Seduction Becomes Her (7 page)

From his perch atop the rocks, Charles glanced down to where she sat awkwardly on the floor of the cave, her right foot buried to above the ankle by several large rocks. Having heard their approach, she looked up, astonishment on her face when she recognized Charles.

The dwindling firelight caressed her strained features, a smudge darkened one cheek, and her hair fell around her shoulders in a tangled cloud of black silk, and as he stared down at her, Charles had the strangest sensation, as if the earth moved beneath his feet. How very,
very
interesting, Charles thought, intrigued by his reaction to her.

Clearly, she felt nothing similar. Staring up at him, she exclaimed in tones of displeasure, “You! What are you doing here?”

“He’s come to help us,” said Adrian happily as he joined Charles, and the two of them clambered down the other side of the rockfall. “He sent Lord Trevillyan after the servants.” Beaming at his sister, he added, “You’ll be free and out of here in no time, Daffy. Mr. Weston will see to it.”

The worshipping gaze Adrian sent Mr. Weston made Daphne’s lips tighten. Seeing her reaction, Charles grinned, and squatting down near her, he murmured, “April and Adrian have already expressed their sincere gratitude for my help, so I’ll just take yours as a given.”

She took in a deep breath and putting forth a patently false smile, said, “Why, I thank you, too, sir. We are most grateful for your assistance.”

Charles almost laughed in her face. For some reason, he appeared to be the last person she wanted to help her, and he found that very interesting, too.

“How badly are you hurt?” he asked, turning his attention to the matter at hand.

“I’m not hurt at all,” she said, grateful for the change of subject. “It is just that my wretched foot is firmly caught. Adrian and April tried to move the rocks, but they were not strong enough. The rocks are tightly wedged together.”

“Well, let us see what can be done,” Charles said, standing upright.

As she had said, the rocks were wedged together, and nothing that he and Adrian did could make them budge. Taking off his jacket in order to have more freedom of movement, Charles placed it around Daphne’s shoulders and returned once more to the fray.

The small fire was dying, and with the setting of the sun, even inside the cave the air was cooler, and Daphne was glad of the extra warmth, even if it came from Mr. Weston’s jacket. Her own comfort was the least of her worries, though, and she asked, “Is April all right? She doesn’t like the dark, you know. Adrian, perhaps you should go to her and see that all is well.”

“Do not worry about April,” Charles answered when he stopped to catch his breath, having struggled for several minutes with the stubborn rocks. “She is getting more firewood, and I’m sure that she will build up the fire to keep the dark at bay. She seems a sensible young woman.”

“Of course she is,” Daphne said sharply. “It is just that I worry about her. She is—”

“I think right now, you should be more worried about yourself,” Charles interrupted.

What a rude, overbearing man, Daphne thought, deciding that her first assessment of him had been correct. Even if he was handsome as the devil and even if he was helping her, he was still rude. He had no reason, she decided resentfully, to dismiss her worries about her sister that way.

Charles glanced around, not liking the steep angle of rock nor the fact that several more boulders seemed poised to come tumbling down. If there was another slide…His lips thinned. There was, he admitted uneasily, the very real possibility that the cave could be blocked…with Daphne in danger of being buried beneath the rubble or at the very least, trapped on the other side. With renewed urgency, he attacked the rocks, keeping a wary eye on the boulders above them.

Feeling a slight give of the main rock pinning Daphne’s foot, he had a surge of satisfaction, which quickly died as more stones and small boulders dribbled around them. His eyes met Daphne’s, the awareness in those big hazel eyes making him realize that she perceived the danger, too. Beautiful and intelligent, too, he thought, his gaze locked on hers.

They exchanged a speaking glance before she said quietly, “Adrian, my fire is running low and likely to go out if I do not have more fuel. Would you please see if April has gathered enough driftwood to spare some for me?”

Adrian hesitated, looking from one adult to the other, perhaps sensing something was in the wind.

“Your sister’s suggestion is wise,” Charles said. “We do not have any idea how long it will take us to free her—the light from the fire is helpful as well as keeping her from getting chilled.” He flashed him a smile. “And your absence will give me a chance to catch my breath.”

