Always

  “It’s a little late for second thoughts.” Her hand tangled in the thickness of his hair. “No, I’m not sorry. It was wonderful, Clancy.”

  His lips caressed her. “For me, too. I think it’s very convenient that baby making is so damn enjoyable. I intend to work very hard on the project, you realize.” His fingers wandered between her thighs and began stroking her lazily. “Morning, noon, and night.” She gasped as his fingers suddenly plunged forward. “And in between, of course.”

  “What about your job?” she asked faintly. He was moving lazily, rhythmically within her, and her back arched helplessly.

  “I can take a little vacation. I feel it’s my duty to devote all my energies to this project at the present time.” Unexpectedly, he was over her, entering her with one powerful movement. “There are certain priorities I have to keep in mind.” He looked down at her and the lazy humor faded. In addition to the heavy sensuality she had expected, there was a gravity that surprised her. “And you’re my top priority, Lisa.” He leaned down and kissed her gently. “Always.”

  Then he started to move and she forgot everything but the web of passion he was weaving about her.”

  –––

  “Where are you going?”

  Lisa settled the caftan around her hips and slipped on her shoes. “I didn’t mean to wake you. I just thought I’d go back to my room and shower and change before breakfast. I wasn’t exactly prepared when you decided to sweep me off my feet and into bed.” She winked. “At last.”

  “You should have been. I was aiming at being a romantic, not a complete idiot.” He crossed his arms under his head and leaned lazily back on the pillow. “But now I’ve decided to become a satyr instead. I’ve discovered I’m suited for it both psychologically and physically. Come back to bed, Lisa. I need some practice in the role.”

  She lifted a slightly derisive brow. “After last night?” Neither of them had counted the times they’d come together in a passion that had seemed unquenchable. Even now she was tempted to do as he asked and go back into his arms. “After breakfast we’ll discuss it again. I wouldn’t want you to dwindle down to a mere shadow.” She crossed the room and opened the door. “I’ll meet you in the dining room in an hour.” She started to close the door, then stopped in surprise. “What the devil is this?” She held up a small leather drawstring pouch. “I found it hanging on the doorknob.”

  Clancy took one look at the pouch and a smile tugged at his lips. “Marna. It’s a charm of some sort. I’ve seen them hanging on Kira’s doorknobs on occasion.”

  Lisa lifted the pouch to her nose and sniffed, experimentally. “Well, it doesn’t smell of garlic, so evidently we’re not threatened by vampires. I wonder what it could be.”

  “There’s no telling. Why don’t you go ask her? I was going to call Alex before breakfast anyway.”

  “Do you think I should? After all, it was hanging on your doorknob. She might tell me it’s none of my business.”

  “I doubt that. Marna has an uncanny way of knowing what’s going on around her. I’m sure she knows you were occupying this room last night.” His expression grew sober. “Not only last night, I hope. I know it’s not considered chic for a couple to occupy the same bedroom these days, but I’d like very much to have you move in with me.” Gruffly he added, “I’ll try not to get in your way.”

  “I’d like that, too,” she said. “I’ll pack and move my things from my room right after breakfast.”

  “You won’t miss your tower, princess? I hate to be an Indian giver. You occupied that room for less than an hour.”

  “Not a bit. I’ve decided that towers are too lonely for me, anyway.” She blew him a kiss and closed the door.

  Her step was as springy and light as her mood as she strolled down the corridor. Now if she could only manage to find her room in this labyrinth, it would make her day. She hadn’t been paying any attention to where they were going last night when Clancy had been playing Rhett Butler. For that matter, she hadn’t noticed anything but Clancy.

  Lisa only lost her way once in the twisting corridors before she found the right wing. Next time she ventured in this area, she told herself, she’d have to leave a trail of bread crumbs like those children in the fairy tale. However, Marna would probably not appreciate bread crumbs in her immaculate halls, she thought ruefully. The gypsy housekeeper would soon be putting a pouch on her doorknob to attract vampires instead of keeping them away.

