What the Earl Desires (39 page)

The door clicked and Colin knew he was alone. Hardest choice? There was no hard choice now. The danger had passed and he could make Najja his own. A grin tipped up his lips as he envisioned his life with her. Never a dull moment. His mother had been right, perhaps it
was
time for him to think about an heir.

Pug burst into the room and announced Jo and Najja were playing. Heart light he followed his little ward to enjoy the women’s combined music. He didn’t want the night to end but he understood Najja would not leave with him, her sense of honor wouldn’t allow her to do so.

During farewells, he bowed over her hand, eyes upon hers. “Sleep well, luv,” he whispered.

Her smile was slight. “Goodbye, Lord Clifton.”

He kissed the back of her hand before releasing her. “Good night,” he corrected.

Pug before him, he led his young charge out the door toward the waiting carriage. Casting a glance over his shoulder, Colin saw Najja staring after them. He drank his fill before turning away and moving to the well sprung conveyance.

When he returned from London, he would talk to Lord Adrys about marriage to Najja. It would be the beginning of a wonderful life.

Chapter Nineteen

Thunder boomed and lightning split the sky. Najja stood in her room and peered out the window at the fury raging beyond the pane of glass. Her heart mimicked the overall feel of the day. Heavy. Dreary.

She sighed and released the heavy drape from bunched fingers and turned away from the view. No need to watch it, she’d be in it soon enough. Forcing back all personal emotion, she grabbed her one bag from where it sat on the bed and strode to the door. Facial features composed she left the room for the last time and moved down the hall toward the stairs. Voices slowed her. Angry voices.

“You self-centered bastard!” Jo hissed. Najja frowned and hastened to where she could peer down. Jo stood toe to toe with Trystan. “This is your fault. You are taking her from me!”

Trystan gave an unfeeling shrug. “I need her skills.”

Crack!

Jo smacked him across the face and Najja barely stopped herself from interfering. Trystan’s eyes widened with surprise then narrowed.

“Take care you do not do that again.” His hand clasped around her wrist.

“You do not scare me and if you get Najja killed you can be sure a slap is the least I will do to you.”

“The little kitten is not as docile as she wants people to believe.” He tugged her closer. “I like my women feisty.”

“I am
not
your woman and if you do not release me, I will give you a matching scar on the other side of your face.”

Najja waited although she was ready if Trystan looked to harm her friend. She didn’t get that from him, but one never knew.

“You need a man to curb that tongue,” he paused, “or give it something else to do.” His words were cold and detached and yet, Najja couldn’t help but wonder.

“I am no milksop. Perhaps you need to visit a nursery to cultivate a woman for you from birth. Have her with no will.”

A sardonic grin filled his face. “Already told you I liked feisty, my little hellcat.”

“I will
never
be yours,” she spat in Najja’s native tongue.

Trystan kissed her hard and fast. “Never say never,” he replied arrogantly in the same language.

His smug grin vanished the second Jo’s knee connected with his groin. Najja bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing aloud. Trystan Wilkes had met his match in Josephine Adrys. A weak-willed woman she was not.

“Do not ever presume you have the right to force your attentions on me or next time it will be a blade as opposed to my knee.” She tugged on her hand but Trystan refused to release her.

“We are far from finished, little hellcat.”

Even from her higher vantage point she could pick up on the smoldering stare he leveled on Jo. After sharing a heated look, he dropped her wrist and put some space between them. Jo stomped away without a look back. Trystan lifted his head and gazed at her. Najja began her descent. His eyes were a bit shiny and she knew it had taken him a great deal of fortitude not to cry out at Jo’s attack.

“She meant what she said, Mr. Wilkes. Jo will not hesitate to use a knife next time.”

He groaned. “I will be on my guard then. Are you ready?”

Was she? Not really but she had to return. “Yes, sir.”

“No sir, Najja. Call me Trystan. We are sharing a room.”

“As you wish.”

She declined his offer to carry her bag and walked beside him. Hayworth and Honoria waited by the door. Jo was nowhere to be seen.

Honoria stepped close first. “Thank you for everything, Najja. Everything. I will miss you.”

With a curtsey, she replied, “It has been my honor to serve your family.”

Honoria wrung her hands and took a step back only to be replaced by her husband.

“There are no words I can give, Najja, that adequately represent my gratitude.” He closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around her. “You are my daughter. If you want to stay you are always welcome.”

She longed to accept. Curl her arms around him like Jo had done so many times before. She couldn’t. This was not her life.

“Thank you, Lord Adrys.”

His fingers flexed on her clothes briefly before he pressed a kiss to her cheek and moved back. “We love you, Najja. Be safe.”

Words wouldn’t leave her throat; they stuck, refusing to move. She loved them, too. All of them. Unused to tears threatening this close, she gave him a perfunctory nod and spun on her heels. Fowler had the door open and the rain poured from the heavens like a raging river.

Trystan dashed down the steps and opened the door. She followed him out and to the carriage. Tossing her bag in, she had one foot on the step when she looked back at the house. Still no Jo. Heart heavy she climbed in, Trystan on her heels and then they were on their way.

“Najja!”

She glanced across the interior at Trystan who had paused in wiping off his face. Was she hearing things?

“Najja wait!” The scream came again, barely heard over the pounding of rain and thunder.

“Stop,” she ordered.

“What?”

Her hand was already on the latch. “Stop the carriage.”

He pounded on the roof but she’d already jumped out. Staring past the end of the carriage She saw Jo running after her, soaking wet. A footman holding an umbrella chased after her.

