A knock resounded at the door and a maidservant went to answer it. When she saw Trahern standing on the other side, Auder knew the time had come. As she followed him down the winding stairs, she closed off her grief and prepared herself to face what lay ahead.
Gunnar rode hard, racing across the Norman lands. He ignored the sentries standing guard outside Maraloch, only slowing his pace slightly to lift both hands in surrender. They saw the offering he"d brought and lowered their spears.
Within the inner bailey, he spied Trahern, the man"s height towering above everyone. A priest stood nearby, about to offer a blessing, while Auder"s hand rested within the Norman"s grasp.
Rigid fear tore through Gunnar, that he was too late to stop the marriage. He brought his horse through the people and dismounted, lifting down the young boy he"d brought with him. Clar"s son Nial was wide-eyed as he stared at the soldiers surrounding them. Behind him, Clar followed on her own horse, her tension evident.
The Norman baron lifted his hand in a silent signal, and within moments, Gunnar was surrounded by guards. He ignored the spears aimed at him, shielding the boy from their weapons.
"You"re interrupting my wedding, Irishman," the Norman said coolly. Auder had gone pale, her face stricken with fear.
Gunnar ignored the weapons and the people around him. Staring into her eyes, he demanded, "Is this what you want, Auder? Would you rather have him at your side?"
Tears glimmered upon her lashes, and within her eyes, he saw her pain. It was as if she didn"t believe he could love her.
"My own wishes don"t matter," she whispered. "It"s for the good of my people."
He didn"t believe her words. "I spoke to your mother, Auder. But there are other ways to protect her. Other ways to change what your father did."
A tear streamed down her face, and he saw that she was listening to him, at last. Gunnar drew as close as he dared. "I won"t let you go. Not after last night."
She lowered her eyes, as if she couldn"t bear to look at him. And it was as if she"d driven a blade through his ribs.
To the Norman, he said, "I have a different alliance to suggest. Clar o Reilly has agreed to let her son be fostered here, if she can remain with him. In return, we will care for your son as though he were our own blood."
At his vow, the widow stepped forward. Lord Maraloch"s gaze met Clar"s, and she sent him a tentative smile. There was courage beneath it, and a note of interest in the widow"s face.
"If this is an acceptable alternative to the marriage," Trahern began, "then we can proceed with fostering arrangements."
The Norman released Auder"s hand, not hiding his annoyance. "Either is acceptable to me. Though I suspect this lady would prefer that I release her from this betrothal agreement."
Auder stared at Gunnar, her blue-green eyes hesitant. Almost as if she weren"t certain he would want her anymore.
He started to meet her halfway, but then Auder started to run. He caught her in his arms, and she clung tightly, her face wet with tears. Although the baron looked irritated, he turned his attention back to Clar and her son.
"I"m sorry," Auder whispered, as Gunnar lifted her onto his horse and swung up behind. "I never wanted to leave you. But I couldn"t have lived with myself if they attacked our cashel and you were killed."
"You should have trusted me instead of running away." He framed her face with his hands. "I want to take care of you. And I"ll make certain that no one ever speaks a word against your mother. What happened wasn"t her fault or yours."
"I wanted to do something to make up for what he did."
"It"s not your blame to shoulder. Nor your mother"s." He bent closer, resting his cheek against hers. "Make the choice of what you want. Not of what you think others want from you."
She leaned back against him, lifting her face to his. "I won"t run from you again, Gunnar." With a faint smile, she offered, "I"ll run to you. If you"ll have me."
Two nights later Auder kept her eyes closed, upon Gunnar"s command. Her new husband had brought her to the house he"d built, and as she lay upon his bed, the cool night air blew over her naked skin.
"Don"t open your eyes," he ordered.
Though she obeyed, she felt his weight sinking down beside her on the mattress. A light floral scent made her wrinkle her nose. Had he brought her flowers?
The fragrance grew stronger, and she felt the softness of petals against her cheeks, across her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, and more flowers upon her stomach.
"Can I open them now?" she said, laughing at the ticklish sensation. A soft silken texture brushed against her nipple, and she shuddered, her b.r.e.a.s.t.s straining toward her husband"s touch. His mouth replaced the flower, and she caught her breath at the heated texture of his tongue. He tasted and teased her, applying the slightest suction until she grew moist within her womanhood.
