Authors: Claudy Conn
All at once, she was in his embrace and he was taking her mouth with his own. Her lips parted to receive his tongue and she was swept into another universe. This kiss was just as his first, it electrified her. She had the sudden illusion that she was made for him, for his kisses and his touch.
Oh, but he tasted like honey, sweet and delicious, and she was sure, that never before had a man tasted so good. She was lost in that moment, in that kiss, in the needing and the wanting that goes with uncontrollable desire.
He broke away to whisper in her ear, “Ye taste like
more
, I must have more of ye.”
What the hell was she doing
?, Her mind was racing. She had to be strong. She was in the wrong place, and surely he was the wrong one! She broke away.
She was alone in this house with a bachelor. She might as well put a sign over her head
, tart,
and be ruined in this time. She had to manage in this era for a few more months. She had to remember that women didn’t do this sort of thing, and if they did, and she was fairly certain a great number of women did, they would be far more discreet than she was momentarily behaving.
“Stop this,” she demanded breathlessly.
“Och, aye,” he answered softly, “I know the trusty Mrs. Lyons shall return momentarily, but Exerilla…”
Mrs. Lyons did indeed come in at that moment bustling with the news that the chickens had escaped the hen house. They made their way into the kitchen and cook was having serious palpitations as the houseboy was making a mess trying to round up the nefarious rowdy and heathenish fowl.
His lordship and Exerilla looked at one another and burst into laughter, and Exerilla silently blessed Mrs. Lyons. Thank goodness for escaped chickens for they had served to ease her conflict. She knew she no longer trusted herself with Hunter MacTorry.
HIS LORDSHIP’S HORSE being spirited, took exception to old Jack’s slow and easy gait and reached over to give him a quick nip.
Jack easily and with some deftness, born more of experience than agility, shied away. He was undisturbed by the much younger gelding, continued his easy plodding walk down the country road.
Exerilla smiled as she realized her old gelding obviously knew the ropes. She said with an arched brow, “Your high stepping blood doesn’t like my poor old Jack.”
“On the contrary,” his lordship said, his blue eyes twinkling at her. “Had Bold not liked your Jack, he would have drawn blood.” His lordship looked up at the darkling sky. “The weather does seem to be changing. Mrs. Lyons may be in the right of it. I suppose it is typical of the coast.”
Exerilla looked up and said, “Yes, same thing in…” she held her tongue. She was about to say Wrightsville Beach.
He shot a questioning look, “Was your home near the coast?”
She thought,
yes, like right on the ocean,
but said vaguely, “Uh-huh, but a very different coast than this.”
He didn’t answer that but said on a hurried note, “Come on lass, I don’t like the look of the sky and I know a shortcut that should serve.” He didn’t wait for her reply and obviously expected her to comply as he turned his horse into a nearby field and headed through its tall grass for the woods up ahead.
Exerilla bit her bottom lip. She didn’t know if she should go into the woods with this rogue
. Heck
, she wasn’t a woman of 1815. She could handle herself—couldn’t she? She looked at the sky, and confirmed, this was not just a ploy, it did look like it was about to open up on them.
He saw the hesitation and said, “Exerilla, trust me, I am not going to er…try and make wicked love to ye in the woods, tempting as that may be.” He chuckled and added, “Och, aye,” he cast a quick look over her, “far too tempting, but somehow I shall restrain m’self.”
She eyed him tongue in cheek before she said, “Oh, really,
are you not
? Well, I must be losing my touch.”
He burst out laughing and cast an appreciative glance at her, “Ye are a very different sort of woman, little American, very different.” He sobered and said, “But I do want to get ye safely home before the sky opens up.”
“Yes, that would be terrific,” she said on a serious note, “I want the same for you, lead on.”
He eyed her oddly for a moment, and she knew it was because of the way she spoke. She had to learn the knack of speaking more like women of the times. She was forever slipping into her own way of speaking. Not only did she have to comply with old fashioned mores, but she had to figure out how
not to be herself
. A sad chore that she was sure was
not going to happen
, at least not with great effort and always being on her guard. How could she be on her guard for months?
The wind picked up and slapped at her face. She couldn’t help but note how cool it still was in England for the end of May. At home on the beach, she would have been enjoying lovely hot weather and salt air. She would have…
but she wasn’t.
