Page 109 of A Perilous Passion

He came to a halt not far from the first tumble of rocks that marked the end of the beach. “Tell me again how you came to find the lace,” he demanded.

She blinked at his tone. “It was just bobbing about—”

He raised a hand. “Wait. Are they following us?”

“Who?”

Charlotte peeked behind her. Two men were heading purposefully in their direction. Neither looked familiar, but with the arrival of the garrison, there’d been a significant influx of newcomers in the village to provide services to the soldiers, so that was nothing unusual.

Her companion watched the men from the corner of his eye. The intensity in his expression raised the hairs on the back of her neck.

“Why do you look so grim? You’re frightening me!”

“Come,” he growled at her. “Do exactly as I say, or your life could be in danger. Take off your shoes and stockings. Quickly! Don’t appear nervous—try to look like you’ve just decided to climb over the rocks with me.”

There was an authority in his tone she couldn’t ignore. Clearly, he was used to giving orders. She followed his instructions and let him hoist her up onto a shelf of limestone. His boots slipped beneath him as he scrambled up after her, so she offered him her hand.

“Good,” he said. “We must smile and laugh like we’re lovers.”

The two men were approaching rapidly, and even at this distance, she sensed their enmity. Why? Her pulse sped. Had her father’s killers found her and Mama? Or were the men in pursuit of the stranger, and she was merely tainted by association?

He was drawing her higher up into the craggy cliffs, and she could see the sea ebbing and thrashing in the deep crevices below their feet. Pausing for breath, she spotted that the two men had halted at the edge of the rocks.

“We must go on,” her companion urged her. “Do try to look as if you’re enjoying yourself.” He reached out to steady her elbow, then leaned in and placed a kiss to her cheek.

She opened her mouth to protest heartily.

“Don’t!” he warned. “Just play along. Imagine yourself the heroine of one of your Gothic novels, and pretend I’m your sweetheart come to rescue you.”

She frowned. “You expect me to trust you when I don’t even know your name?”

He looked irritated, but nevertheless said, “Rafe Seabourne, at your service.”

“Miss Charlotte Allston,” she responded as he took her hand and assisted her over a large boulder. Once behind it, they were out of sight of their pursuers, but Mr. Seabourne didn’t slacken his pace.

“I know who you are,” he said.

Before she could query what he meant by that, a deep fissure appeared in the cliff ahead of them, wide enough to admit four men abreast. He hurried her into its concealing darkness.

They stopped, and she struggled to catch her breath, her heart hammering in her ears. Then, beyond the booming of the sea, came another sound. A scrabbling, sliding noise, which gradually increased in volume.

“They’re still following us,” Seabourne hissed. “Get down!”

When he threw himself on top of her and dragged her skirts up over her hips, she knew she had been entirely wrong to trust him.

Chapter Four

There was nothing Charlotte could do. Mr. Seabourne’s thighs were between hers, pushing them apart as he rocked his hips above her. His mouth fastened on hers, stealing her speech. Stealing her very breath.

She tried to tip him off, but against his superior strength, her struggles were hopeless. She went limp, fearing she’d run out of air altogether. His movements changed then, becoming more rhythmical, accompanied by a series of exaggerated grunts, which sounded more animal than human.

Then he released her mouth and rested his forehead against hers. She took in a great gulp of air and realized nothing had actually happened. Despite the intimate position of his body, he was still fully clothed, as was she, and he hadn’t intruded on her. Well, other than her mouth.

As her fevered mind tried to make sense of his shocking but essentially harmless behavior, he raised his head. And in the faint light from the cave’s mouth, she saw him wink.

That’s when it dawned on her. This wasn’t an assault. It was a ploy!

A shadow eclipsed the light, and she knew they were no longer alone in the cave. Their pursuers were watching them—she must help him make their charade look like the real thing.