A Scandalous Adventure (17 page)

Some misgivings prodded at Susannah as she watched Emil and his prisoners ride off. “Where will he take them?”

Josef smiled slightly, a smile that made her glad he was on her side. “No need to worry. He will manage.”

Just how he would manage was what worried her, but she pushed that worry to the side while she concentrated on Max. He was so pale. She tried to tell herself it was nothing more than a deep sleep that held him in thrall, but he was so pale and so cold. She wrapped her thick green cloak around him and pulled one of the blankets that cushioned them over him. It was a horse blanket, and smelled like one, but it would provide some warmth as the day chilled with the setting sun.

She held Max cradled in her arms to cushion him as the cart bumped along another narrow trail, jolted by ruts and roots and stones. Her fear was tinged with anger, and her jaw clenched. Had the Herzlos twins been within reach, she would cheerfully have dismembered them—and that loathsome Angriffer as well. She would not allow them to harm Max. Not now. Not ever.

It was dark by the time Josef pulled the cart to a halt beside a low timber building. Telling her to wait, he went inside to light a lamp. With the door open, they could at least see what they were doing. Together they pulled Max to the edge of the cart so that Josef could carry him by the shoulders while Susannah took his legs.

“Not a man to take lightly, eh?” Josef grinned at her.

She glared at him instead of answering. How could he be so cheerful?

The building seemed to consist of a large room that served as both kitchen and sitting room with several smaller rooms opening off it. A huge fireplace, a simple wooden table and chairs, and a few comfortable chairs served as the furnishings for the main room. They carried Max into one of the smaller rooms, which was almost filled by a large bed but also had a fireplace. While Josef started a fire, Susannah found a stream outside and filled a bucket with water. She set it beside the fire to warm, then they managed to pull off Max's boots and remove his jacket and shirt.

When Josef went off to take care of the horses and cart, Susannah took a basin of warm water and began to wash the blood and grime from Max. None of the cuts and scrapes seemed serious, and he did not seem to have any broken bones. At least, she hoped he did not. She had no idea how to tell if any of his ribs were cracked. He would suffer enough from the bruises tomorrow. When she had finished, she pulled up the thick quilt to cover him.

An arm snaked out to pull her down beside him.

“Suse,” he murmured.

She tried to get up, but his arm held her fast, and she did not want to hurt him. He was injured, and she was trying to care for him, but that hardly meant she could lie in bed with him. It would be utterly scandalous. Unthinkable. She couldn't possibly…

After a moment's consideration, she stopped struggling. They were hiding in a hunters' shelter in the middle of a forest. Who would even know? And it was important to keep invalids warm. Everyone knew that. She tugged the quilt up to cover her as well, rested her arm across his chest, and closed her eyes. She was too tired to do anything else. How could this be wrong? It felt so right.

Stuttgart

It would be difficult to say which one looked more exhausted, Lord Penworth or his wife. They sat in matching horsehair armchairs in the lounge of the Royal Hotel in Stuttgart. Lady Penworth had taken one look around the gloomy, over-furnished room that was apparently the best the hotel had to offer and had retreated downstairs to recuperate from that day's travel. The lounge was also gloomy, but at least it did not make her feel as if the walls were falling in on her.

Leaning her head back, eyes closed, she said, “I had not realized how difficult travel can be when people are not tumbling all over themselves to be helpful. When there are constant delays, so many frustrations.”

Lord Penworth glanced about, but the only other traveler in the lounge was a hearty burgher being presented with a stein of beer by a young waiter. They were too far away to overhear, even assuming they understood English. “I'm sorry, my love. It's just that since we don't know what is happening in Sigmaringen, what the situation is, why on earth they are incognito—it seemed wiser to travel anonymously. At least, without mentioning the title.”

“I do realize that, and you are quite right, my dear. It is just that it seems strange to be plain Mrs. Tremaine after all these years. And it is doubtless good for me to be reminded what life is like for the rest of the world. Under other circumstances, I would be enjoying the adventure.” She shifted slightly in her chair and winced. “Perhaps I should rather say, twenty years ago I would have enjoyed the adventure.”

Her husband looked at her with a smile. “I'm sure that twenty years from now, when someone offers you an adventure, you will be off in a minute.”

“And you will be with me!” She returned his smile, but then it faded. “It's not the discomfort. It's the worry.”

He nodded. “Elinor and Harry know where we are. They will send a telegram if they hear anything.”

“And since there has been no telegram, they haven't heard anything.” She completed the thought with a sigh. “Are we likely to reach Nymburg tomorrow?”

He shook his head. “Probably not. We can take a train as far as Tübingen, but then we will have to hire a carriage for the rest of the trip.”

“Damnation!” she burst out. “Does that benighted country not even have a railway?”

“It does, but unfortunately there is only one train a week, and that will run four days from now. It will have to be a carriage.”

“Augusta must have been out of her mind to take the girls to such a preposterous, backwards, uncivilized place. I am going to drag them all home the instant I lay my hands on them.”

Max awoke in the pale light of dawn. His head ached, his shoulder ached, his back ached. Everything ached, and his stomach felt uncertain, but at the same time he was comfortably warm and…and something else. He could smell roses. No, he could smell roses and thorns. He managed to force his eyes to open.

