The Kiss (3 page)

“And now it’s a holiday Estate?”

Finn nodded.

“He sold it? The Earl I mean?”

Finn looked around uneasily. “I’m not sure, maybe.”

Eva guessed that the unnamed Earl must
have run out of
money, something Finn was uncomfortable talking about. So many country houses
had been put in trust or sold, they were just too much for the families to
maintain. Eva didn’t think there was any shame in that but then she’d been
living off out of date food, and squeezing into tight clothes for the last few
months. She had little shame left.

“I’ll show you the way in then, miss,” Finn said.

They walked towards the house, Finn gallantly carrying Eva’s only
bag, she trying to take in everything at once. The twin turrets seemed to
stretch forever, the gargoyles were a perfect shade of white and the
fountain... she stopped.

The fountain was breathtaking but what really captured Eva’s
attention was the statue sat right in the middle of it. Like the others it too
was looking at the sky, unlike the others its modesty was covered by a cloth
draped across its hips. It was a he and Eva suspected he had been modeled on
Adonis—with one rather large alteration that the alabaster cloth did little to
hide.

Her heart raced, adrenaline flooded her and she swallowed dryly.

“Come along miss.” Finn’s voice reached her and Eva exhaled the
breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. 

Shaking herself she puzzled at her own reaction. Sure, decent
food was not the only thing she’d had to go without over the last few months
but it wasn’t like the damn thing was real. She sighed imperceptibly, there was
no denying that the statue was beautiful and the man, were he real, would be
something to behold. It was a pity Eva couldn’t see his face, but the body
would be enough to grace any canvas.

She hurried after Finn and then asked the question that had
niggled her since they turned onto the lane. “Finn, why do the statues all look
upwards?”

Finn pushed open the massive double doors of the house and cast
her and odd glance. “I don’t know, I never noticed.”

She started.
How could he not have noticed? It was pretty
freaking obvious. “We’re the statues built at the same time as the house?”

“They’re just statues miss,” he replied casting, what Eva thought,
was an uneasy sort of look. “Pay no attention to them.”

“I was just curious,” she said trying to reassure him. Maybe the
statues were worth a lot of money and he didn’t want her messing around with
them?

“Pay them no mind,” he added. “Just ignore them for the time
being.”

The time being? Eva wondered what he meant, he wasn’t making any
sense, unless, bloody hell Eva hoped she wasn’t expected to clean them. That
would be some job and one she wouldn’t relish in the winter air. The very
thought of cold water dripping down her arms made her shiver. “Finn...” she
began, but he shook his head and looked at his feet.

 “Just leave it be, miss, leave them be. Come on I’ll show you to
your room.”

  And with that Eva had no choice but to follow.

Chapter
Four

It had been weeks since Adam had gone for a ride. Most days he
spent in bed recovering from the previous night’s excesses or, when he had to,
working on the accounts.  He also disliked jaunting around at night, that said
most nights he was usually to inebriated too think about saddling a horse—so
riding was a rare event.

Today was different. He’d awoken relatively headache free and had
decided there and then to ride his Estate. He couldn’t remember the last time
he’d visited his tenants, he usually left it up to Finn, but despite himself he
was interested in a vague sort of way to see how they fared.

He passed the mill and tried to remember the names of the families
in the small farms by the river. There must be three families living in the
tiny houses, though he had no idea who they might be, or anything else about
them. He urged his horse a little faster and tried to think of things he might
say to the people whose livelihood depended on him, nothing came to mind. Finn
usually dealt with all the tenants, complaints, requests—everything really.
Adam rarely bothered. His sole contribution to running the Estate was casting
an eye over the accounts and making sure their investments were thriving.

Hardly taxing work but something he was damn good at when sober.

Today was different, the lack of pounding along his brow was a
welcome event and Adam couldn’t help but feel self congratulatory about his
moderation over the last several nights. Something had changed, something was
clicking into place.

The brandy burned more than ever and he found himself avoiding
it. Lila’s charms had disappeared completely and he’d settled her in a
comfortable room of her own, and his house guests... he was ready and more to
be rid of them, intended in fact to ask them to leave this very evening
.
Start the New Year in the right way.

