Defiant Impostor (47 page)

"That was no lie . . . and neither was what you
told me about Keefer Dunn.
I've
been
the bloody fool all along, Susanna, not you! I couldn't give up my suspicions
because you betrayed me once, and it made me accuse you of plotting against me.
I was going to tell you that I loved you earlier today, then I received that
letter and ruthlessly accused you again . . ." His piercing brown eyes
full of torment, he finally added in an impassioned voice, "Can you find
it within your heart to forgive me?"

Susanna lowered the pitchfork to the ground as if she
had forgotten she held it. She had never felt so torn.

She wanted to fling herself into his arms and admit
again the love that was threatening to overwhelm her. Yet she also knew with
certainty that she would never be everything to him as he claimed, not when he
still sought revenge against Dominick. With such hatred in his heart, he would
never fully trust her. There would always be the chance that his suspicions
might once more raise their ugly heads, and she couldn't bear to see him turn
against her so furiously again.

"I—I can't, Adam," she began. But the words
were no sooner spoken than he lunged toward her and, knocking the pitchfork
from her hand, swept her into his arms.

"No! I don't believe you!" he cried, his gaze
burning into hers as he crushed her against him. "What would you say if
you knew that tomorrow I planned to admit everything to the magistrate in
Williamsburg, just as you pleaded for me to do this afternoon? That tomorrow
you and I would start fresh with nothing but our love between us. When you're
well enough to travel, we'll begin anew by retaking our vows as husband and
wife, not as Adam Thornton and Camille Cary but with the beauteous Susanna Jane
Guthrie as my bride. Would that change your mind about me, my dearest
love?"

Dumbstruck, Susanna could manage only a whisper.
"You . . . you would do that for me?"

"I would do anything for you, Susanna, except
allow you to leave me. For then, I would surely die." He tenderly caressed
away her fresh tears, cradling her face in his hands. "Tell me, love. Do
you forgive me now?"

She nodded, her throat so constricted she could not
speak. She had never known that such infinite happiness was possible on this
earth, and she felt drunkenly giddy with it, her limbs suddenly so weak she was
grateful for his powerful embrace.

"That's not good enough," he murmured,
bending his head to poignantly kiss her damp cheeks, her eyelids, the tip of
her nose. Then he tilted up her chin and lowered his mouth until his parted
lips were barely brushing her own, his breath warm upon her. "I must hear
you say it, Susanna," he demanded huskily. "Tell me . . .
please."

Somehow she found her voice, answering him with all the
passion her soul possessed. "Yes. I forgive you, Adam."

"That," he whispered hoarsely, tears shining
in his eyes, "is good enough. Kiss me, love, then we're going back to the
house. Like Zachary said, you should be abed."

Smiling through her own tears, she did.

Chapter 27

"It's almost nine o'clock, my love. Though I would
like nothing more than to remain here in bed with you all morning, I have to
leave for Williamsburg."

Stubbornly pretending she hadn't heard him, Susanna
snuggled closer against Adam's broad chest. She inhaled his warm, musky scent,
still basking in the sensual afterglow of their gentle lovemaking.

His tender kisses and caresses this morning and last
night, after they had returned together from the stable, had been like a
soothing tonic to her bruised body. Wondrously enough, her head hardly ached at
all anymore. Love held such incredible power to heal. She shivered deliciously
when he pressed his lips to her temple.

"Did you hear me, Susanna?" He chuckled
softly when she shook her tousled head, but his voice held an edge of
seriousness as he lightly stroked the small of her back. "You know that
what I have to do cannot wait for another day."

"Oh, Adam, I know," she said, "but I
don't want to be apart from you, not even for a minute. Why won't you let me go
with you?"

"I've already told you a dozen times, love,"
he murmured, kissing her brow. "The physician stated quite emphatically
that you must remain in bed for a few days, at the very least until he visits
again tomorrow."

"But I'm fine, other than a little pain right here
. . . oooh! " She sucked in her breath as she gingerly touched the swollen
cut on the side of her head. If she had wanted to prove to him that she was
feeling better, that wasn't the way to do it. "I ran to the stable last
night without any ill effects," she added hastily. "And saw to your
needs quite adequately when we returned . . . as I did again this
morning."