Beautiful, intelligent, and brave, Charles decided, wondering idly what Julian would make of her. Not that it mattered.

Adrian set his jaw, and Daphne’s heart sank. Oh, dear. He was going to be stubborn.

Before she could speak, Charles said gently, “This is no easy task—it’s going be a long night. We do need that driftwood.”

Adrian nodded and said, “Very well. I shall not be gone but a moment.”

Only when her brother was safely out of earshot did Daphne speak. Her voice steady, despite the anxiety Charles glimpsed in her eyes, she said, “Shouldn’t you go with him?”

“What? And leave a damsel in distress?” he demanded, a faint smile playing around his mouth. “Now what sort of hero would that make me?”

“A live one,” she said tightly.

Several larger rocks suddenly gave way and bounced and rolled to the ground near them.

“More like a live coward,” he said. “A role, I must admit, that does not appeal to me.”

“This is no time to jest,” Daphne said from between gritted teeth. “You know as well as I do that the rest of those rocks could come down at any time. There is no reason for you to stay.”

“And I think there is every reason for me to remain,” he said calmly.

“Mr. Weston, you must leave. It is not safe,” she argued. “You must save yourself or at least wait until we have more help and can perhaps stabilize the rocks.”

Ignoring her, Charles studied the boulders one more time, and his mouth set in a grim line, he tackled the rocks around her foot again. His heart leapt as there was another shift of the rocks that held her fast, and he yelled at Daphne, “Pull! Pull for all you are worth.”

She obeyed him, hope springing through her when her foot moved ever so slightly. Bracing her hands on the cave floor, she pulled and twisted her leg, ignoring the pain that shot through her, her pulse jumping when her foot slid another inch toward freedom. She struggled violently for a moment, but her foot was still trapped. “I cannot free it. I am not strong enough.” she uttered in disappointment. “The rocks are looser, but not enough.”

There was another shower of rocks and boulders, and dust filled the air, leaving both of them coughing. Charles looked back at her. “Go,” she said softly. “Go. Save yourself.”

“Like bloody hell,” he snarled, and his face grim, he put his shoulder against the rock and pushed with every muscle he possessed. There was a grinding sound, more boulders and rocky debris clattered down around them, but Charles felt the rock move, and he shouted, “Try now!”

Tears of frustration running down her cheeks, Daphne pulled and wiggled and fought with every ounce of her being. Exhaustion and fear took its toll—her ankle was bloody and torn, but she still struggled, the smallest movements giving her the hope to keep trying. But it was no use.

“I cannot,” she cried out in desperation. “I’m able to move it a little, but not enough. I am not strong enough.”

“Yes, you are,” he said harshly. “And by God, you are going to pull yourself free.” His shoulder against the boulder, he looked back at her. “We’ll do it, Daffy. We’ll do it. I’ll move this bloody rock, and when I do, you pull, damn it, you pull!”

He set his shoulder against the unyielding surface, pushed until his muscles screamed in agony, but the rock moved, and he heard Daphne’s triumphant shout when her foot slid free. A shower of rocks and boulders crashed down, and Charles barely had enough time to jump away before they struck where he had been standing only a moment before.

Breathing heavily, Charles knelt down beside Daphne, wincing when he saw the state of her mangled ankle in the glowing embers of the fire. She looked up at him. “It looks terrible, I know, but nothing is broken except skin.” She hesitated. “Thank you. I am most grateful for your efforts on my behalf.”

“Can you stand on it?”

“I think so, although it will probably be a little numb at first.”

He helped her to her feet and though she flinched when she applied weight to her foot, with Charles’s support under her arm, she was able to stand.

She smiled ruefully. “I won’t be going exploring any time soon, I can tell you that.”

“You were foolhardy to do so today,” Charles said bluntly. “We were lucky. This tale could have had a very different ending.” As he stared down into her dirt-and tear-stained face, the knowledge that she could have died today, that he might never have had the opportunity to know her terrified him and infuriated him at the same time, all the more so because he couldn’t explain his emotions. His hands closed around her shoulders, and he shook her. “Do you realize how easily you could have died?” he growled. “Those rocks could have given way at any time, and not only you but also your brother and sister could have been trapped in here. No one would have known where you were or where to look for you—did you think of that before you had the shatterbrained notion to go exploring by yourselves?”

