Chasing Eliza Read online

  His instincts warned him that he was a fool for doing so, but nevertheless he found himself tipping her chin upwards and placing a gentle kiss on her quivering lips. The heady taste of her sweet lips lay on his tongue like amber nectar, laying siege to his senses until he struggled to think of anything but the need to possess and lay claim to her.

  “I can’t do this Edward.” Eliza gasped, clinging helplessly to his broad shoulders as she fought to steady her reeling senses. Unsurprisingly he continued to kiss her for several moments, daring her to accept the web of desire he so skilfully began to weave around her once more as his tongue teased and tantalised hers. She gave herself briefly over to his command, and allowed him to slant his head to deepen the kiss. She allowed the pressure of his body as he leant over her, the hard band of his arms securing her tight against him. They were so close she could feel the heavy thump of his heart against her breast. The breast that was now under being stroked softly by his searching fingers. Panic began to sweep through her as the shock of sensation had the effect of a bucket of water on her scattered wits and snapped her back to reality.

  He only had a brief moment to wonder why she was trying to twist out from beneath him as his lips released hers before the sudden whoosh of movement caught his eye.

  A heavy weight crashed down on his skull with a resounding thud, rendering him speechless for several moments as pain exploded in his head.

  His foul curse rent the air as he immediately rolled onto his back, blinking fiercely to clear the shower of stars behind his eyelids. He shook his head in a valiant attempt to clear his vision only to groan anew when the pain increased tenfold. Raising one eyelid he glared balefully at her, all remnants of desire vanished in an instant as he studied her warily standing beside the bed, holding a bundle of rags in her hand.

  “What the bloody hell did you do that for?” He snarled, rubbing the rapidly expanding lump on his temple in consternation. She had been allowing his kiss and had in fact been actively engaging in it, so why had she hit him?

  “Eliza, wait!” He groaned as he stood and put a hand against the wall to steady himself when the room immediately whirled around him in a kaleidoscope of moonlight and shadows.

  “I told you I won’t sleep with you. Whatever you paid Bernard you need to get back from him, because he has ripped you off too. I am not a whore and I won’t give you any information about Jemima.” Eliza snapped in a voice made shrill with the clawing need to get out but she could do little to prevent the rising tide of panic that clawed at her, driving her onwards recklessly.

  He had been so masterful at seducing her, she had briefly forgotten where she – they – were. She didn’t care if she had to beat her way out of the tavern; nothing was going to stop her leaving. She didn’t stop to look back into the room, and was vaguely aware of the sudden shifting of shadows within the room as he lurched towards the door moments before it slammed shut behind her. From the curses and thumps emanating from the room, he had either fallen over or walked into the solid slab of wood so rudely slammed in his face.

  She didn’t stop to check on him and instead ran down the stairs, ignoring the catcalls and whistles from the tap room’s occupants as she swept through the side room towards the back corridor and the door at the end marking freedom.

  Completely ignoring Bernard’s angry shouts behind her, she ducked into the office taking precious moments to haul out the small box he kept in his desk and upend the contents on the desk. Grabbing a handful of coins, she roughly assessed how much she was owed and tucked them into the pocket of her dress before lunging back into the corridor.

  Her eyes were wide with anger as she practically ran into Bernard, who was leaning against the wall gasping for breath, his mouth opening and closing with rage that mottled his face a mixture of puce and purple.

  “I’ll take that as payment for the bar work. Now get out of my way.” She snapped with cold eyes as she hefted her bundle before her meaningfully.

  The hour was late, and although most of the patrons had gone home there were some still around, and they were now gathered in the doorway to watch the spectacle.

  “Give me the money back whore.” Bernard snarled.

  “You owe me several months’ pay. If you think keeping me here without pay with the intent of turning me into a whore is going to work, then I am afraid you are sadly mistaken. Now are you going to move out of my way – or do I have to force you.”

  She ignored his growl of contempt and met his glare with one of her own. Her chin tilted defiantly, every fibre of her being locked onto the seething mass behind her. If they took it into their heads to snatch her, she wouldn’t stand a chance against them but it was a risk she had to take. Her gaze locked on the hefty bulk of the man before her, she issued one last warning.

