Druid Temptation (A Druid Quest Novel Book 2) (18 page)

For three hours she listened to his rules of table etiquette and proper address. Eventually she became so overloaded with information, she didn’t realize he stopped talking until he cleared his throat. “Oh, uh, I was memorizing what you said.” She gave him a dazzling smile, hoping to distract him, and he snorted at the obvious lie.

When she was younger, she sneaked out of her lessons. She didn’t see why she needed to learn all those hoity-toity rules. It was already clear she would be the last person they would send into delicate situation. She was too bold, and not dainty enough. She stood out and attracted too much attention.

Now it was time to pay the piper for skipping those lessons.

“Come, let’s go out and clear our heads. Any more for either of us, I fear we will fall into a stupor.”

“I fear you may be too late.” Diana pushed back her chair and shot to her feet before he could change his mind, nearly slamming into him when he reached over to help her rise. His nearness went to her head, and she was surprised when he cupped her elbow to steady her.

His fingers brushed against the delicate underside of her arm as if it had been too long since he’d touched her.

Neither of them moved.

The strident voice of Mrs. Ashmore sent them springing apart.

“How much stuff does one woman have that it requires days to pack?” Diana quirked a brow at him.

Gabriel rubbed a hand over his mouth, but she still caught his smile. “You would be surprised how long it could take a woman to collect all her things.”

When the voice neared, they looked at each other. “I’ll check on Emilie, see if she wants to join us, then collect the basket.”

Gabriel wanted to kiss her for including his daughter. “And I’ll get the horses ready. We’ll meet out back in ten minutes.”

Diana rushed upstairs and barged into Emilie’s room. “Do you want to go for a ride?”

Emilie’s face scrunched up in thought, and she carefully set aside her toys. “Can Jack come?”

Diana hesitated but shook her head. “Not this time, sweetie.”

“Then I should stay home so he doesn’t get lonely.”

Emilie looked very grown up at that moment, and Diana’s heart wrenched in her chest. “Then why don’t we go downstairs for a quick snack before I leave.”

At the magical word, Jack popped up and walked toward the door.

“Cookies?” Emilie rose and held out her hand. Together, they made their way down the stairs. Emilie pushed open the kitchen door. “We came for snacks.”

Cook brushed her floured hands on her apron and smiled. “Then you’re just in time. My granddaughter, Veronica, and I are just making some. Would you like to help?”

The two little girls stared at each other in utter fascination. They couldn’t be more than a year apart. Emilie glanced up at her with pleading eyes. “May I?”

“Of course.” Diana glanced up at Cook. “If it’s not too much trouble.”

Cook grabbed the waiting basket and shoved it into her hands. “Nonsense. The more the merrier. Go. Enjoy yourself.”

In seconds, Diana was pushed out the door. Gabriel stood waiting by the back gate, and he quickly straightened at her approach, cocking an eyebrow in question. “Emilie decided to stay and help Cook and her granddaughter bake cookies. I hope that’s okay?”

Gabriel’s smile eased her worry. “It might scandalize Mrs. Ashmore or Ketterling, but I see no harm. Another girl in the house might be a welcome change for her.”

Diana couldn’t agree more. She enjoyed the way Gabriel slipped an arm around her waist and guided her back toward the stables.

Conway had two horses saddled and waiting, and Diana smiled. “Thank you.”

Conway pulled his forelock, an old, courtly gesture she found charming. “No problem, miss.”

Gabriel strode toward her, an intent look in his eyes that made her breath catch in her throat. He slipped his hands around her waist, and she stopped breathing as the warmth of him soaked through the material.

He lifted her clean into the saddle, and she placed her hands on his broad shoulders, enjoying the flex of those magnificent muscles. She leaned forward, wanting a taste of those lips so temptingly close, only to have him pull away. She covered her disappointment by settling herself in the saddle.

From the corner of her eye, she watched him mount, fascinated by the way he filled out his clothes. By the time he came near, she was breathless and more than a ready for hard ride to work off her excess energy. She nudged the mare forward, and they bolted down the alley, Gabriel’s stallion easily keeping pace.

After a half an hour, they encountered congestion and had to slow their pace. By the time they reached the park early in the evening, it was nearly empty.

Gabriel must have seen the question on her face. “They have to leave and dress for the night’s entertainment. It can take some of them hours to prepare for an event.”

