Cast Love Aside (23 page)

She cried out as the world burst asunder into
emotion so piercingly sweet that she was certain she was dying of
happiness.

* * * * *

He had no right at all to make love to her,
even less right to lose control and spill his seed in her. The
consequences for her could be devastating and possibly deadly, if
he got her with child. Even so, Magnus could not regret what he had
done – no, what
they
had done, together. Except for a moment
of discomfort when he first entered her, Lilianne had been with him
all the way to the shattering climax. As his violent, too-long
delayed and absolutely unstoppable release came upon him, he had
heard her crying out her own pleasure.

She was clinging to him, moist and soft and
relaxed as a newborn kitten, despite her size. More like a tall
lioness, he corrected himself, repressing a smile. His lioness. His
woman, the only woman meant for him.

In the eyes of the world they both inhabited,
he had no right to touch even her fingertips, much less to kiss or
embrace her. But, claiming that since they owned nothing and could
hope for nothing, they were free to take each other, she had boldly
given him the right to possess all of her, every delicious inch of
her glorious body.

Magnus thought about Lilianne's claim for a
long time, holding her in his arms while she slept. Slowly he
recognized and accepted the incredible fact that for a blissful
hour with her, he had forgotten the threat of the terrible death
hanging over the brother he both loved and hated, a death that
would almost certainly include him, too. His fate must not include
Lilianne. He could not let violent harm come to her.

For this one, blessed night, she was safe,
and his. When Lilianne stirred and reached for him, Magnus
postponed all worry and gratefully sank once more into the sweet
reprieve only she could offer.

In early morning they made love a third time
and it was as marvelous and stirring as the first and second times.
Magnus left Lilianne weary and slightly sore, but happily aware of
the erotic possibilities of her body, and of his. She stretched
against him in luxurious contentment, expecting to fall asleep in
his arms. Instead, Magnus rose from the bunk. The last, lingering
traces of sensual contentment vanished when she saw him pulling on
his clothes.

“It's time,” he said, touching her shoulder
lightly, in a way that made her wonder if he was restraining
himself so as not to return to her. The look on his face spoke of
duty, not passion. “Get dressed while I make sure William and
Braedon are awake. I'll bring some food for you.”

She didn't want to leave the narrow bunk that
bore the scent of Magnus's body, and of their lovemaking. The last
thing she wanted to do was ride to Manoir Sainte Inge and arrange
to bury her brother. She experienced a pang of guilt over her
reluctance, and over the way she had for a few hours forgotten all
about poor Gilbert. Instead of mourning his loss with solemn
prayers, as a good sister ought to do, she had rejoiced in Magnus's
embrace.

The guilty recollection brought her to her
bare feet. Quickly she gathered up her clothing, donning each piece
as she located it, starting with the amethyst ring that hung
between her breasts like a weighty reminder of family
responsibility. By the time she had fastened her belt and pulled on
her shoes, Magnus was back, bearing a wooden platter on which
rested a chunk of bread, part of a cold, roasted bird, and what
appeared to be the last of the cherries, now somewhat bruised.

“I'm not really hungry,” she began.

“Eat while food is available,” he instructed.
Following his own advice he tore off a piece of bread and began to
chew on it. “Be glad William and Braedon haven't devoured all of
it. Those two have mighty appetites.”

He offered her a choice morsel of breast
meat. She nibbled on it, then swallowed the entire piece with
Magnus watching.

Braedon knocked once on the cabin door and
stuck his head in without waiting for permission. “Captain Piers
says to tell you he'll send the rowboat ashore in half an hour. If
we're not all on deck when he's ready, he'll sail on to Calais and
we can go ashore there.”

“The captain's charm wears thin,” Magnus
muttered. “We dare not antagonize him, because we'll need him to
pick us up in a few days. Lilianne, are you ready?”

“Yes.” She handed the platter of leftovers to
Braedon, who favored her with one of his cheerful grins before
carrying it away. Lilianne breathed a silent sigh. Nothing in
Braedon's demeanor suggested disapproval of her, though he and
William must be aware of how she and Magnus had spent the night.
She was not the least bit ashamed of what she had done with Magnus,
but she genuinely liked Braedon and William, and she didn't want
either man to regard her as no better than a tavern wench.

