If He's Noble (Wherlocke Book 7) (Paranormal Historical Romance) (16 page)

“None, really, save for the pain of disappointment when they cannot do anything. Yet, I lived through that many times before with physician after physician coming to look at me. I can live through it again.”

“As soon as matters are back to normal, I shall ask around amongst the healers in the family. Each can be just a little different, you see.”

Primrose had to think about it for a moment and then sternly told herself not to be a coward. If there was even the smallest of chances one of the family healers could fix the problem with her eyes, she would have a whole new life. It would not only be cowardly to refuse such a chance but stupid.

“If you find one who thinks it worth a look, I believe I can do it.”

“Just think of it as a trial but one with no big consequences if it fails. An experiment, if you will, one in which our healers can test the reach of their gifts. Nothing will have changed or grown worse.”

“True and that is just how I will think of it.” She looked around and realized they were walking to the edge of the hill, to the side that would give a beautiful view of Modred’s castle. “This is not one of those walks like we took in the woods, is it, because I see no shelter here.”

“Nay. Sad to say there is none. I just wished to get out and walk before we face hours in the saddle starting on the morrow. And look at the family seat from this point. It is a fine place.”

“It is very grand and yet, once inside, it just feels like any home. Well, any home of someone with money for some of the finer things.”

“That is Dob’s doing. She looked at what Modred’s parents had created and decided it would not do. So exact, so much about showing off one’s power and wealth, and so pristine. Modred needed a nest, she said, someplace where he could relax and not worry. The way his parents had done it, you dared not even curtsey as protocol demanded without fear of breaking something more valuable than you could ever afford to replace. He was still very young when she walked in to take care of him. Dob’s opinion was that consequence would not save his mind and made the castle far more suitable for a boy than some king.”

“She said they healed each other.”

“They did. We all only have one worry about him now and that is that Dob is not a young woman. We need Modred to find himself someone to care for who loves him for him despite the gift that makes so many uneasy, and to find her and win her before Dob’s time comes.”

“That certainly sounds like a good thing to pray for.”

“Your uncle needs some trees,” he muttered as he looked around at the barren hill, sheep grazing in every direction.

Primrose laughed. “Yes, a little copse of them here and there, ones offering people taking in the view from here a little shade and shelter, the kind you can slip into for a bit of privacy, and which everyone knows why people would go there and what you are doing if you stay within the shelter of them for very long.”

“Unfortunately, that would be the truth of it. I suspect even the villagers would see them being made and say to themselves, ‘Why is George putting in so many trysting spots?’”

“I should probably go and check on Smudge, make certain he is ready for a long journey.”

He followed her as she headed for the stables. The horses were content in their stalls but Bened looked Mercury over anyway. He appeared to have taken no harm from the long ride to Uncle George’s and Bened was confident the animal would not suffer for the ride back to Willow Hill, either. It was why he had chosen the animal. Even when Mercury had been a colt he had seen the promise of stamina and strength. The speed the animal had revealed had been a beautiful added blessing.

He crossed his arms on the wall of Mercury’s stall and looked over it to watch as Primrose brushed down her horse. She was very good to any animals under her care and he respected that. In truth there was a great deal about Primrose that he respected.

As soon as she started to leave the stables he fell into step beside her. He could see Simeon standing on the steps in front of the house with Lilybet obviously giving him her opinion on something. The look on his face told Bened that the man was hearing something he did not like if only because his clever mind told him it was reasonable and he should agree.

Bened leaned over to whisper in Primrose’s ear. “Be sure to leave your bedchamber doors unlocked tonight.”

“You cannot come creeping into my room at night.”

“I can actually and I intend to.”

“If you get caught . . .”

“Nay, I will not be caught.”

She watched him stride away and thought he was a little too confident in himself. The only ones who thought it acceptable that he was her lover were her and him. That left six other adults, all sleeping on the same floor, who could catch him and suffer shock, outrage, or—she glanced at Simeon—anger. Shaking her head, she decided to go find her uncle George and talk to him about gardening.

 

 

Primrose settled into bed with a book on gardening her uncle had given her to read. She glanced at her bedchamber door and sighed. She had left it unlocked but if Bened was actually going to be cautious, she doubted she would see him. That gave her such a sense of disappointment she cursed and went back to her reading.

Just as she was about to doze off over a particularly dry treatise on the good and bad of planting flowering vines, a soft sound caught her attention. She looked at the door and saw the latch slowly lifting. Then, so abruptly it startled her into nearly dropping her book, the door opened, Bened slid inside, and then he silently closed and latched the door. He turned and grinned at her like a naughty boy. It was a look that should have been ridiculous on a man of his size but she found it charming.