  “Move – or I’ll move you.” She snarled, her amber eyes flashing in warning moments before she swung the heavy bundle she carried straight at Bernard’s head. He crumpled to the floor without a murmur. Eliza turned and shot the men in the doorway a glare of contemptuous warning before stepping over the unconscious bulk and heading out of the door, letting it swing closed behind her with a reassuring thump.

  Chapter Three

  Once outside, she felt panic begin to swell. Getting out of the Tavern had been the relatively easy part. Now she had to get as far away from the place as possible. Although rendering Bernard unconscious had bought her some time, she knew that at any moment the occupants would spill out onto the streets in search of her.

  Her stomach lurched with sickening nerves as she took a few steps away from the solid bulk of the inn only to be drawn to an abrupt halt by the unrelenting grip on her elbow.

  “You hit me with that again and I swear as God is my witness, I will paddle your arse.” Edward snarled, snatching the hideous bundle of rags off her and throwing it into the bushes in disgust. Ignoring her protests he dragged her unceremoniously across the stable yard into the cavernous barn that accommodated his horse.

  “Stand there.” He ordered, shoving her roughly against the stable wall and turning to quickly saddle his horse. He issued her a hard glare and stood between her and the stable opening, daring her to try to push past him. The lump on his head throbbed and he still struggled to clear his blurred vision. Whatever had been in that bundle had been chosen well; he wondered if they should have kept it because he had a distinct feeling they were going to need it before the night was over.

  From the angry murmuring amongst the inn’s remaining patrons, he fully expected that any moment now the tavern would erupt and they would have to fight their way out of the stable yard.

  “Where the hell are you going?” He snarled placing one large hand into the centre of her chest. Ignoring the soft press of flesh beneath his fingers he pushed her back against the wall, his temper seesawing wildly between admiration for her determination and anger for her recklessness.

  “They’ll kill you if you go back in there.” He snapped, nodding toward the bulk of the inn. Although he was loathed to admit it, she had been impressive to watch as she had thrashed her way out of the tavern like Boudicca leading her army. The fiery glint of daring in her amber eyes had dared anyone to risk coming closer to face her wrath. It had been enough to keep the men at a wary distance and allow her escape but he felt relatively certain would not be enough to stop the angry men from regaining possession of someone they clearly considered theirs.

  He had his pistol on him, but he had limited shot and certainly not enough to keep a baying crowd away.

  “I’m not going back in.” Eliza snapped defensively, unsure whether she was relieved or annoyed when his solid bulk blocked her from leaving. “I need my bundle.”

  Edward heaved a put-upon sigh at the insanity of females and shoved the bit into his horse’s mouth. “There is no time. We have to go.”

  He cursed when the quiet of the night air was shattered with the banging of the tavern door. “Now!” He ordered, grabbing her around the waist and hoisting
her unceremoniously onto the saddle before swinging up behind her.

  Ignoring her gasp of surprise he wrapped his arms firmly around her, pulling her tight against his chest as he dug his heels into the horse beneath them. They tore out of the stable yard as though the hounds of hell were at his heels and thundered through the surging crowd without pause.

  “Here! You! Get back here!” Bernard shouted holding a white cloth against his head as he staggered ahead of several men who tried to jump in front of the charging horse.

  Eliza cried aloud as fingers snatched at the hem of her dress as she sped past, immediately lifting her feet higher and out of reach of grasping hands. Her backwards slide was prevented only by Edward’s fierce grip as he held her against his chest.

  “Wrap your arms around me and hang on.” Edward shouted, urging his horse through the assembled throng now spilling out onto the narrow street directly in front of the tavern.

  Terrified, Eliza did as she was instructed and slid her arms around his lean waist, clutching the soft material of his shirt on his back with desperate hands. All she could do was cling to him as the horse dipped and swayed beneath them as it dodged people trying to grab its halter.