“Of course.” Diana nodded, then stopped, debating if he actually spoke the truth. “Does it truly take so long?” She asked it tentatively, convinced he was putting one over on her.

Gabriel grinned at her disbelief. “For an important event, it can take a full day.”

“That makes no sense. Why spend the day preparing for only an hour or two of entertainment?” Diana looked at the people around them, seeing them with new eyes, when she remembered Ashmore’s description of the highest echelon of society. “Don’t they have more important things to occupy them?”

Gabriel shrugged. “It’s a ritual, a way to avoid the boredom and tedium of London. Others use entertainment as a sort of business. It is a marriage mart for the young woman, a way of training them for the future. Young men use it to make contacts they will need later in life. Men use it for business, while their wives use it to further their husband’s careers, gossip, and introduce their daughters to eligible men.”

Three young men dressed in colorful clothes walked past, laughing at some joke, and she was beginning to understand. “They dress to show off, but also be accepted.”

“Correct.” He nodded to an older woman riding in an open phaeton. Her turban covered her hair completely, three bright peacock feathers sticking out at odd angles.

Gabriel met her startled look, and repressed a smile. “Very fashionable.”

“So it is important to make a positive impression?” Diana patted her horse as they finally left the crowd.

He shrugged a shoulder. “In a way.”

They rode forward, both swaying with the horses’ easy pace.

“Our sudden marriage must have raised some eyebrows.” She spoke matter-of-factly, but her stomach lurched at the thought that marrying her had harmed him in some way. Yards of green lawn lay stretched out around them, and she watched the few trees sway in the breeze.

Gabriel kicked his horse forward, grabbing her reins. “My first wife tarnished my reputation. This is my second marriage. You might say I’m tainted. Only my sizeable wealth prevented me from becoming an outcast. Only the most desperate of the young debutantes or jaded widows would have ever ventured near me. I meant it when I said you saved me from a life of solitude.”

Gabriel seemed strangely cheerful about his fate.

They rode for a few more minutes before Gabriel stopped and dismounted. She watched from her perch as he spread out a blanket and fetched the basket, setting everything up in his precise way. He was reaching for her hand when the hairs on the back of her neck rose.

The tattoos along her back awoke, heat searing along the intricate lines, as if someone was carving into her back with a knife. The air around her grew thick, the wind carrying something foul.

“Williams.”

She’d recognize the rotting stench of his soul anywhere.

“Where?” Gabriel didn’t move, the only indication of his alertness was the slow tightening of his hands on hers. He leaned over, kissing her knuckles lightly, and she shivered at the way he nearly succeeded in distracting her.

She shook her head. “I’m not sure.”

Somewhere in the park Williams was hunting her. She could not see him yet, but his sickening excitement made her stomach churn. She looked from one line of shrubs to the next, searching every tree, expecting him to jump out at any moment. “We have two choices: I can try to locate him using my gift, or we leave.”

Her mare pranced as some of Diana’s unease transferred to her, and Gabriel grabbed the reins. “I forbid it. We’d be playing into his hands. We’re too vulnerable in the open and unarmed. As much as I want to beat the bastard into a pulp, it would only work in his favor.”

Though Diana knew he was right, retreating felt like failure.

Gabriel released her reins and mounted his horse, leaving behind the precious gift of his picnic. He rode closer, his eyes searching the surroundings, his every move protective as he tried to use his body to block the threat.

“He wants me alive,” she argued. “You’re the only one in danger.”

Images of her dream came back to haunt her, and urgency began to claw up the back of her throat.

She had to find a way to create a distraction. “Gabriel.”

Something in her tone had him turning toward her.

“Be ready to move.”

His mouth tightened. She thought he would protest, but he reluctantly nodded.

She closed her eyes and allowed the magic in her blood to stir to life. The pain in her back became an inferno as she opened herself up to her gifts. Heat burned along her veins, her skin becoming sensitive to the air. Wind began to stir around them as the magic finally escaped her grip.

“Diana?” Gabriel grabbed her reins as she swayed in the saddle.

“Get ready.” The heat along her back slowed to a burn, and she opened her eyes. As if her words were a signal, the horses in the area began to stampede toward the gate. Men shouted as their animals disobeyed their commands. Afraid he might stay behind and foolishly try to save her, Diana grabbed the reins of Gabriel’s horse and kicked her mare forward to join the melee of churning animals. “We have to leave right now.”

