The Crimson Castle (16 page)

“Where are the rest?” Gabriel snarled.

The guards reddened and looked at each other before the smaller one
spoke, “Most of them had disappeared into the trees by the time we gave chase,
Sir. This one had tripped so we grabbed him. The others are still trying to
track down the rest…” he trailed of seeing the fury in his master’s eyes.

Gabriel punched the tree next to him in anger and cursed, instantly
regretting it as Evelyn flinched in his arms and his injured shoulder throbbed.
He dragged himself from the ground and helped her to her feet. She wobbled
feeling faint again and her eyes fluttered closed. Gabriel pulled her back into
his arms, motioning to the two guards.

“Help me with her then ride on to the castle. Lord
Tibald
will want to know the fate of Lady Evelyn.”

He didn’t envy them the duty, knowing
Tibald’s
reaction was likely to be a volatile one after learning that the outlaws had
escaped with his money.

“Lock up that criminal and do not touch him until I return. Lady Evelyn
is not well enough to journey on tonight, I shall find her somewhere to
recuperate and I will join you in the morrow.”

They both nodded and helped hand Evelyn up to Gabriel as he mounted his
horse. He laid her across his lap, resting her head against his chest and
knowing of an inn not far from their position he began their short journey to
it.

Offering up a prayer of thanks, he looked down at her peaceful face
laid against his chest. Her features showed the effects of the ordeal she had
faced, scratches and bruises marring her soft skin, but she was still the most
beautiful creature he had ever seen. Guilt filled him, unable to reconcile
himself with the fact that he had allowed her to be taken from him. Never
again, he swore.

***

Evelyn awoke laid out on a strange bed with no recollection as to how
she got there. She was surprised she had slept so soundly after the terror of
that day, though, when she spotted Gabriel sat in the corner of the small room,
she knew why she had not dreamt of horrors. She put a tender hand to her neck
and felt the proof of her ordeal, in the form of a welt wound around her neck.
Her heart began to pound as the events of that day came flooding back to her
and she sat up abruptly.

Looking over to Gabriel, the pounding subsided. He was alive! The
moment she had seen him enter the clearing she was struck by such overwhelming
fear that Lazarus would indeed succeed and kill him. The image of the arrow
hitting him still made her stomach lurch and she had been convinced at that
moment that he was dead. Moments from death herself, the sweet relief of his
arms around her, his voice murmuring reassurances in her ear, felt like pure
ecstasy.

He was sat with his shirt discarded on the floor, attempting to patch
up the arrow wound in his shoulder.  Evelyn watched his face crinkle in
frustration as he was struggled to dress the lesion with only the one hand. She
smiled slightly to herself as she watched the concentration in his face.

Moving over towards him, he looked up at her with a start, so involved
in the task at hand that he had not noticed she was awake. 

She took the bandage out of his hand. “Let me help you.”

Gabriel didn’t say anything but stiffened under her touch as she
cleaned the wound and began to apply the dressing.

With each touch to his exposed body, her breath shortened and she could
feel the heat filling her cheeks.  She smiled at him, attempting to hide
her reaction to his bare chest.

“This seems familiar…” referring to the last time she had nursed him,
“…although you are being a better behaved patient this time.”

Gabriel’s frown deepened and Evelyn, mistaking the reason behind it,
felt foolish for making a joke of his injury. After all, she had been the cause
of it.

“I am sorry, Gabriel. ‘Twas my fault that you sustained injury, I know.
I am just…just grateful that you were not killed,” her voice choked slightly as
her emotions caught up with her.

He looked up at her in surprise and saw the shimmering in her eyes. She
fumbled at his wound and Gabriel winced. As she drew her hand back in apology;
he quickly grabbed it and kissed her palm, a gesture so familiar to her now. He
stood slowly, still saying nothing, and took the remaining bandaging from her
unresisting hands, placing it on the side.

