Helen Dickson (23 page)

He released her chin as if he could no longer bear to touch her. Laura recoiled in shock from the scorching fury she saw in his eyes. ‘No more will you do Carlyle’s bidding. You are my wife, and no one—no one—touches or interferes with anything that belongs to me. If you ever do anything like that again I swear I won’t be responsible for the consequences.’

‘I won’t,’ she responded brokenly, her eyes dark with pain and disillusionment.

‘When Carlyle has been apprehended and punished for his crimes, I never wish to set eyes on that man again,’ he said, his voice as hard and smooth as polished steel. ‘I never wish to think of him again, unless it be with loathing and disgust. Now you must excuse me. I have work to do.’

With a cold nod he turned on his heel and left.

Laura was left alone with her unpleasant thoughts, and for the first time ever she doubted her own worth. She felt as if she had been physically beaten, and her mind was too dazed to absorb the shock, too numb to feel the full enormity of pain she had brought on herself. It was as if a thick padding was around her, which, as it subsided, would give way to the real suffering. She was unable to think what Lucas would do, she could feel nothing.

After a while, although her heart was breaking, she resisted the urge to stay hidden in her room and decided to follow Lucas’s example and keep busy. It was the only way she could thrust from her mind what she had done, and endure the waiting for him to come home.

For the rest of the day Lucas worked most of his anger off at Stennack. It was dark when he returned to the house.
The ancient building was quiet, the hall empty. He was feeling calmer now, despite the earlier catastrophic events, but he was still reluctant to come face to face with Laura until he had come to grips fully with her betrayal, otherwise his temper would get the better of him. Wearily he tossed his cloak into a chair and poured himself a large brandy, jerking his head round when someone approached. As he thought it was Laura, his expression hardened.

A shiver of fear tingled up Caroline’s spine and she paused, for this was a Lucas Mawgan she hadn’t seen before. He was, as always, implacably calm, but there was a cold ruthlessness underlying his expression. Her instinct told her he had been expecting Laura, and she wondered what had gone wrong between the two of them. Clearly it was something of a serious nature, because Laura had seemed unhappy, and had not been her usual cheerful self all day.

Lucas’s expression visibly relaxed when he saw it was Caroline. Carrying his drink to the hearth, he smiled and gestured that she join him, indicating a place on the high-backed settle. She did so, but did not sit down.

‘It’s a little late for you, isn’t it, Caroline? You’re usually abed before now.’

‘I couldn’t sleep—unlike Louis. He’s been uneasy all day—running myself and poor Mrs Treneer ragged. I can’t tell you how relieved I am that he’s fallen to sleep at last. It isn’t like him to be difficult. He’s a good, contented, docile child most of the time.’

Lucas glanced down at her with the trace of a smile. ‘It seems young Louis is becoming like the rest of us. We all have our off days.’

Caroline had had a thoroughly miserable day, not only because Louis had cried incessantly, but also because Laura had been out of sorts. She cast a look at her companion, sensing it had something to do with him. The firelight cast shadows over his handsome face, making his expression
stern. ‘What you say is true. And I suspect today is one of yours. You look tired, Lucas. How are you progressing at Stennack with the installation of the new engine?’

‘Well enough. It won’t be long before the mine’s productive again, thank God.’ Taking a much-needed gulp of brandy, he gazed down at Caroline’s head, which was bent towards the fire. ‘And what of you, Caroline? Are you bored with being cooped up in the house all the time?’

‘A little,’ she confessed quietly, biting her lip with apprehension. ‘What’s going to become of us, Lucas? Louis and I can’t stay here forever.’

It was a cry of despair and Lucas was sorry for the hurt she was suffering. ‘You won’t have to. But take comfort from the fact that at least you’re safe here for the time being.’

Caroline grimaced. ‘Safe but restrained like a prisoner.’ She sighed. ‘I’m sorry, Lucas. I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, and I’m not complaining. Both you and Laura have been extremely kind and considerate to my needs.’

‘Naturally I want you to be fine and happy—but for the present you must remain here. You know what the situation is, and you must put Louis first.’

