Gem of Gravane (The Northern Knights) (23 page)

His firm answer came out loud.
“Aye.”

Something was amiss. Danielle sat
straighter and moved away from him a little. “He escaped you, didn’t he?”

Aric’s face darkened. His wife was
not dumb. After all she had known that Thomas was robbing from Gravane. Had she
not changed the ledgers?

“He and a few of his men managed to
escape.” He had not actually lied. The man had gotten away for the time being.
“He will be found, Danielle. I will deal with Thomas.”

She stared at him. He knew she was
considering her words as she sat there, her legs crossed, hands twisting in her
lap now.

“That day in the study.  I did
not understand his rage.  Not that it took much to set him off where I was
concerned. But that time ‘twas different and I could not put my finger on
it.  He’d carried on about that mess he had left in there. ‘Twas naught
but junk and all of it was sent to his place.”  She shook her head,
waiting for him to respond. 

“Not all of it.”

She leaned forward, her hip pressed
against his hard thigh. “What is your meaning?”

“All of it was not junk, Danielle.
Some…Some of it rests in a safe place.”  ‘Twas all Aric was willing to
reveal to her now and he leaned up to press a kiss near her temple. 

She was not swayed by his attempt
at seduction and pulled back to look at him. “What for?  There was nothing
of import, just papers and the like.”

Her husband’s dark eyes bored into
hers as he said, “Proof of his crimes were in there, Danielle. 

Your cousin plots with the rebels
nearby and has assembled his own rogue group with some of the coin he stole
from you. Thomas and his friends are unhappy with their new king. His aim is an
uprising that I will squash before it sees the light of day. These are serious
crimes. He knows not his folly.”

Danielle’s eyes widened.  She
had known what Thomas had done with his thievery and such, but plotting to
usurp the king. That seemed too complex and dangerous of a deed, even for
Thomas.  He must have read her thoughts, for Aric released her hand and
lay back against the soft pillows.  “Enough. Come, sleep.”

“When you catch him, will you have
to take him before King William?”  Her anxious tone and his weariness
caused him to snap at her.

He looked away from her widening
eyes. He was angry. As overlord now, he had judicial power over his vassals and
peasants. “Would you have me bring such a trivial matter as this to
William?  Am I to show our king that the man he awarded such a vast
demesne to, as his loyal vassal, that I cannot handle such a fiefdom?  Am
I to make him think I am not ready to overlord in truth or am capable in
running such?  Nay, that is not an option, nor truth.”   His
hands were now fisted at his sides and his dark look impaled her. “Pray tell,
Danielle do not say you plan to beg mercy for your cousin again. ‘Tis too late.
Time to sleep.”

Danielle wanted to take her words
back when she saw the pained look in his eyes before he closed them, shutting
her out.   

He was worthy, intelligent and more
than his own man to do that and more. She felt ashamed that she caused him to
believe she doubted his ability. Balwain’s words in the garden came back to her
as she thought. To her, Aric was a righteous, noble and fierce man to be
reckoned with.  Yea, he was indeed honorable.

Had he not shown Thomas mercy at
her pleading that day? Had he not shown her the only kindness she’d ever known?
Had he not shown her his gentle side that caused her to love him so? 

Oh! 

Danielle looked at his dark face
and a smile split her lips. 

Yea, she loved the Norman warrior.

She did.

Emotion filled her to near bursting
but she tried to tamp it down. Her back stiffened and she vowed to make herself
control the new emotion. She would not say aught of it to him now. He was tired
and angry. She would wait. 

Wait until he showed her that he
too cared for her. He was fond of her, this she knew by his actions. But she
needed him to see her as more than his vessel for his desired heir. 

Aric was oblivious to his wife’s
emotions as he felt her body slide over his. He was angry now and he would not
open his eyes to her. He would sleep and deal with her in the morning. If only
it were that easy, he shifted as her hands slid up his torso and covered his
chest. He could feel her warm breath as she leaned over him, then the pressure
of her mouth as she pressed her lips to his. 