"Open your eyes," he murmured. Auder obeyed and saw that he"d selected woad, madder and saffron, among other herbs. Rather than selecting flowers, he"d brought her the plants she used for dyeing cloth. "Morren helped me choose them," he admitted. "I thought they might be useful to you in your work."
She reached up and pulled him down on top of her, the herbs scattering everywhere. "They"re wonderful, Gunnar." Her mouth met his in a deep kiss, and she tried to show him all the feelings she couldn"t put into words.
His hands moved over her skin, and the rough skin provoked a desperate need to take him inside her, to claim him as her own.
She pulled at his clothing, and as the layers fell away, she lifted her leg over his hip, granting him access to her body.
"Do you still believe this is something only men enjoy?" he teased, as his hand moved down to caress her.
When his thumb brushed against her hooded center, she smiled against his mouth. "Not anymore."
He stroked her, and she reached between them to take his manhood into her palm. With her hand wrapped around his length, she fisted him until his face tightened. The moisture of his arousal coated her fingers, and she tried to guide him inside.
"No other man will ever touch you this way," he swore, sheathing his shaft within her. He brought her hips to the edge of the bed, still keeping them joined together while he stood. "You"re mine, Auder."
He angled her body to meet him as he withdrew and thrust inside. Slowly, he joined with her, as though trying to reach the deepest place within her heart. She shivered as his gentle penetrations conjured up a swollen desire. When his length grew even harder within her, she pushed against him with a counter pressure. Eager to please him, she arched her back, moaning when he quickened his rhythm.
Gunnar showed no mercy as he filled her, like a conqueror bent upon ravaging her. Auder"s fingers dug into the flowers, and she was unable to stop her cry of ecstasy when the tremors took her apart, shattering her body. Her husband pushed her back again, wrapping her legs around his waist as he stole her breath away.
And when at last he"d finished, he rested his head against hers, holding her close. Lifting one of the flowers to her cheek, he brushed it down her skin, making her smile.
As he held her tightly, their bodies fused together, she murmured against his skin, "I love you, Gunnar."
He kissed her softly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "As I love you, my wife." His hands moved over her skin in a gentle caress. "And my friend."
THE CAPTAIN"S WICKED WAGER.
Marguerite Kaye.
Author Note.
Gambling has long been the vice of choice for the rich and famous, from horseracing, the traditional sport of kings, to today"s televised celebrity poker tournaments. It is easy to see the attraction. The heady mix of glamour, money and drama is both alluring and seductive. This was certainly true in Regency London when the Ton and the demi-monde flocked to h.e.l.ls of St. James"s and Piccadilly in search of illicit thrills and excitement.
But what if more was at stake than money? What if someone was driven to gamble with their body, their feelings, even their virtue? What if losing became more appealing than winning? Freed from society"s conventions and constraints-for how can there be guilt when one has placed one"s fate in the hands of the G.o.ds-what might the gambler learn about his or her secret self?
This is what I wanted to explore through Isabella and Ewan"s story, where a turn of a card, a throw of the dice, decides how shockingly they must behave, what sensual acts they must indulge in. And at stake, love, the ultimate prize, can be either won or lost.
I hope you enjoy reading this, my first ever Undone, as much as I enjoyed writing it. I"d love to hear what you think. You can email me at
If ever any beauty I did see, Which I desired, and got, "twas but a dream of thee.
-John Donne, The Good Morrow.
For J, who makes any room our everywhere. Just love.
Look for Marguerite Kaye"s duet.
Innocent in the Sheikh"s Harem.
The Governess and the Sheikh.
Coming soon from Harlequin Historical.
Chapter One.
London, 1785.
The gaming saloon was packed, the clientele mostly male but with a fair sprinkling of women present, too. Thanks to the notorious d.u.c.h.ess of Devonshire, playing deep was very much a la mode for the fairer s.e.x. The air was stifling, the atmosphere redolent of hair powder and scent, brandy and wine, mingled with the musky smell of too many bodies crowded into too small a s.p.a.ce. Candles sputtered and flared, casting distorted shadows on the walls.
"Eight wins." The large woman in charge of the faro bank glowered as she pushed a pile of counters across the table.