‘I know you’re right,’ she uttered on a sigh. ‘But there are times when I don’t care about Anton’s cousin, and the more I think about it the more convinced I become that he wouldn’t dare harm Louis.’

Lucas raised a sceptical brow. ‘That kind of irresponsible reply proves my point. You must understand that Jean de Mournier has little love for those who belong to the old regime—regardless of their age.’

‘Maybe so. But it’s a pity his dislike does not extend to the trappings of that same regime,’ Caroline answered bitterly.

‘I couldn’t agree more. But you can’t allow yourself to become complaisant, Caroline. It’s far too dangerous. Besides, where can you go? You can’t go to Daisy—the two
of you alone in that great house in Piccadilly without your mother’s protection? You’d be easy prey to a man as devious and ruthless as Jean de Mournier.’

‘You’re right,’ she conceded regretfully. ‘I’m sorry, Lucas. What a misery you must think I am. I’m just feeling a bit sorry for myself, that’s all. But you know me,’ she said with a tremulous smile. ‘I can’t change the habits of a lifetime, and it’s not in my nature to bury myself in the country indefinitely.’

Lucas returned her smile knowingly. ‘I do. But you will have to. Try and be patient a little longer.’ As he drained his glass of the amber liquid before placing it on the mantelpiece his expression became serious once more. ‘Caroline, Laura told me about your encounter with Edward Carlyle, and that he recognised you.’

She looked somewhat surprised. ‘Oh? She told you after all?’

‘Yes, and I’m angry she ventured so far from the house when I asked her not to. She should not have exposed you like that.’

‘Oh, I hope you weren’t too angry with her,’ Caroline said, filled with sorrow that Laura had been made to suffer for something that was not her fault. ‘Laura wasn’t to blame for going to Roslyn that day. She told me how dangerous it was and tried making me turn back, but it was such a lovely day and I’d been in the house so long I was enjoying being outside. I insisted on going.’

Lucas glanced at Caroline, whose pale face was reflecting her remorse. ‘I see, but she should have tried harder to dissuade you,’ Lucas said, in no mood for letting Laura off lightly. ‘I know you’re worried Carlyle will inform Anton’s cousin of your whereabouts—and to be honest I will be surprised if he doesn’t. Nevertheless, whatever danger he poses be assured that you are not alone. He will not come near you while you are in this house under my protection. What, exactly, did Carlyle say to you?’

Caroline gave him a brief account of all that had transpired, telling him that Edward’s manner had been quite charming, but that his words had possessed an underlying menace that made her fear him. As she spoke a pair of cool grey eyes held hers captive, measuring her response, judging it for the truth.

‘When we left him I could see that Laura was deeply concerned, and the reason she didn’t tell you was because you were in a weak condition and she was worried about the effect our encounter with him would have on you.’

Naked pain slashed across Lucas’s handsome features. He turned from her and kicked a log with the toe of his boot into the dying embers of the fire, bringing it sparking back to life. ‘My wife is extremely good at hiding her feelings,’ he said harshly.

Silenced by the bitterness she heard in his tone, Caroline stared at his chiselled profile. Clearly Laura had trampled his pride quite badly over this. There was a time when she had thought Lucas Mawgan—tall, broad-shouldered and darkly handsome, was the stuff dreams were made of. But he had made it plain that, although he found her charming and witty and fun to be with, he was not remotely interested in her as a wife. Not one to brood on what might have been, she had soon put him from her mind and looked elsewhere—to Anton. She now regarded Lucas as a very dear and close friend.

‘Clearly you are angry because Laura kept our encounter with Edward Carlyle from you,’ she said, having no knowledge of the previous night’s shocking events and Laura’s part in them. ‘But be fair to her and try and look at it from her perspective.

‘When I first came here I sensed that she was angry and resentful of my presence, and in truth I cannot say that I blame her. But she has proved herself a true friend. I, perhaps more than anyone else, recall the circumstances of your marriage. In fact, over these past weeks as I’ve got to
know her better I’ve thought I did you both a favour by not being in the coach that night two years ago. I also realise that Laura was more of a victim than you were.’

