Claiming (9 page)

“I’m sore.” Tentatively she reached down to herself. “And sticky.” She touched herself and her legs gave an involuntary jump as her fingers discovered just how sensitive she still was.

She lifted her eyes to see him watching her, touching herself.

“Do you touch yourself there often?”

She bit her lip and nodded.

He lifted his head back and roared with laughter. “You, Lady Rowena, wife of mine, my love, hold surprises. I would watch you touch yourself. See what you do.”

“Only…” she rolled back with assumed nonchalance. “Only if I can tie your hands this time.”

He reached out for her and drew her on top of him. “You ask too much wench. I will do many things for you, I can see, but I will always be in control, no matter what your demands.”

Saher didn’t know what made Rowena roll away from him and withdraw her gaze from his, for the first time since they’d entered the chamber.

She stood up and pulled on her robe. “So you will be away tomorrow for Norwich?”

“You wish me gone so soon, my lady?”

She shrugged as she pulled it tight around her and stoked the brazier, releasing a burst of heat. Where was the wanton intimacy of only moments before? He stood up and went to her. He had to know. He turned her and kissed her thoroughly and felt her respond with a heat and growing desire that reassured him. But as soon as he pulled away he saw the veil of distance once more fall over her eyes. He had her physically, but her eyes told him there was a breach between them he had yet to mend.

“’Tis just that you said you had pressing business and…”

“And you wish me away. I wonder why?”

She looked at him sharply but didn’t respond.

“What are you hiding from me, Rowena? I’ve had enough deceit played upon me all my life to not want it in my home. I need honesty. Can you give it to me?”

“I…” She looked away.

He grabbed his clothes. “I think I have my answer.” He pulled on his shirt. “Yes, I’ll be away. One week. And then I’ll return for good.”

As he turned to go and he saw once more the distance in her eyes, he knew he wanted more from her. He wanted those eyes to trust him, to believe in him, like no-one else had done before. And he thought he knew the way to do it. Yes, he had work to do on the morrow but it wasn’t where she thought it was.

CHAPTER TEN

“Are you well, my lady?” Her maid opened the shutters and sunlight flooded the room. Rowena groaned, feeling the aches in her limbs, and in her muscles, unused to such exercise.

“Of course.” She turned and looked Birghiva in the eye. The woman’s soft smile brightened and she laughed.

“’Tis good you’ve already taken to the master’s bed.”

“Birghiva! Do you know everything that goes on here?”

Birghiva laughed. “Of course. We are all very pleased that he brought you pleasure. Twice!”

Rowena felt the blush rise deeply and cover her chest and face. “Birghiva! You should not listen. You must reprimand the others.”

“‘Twould have been hard not to hear. Your cries and those of my lord, echoed around the inner castle. Got quite a few of the others at it, I can tell you. Lust is catching.”

“That’s enough. I do not wish to know.”

“’Tis nothing to be ashamed of, my lady. You are married in law and now in fact and that is as it should be. Besides he is a good man.”

“And how would you know that?”

“Because you can tell a good man by the reports of their men. And he has good reports, believe me.”
 

Birghiva passed Rowena a cup of ale and Rowena turned over in her mind Birghiva’s comments. A good man. And he
had
been a good man to her these past days… and nights. Was she doing the right thing? She’d had great plans for the use of the money on the Gresham estate and would miss it sorely. But she didn’t dare risk Saher discovering it and guessing its source. Proof of the smuggling she and her father had undertaken these past five years would lead to certain imprisonment, at the very least, if the King should be told.

“Sir Saher is gone?”

“Aye. He and his men left after sunrise.”

“And you have arranged for the horses to be ready for the ride over to Blakesmere Priory? We meet my men with the cart from Cley on the road to the Priory.”

“Aye, my lady. As you said, they’ll be there within the hour.”

“Good.” She had to go forward with her plans, but it didn’t feel good. A little voice inside her said these were plans she’d made before she knew him, before she’d made love to him.

“Are you sure, my lady?”

She opened her mouth to speak but closed it again as conflicting words battled in her head. What had seemed such a good plan a few days ago had now lost its shine. She nodded. “I must. I don’t know Sir Saher. I don’t know how he will treat me. Look at my mother. Look at Angelique. Both have suffered at the hands of their husbands. Even my father, whom I loved, found it in himself to banish my mother from us.”

“But, my lady.” Birghiva gripped her hands in hers. “He believed he was doing that for your own good.”

“My mother wanted us and he wouldn’t let us near. For all I know she’d recovered. How can I trust a man with my life?” She shook her head. “I can’t.” The memory of Saher’s eyes, so strong, direct and imperative, urging her to trust him after their lovemaking, flashed into her mind. She shook her head, trying to rid herself of the image but failed.

“I can’t,” she repeated, more to herself than to Birghiva. But, even as she said it, she wondered if she was making a mistake.

“Well,” said Birghiva. “Sir Saher won’t notice you’re gone. It sounds as if he has his own secret plans.”

“Really? Are they still secret?”

“No,” laughed Birghiva. “He’s planning to demolish some buildings and build some more.”

Rowena felt cold. It wasn’t just herself who’d been keeping secrets. Trust Saher? How could she when he was already working in secret against her. No, she’d continue her plans, she’d hide her silver where he could never discover it and it would be there for her when she needed it.

