Authors: Nichole Matthews
Really kissed her and she had not fled.
Her body had awakened and she felt desire, not revulsion.
He made her feel like living again.
She smiled.
She allowed
her eyes
to
drift closed
,
remembering how their bodies
had
melted together
.
She could still taste him on her tongue
and she wanted to savor his flavor. She hadn’
t drank
her regular chocolate or
eaten her
to
ast before she had entered the
c
onservatory
because she had wanted to preserve
his essence
just a bit longer
.
She knew she was a strong woman, but she
also knew the depth of her scars
.
She didn’t believe it fair to thrust her wounded spirit on another soul
, not at this time
.
Not so soon.
She had thought on them again and again. She replayed every moment, every touch, and each pain that had been inflicted upon her. It still horrified her to think of the atrocities she
had
endured and she wasn’t anywhere near ready to disclose the details.
I
t had been such a long time
since she had no worries. The moment her parents were gone, she had been forcibly dragged into a world of pain and humiliation, of self-preservation and fear. Since then she had had to protect and survive. She fought the tears that welled in her eyes. They were dead. She was alive and responsible for the life of another. Her parents would be proud of her escape, her fight, her perseverance, and they would not have wanted her to give up. So she chose to overcome. She chose to live.
Besides, she felt the need to mourn and now she was given the time. The time to come to grips with the fierce grief that consumed her. Breathing deep, she closed her eyes and relaxed.
She hadn’t chosen the
c
onservatory
to ruminate on her past, she had come to ponder her present situation
and now she need
ed
to head to the nursery to see her daughter before the day got underway.
She slowly opened her eyes, sat up, and shook the memories away. She refused to allow them to hold her back.
She refused to cage herself when she had already broken free.
Parker
noticed
the pattern of lights change as he was about to step into the hall and glanced over his shoulder to see Persephone exiting the
c
onservatory
.
“Parker,” she said softly as the door closed behind her.
He bowed his head. “Have you breakfasted already,
Persephone?
”
She nodded.
“Perhaps you would care
to take a stroll about the garden with me?”
“That would be lovely.” She smiled
and it lit up her eyes turning them into sparkling emeralds
. “The sun is shining this morning
, but there is still a chill in the air
. Let me get my pelisse.”
“I’l
l wait for you here. We can reach the garden
through the
conservatory
.”
He waited for her to return and it seemed an eternity
. He was not even aware that
he held his breath until she walked back through the door and he expelled it on a sigh
. H
is pulse pound
ed loudly
in his ears.
Now that he’d kissed her he thought he would go mad with wanting. He didn’t w
ant to frighten her with his ardent
desire, but as soon as she walked back into the breakfast room, he tugged her
unceremoniously through
the stained glass door
. U
nable to resist her any longer
he
pulled her close until her chest was crushed against his
and
she was shockingly close to his mouth
.
He caressed his way up her arms and down her ribs to rest under the curve of
her breasts, his eyes never leaving
hers. The heat in his eyes sparked
heated
memories
of the
previous evening’s activities and she shivered
.
He leaned down at the same time s
he rose up on tiptoe and touched her lips to his
.
He captured her mouth with
his; sealing his lips over hers and her knees shook under the power of his touch
.
She reached up and tentatively stroked her fingers over his freshly-shaved jaw.
“You won’t hurt me, Parker.
”
He captured her lips again, h
is mouth moving
sensuously over hers. He nibbled on her upper lip, gently licking the seam with the tip of his tongue. Tender
, but also demanding
until he p
ulled away as breathless as she was, he smiled at her slightly glazed look.
He lowered his head until his forehead rested against hers
closing his
eyes, as if fighting for control
.
She smiled brilliantly at him.
***
He sat in the far corner,
revulsion
twisting deep as he watched the g
ut deep, aching need
of some of the captives
crying out for relief.
It still baffled him that some were not captives, some were there of their own free will.
His fists clenched tight at his side to keep from grabbing
her and hauling her
away
from the long leather tails with various knots that were leaving dark pin marks across the skin of her back
.
He watched as her breathing appeared slightly labored as she anticipated the next delivery of pain.
His hands clenched and unclenched into tight fists watching for any sign of distress on her part. His stomach seized at the loud groan of pleasure/pain he knew not which one that emanated from her throat.
But she didn’t scream.
He had to fight the urge to
seize
the implement of pain from the
wielder’s
hand, he had work to do. It meant seeing this through no matter how much it sickened him.
