Velvet Bond (15 page)

Indeed, the very idea of Olwyn being the aggressor was quite amusing. In the years they’d been together, she’d not so much as looked at a man. That was a large part of the reason Elizabeth took her interest in Bronic so to heart.

Elizabeth knew she would have to go carefully with Raynor or he’d surely become suspicious of her motives. He’d not be able to understand that she was only trying to look after Olwyn, as she was duty bound to do.

* * *

Elizabeth’s opportunity to speak with Raynor came several hours later, after they stopped to make camp for the night.

Olwyn and Elizabeth roasted several hares that Raynor brought to camp, while Bronic and the other men set up the four tents.

As this was going on, Raynor made himself busy with feeding and watering the horses, only coming close to the fire when the meal was ready. As was his wont, he quickly separated himself from the rest of the group, taking his roast meat to a large flat stump some distance away.

When Bronic sat down to chat with a shy but smiling Olwyn, Elizabeth rose and went to sit by her husband.

Raynor had obviously been deep in his own thoughts, for he seemed not to even notice her until she had settled herself beside him. For a long time, he said nothing, but his discomfort was evident in the start he gave, though she tried to hide it with a too-casual shrug.

When she saw this, Elizabeth knew a moment of puzzlement. What had she done to startle the indomitable Raynor? Then she nearly laughed aloud as understanding dawned. She had done the unthinkable and come to him. Always before, it had seemed as if Raynor had the upper hand between them. Now it was she who had made a move toward him.

Oh, but it was good to see him rattled. He did work so very hard at pretending to be indifferent to her.

Feeling wonderfully confident, Elizabeth simply sat beside her husband, taking small bites of her own well-cooked rabbit. Olwyn had stuffed the animals with the wild onions she’d gathered, and they were really quite delicious.

Finally Raynor spoke, trying too hard to keep the strain from his voice. “Elizabeth.”

“Raynor,” she returned politely.

“Might I do you some service?”

She turned and smiled at him, feeling quite amused. “Did you have some specific service in mind, my lord?”

His dark brows met over a strongly masculine nose. He seemed to be trying to understand why she was being so pleasant. “I did not, madame. I but refer to your presence. I must assume you desire something from me. Else why would you be here?” He indicated her place on the tree stump. Clearly he wished to get it done and see her off.

Some imp of mischief made her want to tease him but a moment longer, though she had to admit her motive was not entirely for fun. It did plague her that Raynor was so very eager to be rid of her. He was, after all, her husband, and he had neglected her terribly, even sending his man to tell her when he was not happy with her behavior. That galled her no small amount.

As Elizabeth became aware of his rising agitation, she decided she had best get that matter settled and out of the way first. “My lord husband—” she began. Elizabeth had to then bite back the retort that sprang to her mind as he grimaced at the word
husband.
She would not allow him to rile her. Like it or nay, he was wed to her.

Taking a deep breath, Elizabeth began again. “My lord husband, it has come to my attention that you have some concern for my safety.”

For moment he looked perplexed. Then his face cleared, and he nodded. “Aye, you will not be climbing back and forth from horse to wagon in the future. 'Tis not safe for you to do so. You will ask the driver to stop and assist you.”

His dark eyes held all the condemnation of a reprimanding father, and his lean jaw flexed with irritation. He was so very sure of himself that she longed to wipe that condescending expression from his handsome face.

But what bothered her most was that even though her stomach churned with aggravation, Elizabeth could not deny that she still found him attractive. Almost against her will, she watched that pulsing muscle and wondered what it would feel like beneath her fingers. Was the dark stubble along his cheek rough, as it appeared, or would it be soft against her palm? What would she do if at this very moment he turned to her and took her in a passionate embrace?

Why, enjoy it, of course. She had no will to do otherwise.

Rot, but that was definitely a problem. One for which she had no answer. Especially when Raynor had proved himself completely adept at resisting her.

Determinedly Elizabeth pulled her scattered thoughts to her. All that aside, what she could do was let Raynor know that he must treat her with at least a modicum of respect, if nothing else.

Regaining her former smile, Elizabeth turned to him, not speaking until he looked directly into her eyes. Her tone was oh-so-reasonable as she began, and for a moment he did not seem to understand that she was defying him. “My dear lord, I must assure you that I do appreciate your concern for me. Especially as I have not seen any evidence of such until this very day. In other circumstances, I would be most gratified by your care.” She paused. “But as things are, I must assure you that I can, and will, do as I please in this matter. As I told you the day we raced, my father first set me upon a horse at the age of two, and I have been riding since. I make no false claim when I say that I can outride any man I know, including my brothers, who are no unskilled horsemen. Any one of them will uphold this claim, do you but ask them. And lastly, after the way you treated your own mount the other day, jumping him over that fallen bridge, I feel you have little right to lesson me on such a point.”

As she spoke, Raynor’s scowl returned full measure and more. His chest expanded until she thought the material of his brown tunic would surely burst. With a flick of his wrist, he threw the rest of his uneaten meat away and rose to stand before her. “Of course, madame, you must do as you will. As you did the night you had me to dine and Stephen came in upon us together. Your will has certainly proved to be best thus far. Why would you change your ways at this point in time?”

Elizabeth gasped as the remarks stung sharply. She stood before him, her voice rising to match his. “We have already discussed that matter, sir. I have already told you I was not trying to trap you, and my word should suffice. Why, I wouldn’t have you on a wager.”

A loud laugh rang out, and Elizabeth looked over to the other occupants of the camp, who were watching them with unabashed curiosity. It was Bronic who was laughing, and when her gaze met his, he winked.