  She opened the door to her room and went directly to the closet to get a robe. She stood stock still, a puzzled frown creasing her brow. The closet was almost empty. There was a terry-cloth robe, a blouse, and a pair of slacks on the padded hangers. What had happened to the rest of her clothes? She had unpacked and hung up everything last night before she’d dressed for dinner.

  She slipped the robe from the hanger and crossed to the bureau. One set of underwear remained in the middle drawer. Everything else was gone. In the adjoining bathroom her makeup and toiletries remained on the vanity. Whoever had removed her belongings had been very selective. Marna? Lisa doubted if any of the maids would have dared touch her things without Marna’s approval; she clearly had them all under her control. It was evident there was something to discuss with the housekeeper besides the talisman.

  After Lisa had showered and dressed, she set out to try to locate Marna for that discussion. Finally she tracked the housekeeper down in the kitchen, which proved to be a converted scullery in the cellars of the castle. Marna was standing beside a modernistic microwave oven, consulting in a low voice with a white-clad boy.

  She turned an expressionless face as Lisa approached her. “Breakfast will be served in twenty minutes. You wish something special?”

  “No, anything will be fine. I just—”

  “This is Hassan, Miss Landon.” She gave the boy a surprisingly warm smile. “He is the cook. He was responsible for your dinner last night.”

  “It was a wonderful dinner, Hassan. We enjoyed it very much.” She turned to the housekeeper. “I wonder if I could speak to you for a moment, Miss Debuk.”

  “Marna,” she corrected as she turned away from the stove. “I’m through here, we can go upstairs now.” She gave the cook another fleeting smile and led the way through the scullery and up the curving stone steps to the hall. “Hassan is a good boy with sense in his head. Not like those other chitkas.”

  “Chitkas?”

  “Fools. It is a Tamrovian word. They fear everything they don’t understand.”

  “Well, there’s a few things I don’t understand that I’d appreciate your explaining.”

  “But you are not afraid to ask. Those chitkas run away and hide instead of asking. I have no use for them. You remember that clumsy girl who served you dinner last night?” When Lisa nodded she went on with a scowl, “Lia ran away last night before I could even talk to her. She left a message that she was returning to her village and would not be back. Now why would she do that?”

  “She seemed to be afraid of your disapproval.” Lisa paused. “And I got the distinct impression that you enjoyed the image you were projecting.”

  There was a flicker of grudging respect in Marna’s dark eyes. “I do,” she said with a shrug. “I grow bored with these chitkas. If they fear, why shouldn’t I feed it a little?” She frowned. “But not that much. Lia makes good wages here and she needs the work. I’ll have to go to the village and bring her back this morning.”

  It appeared there was a soft streak beneath that fierce exterior. “Could you answer a few questions before you go running after her?”

  Marna looked at her without expression. “Of course. What would you like to know? Should I get my tarot cards?”

  Lisa could feel her lips gape in surprise. Merciful heaven, the woman did believe she had psychic powers!

  “No, I don’t think that will be necessary. You won’t need a crystal ball to answer this one. Where are my clothes?”

  “They should be in Mr. Donahue’s room by n
ow. Last night I had a maid take them downstairs to press and freshen them a little. She was told to take them to Mr. Donahue’s room this morning and put them away.” She frowned. “You must tell me if she hasn’t done it properly. She is a chitka, too.”

  That appeared to be the woman’s favorite word, Lisa thought. “But why would you do that?”

  “You wish to occupy Mr. Donahue’s bed and his room,” Marna said simply. “And Mr. Donahue wishes you to be there. There was no need for you to pack yourself. I took care of it for you.”

  “But how did you—” Lisa broke off, totally bewildered. The question of the change of rooms hadn’t even come up before this morning, and Marna had put the wheels in motion last night.

  “You did want to move?”

  “Yes, but—”

  “Good. I will send the girl for the few things that were left in the tower chamber at once.” Marna turned back toward the scullery. “It is good that you do this. Mr. Donahue is a disek. He will have a fine strong son.”