Lucas’s mouth thinned to an angry line and his temper ignited. ‘God’s wounds, Caroline, don’t lecture me!’ he ground out, raking his fingers through his unruly hair. ‘You don’t change—seeing romance in every chance encounter!’

She smiled sweetly, quite unperturbed by his angry outburst. ‘’Tis better that than being a sour old cynic.’

‘I’m not,’ he responded, offended that she might think so. ‘Next you will be telling me I’m a selfish, tyrannical husband.’

Caroline’s expression became serious as she gazed up at him. ‘No, I wouldn’t, because I know you’re not like that. But whatever has gone wrong between you and Laura, treat her kindly, Lucas. You may find that you did not get such a hollow bargain.’

Lucas jerked his head round and for an instant his eyes sparked with anger and the sardonic lines deepened about his mouth. Then his expression altered and he smiled wryly, speaking in softer tones. ‘I do know that.’

‘I’m glad. Laura adores you. Anyone can see that.’ When he gave her a hard, contemplative stare, she laughed. ‘Oh, my! Surely even you can’t be so blind. Now go to her and make up your quarrel. They always do say the best part about falling out is making up.’

Without waiting for him to reply, on a smile she reached up and lightly kissed his cheek and left him standing there.

Lucas watched her go, thinking of what she had said. Laura adored him, and yet she had deceived him. If it hadn’t been Edward Carlyle whom she had made a bargain with it would be easier to bear. But deep down, in her loneliness and despair, he knew why she had acted as she had, and what she had done had taken courage—the kind of courage he admired.

At this very moment she was upstairs waiting for him.
Was she still weeping? Was she terrified? No—dear God, never that. Never let her fear him, ever. What fury there was left inside him died abruptly, and he shrank from the thought of upsetting her further when next they met. No matter what she had done, he could not face living without her now.

Last night had been glorious, one of the most wonderful nights of his life. Laura might have planned it with all the deviousness of a born schemer, but before last night she had been sexually innocent. That he was sure of. No woman could have feigned her responses when his ravenous body had joined with hers, when he had lavished her senses with every exquisite pleasure a man could give a woman, making her moan with delight and cry with rapture, bringing her time and again to shuddering ecstasy.

He had never wanted any of the beautiful and sophisticated women in his dim and distant past the way he wanted Laura. What was it about her that made her different? he mused. Was it her smile? Her innocence? Her youth? Her beauty? Her courage and sincerity? Was it her touch that made his heart beat like that of a callow youth in the first flush of love?

Love? Losing himself in the dancing flames licking the chimney breast, he contemplated the word deeply. Before he had been released from his incarceration he had once asked himself if he could find love, if a man who had lived the life he had could find it. Certain that his head would be separated from his body at any time, he had known that this was what his heart desired more than anything else on God’s earth.

Laura’s image had floated before him then just as it did now—Laura moving towards him with that graceful walk of hers, and the breeze teasing her glorious hair that day she had come looking for him at Stennack—Laura looking at him, her deep blue eyes sparkling with humour or dark with concern when he had been injured. She had asked him
if he had any pity in his heart. Pity? He carefully contemplated that word too, quickly reaching the conclusion that what he felt for his wife certainly wasn’t pity. It was much more than that, more than compassion. It was a deep and abiding feeling that moved and reached out to her. It was pain, fire, passion—strong and full-blown and complete. She affected him deeply. But was that love?

A
lone in her room and preparing for bed, dressed in her shift, Laura watched Lucas come in. Closing the door, he paused. The room was in shadow, but there was the mellow glow of candlelight shining from candlesticks and sconces around the walls. His granite features were an impenetrable mask as slowly he moved towards her, staring at her, his stark grey eyes piercing through her as though he wasn’t really seeing her at all. He stopped several yards from her.

Through the ache in her throat, she whispered, ‘You—you came back.’ She stared searchingly at him, not quite certain of his mood, for she had seen them change with startling rapidity, but he couldn’t possibly be angrier than he was earlier. His face was so bitter that her chest was filled with remorse. She gazed at the dark, austere beauty of him, the power and virility stamped in every line of his long, lean body, and her pulse raced with a mixture of excitement and trepidation.