Gabriel craned his neck, trying to catch a glimpse of Williams in the crowd, almost seeming to relish the subterfuge. At the entrance, she finally released the herd of horses, the throbbing pain in her head rising to a crescendo after holding so many animals under control. Diana dropped Gabriel’s reins, struggling to stay in the saddle. “Diana?”

She tried to lift her head to look at him, but it was just too much work. She heard swearing through the ringing in her ears, then she felt Gabriel’s arms gather her close. The reassuring beat of his heart next to her ear eased the pounding in her skull, and she took full advantage of the situation and snuggled into his arms.

To her disappointment, they arrived home much too soon. Her legs were shaking when she stood, and she struggled to stay upright, immediately missing Gabriel’s warmth. They left the horses with Conway at his urging and entered the house. “We need to talk.”

At his serous expression, her stomach pitched with dread.

G
abriel walked
into his study with Diana trailing behind him. He waited until she entered, then closed the door, not giving her a chance to escape.

He’d honestly believed Williams would leave them alone. That the man had pursued them to London knocked him off balance. He’d expected to have more time to put a plan in place, and worry began to worm its way into his mind.

He couldn’t lose her.

He’d underestimated Williams, assuming the pastor wouldn’t be so ruthless. He strode right up to Diana, cupped her chin and lifted her face up to his. “You will never put yourself in danger that way again.”

She pulled away and glared at him. “I don’t know what you mean.”

Gabriel repressed the growl working up his throat and clenched his fingers against the need to shake the stubborn chit. “You weren’t in any danger, yet you purposely used your gift. It weakened you and left you vulnerable. If we had been separated, Williams could have grabbed you and disappeared.”

“Please note that you were the one in danger, not I.” Diana crossed her arms, her face set in stubborn lines. “If I didn’t have to worry about you, I would still be out there hunting him down.”

“Excuse me?” His voice rumbled like distant thunder. Everything inside him went ice cold at the thought of her going after Williams on her own. He stalked toward her, and she had the presence of mind to back away until she smacked against the closed door. “I forbid it.”

Her brows rose, then her eyes narrowed and spit fire at him.

Gabriel cursed when his cock hardened at her challenge. “You gave your word not to go off alone. The only way we’re going to beat him is if we work together.”

Her lavender scent went straight to his head. He found himself watching her mouth, waiting for her to protest so he could silence her with a kiss.

A sharp knock on the door interrupted them. He closed his eyes and dropped his arms, allowing her to escape. He didn’t expect her to brush against his chest in the process. The feel of her firm breasts sent his cock throbbing.

He should be thankful for the interruption, but barely resisted the urge to rip off the intruder’s head instead. He pushed away from the door and yanked it opened. “What?”

Milles gave him a once-over and grinned at his misery, the bastard. “A Mr. Samuel is here to see you, sir.”

“Samuel?” All thoughts of ravishing his wife against the wall faded.

“Move aside, you fool.” The old man pushed Milles to the side until he stood in the doorway, his appearance as rumpled as ever. “I received your note and came as soon as…ah, you must be Lady Mendenhall. I am Samuel, a close friend of your husband.” He moved forward, his arm outstretched. “Are you the—”

“Samuel!” Gabriel shot upright, not wanting Diana to know that he’d been checking into her past. As both faces swung toward him, he flushed under their attention. “You’ve come a long way. Why don’t you let me show you to your room—”

“Nonsense, I’ve rested enough on that infernal train.” He scratched his white, whispery hair, but the slight tremble to his hand belied his words.

Gabriel strode forward, concern for his friend overriding everything else. “You must have left immediately after receiving my note. I didn’t expect you to travel all the way to London. Let me show you where you will be staying, so you can get settled.”

Gabriel paused at the door, turned and pointed to Diana. “You, stay put. We are not finished with this discussion.”

Diana stiffened at the command, Gabriel’s dangerous tone meant if she left, he would hunt her down and make her pay for it. She shivered at the thought, and promptly sat. The little man waved at her before shuffling away, and she found herself charmed by the twinkle in his eyes.

Diana’s brows furrowed at Gabriel’s bizarre behavior.

He was keeping something from her. She didn’t know how she knew, but she didn’t doubt her instincts. After spending so many years in the country, what did he have to hide?

