The Bastard Son (Winds of Change Book 2) (2 page)

Her mind raced.
Where have I left the pistol? By the bedside. How foolish to let my guard down after all this time.

To her horror, she watched the horse head to the stables.
Was there only one horse? A single rider? Could he have only sent one after her?
She didn’t have much time. Soon the rider would learn of her existence with the inevitable discovery of the horse.

Rushing into the bedroom, she grabbed the pistol and eased out the window. She would get only one chance to catch the intruder by surprise.

She knew the countryside well enough, but she needed the horse to get far away…as far as she could. She didn’t have a plan, only the instinct to survive another day.

Stepping lightly, she made her way across the lawn to the barn door and slid through the opening into darkness. Slowly, her eyes adjusted as she raised her pistol. She saw a saddled horse tied to a railing, but the animal saw her as well and nickered.

Lord save her! Where was the intruder?
She glanced side to side with each deliberate step. Suddenly, she heard footsteps behind her. Too late, she turned.

Abruptly, someone grabbed her arm and whirled her around against the stable door. Her pistol fell harmlessly behind the horse, but the impact sent her reeling to the floor.

Oh, Mother of all things good! What was she to do?
Frantically, she got to her knees and regained her footing. Bolting out of the barn, she ran, but her assailant was quicker. He lunged for her, catching her feet. She fell headfirst against an unforgiving ground with such force it took her breath away.

She couldn’t breathe; her head hurt. She tried to stand, but lost her balance. Her eyes wouldn’t focus. Though, she could make out a face and eyes…such handsome eyes. She knew nothing else as she descended into darkness.

Riding out to the farm, Sumner began to question the wisdom of arriving in the dead of night at an abandoned home. The thought of a squatter already being there had crossed his mind. At one point, he almost turned back, but exhaustion set in. He wanted only to find a bed. Never did he expect to find a strange woman in his house. What the bloody hell was she doing out here alone?

Carrying the unconscious woman into the house, he laid her down in the front bedroom and studied her for a moment. She certainly didn’t look like a homeless vagrant.

From the look of the room, she had been here awhile. A dress hung over the back of a cushioned chair; slippers sat under the bed. His gaze fell back upon the woman. Running his hand through his hair, he sighed. What was he supposed to do with her now?

Tackling her to the ground, she had taken a hard hit. Leaning down, he felt the bump on the side of her head.

Moaning at his touch, she began to mutter unintelligible words. At least, he hadn’t killed the poor thing. The little fool was lucky in that regard. He didn’t know what to expect when he entered the barn and saw the stabled horse. It caught him by surprise.

Riding up to the house, there was no indication of life. No light or noise, but seeing the horse put him on immediate alert. The sound of cracking twigs and dried leaves when he dismounted prepared Sumner for an assault.

In the shadows, he made out the pistol, cocked and readied to fire. He reacted with brute force…that was until he realized his assailant was a young woman, a beautiful one at that.

Staring at her now, he was mesmerized by the way the moonlight reflected off her ivory skin. His gaze traveled from her lovely oval face down to her bare feet. He hadn’t looked upon a woman in this manner for a long time.

The sheer fabric of the white nightdress hung from her shoulders, leaving her arms bare and revealing the swell of her breasts. Her hair was as dark as night and hung unbound over her shoulders and down her back. He wondered what color her eyes were, but her features were fine and delicate.

She tossed and turned, and he wondered at her comfort. Clutching her hand into a fist, she hit it against the mattress. She was distressed…of course she was! He had knocked her out, but Lord have mercy on him. He must be in a bad state for he couldn’t take his eyes off of her.

Questions raked his mind. Who was she? Who was she running from, because it was clear to him she was hiding from someone—her father or an abusive husband? In that, he didn’t know, but there were a few things he had already discerned about her. She didn’t frighten easily, knew how to fight, and by God, she was lovely.

* * * *

Sumner combed the house for signs of another soul, but could find none. In the dim lantern light, the house seemed immaculate. There were no other clothes lying around or bed unmade. He wanted no more surprises, but felt confident she was alone.

Returning to her bedside with a chair, he sat. She was restless and it worried him. Lying there, she looked so vulnerable…so helpless.

“What has brought you here?” he murmured. He received no answer and expected none.

Shaking his head, he reprimanded himself. He had a mission to complete and no time or desire to deviate from the path before him. He certainly wasn’t going to let some woman…a trespasser…shake his resolve.