“Aric, I did not mean-“

“I know, Danielle. ‘Tis naught to
worry about. Come. Are you not tired?” He asked. His eyes still closed even as
he tried to ignore her tongue licking a hot path down his throat.

 “Nay.” Came her muffled
response against the side of his neck.

“Well I am bone weary. Now go to
sleep.”  He reached down and swatted her bottom but it still did not stop
her. She moved and sat astride him with both her legs on either side of his
hips.

“You do not lie well, Aric. This part
of you begs to differ.”  Her next movement, sliding her moist heat over
his hardness proved the lie he tried to conceal. 

Aric lost it and groaning, he
pulled her down onto him, impaling her in one smooth thrust before rolling her
over.

Danielle threw her head back, with
a moan escaping her parted lips. “I need to feel you. I need you tonight. Erase
the darkness, Aric. Oh!”

Aric shook above her. He knew what
she meant and he needed the same. Tonight he would make them both forget what
tomorrow would bring. He licked her lips and she cried out in pleasure.

“I need you too, Danielle.” She
trembled against him and scratched her nails down his back. Aric knew sleep
would be a long time in coming to both of them this night.

Chapter 24

Three more days
passed and no word or sign of Thomas’s whereabouts reached Aric.   He
walked with his hands fisted at his back, his mood dark as he wore the grass
down under his boots. Balwain and a few soldiers stood nearby watching him.
They had just cleared up camp a few miles away from Gravane. 

The areas of the hillside they had
covered in the past few days were absent of any sign of the rebels. All of
England was united for the most part, but the few bands that yet remained were
still bothersome. The one he searched for was like a vile burr in his side and
a threat to his wife.  And that, Aric could not withstand. 

He was growing more furious and his
patience waning as Thomas had not shown himself as he would have thought. He
had gleaned naught from the prisoners he had secured. What they knew gained him
no new information. Nay, Thomas was hidden deep and no doubt being held back by
the rebels to stop him from doing something rash.

That would not last long. 

 A knowing smile curled
up the corner of Aric’s mouth at the thought. Thomas was past that and he would
show himself soon enough. Until then, Aric’s goal was to assure no harm
came to Danielle or their people. Gravane was impenetrable.

In the aftermath of what had
happened at Thomas’s home, he had given in to Danielle’s request to have Rose
interred in the family burial ground, yet he did not let her see her cousin’s
body.   He’d stood by her side and studied her. She had cried and he
was not sure if it had been from Rose’s death or from the torment the woman had
reaped upon her over the years. Aric deduced it was a little of both. 

She was not allowed to venture out
to the village, not until Thomas was found. She did not like it, but said
naught and busied herself with overseeing the daily chores of the manor and her
gardening.  

Little Jacob had been brought to
the manor twice for her to check on the little boy’s wound.  Watching her
with the little boy had stirred a longing in Aric’s heart. Visions of her one
day holding their own babe had flooded him. A frown creased his brow. She had
not yet gotten with child and a feeling he could not name burned inside his
chest.  What if she were barren? 

Nay, she could not be. 

Those lush hips were made to bear
children.  He would think no different.  Though they had been
intimate numerous times, Aric smiled with that, mayhap more time would be
needed for his seed to take.

Smiling, he knew he would take
great pleasure with seeing that happen. Her passion matched his.  Her
reserved nature was all but next to gone and Aric felt warmth flood his face.
Aye indeed he was very pleased.

“The men are ready, milord.” 
Balwain’s words at his back cut through his musings and turning, Aric cast a
sidelong glance in his friend’s direction.   

“Good.  And tonight?” He
asked. 

“All is in order.”  Came
Balwain’s quick reply and Aric nodded. They may as well return to the manor,
dusk was beginning to settle and he was itching to see his wife.

 Danielle fussed for a moment
over the fresh flowers and vase she arranged for the umpteenth time that she’d
placed on the desk in the study.  Aric had finally started to use the room
just days ago and she was thrilled.  He had looked magnificent and large
sitting behind the desk.  The room looked good, but she had found it
lacking something and that something was fresh color from her gardens. 

Ah, just right.

