Angel of Ash (7 page)

Oswald nodded, near giggling while he led them through the large living area then dining area of his inn. “Not many roomies, tonight, sir, just two, so we have enough bedrooms for all of your men, please, please, come, I will show the lady her room and then yours, the lady will be safe, right next to my wife’s and I room, while you gentleman may take the floor, below, sir. Here, here,” he cried, bobbing up excitedly and grandly flourishing throughout the small and clean room. “Will this do, ms? Oh, wait until I tell my wife,” he pointed towards a small basin. “We have a new device, sir, my lady, water that comes from the walls, amazing! You simply turn this spigot, and water falls into the basin. Amazing!” He nearly giggled again, before bobbing up and down, before ushering he and Asher out of Angel’s room. “Shall we see you in perhaps, twenty minutes; I shall have your trunks sent up immediately.”
“Oh, sir, just one trunk, the black one with the red trimming will be fine, for tonight, thank you so very much Mr. Oswald.”
Oswald bobbed up and down happily as Angel turned her eyes to Asher, who stood beside the small man, imposing, and darkly handsome, staring at her with a message in his eyes, Angel skittered away from and felt embarrassed that she stood so close to the small bed. Walking next to the mirror, she closed the curtains, lighting more candles in the small room. They finally left, Oswald promising to bring her luggage as Angel gratefully waved them goodbye and closed and locked the door behind them.

She sagged against the wall, her heart beating excitedly in her chest. “Oh, that man!” She exclaimed excitedly, her thoughts upon Asher and his devilishly good looks. She’d never seen his like before, as her cheeks were flushed, easing the pins from her hair, she shook her cloud of midnight hair out, running her fingers through it absentmindedly as she hummed lightly, before turning on the spigot that poured cool water out. Laughing in delight, she splashed water upon her face and dried off when the door knocked.

Instead of answering and since the room was so small, she opened it, Asher leaning against the doorway, her heavy trunk upon one of his broad shoulders.

“
Oh,” she exclaimed, having expected one of his outriders to bring the luggage. “Come in,” she said, backing away slightly while he entered her room, settling the trunk at the edge of her bed on the floor without a single thump. “I thought you would send one of your men, sir.”

“
They are eating and quite tired, they have worked hard, we have traveled farther than I thought we would be able to make.”

With his hands free, Asher stood to his full imposing height of six feet and two inches. It was with little wonder that Angel felt the already small room grow incredibly cramped, as she stood beside the water basin, still absentmindedly pulling softly at the locks that rested upon her chest, her hands wanting to keep busy. “Thank you, very much,” she said. “You have been the best of hosts, sir while I know I have set back the time it has taken us to get to Hunter.”

“
No, do not say such, you have been a wonderful, travel companion as well, Angel,” he said and Angel enjoyed the way he said her name, his deep voice dropping another level, his tongue drawing out her name, sending slight shivers down her arms.

“
Yes, but I am sure you are ready to see your sister, once more and your new niece or nephew.”

“
What you say is true.” Asher knew that if he didn’t leave this room at this very second, he was going to throw her onto the small cotton bed and make love to every inch of her body, but yet, he teased himself with his senses, his eyes upon the hand stroking the dark hair upon her breast, his fingers wanting to touch the hair and the breast beneath, his ears wanting to hear her utter just one more syllable, his lips wanted to taste her skin. And so he stayed, staring at her, before his feet inexplicably drew him closer to her soft and waiting form as he stood within inches of her shivering body.

She spoke not one word, instead staring at him with her large, slanted eyes, her mouth slightly parted and breathing heavy. She touched her tongue, quickly to her lips, wetting them and Asher groaned, deeply, his fingers reaching up; to pull her closer to him, wrap himself in her, when a voice interrupted the two.

“
My lady, your supper is waiting!” It exclaimed, the happy Oswald interrupting the couple with nary a thought as to what had been about to take place. “Oh, and good thing you are also here, a trip I shall not have to make, Mr. Davis. Come, supper is ready and my wife waits,” he said, waiting for the two to follow him.