  “Come on boy, you can do it.” Edward murmured softly, watching his horse’s ears prick upwards at the steady command. Digging his heels in, he was rewarded when Guinness lurched forwards and charged through the melee, his hooves pounding in fury as he barrelled down the main street sensing his master’s calm air of command and responding to it without question.

  It was impossible to tell how long they rode through the night but eventually Eliza was aware that the noise of the busy town had quietened down until all she could hear was the pounding of the horse’s hooves and the soft snorts of his breathing as they charged through the night.

  Despite her earlier attack, Eliza was grateful for Edward’s steady presence beside her and took advantage of their position to seek the comfort of his embrace. With her arms wrapped tightly around him, and her head buried in the hollow between his neck and shoulder she was very grateful he had chosen to follow her. She realised then just how foolhardy her escape had been, and how dire her situation could have become had he not chosen to follow and rescue her.

  “You can come up now.” Edward whispered softly directly into her ear. He should be blazingly angry with her for attacking him but still struggled with concern for her safety as the sharp memory of the baying crowd rose to the forefront of his mind. If it wasn’t for Guinness’ sheer size making it impossible for anyone to reach him easily, or stop him, then he knew they probably wouldn’t have got out alive.

  Leaning forward to give his mount a gentle pat of gratitude, Edward slowed him to a steady walk and taking advantage of leaning forward to ease Eliza out of his neck. Not that he minded her seeking the security of his arms, but the press of her lush curves against him was just too distracting and was having an adverse affect on his libido. He needed all of his concentration to make sure their pursuers didn’t catch up with them.

  He cast a quick assessing look over his shoulder and mentally cursed at the sight of riders following them at a steady pace. He hated to push the horse through the night, over unfamiliar and uneven terrain but the dogged persistence of the men giving chase made it increasingly likely.

  Glancing down at the woman in his arms, he wondered just how much trouble she was in.

  “If you are Jemima, you need to tell me now.” Everything within him paused in anticipation of her answer. He knew that his brother-in-law’s feelings for the mysterious Jemima went much further than friend helping acquaintance. Knowing she was Jemima would go some way to helping him keep his hands off the tempting bundle of femininity who now sat so comfortably in his arms.

  “I promise I am telling the truth. I’m Eliza.” Eliza replied firmly, open honesty in her gaze as she stared openly back at him confirmed that she was indeed who she claimed to be. He wasn’t sure he was relieved or not.

  Silence settled around them for several long moments as Guinness picked his way through the moonlight. Edward was contemplating their location and was busy calculating how long it would take to the safety of Havistock when he felt the shiver Eliza couldn’t contain.

  “Cold?”

  Eliza nodded hesitantly. Although she was pressed up against Edward’s warmth, the chill from the cold night air had chased the meagre warmth away until she was wracked with shivers. “I’ll be fine.”

  “You did leave the inn in rather a hurry.” He pointed out ruefully, touching the tender spot on the back of his head, a painful reminder of the evening’s activities.

  Eliza winced and looked abashed. “I really am sorry.”

  “Mmmnn.” He suspected she knew exactly what she was doing and had planned the entire thing. Although he was annoyed he now had a growing lump on his temple, he was glad she had not succumbed to Bernard’s demands and agreed to whore herself, even for him.

  A quick, reassuring glance over his shoulder had him drawing Guinness to a halt. Briefly he untied his greatcoat from the back of the saddle and shook it out before draping the voluminous warmth around her shoulders.

  Eliza was immediately swathed in thick, woollen warmth that made her sigh with pleasure. She eyed the cotton shirt Edward was wearing and knew he must be cold too. He was in the process of tying the strings when she placed her hand over his much colder ones before removing the cloak and rearranging it as best she could around both of them. Tugging the loose folds over her legs, the cloak cocooned them both in enveloping warmth.

  “Thank you.” Edward murmured, inexplicably touched by her concern for him. It had been a long time before anyone had considered his wellbeing in such a way. The instinctive way she had sought to assure his comfort at the risk of her own said a lot about her, drew him to her in a way that disturbed him a little. She was becoming more of an enigma that teased his curiosity.

  “There’s someone coming.” She whispered, clutching at the folds of his cloak in alarm.