Yes. Roses and thorns. Susannah was lying beside him, her head on his chest, his arm around her. He smiled contentedly and closed his eyes again.

His eyes snapped open.

Susannah was lying beside him?

He looked around in the dim light. Where the devil were they? Rude wooden walls, plain curtains on a small window, a cabin of some sort. It looked vaguely familiar. He had been here before, though he couldn't think when.

But Susannah? What could she be doing in a place like this? He had left her safe in the castle. No matter how angry the prince was, he would never have simply thrown the women out. Not Conrad. That was unthinkable.

What had happened? He remembered setting out for Krassau, but this was not Krassau. He knew Krassau. It might be rough and crude, but it had walls of stone, not wood.

And wherever he was, Susannah should not be here. She should be safe in the castle where he had left her.

She should be safe. Not here, wherever “here” was.

Grimly, he eased himself out of the bed without waking her and got to his feet. He almost fell back when a large, white beast rose beside him and waited. Lev. The dog was still protecting her. Max gave a sigh of relief and nodded his approval. That, at least, was as it should be.

The dog returned to his position, guarding the bed and its sleeper. Leaning a hand against the rough wall—he was feeling a bit shaky—Max made his way out of the room.

He found himself in a larger room of what looked like a hunters' camp. Rough, but comfortable, with antlers decorating the walls. A man wrapped in quilts was sleeping across the door. Josef? Max leaned over, holding on to the wall to keep his balance, and gave the man a shake. Yes, it was Josef, who growled before finally opening his eyes.

Once he looked up, Josef was immediately awake. “Count! You are all right then?”

“As you see.” Max was somewhat comforted to see his servant here, but not comforted enough to relax. He was far too confused and worried for that. “What the devil is going on here? Where are we? And what is Lady Susannah doing here?”

Josef smiled. “Ah, she is a fine lady, that one. A warrior. It was she who saved you.”

“Saved me? From what?” Max demanded.

And so Josef told him the whole tale—Angriffer's plot, Lady Susannah's spying on the Herzlos twins, the ambush and the rescue. Max had to sit down when he realized that Lady Susannah—his Suse—had been risking her neck. This was impossible. It could not be allowed.

“How could you let her endanger herself like that?” he demanded furiously. “She was supposed to be safe in the castle. How could you let her go with you?”

“Ach, you should have seen her. A Valkyrie she was. How could we stop her?” The old man shrugged. “And why would we try?”

“Because she should be kept safe, that's why!”

Max shook his head in confusion. She had raced off to protect
him
? No, it was for him to protect her! What madness was this? Everything was topsy-turvy.

How could Josef have allowed her to run into such danger? There had been an ambush; there had been weapons, gunshots. Did she think she could wave off bullets with her parasol? She had not been injured, true, but she could have been. It was a miracle that she had not been killed! He was ready to kill her himself.

And then he had awakened with her beside him…

“You let her sleep in my bed?” he roared at Josef.

The old man shrugged again. “You were cold, and we needed to keep you warm. I did not think it would matter.”

She had been here all night with him? She had slept in his bed? She was willing to ruin herself, all to protect him? He shook his head in silent amazement. Was there ever such a madwoman? His woman. He was ready to kill her. Or to burst with pride. One or the other.

But just as she had protected him, it was now time for him to protect her. He had to keep her safe. He had to think.

It was not even a question of her reputation. She had been gone from the castle overnight. That was probably known by now. But no one except Josef would know what had actually happened, and there was no doubt of Josef's loyalty. That could be managed.

The real danger came from the Herzlos twins. There was no knowing how much disruption their plotting might cause, how much turmoil they could create. Things seemed to be approaching a crisis. They were taking more risks now if they were willing to try to capture him. That meant they no longer felt as if they were in control.

Yes, it would have been Dieter Angriffer who ordered the attack on him. Dieter would also take steps to ensure that his own head stayed on his shoulders. In many ways, Dieter had always been a daredevil, but he would not deliberately sacrifice himself. He would rather sacrifice others.

Max sat there trying to analyze the risks, the possible dangers. He needed to think clearly. Too much depended on him. He needed to think. But a bubble of joy kept rising to take over his thoughts:
She threw herself into danger to rescue me! She is mine!

He had to concentrate.

Things had become more dangerous now. Even if an open conflict with Hechingen and Prince Gottfried could be avoided, it would be easy enough for Dieter and the twins to start riots in Nymburg. If that happened, there was no way of controlling the outcome. His own parents had died simply because they were in the castle when the rioters broke in all those years ago. What security would there be for a woman—a lady, to be sure, but one who was without the protection of a powerful family? One who was nothing more than the companion of an elderly lady?

Susannah needed his protection, the protection of his family.

She would be out of harm's way on his estates. It was the only place he could be certain of her safety. There, his men—all his people—would guard her.

Especially once she had the protection of his name. Once she was Countess von Staufer.

That was it. Until she was his wife, he could not be certain of protecting her. They had to be married right away. No one would touch his wife.

“I don't know this place,” he said abruptly. “Where are we?”