Diana stomach cramped with a sudden realization…he had shared her situation with this stranger. Everything. Though she was beginning to trust Gabriel, the thought of someone else knowing the truth about heritage left her reeling. She and her people depended on secrecy to survive. Without her main defense, she would be vulnerable. What made it worse, she wasn’t the only one in danger. If she had any hope of protecting Gabriel, she would have to stop worrying about keeping her secret and just focus on keeping him alive.

Gabriel strode to his chair behind the desk. He sat, smoothed down his jacket, then looked at her. “Now, where were we?”

He hid behind his orderly life, everything in its proper place.

And though it stung, the truth was she didn’t fit into his life.

She was chaos and disorder.

Maybe it was time they both stopped pretending. “You told Samuel.”

She felt little joy when he blanched.

“No, we were talking—”

“Why did Samuel come here in such a rush?” He colored up, tugged at his collar, but stubbornly refused to speak. “Maybe he had some information for you?”

“About what?”

“Oh, I don’t know.” She tapped a finger to her chin, her eyes narrowing as she went in for the kill. “How about…me?”

Diana watched him try to work his way around her question. He shifted like a little boy caught in the act. Against her will, amusement trickled through her, and Diana decided to let him wallow in his guilt for a bit.

“We exchanged letters and discussed history and teachings.” He spoke in a rush, one word running into the next.

Diana raised a brow and waited.

“Before we married, before I knew the truth, I asked him about Druids.” He raked the fingers of both hands through his hair, leaving him looking disheveled and sexy.

Diana flinched at what the risks he’d unknowingly taken. “Do you trust him?”

“With my life.”

Diana nodded and swallowed hard. “That’s good. You probably did just that, along with mine as well.”

“I would never put you in danger. I needed information, and he basically lives as a hermit, trapped in his cottage. I knew you were in trouble, but I didn’t realize the seriousness of the situation.” His eyes were shadowed, and he suddenly looked haggard. “Not then.”

She no longer took any pleasure in his guilt. “I’m not too worried about myself, but you put others in danger as well. When Druids were trained at the school, we were assigned Watchers to protect us when we were sent out on jobs. Since the school has been destroyed, they have begun to hunt us instead. If they catch any whiff of our presence, they will do everything in their power to take us into custody.”

Gabriel flushed at the mild reprimand and stood, placing his hands on his desk. “I will do whatever I must to protect you, but you must stop keeping secrets from me. Why would these people be hunting you?”

Diana winced and turned to study the room, anything to avoid his deep blue, penetrating gaze. “The school was not free. We were trained to use our powers, and part of our schooling was to be sent out on assignments to test our abilities. It was strictly regulated…until after the school was destroyed. The people who hired us now want to own us.”

Gabriel slowly straightened. “The attack in the alley.”

Diana nodded and swallowed hard. “My family separated to keep safe, but none of us will ever be free while they continue to hunt us.”

“What do you know about the people who destroyed the school?”

“Not much. They have a powerful backer, but we had to leave in a rush, and couldn’t investigate who was behind the attack. They went to great lengths to force us out in the open. They have even killed people who have offered us help, yet they have never harmed us. Which means while they seek to control us, their main objective is to remain secret. As of yet, we have managed to elude them. My gifts are small compared to the others, but I can find things…if the hunters capture me, I can be used to find the others.”

Diana stopped, noticing Gabriel’s sickly complexion.

“What are you capable of?”

His questions struck her in the heart and some of the starch went out of her spine. “Nothing that poses a danger. My main focus is animals, but the visions are valuable as well…if they don’t drive me insane first.”

His eyes narrowed. “Explain.

Diana felt exposed as he forced her to share every intimate detail of her gift. Not even her friends were aware of everything she could do. Secrets had kept her alive. To have that barrier ripped away left her feeling cut adrift in an unfamiliar world, but she was determined to do whatever was necessary for him and Emilie to survive.

“I can’t tell a turn of a card, but if I concentrate, I can tell what cards the man has in his hand because he’s thinking about them. I can see if someone is considering committing murder. I can learn military plans days before they are written down or even spoken. But there is something…dirty about digging into people’s thoughts to discover their deepest, darkest secrets. If I go too deep, or if the person is truly evil, the process can be painful. Being trapped too long in someone else’s head will ultimately drive me insane. That’s why I refuse to see the visions when they come to me.”