Not until she was on deck did she remember
that she was going to have to reach the rowboat by climbing down a
net. Once again she pulled off her shoes, stuffed her stockings
into them, and tied the shoes to her belt. She went over the rail
with Magnus beside her and Braedon below at the bottom of the net,
from where he steadied the rowboat while two of Captain Piers's men
waited with oars in hand.

Halfway down Lilianne decided climbing up was
much easier. She wasn't going to say so to Magnus, though. His arm
across her back was welcome as she reached the end of the net. He
helped her to the bench at the rear of the rowboat and William
dropped into the boat right behind them. Immediately, before
Lilianne was properly settled on the bench, the little craft began
to move.

She bent to pull on her stocking and shoes.
When she was finished, she straightened and glanced back at the
Daisy
– and gasped in shock. Magnus, who was sitting beside
her, raised his brows in a question.

“Do you see the man standing by the rail,
watching us?” she asked, choosing her words carefully, aware that
the men who were rowing could hear whatever she said. “He’s not one
of Captain Piers's sailors.”

“I don't know him,” Magnus responded,
frowning a little as he looked toward the ship. “I’ve never seen
him before. Have you?”

Lilianne shook her head and mouthed the word,
later.
Magnus nodded his understanding and said nothing
more, though he sent another keen glance toward the man. The
morning was cloudy and wind-swept and the rowers were battling
through heavy surf, so Lilianne hoped they were too busy to pay
attention to her, or to Magnus.

As soon as the keel of the rowboat grated
against the sand, Magnus and his friends jumped out. Magnus picked
up Lilianne and carried her through the shallow water to set her
down on dry land. The rowers were already heading back to the
Daisy.

“The man watching us from the deck,” Lilianne
said to her companions, “is Norbard, Erland's closest
henchman.”

“Why didn't you tell me so at once?” Magnus
demanded.

“What could you have done? Order the rowers
to take us back to the ship so you could confront him? What good
would that do?” she asked. “I thought you'd prefer not to let the
men from the
Daisy
know I recognized Norbard.”

“You were right to be discreet,” Magnus
admitted. “Still, Norbard has seen you, and he knows you’ve seen
him.”

“I’m certain he was the cloaked person I
noticed in the inn at Hythe. I couldn't see his face then, but his
size and the way he moved were familiar to me. Norbard doesn't walk
smoothly. He always seems to jerk his body from place to place very
abruptly.”

“So, Norbard was aboard the
Daisy
all
the time,” Braedon said thoughtfully.

“I'll wager my armor that he was locked in
the cabin that we assumed must be a storeroom,” Magnus said, “and
that his presence is the cause of Captain Piers's ill humor. The
captain lied when he claimed to have no other passengers, and he
evaded my questions about that cabin.”

“Norbard may have boarded the
Daisy
in
secret, traveling as one of Royce's agents,” Braedon offered. “He
has probably used the ship before on legitimate business for Royce.
Captain Piers would have no cause to doubt whatever reason Norbard
gave for this present voyage.”

“That would explain the captain's evasiveness
with me,” Magnus agreed. “Not to mention his reluctance to take us
aboard.”

“But,
why
is Norbard on the
Daisy?
“ William asked. “Why is he going to Calais? That’s
what I’d like to know.”

“Perhaps he is the cargo Captain Piers spoke
of, that he intends to land at Calais,” Braedon suggested.

“Or, possibly, Norbard will be put ashore
between here and Calais,” Magnus said.

“At least, we can be sure we won't find him
at Manoir Sainte Inge when we arrive there,” Braedon said.

“If he comes to the manor later,” Lilianne
said, “he will know my story of taking Alice to a convent with
Erland as our escort is false. Norbard knows I wasn't traveling
with Erland. Magnus, what shall we do? Shall I change the story I
tell the men-at-arms?”

“Try not to say anything at all to them about
where you've been,” Magnus instructed. “Just say you are returning
home early on Erland’s orders and he will follow later. Norbard
can't dispute that; he doesn't know where Erland is, but he does
know Erland is a French spy, so a quick crossing to England on
Erland's part may seem reasonable to him.”

