The Duke's Lady (Historical Romance - The Ladies Series) (10 page)

The unending presence of the sea breathed ceaselessly over their shoulders. One slip and they would tumble to their death. “I sure hope this horse knows what he’s doing, because I most certainly don’t.”

Adam chuckled, but ignored the sharp cliffs as he focused his attention instead on the sway of Jewel’s hips and the confident way she sat on her horse. She was afraid—he knew from the way she tightly gripped the reins—yet she refused to give into it. She was proving to be a Pandora’s box, filled with exciting facets to her mysterious personality.

“You’re doing extremely well handling your mare,” he commented.

She smiled at his praise. If he only could see the handful of mane she had gripped in her hand, he might change his mind.

Soon they were through the narrow passageway and she was able to breathe a sigh of relief. They continued on to the small village of St. Ives, which Adam had said was his favorite. It charmed her with its harbors, thatched-covered cottages, and small lanes. Making a right turn, they followed a path to the docks where a fisherman unloaded his catch of the morning.

“Good morning, Your Grace,” the bushy-faced fisherman called out to him.

“And a good morning to you, too, Cyril. How did you fare this morning?”

“Not bad, Yer Lordship. Fishing was good today—even netted a conger eel.” The proud fisherman’s face beamed before he reached into his basket and pulled out the unusual catch.

The slimy snake writhed in the air. Jewel gasped. She dropped her reins, causing the mare to sidestep. Adam reacted quickly, soothing the horse with soft words. He reached over, patted the mare’s neck, and retrieved the leather straps.

After a moment he handed them back to Jewel, holding her hand a little longer than necessary.

She hated snakes—that much she could remember—but when she looked again, it wasn’t a snake the man held. The warmth of Adam’s hand calmed her trembling. Somehow, he seemed to give her strength.

“Sorry, miss, if I startled you,” Cyril said, stuffing the creature into a basket.

“T-that’s all right. What is that ugly thing?”

“That was a conger eel, and they’re not good for anything, but can give a most painful bite. So always be careful should you encounter one.”

Jewel smiled down at the fisherman. “I’ll remember that, Cyril, and let’s pray I never see one of those slimy things again.”

His laughter shook the bright red curls on his head. “If you’d stay for dinner, I’ve caught some mighty big lobsters we can steam, and I do believe that’s His Grace’s favorite meal.”

“Sounds wonderful, Cyril, but we’ll have to decline this time,” Adam told him. “I’m taking Lady Jewel to the copper mines, and we still have a good ride in front of us. However, you can send a few lobsters to Briercliff . . . perhaps for supper.”

“Very good, Yer Lordship. You’ll have them tonight.”

After bidding good day, they rode up into the country. Jewel was surprised at how well Adam got along with the commoners. He knew all their names and stopped to ask each about their families, and if there was anything he could do for them. She could see how much his people cared for him. Sneaking a glance at Adam, she couldn’t help the smile that touched her lips. He presented a hard exterior, but deep down he seemed a good man, one she could easily fall in love with, even though she knew that could never be possible.

Several hours later, they reached the tin and copper mines. Jewel became eager to stretch her legs. She listened to Adam as he instructed her not to leave the horses while he talked to the foreman of the mining operation. “I promise it won’t take long,” he said.

She felt certain she’d never seen a place such as this. The land was different. Stark sentinels of stone guarded the e
ntrance to the shaft where dirty, sweaty men poured out of the mine for a noontime break. One man in particular seemed to stare at her with a lurid grin upon his face. She shuddered at the way his gaze roamed over her body.

Turning away from him, she spotted an odd-shaped building with steam belching from the chimney.

Adam had told her not to move, but the building wasn’t
that
far away. Her curiosity got the better of her. She would come right back, Jewel promised herself as she wandered over.

When she drew closer, she noticed a young man with sandy brown hair standing in the door. He seemed like a harmless lad as he addressed her. “Good day, miss. Might I help you?”