Seeing they were being studied with such openness, Raynor called out, “Have none of you anything to do? If I try, I may surely find things to occupy you.”

But even as the men turned away with sheepish grins, Raynor took her by the elbow and led her into the forest away from their prying eyes.

Immediately he came back with a scathing reply to her last comment. “Oh, I do believe you, Elizabeth. You've made your dissatisfaction with our union quite clear.” He leaned over her. “I just make the point of indicating how capable you are of deciding what is best for yourself.”

She put her hands to her slender hips. “You know nothing of me. What has gone between us is no indicator of my character or ability to make judgments.”

“And thus I must go by what I see with my own eyes.” His tone was rife with scorn.

She was getting very angry now, though she tried to hide it. Not for anything on God’s green earth would she let him see how much he had hurt her. The worst part of it, what made tears sting behind her eyes, was that he was too near the mark. Since meeting Raynor, she had not been herself, and had made several irretrievable mistakes. The worst of which had led to their unwanted marriage.

He went on, seemingly oblivious of her attempts to stay reasonably calm, beside himself with outrage. “You women, you think of nothing beyond your own desires. My mother was one such as you. She lead my father a merry dance, thither and yon. He was as a puppet in her hands. She had only to flutter her eye lashes and sway her hips and he would come running like a studhorse. Even when she became pregnant by a man she refused to name, then gave birth to Bronic while he was in France, he had no strength to turn her away. And was she thankful for his love and forgiveness? Nay, on the contrary. She never forgave him for his weakness, using his care for her to ever gain her own way.”

Elizabeth’s eyes grew wider as he spoke. There was too much to take in, not the least of which was hearing that Raynor and Bronic were brothers. But she had to first focus on the revelation about his mother. Finally she was able to understand some of her husband’s strange attitude toward women. She reached out to him. “Raynor.”

But he brushed her hand aside, turning his back to her. “Nay, I need no gestures of sympathy from you.”

She tried again. “Raynor, please. I want to understand. I had no idea...”

“And if I had been in my right mind, you would not even now. I am a fool for telling you all this.” He pounded his fist against his open palm. “I know not how you do it. How you slither beneath my skin. But I won’t allow you to keep manipulating me thus. I left that all behind me years ago, when my mother died. And even she, try as she would, could not needle me as you do. I won’t have it just because some overindulged damsel can’t see there are consequences to her words and actions.”

He swung around to face her. “You will try to think about how your behavior might influence others in the future. It is not a request, but a demand.”

She clenched her teeth, stamping her foot. He had gone too far. “How dare you! How dare you! You insufferable knave! I will not be ordered by you!”

Raynor simply stood staring down at her, his nostrils flared, as he fought for control.

Even as her mind blazed red with outrage, Elizabeth tried to regain her equilibrium. She knew there was something she must think of, something more important than the fact that Raynor had given orders he had no power to uphold. Not in her deepest nightmares would she ever take such ridiculous talk seriously. And she knew that in the rational part of his mind Raynor was aware of that fact.

What was bothering him most, what had made him speak so harshly, was what he had just told her. He had given her a glimpse, no matter how small, of the man inside.

After what she’d just learned about his past, Elizabeth realized that Raynor must be completely unnerved to think she might use what she’d just heard against him.

Battling hard with her own anger and hurt pride, Elizabeth took deep, calming breaths. If they were to have any hope for even civility between them in the future, she must go carefully now.

Elizabeth didn’t know how to react. She needed time to think about what he had said, but that was a luxury she did not possess.

All she could do was try to make him see that she would treat these personal revelations gently.

It was most important for him to understand that she would not use this confidence to gain some kind of power over him. Elizabeth hesitated, began to reach out again, then pulled her hand back. “Raynor, about what you just told me...”

He held himself very still, his gaze directed over her head. “Do not put too much importance on what I said. It means nothing.” Clearly he wished for nothing so much as for her to stop talking of the matter, to stop trying to further worm her way into his confidence.

But she could see by the pain in his eyes that the words were not true, and her heart ached at the loneliness of this man. She remembered the first time she had seen him, and how she had likened him to a wolf.

She became aware of the darkening shadows of the forest around them, the soft rusting of the spruce, pine and oak trees as they welcomed the approaching coolness of night. The dense green growth of underbrush offered cover for all manner of creatures, from deer to mouse. Over all lay a sense of restlessness, the same restlessness she sensed in Raynor. Here he was in his element. Dressed in forest colors, with his hair tousled and that faraway expression in his walnut eyes, the lupine image was very strong. Raynor was the lone beast who roamed the forest for sustenance, rest and, mayhap, solace in another of his kind.

Was it possible that she could be that one?

Elizabeth dismissed the notion as soon as it formed in her mind. And yet that ready denial was strangely distressing.

Almost as if she had no control of her tongue, Elizabeth spoke from the depths of her, knowing that she risked calling up his fury anew. “I...I don’t know what to say, Raynor. I find I know so very little of you. I cannot imagine what it must have been like to grow up that way. And yet you have gone beyond it. I am most moved that you would treat Bronic with the love you do, considering the circumstances of his birth.”

Raynor looked surprised that she had focused on this, of all the things he had said. He took several deep breaths, his gaze trained on the thick humus on the forest floor. Then, to her complete amazement, he raised his head, raking a hand through his thick hair, and replied, “I cannot hold the sins of my mother against my brother. Bronic had no more say in his begetting than any other child.”

“Nonetheless I must tell you that I am honored to call such a man husband,” she told him, with clear blue eyes open wide. “Not many would be able to accept such a thing with such kindness.”