The Legend (6 page)

His size was overwhelming. Peyton
blinked nervously at him, the mental picture of his trencher-sized hand meeting
with her backside nearly bringing tears to her eyes. But she would not give in
to her fear; not yet, at least.

"I shall not tell you
anything!"

His face remained expressionless
as he lowered his great head until it hovered a mere inch from her own. She was
quivering with fear and fury, feeling the heat from his body as if the sun was
scorching her tender white flesh. He was incredible large and powerful and
fearsome, yet his expression anything but hard. She'd seen the look in James'
eye many a time. Always before he kissed her.

"You will," he growled.
"Shall I pry it from your delicious lips?"

Instinctively, she knew he meant
to kiss her and she tried to pull away. But his hand moved into her hair,
holding her tight. His face dipped even lower until she could feel his breath
on her lips.

“Tell me, Patton, or I shall
force it from you."

She was trembling, but not
entirely from fear. His closeness somehow brought a fire to her limbs like
nothing she had ever experienced. Her mouth was dry from her heavy breathing
and she reflexively licked her lips to moisten them.

Alec caught the flicker of pink
tongue and painful lust bolted through his limbs. Honestly, he had only meant
to intimidate her, but the erotic action inflamed his senses and he was
dangerously close to losing his control. The urge to suckle the tender pink
morsel was overwhelming.

"M-my name is Peyton,"
she breathed, knowing she should pull away from him but strangely not wanting
to.

"As you say. Explain
yourself and I may be merciful."

Merciful? What did that mean?
That he would let her go, or that he would put her over his knee regardless?
She struggled against her fear, against her confusing giddiness, against
herself. Why did he seem to scald her at every point where their bodies
touched?

"We.... my sister and I,
that is, have no desire to be married," she stumbled through her
explanation. "We thought.... we hoped to discourage Lord Brian against
seeking betrothals."

Alec gazed at her a moment before
loosening his hold. Peyton yanked free and stumbled back, eyeing him warily.

"So you made yourselves up
to look like ghouls?" he asked.

"Aye," she whispered,
then swallowed hard and forced her courage. "We will not be married, to
anyone. We do not want to marry."

Alec crossed his arms and
Peyton's breathing began to come in peculiar gasps again; they were the biggest
arms she had ever seen, every magnificent muscle straining against the
restrictive silk. "Why not?" he asked.

She had expected a reprimand or a
lecture; certainly not a question and was caught off guard. "Because....
because we do not need men. We do fine by ourselves and we do not need the
nuisance of men dictating our every move."

"I see. So you sought to
make your own decision by deterring my father from selecting husbands for
you?"

"Exactly," her initial
fear faded, replaced by her standard boldness. "I would wager to say that
after what he has seen this afternoon, we will not have to worry about husbands
any longer."

Alec looked at her, long and
hard, before depositing his considerable weight on a stump. Thoughtfully, his
eyes grazed her. "'Tis your duty to marry and provide heirs to carry on
the tradition of St. Cloven,” he said. “What will happen if you and your sister
die old maids, with no children to continue the legacy? The tradition of St.
Cloven ale will die."

Peyton's brow furrowed and she
lowered her gaze. She opened her mouth to retort but found she could not find a
suitable argument to his calm rationale. "I.... I did not say we did not
ever wish to be married,” she replied quietly. “We simply do not want to be
married any time soon. Eventually, we will marry and bear children and pass the
tradition on.”

As she said it, she thought of
marrying and of betraying James' memory. A wave of pain rippled across her
delicate features.

Alec saw it. "Why does the
thought of marriage distress you?"

"It doesn't," she
snapped, fighting off the melancholy and focusing on her annoyance instead. She
faced him and put her hands on her hips. "Are you going to return to your
father and tell him what we have done?"

He raised a slow eyebrow.
"Nay. You are going to tell him."

Her jaw hung slack with surprise.
"What?"

He rose and she was startled anew
by his  size. "You will be my guest at the party tonight and will be given
the chance to explain your actions to my father personally."

"I will not!" she
retorted hotly as he moved toward her. "If I return to Blackstone, it will
be kicking and screaming all the way!"

"If you so choose." He
was still moving toward her.

She backed away from him,
frightened and angered. "You will not lay a hand on me, Alec Summerlin! You
will be sorry!"

He actually smiled. "Nay,
lady, I guarantee I will not be sorry. But you will be."

"How dare you threaten me!
If you so much as..!"

He suddenly bent over and grabbed
her about the waist, throwing her over his shoulder as if she weighed no more
than a child. Grinning, he carried his struggling burden back to the waiting
party.

