A Lady's Charade (Medieval Romance Novel) (27 page)

Or was it all a trick? Was he not going to brush it aside and she would be caught unawares? Tell him everything, confiding in him, trusting that he would not punish her, giving herself to him in both body and mind, only to find herself rotting in the tower.

But then again, he had said he would wait for her. How long would he wait?

None of it made sense at all. Chloe stared at him. Who was he? Certainly not the man who had snatched her off of the street and ravaged her in the nearby woods. This man was caring, kind and sweet. This man wanted her to trust him. Could seduce her with the taste of his lips on hers. He wasn’t the dangerous tyrant that the villagers spoke of, that she herself had witnessed. No, he was acting like a person who cared.

She continued to sneak glances at him on their ride back, trying to figure out what it was he was up to. What he wanted. He had to be planning something.

She listened and answered as Alexander asked questions concerning life in the village, prefacing it that she had spent so much time there and he was curious about it. He asked her what she did during the day. He was really trying to get to know her. Was he trying to get her mind off of the conversation that undoubtedly awaited them at the keep? She was able to answer his questions without expounding too much. She was not in a talking mood, and certainly didn’t want to be involved in the in-depth conversation he was trying to have.

Chloe eventually tuned him out, and he must have noticed how little interest she was holding in the conversation, or perhaps he took pity on her and stopped talking. They rode the rest of the way in silence, but her thoughts were anything but silent. They ran away with her. She speculated on the events of the day so far.

She and Alexander had so much fun. When she wasn’t frightened for her life, she did have a good time with him, teasing him, playing with him, watching him. Even though it had only been a few months, she felt as though they had known each other for years. The lightning feelings they ignited when they were together flowed through her. They caused her even more confusion. The way his lips felt on her body, his hands roaming her flesh, the heat of his hard length as it penetrated the outer ring of womanhood. She couldn’t get it out of her mind. And Lord help her, she wanted to feel it again. She wanted him to sink deeper, take her completely.

She was drawn to him but at the same time felt she should put distance between them. She couldn’t let this tryst continue. She’d lose herself. She’d lose respect. She’d lose her innocence with which to barter with. Her head ached with the heavy thoughts consuming her.

They got on so well, and their witty banter back and forth made it seem as if they had been conversing with each other for years. Not to mention the way he played her body like it was a lute and he was a master musician. She couldn’t help but stare at the man in front of her. She felt as if they were meant to be together. What was she to conclude with his discourse today being so contrary to days prior when he had vehemently demanded she tell him the truth, and gone off in a huff when she didn’t? This calm discourse was different. His patience and his insistence on her trusting him were different.

He had been just like the dragon they all called him. Fierce, unforgiving and passionate. Today he had been reserved—except for one moment of abandon. He had been playful and fun, but there was no trying to scare her. Even in the water when he’d kissed her. Their lips molded together with heated passion so potent they could have exploded. His length had slipped between her folds, yet he pulled back. His face had hinted at a yearning for her, but he’d masked well anything more. She thought back on it. There had been no anger, either. What had caused him to change his emotions so quickly? One day he was tossing her onto the ground outside the keep and the next he was tossing her into the water playfully. And where had her own anger gone? She reflected on the differences and could not come up with an answer. It was as if they both had accepted the anger and thrown it away.

Chloe recalled the way he tenderly kissed her in the water. The feel of his mouth on hers still lingered. The path his lips had traveled over her skin, her nipples, still seared with unspent desire. Her center pulsed and the apex of her thighs was still wet with need. She reached up to touch her lips that still burned where he had kissed them.

She didn’t feel this way from other kisses she’d received at court. Whether tender or brutal, Lord Hardwyck’s kisses brought about sensations inside her that were frightening, maddening, and made her mind swirl with emotions and unbelievable thoughts. Kisses from the men at court, some were tender and some were frenzied, but none had brought about the feelings she had with Alexander, the burning within her, the excitement.