Home was months away and although June was around the corner, October certainly was not! She sighed and turned sideways to see his gaze on her, studying her.
To change the sudden rush of feeling he instilled in her, to change her mood, she asked, “Have you any family? Brothers or sisters?”
“I have a younger brother,” he grinned, “A hellion, but I haven’t seen much of him lately. He is on Wellington’s staff,” this last was said with a faraway look.
“Wellington!” she said with sudden realization. “
Of course
, Wellington…” She repeated as she recalled the year was 1815. She realized how strange she sounded and said, “We Americans tend to forget you are fighting a war with Napoleon.”
“Aye, devil take Boney!” he said and his voice trailed off.
“Are you close, you and your brother?”
“Aye, we are,” was all he said.
“Have you any news from him?”
“He is in Brussels with Wellington and the only news I have is that the gentry are all having a rollicking time, a ball or soiree every evening and yet, our forces stand ever ready. They haven’t a notion about what is about to befall them, how could they?” he frowned and hurriedly added, “No one knows what Boney will do, is what I mean.”
“Oh, that’s right June-1815, Brussels—
Waterloo
,” Exerilla exclaimed without thinking and also frowned. She had such a stupid loose tongue.
He puzzled up and asked, looking penetratingly at her, “What do you know of Waterloo?”
She felt his scrutiny and knew she had to find a way out of her blunder, “I have a friend back home, in North Carolina, who had traveled to Belgium—Brussels and passed through a village called Waterloo. The name stuck in my head.” Whew, she saw doubt in his blue eyes but he seemed to accept this.
He said, “Aye then, let’s pick up the pace lass, we need to hurry for that cloud is moving in fast and
it is black
.”
They reached the woods and slowed to a reasonable trot. She saw him glance to the far right. A narrow trail slightly overgrown wound through the woods toward the west. She pointed and asked, “Oh, where does that trail lead?”
“I am not sure…” They were hurriedly approaching another pasture and he nodded at her as he pointed out the line fence, “Ye can see Horwich House from here, but we have a fence to manage, are ye up to it?”
“We’ll just have to see, won’t we?” she countered and started off at a trot. She laughed as he put his horse into a steady lope, passed her and took his fence flying.
She continued at a trot, because Jack had set his pace. The experienced gelding knew just what to do as he easily, quietly tucked in and took his fence, Exerilla chuckled affectionately as she patted his neck and spoke lovingly, “That is such a fine old fella, yes it is.”
“Well done,” his lordship said jovially. “Not interested in showing off, is he? Just nice and steady.”
“Everything has its time and place and I’m sure old Jack has shown the others a thing or two in his day.” she answered with a warm smile.
He laughed out loud, “I’m sure he has, and what of ye lass, have ye enjoyed showing the others a thing or two?”
“Sure, everyone gives into it now and then,” she peeped at him. Holy good gosh, he was hot, so hot, and she was beginning to be
way too
interested.
He winked at her and she melted as she watched him move into a trot, but called after him, “My lord, I am sorry, but my old man Jack here, needs to be walked a bit. I don’t want to work him into a lather and then have to walk him down for ten minutes when I get to the stables.”
“What, no groom at Horwich?” his lordship was surprised into asking.
“Yes, but I can’t expect him to take the time out from his other chores, I think overworked already. I would never ask him to do what I can so easily manage.”
He eyed her thoughtfully, a slow smile curving his lips, “Then rain be damned! We shall walk the remainder of the way. It is only a minute over the hill.”
He maintained an easy steady stream of banter, engaging her in his light conversation and X found herself falling deeper into his net.
He made her laugh, think, feel, in fact; he made everything come to life right before her eyes. She
felt
so much more than she had ever felt. All at once she realized for the first time, there was so much more than being all about White Magic. It was a heady realization.
She did miss being able to use her magic. But if she had, would she have met this exciting man? She might have created a quiet little place to hang out for the months she was stuck in this century and never experienced
all of this.
All of her life she had always known she could fall back on her magic. At school when she wanted to correct a wrong, stop a bully from hurting a friend, clean up someone’s mess, or just anything to make things right…she could blink and it would be better. But had it been the correct course of action for her?