He decided he would see to her care until Warren showed in the afternoon, and then he would send her back with him. Warren was a good man with a wife and family. He held no doubt Warren would show her Christian compassion no matter her reason for hiding.

If not, he would have to devise another plan. One thing was for certain. He couldn’t have her in this house, not now. She would become more of a distraction than she already was.

He leaned his chair back against the wall and shut his eyes, finding a semblance of solace in sleep. Suddenly, he awoke to a scream.

The woman had bolted upright in bed. Even in the darkness, he saw her eyes widen in fear. She screamed again, a high-pitched screech, and retreated off the bed, backing against the wall.

“No! Please no! They have done nothing!” Her voice was shrill with rising hysteria.

Feeling helpless as a child, Sumner hesitated on his course of action. He knew well how to fight. He had done battle with the British for well over five years. He knew how to tend to the land and have seeds sprout up in a glorious harvest, but to give comfort…in that, he didn’t know.

“You are safe,” he offered, but in return, she screeched louder.

Rising, he looked toward the open door. In the still of the night, who would the screams disturb? He could leave her until her crying ceased. What harm could she do in this state? She would have to eventually stop.

He slipped out into the hall, but glanced back. Grimacing, he stopped. What in the world could he do, he didn’t know, but he couldn’t leave the woman in such a state. Was he a coward? He had never been called one before and wouldn’t begin this night.

Walking back into the room, he swept her into his arms and fought off her attempt to push him back. He held her tight until she hadn’t the energy to fight anymore. She collapsed into his arms.

Sumner eased onto the bed with her in his arms. She laid her head on his shoulder and he whispered comforting words while tears fell heedlessly down her cheeks. She clung to him.

A warmth surfaced within him as he looked down upon this woman. He made no attempt to withdraw and held her until she slept once more.

* * * *

Jane woke with a sudden jolt. Sunlight filtered in the open window announcing a new day, but something wasn’t right. To her dismay, her dreams had returned with a vengeance and the horror of that day relived.

Her head ached; there was a ringing in her ears. She rose in stunning realization that she lay within someone’s arms. Her eyes wide with shock, she stared at her bed companion as memories of the night resurfaced. Good Lord! It had to be the intruder!

Quickly, the man leaped out of bed. Disheveled himself, he hastened to quiet her. “I’m certain you are confused, but I only gave you comfort. You were having a bad time, and it seemed the only manner to calm you.”

Gasping, she was lost for words and could only stare at the tall, rugged stranger. His dark hair fell to his broad shoulders. His muscles bulged beneath his unbuttoned shirt. His intense eyes held hers. Not in a manner that scared her, but in a way that made blood rush to her cheeks.

Regarding him with trepidation, she asked, “Are you not from the Williamsons’ gang?”

“Heavens no!” he declared. His reaction was instantaneous. Then as suddenly, his manner eased. “Good Lord, you aren’t hiding from Bloody Benny?”

She gave no answer but tried to stand. Rising from the bed too quickly, she stumbled. He caught her in his strong arms.

“I’m fine,” she protested. “I need only to leave. I have my horse.”

He made no effort to release his grip upon her. Instead, he said, “I believe you have need to rest further. Since I’m the cause of your injury, I must insist you stay.”

“Insist?” she questioned. “Obviously, I’m a trespasser and have no right to be here, but if you weren’t sent from Bloody Benny, who are you?”

“I own this place,” Sumner said forthwith. “Old man Beltcher was my caretaker.”

Her face fell, and the color drained from her face. “I beg forgiveness. I will take my leave.”

“There is no need until you have gathered your strength, but, pray tell me, why you would have attempted such an action last night? You could have gotten yourself killed.”

“What would you do if Bloody Benny was after you?” An awkward silence ensued. After a long moment, she said, “I beg your forgiveness in partaking of what was yours. When I’m settled, I give you my word I will repay you in full.”

She moved forward, but a hand went to her head, and her legs wobbled. In her next breath, he had her in his arms and placed her back upon the bed.

“We will talk further when you have recovered sufficiently,” he said firmly. “Until then, I will find us something for breakfast. My supplies won’t be here until the afternoon, but I assume there is something I can dig up to eat.”