"More than adequately," Adam agreed with a
roguish smile, "but a long and bumpy carriage ride would be far more
tiring than the gentle ride we just shared." When she opened her mouth to
protest, he put his finger to her lips. "Shhh, now. No more
arguments." He sobered, his eyes staring into hers. "You'll have your
chance to speak to the magistrate soon enough, maybe even tonight if he's
willing to accompany me back to Briarwood."

If
you come
back to Briarwood, Susanna thought unhappily as he fell silent, purposely
avoiding the darker issue that they had already discussed, the slim chance that
they both might spend the night in prison. Instead he kissed her soundly on the
mouth and then, tossing back the covers, left their bed, grimacing as he put
weight on his wrapped ankle.

"You shouldn't have jumped, Adam," she chided
him softly, having heard the explanation for his pronounced limp and his
bandaged hand last night on their way back from the stable.

"It seemed the thing to do at the time," he
tossed back in a lighter tone, although his ruggedly handsome features had
become somber, his thoughts already upon the day's coming events. Almost to
himself, he added, "I don't need this anymore," and undid the bandage
around his knuckles. Then, flexing his stiff fingers, he walked to the
washbasin where he began his morning ablutions.

Chilled by the cool breeze wafting in a nearby window,
the cloudy morning portending rain, Susanna drew the covers over her breasts
and watched him raptly, marveling at his physical beauty. The scars he bore
only heightened his masculinity in her eyes, and despite his disfigured flesh
she could see the amazing play of sinewed muscle across his powerful back and
shoulders as he washed and shaved.

Even more amazing was the wonderful harmony between
them and the utter contentment she felt in knowing that he loved her and she
loved him. It was a dream come true, no matter the pall still hanging over
their happiness. She had to believe that everything would work out. Otherwise
she couldn't bear his leaving her to make the journey to Williamsburg alone.

"Remember not to say anything to the servants
about what's taking place today," Adam reminded her as he tied his thick
mahogany hair into a queue and hastily dressed. "Ertha is the only one who
knows I'm seeing the magistrate and why, and I've asked her to keep the news to
herself until we receive the court's ruling. If all goes well, there's always
the chance that we might be allowed to stay on at Briarwood to run things until
Lady Redmayne decides what she wants to do with the property, which could be
months from now. At least that way life here will bear some semblance of
normalcy until the inevitable sale of land and slaves begins."

Sickened by the thought, Susanna murmured, "Oh,
Adam, I wish there was something we could do for them."

"I know. So do I," he replied grimly, coming back
by the bed to pull on the coat he had left draped over the divan. "If
we're granted leave to remain here, I plan to do everything in my power to see
that they're sold to honorable men and that those who are free are able to find
new positions. Other than that, there isn't much else we can do." Reaching
into a pocket, he pulled out his pistol and proceeded to check it carefully.

"Why do you still need that?" she queried in
alarm.

"Until that bastard Spencer is in prison, I'm not
going to take any chances," Adam answered, returning the ornate weapon to
his coat.

"Now I
am
frightened," she admitted, flinging her arms around his neck as he sat
beside her on the bed.

"Don't be, my love," he said, brushing a kiss
on her cheek. "Everything will work out. You must trust that I know what
I'm doing."

"I do trust you, Adam—" She stopped abruptly,
remembering something. Searching his eyes, she asked, "Did you ever send a
reply to Dominick's letter? You've never said anything about it."

"Don't trouble yourself with these details,
Susanna," he replied almost evasively. "Now I want you to lie
back" —he pushed her gently onto the pillows— "and rest as the
physician ordered. Will you promise me to do this?"

Sighing reluctantly, she nodded.