The bouquet of flowers fit
perfectly on the edge of his desk. He might not wish them there, but he would leave
them. Danielle smiled.  She knew it for he’d not want to hurt her
feelings.

Yea, she knew him well.

She stood back and planted her
hands on her hips as her gaze swept over the room once more. 

She made a tsking sound when she
noticed the small door to the cubby near the floor stood ajar.  She moved
to it, ready to close it when a slip of color caught her eye. Opening the small
wooden door further she frowned at what she was seeing.

The cubby was filled to nigh
bursting with roll after roll of fine linens and wool in royal blue, burgundy,
green, yellow and more. Danielle did not know that she held her breath until
she felt the fine silk of the burgundy under her fingers and her chest
burned. 

“Ah, I see you have found your gift
early, Danielle.” 

Aric’s soft voice beside her did
not make her jump. She was getting used to his wraith like approach. She stood
and gazed up at him. She heard his sharp intake of breath as he reached out and
wiped a tear from her cheek. 

“Danielle” he said thickly.

“For me?” She choked out overcome by his
precious gift. 

“Aye. From the finest dress shops
in London.” His heart ached at her saddened look. “My aim was to see you happy.
Not to cause you more sadness, Danielle.” 

She reached up and kissed his lips,
saying against them, “I am happy, Aric.  Very happy.”

Aric leaned back, an unsure look
upon his face. “Do you cry always when you are happy?”

She laughed a little and slid her
arms around his waist. “Nay.  But your gift pleases me, a great deal.
Thank you.”

“You deserve no less.” He kissed
her tears away and held her tight all the while silently damning Thomas for yet
another neglect he’d stolen from her. 

She stripped off his boots and
stood to remove his pants. Aric let her as he was too distracted, his thoughts
on what he had to do later in the night. He would wait until she slept then
he’d be outdoors to meet with Balwain. They were in their chamber; a few
candles illuminated the room.    Her soft hands at his waist
drew him back to her. 

His sweet Danielle.

He looked down at her now as she
reached for the hem of his tunic to help him remove it. She’d been so bold of
late in and out of the bedroom. Her mood changed more than the weather in the
past few weeks. 

The woman had a strong backbone and
Aric had come to the realization that she’d not really been that vulnerable
after all.  Except when it came to her self-worth. She had indeed come a
long way out of that shell she’d lived in.

They’d shared much over the past
few nights in learning about one another.

What a beauty she was. 

Even now with that luscious brown
hair in a single braid to the side over one shoulder. Dressed in a robe, which
gaped into a v to show a glimpse of her hidden treasures and the swell of those
globes caused his mouth to water and fire to stir in his loins. 

Would it always be like this? he
wondered. 

Aye, he smiled at her when those
grey-blue eyes met his. It would. Her eyes reflected what shone in his own.

Her lips parted and she laid his
tunic on the back of nearby the chair. 

Tilting her head to the side,
Danielle reached out to caress his cheek. His soft whiskers tickled her palm
and she found herself giggling. “I was rather busy today. But did not tax
myself to the point that I’ve no time left for you, Aric.” She slid her hand
down over his chest. ‘Twas all it took. He picked her up and carried her over
to the bed. 

“Well, I did tax myself a bit. So I
may have to take my time this eve.”

Danielle smiled as she let him
remove her clothes. She caught the playful gleam in his dark eyes.  She
grasped his hands and pushed him onto his back.  “Then ‘tis best you lay
here and rest whilst I see what I can do about making it less strenuous for
you.” 

Aric enjoyed this playful side of
her. Her eyes were ripe with her desire as she pressed him back on the bed, her
hand in the center of his bare chest. He would let her have her way for a bit
before he took the lead. 

He wanted to take back what he
thought moments later, after Danielle had kissed them both senseless. Her
kisses rained over his neck, chest, and stomach and now, he would not be able
to bear it, her hands rested on either side of his hips. Her soft braid was
caressing his thigh. ‘Twas too much. 

Aric looked down. He could not tear
his gaze from hers as she looked up at him. Her ruby lips swollen from their
deep kisses. His tone was gruff. “Danielle.”