‘Did you think I wouldn’t?’ he asked, fighting the urge to murder her and simultaneously wrap her in his arms and laugh at her incredibly ingenious treachery.

She swallowed hard, moving towards him, her knees shaking hard with each step. ‘In truth I—I didn’t know what to think,’ she stammered nervously. Now nothing less
than his impassioned embrace would lighten her misery. ‘Lucas—I deeply regret what I have done, and I beg you to forgive me.’

‘Oh, is that right?’ he said in a low voice. ‘I would much rather you show me how much you regret your actions—and convince me that you have learned your lesson.’

‘If, by that, you mean I must learn to obey you,’ she said, almost choking on the word, ‘then yes—I will.’

‘I’m glad to hear it,’ he mocked moving closer, his eyes doing a leisurely sweep of the clinging shift she wore. It was scooped very low in front and exposed a generous amount of cleavage, and he was annoyed with himself when he found himself wondering if she had deliberately chosen to wear it with the specific intention of tantalising him and hopefully weakening his resistance.

‘It—it’s been torture for me,’ she whispered, her eyes darkening with panic the closer he came, wanting so much to make him listen and to understand what was in her heart.

‘I know,’ he replied, pausing momentarily. She stood very straight in front of him, the candlelight caressing the soft flesh of her shoulders, and the swell of her breasts cupped in her shift of white lace. Her face was pale beneath the heavy mass of midnight-black hair tumbling down her spine, her long-lashed dark blue eyes bright with bravely held tears. He had only to reach out and snatch her into his arms and wipe away her pain, but for the present, interested to hear what else she had to say, he restrained from yielding to that particular desire.

‘You…see, despite what I did, I—I did want you, Lucas. I have always wanted you. I suppose I could tell you that what I did was an unemotional act, but that wouldn’t be true. It wouldn’t stop me from wanting you to hold me, nor would it stop me wanting to put my arms around you, or keep my mouth aching to kiss yours—to hold you all night, to have your children and live out my life by your side.’

‘For you to bear my children is a blessing I can imagine at this moment,’ he murmured.

‘An imagining that will one day become a reality, Lucas,’ she whispered achingly.

When he began to close the distance between them she held out her hand to fend him off, feeling tears burning the backs of her eyes and beginning to well under her eyelids. ‘No—let me finish. It was true when you said I came to you with an eager body, but it wasn’t true what you said about my heart being empty, or that my love was on loan for that one night. It wasn’t. It was yours to keep, and my heart was full, Lucas—full to overflowing. It still is. It is full of the love I feel for you. Yes,’ she whispered when she saw the startled look in his eyes. ‘I love you.’

‘Laura! For the love of God,’ he rasped, his hands reaching out and gripping her shoulders, pulling her against him with enough force to snap her head back. He was close enough to see the expression in those glorious dark blue eyes, and what he saw was a love so intense that he was humbled by it. His grey eyes widened. ‘You love me?’ he repeated with genuine surprise.

Her eyes were too full of tears to see the blank astonishment on his face. ‘Yes,’ she whispered, ‘I do. And I’m not just saying that in the hope that you will forgive me.’ Blinking through her tears, she saw, with dawning hope, the little spark that flared in his eyes.

He lifted his hand and stroked her bright hair. ‘Bless you,’ he murmured. ‘But I’m not an easy man to love or to live with, Laura. I’ve been shut away too long. I should be asking you to forgive me all my harsh words and vile temper earlier. I should not have been so ready to condemn you. Forgive me. I’m a brute, I know, but I cannot bear the thought of that man coming near you—let alone threatening you. I said some cruel things and it was quite wrong of me.’

‘No,’ she protested passionately. ‘You were right to condemn me. I betrayed your trust most despicably.’

‘You weren’t to blame. Caroline told me it was on her insistence that you went to Roslyn that day and encountered Carlyle. I understand why you agreed to do as he asked—even though I wish you hadn’t. You’re an innocent victim in all this. You did it to protect Caroline and Louis, which was a truly noble act. But where I am concerned I must ask you to be patient with me. You must give me that chance.’