“Najja!” Jo said, sliding to a stop before her, the mud sucking at the hem of her dress.

“Jo, what are you doing out here?” The question barely left her before Jo threw her arms around her neck.

“I am going to miss you so much,” she cried.

This time, Najja responded to the hug and wrapped her arms around her friend. “I will never forget you, my friend.” She no longer tried to contain her tears and so they mixed with the rain and were washed away. They stood like that for a while until she felt a shudder overtake Jo.

“You need to get inside and dried off.”

“I do not want you to go! I do not want you to forget me.”

Drawing back, she stared at Jo. “I will
never
forget you, Jo. We are sisters of the heart. Always.” She touched her heart. “You are here with me, forever.”

Gesturing the waiting footman forward, she gave Jo a final smile. “Good bye, little sister. I love you.” She spoke in her native language so it was just between them.

As soon as Jo was headed back to the house, Najja returned to the carriage and climbed in. Trystan closed the door and with another pound to the roof they were again on their way.

“You need to get dry,” he said.

Silent, Najja shrugged out of her cloak and slid over to the dry part of the seat. “I will be fine. I hope I did not hold us up.”

“You needed to say goodbye to a friend. I understand that.”

They rode in silence, stopping only to change horses. When darkness fell they pulled into a roadside inn to grab a meal. She stood gratefully by the fire in the private dining room.
Soon I will be away from this dreary weather. I cannot wait to be warm again.
A totally different feel than when she had been with Colin, but still comfortable. Food arrived and she joined Trystan around the small table.

He broke apart the steaming bread and gave her half. “Eat well.”

“You too.”

“Do you mind if we drive through the night?”

She swallowed the bite in her mouth. “No, although I will need to know more about who you are searching for.”

“We will discuss it on the ship.”

“Very good.”

After the meal, they continued on their way. Conversation stayed to a minimum which suited her fine. Her mind on other things. Namely one person. Colin.

Her final recollection of him was when he was leaving Kittle Manor with Pug. How it had felt to be in his arms one last time. Forever may not be an option for her with the Earl of Clifton but the memory could never be taken from her.

When they reached the dock, the day was still cold and gray. The sharp smell of the ocean filled her and she felt hope. Soon, she would be home. Trystan climbed out first and offered a hand to her. Many eyes were upon her as he escorted her to the gangplank. Men moved all around them, yelling and shouting to one another. Birds screamed. The hustle and bustle a far cry from the country estate of Kittle Manor. Or Falcon House.

At the top, a large commanding man stood. Muscled arms crossed over his barrel-like chest. “Mr. Wilkes?”

Trystan nodded, twirling his cane in one hand. “Yes. You have my room ready?”

“I am Captain Furtz. Your room is ready, however, this…woman.”

Trystan looked down his nose. “She is staying with me. Like hell I am spending this long of a voyage without her in my bed.” He slid a hand around her back and over her ass where it stayed. “I trust that will be no trouble.”

The man’s light blue eyes moved leisurely over her and she held still for his perusal. Those eyes grew hungry and Trystan’s fingers flexed on the top of his cane.

“She is mine. I will not tolerate another touching her.”

The man swallowed and nodded. “Understood.” He dropped his gaze and acted like he had not a care in the world. “Room be over here. Keep her hid away, some of the other passengers may not like her here.”

“She will be too tired to leave the room.” Trystan pinched her ass and said in a loud voice, “Come on, darlin’, our bed awaits.”

She had to give him credit, he was very adept at portraying a womanizer. Their room, upon entering, could be considered quaint. A single bed had been bolted to the wall. She sighed,
it will be a long trip.

Trystan gave her a smile when it was the two of them in the closed cabin. “Bed is yours. I have a hammock.” He tossed his cane and knelt to dig into one of the four bags one of the men had delivered.

“I can sleep in the hammock,” she offered.

His blue eyes sparkled as he shook his head and laughed. “Are you kidding me? Colin would kill me if I made you sleep in the hammock all the way there. Although, death would be welcomed considering what hell he will put me through if he ever finds out we shared a bed. Me touching your ass is going to cost me as it is, sorry about that by the way.”

She assisted him in hanging the hammock. “Lord Clifton is your friend.”

He nodded. “My best friend. However, you, Miss Najja, are the woman he loves.”

Love. There went that word again. It made her belly flip and flop.

“Mr. Wilkes, how the earl believes he feels about me is moot. I am not the woman for him.”

Trystan shot her a disbelieving look. “You are the
only
one for him, and if you think he is going to accept your leaving so simply…” he shrugged and turned back to his bags.

His words gave her a moment’s pause. Then she squashed the budding hope. Colin Faulkner, Earl of Clifton was her past. Her life was back in Africa, with Father.

She sighed. “Mr. Wilkes.”

“Call me Trystan.” He faced her. “What?”

“If you hurt Jo, I will find my way back to England and flay the flesh from your bones.”

He stared at her with wide eyes. “Very descriptive.”

She didn’t respond, her warning had been understood. A few hours later the ship began to move and with Trystan by her side, Najja watched England’s coast begin to fade into the bleak gray skies. Her heart screamed for Jo, Colin, Fineas, and Indrani. She was grateful for Trystan’s arm, which slipped around her waist in offer of quiet comfort. The final leg of her journey had begun.

Colin strode into Falcon House, a jaunty whistle on his lips. He waved to Pug as the lad scampered by and out the door. He’d missed him. The boy looked better each day. Colin had been in London for a little over a fortnight checking on Berry for one and some other things. Now that those issues were set it was time for him to go after the sole thing he desired.