A sound on the stairs above her made her turn and although she couldn’t see him, she knew Miles was there. Instinctively, she held her arms out to him.
Miles grabbed her so hard she knew her ribs would crack, and all she did was cling to him all the more tightly. They were like two children hiding from their parents, frightened of tomorrow, making the most of now.
To them there was no dust or filth, no angry little eyes watching them as they fumbled with each other’s clothes, their lips joined, never parting. The violence with which they came together was new to Elizabeth, as Miles had always been gentle with her, but when her nails dug into his back, he reacted. The stairs bit into the back of her as Miles lifted her hips and took her with a blinding, fierce passion, but with no more fierceness than Elizabeth sought him. She braced her feet against the stairs and pushed upward with all the force of her strong young body.
The flash of light that tore through them left them both weak, trembling, holding onto each other as if to let go meant they’d die.
Miles was the first to recover. “We must go,” he whispered tiredly. “They wait below for us.”
“Yes,” she said. “Big brother calls.” Even in the darkness, she could feel Miles’s eyes on her.
“Don’t be afraid of Gavin, Elizabeth.”
“The day a Chatworth is afraid of a Montgomery—” she began but Miles kissed her to silence.
“That’s what I like! Now if you can keep your hands off me long enough, we’ll ride to Larenston.”
“You!” She started to strike him but he bolted up the stairs before she could, and when Elizabeth tried to move, she winced at a hundred bruised places. She emerged from behind the tapestry bent over, her hand to her back. Miles’s conceited chuckle made her straighten painfully. “If women didn’t always have to be on the bottom—” she snapped, then stopped when she saw the MacGregor leaning against a chest.
“I was going to say I hoped you enjoyed your visit, Lady Elizabeth.” The big man’s eyes twinkled so merrily that Elizabeth busied herself in packing, pointedly ignoring him, so pointedly that she didn’t hear him move behind her. When his hands touched her shoulder, she gasped, but Miles caught her arm, warned her with his eyes.
“We’ve enjoyed ye, Elizabeth,” the MacGregor said as he removed the crude pin she wore at her shoulder and replaced it with a large round silver one, bearing the MacGregor standard.
“Thank you,” she said quietly, and to the amazement of all three of them, she quickly kissed the MacGregor’s cheek.
Miles’s hand on her arm tightened and he looked at her with such pleasure that his whole body fairly glowed.
“Sweet lass, come and see me again.”
“I will,” she said and smiled genuinely because she meant her words.
Together the three of them walked down to the courtyard and the waiting horses. Elizabeth looked at all the MacGregor men with curiosity because she knew she was going to miss them. With a sense of wonder at what she was doing, she voluntarily shook hands with some of the men. Miles stayed close to her and she was well aware of his presence, and grateful for it, but her fear at touching the men and being touched by them was only just that—fear, not terror.
She was glad when she came to the end of the line and could mount her horse. Behind her were Bronwyn’s men, strangers to her, and she could have cried out at the injustice of having to leave a place she was just beginning to trust.
Miles leaned across and squeezed her hand. “Remember that I am here,” he said.
She nodded once, kicked her horse forward and they were off.
For how long will you be here? she wanted to ask. She knew much about Gavin Montgomery. He was a greedy, treacherous man whose jilting of Alice Chatworth had nearly driven her insane. And Gavin was the head of the Montgomery family. For all Miles’s bravado, he was only twenty years old and Gavin had the guardianship of his young brother. Would Gavin take her away, use her in his own games against the Chatworth family? Miles believed Roger’d killed Mary Montgomery. Would this Gavin use Elizabeth to repay the Chatworths?
“Elizabeth,” Miles said. “What are you planning?”
She didn’t bother to answer him, but kept her head high as they entered Larenston.
Miles helped her from her horse. “No doubt my eldest brother is inside, waiting to get his hands on me,” Miles said, eyes twinkling.
“How can you laugh about this?”
“The only way to deal with my brother is to laugh,” he said seriously. “I’ll come to you later.”
“No!” she gasped. “I’ll meet your brother with you.”
Miles cocked his head, studied her. “I do believe you mean to protect me from my brother.”