Angel felt as if she had jumped a mile in the air when she heard Oswald’s loud, animated voice, she didn’t know whether to curse or say thank you that he had interrupted the two. Angel felt like cursing. She had wanted more than anything for Asher to kiss her, to feel his warm, soft supple lips upon hers. She had to get under control.

“
Oh, yes, thank you, Mr. Oswald,” Angel said before realizing she had as of yet to freshen up. Never the mind, she hurriedly pulled her hair back in its’ bun, feeling Asher’s eyes upon her the entire time, even though she’d turned her back to him to peer into the small hanging mirror above the basin.

It felt intensely personal, him seeing her do something as normal as pin her hair and Angel felt her hands shake slightly, before dropping them hurriedly and smoothing her skirt down. “I am ready,” she replied turning towards Asher who held out his elbow for her, which she took, hands still trembling slightly as she fit against his body, her head barely reaching the top of his shoulder.

“
Then let us make way,” Asher said, staring down at her beautiful hair, a tumultuous riot of curls which she’d tried to tame, but even now, he saw soft tendrils about her face, which had escaped her bun and felt the inexplicable urge to pull the pins out, and see her hair once more waving down her back, he wanted to bury his hands into her hair, her everything and shook his head as he escorted the two behind Oswald’s chubby back and to his waiting wife.

“
Oh, my goodness,” were the first words that met Angel, as an equally small woman met them at the door of Oswald’s private dining room. “Hello, Mr. Davis, a pleasure, and this must be Ms. Barrett, which Oswald has filled my ears with, do come in, and such a beautiful young woman and from America!” She exclaimed, in a near titter as she hopped about the room, making sure everything was laid out neatly.

Asher rolled his eyes, only for Angel to see, who smiled back, before he pulled out a chair for her, seating her, his hands lingering upon the back of her seat and Angel’s breath once more seemed to have lost her.

He sat down, next to her, while Oswald and his wife, sat across from them, the table laden with enough food to feed a small army. After grace was said, the ravenous pair immediately, but politely dug into the food, it having been hours for both of them since they’d last eaten.

And through all of this, Oswald and Beatrice peppered Angel with questions about America. The Indians, the wild frontier, the strange animals, the different cities and so on.

The conversation continued well near to twelve midnight as Angel was unexpectedly having a marvelous time painting a picture of her home for these kind strangers. And during that time, she felt Asher’s eyes upon her, Asher so close to her that if she simply reached out, her hand would touch his. He kept silent for most of the conversation, oddly enough, seeming to enjoy hearing everyone else speak before deciding the hour was late enough since they had to be up so very early.

Saying their goodbyes, Beatrice escorted Angel back to her room with the promise that she would awaken her up personally at five the next morning.

Angel nodded, once again closing and locking her door, wondering if perhaps Asher would knock discreetly upon the door once the house had once again settled and knowing that if he did she would willingly open the door and tell him…what? She had no idea, but the situation seemed so romantic she giggled like a young girl before washing for bed, an hour later realizing that the good man was perhaps more than asleep and so, she herself laid upon her bed, images of Asher’s smiling face helping her drift off into a deep and relaxing sleep.

Chapter 3

Asher groaned, loudly, flipping in his narrow bed, once more, gritting his teeth and trying to remove all images of Angel from his minds. However, it was a hard subject to undertake, his mind had lost leave of all its’ senses, and Asher who’d once prided himself on being above his baser needs, could think only of Angel, and her beautiful smile, her strangely exotic eyes and her womanly scent, that even now, he could still smell. He finally sat up, in the nude as he usually went to bed, and wondered if she too, laid abed thusly, or perhaps carried a white, long virginal gown that would cover her from neck to toes. Shaking his head of such thoughts he stared out the window upon the cobble stoned street below, as still as an apparition, recalling Hunter’s words upon her sharply penned letter to him.

