Immortal Love (14 page)

Looking toward the horizon, the sparkling
water stretched out before her. Imagining herself alone on this
earth, she heard no sound other than the roar of the surf
below.

She thought of her mother. “Can you see this
beauty, Mother?” she found herself asking. “Will it bring you
peace? I suppose not. All you saw was the darkness of pain and
despair. How I wish you were here. I miss you so very much.”
Eleanor pulled on the memory of her mother’s face. The vision
hadn’t faded with time. She could still see the clear green eyes,
and the soft pink lips around a mouth that rarely smiled. She
pushed away the sadness and swallowed the tightness in her
throat.

“Eleanor?” The sound of her name was so
unexpected she nearly fell over the edge. An arm came around her
waist to steady her.

“Randolf, you nearly frightened me to
death.”

“Literally, my lady,” he said, still holding
her with one arm. “It would be a comfort to me if you would take a
few steps back from the edge.”

He didn’t release her until she complied.

With her hand on her chest, she tried to
still the furious beating of her heart. “I . . . I’m sorry, I was
just engrossed in the view.”

“It’s beautiful, but the edge can be a bit
precarious. Rocks are often loose and the ground soft. You must
take care.”

“I promise, I will.”

Randolf gave her his most brilliant smile.
She couldn’t help smiling back. His handsome face held the most
striking pair of blue eyes. Friendly eyes. They rivaled the color
of an ice-blue lake. This man’s dashing good looks and easy smile
must have broken the hearts of many a maid.

“Would you care to sit with me, so we could
enjoy the view together?” he asked, holding out his hand.

She nodded and sat down on the cloak he
spread on the ground. They sat in easy silence for a while before
he spoke again. “We had some excitement last night, didn’t we?”

Eleanor stiffened. “Yes, quite.”

“Good thing Dominick knocked the cup out of
your hand when he did.”

He gave her a sideways glance, and she knew
what direction he was leading the conversation.

She looked out toward the horizon. “Did he
tell you how he knew?”

“Yes.” He pulled on a blade of grass and
tossed it into the wind.

“Has he always had the ability to see
spirits?”

“For as long as I can remember. When we were
children he told me stories of the dead that visited him in the
night. For the longest time I refused to believe him, but as we
grew older, things would happen. He received warnings from spirits,
and they kept him safe.”

She thought of the scars that crossed
Dominick’s back. “They must not have always kept him safe. They
allowed him to be taken prisoner.”

“That was not due to lack of warning.” The
shadows of anger crossed Randolf’s face. “Dominick’s superior
ordered him into that ambush. Then the coward ran while my brother
and his men were taken.”

“So the superior managed to escape?”

“Not exactly. When King William found out
what happened, he had the man hanged for treason.” Randolf
stretched out and leaned back on one elbow. “In prison Dominick saw
so much horror--tormented souls that couldn’t find their way out of
this world. It was then he put up the wall in his mind and refused
any further contact with the spirit world.”

“Then how did he see my mother?”

Randolf shrugged his shoulders. “It’s a
mystery. Since the prison, he hasn't seen anything. Until she
appeared to him.” He sat up straight and looked Eleanor directly in
the eyes. “He and I have a thought, though. We believe her love for
you is strong enough to break through Dominick’s barrier.”

A tear ran down her cheek. “My father had me
believing she abandoned me.”

Randolf wiped the tear away. “Now you know
she didn’t. Even though your mother suffered greatly while she
lived, she never left you by choice. Not even her death could keep
you apart. Always know that she is with you and will never abandon
you.

Eleanor felt raw and vulnerable. “It gives me
little comfort. I want her to move on.” Together they stared out at
the horizon. Then she admitted, “I have never seen a man who showed
any kindness, but over these last few weeks I saw it in Dominick.
Then, when he killed that spy, all of those memories came flooding
back.”

Randolf looked surprised. “My brother has
never raised a hand to a maid—ever. Hurting a woman would be
unthinkable.”