Yes, moderation was difficult but not as hard as he’d expected.
Maybe
I really am growing up?

He breathed deeply of the crisp country air and considered his
guests. On the whole they weren’t a bad bunch. Bored, rich and idle, like him,
but not malicious. They needed direction, something to steer them along the
right path, though Lord Felton... Adam frowned, Lord Felton ticked the bored,
rich an idle boxes, and the malicious one as well.

A decade older than Adam, he’d had time and more, to find some
direction in life. The fact that he lived a life of absolute dissipation
suggested he neither wanted, nor would care to be shown a different path.

Adam shook his head and galloped across the field, unsure how the
peer had even been invited. They weren’t friends, just acquaintances. Adam
couldn’t even remember how it had come about.

His mind skipped to the events of the previous night and he
galloped a little faster. Felton had disgraced himself again, parading his
ladybird around in a dress so scandalous even Adam was shocked. He’d also been
surprised by the stirrings of pity he’d felt for the young girl whose name he
didn’t even know.

By the time Felton had, once again, suggested a swap Adam was
disgusted by the idea. Certainly he’d done worse in the past, and maybe it was
due to his current efforts towards moderation, but he felt slightly shamed by
that now.

Slowing his horse to a trot and rounding the corner of an
outbuilding Adam found himself wishing he’d never given the damn house party.
He couldn’t even remember now why he did. Boredom? Loneliness?  A wish not to
spend the festive period by himself? Regardless he should never have allowed
Lord Felton to be part of it.

The outbuilding was long and narrow and Adam took the opportunity
to pause and give his mount a well deserved rest. The beast was eager to
continue but Adam didn’t want to wear him out on their first outing in so long.
A descendant of the first gift he’d received from his father, Adam was hardly
surprised when shame stirred over his lack of care towards his animal.

“Rest, Sirrah,” Adam whispered and the horse bent his head to the
ground. “I promise we’ll go out and about again tomorrow.”

Adam would spend many years in the future thinking about that
moment, too many in fact. How different life would have been if he’d just
galloped on, if he hadn’t decided to ride at all, if the voice of his Papa had not
finally caught up with him. How one’s life can change in a single fleeting
instant...

Had he rode on he would never have heard it.

It was faint but audible all the same, crying, sobbing and...
laughter. Adam paused and patted Sirrah’s neck. “Shhh boy, shhh.”

There it was again, a wrenching sob followed by a laugh. Hairs
stood along the back of Adam’s neck. The laugh was familiar, too familiar.
Please
do not let it be who I think it is.

He edged Sirrah closer to the building and tried to pinpoint
exactly where the sounds were coming from. A door, slightly inside the
building’s facade, Adam could just see it and the sounds were originating
there.

Swinging down he patted his mount. Despite their infrequent
outings the beast was loyal and would stay where he was until Adam returned.

Quietly Adam edged along the side of the building, trepidation
building in his stomach. Something told him that he was not going to like what
he saw when he walked through the door.

He was not wrong.

“Felton! What the hell are you doing man?”

Lord Felton turned, grinned, and lifted himself away from the
woman beneath him. No, Adam corrected himself in horror, the girl, for she was
barely into her teens.

“Winterwood, a happy coincidence to see you here, though as you
can see I’m not quite finished... so if you wouldn’t mind...” Felton waved a
hand over the girl who trembled and clutched pathetically at her ripped bodice.

Adam took a deep breath to contain the bile he could feel rising.
The girl looked at him, pleading in her eyes, sobs wracking her slight frame.
Jesus
Christ.

“Get off her immediately,” Adam roared.

“You can wait your turn, Adam, surely?” Felton asked, a wide,
nasty grin splitting his face. “Another few minutes and I’ll be done, then
she’s all yours. Her maidenhood might be gone but she’s still as fresh as any
I’ve ever seen. Plenty to go round.”