“Hello,” Jewel greeted him. “I hate to bother you, but I was curious about His Grace’s mines. Just what do you do here?”

“This here’s the smelting building.” The young man laughed at her puzzled expression and went on. “I see I’ve need to explain further. First we finely grind the ore that is brought up from the mine. Then it’s mixed with a liquid, and the metallic minerals float while the gangue sinks. That way the metals can be melted down, and we’re left with a fine copper product.”

Jewel nodded. “Are the mines deep?”

“Some are. There’s one shaft that goes down several hundred feet ’neath the sea. Ye can actually hear the water rolling overhead.”

“Really! It sounds terribly dangerous. What keeps it from caving in?”

“Our shafts are from rock instead ’f dirt like some mines.

We’ve never had a cave-in,” he told her. “Would you care to see, m’lady?”

“No, thank you.” Jewel held up her hand. “I’ll take your word for it, but I appreciate your taking the time to tell me about your work, and I’m sorry I took you away from your meal.”

“Don’t mention it.” He tipped his hat. “ ’Tisn’t ’ften we get to see a pretty lady round here.” He picked up his sandwich and started to eat.

Jewel decided to pick some purple heather she had seen earlier. It was located near a large boulder, but was in the opposite direction from where she should be. If she hurried, Adam would never know she had wandered off.

Bending down, she snipped the lovely flowers, thinking to make a small bouquet for their picnic. She turned to leave, but the leering man she’d seen earlier loomed directly in front of her, blocking her way.

“Well, well, missy, have ye come down ’ere just to brighten up me day?” He grinned, revealing gapped teeth.

Jewel’s breath caught in her throat. She didn’t like the way he was ogling her, and he had some nerve obstructing her way. Squaring her shoulders, she decided she’d just walk past him. “I don’t know what you mean, sir,” she snapped. “Kindly get out of my way.” She took a step to move around him.

He reached out so quickly, she couldn’t avoid the lecherous fingers that clamped around her arm. He jerked her next to his sweaty body, then dragged her further behind the big boulder. “Ain’t it a fact ye came behind this here rock just so I could get a feel of yer tits? I seen the way ye flirted at me earlier.”

She struggled as his grubby hands began groping under her jacket, pinching her breast painfully while he fumbled with her buttons. “Please,” she pleaded.

“I’ll please ye, honey—just give me a moment.” He nuzzled her neck, sliding her jacket to the ground.

His sweaty smell made her sick. She beat her fists on his chest, momentarily startling him. He yanked her arm behind her back, causing her to scream out in pain.

“So ye like it rough, do ye?” He slapped her, knocking her head sideways as he tried to keep her quiet. “Scream again and ye’ll regret it.”

Jewel didn’t realize she was screaming until the blow brought back another time—she’d screamed then, too. An evil man in a blue uniform stood talking to his first mate. Her fingers clutched the hilt of her knife, but she must have made a noise because the captain swung around as her weapon came down, catching the fleshy part of his cheek. He grabbed at the ripped flesh, causing blood to ooze between his fingers. Like an injured animal, he roared before capturing her wrist. He threw her across the deck, knocking the breath from her lungs.

Angrily, the captain swiped the blood from his cheek, revealing a jagged slash that ran from his ear to the edge of his mouth. Bending down, he clutched the small weapon before he straightened back to his full height. “Damn you!” he swore as he wrapped his fingers in her long, black hair, yanking her to her knees. “I could have gone easy on you, my dear little miss, but now you’ll taste the cat-o’-nine-tails.” With the bloody steel blade he savagely hacked off her hair, throwing the remains at her feet.

Someone was shaking her. Her memories quickly faded, replaced with the danger at hand. She glared at the miner, no longer afraid, then spat in his face. He cursed a colorful string of oaths, but loosened his grip as he wiped his face. Quickly, she pulled her knee up, catching him in the groin. Immediately, he released her as he grabbed his crotch.

“Damn bitch, ye’ll pay for this,” he croaked out.