Any gratitude she felt for his help evaporated, and Daphne drew herself up proudly. “I am sincerely grateful for your help,” she said stiffly, “but that doesn’t give you the right to rip at me in this fashion. Today’s event was unfortunate, I will concede that fact, but it could have happened to anyone, and I don’t take kindly to your criticism.”

“At the moment, I don’t much give a damn what you think,” Charles snapped, still gripped by his unexplained emotions.

“Which is just as well,” she shot back, the light of battle in her fine eyes, “since I don’t give a jot if I ever see or hear from you again. You are the most overbearing, arrogant man I have ever met.”

“That I may be, but at least I don’t need a keeper—and you sure as the devil do!”

The sounds of approaching voices made them look in that direction. It was then that Daphne noticed how small the opening was that led to the other side of the cave. All the many slides had added to the jumble of rock and boulders, and where before one could scramble through the opening, it now looked too small even for a child to manage. But she wasn’t worried, at least not exactly. It was going to take awhile, but the opening could be widened, and now that help had arrived, they’d be out of here in no time. And the sooner she was away from the detestable Mr. Charles Weston, the better.

Adrian’s head and shoulders appeared in the opening, his features anxious. Seeing Daphne standing upright, a huge smile broke across his face. “You’re free!” he exclaimed. “Mr. Weston freed you!”

“Yes, he did,” Daphne said coolly, not at all happy at being indebted to Mr. Weston. “And now all we need is to widen that breach, and I shall be out of here.”

“It will not take us long,” Adrian said. “A half dozen of our servants have arrived, and they brought broth, bread and cheese, and blankets, and something to fashion a sling—all sorts of things.” Awe in his voice, he added, “Lord Trevillyan is here, too. He said since he knew exactly where we were, that it would be best if he led the servants here. Wasn’t that nice of him?”

“Yes, it was,” Charles agreed. “I assume the servants brought some pickaxes and what have you to dig us out?”

“Yes, yes, they did. We shall start immediately.” He grinned at his sister. “We shall have you out of here in no time, Daffy.”

Daphne sincerely hoped so. Her foot ached, and despite Mr. Weston’s jacket still draped around her shoulders, she was growing chilled and hungry.

Having a good idea of her condition, Charles stepped away from her and called up to Adrian, “This is going to take a while. Before you start, why don’t you pass through some blankets and some of the food.” He glanced down at the dying fire and added, “And if there’s any extra wood, we’ll take that, too. I think your sister would be much more comfortable while we wait.”

Adrian agreed, and a few minutes later, a heavy quilt, some blankets, a torch, a half dozen large pieces of driftwood, and a basket of crammed with food was lowered down to Charles. In minutes, the fire was burning merrily. Daphne politely returned Charles his jacket, and she was now wrapped in the heavy quilt and feeling almost toasty. The basket contained a bottle of wine, some bread and cheese, and cold chicken and fruit. A simple meal, but as she took a bite of the chicken, Daphne decided she had never tasted anything so heavenly.

Work began on widening the opening, the clank of the pickax against the boulders and rocks ringing through the cave. Charles had lit the torch, and by its light, they watched the progress. The work continued smoothly, and to Daphne, it looked as if the hole had already doubled in size.

With rescue in sight, feeling in charity with him, she smiled at Charles and said, “We shall, indeed, be out of here in no time.”

The words no sooner left her mouth then there was an ominous rumble. In horror, she looked up. The entire roof of the cave seemed to implode as huge rocks, boulders, and a shower of dirt came crashing down on them.

Charles leaped forward and grabbed Daphne, dragging her away from the worst of the falling debris. The air was filled with dust, and they both coughed, choking on the fine particles.

The rumble lasted for only a few seconds, and then there was utter silence. Looking upward in the wavering torch-light, Daphne’s heart sank right to her toes. There was no sign of any opening at all. Before them lay a solid wall of rock and boulders. Their escape route had been obliterated.

Her eyes full of dismay, she glanced at Charles. He, too, had been studying the rocky wall before them. Feeling her gaze upon him, he looked at her.