“But I saw his eyes, and it frightened me to
the core”

He turned to face her, pulling her shoulders
around to capture her full attention. “What you saw, Eleanor was a
man protecting his home and his family. Protecting you, his wife.
Believe me when I say he would never hurt you. Believe in
him
. He wouldn’t do anything to harm the ones he cares
about, and he cares about you.”

“I’m beginning to believe that. Every day I
see more and more of his kindness, but last night’s violence
brought back the memories of McPhearson’s siege, and my blood ran
cold with fear that my people would have to deal with another
monster.”

“My brother would never do anything against
your people.”

“I know that now.” It will take some time for
me to understand my husband, but I know eventually I will.”

He touched her cheek lightly. “Do you feel
better now?”

“Thank you. I do."

“Good, shall we go back?” He stood and held
his hand out to her.

She took it easily. The
two of them walked arm in arm toward the castle. Once inside the
gate, he bid her good day and headed toward the stables.

T
he sun was at its
zenith, and she needed to talk to Dominick. He was out in the
field. Gathering food and water, she sought him out.

Young maids lingered at the edge of the
field, gawking at their half-naked lord, sighing great sighs as his
muscles bulged while pulling on the reins of the oxen. Shaking her
head, Eleanor shooed them away, reminding them there was work that
needed to be done. When she turned back toward Dominick, she
resisted that same urge to sigh when his muscles flexed. She rolled
her eyes.

“Eleanor, you see him night after night,
naked as the day he was born. You should be used to it by now,” she
chided herself. But her heart still slammed against her chest every
time she saw his naked body, and she wondered when she would ever
get over it.

Picking her way through the field, she
managed to catch his attention, and he pulled his oxen to a stop.
“You must be hungry. I brought some food and water.”

He tied the reins to the plow and walked with
her to a shady tree near the edge of the field. “Are you feeling
better?”

“Yes, thank you.” She unfolded the fabric
that held their food and handed him a flask filled with water. He
drank heartily, then tore off a piece of bread and popped it into
his mouth.

After some time he spoke, looking out into
the field. “I’m sorry you saw what happened last night.”

Eleanor held up her hand to stop him. “Let’s
not talk about that. I would like to put it behind us. I came here
to explain my reluctance for our marriage, and maybe it will make
things easier to understand.” He sat quietly waiting for her to
speak. “This is something that will take time for me.” She picked
at her bread. “As you already know, my father was a drunkard. He
abused my mother daily, and he kept other women.” She took a deep
breath, pushing back the tears that threatened to surface.

“After my mother was gone and no longer my
father’s victim, his abuse turned on me.” Dominick’s back
stiffened. “When his friends came to visit, the wine and ale would
flow and the situation would become very dangerous for me. One
night, my father passed out and McPhearson cornered me in one of
the chambers near the hall.” Eleanor wasn’t sure she could
continue. Her skin crawled with the memory. Dominick placed his
hand over hers. “I thought I was about to suffer what my mother had
endured, until Zenon came in and clubbed McPhearson on the back of
the head, rendering him unconscious. I have never forgotten that
fear.

“Zenon and Martha hid me in a cellar until
McPhearson left. The next day I told my father what had happened.
He blamed me for the attack, and accused me of being a whore just
like my mother. I couldn’t walk for two days after his
beating.”

Dominick’s squeezed her hand. “Eleanor, I
swear, you have nothing to fear from me.”

She looked up at him. “Dominick, I do realize
that with the exception of our wedding day, you have showed me
nothing but kindness, but I need more time. I cannot erase what has
passed, or the fear I feel, but maybe we can start by being
friends.”

He brought her hand to his lips. “Friends it
will be.” His black eyes bore into hers, and for an instant, they
looked to promise so much more. Excitement shot through her. “Eat,
before your wedding ring no longer fits. I will not have a skinny
wife.”

“Oh, so you prefer a fat one?” she said with
a grin.

“No. But a woman who looks like a willow is
not very appealing.”

“So I’m not attractive.” She felt the humor
bubble to her throat.

He sighed dramatically. “You have weight on
you now, but when I first met you . . . ”

“So you’re saying I was ugly when you first
met me?”