“You are a gentle man and—”
At that Miles laughed so loud, he startled the horses. He kissed her cheek heartily. “You are a dear, sweet child. Come along then and protect me if you want, but I’ll keep an eye on Gavin’s toes.”
Gavin, Stephen and Sir Guy waited for them in the upstairs solar. Gavin was as tall as Miles but his face was more sculptured, hawklike, and his expression was of pure unadulterated rage.
“Is this Elizabeth Chatworth?” Gavin said through clenched teeth. He didn’t wait for an answer. “Send her away. Guy, see to her.”
“She stays,” Miles said in a cool voice, not bothering to look at either of his brothers. “Sit, Elizabeth.”
She obeyed him, sinking into a chair that dwarfed her.
After one angry glance at Elizabeth, Gavin turned to Miles who was pouring himself a glass of wine. “Goddamn you to hell and back, Miles!” Gavin bellowed. “You walk in here as if you hadn’t nearly caused a private war between our families and you bring this…this…”
“Lady,” Miles said, his eyes growing dark.
“If she were a lady, I’d swear she isn’t now after having spent weeks with you.”
Miles’s eyes turned black. His hand went to his sword but Sir Guy’s hand made him pause.
“Gavin,” Stephen warned, “you have no right to make insults. Say what you have to.”
Gavin moved closer to Miles. “Do you know what your little escapade is costing our family? Raine can’t even show his face but must hide in a forest, and I have spent the last month in the company of that bastard Chatworth—all in an attempt to save your worthless japing hide.”
Elizabeth waited for Miles to retort that Raine’s outlawing was not Miles’s fault, but Miles remained silent, his eyes still dark, locked on his eldest brother.
A muscle in Gavin’s jaw worked frantically. “You will release her to me and I will return her to her brother. I’d hoped that by now you’d come to your senses and let her go. I’m sure you’ve taken her virginity and that will no doubt cost me much, but…”
“Will it cost you or Judith?” Miles asked calmly, turning his back on his brother.
A silence fell on the room and even Elizabeth held her breath.
“Stop it, both of you,” Stephen interceded. “And for God’s sake, Gavin, calm down! You know how Miles is when you insult his woman-of-the-moment. And you, Miles, you’re pushing Gavin too far. Miles, Gavin has held Chatworth in order to give you some time to release Lady Elizabeth, and you can imagine that he was, ah, disappointed when Chatworth escaped and still you held Elizabeth. All you have to do is send her back with Gavin and all will be well.”
Elizabeth again held her breath as she watched Miles’s back and after a moment she felt Gavin watching her. It was then she decided she didn’t like the man. She returned his arrogant look with one of her own. She looked away to see Miles watching them.
“I will not release her,” Miles said softly.
“No!” Gavin bellowed. “Does the family mean nothing to you? Would you rather risk our name, the name of generations of Montgomerys, merely for the spread of a woman’s thighs?”
Gavin wasn’t expecting the fist that plowed into his face, but it didn’t take him but seconds to recover and leap at Mi
les.
Chapter 11
STEPHEN AND SIR GUY USED ALL THEIR STRENGTH TO restrain the two men.
It was Gavin who calmed first. He shook Stephen’s arms away, walked toward the window and when he looked back, he had control over himself. “Send Lady Elizabeth away,” he said quietly.
Sir Guy released Miles and Miles nodded to Elizabeth. She started to protest but knew that now was not the time. Miles was not going to turn her over to his brother, of that she was sure.
When the men were alone, Gavin sank into a chair. “Brother against brother,” he said heavily. “Chatworth would love to know what he’s doing to us. Stephen, pour me some wine.”
When he held the cup, he continued. “King Henry has ordered this feud between the Montgomerys and Chatworths to cease. I have pleaded that our family is innocent in everything. Raine attacked Chatworth because of what had been done to Mary and I know you are innocent in the kidnapping of this Elizabeth.”
Gavin drank deeply. He was used to these one-sided conversations with his young brother. Getting words from Miles was much worse than teeth pulling. “Has your Elizabeth told you of the young singer who was with her when Pagnell rolled her in a carpet? You should ask her because that singer has recently married Raine.”
