Saint Or Sinner (3 page)

The wedding was arranged for one month hence which seemed like
forever to the two of them despite her father still worrying that it showed
unseemly haste. Now that they were officially engaged Philip came to visit
daily, even when Sir Horace was at home, and they were finding it well nigh
impossible to keep their hands off one another whenever they had the rare opportunity
to be alone.

She ached with unfulfilled desire and she knew he must be feeling
increasingly frustrated also: although she had little personal experience, she gathered
from overheard snippets of the maids’ conversation that it was uncomfortable
for a man to be in a more or less permanent state of arousal. After much
soul-searching she decided it was cruel to keep him waiting unnecessarily and
resolved to talk to him that night. After all, they would be husband and wife
soon, so what difference would a few days make?

…………

After a very pleasant dinner she waited for him on the
balcony, enjoying the evening air while he and her father indulged in brandy
and a cigar. Her ears pricked up at the sound of his familiar tread and then
she sighed with pleasure as his muscular arms enfolded her, leaning back into his
chest as he traced the shell of her ear with his tongue and tilting her head to
give him easier access to her throat. His lips were warm against her skin and
she felt the familiar pulse beating between her thighs as he turned her in his
arms and his mouth captured hers in a long sensual kiss.

         “Mmmm …”

It was intoxicating being so close to him and her head was
swimming by the time he sat and pulled her down into his lap, nuzzling her
collarbone.

         “I need to talk to you, Philip.”

         “You talk, sweetheart. I’m busy.”

She giggled, tugging his head up so that she could look him
full in the face. He huffed, grimacing in mock frustration.

         “Alright, you have my full attention.”

         “Hmmm. It’s hard …”

His lips twitched and his silver blue eyes glinted wickedly
in the moonlight.

         “It most certainly is.”

She raised an eyebrow, a maidenly blush suffusing her cheeks.

         “Are you being vulgar again?”

He smirked, dropping a tender kiss against her palm.

         “Only the tiniest bit.”

She took a deep breath and looked down at the floor,
mustering her courage.

         “So, here’s the thing. Philip, I don’t want to keep
you waiting any longer. We’ll be husband and wife in a few days anyway so if
you want me now, tonight, I’m yours.”

She was aware of her face flushing crimson with
embarrassment, but he tipped her chin up so she couldn’t avoid his eyes and she
saw the love and desire shining in their glittering depths. There was a brief
flash of something else too. Vulnerability, maybe?

         “Sweetheart, I’d be lying if I said it was easy
waiting. God knows it’s all I can do to restrain myself most of the time, but I
want to do this right. The first time I make love to you should be on our
wedding night when we can take our time, spend hours enjoying each other with
no interruptions. I will, however, look forwards to tumbling you on the chaise
longue very soon afterwards.”
He flashed her a lascivious grin and then fell serious again.

         “Sarah, some things are worth the wait. It’s only for
a few more days after all, and I’ll survive even if I am beating it down with a
big stick.”

She slapped his arm, not so naïve she didn’t know exactly what
he was referring to. She’d seen horses together, after all.

         “Philip!”

He quirked a teasing eyebrow at her.

         “Acting all demure, sweetheart, after the offer you
just made me? Hmmm, maybe it’s not just me who’s desperate. After all, I am fairly
irresistible, aren’t I?”

He pouted attractively and she snorted a laugh, all the time
thinking he wasn’t too far off the mark. She had to admit she was nervous about
what to expect, but she knew he’d be gentle and she was more than ready to be a
wife to him in the fullest sense of the word.

………….

Lying in bed later that night, sleep proved elusive. She was
hot and restless, struggling to relax as she tossed and turned, battling with
the sheets. For some strange reason she couldn’t get The Saint out of her mind,
wondering if he knew about her recent engagement and if he’d make contact
again. What would she do if he repeated his indecent proposal? She shivered at
the memory of his burning kisses and hoped she’d have the strength to refuse
his amorous advances, despite the fact that there was something dangerously
fascinating about him. 
Willing herself to drop off, she wondered why she was even thinking about
another man now, however intriguing he might be. She loved Philip more each
day, couldn’t wait to become his bride and share his bed. Butterflies fluttered
in her stomach at the prospect and she gave up on sleep for the time being,
deciding to go and get a milky drink from the kitchen in an effort to help her
drop off.

It was well after midnight but there were raised voices
coming from Sir Horace’s study and she froze at the bottom of the stairs,
wondering if she might stumble on anything useful. She didn’t recognise the
gruff tones of the other man but as she strained her ears to hear, the
conversation took an interesting turn.      

         “I’ve no reason to doubt the information, Sir; I
have it on very good authority. Apparently they know about tomorrow night’s
arrangements and plan to intercept the goods. Yet again. He definitely has a
spy in our camp.”