If she forgot her purse and needed it,
blink
. If she needed to do more serious magic her wand could be called into play. She had always been protected. She experienced life safely from the middle, sheltered, pampered, and safe. This was a whole new world and she was having to learn to deal with it as a human. That was important, for it would expand her empathy for others, it would bury the dark in her deeper.
Now here was this man, this human man, who suddenly made life sparkle.
She was in it deep—right up to her eyeballs.
She would be leaving in a few months and he would no longer be a part of her life. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that.
They reached the Horwich stables when a grizzle bearded, wiry man came ambling out toward them. His lordship was already out of his saddle, on the ground and reaching for her to lift her from her side-saddle, saying, “There now lass, allow me.”
“Ah, but…” Exerilla started to object, “I can dismount myself you know.”
“A lady thanks a gentleman for such an office performed,” he returned gently.
She eyed her booted toes and said softly, “Thank you, my lord.”
He helped her down, taking no liberties, turned to chat the groom up a moment, and flipped him a coin. X smiled to herself. He appeared to have a kind and generous nature.
He took her arm, a short walk brought them to the double doors of Horwich House where X turned to his lordship, her gloved hand extended. Purposely, she averted her eyes. She just didn’t want to look into those blues just before she went inside. She didn’t want to contemplate at that moment.
Thus, she stood, staring at his mid-section, which proved to be a mistake as her imagination began stripping away his clothes.
Vividly, she saw his naked torso, so hard touchable, and so enticing.
Stop
, she told herself,
what are you doing you stupid girl?
She felt his blues surveying her and was sure of it when he chuckled and said, “Aye?”
She managed to squeak out, “Thank you, my lord. It was very gallant of you to see me home.”
“And it is very
remiss
of you not to ask me in for a moment’s rest before my journey back to the Towers,” he answered glibly.
Her eyes flew to his face and though she hadn’t blushed in a very long time, she was sure from the heat in her cheeks that she was doing just that right then and there. She didn’t think women actually invited men inside in this era, and wasn’t sure if cared. She smiled and said, “Oh, I do beg your pardon. I assumed you wanted to be on your way so as not get caught in a downpour.”
He walked in, his eyes never straying from her face, she stumbled as she stepped backwards. He reached out to steady her by her shoulders and she felt a bolt of energy shoot from him to her, and ran through her body. It was sexual yes, but so much more. It felt like magical threads weaving through her muscles. She was being absurd
. Magical thread?
She felt like an impressionable teenager.
She licked her lips and tried to regain her composure, “Would, er…would you like some refreshment? A drink, before you head back?”
“I would, lass,” he said softly.
She turned abruptly about and walked toward the parlor through its open double doors. Without glancing back at him she went to the sideboard, she could feel him; she sensed every step he took as he followed her. She felt him at her back, his body so close, and wondered if he would touch her. She couldn’t deny she wanted him to touch her.
She was in for a ride, if she didn’t get this under control
.
“Where would the good Mrs. Horwich and the squire be?” he asked softly.
She couldn’t think with him so close. She made the mistake of turning her head to look at him with her answer; which caused her to gulp back saliva before she could answer, “I am not sure.” She turned away from him and removed her gloves, and poured a bit of brandy into the snifter and handed it to him without looking back at his face. “Brandy?”
He took it from her and took a sip. He put it down then followed her across the room watching her as she took off her top hat and unbuttoned her riding jacket.
The fire beckoned and she put out her hands to it. “Hmm, this is the best thing about coming in after a ride…a nice fire.”
“Exerilla,” he said as he moved to take her hands and put them to his lips.
She saw a strange glimmer flit through his blue eyes. She would have called the look in his eyes, uncertainty, but she couldn’t believe this man was ever uncertain about anything. He always seemed to be in control.
He pulled her in against his body and she gasped, “What are you doing?”
“Taking m’leave of ye lass…
properly
,” he said huskily, as he bent his head.
She wanted him to kiss her. She had been wanting it the entire ride home. She damn well wanted him to kiss her and that was all there was to it. She could deny it to the world, but not to herself. So what if she and he weren’t meant to last. So what if she was an immortal witch about to return to the future in a few months. She felt something with this man she had never felt before and every inch of her wanted to explore that feeling!