“On your lands. This is one of the hunters' camps. Your grandfather had them built.”

Josef had moved over to the fireplace and was calmly kneeling there to lay a fire.

A fire—that was good. It would be more comfortable for Susannah when she woke. “We'll need some food,” Max said absently. “She'll be hungry.”

Still kneeling, Josef turned to look at Max. “We didn't stop to pack a lunch when we went chasing after you. I could try to catch a hare.”

Max flushed. Of course they didn't have food. He wasn't thinking properly. But… “How far from Ostrov are we?”

Josef shrugged. “Not far. Perhaps an hour's ride. Maybe two.”

“Good. You will ride to tell my aunt to prepare for a wedding today. And tell Father Milan.” He rubbed a hand across his forehead. “A wedding in the village church. It must be there so all will see.” He thought some more. “Lady Susannah will doubtless need some things for the wedding. Tell my aunt to be prepared.”

The old man sat back on his heels and looked at Max. Then he smiled slowly. “She will be a worthy countess.”

Max smiled too, the first time he had smiled since his confession to the prince. “I know.” Suddenly he felt lighter, almost happy.

Josef paused in the doorway. “Emil should be here soon. He will tell you what he has done with the prisoners.” It was almost a question.

“We will wait for him. I would not want him to worry,” Max replied, answering the unasked question.

He heard a step behind him and turned. Susannah was standing there, one hand on the bedroom door. Her face was still flushed from sleep, but there were rings of strain under her eyes. She was wearing some bizarre costume that was all wrinkled and twisted, streaked with mud and dark blotches that were probably blood. His blood. Her hair was a tangled mess.

She was beautiful.

His bride-to-be. Happiness blossomed and filled him.

She began to smile at him, but then her eyes filled with concern. “Should you be out of bed? Are you recovered?”

Such foolish questions did not require an answer. In two strides he was at her side and she was in his arms. His mouth claimed hers, and he drank deeply of her sweetness. After a moment's hesitation, she responded with all he sought and more, her softness yielding to his touch.

The sound of horses outside called him back to himself, and he lifted his head to listen. That Susannah was none too steady as he relinquished his hold gave him a rush of satisfied pride. Still, there was no time for that. Not yet. He pushed her behind him when he hurried to the window. It was one of his men, almost ghostly in the lingering morning mists, leading a string of horses.

Susannah recovered from his kisses more quickly than he would have liked, because she was right behind him, peering around his shoulder. “Oh, there's Emil,” she said. “Has he been gone all night? What has happened?”

Ah yes. Josef had told him that his grandson was disposing of the attackers. Max opened the door and stepped out to be greeted by a flood of words as a grinning Emil proudly described his activities.

Max could not suppress an answering grin. It seems that his attackers were now tethered in various places in the forest: one in a cave, one in a thorny thicket, and one on a rock in the middle of a stream. They would all be able to untie themselves eventually, but that would be just the beginning of their woes. Emil had left them stark naked. It would be some time before they found their way out of the forest—and even longer before they would be able to convince anyone that they were not escaped madmen.

“What is it? What has he done with them?” Susannah had followed and was tugging at Max's sleeve. She could not follow the Schwäbisch dialect easily yet. “He hasn't killed them, has he?”

“No, no. They are a bit uncomfortable, but unharmed.” He had no intention of enlightening her any further than that.

“What's this?” She had gone over to a couple of sacks tied onto one of the horses.

He was curious as well, and went over to inspect them.

Emil explained, with a satisfied look. Since the attackers had all worn the Herzlos colors, he thought it might be useful to bring their boots and clothes along. One never knew when a disguise might be useful.

Max nodded appreciatively. Emil was a clever lad. “You have done well, and I have another task for you. I will write a letter, and after you have had some sleep, you will take it to the prince.”

The lad went off to take care of the horses, beaming with pride.

“That really was very clever of him, bringing back their clothes.” She looked after Emil with a smile.

Her approval relieved Max, though he could not think why he had worried that she might be overly scrupulous. She had never shown herself to be anything less than practical. Good. She would see the sense, the necessity of their immediate marriage.

But perhaps he ought not to mention it just yet.

Of course he should. What was he thinking? She had just spent the night with him. No matter that it was all innocence, if only because he had been unconscious throughout. The first words out of his mouth should have been a proposal. Emil could have waited.

“Suse…” He reached out and tucked one of the dangling locks of hair behind her ear. She was so very dear to him, this woman who had come racing to his rescue. The love in his heart drove the words from his mind. “Suse,” he said again.

She smiled.

There must be words he was supposed to say. He tried again. “I love you.”

Her smile illumined her face. “And I love you,” she said.

The joy in him burst out in laughter, and he pulled her into his arms and swung her around in a circle until she laughed as well.

He slowed the spin to a halt but kept his arms around her. “We will marry,” he said.

She still laughed. “Is that a proposal?”

“Oh yes.” He pulled her close and buried his face in her tangle of hair. “Yes.”

She lifted her face to look at him. “Then my answer is yes.”

Now she was his to kiss, now and always.

When he lifted his head again, his breathing was rough. “We must go to Ostrov now.”