Evelyn took a slight step back, his naked form seeming to tower over
her. She struggled to breathe, feeling as if the air had suddenly been sucked
from the room. She froze now as she watched his hand move towards her neck.

He slowly lifted her hair, with the lightest of touches, and studied
the mark on her neck. She shuddered as his thumb accidently brushed against her
neck.

  “Forgive me for having allowed this to happen,
Evie
,” he said gruffly, his voice filled with remorse.

Her body softened and she put a hand on his arm, somehow feeling he
needed comfort almost more than she did.

“‘Twas not your fault, Gabriel, we both know it was my recklessness
that put us in danger. Will you forgive me? ”

As he glowered over her, Evelyn was once again struck by what an
imposing man he was. His strong features and furrowed brow still remained stern
and Evelyn wondered what it must be like to go through life, inciting fear by
the mere sight of you. It was no wonder Gabriel had struggled to find his place
in life.

His features softened and a slight smile slid across his mouth. “
Evie
, you are reckless and headstrong but I would have it
no other way. I love you.” His last words came out in a sudden rush, as if he
feared if he did not say it, it would never be uttered.

She blinked at him, his words robbing her of speech and breath,
creating an agonising ache within her. He had said those words to her before,
but in such anger that she dared not believe she would hear them again. Somehow
his declaration stripped any remnants of bravado and she felt acutely exposed.

Undeterred by her silence, he closed the distance between them,
skimming his fingers up her arms until his hands captured her face.

 “
‘Tis
well enough, Evelyn; I know I am
a fool to hope for your love. That you even allow me to touch you is more than
I deserve.”

Before she could respond, a thumb brushed across her bottom lip as he
placed a tender kiss to her forehead, the bristle of his chin contrasting with
the softness of his mouth, causing a flutter within her chest. Her hands traced
a path up the rigid muscles of his stomach, landing on his chest and, as he
inhaled sharply, she pressed her lips upon his.

Her body ached, her neck and arms sore from her ordeal, but it was
nothing compared to the ache that this man created within her, creating
fissions of a feeling unknown to her until meeting him. His hands wound through
her hair, as she explored his solid chest, luxuriating in the freedom of being
able to touch him. Breaking from his teasing tongue, she pressed a scorching
open mouthed kiss to his chest, causing him to tighten his clasp on her hair.

“Sweet Lord, Evelyn!” he groaned huskily.

Pulling her back from him, he looked over her with a slanting smile.
“Would that I could receive your attentions forevermore but I must tend to my
shoulder. And you, my lady, would benefit from tending to yourself.”

Guiltily, she withdrew her hands, eyeing the laceration. He moved back
to his chair so she could finish treating him, but not before brushing a tender
kiss across her lust swollen mouth, causing her to release a moan of
frustration as he moved away.

With his wound patched, he donned his ripped shirt with the aid of
Evelyn, much to her disappointment. He caught the look in her eyes and his eyes
glinted in return, a silent promise emitting through the stifling atmosphere of
the small room.

Reaching for her hand he led her to the chair, motioning to her to sit
down.
“Your turn, my lady.”

She frowned at being ordered around but sat anyway, the promising gleam
still in his eyes causing fervent desire to bubble up within her. Sulky
discontentment soon revealed itself on her face as he began to clean her face,
dabbing gently at her scratches, and he laughed at her petulant expression.

“The lady is displeased.”

Evelyn reddened but lifted her chin, using her bravado to cover her
embarrassment at being so obvious. “I had thought I might deserve more than
these simple ministrations after my ordeal.”

Eliciting a chuckle from him, her heart lifting at the sound, she
studied him as he continued to tenderly dab at the grazes on her arms. Watching
him now, she wondered how she could have ever thought of him as depraved. Here
he exhibited far more caring and consideration than any other man she had
known.

“What has changed,
Evie
?”

She broke out of her contemplation to catch him staring at her
intently. “What do you mean?”

“I am still the same man,
Evie
. My deeds are
unchanged, yet you would allow me to kiss you with such passion. I do not think
you to be a woman who takes pleasure in tormenting a man but pray tell me if
this is some female trickery.”