“Are you certain you were not seen?” she asked quietly as he walked toward the bed shedding his clothing with each step.

“Very certain.” He yanked off his boots and underdrawers and stood there proudly naked. “Gardening? I would have thought you did not need to read such a book.”

“There are always new things to learn, although this is clearly written for beginners. Yet, despite that, I have found several interesting tips to make use of. Odd for my uncle to have spent coin on it as he is no beginner, either.” She glanced at the proud proof of his intentions jutting out from his body and then rolled her eyes. “You have no modesty at all, do you?”

“Not a drop,” he said cheerfully as he climbed into bed beside her, turned on his side, and studied her nightdress. “You, however, may have too much.”

Before she could protest that assessment, Bened was removing her nightdress. Primrose had barely a minute to be embarrassed by her nudity and then he pulled her into his arms. The moment their flesh touched, she no longer cared about having no clothes on, did in truth revel in the lack of them.

“Mmmm. I have missed this,” Bened murmured before kissing her with a fierce passion that quickly heated her blood.

“We have not shared a bed that often.”

“I know,” he said as he caressed her breasts and nibbled at the side of her neck. “And that is a pure shame.”

Primrose quickly lost all ability to think clearly. Bened had obviously told the truth when he said he had missed what they shared for his greed, for her was clear to feel in every kiss and stroke of his hand. He turned her onto her stomach and just as she was about to ask what he was doing, he was sliding into her. She gasped, the way he could fill her feeling much more enhanced in this position. When her release came, she smothered her cries by burying her face in the pillow and soon he was doing the same.

Collapsing beneath him, Primrose had the thought that there must be a lot of ways to join two willing bodies but bit her tongue against asking. She was sure it was something no proper lady should show any curiosity about. The way he spread kisses over her spine sparked a little interest in her sated body and she almost laughed. It was obviously not just Bened who was feeling greedy.

Rising passion burned the last dregs of sleep from Primrose’s mind. Big, lightly calloused hands stroked her breasts while long fingers teased the tips that ached for his kiss. Then she woke enough to realize Bened was kissing her and just where. For only a heartbeat, shock pushed aside the haze of desire his lovemaking had stirred and she put her hands on his head intending to push him away, to put an end to such a shocking act. Then he stroked her with his tongue and desire rushed back to rule her again. Instead of pushing him away, she buried her fingers in his thick hair and held him close.

Tighter and tighter her need wound itself until her pleasure grew close to painful. Primrose tugged on his hair. To her relief, he responded to the silent demand and began kissing his way back up her body. Finally, he was kissing her on the mouth and she wrapped her arms around him, then her legs around his waist as he began to ease their bodies together.

He began to move, thrusting in and out of her with a slow rhythm as if he had all the time in the world to savor the way it felt to be joined with her. Primrose growled softly, reached down and grabbed his buttocks. Bened yelped, but kept his voice as subdued as she had, when her nails dug into his taut flesh and then he laughed. He began to move faster and with more force, bringing her passion to its peak and ending the aching need that had possessed her. She held on tightly, letting the pleasure flood her while he grew even fiercer in his movements until he found his own pleasure.

It was several minutes before Bened could move. Despite the blinding strength of his release he was pleased to see that he had retained enough of his wits to collapse just to the side of her, keeping the bulk of his weight off her slender body. It would be very rude to crush one’s lover, he thought, and smiled faintly before kissing her and then rising to get a wet cloth to bathe them with.

Primrose watched him. He had a body she enjoyed gazing at as he moved; seeing all that sleek muscle beneath that taut skin was a pure delight. When he started back toward the bed she noted that he was a goodly sized man in every way. It amazed her that they fit together so well but, in her studies about illnesses and the workings of the body in order to help her decide what medicines to mix, she had learned that the body was a rather amazing thing.

Still a little embarrassed by the ritual after their lovemaking, she closed her eyes as he cleaned her off. Listening to him move, she was ready when he climbed back into bed and she curled up in his arms even as he reached for her.

“There is nothing as good as sharing a loving in the morning,” Bened said, enjoying how relaxed and replete he felt.

“In the morning, Bened? Is that normal?”

“I believe it is,” he replied in a very solemn voice, then ruined it by chuckling.

Then Primrose realized the full implications of what he had just said. It was morning. People would be rising soon. They could be caught. Clutching the covers to cover her chest, she sat up and saw the sunlight that streamed into the room through a small space between the curtains.

