
"What was I going to say? I needed shoes to ride out of there. It was her shoes or his."
Harrison crawled across the floor, sat down, and took one of her feet into his lap. He began to rub it.
Leah groaned with pleasure. "You don't have to do this."
"I want to." He kneaded the ball of her foot. Then he reached up under her skirt and rolled down her wool stocking. He tossed both stockings on the floor in front of the fire.
Leah sighed with pleasure as he rubbed her bare feet with his hands. She lay back on the rug. "That feels wonderful."
He switched feet. "And this?"
"Mmmm."
"How about this?" He slid one hand over her bare foot and up the back of her calf, all the while kneading gently with his fingers.
"Better," she murmured huskily.
He drew his hand higher, past her knee to her thigh.
She closed her eyes, reveling in the feel of his touch. A few minutes ago her feet and legs had been numb with cold, but now they tingled with the heat of his touch. "Getting better all the time."
Leah knew where this was leading. She had vowed she wouldn't make love with Harrison again, but the vow seemed so silly now. That renegade out there in the forest had almost raped her. Why not give freely to those you want to give to when something can be taken so easily?
She lifted her lashes and their gazes met.
Harrison lowered his head and kissed her knee cap, all the while still watching her. Leah raised up, running her fingers through his thick black hair. "Come lay here beside me," she invited.
Harrison stretched out, pushing up on one elbow. He followed the curves of her body with his other hand. "I missed you so much, Leah. I can't get enough of you."
She caressed his beard-stubbled cheek with the back of her hand. "I swore I wouldn't do this again. I thought it would hurt too much when we parted, but . . ."
"But?"
"But this is what hurts." She traced an invincible line along his jaw, down along his collar bone. "Having you so close and yet not having you. Harrison, we could have lost each other so easily today. I could have been killed. You could have."
He caught her hand and brought it to his lips. He kissed her fingertips. "Are you telling me that you'll only make love to me when we have a close brush with death?"
She laughed, leaning into him, brushing her lips against his.
"Because if that is what you're telling me, you're in for a hell of journey, Leah. First thing tomorrow morning it will be down the rapids of a river, then a stroll through a Mohawk camp. After a light dinner—"
She bubbled with laughter, pressing her mouth to his, thrusting her tongue.
Harrison groaned, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer. The heat of his body permeated her clothing. Already she could feel her nipples puckering, straining against her damp linen shift.
She pulled at the opening of his muslin shirt and touched the tip of her tongue to his skin. Her fingers glanced over his broad shoulders exploring every ripple of sinewy muscle. "Call me wanton," she whispered, "but I want you Harrison. I want to make love with you." She took his hand and pressed it to her breast. "I want to feel your touch." She lifted her lashes. "I want to make memories that will last a lifetime of loneliness."
"Ah, Leah," he groaned. "Would that I could change the past. I should never have left without hearing the words from your own lips. I should never have doubted you."
"Shhh. What's done is done. It was so long ago, Harrison. Can't we just forget?"
He pulled her hard against him, hugging her as if he would never let her go. He kissed the back of her head where she'd struck the rock. Then he kissed the tip of her nose, the dimple of her cheek. He brought his hand up to cup her breast and she sighed with pleasure.
Harrison removed his coat from her shoulders. He started to ope
n the neckline of her bodice, but she pushed his hand away. Slowly she rose, her gaze locking with his. Then she began to disrobe. She removed each article of clothing with a slow, tantalizing deliberateness, watching him watch her, taking pleasure from his pleasure.
When she had stripped down to naught but her linen shift, she caught the hemline and tugged it over her head. She let it fall to a puddle at her feet.
Harrison stood and Leah put out her arms. They embraced, but then she stepped back. "Let me," she whispered as her fingers found the hem of his tattered shirt. She lifted the worn muslin over his head and let it fall to the floor. She ran her fingers over the broad expanse of his chest, catching one male nipple between her lips and sucking gently.
He groaned.
She lowered her head, kissing the flat hard muscles of his stomach, then tracing a wet horizontal line just above the waistband of his breeches.
Harrison laced his fingers through her hair. "Leah, Leah . . ."
She tugged at the tie of his breeches, lowering herself to her knees. Slowly she peeled the material down over his muscular buttocks, over his thighs, and down his calves until he stood before her completely naked save for his leather loincloth.
Leah brushed her palm across the bulge of leather. But it wasn't enough to just hear his husky moan. She untied the leather thong and pulled away the loincloth, letting it fall to the floor. His stiffening rod came to life in her hands as she stroked the length.
"Enough, enough!" he protested as he caught her hands. "More torture like this and your evening will be short, sweet Leah."
She laughed, her voice husky with desire. She liked the thought that she could give him as much pleasure as he could give her. "Coward," she teased.
"Coward, am I?" he growled, sweeping her off the floor and into his arms. He buried his face in the hollow between her peaked breasts. "Coward?"
Leah's skin that had been cold and clammy only moments ago was now hot and tingly. Her pulse was racing. Already she could feel herself growing warm and damp for want of him. "Make love to me," she whispered. "I need you, Harrison. I've needed you for so long."
He knelt and laid her gently on the fur rug in front of the blazing fire. Then he leaned over, tickling the lobe of her ear with his tongue. "Soft and sweet," he brushed his lips gently against hers. "Or," he crushed his mouth to hers, thrusting his tongue, "fiery passion?" he whispered. "Which will it be?"
Whispered Promise Page 16