Isabella Mansfield, her attention focused on trying to calculate the value of her winnings, ignored the woman"s growing animosity. Faith, but it was hot! The fan she wore tied round her wrist provided her with precious little relief. The unaccustomed hair powder irritated her scalp. The rouge she had so carefully applied to her cheeks and lips p.r.i.c.kled her delicate skin. The folds of her dark blue polonaise dress and the ridiculous layers of undergarments required to hold the shape in place at the back all contrived to make her distinctly uncomfortable.
Though they also, she reminded herself, served to ensure that she blended in, looked just like every other woman present. Aside from her complete lack of jewellery, that is. Her great-grandmother"s pearls, the only thing of value she owned, had been discreetly sold to provide her stake for this evening. Two more wins, if her luck continued to hold, and she would have enough.
Captain Ewan Dalgleish watched with interest as Isabella pushed her entire stack of counters onto the two, causing a crackle of excitement to fizz round the throng of eager onlookers. There was something driven about her demeanour, quite different from the recklessness of a genuine gambler. She was clearly nervous: long fingers plucking at the sticks of her fan, her eyes fixed on the dealer"s card box as if it contained the key to her very destiny. Which, he thought, raising his eyebrows as he calculated her stake, it most probably did. He was intrigued.
On the anniversary of the day he had resigned his commission following his father"s death, and on his thirtieth birthday to boot, he had come to this newest h.e.l.l made popular by Fox and his cronies in search of diversion. In the past year he had sampled every pleasure, licit or otherwise, the town had to offer, kicking over the traces and flaunting his newly-inherited respectability in the faces of his critics with gusto. Sport, women, sprees like this latest outing-they all provided temporary excitement, but nothing matched the visceral thrill of battle, the gut-clenching intensity of combat. He was coming to believe that the army had leeched all feeling out of him. An intense ennui threatened to overwhelm him.
He"d had the devil"s own luck with the cards tonight, but it meant little. The fortune his father had left him was immense. And as for the brandy he had imbibed-his mind might be somewhat befuddled, but the abrasive edges of his poisonous mood had been in no way smoothed. To h.e.l.l with all of it! Even his burning desire to try to right the wrongs of the world offered little solace. What he needed was something more exotic by way of an antidote.
The beauty at the faro table was most definitely that. Despite the regulation paint and powder, there was something distinctive about her. Winged black brows sat above cobalt-blue eyes fringed with long black lashes. There was a spark of intelligence there. A mouth wider than the fashionable rosebud, the bottom lip full. The long line of white throat swooping down to a luscious swell of bosom. The same flawless white skin on her arms, delicate wrists and long fingers. Slumbering sensuality combined with a haughty touch-me-not air. A challenging and enticing combination.
At the faro table Mrs Bradley, the banker, was declining the beauty"s bet, clearly afraid it would break the bank. Her many chins wobbled as she shook her head. "I"m sorry, madam, that is twice the maximum stake permitted."
"But..." Isabella looked up, embarra.s.sed to find all eyes upon her. Impatient. Speculative. Inquisitive. Leering. Under her rouge, she blushed. Not all the women here were ladies of the ton. Not all the gamblers were gentlemen. With a heavy heart she took back half her counters. At this rate, she would never win as much as she needed. She must have the full funds by the end of the week or all would be lost. She simply had to win enough tonight.
"With the bank"s permission I will cover the bet, and any others the young lady cares to make." The deep voice had just the trace of a Scottish lilt.
Startled, Isabella looked up into the most striking pair of eyes she had ever seen. Amber tinged with liquid brown, the colour of autumn leaves. For a moment they clashed with her own, causing a flicker of excitement to shiver down her spine. A sculpted mouth curled in a half smile.
"Captain Dalgleish," the banker exclaimed in surprise. "This is most unusual."
He flashed her a smouldering, flirtatious smile. "Unusual, Mrs Bradley, but I"m sure you can find a way to accommodate me."
The banker smiled coquettishly. "Captain Dalgleish, I"d wager there"s scarcely a woman in London who wouldn"t be willing to accommodate you in any way you saw fit. If I was twenty years younger I might even be tempted myself."
A ripple of laughter spread through the onlookers.
Ewan"s eyes twinkled mischievously. "Madam, that is a regret we will both have to live with." The crowd roared its approval. "Perhaps this will ease the pain somewhat," Ewan said, pa.s.sing her a sweetener which she quickly palmed, indicating her acceptance with a coy fluttering of her lashes.