“This is all speculation,” William noted.

“True,” Magnus said. “The only thing we know
for certain is that we
don't
know when Norbard will appear
at Manoir Sainte Inge.”

“And that,” Braedon said, “means we ought to
complete our business at the manor as quickly as possible.”

“Lilianne, I am sorry,” Magnus said, “but
Gilbert's funeral will have to take place at sunrise tomorrow. I
know that won't leave you much time for preparations.”

“Once we find Gilbert, everyone at the manor
will understand why he must be buried in haste,” Lilianne answered,
her voice trembling a bit. “Gilbert has been dead for more than ten
days.”

“I cannot imagine anyone daring to interfere
with a funeral, so you should be safe until it's over,” Magnus said
to her. “I want you and William to be prepared to depart as soon as
Gilbert is buried, without returning to the manor after the
ceremony.”

“Will Captain Piers be waiting for us at the
rendezvous spot if we arrive there so early?” William asked.

“We will have to hope so,” Magnus said.
“Let's not waste any more time. William, lead us to the man who
keeps horses available for Royce's agents.”

“The road is on the high ground, on the far
side of those dunes,” William said, pointing. “Just beyond the
dunes is the road that runs along the coast from Calais to
Boulogne.”

“We should make haste,” Magnus noted, looking
at the gathering clouds. “The storm that Royce was so concerned
about appears to be moving in now.” He placed his hand on
Lilianne’s back, propelling her across the beach toward a strip of
tall grass that showed where the sand dunes ended

The French inn was built right at the side of
the road. The innkeeper recognized Royce's name and voiced no
objections when William insisted that he required the immediate use
of the fleetest mounts in the stable. A short time later the four
companions were on their way to Manoir Sainte Inge.

“I didn't have a good look at the buildings
the last time we were here,” Braedon remarked as they drew closer
to Manoir Sainte Inge. “We arrived at dusk and left in thick fog.
With all that grey stone and perched on the edge of the cliff as it
is, it does look more like a fortress than a manor house. I know
Manoir Sainte Inge is your home, Lilianne, but I don't find it
inviting.”

“Neither do I, now,” she responded. “Though I
was happy there as a child, I no longer think of it as my home. If
not for Gilbert, I’d never return.” She could see what Braedon
meant. With its thick outer walls and the tower that reared upward
directly from the rocks at the point of the promontory, the manor
was forbidding, whether approached by land or by sea.

And in the tower Gilbert's lifeless body lay.
Lilianne shivered at the thought. She was surprised to see Magnus
shiver, too. Had he so quickly become attuned to her moods that he
felt what she was feeling? The possibility comforted her.

When they reached the manor all went as they
expected. Assuming a haughty air, Lilianne announced that Erland's
newly hired knights had been commanded by her uncle to escort her
home.

“Uncle Erland will return in two or three
days,” she declared, boldly meeting the challenging stares of the
sentries at the gate.

“It's not like Count Erland to slip away
without taking guards along, and without leaving orders for us to
obey in his absence,” one of the sentries said. “We didn't know the
two of you were gone until the next morning.”

“My uncle told me he wanted to leave without
fuss or notice.” Lilianne put a note of disapproval into her next
words, which she hoped the men-at-arms would hear as a threat of
possible punishment to come when their master returned. “If I
recall correctly, most of the men in the hall were too drunk to
know what was happening. I do trust those who were guarding the
gate that evening were sober. You can imagine what Count Erland's
reaction will be if he learns the sentries were too besotted with
wine to attend to their duties.”

“Of course, we were sober, my lady,” said the
sentry.

No further questions were raised. The
men-at-arms apparently didn't realize they had been drugged, or if
they did realize it, they weren't going to say so.

Having gained admission to the manor,
Lilianne dismounted in the bailey. As previously agreed, William
and Braedon took charge of the horses and went looking for
stabling, and for accommodations for the three supposed new
knights, while at the same time staying alert for useful
information. Magnus remained with Lilianne. He tossed her saddlebag
over one arm and walked close to her all the way through the hall
and up the stairs to the second level of the manor house.