With joy and relief bursting like fireworks in her heart until it was almost past bearing, Laura let her tears flow unashamedly. Turning her head, she placed her lips against the palm of his hand in the gentlest of kisses. ‘I shall allow you as many chances as you want. I want to make you want me, too.’

‘You little fool,’ he said huskily, tenderness tightening his throat at her bold declaration. Gently he touched her cheek, letting her tears trail down his long fingers. ‘Of course I want you. You already know that. It doesn’t take much to get to me.’

‘Do you forgive me?’ she asked simply.

‘Between a husband and wife there should be no need to ask forgiveness.’

‘Nevertheless, I do.’

For a long moment Lucas’s gaze held hers with penetrating intensity. The clear depths were as enigmatic as they were silently challenging, and unexpectedly Laura felt an answering
frisson
of excitement. The darkening in his eyes warned her of that brief response.

‘You must know that I still want you in my bed,’ he murmured, drawing her closer to him.

Laura slid her hands up his hard chest, around his neck, and welcomed his mouth on hers, tasting its sweetness—a blend of brandy and tobacco. She arched against his rigid thighs, and Lucas shuddered with pleasure, his arms pulling her tighter still, his mouth opening ravenously over hers,
sending her spiralling off into a world where nothing existed but the fiery demands of his mouth and body.

After what seemed like an eternity, taking his mouth from hers, he gazed down into her glorious, sultry eyes. ‘Come to bed. Let us set the seal of our reconciliation. We must wipe out all of this in the best way we know how.’

Just the deep timbre of his deep, quiet voice stirred Laura. He led her to the bed, drawing her down and pushing her back so that she felt the soft covers beneath her. Lucas trailed his skilled fingers down the soft column of her neck. Laura quivered, feeling the tell-tale prickling in her stomach and inner thighs as her husband continued his rhythmic stroking, moving the straps of her shift aside and sliding his hands inside her low bodice, his warm fingers cupping the orbs of her perfect breasts.

Leaning over, he opened his mouth hungrily on hers, his lips hard and devouring. She made a faint, inarticulate sound in her throat as her consciousness was gradually eclipsed by the violent yearnings surging through her. Closing her eyes, she became lost, drowning and dissolving as darkness swirled all around her. He drew her tight against him so that the whole length of their bodies melted together and she could feel the hard muscles of his thighs pressed against her. Suddenly he raised his head and looked down at her, his face hard, his eyes intense.

‘Look at me,’ he breathed when she lowered her eyes. Touching her chin, he turned her face up to his. ‘I hurt you, Laura, and you hurt me, too. In our pain we struck out at each other and now it is time to heal the hurts. We will begin again from the beginning, only this time we will work together. We know who we are and who we are up against.’

Becoming languid with pleasure, in bewilderment Laura tipped back her head and gazed up at him. Poised over her, Lucas’s face was mysterious in the shadows, and a single lock of hair fell over his brow. An unreadable expression crossed his handsome face, and she felt an unexpected lurch
of dread. ‘Lucas, I don’t understand. What are you saying? I have told you that I will do anything to atone for what I did.’

‘Then you can start by promising me that when Carlyle tells you of the next important development to his plans, you will inform me so that I can act accordingly. You told me there is to be one more landing in the cove. I know he is becoming wary of the excise men, so I expect it will be soon. The next time he attempts to include you in his scheme of things, my love, he will find there is little reward in taking that path.’ Leaning over her, he watched her, waiting for her to comment, and when she didn’t, he said, ‘It would mean a great deal to me and our future together if you are with me on this, Laura.’

A cold feeling running the length of her supple spine, Laura studied the features above her own and shuddered. ‘I am, Lucas. But do we have to discuss this now? Please don’t spoil the moment,’ she whispered, moving her body into the curve of his again, not wanting to mar the beauty of their reconciliation with talk of Edward.