Asher,

Neither Caleb nor David can meet my dearest friend, Angel Barrett, at the dock, Monday, the 21
^st
of July upon the Freedom Rider, Caleb because an accident at one of his factories and David because he is quite sick. The twins as you know are well into the town of Bath and I refuse to have my husband, mother or father, leave my side until the child has been born. So it would seem that you are the only one able to meet my dearest and only friend from America and bring her to me immediately. And Asher, I warn you, treat her with the utmost respect, cherish her as you do me, do not let her hear your caustic tongue and do not, I repeat, do not try to bed her…or you will be banned from my home indefinitely.

Hunter

Asher had crumbled the letter up, growling in annoyance, well, what use he indeed had for the young woman. And now, as Asher stood at the window, staring into nothingness, he regretted his actions immediately. He wasn’t too sure if Hunter was serious about banning him from her home, but Hunter was stubborn to say the least and she would do it, if the slightest tinkling of inappropriate behavior even touched her ears. Asher just hoped she would be enraptured enough by her new child to forget about her sharp commandments she had uttered, instead focusing all of her time and attention upon the new member of her family.

He wanted at once to ignore Angel and make love to her, sighing in annoyance that this beautiful female had to be his sisters best friend and he wasn’t too sure his sister would forgive him once he’d began a relationship with Angel. And so, perhaps, the best thing to do would be to leave her alone, for the sake of her own good and continued peace with his baby sister, who had a temper that rivaled his own.

Angel woke up well before six, dimly she heard a grandfather clock chime six hours and unable to sleep anymore, even though she’d barely had a decent night, she excitedly got up, wanting to look her best for Asher and feeling once more like a young girl instead of a woman.

Lighting candles in her now cool room, she opened her trunk, pulling out a light blue day dress with a bodice lower than was usual for her and the required undergarments. The gown was high waist and over the light blue cotton a white lace over garment was placed, adding a delicacy to the already beautiful fabric. With that came a bonnet also. Smiling, she turned on the spigot, giving herself a leisurely wash up, scrubbing herself with her own scented soap before slowly combing, her teeth with baking soda and peroxide, and then brushing her hair until it lay in luxurious waves down to her waist, before slowly dressing it, pinning it low and allowing a small bang to escape before sweeping that slightly to the side and allowing loose tendrils to frame her face. She glossed her lips lightly and got dressed rolling on her silk stockings, telling herself she wanted to look presentable for Hunter’s family, but knowing that was a load of crock even her inner self refused to believe. Finally dressed, she repacked her items and straightened her room, lugging the small trunk to the door when someone knocked just as the grandfather clocked chimed five.

“
Come in,” Angel called, her back to the door as she pulled the heavy trunk, wanting to be ready for Asher once she would meet him downstairs in the kitchen.

Asher opened the door, having intersected Mrs. Beatrice, and sent her to the kitchens so she could hurriedly fix his company breakfast. He hadn’t expected Angel to be up, instead, hoping to find her still abed, her hair long and flowing around her lithe form teasing himself relentlessly.

Instead, he was met with her adorable backside as she tried dragging her large trunk towards the door, and for a moment, he paused a wide smile breaking his features, making his dimples deep heart stoppers, before getting himself under control.

“
Dressed, already,” he said, walking inside her brightly lit room. “And here I thought you would still be a sleeping beauty, waiting for the kiss of your prince.”

“
Oh, sir, you tease so,” she said, before giving up her struggles and standing tall, staring into his feline eyes as a punch of emotion hit her deep in the stomach. Nearly flinching, she could do nothing except stare at awe on the countenance of his handsome form, more handsome today than he had been yesterday, if that was at all possible. His hair lay in riotous waves and curls upon his head, his smile was deep as his dimples creased his cheeks heavily, and since he was so close, she could smell the mint he used upon his breath, its sweet scent sending shivers of pleasure straight to her toes as his white teeth flashed in amusement.