She flushed, her nipples ached for his touch, something deep within her pulsed. She forced herself to focus on the ride. She couldn’t be sitting behind him all hot and bothered. Besides if he turned around and saw her, no doubt he would know exactly what was on her mind. She quickly tried to rearrange her face into one of deep thought as she studied the mane of her horse. It was rather soft looking.

Lord Hardwyck did not turn around the rest of their ride, making her futile efforts to concentrate on things mundane seem rather silly. When they arrived, he dismounted in that raw male way he had that showed off all of his muscles, all the while keeping his eye on her. She shivered in response. He then came to her and assisted her in getting down from her mount.

“Thank you for a lovely ride, my lord. Your lands are breathtaking,” she said with a curtsy.

“You’re welcome. I expect that you will join me for a meal in my chamber when you finish with your duties in the great hall?” The stern look on his face dared her to argue.

She knew that she was getting quite a bargain from him since he was willing to negotiate with her, so she thought better of the argument she wished to plead.

“Yes, my lord,” she said with another curtsy before hurrying away to the great hall. She nearly tripped up the stairs in her haste to get away from him. She didn’t dare to look back for fear that he would have a giant laughing smile on his face telling her he had seen her nearly fall on her derriere.

****

The mid-day meal seemed to pass too quickly for Chloe. She was ordering staff about where to put what, and the next thing she knew she was ordering them about cleaning up. It would only be a matter of minutes before she would head upstairs to Lord Hardwyck’s chambers. She hadn’t even had time to think about what she would say to him.

Should she tell him the whole truth? How could she explain such a situation to someone?

She didn’t want to. Although he had done everything he could to make her trust him, she just wasn’t sure she should. After all the saying was, keep your friends close and your enemies closer. He sure did seem to be keeping her very, very close.

Harold walked toward her and she groaned inwardly. She hoped he didn’t ask why she was having luncheon with the master of the keep. She had no idea what she would say. She was too preoccupied with trying to think of what to say to Lord Hardwyck himself.

“Miss Chloe, Lord Hardwyck has requested your presence in his solar. I believe you will be dining with the lord, Sir Edward and Lady Anne,” he said in his nasally voice.

Chloe snapped her gaze to the tables in the great hall and noticed for the first time, that indeed Sir Edward and Lady Anne were missing. What was that all about? She turned back to Harold only to see he was looking down his long thin nose at her, no doubt wondering what in the world was she doing having a meal with people well above her station.

“Thank you, Harold,” she said softly as she looked at the ground, not able to bear the sight of him staring at her so. She also didn’t want to have to answer any of the questions his gaze was shooting in her direction.

She hurried up the stairs, but stopped to quickly freshen up in her chamber. Excitement began to boil in her blood as she headed to Alexander’s chambers. She realized with relief that if Sir Edward and Lady Anne were present, she still had more time before she would need to speak with Alexander alone. She certainly didn’t want to speak to him yet. The lesser of two evils would be to run away and face the dangers of the world by herself.

After freshening up she climbed the additional flight of stairs. Her pulse quickened. Her palms tingled. She was nervous. Very nervous. It had been so long since she had eaten with a group of nobles exclusively. She had done it a thousand times, but this was different. She had a sneaking suspicion this was a test.

Could he be testing her?

Sweat began to form on her brow.
So much for freshening up
. She took a deep breath, smoothed her already smooth gown and walked toward the solar. She could hear them talking inside. She leaned on the door slightly to catch what they were saying but it was all muffled. Darn! Not normally one for eavesdropping, this situation seemed to call for it. She’d hoped anything she heard behind the closed door would shed some light on this strange invitation. Had Lord Hardwyck told Lady Anne and Sir Edward his suspicions, or perhaps one of them had shared their concerns with him? She needed to know what they knew. She decided to play her part, in case the latter two were not aware of her identity.

She knocked lightly and Lord Hardwyck called within for her to enter. She opened the door slowly, and when it was completely open, she stood in the doorway as demure as she could, her head bowed and her hands folded in front of her. Chloe had seen this done many times in her own home, she hoped that she played the part well.

