Page 110 of A Touch So Wicked

Elissa left the bed and washed the traces of Damian from her body. She had just finished dressing when Captain Harding arrived to unlock the door and escort her to the common room to break her fast.

Harding sat opposite her, his brow furrowed with concern as he searched her face. “Did you sleep poorly? You look tired.”

“I’m fine, Captain, thank you. That looks good,” she said as a serving maid placed a plate of eggs, kidneys, and fried potatoes in front of her.

“Take your time,” Harding advised. “The food here is good, you should take advantage of it while you can.”

During the exhausting days that followed, Elissa had many occasions to be grateful for Captain Harding’s kindness. Whenever he became aware of her exhaustion, he called a halt to allow her to rest. When the biting wind or chilling rain was at its worst, he found them shelter, be it an inn, a private home, a simple shepherd’s shack, or a tent hastily erected for her comfort. She did her best to conceal her bouts of morning nausea, but she knew Captain Harding had been aware of those times her stomach rebelled against food.

One day toward the end of their journey, Captain Harding fell in beside Elissa. “I’ve noticed your recurring illness upon arising each morning,” he ventured. “Please forgive me for being presumptuous, but are you increasing, Lady Elissa?”

Elissa flushed but did not evade the question. “You’re assumption is correct, Captain,” Elissa said softly.

“Are you carrying your former husband’s child?”

Elissa stiffened with indignation. “Are you suggesting I betrayed my husband?”

Harding immediately sought to make amends. “Forgive me. I would never accuse you of infidelity. The king was wrong to declare your marriage illegal. Please accept my apology for being a part of your suffering. I was but following orders. I wish I could help.”

“You are a good man, Captain. You’ve helped by making this journey as painless as possible.”

He raised her hand to his lips and kissed it. “You are a true lady.”

Two days later they arrived at St. Mary by the Sea Convent, a stately structure poised on a cliff above a roiling ocean. The stone wall surrounding the imposing structure was formidable, but Elissa considered it merely a stepping stone to freedom.

Chapter Twenty

Damian sat in his rented room, staring gloomily at the rain lashing against the window. Tomorrow was his wedding day. How could he wed Kimbra when Elissa was still so very much a part of him? She occupied his heart, his mind, and his soul. He vividly recalled the scent of her, the look of her, every small gesture she’d made. He’d have told the king and Kimbra to go to hell if he could have been certain Elissa wouldn’t have been punished for his disobedience.

Bloody hell. Was there no justice in the world?

The resounding knock at his door barely registered until the pounding became too loud and persistent to ignore. Spitting out an oath, he opened it, stunned to see Jem, one of the men-at-arms he’d left behind at Misterly.

“Jem! Good God, man, come in. How did you find me? What happened to bring you to London?”

“I’ve been searching for you since I arrived yesterday,” Jem said. “Luck brought me to the taproom below, where I ran into the men who accompanied you to London. They directed me here. There’s trouble at Misterly, my lord.

“Tavis Gordon and his Highland outlaws stormed the keep. They broke through our defenses and gained control. Sir Richard sent me to London to find you when he realized we couldn’t hold the fortress against Gordon’s superior forces. We were outnumbered three to one. I barely escaped with my life.”

His expression grim, Damian swung his cloak over his shoulders and headed out the door. “Tell the men in the taproom what you’ve just told me,” Damian called over his shoulder. “Tell them to fetch the horses and be ready to leave London when I return.”

Damian stormed into the palace and demanded an immediate audience with the king. He must have sounded desperate, for he was kept waiting but a moment before Lord Pelham appeared.

“Lord Clarendon, what is it now? His Majesty isn’t to be bothered unless it’s important.”

“My business is most urgent, my lord,” Damian said. “I just received word that Misterly has fallen to Tavis Gordon. I must return immediately.”

“But your wedding…”

“The hell with my wedding! What is more important, preserving Misterly for the Crown, or marrying a woman I can scarcely abide?”

“We can’t spare men to aid you right now. There’s trouble on the Welsh border and the army has been sent to quell the uprising. Furthermore, France is threatening war again. We cannot spare men to send to Scotland.”

“I have no need of the army. I can regain control of Misterly without outside help if I leave immediately.”

“Hmmm. I must confer with His Majesty and Parliament first.”

“I can’t wait for Parliament to convene. You and His Majesty must decide now.”