Miles’s eyes widened slightly.
“Ah! At last I get some response from my brother.”
“Gavin,” Stephen warned. “How is Raine’s wife involved in all this?”
Gavin waved his hand. “Pagnell was after her for some reason, tossed her in a dungeon and Elizabeth Chatworth tried to save her. In so doing, the Chatworth woman got caught and in jest was delivered to our lecherous little brother. God’s teeth, why didn’t you return her to Chatworth as soon as you found out who she was?”
“As he returned my sister?” Miles asked quietly. “When did you start being such a peacemaker?”
“Since I have seen my family torn apart by this hatred. Hasn’t it occurred to you that the king will have some say in all this? He’s punished Raine by outlawing him and Chatworth has been heavily fined. What will he do to you when he hears that you hold the Chatworth woman?”
“Miles,” Stephen said. “Gavin’s concern is for you. I know you’ve grown to care for the girl but there’s more here than you think.”
“Elizabeth deserves more than to be sent back to that hellhole of Chatworth’s,” Miles said.
At that, Gavin groaned, closed his eyes for a moment. “You’ve been around Raine too long. Whatever you think of Chatworth, no matter what he’s done, he’s done it with the belief that he was in the right. I’ve spent weeks with him and—”
“You are well known to side with the Chatworths,” Miles said evenly, referring to Gavin’s long affair with Alice Chatworth. “I’ll not release her and no words from anyone will make me do so. The woman is mine. Now, if you will excuse me, I’d like to see Bronwyn.”
In spite of her surety that she would be allowed to stay with Miles, Elizabeth still paced the floor. She cursed herself because she knew that she wanted to stay in Scotland, wanted to stay in a place where she could learn to be unafraid. Roger, she thought, dear, protective, angry Roger was in England somewhere, looking for her, frantic to find her, yet she hoped with all her heart that he’d not succeed.
“Just a little more time,” she whispered. “If I can but have one more month I’ll leave readily. And I shall have memories to last me a lifetime.”
She was so absorbed in her own thoughts that she didn’t hear the door open behind her, and when she heard the light footsteps, she whirled about, ready to do battle.
“Did…did you enjoy the MacGregors?” Kit stammered, unsure of what the fury on her face meant.
Instantly, Elizabeth’s face changed. She knelt, opened her arms to the child and held him very, very close.
“I missed you so much, Kit,” she whispered. When her eyes cleared, she held him away from her. “I stayed in a big room with a secret staircase behind a tapestry and your papa and I had a pie fight and we went swimming in a very cold lake.”
“Bronwyn gave me a pony,” Kit answered, “and Uncle Stephen took me riding and what kind of pies?” He leaned forward and whispered loudly, “Did you make Papa angry?”
“No.” She smiled. “Not even when I hit him square in the face with a cherry tart. Come and sit down by me and I’ll tell you about how Bronwyn’s dog saved me from wolves.”
It was some time later that Miles found them together, asleep, both looking perfectly content. For a long time Miles stood over them, quietly watching. When he heard the muffled sounds of horses in the courtyard below and knew it was Gavin leaving, he bent and kissed Elizabeth’s forehead. “I’ll give you more children, Elizabeth,” he murmured, touching Kit’s cheek. “See if I don’t.”
“I most certainly will not!” Elizabeth said to Miles, her face set grimly. “I have nearly killed myself doing what you want but I will not remain here alone while you chase about the countryside having a good time.”
“Elizabeth,” Miles said patiently, “I am going hunting and you will not be here alone. All the MacArrans—”
“MacArrans!” she shot at him. “All those men near me for three days! No, I will not stay here. I’ll go on the hunt with you.”
“You know I’d love to have you but I think you need to stay here. There will be times when I can’t be with you and you need to learn…” He stopped when she turned away.
“I don’t need you or any other man, Montgomery,” she said, shoulders stiff.
Miles touched her but she moved away. “Elizabeth, we’ve been through too much together to let this come between us. I think you should stay here with Kit and the men and try to conquer some of your fear. If you don’t think you can do that, tell me and of course you can go with me. I’ll be downstairs.”