“Oh no! We were not supposed to go to sleep!”

“You exhausted me,” he said as he reached for her, and then frowned when she scrambled out of his reach.

Primrose leapt out of bed and tugged on her nightdress then scowled at Bened who still sprawled in the bed, arms crossed beneath his head as he watched her. “You have to go now!” she said, and hurried around to his side of the bed, picked up his scattered clothing, and tossed it on top of him.

“I hope you do not expect me to climb out a window or something,” he said as he got out of bed and began to dress.

“Just do not let Simeon see you.”

“Rose, do you really think he does not know what is going on between us?”

“Knowing it and being brazenly confronted by it are not the same things.”

Bened thought that over as he finished dressing and then nodded. “Nay, you are right, they are not. I can slip out and creep down the hall to my room.”

“Without anyone seeing you? You are not exactly small, Bened.”

“Pleased you noticed.” He gave an exaggerated wince when she slapped his arm. “No one but us is awake.”

“No? Are you certain about that?”

“Very certain.” He took her into his arms and kissed her. “I am glad you found your brother, safe and unharmed, but I do wish he would go away now.”

Primrose had to bite her lip to keep from laughing as she pushed him toward the door. She admired how quiet and cautious he was as he left, and then waited for some sound to tell her he had been seen. The tension caused by a fear of discovery and an uncomfortable confrontation with Simeon began to fade as minutes ticked by and there was no sound, not even of him going back into his own bedchamber. She crawled back to bed, pulled the pillow he had rested his head on into her arms, and fell asleep surrounded by the tempting scent of him.

 

 

“I love my horse,” Primrose said as she stood by Smudge, her belongings neatly secured on the saddle.

“That is nice,” said Lilybet, looking at her in a way that told Primrose the woman was confused and a little bit concerned about her.

“I just do not particularly wish to ride her today. Yet she looks eager to get going.”

“As do the men,” Lilybet said as she swung up into her saddle.

“Very well.”

Primrose mounted and did her best to hide a wince. She was still rather new to lovemaking and her body was making it very clear that she had been too greedy last night. In truth, Bened had been very greedy and she had had no inclination to say no. Now even her thighs ached, she thought, and waved farewell to her uncle and Frederick.

Sleeping would have been wise as well, she thought as she clapped a hand over her mouth to hide a huge yawn. Bened had not allowed her to get much of that but he did not look as if he had suffered from not sleeping. Then again he had been a soldier and they could ride all night. She chuckled as she considered that thought and saw the humor of it. Shaking her head, she decided she was losing her mind.

By the time they stopped near midday to rest their horses and have a meal, Primrose was wondering if she could just tie herself to her horse and let someone lead Smudge along as she slept. The only thing keeping her awake at the moment was the mere thought of having something to eat. She was starving.

Bened frowned as he went to lift Primrose down from the back of Smudge. She was a little pale and looked exhausted. There had been a few times he had seen her shifting in her saddle and wincing a little. He felt guilty for keeping her awake most of the night but did not regret even one of the many hours he had spent making love to her. Once her desire burned away her shyness, Primrose was a passionate, eager, occasionally demanding lover.

“Are you all right?” he asked as she swayed against him, resting her forehead on his chest.

“Just tired.” She roused enough to straighten up and look around. “And hungry.”

“Bevan is already preparing the campsite and we will eat soon. Frederick packed us a feast.”

“Oh, lovely.” She slowly walked toward where Morris already had a fire going.

He had to nudge her awake to eat. Even though she seemed not to be tasting the food at all, she did eat with a steady speed and efficiency. What she needed was a full night of sleep, he decided, fighting the urge to take her to the inn in the village and tuck her up in bed. He scolded himself for being a rutting dog but he suspected he would just have to hear the words
Primrose
and
bed
in the same conversation and his desire for her would leap to life in hope.

The moment she set her plate down, her eyes closed, and Bened put his arm around her to keep her from falling over. He frowned and put his hand on her forehead just to make sure this was only exhaustion. It did not surprise him when Simeon rushed over to crouch in front of her but the angry look the man sent him did.

“Is she ill?” Simeon demanded.

Reminding himself yet again that the man was her brother and was well aware of the danger she was in, Bened answered pleasantly. “No, I think she is just tired. Riding about the countryside looking for you has not been easy for her,” he could not resist adding.

“No, it would not have been,” Simeon agreed softly and sighed. “I should have sent word to her about what I knew, or believed I knew, and where I was.”

“And have it fall straight into Augusta’s hands.”