“Is he now?” She glanced at Birghiva. “We must leave soon. But first I must bathe.” Rowena frowned at Birghiva’s grin.

“I’ve the maid heating up the water for your bath, my lady.”

Birghiva left the room and Rowena grabbed a robe, and pulled it around her, and walked over to the narrow window that looked out across the gentle wooded and rolling hills, up to the tower.

She’d given her body to the man and she’d enjoyed it. Enjoyed him. But she couldn’t forget what men were capable of. If life with this stranger became unbearable, the silver would buy her a future should she need it—a future her mother had never had.

The day was hot and the ride arduous across the land, rich with swaying crops of wheat and barley. The rattle of the cart, heavy with casks of coin, masquerading as barrels of wine, was reassuring. They held enough money to buy a King’s ransom… or a woman’s freedom.

Rowena didn’t let up the fast pace until they reached a river where the horses needed to drink. She sat under the shade of the tree and closed her eyes against the reflections of light on water, her mind drifting back to Saher during the night—his cock driving into her, taking her to heights of pleasure she’d never imagined. And then, afterwards how he’d drawn her into his arms, arms that were thick and muscled and yet held her gently, as if she were someone to be reverenced. She’d never felt reverenced before.

She drew in a long breath, trying to calm her heart that raced at the thought of their lovemaking, and at the secretive, dangerous plan she was now undertaking. A man like Saher who’d sworn loyalty to the King, a man who hated deceit—a man like that would not forgive her actions.

Suddenly she felt a shadow pass over her and shouts from her men. Alarmed, she opened her eyes and looked around. Saher stood watching her, his expression furious. She jumped up and stepped away from him, from his powerful body that cast a darkness over her, away from his glowering eyes and fierce frown.

“Sir Saher! I did not expect—”

“That much, my lady, I know. What I do not know and what I wish you to tell me, is where you are going this fine day.”

She shook her head and tried, unsuccessfully, to tamp down her fear. “To… to see my sister and aunt at the Priory.”

“Is that so?” He came towards her and she moved back, but her way was blocked by a large oak tree. But he did not approach her. Instead he looked over to the cart, laden with casks. “And you are thoughtfully taking good wine to your family, I see.”

“I take them gifts when I go.”

“Really? Generous gifts, too, I should imagine.” He cast an eye around her heavily armed men. “If your guards are any indication.” He walked over and pushed one of the barrels and she heard the rattle of coin. “Enlighten me, lady?”

She shook her head, trying to conjure up some tale that would withstand his scrutiny. But, before she could speak, he’d walked up to her and pressed his finger against her mouth. “Nay. I don’t wish to hear your lies.” He let his hand drop. “’Tis the coin I heard whisper of at Cley. Silver I’d heard rumour of long before I came here. Your father was suspected of smuggling but it could never be proven.” He raised one angry eyebrow. “Until now.”

She gasped. “You wouldn’t.”

“You’re right, I wouldn’t. I’m less interested in that, than I am its destination. The priory, you say?” He looked away from her, his mouth a grim line of disappointment. “You wished to leave me, then.”

There was something other than anger in his voice now. Something that found its way past her fears and defences, and filled her with regret. “No. I wasn’t going to leave. But I was making sure I’d be able to in the future, if…”

“If you needed to escape me,” he completed. He nodded and turned away, looking out across the tumbling stream to the swaying willows on the far side. “But you lied, Rowena. You didn’t need to lie. You see”—he walked up to her but didn’t touch her, his eyes roving over her face—“I understand. You should have trusted me.”

“Trust you? You came to the castle, a stranger, insisting on taking over my life. Trust you, when I hardly know you?”

He looked around, avoiding her face, taking the measure of her words. Then he sighed. “We were not strangers in bed, in each other’s arms, though were we, my lady?”

She bit her lip, trying to stop the swell of emotion from totally preventing her from thinking straight, and shook her head. “What do I know of lovemaking? For all I know, the experience with me was the same as with all your other women.” But even as she said it, she knew it to be a lie. The previous night had been more than just two bodies coming together in mutual pleasure. She’d felt it. And she knew
he’d
felt it. But she’d mistrusted those feelings. “Besides, I am not the only person with secrets. You… you have your own plans, so I hear. Secret plans to demolish estate buildings and to rebuild. Plans I know nothing about.”

He didn’t say anything for long moments, only looked at her in a way that confused her. Then he stepped toward her and she backed up until she couldn’t move. The bark of the oak tree dug into her hot back. He didn’t come any further, merely extended his hand. “Come. I will show you what it is I’ve done.”

“Already? You didn’t waste any time, did you?”

“Not with something so important, I didn’t. I didn’t go to Norwich this morning, I considered other work to be more important. Come.”

He lifted her up onto his horse, leaped up behind, and they galloped off, her men slowly turning the lumbering carts around to follow them.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

It was early evening by the time they reached Gresham land. A flock of birds flew low over the golden fields of wheat and barley. Men who’d been giving the fallow field a second plough, were returning to their homes. They shot curious glances at Rowena and Saher, but Saher didn’t halt his progress.

He hadn’t spoken to her all the way back, had simply held her firmly in his arms and yet, despite the circumstances, Rowena felt safe, secure. She wondered as to their destination—they’d ridden past the estate cottages, the church, the mill and brewery, places where she’d imagined they’d been heading. She looked up at him but his gaze remained steadily ahead of him.