“Come,” Alexander said, standing for her. She gazed through her lashes and saw Sir Edward look up at Alexander curiously before he also stood. Anne’s gaze also looked confused. “May I present, Lady Chloe Fergusson.”

Chloe’s head shot up like an arrow, her mouth dropped open, and her palms which had been sweaty were suddenly dry, as was her throat. She had the familiar sinking, light headed feeling she had had before when she fainted in his room. Oh no… What? Had she heard right? Had he really said it? She thought she’d have more time!

She turned to Lady Anne who slowly nodded, clarity showing in her eyes. She must have had suspicions that were just confirmed. Edward also seemed to get over his surprise as he bowed in Chloe’s direction.

“I know this may be a shock to you,” Alexander began.
Indeed a shock!
“Lady Chloe has been under my protection these last few months. I had not planned to keep the information from you for so long, but we weren’t sure what the dangers would be. Come, my lady.” His reached out, beckoning her. “Sir Edward is the captain of my guard, as you know. His duty here is to protect everyone, and I think that you would be better protected should he know who you are. As for Lady Anne, although her husband swears that he keeps all secrets to himself, I know the man spills his heart on his pillow every night. You and she spend a great deal of time together during the day, I thought perhaps now you could speak on things more ladylike.” He beamed at her, his eyes twinkling.

So much for a test; he had gone straight to the punch. Trust indeed. It had all been a lie. She waited for him to say the part where he was now going to be throwing her into the dungeon, but it never came.

They ate a lovely meal, and talked of things in the village, the changes Chloe had made, the lands, and other things but Chloe found it hard to concentrate. She laughed, smiled, nodded and offered murmurs where appropriate, but her mind was not on the conversation and she hardly touched her food. Whether her three dining partners noticed her lack of appetite or flightiness, none remarked on it.

After they finished eating, Lady Anne suggested that Chloe sing for Alexander, while Anne played the lute, as a thank you for him bringing such a fine meal to their table. Chloe felt the room closing in around her, and she had to take a deep calming breath and force her feet not to flee from the room. She hesitated only for a moment before standing.

Desperately afraid that when she opened her mouth the words would not come out, Chloe was a little shocked when she began to sing a French love ballad to the tune of Anne’s instrument. Alexander’s expression changed from one of fondness to something deeper. He looked enchanted by her. His eyes deepened in color as he stared at her. She gazed into his eyes, letting her feelings for him pour out through her song, no longer caring whether or not he could guess her meaning.

When she finished, he sat in silence staring at her. Her heart pounded in her chest, and she felt that it might very well leap from her body. She had the uninhibited urge to run to him, kiss him and tell him how she felt, but she knew she had to hold back. There was too much danger for her.

“That was breathtaking,” he said in a low voice filled with awe. She was pleased that her song had the effect on him that she hoped it would. Sir Edward and Lady Anne both clapped loudly and commended her on her talent.

“Thank you,” Chloe said softly as she gazed at her toes.

Lord Alexander stood and walked—rather stalked—toward her. Fear raced through her until he stood right in front of her.

He took her hand in his and turned it over looking at the palm. She peeked up at him. He traced a circle on the lines in her hand with his index finger, and his gaze caught hers. Chloe sucked in her breath and her fingers curled. He pried her fingers back open and gently lowered his lips to kiss the inside of her palm. Her heart raced as sparks shot up her arm at the feel of his lips on that tender spot of skin.

He let go of her hand then and she lifted her eyes to peek into his. He smiled at her and bowed.

“It has been a pleasure accompanying you today, my lady. Until we meet again.” He winked as he walked out the door, leaving her standing in the room, still flustered from his sensual kiss on the palm of her hand.

With every move he made that day, she had found herself falling deeper and deeper in love with him. She stared longingly after the door. A cough from behind reminded Chloe of where she was and who had just witnessed the very intimate interactions between herself and Lord Hardwyck.