“Nay, this is not trickery. Surely you do not think me capable of such
cruelty?”

“I do not but my heart will not withstand another rejection. I must
know that these are not the actions of a woman merely grateful to her rescuer.”

Evelyn captured his hand and brushed a kiss across his knuckles. She
had not considered that she had hurt him so badly, so caught up in her own
sorrow; she had given little thought to the pain he was going through.

“I would not reject you, Gabriel. I realise now I was wrong about you.”

“You were not so wrong, Evelyn,” he said grimly.

“You are a good man, Gabriel. I know that now. I still wish you had
done things differently, but I understand you better now.”

 “I am sorry for my behaviour; you should not have had to endure
it. I swear to you I will never behave so again.”

Leaning forward, she kissed him gently. “You are forgiven.”

Surprise and gratitude lit his face. “You are too generous,
Evie
. I do not deserve it.”

“Gabriel of
Merston
, when will you learn that
you cannot tell me what to do? If I choose to bestow my forgiveness on you, you
had better accept it!”

He gave a gruff laugh at this and Evelyn was glad to have lightened the
mood once more. He pulled her close, burying his head in her curls, and Evelyn
shuddered at the feel of his breath on her neck. The air fairly crackled as the
coarseness of his jaw chafed across her cheek, seeking her mouth.

Hauling her to her feet, she
found herself in his embrace once more and unable to deny him what he sought,
heady desire commanding her body to do as he bid. The brush of his lips across
her ear caused her to shudder and she clutched at him as she wilted under his
touch. With a growl he pulled her hard to him, her breasts crushed against the
unforgiving solidity of his chest. She registered his rigid manhood pressing
into her and her body arched against it.

It took an inhuman amount of restraint not to lead her to the bed and
take her then and there when he felt her soft sweetness pressed against him.
But Evelyn deserved better than that and he drew back from her, releasing her
slowly as she faltered under his grip. She stood, chest heaving, a flush upon
her lips and, in spite of her torn clothes and scratched face, appeared to him
like the spirit in his dreams. He had spoken before of her being his second
chance and he wondered if she was his guardian angel, helping him to become a
better man.

“
Evie
, you have need of food and rest.”

She gave him a sweet smile and he thought his heart might shatter, the
overwhelming emotions colliding within his chest.

“There are other things I would rather do.”

He groaned and rolled his eyes. Trust Evelyn to try and push him to the
brink. In her innocence, she had no inkling of the kind of torture she was
placing him under. Ignoring the temptation, he forced her to sit once more and
had a servant bring them some food.

As she hungrily tucked into some rye bread, Gabriel realised it must
have been some time since she had last eaten and he chastised himself for not
having forced her to eat sooner.

“I will have to marry
Tibald
.”

He wondered if he had misheard her but a look at her face told him he
had not. Running a hand through his hair, the carefree atmosphere vanishing
with her words, he paced.

“
Evie
, you cannot.”

“What choice do I have, Gabriel? He will destroy
Beldersert
if I do not. I am all they have now, I must do my duty.”

Gabriel sighed, knowing now that Evelyn would never abandon the people
of
Beldersert
but still selfishly wishing she would.

Pausing in front of her, he muttered, “I would run away with you, you
know.”

Evelyn looked at him in surprise. “You would? But before…you said you
could not leave. You said you owed
Tibald
.”

“Aye, but I had not a notion of hope then.
‘Tis
true, I owe him much but your safety is of more import than the debt of a
condemned man.”

“What do you owe him, Gabriel?”

There was a pause.

“My life.”

She blinked at this, not expecting such an answer. “But why…?”

“You know
I
…” He struggled to say the words.

She looked at him in expectation and stood, placing her plate to one
side, and putting a reassuring hand on his.

He started again. “When it was discovered I had…killed my father I was
sentenced to hang…”

Evelyn gasped at the image of a young boy facing his death.