"Ali, the ladies will be
returning with us to Blackstone," he said pleasantly, eyeing Ivy.
"Lady Ivy will be your guest at tonight's party."

Ali turned his helmed head to the
blond sister, thinking her to be quite lovely without the dark circles and gray
skin. "My pleasure, my lord."

But Ivy scowled at him. "I
shall not be anyone's guest! We are going home!"

On Alec's shoulder, Peyton's
struggles increased. "Defend yourself, Ivy! Do not let him force
you!"

Ivy took her sister's advice and
shoved Ali hard enough to cause him to lose his balance. Another kick to the
stomach had him stumbling off the road, almost falling down a slight decline.
She dashed toward the wagon to spur the team onward, but Ali regained his
footing and was upon her before she could carry out her mission.

Clutching the struggling buxom
woman against him, he turned to Alec. "This will prove to be an
interesting evening."

Alec smirked in humorous
agreement and turned to his destrier, preparing to mount with Peyton slung
across his shoulder. Peyton, however, had managed to upright herself somewhat
and boxed his left ear sharply. Alec winced. "Unwise, lady. Another
infraction and I shall tie your hands together."

Jubil was staring at him quite
dreamily, unconcerned that her nieces were being abducted. "Plant your hand
on her bottom, my lord. She shall stop soon enough."

This time, Alec listened to her.
He raised his eyebrows. "Is that so?" Without hesitation, he smacked
Peyton soundly on the behind and she yelped. But, true to Jubil's word, she
ceased her struggles purely out of shock.

"Jubil!" she cried
miserably. "You traitorous cow! Stop helping him!"

"Do not listen to her,
Jubil," Alec said, his lips twitching with mirth. "I demand you
continue to aid me."

"As ordered, my lord, "
Jubil sighed.

Peyton's struggles commenced once
again as Alec mounted and she accidentally kicked the charger in the neck,
causing the animal to bolt. Alec's attention was diverted as he fought to
control the steed and Peyton saw the opportunity she had been waiting for;
prying herself free of his confining embrace, she managed to twist from his
grip. But momentary glee met with harsh reality when she realized the horse was
extremely tall. There was nowhere for her to go but down.

Peyton fell like a stone before
Alec could grab hold of her. In a burst of stars and sharp pain, the world
abruptly went black.

CHAPTER
THREE

It was nearly dusk by the time
Alec returned to Blackstone. The celebration had already begun and Olphampa
wait in the bailey nervously as the great gates swung open to admit the
incoming party. He rushed forward to meet them.

"Alec! Ali! What
happened?"

Alec did not answer; his face was
emotionless as he dismounted his steed and moved to the wagon. Ali dismounted
as well, instructing the servants to stable the horses and store the wagon when
it was emptied. Olphampa watched the orderly chaos around him, baffled by what
was going on. Curiously, he peered into the rig.

Ivy was perched like a lioness
over the prostrate form of her sister. Alec stood at the foot of the wagon, his
great hands on his hips.

"Has she regained
consciousness?" he asked.

"Nay," Ivy said glumly.
"She is not moved a muscle."

Alec's jaw twitched, unusual for
the usually controlled man. "I shall move her inside."

"Do not touch her!" Ivy
spat, throwing her arm over her sister possessively.  "This is your fault!
If you had not...!"

"We have been through this,
demoiselle," Ali said calmly, grasping Ivy by the arm. "Move aside so
that we may remove your sister."

Ivy grunted and cursed as Ali
pulled her from the bed of the wagon. Alec leapt into the vacated spot and
gazed down at Peyton's sleeping face. A peculiar stab clutched at him,
something he was unable to interpret as he studied the fine features and creamy
skin.  Irritated with unfamiliar feelings, he scooped Peyton into his massive
arms and climbed down from the rig.

Olphampa peered at the burden in
his arms. "Who is this, Alec?"

Alec glanced down at the perfect,
porcelain face. "This is the Lady Peyton de Fluornoy. Send Pauly to her
room and tell him that...."

"She doesn't need your help,"
Ivy burst angrily, in Ali's grasp. "Jubil can take care of her."

As the name was mentioned, all
turned to look at the older woman seated on the wagon bench. Jubil sat in a
haze of glory, her eyes unfocused and a foolish smile on her lips. Ivy,
sheepish as well as angry, slanted Alec a reluctant gaze.

"Well.... she will tend her
when she is feeling better," she mumbled. "I shall care for Peyton
until that time."

Alec ignored Ivy and turned to
Ali. "Find Pauly. Tell him that the lady has struck her head and has been
unconscious for an hour, at least. Make haste, man."