An air of heightened excitement eddied round the room at this new, unexpected development. Jaded gamesters tilted back their straw hats to stare. High-cla.s.s birds of paradise and raddled society grandes dames alike peered curiously from behind their painted and lace-trimmed fans. Into the brief silence blew a flurry of whispered asides. "Rescued the climbing boy himself. They say he whipped the master." "Apparently, he"s no stranger to the Roundhouse at St Giles. Locked up overnight with common thieves more than once." "They say he found an escaped slave begging on the streets, set him up as an apothecary, no less."
Captain Dalgleish drew the attention of the whole room inexorably towards him with all the natural and unconscious ease of a magnet pointing a compa.s.s northward.
In common with everyone else, Isabella stared. When she had first heard tell of him he had been new to town, as famed for his daring exploits on the battlefield as he was infamous for his public condemnation of the American war in which he had fought. Now he was just as notorious, but for his h.e.l.l raising. Ewan Dalgleish was not a man who lived by society"s rules. A rebel in every sense, she thought enviously. Why on earth would he want to cover her bet? But unless he did-no, she would not allow herself to think of the consequences of failure.
She watched him covertly as he placed a roll of notes onto the table. He was tall, with his coat cut in the new fashion b.u.t.toned tight across his chest, showing off the breadth of his shoulders, the severity of the rich black velvet cloth lightened only by the glimpse of a dove-grey waistcoat, the fall of white linen with just a hint of lace at his throat. The deep copper of his hair glinted bright as a new-minted penny in the candlelight. It was a memorable face. High cheekbones with a small scar visible on the left one, a sabre cut no doubt. A strong, determined jaw. His colouring gave him an untamed look. The perfection of his tailoring somehow served to draw attention to the muscles hidden underneath. A mountain lion, Isabella thought with a shiver. Strength and power barely concealed under a veneer of sophistication. A fierce Highland warrior in the sober garb of a gentleman.
She smiled at herself for being so fanciful and then flushed as she caught the echo of her smile returned from across the table. For a second she met his glance haughtily, amber clashing with cobalt-blue. An almost tangible current of awareness crackled between them. She dropped her eyes.
"Madam?"
Mrs Bradley"s voice recalled her to her purpose. Isabella pushed all of her counters onto the table. The watching crowd craned ever closer for a better view.
The banker"s card was a six of diamonds. The carte anglaise, the winning card, was hers.
"The lady wins," Ewan Dalgleish said softly in his husky Scottish burr, pushing her counters back towards her and adding the same amount again from his own supply. He had just lost a fabulous amount, yet it seemed he was content to do so. A quirk of his mouth, a quizzical eyebrow formed the unspoken question.
Isabella took a deep breath and returned the entire total to the table, raising an audible gasp from the audience. It took all her courage, such a fortune as she had before her, but it would not yet suffice. Coming up short was not an option. A life depended upon it. Heedless now of everything but the game Isabella clenched her hands together. One more turn of the cards. Just this one.
Ewan did not take his eyes from her. Her face was a mask of concentration, her eyes focused on Mrs Bradley"s hand, which rested on the dealing box. Whatever she was playing for, it was not the thrill of it. He was conscious that a part of him wanted her luck to hold, no matter that he would be the poorer by thousands.
The cards were dealt and the colour drained from Isabella"s face as they landed face up on the baize. A small sound, like steam escaping from a pot, hissed round the table.
She had not even a stake left with which to continue. Blindly, Isabella got to her feet. The gilded chair on which she had been seated fell backwards. The lace at her elbow had become entangled with her fan. Her gloves...where were her gloves?
Suddenly, he was there in front of her, handing her the gloves and her wrap. He took her arm firmly. "Come with me."
"No, no, I..."
But it was to no avail. A strong hand guided her away from the curious faces of the onlookers. She was propelled out of the crowded room and into an unoccupied one across the pa.s.sageway.
Ewan closed the door behind him and pressed her onto a chair by the fire. A gla.s.s of fiery spirit the same colour as his eyes was handed to her. "Drink this," he said firmly.
Isabella drank. The brandy made her gasp, but it also revived her spirits. She took another gulp.