Sarah shrank back against the wall hardly daring to breath.

         “Damn the man to hell, William. We’ve barely
managed to keep hold of a consignment for the last year or so, and none of the
locals are willing to betray him because they reap most of the benefits. What
does he get out of it, that’s what I’d like to know!”

         “I suspect it’s a personal grudge against you, Sir.
But all his men are fiercely loyal and even they don’t know his true identity.
Nobody does, it appears.”

         “No matter. If we can arrange things properly,
he’ll soon be in the hands of the Excise men and I’ve got them practically in
my pocket. They’ll lock him up and throw away the key.”

Sir Horace chuckled vindictively, a sound that made her
blood run cold. There was only one man they could be referring to and she knew
she had to do something to save him, whatever the consequences. She crept back upstairs
to her room and paced up and down for a while, deep in thought. How could she
get a message to him? One of the servants was her best hope. She would talk to
Mary, her personal maid, first thing in the morning.

………….

As luck would have it, Mary was to prove very useful in her
venture. Sarah brought the subject up tentatively as the maid was brushing her
hair.

         “Do you … um … happen to know anything about a man they
call The Saint?”

The young woman raised an eyebrow but continued with her
work.

         “What’s your interest, my lady?”

She decided to take a chance.

         “Can I trust you, Mary? I fear he may be in grave
danger.”

The maid’s jaw dropped and Sarah could read the concern in
her eyes.

         “What kind of danger, ma’am? My brother is one of
his men, I can get a message to him today if need be.”

Sarah stood and took her by the hand.

         “Oh, thank God. Let him know Sir Horace is aware of
tonight’s plans and is plotting an ambush. Don’t waste any time, go right away.
I can finish dressing on my own.”

Mary squeezed her fingers reassuringly.

         “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure he gets the warning.”

She made as if to leave and then turned back for a second.

         “Have you met him then, my lady? He’s reputed to be
very handsome, even in the mask.”

Sarah looked down at the floor, afraid she might give herself
away.

         “I have. He once escorted me safely home.”
The maid clasped her hands together, a dreamy expression on her face.

         “Oh, how romantic. I imagine he was the perfect
gentleman.”

She sighed expressively and Sarah blushed, recalling their
last conversation.

         “He was the very model of propriety. And yes, he is
rather … appealing. Now don’t delay any longer, Mary. I won’t be able to rest
until I know he and his men are safe.”

With anxiety as her constant companion she couldn’t settle
to anything for the rest of the morning, desperate to hear that the warning had
been safely passed on. Philip was away on business and wasn’t expected back
that day and she still wasn’t confident enough to go riding on her own, so she
had very little to distract her from her fears. She picked up a book but after reading
the same page several times over she dropped it back down onto the table and
gazed out of the window, lost in her thoughts.

Why did it matter so much to her that he would be safe? She
told herself it was because of the good work he did and the fact that he was a
thorn in Sir Horace’s side, but in her heart of hearts she knew it was more
than that. She couldn’t bear the thought of not seeing him again, she wanted to
be held tightly in his arms and feel his lips on hers one last time before he
was lost to her forever.

………….

It was mid-afternoon before Mary reappeared, tapping gently
on the door before quietly sliding in. Sarah’s breath caught in her throat but
the maid nodded reassuringly, walking across the room to clutch her outstretched
fingers.

         “It’s done, my lady.”

Sarah let out a long shuddering breath, almost weak with
relief.

         “Oh thank God. Are you quite sure?”

         “Positive. And I’ve got something here that’ll prove
it.”
Mary smiled, withdrawing a sealed envelope from her pocket and handing it over.

         “I want to thank you, my lady. On behalf of my
brother and all the others.”

She squeezed Sarah’s hand in gratitude.

         “You’re most welcome. It was just good fortune that
led me to the information, and thank God it did.”

         “Amen to that. Now, I’ll leave you alone to read your
letter.”

She slipped out of the room and Sarah tore open the envelope
with shaking fingers, inordinately curious to see what he’d written. The
notepaper was expensive looking and his writing was an elegant copperplate. Clearly
the man was well educated. She took a deep breath before devouring his words hungrily.

 My dearest Sarah.

May I have leave to call you that? In truth I have thought
of you in those terms since our first encounter. After what you have done for
us today my men and I will be eternally in your debt, and my heart will be
forever yours. I beg you to meet with me in the stables this evening, however
late the hour. I shall wait all night if necessary, but I must see you.

TS.

She clutched the letter to her breast, her face flushed and
her heart beating fast. Who would have thought he could be so succinct and yet
so eloquent? She’d thought it was just a passing flirtation to him, nothing
more. She got up and started to pace the room, her mind racing. How could she go
to him now, knowing the depths of his feelings? And yet, how could she not? She
owed it to him to break the news of her engagement in person, after all. She
thought about Philip and resolved that this would be their last meeting, hoping
she could resist The Saint’s devastating charm one final time.

