Wild legacy (22 page)

She had lived with fright as a constant companion for so many days she did not believe she could endure many more. Shaken to the marrow, she had to sit down to rest while Belle and Falcon unhitched the mares. Rather than any sense of triumph at saving Sean, she felt numb. She had done what was right. She had absolutely no doubt of it, but the deed had brought no joy.

When Falcon knelt in front of her, she saw the same deep pools of sorrow in his eyes that she knew had to be reflected in her own, "Thank you for showing mercy to a man I know you despise. I'll find a way to repay you, but right now, I feel sick. Please give me another minute," she begged.

"You have it, but you must stay with us," Falcon warned.

"If O'Keefe falls behind, I'll leave him, but I won't leave you."

At that moment, Dominique doubted she was any stronger than Sean. "Yes, I understand. We'll do our best to keep up with you."

Falcon reached out to caress her cheek. She had lovely cheekbones even if they were freckled. "You've made a poor choice."

"I could have made no other," she confided.

Falcon looked decidedly skeptical, but rather than say so, he just rose and walked away, leaving Dominique to find her own way to live with it.

ttTTWHTrt

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and approached the fire. The brave walked with such a light step Sean doubted he would make a sound even in boots. Belle slipped her arm around Falcon's waist the instant he reached her, and Sean couldn't hide his disgust.

"What do women find so attractive about the Barclay savages?" he asked.

Dominique set the salve aside and rubbed in what remained on her fingertips. "Are you speaking of women in general, or Liana Scott?"

They were seated beneath a fragrant pine, and now that Dominique was finished with him, Sean leaned back against the broad trunk to rest. She was studying her hands rather than looking at him, and despite his anger with her, he sensed she had been hurt by his choice of topic. He received a brief burst of pleasure from that, quickly followed by sincere remorse.

"I can barely remember her," he confessed, "although she ripped a great hole in my pride. Do you have a handsome savage waiting at home for you?"

"No. There's no one waiting for me."

That wistful comment broke through all that was left of Sean's reserve, and he reached out to take her hand. "That's good, because I doubt I'd survive if he challenged me."

Dominique pulled free of his grasp. "That isn't funny, Sean. Death isn't a suitable topic for humor."

"Especially mine," he added. Clearly exasperated with him, Dominique started to rise, but he again reached out to stop her. "Wait. Why did you do it?" he whispered.

Dominique did not ask for a clarification of the question she had expected all day, but provided only a noncommittal reply. "For precisely the reasons I gave Falcon: it would have been both cowardly and cruel to kill a wounded man."

Sean rubbed his thumb against her palm in a teasing circle. "I agree, and I said the same thing to Tarleton in much stronger terms. He might have called me out had there not been so many other officers who concurred. War is brutal

enough without the carnage he caused. I'll not miss the likes of him."

"Why, Sean, I had no idea you possessed such an admirable character."

Sean knew he deserved that, and did not resort to replying in kind. "And yet you've saved my life twice."

"I don't want you to feel obligated to me. Just don't make me regret it," she warned, and this time when she withdrew, he let her go. None of them felt like talking while they ate their meager supper, and Dominique did not need a suggestion from Falcon to go to sleep early. He and Belle cuddled together on the opposite side of the fire from Sean, and she chose a place off to the side to spread out her shawl. She had not missed sleeping on the ground, but here the dirt was padded with a thick layer of pine needles and nearly as comfortable as her cot.

A gentle breeze cooled the forest floor, and content for the moment, she had just closed her eyes when Sean stretched out beside her. "Find your own place to sleep," she scolded.

"Hush, or you'll wake Falcon and Belle."

Dominique had had no choice about sleeping near him in the hospital, and had not intended to continue the practice, but the last of her energy spent, she could not get up and move. When Sean slid his arm under her to pull her close, she resisted only a second or two before relaxing and resting her head on his shoulder. "I'm too tired to argue tonight, but I'll not make a habit of this once we arrive home."

"Of course not," Sean murmured against her hair, "but I don't think Ian would begrudge me a bed."