  “Disek?” Lisa repeated numbly. She felt as if she’d been caught in the middle of a tornado.

  “A disek is one of the exceptional ones, an individual with power and strength,” Marna said. “Did he tell you that he helped Kira when she was trying to smuggle me out of Tamrovia?”

  “No, he didn’t tell me that.”

  Marna nodded. “That chitka, Stefan, thought he would gain the upper hand, but Kira and Mr. Donahue fooled him.”

  “King Stefan?” It appeared that nervous servants weren’t the only chitkas in Marna’s estimation.

  “Kira’s brother,” Marna confirmed, nodding.

  “Stefan is not a disek?”

  Marna shook her head emphatically. “A chitka.”

  “I see.” She didn’t, but she was afraid to increase her confusion by delving any deeper. “Then you must be very grateful to Clancy for his help.”

  “Of course. Why do you think I made the nathal and hung it on his doorknob?”

  Nathal. Lisa reached into the pocket of her slacks and pulled out the small pouch. “This is a nathal?”

  Marna nodded with satisfaction. “The most powerful nathal I have ever made.”

  “Just precisely what does a nathal do?” Lisa asked warily.

  “Why, what you wished it to do.” She turned and crossed back to where Lisa was standing. “May I touch you?”

  Lisa nodded, puzzled.

  Marna put her large hand gently on Lisa’s abdomen and closed her eyes. It was only for the briefest instant, and then her hand was gone and she turned away. “Yes, there was no problem. I thought not. It was a very strong nathal.”

  “You didn’t answer me,” Lisa said, exasperated and close to desperate. “What does a nathal do?”

  “It is a fertility talisman,” Marna said calmly as she glided down the hall. “You both wished for a child, and now you have it. A fine son who will grow into a disek like his father.” She glanced over her shoulder. “But you must eat more than you did last night from now on. It is not good for the child for you to be so thin.”

  Lisa watched as the door closed behind her. Good heavens, now Marna was nagging her about eating, too, she thought half-hysterically. Would the woman make a charm to increase her appetite if she wasn’t satisfied? Oh, Lord, the whole thing was crazy. Yet there had been something so serenely confident in Marna’s last statement. And how had she known they wanted a child?

  She shook her head to clear it, but it did little good. She still felt as if she’d been transported back to fantasyland.

  “What’s wrong?” She turned to see Clancy coming out of the library down the hall. “Don’t you feel well?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve just been talking to Marna. I don’t know which side is up at the moment.”

  A little smile tugged at Clancy’s lips. “I should have known. It’s not an unusual reaction. Did you find out what the talisman is for?”

  She nodded. “It appears you don’t have to work so hard on our little project after all. Marna has fixed everything.” She held up the pouch. “Fertility talisman.”

  Clancy chuckled. “I suspected as much.”

  “Well, why didn’t you tell me?” Lisa demanded.

  “Because, my love, Marna can’t be explained. She has to be experienced. I thought this was the quickest way for you to do that.”

  “I certainly ‘experienced’ her all right. Heavens, the woman is strange.” She hesitated. “What do you think? Is there anything to this talisman stuff?” She put her hand to her head and groaned. “Just listen to me; she’s got me half believing it. I must be as strange as she is.”

  Clancy’s expression was thoughtful. “I’ve lived long enough that I don’t discount the possibility that powers like that exist, and I’ve seen Marna do some very impressive hocus-pocus. Who knows?”

  Lisa unconsciously touched her abdomen where Marna’s hand had rested only a short time ago. Was it possible that the woman was right and even now the seed of a child was growing within her? “A son,” she said softly.

  “What?”

  “Marna said the talisman had worked and I was carrying your son.”

  He went still. There was an expression on his face so beautiful that she wanted to remember it forever.

  “She may be wrong,” Lisa whispered. “How could she know?”