He turned at the voice that slithered over him from behind. “Are we enjoying ourselves tonight, Perry?”
He turned around, a sm
ile plastered across his face. “
Of course,” he replied crisply.
Granville’s eyes held his for a long moment
and he knew that Granville was searching for any sign of subterfuge
before he turned and walked away.
The tightness in his chest released almost painfully, as did the breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding
at
Granville’s arrival
,
only to return
,
at the long, piercing scream that echoed through the dark dungeon
.
Little Miss
Muffet
sat on a
tuffet
Eating her curds and whey,
Along came a spider,
Who sat down beside her
And frightened Miss
Muffet
away
P
arker looked up
from the stack of paperwork on his desk
as
Fothergil
stepped into his study. “Have you learned anything from our sources?”
Fothergil
shook his head
,
his lips thinned.
“Not much of anything.”
“Then what the fuck are you doing here?” Parker yelled.
“Forgive me, my lord.”
Fothergil
saw the lines of tension around his eyes and didn’t so much as flinch. He knew the desperation bottled up in Lord Ashford. He knew what he was searching for. He knew its importance.
He hated disappointing him, but it was an intricate maze and he had yet to find the correct path.
Fothergil
sat in the chair in front of Parker’s desk, his look serious. “But I
have gathered
that someone else is searching
vigorously
for Miss Smith
, as well
.”
“What?” Parker rubbed his forehead to ease the tension that had erupted. “Who?”
He stood and stepped towards the window. His office allowed a sweeping view of the gardens below
,
but at this moment they did nothing to distract his thoughts.
He imagined his fingers tangled in those silky, flowing locks, pulling her head back so he could suck on her collarbone, her throat, her jaw, her ear, her…
“I don’t know,”
Fothergil
replied
, interrupting his inappropriately placed thoughts
.
Parker’s brow twisted with confusion. “How is it possible that we have yet to find any significant information?”
“
It’s as if
each lead I’ve followed, someone has been two steps a
head asking the
very
same questions.
”
“Who is she?” Parker asked quietly.
“Have you found
out anything at all
about the signet
ring
yet?”
Fothergil
shook his head.
“No, my lord.”
His eyes guileless. “But I currently h
ave two men reviewing the books,”
Fothergil
added.
“
Perhaps we can spread word that
she
is here at
Rosebriar
, maybe a family member will come forward to help aid her.”
“No,” Parker said in a hard voice. “We can’t.”
Fothergil
had no idea the extent of her injuries. He himself had barely scratched the surface. He had seen what was visible to the eye, but he knew that most scars ran deeper than the flesh. He would not
torment her further. “Just continue down this path. Information will surface soon enough.”
“I don’t see how we have any other choice in…”
“I said no,” Parker interrupted.
Fothergil
frowned. “Of course, my lord.”
***
Persephone and Piper were sitting in the large high-back leather chairs in the li
b
rary. The heat of the fire ma
de
Persephone relax and grow sleepy.
Piper let out a large yawn; she attempted to capture the sound with her hand to no avail.
“I do apologize, Persephone.”
“
Do not apologize, P
iper
.” She smiled. “You ha
ve only done what I’ve wanted
to do
for the past quarter-hour,” Persephone
said with a giggle.
The heat of the fire, the easy friendship, and the darkened room are all conducive to sleepiness.
“I’ve been debating sneaking upstairs to nap before dinner.”
She wrinkle
d
her nose.
“I’m very glad that we’ve grown to be friends.”
Piper’s
comment surprised Persephone.
“I know you
’ve
gone through so much over the past few years.” Piper twisted in her seat so that she could look Persephone in the eye.
She began
to respond, but Piper waved away her words.
“You mustn’t say anything. I would like you to know that I’m fully aware of how crippling fear can be.”
Persephone’s eyes opened wide
ned
.
“I pray you will not be offended by what I am about to say, Piper.”
A surge of envy rushed through her. “Not to belittle anything that you’ve endured, but I find it hard to believe that you’ve suffered much hardship.”
Piper looked at her with a small indulgent smile. “I understand why you would feel that way.” She extended her hand to encompass the expensively appointed library. “My family is simply wonderful. My brother, Parker, is one of the most indulgent and caring men I’ve ever met outside of my husband.”
Piper
stared into the fire. “If you based all of your opinions on outward appearances, it would be very easy to believe that nothing unpleasant had ever occurred a
t
Rosebriar
.” Her smile small, yet
a hint
of
sadness lurked somewhere behind her blue eyes.