Seizing the opportunity, she turned and ran from behind the boulder, but stopped short as she slammed hard into Adam’s chest.

He looked at her rearranged clothing, and she saw an uncontrollable rage surge through him. Taking her by the shoulders, he held her from him to view the rest of the damage. His gaze stopped on her cheek, where she was sure a purplish mark lingered.

“Did he hurt you?”

A muscle twitched angrily in his cheek as his eyes turned to pitch, reminding Jewel of death. She shivered beneath his fingers. His voice was threaded with anger, and she could sense his barely restrained violence.

“N-no,” she whispered in a struggling voice.

“Where is he?”

With trembling fingers, she pointed to the rock, and watched as Adam started around the boulder. The miner was staggering, but looked up when Adam approached him. The miner took a step backward, but stopped while he tried to size Adam up. Evidently he decided that Adam was a fancy bloke, and more than likely wasn’t even armed. The miner didn’t care for fancy blokes. The smirk on his face said as much when he spoke up. “Come on, Yer Lordship, if you want a piece o’ me.”

Adam didn’t get a chance to reply as the man charged him, hoping to put a head in his gut to knock him down, but Adam easily stepped aside. When the miner came at him a second time, Adam reached out and grabbed him by the throat.

“My lord, I meant no harm. Just having a bit of fun,” the miner struggled to choke out as he gasped for air.

Jewel could see Adam was killing the man with his bare hands. She grabbed Adam’s sleeve and tugged to get his attention. “Adam, please! I’m fine,” she pleaded. “He has learned his lesson. Just let him go.”
He didn’t seem to hear her.

But Adam had heard her. Didn’t she know she could have been raped or even killed, all for what this man called “a bit of fun”? She was damn lucky he’d heard her scream and arrived in time.

He stared down at the man held in his grip. “No one crosses me and lives to tell about it! You’d best remember that for your future health.” Reluctantly, Adam let the man loose. “Get out of here. You no longer work here!”

The foreman ran up and stood beside Jewel before he moved over to Adam. “Your Grace, I’m so sorry this happened.”

Still angry, Adam turned, stopping the foreman dead in his tracks. “Michael, if ever I bring this lady with me again and one of your men steps out of line ...you’ll pay for it!” His lethal voice sent chills up Jewel’s arms.

Speechless, Michael nodded.

Jewel found she couldn’t move. She now had seen another side to Adam ... the fatal side ... the side she hoped never to see again. And she’d glimpsed another side of herself, too. She’d stabbed a man, and she really didn’t feel any remorse. Just what kind of person was she? Her body started quivering.

Something evil lurked in her past, and she felt as if it were waiting to reach out and snatch her back within its grasp. She took a gulp of air, wishing the tidbits of memory would mesh together . . . would tell her something. She needed answers, not more questions.

Adam joined her. He shoved her trembling hands out of the way and fastened her jacket.

“Are you sure you’re all right?” Once again his voice was calm.

She nodded, then looked up into his face. Was that really concern she saw in his eyes? She couldn’t be sure, but at least she could hope. Tenderly, he brushed the dirt from her cheek, and she wondered what he was thinking.

“Why, Adam?” Jewel asked. He’d almost killed the man with his bare hands. She liked to think he rarely restored to violence. She had to know.

“Because he touched you,” Adam said simply. “Isn’t that enough?”

Taking Jewel’s arm, Adam escorted her back to the horses, where he helped her mount, then mounted himself. Michael ran over, evidently not wishing to anger His Grace any further. “Good day, Your Grace. I’ll have the copper ready by the time you’ve requested.”

“Good.” Adam nodded. He tightened the reins and nudged Star into a trot, heading away from the mines. His hands trembled with barely leashed anger, but he looked straight ahead, trying to clear his mind. Despite the fact that the miner had caused trouble before, killing three other miners, the thought of almost taking the man’s life turned Adam’s stomach. But the worst thing was that he’d lost control of his emotions, and a man who did that could soon find himself dead. Adam’s jaw tightened. It wouldn’t happen again.