Surrender to a Wicked Spy (35 page)

Once there, she stood shakily, then reached behind her to undo her gown. It wrenched her sore ribs horribly and her hands were clumsy, but she got enough undone to rip the gown over her head. She let it flutter to the river below.

Then she jumped.

Under the water, Dane's battle against the elusive Chimera wasn't going as well as he'd hoped. He didn't only want to stop the bastard from drowning him; he wanted to catch the Chimera. Failing that, Dane would truly like to kill him.

Alas, Dane's superior size and strength were not doing well by him in the churning water. The smaller man was faster and Dane's strength did little in this world where he could gain no purchase.

After a few moments, he was stunned to find that he was fighting for his life. The fight was also moving too close to the mill wheel.

At last, he had his hands wrapped about the bastard's throat. Dane's own sight began to dim suddenly. He needed air immediately, but not until he'd rid the world of the bloody damned ubiquitous Chimera.

Struggling against his own lungs' demands, Dane pressed the Chimera back, back—

Dane felt an enormous tug against his grip and immediately let the man go. Go to his death beneath the broken, howling waterwheel.

Dane struggled for the surface, toward air and life and Olivia. Then the wheel snagged his trousers and pulled him under and away.

Olivia dragged Walter up the gravelly embankment downstream of the mill. "Walter," she gasped. "Breathe, Walter!"

"Yes, Mummy," he groaned. He rolled onto his side and spit up water in a heaving retch. Then he rolled onto his back. "Is the Dane all right?"

Olivia was watching the water. "I don't see him." Her fear was quiet and complete.

"Well, go get him," Walter said, waving his arm. "You can do it, Livvie. You're the most amazing woman I know."

Olivia pushed him back down. "Stay here. If you see that nasty little man—"

Walter nodded. "I'll play dead. It's what I do best these days."

Olivia left him to run upstream. Without giving it a thought, she took a deep breath and dived beneath the millwheel.

The water was murky and cloudy with disturbed earth. She cautiously grabbed the side of the wheel and let it carry her deeper. There was a trick to riding the wheel. If she could avoid getting caught in the graveyard of dead limbs and rubble that had been swept and entangled beneath the wheel over the decades, the wheel would carry her right out again. It was something she and Walter had learned when they were too naive to realize their danger.

There wasn't enough light coming from the dusky sky above. She wasn't going to be able to find Dane—

She saw his white shirt ballooning below her in the water. He was caught, tangled in the black grasping branches of a sunken limb.

She left him there and let go of the wheel to rise back up to the surface. It hurt her to leave him, but she needed more air if she was going to free him.

Her head broke the surface. She gave Walter a reassuring wave, then filled her lungs deeply again and again. It made the air last longer; she wasn't sure why.

Then she dived, straight down, following her memory and her heart. She saw Dane's shirt again in the bluing light and swam strongly toward him. She felt the pull of the wheel's turning, but she didn't care how close she had to go. Dane was almost within reach.

His long hair floated around his head, wrapping silky strands about her fingers when she reached for him. She followed his body down, sliding her hands over him, searching for where he was caught.

He burst into wild struggles, roused by her touch. His eyes were wide with alarm as he tried to push her back toward the surface.

She fought his hands away and caught his face between her palms. She glared at him through the murky water and their twining, floating hair.

He blinked, then raised both his hands.
I surrender
.

Bringing her mouth down to his, she pressed her lips tightly to his—and breathed half her air into his mouth. Then he took her shoulders in his hands and pushed her away.

She hovered, keeping her position with her arms and legs, until she saw him free his snagged trousers. Then she shot upward to the sapphire-tinted surface to await him there.

He was right behind her, rising from the deep like a rather soggy Viking god. She let herself drift downstream as she panted for breath, smiling as he shook his head like a dog, flinging back the wet hair over his eyes.

He took her into his arms, right there in the middle of the millstream, and kissed her deeply. When he released her she frowned at him.

"There's a great deal I need to tell you," she began. "It was that Chimera fellow all along. I never knew—"

He pulled her close and kissed her again. Olivia was barely aware when they floated right past Walter where he lay on the bank. Dane began to steer them both toward the bank. "You're cold. I can tell by your lips."

"But I must tell you—"

He towed her with him. "No, you mustn't. I don't believe you had a thing to do with anything."

She let him pull her, surprise nearly overwhelming the delight. "You don't? Why not?"

He stood in water that was still too deep for her. Careful of her sore ribs, he lifted her and walked toward the bank. "I knew you could save me," he said. "Just like I know that you love me and that you would never, ever betray me."

"How can you know that?" she asked, not quite believing his change of heart. "How can anyone truly know that?"

Dane simply grinned at her as he carried her easily from the river.

"There's this little thing called 'faith.' "

«
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Olivia and Dane cuddled before the fire in the now nearly deserted Kirkall Hall. All the guests were gone except for the Prince Regent, who was passing his time with the Duchess of Halswick.

Olivia lay her head on Dane's chest. "You know, I'm still worried that the Chimera's body wasn't found."

Dane stroked one hand down her hair. "Don't worry, my lady. If he is still alive, there are people in place who will take care of him."

She tilted her head to look up at him. "More of your 'friends,' my love?"

Dane smiled. "I'm a very popular fellow."

Olivia lay her head back onto his chest. "Sumner walked today. Petty is ecstatic."

Dane grunted. "That's good news. I thought I was going to have to carry the bloke about the house forever."

"Thank you for having the Prince Regent pardon him."

Dane nodded. "You're welcome. As long as he stays in our employ, he will be safe. If he ever leaves us, I won't be able to help him."

Olivia nodded. "If he leaves us after what he's done, I'll hunt him down myself."

Dane chuckled. "Bloodthirsty wench."

There came a knock on the door of the bedchamber. Dane grudgingly allowed Olivia to leave his lap to answer it.

The Prince Regent stood in the doorway. "What kind of bloody idiot left this on my bloody bed pillow?" He help up the long-lost fifth Rod of the Rajah.

Olivia clapped a hand over her mouth, unable to stifle a giggle. Dane came up behind her and wrapped both arms about her waist.

"You can keep that, if you like, Your Highness. We don't need it any longer."