Ali handed Ivy over to another
knight and went on his way. Alec turned to Olphampa. "See that the woman
in the wagon is brought to the de Fluornoy suite." Passing a final
questioning glance at trance-like Jubil, he hurried on his way.

Inside, the castle was warm and
fragrant, full of laughing people and gay music. Directly in front of him
loomed the wide arch to the main hall, decorated with fresh rushes and fragrant
flowers. Beyond was a roomful of merry revelers.

But Alec paid the party little
heed as he headed for the wide staircase to his left, shifting Peyton in his
arms as he neared the steps. He kept glancing at her still face, looking for a
glimmer of arousal.

As he neared the stairs, he heard
his name wafting above the music and he slowed to an impatient halt. Dressed in
a fine silk tunic trimmed in gold embroider, Brian approached his son, his dark
face creased with surprise.

"What's this?" he demanded,
gesturing to Peyton. "Where have you been? Lady Caroline has been asking
for you. Her father is...."

Alec cut him off, mounting the
first step. "I have no time to stand and chat. I must get Lady Peyton to
her room."

Brian frowned at his son's
rudeness and was prepared to rebuke him when the meaning of Alec's words
abruptly settled. "Lady Peyton? What do you mean?"

Alec did not answer his father
until he reached the second floor corridor. Brian tailed after him like an
eager dog. "Lady Peyton has injured herself,” he said. “I have sent for
Pauly."

Brian had a shortage of patience
and stopped his son as he attempted to enter the assigned de Fluornoy rooms.
"Lady Peyton? Alec, I thought we agreed that Lady Peyton was to return
home. If she is injured, then...."

Alec pushed past his father and
into the room. Carefully, he laid Peyton's limp body on the soft mattress and
stood back, gazing down at her unbelievable beauty. Beside him, he heard his
father gasp.

"This is Lady Peyton?"
he echoed in disbelief. "Well.... damnation, I do not understand. If this
is Lady Peyton, then who was that creature in the bailey today?"

"'Twas she," Alec said,
still gazing at her. Then he turned humored eyes to his father. "It would
seem that she and her sister were intent on discouraging you from selecting
husbands for them. They believed that the more unattractive they appeared, the
less likely you would force them into betrothals."

Brian looked aghast. Open
mouthed, he looked to Peyton once more. "The vixen!" he peered closely
at her, leaning over the bed and studying her carefully. "By God, Alec, she
is a fine piece of work," he leaned closer, observing the colors of her
hair in the firelight. Then he snorted. "Fine, indeed. I had no idea
Albert's daughter was so fair. I cannot remember ever witnessing such
beauty."

Alec watched his father inspect
Peyton as he would have inspected a prize mare, scrutinizing every feature.
Alec would have been inspecting her too had he not been so concerned for her
health. The knot on her head was the size of an egg and her lack of lucidity
was not a good sign.

"What about the other
sister? Is she fair as well?" Brian asked, still hunched over Peyton.

"Fair enough," Alec
answered, his gaze lingering on Peyton's sweet face. "Not the beauty her
sister is, but pretty nonetheless."

"Excellent," Brian
said. "I am pleased to hear...."

Before he could finish his
sentence, a balled fist suddenly came up and caught him on the lip. Brian
stumbled back as Peyton came to life, struggling to scramble off the bed as
Alec moved to intercept her. Her feet were nearly to the floor when Alec was
upon her, pushing her back onto the mattress.

Frightened and disoriented,
Peyton shrieked and struggled towards the other side of the bed, but Brian was
positioned to stop her. Effectively boxed in, she froze in the center of the
wide bed with the expression of a hunted deer.

"It's all right, my
lady," Brian insisted gently. "You are at Blackstone. All is
well."

Peyton did not quite comprehend
him and moved to escape once more. Alec leapt in front of her and she visibly
recoiled; then, slowly, her agitation lessened as realization dawned. A shaking
hand moved to her face as she backed away from Brian, away from Alec, and
pressed herself against the head of the bed.  Her sapphire blue eyes were wide
with disorientation as she gazed at the two men.

"What....why am I..?"
she suddenly turned accusing eyes to Alec. "You abducted me! You tried
to..!"

"I was returning you to the
party when you fell and hit your head," Alec said calmly.

"Fell and hit my head?"
Peyton repeated with disbelief, wincing when her own loud voice tweaked her
pained head. "You threw me over your shoulder like.... like an animal and
I was forced to fight for my very life. I hit my head when I fell from your horse."

Brian shot his son a suspicious
look. "For whatever the circumstances, my lady, you are here now and I
wish you to remain," he refocused on Peyton. "How does your head
feel?"