She gave him a slight nod and laid her head on the pillow. His voice was soothing, and he had been kind despite her invasion of his home. Somehow she found comfort in that knowledge. But if she knew anything, she knew she needed to leave.

* * * *

The stranger took his time returning. When he did so, he carried in a tray of food. Jane took note of his dress. A backwoods man, no doubt.

“You will find I’m not much of a cook,” he said, placing the meager offerings on a bedside table. “I brought only what I could find in the kitchen, some peaches and stale bread. Is this what you have survived on?”

“It is enough for my needs.”

He frowned. “It is no matter. I have supplies coming this afternoon. Parker from the general store in Hanging Rock Creek is delivering them. Do you know of him? Are you from this area?”

Lowering her gaze, she said simply, “Yes.”

A look of amusement passed over his face. He sat on the edge of the bed. “You are not going to make this easy for me…making me pull information out of you.” Tilting his head to the side, he forced her to look at him. “This is what I have surmised at this point. You have been here a while and you are in hiding from one of the most notorious of Loyalist raiders, which makes you either extremely brave or foolish.”

“What does it matter to you? I will be leaving here soon enough. I need only to dress.”

“It is dangerous for a woman to travel alone.”

“I have my pistol.” She glanced around the room. “What have you done with it?”

“It is useless…old and the barrel leans to the right. I would wage it doesn’t shoot straight and could possibly backfire.”

She wanted to say she was well aware of that fact. It was why she was here, why she had failed in her attempt to right a wrong…why Bloody Benny was after her.

“Ah, that you knew.”

Emotion tightened her expression. She tensed, suddenly feeling like a caged animal. An overwhelming sensation swept through her. She needed to escape from his scrutiny. Her chin rose and her eyes sparked defiance.

He met her eyes with his own stubbornness. Reaching over, he took her hand in his. Her heart palpitated, his closeness distracted her.

“Perhaps I should back up and introduce myself. My name is Sumner. I hold to the Patriot cause and fight in the militia. I don’t know which side you hold to, but it is little matter to me. I do not harm defenseless women. I am offering you my help. Where is your family?”

The memory of her family brought her back to her senses. Her eyes narrowed. She had no intention of sharing her story with him. “I have none, but it is no matter. I’m not your concern.”

“I wish that was true for I have no time for this, but given you have no one to look after you and you are within my house, my care…my bed…”

For the first time, she became acutely aware of his eyes upon her. He seemed quite amused at her expense. Taking deep breaths to calm herself, she felt flushed. Pushing back the covers, she almost leaped from the bed to the floor.

Of all the conceit! To think she had begun to trust him…somewhat. She turned to grab her dress off the chair back, but he took her hand and stopped her.

“You don’t need to do this. Truly, I meant no offense and apologize. I have no excuse except it has been a long time since I was in the company of a beautiful woman.”

“I feel so stupid…and foolish.”

“There is no need. You have done what you must to survive, but you are safe now.”

Suddenly, she had a great need to be held and made no protest when he wrapped his arms about her. She nestled closer and he held her tighter.

Holding her in this manner, he became aware of the feel of her body. His concern mingled with a growing desire. He should let her go. Hell, he should saddle her horse himself and see her down the road.

Instead, he pressed a kiss on her head in a reassuring manner. She looked up at him. He tried to control the urge within him as a moment passed between them. Their stunning intimacy made him too conscious of her. Not heeding the voice of reason, he kissed her.

A strange, unknown feeling seized Jane. His embrace, so soft and safe, awakened a need. Her lips entrapped with his, warmed her whole body. She did not step back; she wasn’t sure if she could.

Her eyes closed in acceptance of the strength of his embrace. Brushing kisses along her throat, he mesmerized her. Her befuddled mind pushed aside the nagging voice within that whispered the danger she was in…she was well beyond caring. It felt so wonderful.

His lips found hers again and greedily devoured them. Confusion, shock, fear reigned in her, yet were overcome by a series of pleasurable sensations that stirred a passion she had never known.

In one swift motion, he swept her up and laid her on the bed. A moment later, he was beside her, running his hand through her hair. She yielded to the warmth of his embrace with a stark realization of the need for this human connection.

His kisses became more demanding and his caresses bolder. She trembled under his command. He touched her body in shocking intimacy, cupping her breast through the sheer material. His breath hot against her, his lips kissed her skin above her gown and then downward, nipping at her breast, teasing her unmercifully.