“There is that. Maybe we should make it a short day of travel.”

“Or I could carry her up with me on Mercury.” He struggled to keep his expression one of pleasant blankness.

“If she does not wake up when we are all ready to leave, it might be a thought. But, I should do it.”

“If you wish, but Mercury is a bigger mount than yours, and built for some added weight. He can carry two more easily.”

Simeon looked at Mercury. “He is a big beast, like a plow horse.”

“Only half a plow horse and one of an old, honored breed. A very brave stallion about the size of your gelding romanced his mother. She let him live.” He almost laughed at the shock on Simeon’s face. “I named him Mercury for a reason as well so if anyone sets after us, my plow horse will leave them in the dust.”

“Truly?”

“No doubt in my mind. My father has begun breeding more like him although it can be a dangerous business. Mercury has a lot of admirers.”

“But you gelded him.”

“Had to but he bred a few before I took him and trained him. You do not really want a full stallion of that size for a riding mount, not with a stallion’s temperament.”

“Oh no, of course not. Fine then. If she is really exhausted, she will not even wake when you pick her up so then you take her up with you. If she does wake, she can ride on her own.”

An hour later, Bened mounted his horse and Bevan handed a limp Primrose up to him. He set her in front of her, almost grinning when she snuggled up against him and he got a hard glare from Simeon. It was not kind to pinch at the man who had to know what was between Bened and his sister, but Bened could not resist and the badly smothered laughter from his brother who rode at his side revealed that that sort of humor was clearly a family trait.

They rode as fast as they could without wearing down the horses. Bened understood the need to cover as much ground as possible while the weather favored them. Augusta was still out there and they all suspected that she was riding back to Willow Hill. The less time they gave her to destroy something or set up a trap the better. They also had to try to stop her efforts to be rid of anyone or anything that could be used against her. For a woman who had to be insane she was proving to be a formidable opponent.

 

 

Jenson watched his brother and his family, along with his child, ride away to stay with his wife’s brother and sighed. Now he had to warn the other servants and find a place to hide himself. But first, he thought, he was going to try to find something to help the Wootten siblings bring the woman down. He owed it to Sir Bened and Miss Primrose, who had not punished him for being with Augusta, but kindly set him free of the woman.

To his dismay his idiot employer, Rufford, found him before he could begin the search. “Jenson! Where the bloody hell have you been? I have been struggling with one of the pages here and it has been a dismal fortnight.”

Jenson winced as he looked at what the man was wearing. “Your wife demanded my services.”

“What use would that cow have for a valet?”

Jenson shrugged. “To tend her wardrobe.”

Rufford swore viciously and got himself a large snifter full of brandy, gulping some of it down as if it was cheap ale. “She too often forgets who is the man in this family. I will have a word or two about that when she returns.”

“She is returning?”

“Just got a letter from her saying she should be here in a day or two. She could not find my nephew. No idea why she went haring off to find him as she never much liked the lad. Hated that girl.”

“Miss Primrose?”

“What other girl lived here, fool? Yes, Miss Primrose. Looks like her mother.” He gulped some more brandy and gave a drunken sigh. “Lovely woman. Sweet and kind. My brother was a lucky man. My good friend Sir Edgar is heartbroken about how the girl ran away rather than wed him.”

The thought of the kind, sweet Primrose in the hands of Sir Edgar Benton made Jenson feel ill. The man might have good blood, been to all the right schools, and have a lot of money but he was scum. He shook aside that distaste and started to plot a way to get free of this man so that he could be far away when Augusta returned.

“I need something to wear to Edgar’s for tonight, Jenson. See to it.”

Gritting his teeth, Jenson set about preparing to send the fool off to his friend’s house. He worked as fast as he could, cajoling the man into his bath and ignoring his suggestions of what he thought would look best. By the time Rufford staggered off to lose more money he did not have, Jenson was in a cold sweat but decided to hold to his plan to at least look for something the Wootten siblings could use to bring the woman down.

Jenson was pulled out of his intense study of the family ledgers when he heard a voice that made his blood run cold.

“Where is my husband?” Augusta’s sharp voice cut through the air.

As he heard some mumbled reply made by a terrified servant Jenson hurried over where he knew there was a small room behind a door hidden by the bookshelves. His heart pounded with fear as he waited for the door to slowly open but then he ducked inside and it closed behind him. Collapsing in a chair some past resident had put in so he could steal a smoke, Jenson fought to calm himself, to find that spine the girl said he needed. To his dismay the woman came into the ledger room.

“Has someone been in here?”