She blinked slowly, feeling an
ache in her head the likes of which she had never experienced. To compound the
problem, her stomach was rolling like waves on the sea. "Appalling, my
lord. In fact, there is not one part of my body that is not revolting at this
moment."

Brian grinned faintly. "I do
apologize. Alec has sent for the surgeon and he should be able to ease your
aches."

Peyton nodded, averting her gaze.
She wished the two of them would simply go away and leave her alone with her
illness, but they seemed intent to linger and stare. She remained huddled at
the head of the bed, fearful to move and unwilling to look at either of them.
She wondered where Ivy and Jubil were but did not dare ask.

When they were sure she wasn't
going to bolt from the bed again, Brian and Alec moved toward the chamber door.

"I have a hall full of guest
to attend to," Brian said quietly, glancing at Peyton's red head. "I
shall send your mother up when I find her."

"Pauly should be here
momentarily. Until then, I shall stay with the lady."

Brian raised an eyebrow.
"Only until your mother arrives.  I shall expect you down in the hall
thereafter to help me entertain the throng," he thrust a finger at his
son. "No lingering. You have neglected your duties all afternoon and I
shall not be left to amuse the horde alone."

When his father was gone, Alec
closed the door and moved for the bed, cautiously eyeing Peyton. She looked
pathetic and weary curled up in a protective ball and he felt a twinge of
remorse for what had happened. 

"A pity you will not be able
to attend the party. My mother put a great deal of effort into the food and
entertainment."

She ignored him and he meandered
closer to the bed, standing at the foot of the mattress as he gazed at her pale
face. "Did the fall rob you of your manners as well?"

Her answer was to shoot him a
cold glare before turning away. Undaunted by her rudeness, he perched himself
on the edge of the bed and was amused when she stiffened. "I threatened to
pry the truth from your lips once before. Do I need to pry an entire
conversation forth in the same manner?"

Her head snapped to him. "If
you had any manners at all, you would realize that I do not wish to speak with
you. If you would go away, I would be most grateful."

He raised his eyebrows slightly.
"Are you always so disagreeable?"

"Are you always so
annoying?"

"I asked you first."

Peyton scowled and turned away.
"Leave me alone."

Alec fought off a grin and stood
from the bed. "Never let it be said that I do not obey a lady's
wish," he moved for the door. "I am sorry you are feeling so poorly,
my lady. I shall leave you alone to enjoy your evening."

She eyed him as he unlatched the
door. "I shall enjoy it a good deal more when you have gone."

He gave her a wry smile.
"That is your choice. Good eve to you."

He closed the door softly and was
gone, affording Peyton the opportunity to stretch out of her huddle. Alec
frightened her terribly, although she would never let on, simply because of his
sheer size. He was far too large and quite frankly intimidated her. James had
been the perfect size in her opinion, average of height with a lean, muscular
build. He was the consummate compliment to her petite stature. Alec was easily
two of James, uncouth baboon that he was.

She'd barely known the man three
hours and already she knew that she hated him. Not that it mattered in the grand
scheme of things; her greatest concern now was that Lord Summerlin had
undoubtedly discovered her secret and she was desperate to know his plans for
her future.  Angered that her perfect plan had been foiled by none other than
Alec the Giant, it gave her yet another reason to hate him.

She was gingerly stretching out
on the bed when the oak panel opened again. She jumped, immediately seeing that
Alec had opened the door. But her hostility fled when Ivy and Jubil entered.

A young knight had hold of Jubil's
arm, for the woman was flying high with her divining potion and barely able to
function. The knight sat her in a chair, eyeing the woman as if she were one of
the great mysteries of the world. Behind them, several servants brought in the
baggage and quickly retreated from the chamber.

Peyton remained on the bed,
watching the activity and feeling nauseous. As the servants quit the room, Ivy
went to her sister.

"Are you feeling well?"
she demanded. "You were unconscious ever so long."

"I was?" Peyton carefully
touched the large bump and winced. "How long?"

"Over an hour," Alec
still stood in the doorway, watching her intently. He tore his eyes away from
her long enough to snap at the young knight. "Enough gawking, Toby. Leave
the ladies."

Toby passed a lingering glance at
Jubil as if he was waiting for her to burp snakes, but did as he was ordered.
Ivy glowered at him, daring him to meet her eye but meeting Alec's cool gaze
instead. Without a word, he closed the door once more.

Ivy let out a hiss.
"Damnable Summerlins. They are going to keep us prisoner as punishment for
our disobedience!"

"Quiet, Ivy," Peyton
waved at her. "I am in no mood for your ranting. My head is killing me and
my stomach is lurching."

From her seat in the corner,
Jubil stirred. "You will be married before you leave here,
sweetlings."