Dominick placed his hand gently over her
mouth. His smile was soft and playful. “That is not what I mean,
and you well know it.” She giggled beneath his hand. “Now fortify
yourself. You can help me with this field.”

“Help you with the field? What could a gaunt
and frail girl like me do to help you?”

He gave her a sideways glance. “I’m not
beyond throwing you into that cold stream.”

“Ooh, I’m so frightened.” When he moved
threateningly toward her, she held up her hand. “I yield, I yield.”
Picking up the bread she said, “See, I’m eating, so I can get big
and strong and help the master in his field.”

“You’re tempting me.”

She took a large bite out of her bread and
washed it down with water. Then she attacked the cheese. She hadn’t
realized she was so hungry until she looked down and all the food
was gone.

“Good girl,” he said, as she folded the
napkin and brushed the crumbs off her skirt.

“My duty is to please.” A wry grin crossed
his face.

Wagons rolled into the field, and workers
began picking up large rocks and throwing them in. Dominick walked
to his plow and started tilling the rest of the field. Eleanor
joined in the rock picking. It was hard work, but she enjoyed being
outdoors and especially being near Dominick.

D
ominick continued
plowing the field as his mind pulled toward Eleanor’s confession of
the past. Until now he hadn’t known the true extent of her
suffering. The former master of Godwin was a despicable man.
Offering his own wife for rape and accusing her of being a whore,
then beating her for it.

The spirit had told him Arthur Mason was not
her father. Had he known that? Had that been the reason for his
abuse? Hurting a child was inconceivable no matter the
circumstance. Silently, Dominick hoped the man now suffered the
fiery tortures of hell.

Eleanor worked hard in the field. Someone
brought her a ridiculously large straw hat that hung low on her
forehead. Dominick smiled. Despite all she’d been through, she
hadn’t lost her spirit. It could even be comical. She wanted to be
friends, but Dominick wanted so much more. He planned to push her
to her limits, and flex his best seduction muscles.

The way she stared at his chest didn’t escape
him. She wasn’t even aware of what she was doing. There were ways
of heightening a woman’s desire without actually touching her.
Despite her past she was a woman, flesh and blood, and could be
subject to needs and desires just like anyone else.

She didn’t think he was
physically repulsive. Unbeknownst to her, he had caught her staring
at him every night as he undressed for bed. A crooked smile crossed
his face. He was going to be entertaining that evening.

A
fter a full day’s
work in the field, Eleanor’s muscles cried out with every movement.
When she entered her chambers late that afternoon, a bath with
scented oils waited for her. As quickly as her body would allowed,
she stripped down, and climbed into the steamy, soothing water.

Her body gave in to the relaxing heat. The
steam penetrated the pores in her face. Oil that smelled of
gardenia drifted into her senses. The fragrance was soft and light,
much like her mood. She felt glorious.

Her servant knocked briefly, before she
entered. “Martha, you have saved my life.”

“Why my dear?”

“Because you had this wonderful bath waiting
for me.”

Martha looked confused. “I didn’t order the
bath.”

“If you didn’t, then who?”

“Probably the master. He is in another
chamber right now sitting in a tub as well.” A smile grew across
Martha’s face.

“Oh.” The image of Dominick’s large,
perfectly sculpted body sitting in a tub, his skin slick with soap
and water sent her into an erotic fantasy.

Eleanor sat up abruptly.
Where did that
come from?
Shaken, she prayed Martha wasn’t looking at her. She
was sure her thoughts could be plainly seen on her face. Looking
toward where her maid was moving about, she saw her spreading a new
gown across the bed. Thoughts of Dominick temporarily halted. “Oh
Martha, that is beautiful.” Her eyes were drawn to the fine creamy
fabric with its delicate gold embroidery.

“Probably one of the most beautiful gowns I
have ever seen, my sweet.”

“I have to agree with you.”

“His lordship sent a circlet and girdle to
match.”

The girdle was woven from fine gold thread
with jade stones that ran along its center. The gold circlet bore
the same jade stones. “Those are exquisite,” said Martha.