  He crossed the few paces between them, then reached out and lifted her chin so that he could look into her eyes. His own still held such wonder that she felt her throat tighten with emotion. Then he kissed her with exquisite gentleness. “Well, we certainly won’t stop trying. It’s far too enjoyable an exercise.” He laughed huskily. “I think, if anything, we should redouble our efforts. As you said, how could she know?”

  He kissed her again and turned her toward the small room where they had dined last night. “Breakfast,” he said firmly. “And it wouldn’t hurt you to try to eat a little more. Just in case she’s right.”

  “That’s what Marna told me,” Lisa said with a sigh. “I’m glad Galbraith’s not here. At least I only have the two of you to contend with.”

  “You’ll find that quite enough, acushla.”

  Lisa nodded gloomily as she allowed him to propel her toward the dining room. She had an idea that withstanding the machinations of a protective gypsy witch and a possessive Clancy Donahue would be more than enough of a challenge for any woman.

  “MILK AGAIN.” LISA glared balefully at the frosty glass on the tray Marna was carrying. “I told Lia I didn’t want it.”

  “That is why I brought it back, instead of sending her,” Marna said calmly. “It wasn’t fair to send the girl all the way back up here to the battlements when you’re being so unreasonable. You know you must have it.” She held out the wide-brimmed straw hat she had in her other hand. “This, also. The sunlight and fresh air are good for you, but you must have protection.”

  Lisa took the hat. “I don’t like milk,” she said. “I’m taking every possible pill under the sun. Iron, vitamins, calcium. I don’t need milk, too.” She looked down at the swell of her belly beneath the loose tunic top. “He’s probably already got vitamin burnout.” She had done it again: Marna persistently referred to the baby in the masculine pronoun, and she had picked it up as well.

  “The doctor said that milk would—”

  “Oh, all right.” Lisa jammed the hat on her head, then reached for the milk and drank it down chug-a-lug. Then she put the glass back on the tray. “Satisfied?”

  Marna nodded. “You shouldn’t be so cross. It’s bad—”

  “For the baby,” Lisa finished wearily. “I know, Marna.” She was usually more tolerant of this incessant hovering, but her nerves were on edge today. She wasn’t used to Clancy being away. In the last four and a half months he hadn’t stirred from the castle for more than a half day’s trip to Marasef.

  When Alex had called Clancy yesterday morning and summoned him to the capital, she had been as disappointed as if Clancy were going away for a mon
th instead of only one night. That was one of the reasons she’d come up here on the battlements to sunbathe. She could see everything for miles around from this falcon’s perch, and she would be sure to spot Clancy’s helicopter as soon as it came over the horizon.

  She supposed it was childish to be so eager. Martin had gone away for months at a time and she’d never felt this sense of loss. But then she’d never really been in love before. Sometimes it was so strong that she couldn’t believe it. Now it appeared impossible that she had been afraid her love for Clancy might not last. The tenderness and passion she felt for him now dwarfed the emotion she had known the night she’d made her decision.

  She didn’t know why she hadn’t told him how much he meant to her. No, that wasn’t true; she mustn’t be dishonest with herself. She did know: she was terribly frightened. She loved him as much as she had Tommy, and Tommy had been taken from her. Every time she thought about the same thing happening to Clancy, the panic rose to terrifying proportions. She had an irrational feeling that if she didn’t say the words, it would keep him safe. What the gods didn’t know, they couldn’t destroy. Each time she would try to tell Clancy, the panic would rise until it overwhelmed her. Heavens, she was becoming as superstitious as Marna. She would tell Clancy soon how she felt. Surely that stupid fear would disappear when she had had time to get accustomed to loving him so much.

  Lisa smiled. “I’m sorry, Marna. You’re right. I’m being a shrew. It’s just that I wanted to go with Mr. Donahue.” She held up her hand as Marna pursed her lips. “I know what the doctor said about being careful for the next month or so. I don’t know why I’m having trouble with this pregnancy. My first one was as smooth as silk.”