Gabriel sat down, his jaw firm as he stared at her like a freak. “How many times have you done it?”

“I have no control over the visions, but I’ve only ever dug into someone’s head twice, and only to save another person’s life. Evil can twist and warp a person’s mind, and it’s not a pleasant place to visit.”

“Then why is Pastor Williams still following you if you can influence him and put a stop to everything?”

“If I can get close enough to Williams, I can dig inside his head and find where he hid the book, but that won’t stop him. I can’t force someone to do something that goes against their nature. He’s so committed to his plans that nothing I could do would influence him otherwise.”

“No one can blame you if you don’t want to see horrible visions of danger and violence if you can do nothing to change the future.”

The compassion nearly broke her composure. “I have some control over my visions. I can refuse to see them, but I suffer from headaches in retaliation. The visions want to be seen. If I deny them for too long, they can take over my dreams.”

Gabriel didn’t blink during the whole confession. “And your friends can do the same?”

“No. We each have our own distinct powers. Control is everything to us. Everything we did was strictly regimented and documented by our Watchers.” Diana waited for his reaction—any indication of doubt or fear—but saw no evidence of either. A glimmer of hope ignited in her chest when she realized he might not actually demand she leave.

Gabriel didn’t know how anyone could be expected to cope with what she considered a
gift
. A much stronger man would break under the strain, and his admiration for her intensified. She’d been on the run for months, physically exhausted under all the strain. He wanted to gather her in his arms and promise her that everything would be all right, but he didn’t know how to fight the people who were after her. He was totally out of his depth.

“I know it sounds like I should be committed, but the Watchers are real. The destruction of the school, the murder of dozens of people, is proof. You and Emilie are safe from them.” She offered it as the only reassurance she had.

“How am I to protect you from this new threat?” He didn’t know what to do with her, but he would be damned before he lost her to an unknown enemy.

“You can’t.”

“And if they catch you?” He narrowed his eyes, fearing he knew the answer. Her half smile told him he would not like it.

“Death before dishonor. I believe soldiers say that in battle. I will take as many of them out as I can. They’ll eventually wear me down, but that doesn’t mean they can force me to use my gifts.” Diana rose to her feet, then swayed, and he felt like an ass.

“Allow me to help you upstairs. You need to rest.”

She shook her head. “I will be fine, but I do believe I’ll take your advice and rest.”

Gabriel’s breath locked in his lungs when he thought about what she’d revealed, his fear for her a living, irrational thing. He couldn’t rid himself of the idea that if she was out of his sight, she would vanish from his life.

He watched her leave and wanted to run after her.

Then he gave into the mad impulse and followed her up the stairs, taking care to stay out of sight, silently vowing to rip apart the world to find her if anyone dared try to take her from him.

He resolutely strode down the hall toward Samuel’s room, determined to make sure she would never be faced with that choice. When he entered the old man’s room, he found Samuel seated in front of the fire, flipping through the pages of an old book.

“Samuel.” He clasped a hand on Samuel’s shoulder when he struggled to stand. “Don’t rise on my account. What made you come all this way? Your health—”

“Bah,” He waved his arm, holding the page open with his other hand. “My health will never be better. I wouldn’t miss this opportunity.”

Gabriel sat. “Opportunity?”

“Why, to meet your wife and learn about what we discussed.”

Samuel seemed so genuinely happy that Gabriel felt bad about the lie he was about to tell. He hunched forward and put his arms on his knees. “About that—”

“I can’t wait to talk to her.”

“I was mistaken.” Uncomfortable under his friend’s stare, he cleared his throat and glanced down at his hands.

The book shut with a thump, and Samuel pinned him with his too-intelligent gaze. “You’re trying to protect her.”

“No. I—” Gabriel stopped, unable to complete the lie. The more people involved, the more dangerous it was for all of them. “There are more important things that take priority over my wife’s past.”

“Of course.” Samuel nodded, making a humming sound of agreement. “Well, I am here, all the same, and I can’t wait to meet the woman who’s captured your attention. She must be very special.”

Gabriel leaned back, knowing he wouldn’t be able to wrest a promise to stop poking around from the wily old man. After twenty minutes of general chit-chat, Samuel wound down, and Gabriel rose to his feet. “Go to bed. I’ll see you in the morning.”