Lucas’s eyes fastened on her lips, his face becoming hard and dark with passion. ‘You’re right,’ he told her, gazing into her eyes, having no wish to end this idyll. ‘Now is not the time.’

Slowly he bent his head, claiming her mouth in another endless, drugging kiss, making Laura ache with yearning, and she began to feel all the exquisite things he had made her feel the night before as he guided her along the sweet paths he knew so well, teaching her things she could never have imagined, finding herself clinging to him as her whole world was shaken in the wonder of it all, leaving her spent and with the knowledge that her heart belonged to no one but Lucas Mawgan.

It was early in the morning one week later when word came to Laura at the manor that the second landing was
expected two nights hence, which would be between the midnight on Friday and the early hours of Saturday morning. The message was delivered by the same man who had delivered the first—no doubt he had seen Lucas leave for Stennack and deemed it safe to approach the manor.

When Lucas returned in the middle of the afternoon, as soon as he came through the door Laura gave him the note. After glancing at it he became thoughtful. There was a faraway look in his eyes, which Laura was quickly becoming familiar with. An idea was already forming at the back of his mind. She posed her question tentatively.

‘Where is your mind drifting now, Lucas?’

‘Lostwithiel.’

‘Lostwithiel?’ she repeated, quite bewildered, wondering why on earth he should be thinking of that attractive little town on the banks of the River Fowey at a time like this.

He nodded, his mind busy with the days ahead, deciding how best to proceed. A hard, calculating gleam had appeared in his narrowed eyes and a thin smile curved his firm lips. There was a disquieting coolness to his voice when he finally spoke.

‘Let it be known that we are to accept Sir George and Lady Mellin’s invitation to be their house guests at Rudland House this weekend after all. We shall leave for Lostwithiel on Friday afternoon.’

Laura frowned, recalling the invitation that had arrived shortly after Lucas was shot, an invitation she had declined. Keen to get some hunting and fishing in before they left for London, where they always spent the winter months, the Mellins had invited a large party of friends to Rudland House for a long weekend. ‘But—we declined the invitation.’

‘I’ve changed my mind—at least, that is how it will appear to Carlyle. No doubt he will post a lookout to ensure we leave.’

‘I don’t understand. If you’re not here, how can Edward be apprehended?’

‘Oh, I’ll be here. To lull everyone’s suspicions we will be seen to leave, but no one will see us return under cover of darkness—with plenty of time to round up Carlyle and his cohorts. I’ll ride over to Elmtree House to inform Walter of the situation right away. The first thing is to alert the coastguard and the excise men. We must have everything ready. The least slip could prove disastrous. Carlyle mustn’t find out I’ve got wind of the cargo. We must remember what a ruthless bunch we are dealing with.’

‘Will you raise the militia?’ Laura enquired.

Lucas shook his head. ‘You may well wonder why I don’t, but there is a danger of those men who make up the local militia being in league with the smugglers—who knows, they may even be smugglers themselves?—and it is unlikely they will attack those like themselves. I admit we’ll need plenty of back-up, but it would be too much of a risk to involve the militia. There’s a regiment of dragoons under the command of a Captain Dalby encamped near Lanreath—although I believe they are to depart for Plymouth in the next day or so. I’ll ask Walter to go and see the captain and try to delay their leaving.’

‘And if they don’t?’

‘Perhaps a few barrels of ale and a keg of French brandy will persuade them,’ Lucas answered with a grin. ‘If Carlyle thinks I’m away until Monday, hopefully he’ll be off his guard and careless.’

‘I hope you are right, Lucas,’ Laura said in a troubled voice, ‘but one thing I would not accuse Edward of being is careless.’

‘After this he will be ruined. When he is captured we will have enough evidence to hang him.’

‘I could almost feel pity for Edward in having an adversary like you. He doesn’t know what he’s taken on.’

Laura was certain Lucas would succeed. All her trust was
in him, in his ingenuity and profound knowledge of people and the world to devise a plan to capture Edward and put an end to his activities. She sensed the restlessness of his spirit, and understood it. Because of his imprisonment his enquiring mind had been starved of stimulation too long.