  Edward turned to glance over his shoulder, well aware of his chest pushing against the soft roundness of her as he did so. “Damn.” He muttered, spying the three riders heading towards them far quicker than they had been moments ago. “Hold on.”

  Eliza immediately slid her arms around his waist and clung to his reassuring strength as he nudged the horse into a gallop.

  The cold night whipped around them as they chased across the uneven fields. Once or twice Eliza gasped as Guinness stumbled, clearly struggling to maintain his momentum over the roughly ploughed fields.

  “We can’t keep running over these fields, it’s only a matter of -.” The breath left his body as the horse fell to the ground beneath them with a jolt, throwing both Eliza and himself on the floor with a heavy thud.

  “Eliza?” Edward shouted, dodging Guinness’ thrashing hooves as he struggled to regain his feet. Jumping to his feet, Edward clutched the startled horse’s reins and squatted down in front of Eliza.

  “Edward!” Her ear-piercing squeal was met with the sound of thundering hooves as their pursuers drew to a halt.

  Cursing fluidly, Edward roughly drew Eliza to her feet and shoved Guinness’ reins at her. “Hold those tightly and don’t let go.” His voice was clipped as he pushed the long lengths of leather into her cold fingers, and turned to stand directly in front of her wedging her firmly between Guinness’ heavy bulk and his own broad shoulders.

  “Give ‘er to us.” A large brute of a man, with more than ample girth and scraggly beard nodded towards Eliza. The brogue in his voice was pure Cornish.

  “What do you want with her?” Edward stared at each man in turn while drawing his pistol from its sheath and cocking it in readiness, although if he was honest he wasn’t sure he had enough shot to drop all of them should he need to. His other hand dropped to the reassuring solidity of the scabbard lodged into the belt of his breeches.

  “She ain’t nothin’ to us, or to you so ‘and ‘er over.” The man was clearly t
he ringleader, or the only one able to talk Edward surmised, scanning the horizon quickly for any signs of their reinforcements. He shifted on his feet, tensed and poised for battle. He had been in this situation on more than one occasion and was not unfamiliar with hand-to-hand combat, but it had never been with the safety and security of a delectable female before. Still, there was no hesitation that he wouldn’t fight for her.

  “You are going to have to get through me if you want her.” Edward’s voice was cold, hard steel as he lay down the challenge. He didn’t need to look behind him to know Eliza was there, he could feel her trembling fingers clutching his shirt fearfully. He wanted to be able to reassure her, but couldn’t break eye contact with the gang leader.

  The men were spaced out evenly before him. Edward knew that if they spread out further they could easily get to Eliza and there was nothing he could do to stop them. He couldn’t shoot two men with one shot – he was good, but not that good. If he had any chance of getting Eliza out of there and to safety, he had to be the one to attack and control the confrontation – and there was no doubt there was going to be confrontation and inevitably bloodshed.

  Sending a silent prayer heavenwards that Eliza wasn’t squeamish and wouldn’t faint on him, Edward lifted his pistol and shot one of the pursuers with surprising accuracy. The man fell to the ground with little more than a soft groan, the suddenness of his demise was enough to prompt his associates into action. Immediately the battle was on.

  “Eliza, get onto Guinness and don’t get off until I tell you.” Edward snapped, shoving one hand behind him and pushing her off his back before lunging forwards, his pistol raised. He had no time to check to see if she had followed his orders, his attention taken by the wicked looking sabre that was now pointed directly at his heart. Without hesitation he pointed the pistol and used his second and last shot before turning to the last man standing with a snarl of contempt.

  “You can fight to the death too, or you can run for your life – it’s your choice.” He snarled contemptuously as he glared at the third and final man. Edward knew what he was going to choose as he watched the man look nervously at the two men on the ground before swallowing harshly and staring at the smoking pistol pointed at his heart. To Edward’s consternation he didn’t run, but raised his own sabre and lunged straight at Edward who had little to protect himself other than a now empty pistol and a scabbard. He was aware of Eliza’s scream but daren’t look to see if anyone else was attacking her, his own survival depended on the next few moments.