…………

As bad luck would have it, Philip appeared unexpectedly in
the late afternoon, claiming that his business affairs had been concluded
faster than expected and he hadn’t been able to go a full day without seeing
her. At first his arrival threw her into a state of high anxiety but as dinner
progressed and he flirted teasingly with her throughout, she finally began to
relax. He was effortlessly engaging that evening, his silver-blue eyes glinting
wickedly as he played footsie with her under the table, and she was reminded of
exactly why she was marrying him.

Before he took his leave he turned to bury his face in her
hair, his voice a low growl.

         “Three days, sweetheart. And then there’ll be no
more need for goodbyes, and I’ll be able to hold you in my arms all night long.”

His mouth left a trail of fire down the column of her throat
and she felt the now familiar fluttering in the pit of her stomach as she moved
into his warm embrace. He broke away reluctantly, kissing her tenderly on the
lips before whispering in her ear.

         “Sometimes I very much regret turning down your generous
offer, love. Sweet dreams.”

Squeezing her hand, he mounted his horse and she watched him
ride off into the distance before turning back into the house to prepare for
her clandestine meeting.

………….

It was close to midnight by the time she made her way
nervously from the silent house to the stable block, her heart in her mouth.
She had no idea what she was going to say to him, but she was resolved not to
succumb to his ardent advances however much her body might want to. She loved
Philip far too much to allow herself to be seduced by another man, however persuasive. 

The horses whinnied quietly as she made her way past their
stalls and placed the lamp on the ground, pausing to rub her mare between the
ears and feeling guilty that she hadn’t exercised her that day. Without warning
a pair of strong arms enfolded her, and warm lips found the sensitive skin
behind her ear eliciting a sigh of pleasure. A delicious shiver of arousal ran through
her as she leant back into him, feeling the vibration of his gruff northern
growl through his chest.

         “I wasn’t sure you’d come, sweetheart. And yet here
you are.”

He spun her round, his lips capturing hers in a demanding
kiss, his tongue taking possession of her mouth as one hand tangled roughly in
her hair. She tried to fill her mind with thoughts of Philip and the sensual
promise of his lips, but where her fiancé’s kisses showed admirable restraint
the Saint’s were all passion and fire. Her head spun and she heard herself moan
as her legs threatened to give way, the rough wood of the stall digging into
her back as he pressed her up against it.

When he finally released her she was flushed and panting and
he grinned down at her, his eyes glittered wickedly behind the mask.

         “I missed you, Lady Sarah. Seems the feeling was entirely
mutual, eh?”

He seated himself on a nearby bale of straw and stretched
his long legs out in front of him, tugging her down into his lap.

         “I need to talk to you, Sir.”

He pressed a finger against her lips.

         “Me first. I meant what I said in the letter. Every
word. If it wasn’t for the timely warning I’d be in the hands of the Excise men
round about now, and I’d much rather be sitting here seducing you.”

He smirked at her outraged expression.

         “I’d hardly call one kiss a successful seduction,
Sir.”

         “Oh, I’ve barely started yet, love …”

His lips dropped to the hollow at the base of her throat
while one hand moved up to fondle a breast and for a few brief moments she was
lost, surrendering willingly to the delicious sensations he was arousing in her.
Then she came to her senses, wriggling out of his grasp and pushing his hand
away.

         “No! We mustn’t …”

He pouted at her and she tried not to stare at his sensual mouth.

         “Sweetheart, I’m only offering a little harmless
fun, I promise. At least until after you’re married.”

Her blood began to simmer under his predatory gaze. Reminding
herself of exactly why she was there, she extricated herself from his lap and
brushed a few stray wisps of straw from her dress.

         “I can’t deny I’m attracted to you. But I’m engaged
to be married to Philip Hunt and I won’t betray his trust.”

He got to his feet and moved closer, his eyes searching hers.
When he spoke again,  his voice was soft.

         “Do you love him, Sarah?”

         “With all my heart.”

He reached up to caress her cheek.     

         “Then I’m truly happy for you. But if you ever change
your mind, just remember, I’ll be waiting …”

She found herself pulled flush against his hard muscular body,
his kiss so fervent that she knew she had to leave then or she was lost. She
broke away from his passionate embrace, looking up into eyes now glittering
with lascivious intent.

         “Goodbye, Sir. I wish you every success with your
future endeavours, and please … take care.”

And then she turned and walked quickly away before she could
change her mind. He stood gazing after her, a wickedly knowing smile tugging at
the corners of his mouth.

         “Believe me, this isn’t goodbye, sweetheart. You
and I have unfinished business …”