Elizabeth didn’t look at him before he left the room. Nearly two months had passed since that day Gavin had first arrived, and during that time Elizabeth had found out what happiness was. She and Miles and Kit had spent lovely, long days together, playing in the newly fallen snow, laughing together. And Christmas had been such as she’d never experienced before—a family together.
Bronwyn had taught her a great deal, not by lectures but by example. Elizabeth rode with Bronwyn a few times and visited some of the crofters. There were a few instances of panic and once when Elizabeth drew a knife on a man who was following her too closely, Bronwyn had interceded and calmed Elizabeth. After that there was no more of the initial hostility between the women. Bronwyn seemed to adopt Elizabeth as a young sister rather than look on her as a potential rival. When Bronwyn started ordering Elizabeth about just as she did everyone else, Miles and Stephen relaxed. Three times Elizabeth told Bronwyn she could drop herself off the cliff road and Bronwyn had laughed heartily.
Rab also seemed to have adopted Elizabeth and quite often he’d refuse to obey either woman, skulking off into the shadows instead. When Stephen called the dog a coward, both women turned on him.
And daily, Miles and Elizabeth drew closer. Sometimes, while she watched Miles training, the upper part of his body bare, glistening with sweat, she felt her knees go weak. Always, Miles sensed her presence during those times and the hot looks he turned on her would make her tremble. Once, Stephen’s lance had just missed Miles’s head because Miles was concentrating on Elizabeth’s lustful looks. Stephen had been so angry he’d started choking Miles.
“Another inch and I could have killed you,” Stephen screeched in rage.
Both Bronwyn and Elizabeth, as well as Rab and Sir Guy, entered into that fracas. Stephen, his entire body red with fury, had demanded that Miles take Elizabeth away from the training ground. Miles, completely unruffled by his brother’s anger, had agreed readily. And what a memorable afternoon that had been! In spite of Miles’s outward calm, Stephen’s unusual anger had upset him and he alternately attacked Elizabeth and clung to her. They made love in the bed, across a chair, the arm nearly breaking her back, a
nd against a wall. Unfortunately, Miles slammed Elizabeth against a tapestry and she grabbed it. The heavy, dusty rug fell on them, knocked them to the floor—but they kept on until they started coughing. Locked together, they crawled from under the tapestry and continued on the cold stone floor. When they appeared for supper that night, flushed and exhausted, the entire Clan MacArran set up a howl of laughter. Stephen was still angry and all he’d say was to issue an order for Elizabeth to stay away from the training ground.
Two whole months and one week together, almost five months since her “capture,” she thought.
But now she knew that time was running out.
Gavin sent a messenger to Miles. Roger Chatworth and Pagnell had gone to the king together and Roger’d told King Henry that Raine Montgomery was trying to raise an army against the king, and that Miles was holding Elizabeth in bondage. The king declared that if Miles did not release Elizabeth, he’d be declared a traitor and all his lands confiscated. As for Raine, the king threatened to burn the forest.
Gavin had pleaded with Miles to release Elizabeth. Miles spent days hardly speaking, but sometimes looking at her with great longing, and Elizabeth began to realize that their days together were numbered. Miles began to push her to spend time with the MacArrans, almost as if he were trying to prepare her for the future—a future without him.
Elizabeth was torn both ways. She did want to learn how to cope with her terror of men, but at the same time she wanted to spend every moment with Kit and Miles.
“Damn!” she muttered, alone in the room. How had she come so far from independence to utter dependence?
Gavin had come to Scotland again, this time in a rage that made his first one seem mild, and for the first time Elizabeth felt some guilt at wanting to stay in the peaceful MacArran household. When Miles came to their room, she asked him to allow her to leave with Gavin. She’d planned to say she wanted to save both his family as well as hers but Miles never gave her a chance. Both Stephen and Gavin’s rages together were nothing compared to Miles’s. He cursed in three languages, he threw things, tore a chair apart with his bare hands, took an ax to a table. It took both Tam and Sir Guy to hold him.