Dominique would refuse to share Sean's bed, regardless of where he found it, but the only protest that left her lips was a restless sigh that was far more seductive than forbidding.

* * *

Falcon set an exhausting pace, but provided fish and small game in abundance to keep everyone fed. Two days from home, Hunter rode into their camp. When he recognized Sean, Dominique feared they were going to play out the ghastly scene in the back of the wagon all over again, but to his credit, Falcon forcefully defended Sean as a wounded soldier who would cause no harm. Her cousin offered no excuse for their behavior, however, and Hunter's disgust was palpable.

"You willful girls have broken your parents' hearts," he told them. "And for what? To run off and tend wounded Englishmen?" He walked up to Sean and spit in the dirt. "Cross us, and you'll wish you had died in Camden."

Sean still did not have foil use of his left arm, but he raised his hands in a placating gesture. "I'm sick of war," he protested, "and the Barclays need have no fear of me. I'll stay in Ian Scott's house, and never set foot on your land."

"Your word is worthless," Hunter shot right back at him.

"Uncle, please," Dominique began, but fell silent under his blistering stare. Hunter turned away to see to his horse, and Falcon followed him. "I'm sorry, Belle," Dominique said. "I'll tell everyone leaving home was my idea. There's no reason for them to be furious with us both."

"We're grown women," Belle countered. "We should not have left in the dead of night, but we had every right to go. Now help me gather more wood. I don't want Hunter to think we can't even build a fire."

Dominique was only too happy to have an excuse to leave their camp and went in the opposite direction from Hunter and Falcon to search for kindling. Sean followed closely, but she did not know what to say to him. He had stayed out of Falcon's way the whole trip, but Falcon's attitude toward him hadn't softened. He may have kept Hunter from killing Sean on sight, but he had made no pretense of liking him.

"I've been so anxious to get home," Dominique confided. "Now I don't understand why when everyone will surely be as furious with us as Hunter."

"You must have remembered how safe you felt there," Sean offered

Falcon had led them over ancient Indian trails and they had not been sighted by troops or rogue bands supporting either side in the war, but Dominique had never felt secure. "Yes, we were safe at home, and we were not only willful, but stupid in the extreme to leave," she mumbled.

Sean caught her elbow. "You mustn't even think that. I'm not sorry to have found you again even if you feel nothing for me."

They had had few lengthy conversations on the exhausting journey, but Sean had not once reverted to the belligerent bully he had been in Camden. Even suspecting it was merely a convenient ploy, Dominique wanted very badly to believe this was his true personality. When he drew her close, she resisted only slightly, then stepped into his arms. Even then, she dared not remain, and quickly pulled away.

"Hunter is already so angry with me, we don't dare let him find us together."

Each night she had slept cradled in his arms, but their friendship had been quite chaste otherwise. Sean had not felt strong enough to offer more, for one thing, and he did not want her to come to him out of sympathy rather than love. "Everything has changed since we left Camden," he said, "but you've no reason to be ashamed when we've done nothing wrong."

Dominique doubted her family would share his view, but when Sean dipped his head, she could not turn away. Instead, she raised up on her tiptoes to welcome his kiss. He had only one arm to hold her, but she wrapped both of hers around his waist and held on tight. She leaned into his devouring kiss, and for a few glorious moments lost all her fears. His passion was what she had remembered, and she

drank it in eagerly until they were both so dizzy they had to stop to catch their breath.

"Everything's wrong." She choked back a sob as she broke away, but Sean refused to release her.

"Not this," he swore, and he kissed her again with the same feverish desire. "I'll do whatever I must to stay at Ian V he promised, "if only you'll come to me when you can."

Every bit as eager for more as he, Dominique squeezed his hand. "I'll not be able to stay away. Now please help me find some firewood before my uncle starts yelling at me again."

Sean spun her around with the graceful motion he would use to change partners in a dance. "Go on back to camp now, and I'll bring what I can."

Dominique took a step away, then came back for one last hurried kiss. She returned to camp wearing a troubled if innocent expression, but she was sick of deception and longed for the chance to follow her heart without the constant fear every choice she made was wrong.