"Good. I might not be back until late, so don't
feel you must wait up for me—"

"Don't be ridiculous, Adam Thornton!" she
said with feigned annoyance, tears smarting her eyes. "Of course I'll be
waiting up for you." As he bent to kiss her, his lips so warm and
passionate upon her own, her arms flew around him again and she hugged him
fiercely, not wanting to ever let him go. "I love you," she whispered
against his mouth, her heart full to bursting when he fervently echoed her
words. Then he was pulling away from her, caressing the side of her face as he
rose from the bed.

"Rest now. I'll have Corliss bring you something
to eat."

Her throat too tight to speak, she could only watch him
stride from the room . . . leaving her alone, to wait.

***

"Lord, it's so good to see you awake, Mistress Camille,"
said Corliss, her expression strangely subdued, although her dark eyes showed
relief as she set the breakfast tray upon the bedside table. "You sure
struck a fear in me when I saw you yesterday so still and pale in Master
Thornton's arms and your head bleeding like it was. I thought we'd lost you. I
almost fainted myself."

"No, I'm still here," Susanna replied
quietly, feeling deep regret as she was reminded by the way Corliss had
addressed her that the maid had no idea of what was going to happen today.

Wishing she could say something to prepare the young
woman for what might lie ahead, Susanna nonetheless squelched the impulse,
knowing Adam had asked her not to. Corliss seemed upset about something already
anyway, and she didn't want to add to her waiting-maid's worries. She rose to a
sitting position and settled into the pillows Corliss fluffed and then propped
for her against the headboard.

"I saw you frowning just now, Mistress Camille.
Are you having a lot of pain?"

"No, only a little," Susanna said, although
in truth her head seemed to be hurting her more now that Adam had left. She
reasoned that her apprehension was probably making it so, combined with missing
him terribly. He had been gone only half an hour, but it felt like forever, the
ticking clock and the relentless sound of rain pelting against the windows
making it impossible to sleep.

"Well, Prue's herb tea should make you feel
better," Corliss murmured, pouring the steaming liquid into a delicate
porcelain cup and handing it rather shakily to Susanna, spilling some over the
rim into the saucer.

"Corliss, what's wrong?" she asked, taking
the cup before any hot tea sloshed on her.

"Nothing . . . nothing at all," the maid
blurted a bit too hastily, wiping her hands on her starched apron as she
surveyed the tray. "Let's see now . . . there's two poached eggs here for
you, a slice of honey ham, a basket of wild blueberry muffins, and some of
Prue's cinnamon butter."

Wondering if perhaps Corliss had heard something from
Ertha, which might account for her odd behavior, Susanna set the cup on the
table and touched the maid's arm. "Corliss, I know you. You're not acting
like yourself this morning."

"I didn't sleep well last night, Mistress Camille,
worrying about you and all. But I know I'll get over it soon, just seeing how
much better you are." The maid uncovered the plate and, adding a few plump
muffins from the basket, handed it to Susanna. "You should eat now, before
it gets cold. Meanwhile, I'll go fetch you some nice hot water so's you can bathe."

"You don't have to rush." Susanna glanced out
the window. "The rain's coming down harder now. Why don't you wait until
it lets up a little?"

"Oh, don't you worry none about that. I've got a
kitchen boy waiting for me downstairs with a big umbrella."

Heaving a soft sigh as Corliss hurried around the bed
to fetch the pitcher from the washbasin, Susanna bit thoughtfully into a
muffin. Something was troubling her maid. But what?

Quickly deciding that Ertha wouldn't have willfully gone
against Adam's orders and unable to come up with any other reason why Corliss
might be upset, she concluded it must be due to what the maid had told her.

"Corliss, I'm really much better," she
reassured her as the young woman reached the door. "You don't have to be
so anxious about me."

"I know, Mistress Camille, and I'm glad to see it.
Is there anything else I can bring you when I come back? Something more from
the kitchen? Some playing cards from the game room? You might want some
diversion to occupy yourself while you're not sleeping."

"A few books would be nice if you wouldn't mind
fetching them from the library. The ones I've been reading are on that small
table by the window—"

"Oh, dear, I'm sorry, Mistress Camille, but I
can't go in there right now. Master Thornton's got a visitor—" Gasping,
she clapped her hand over her mouth, her eyes wide.