Adam could not believe the words spewing from Felton’s mouth,
could not believe that the man had suggested anything so vile. Before he even
thought it through Adam lifted his riding crop and slashed out at the older
Lord.

Felton fell, literally, his manhood falling flaccidly from the
girl—leaving her exposed to Adam’s gaze. Horrified, Adam hurriedly averted his
eyes from her, wincing at the pool of blood he could see in-between her legs.

“Me’lor’ please,” the girl whimpered and Adam had no option but
go to her.

“What the hell is wrong with you Winterwood?” Felton screamed,
rising to his feet and closing his breeches.

“She’s a child, Felton, nothing more than a child!” Adam tucked
her skirts around her as best he could, trying not to look at the bruises and
bite marks he could see marring her skin. She trembled as he tended to her,
shivers racing through her pale frame. Adam had never felt so sick, never felt
so ashamed. The bitter bile rose and it took everything he had to keep it down.
Because this was his fault, he’d allowed Felton onto his Estate, allowed him to
abuse one of his people.

You break everything...

“A commoner Adam, nothing more than a commoner. Ours for the
taking.”

“She’s an innocent,” Adam bellowed, rising too.

“Not anymore,” Felton replied and Adam had to swallow the bitter
bile again. “I’m surprised though that you didn’t sample her yourself long
before now.”

“I don’t trifle with children!” Adam shouted, lifting the riding
crop again.

“She’s woman enough.”

Adam looked down at the girl. Her face was red and puffy, bruises
shining along her cheeks. She looked no older than thirteen, if that. There was
nothing womanly about her.

“You’re a disgrace, Felton,” Adam said and even he was surprised
to hear the steel in his voice.

Adam lifted the riding crop and slashed it out. It caught the
Lord on his face and he screamed. Adam did not stop; again and again he whipped
Felton, welts rising along the man’s arms, his face, everywhere. Every bad
feeling Adam held within him, every bit of disgust and shame channeled along
the crop and onto Felton. Adam could have carried on forever and only the
renewed crying of the girl brought him to his senses.

“Get the hell off my land, Felton, and if I ever see you again
I’ll make that whipping permanent, do you understand?”

Curled into a ball, shudders wracking his frame, Felton could do
nothing but whimper. Adam ignored him completely, removed his coat, wrapped it
around the girl, and bent to lift her into his arms. She was feather light but
Adam held her tenderly, reluctant to cause her anymore pain.

“What’s your name?” he asked as they left the outbuilding.

“Evie,” the girl whispered.

The name meant nothing to him but that was hardly surprising, he
knew so little of his dependents. “Where do you live? I’ll see you home safely,
speak to your parents.”

The girl sniffled and shivered.  “Me mam and pa are dead.”

Adam frowned. “Who do you live with then?”

The girl shook her head, not answering. Adam stopped by Sirrah,
who was waiting patiently and tried again. “Where shall I take you then, Evie?”

She paused for so long Adam wondered if shock had taken a hold of
her, eventually though a whisper surfaced. “I lives in the forest cottage.”

Adam swallowed uneasily. “By the clearing?”

She nodded slowly.

Bloody hell.
Despite the fact he knew very few of his
tenants, Evie included, Adam was well aware of who rented the cottage forest.
Everyone knew who lived there, because they avoided it where possible. It was
not because of young Evie cradled in his arms. The child aroused nothing but
concern, no one could fear her.

“Don’t worry I’ll get you back home,” Adam reassured her despite
the fact that the forest cottage was the last place he wanted to go.

“She’ll be angry,” the girl said with a sob.

“She won’t be angry,” Adam replied. Surely the girl couldn’t
think that anyone would blame her for this?

The girl sobbed again. “No not with me me’lor but with...”

“Shhh,” Adam quieted her and lifted her onto Sirrah. “Everything
will be okay.”

He didn’t want to think about who Evie thought would be blamed.
Because the woman he was taking her to was the reason the cottage in the forest
was feared. She’d lived there as long as Adam could remember. A woman with
differently colored eyes—one blue, one brown—hair the color of the moon, and
knowledge that made grown men cower.