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Sir Knight grumbled and rammed his forehead against her side. “What—cease pushing me.” Regardless of her command, the leopard prodded until she started forward.

  Walking steadier than she felt, Aisley discovered that the beast was determined to send her back to the village.

  By the time she neared the final path to her cottage, her guardian faded into the bushes and she felt a curious disappointment at his departure.

  “Probably missed his meal,” Aisley grumbled beneath her breath. “I meant what I said at the stream, Sir Knight. If Lord Danford fails to show himself, I will not consider marrying him in the future.”

  The beast roared within her temples, frightening her far more than the one he’d delivered in the forest. Not a bird, squirrel, rabbit or insect responded to his roar, but Aisley rushed to her cottage, relieved only when she’d closed the door behind her.

  * * * * *

  Leave Danford, would she? How dare Aisley consider refusing him! He was a member of the Abcynian Council, a panthera Elder amongst his people and the Earl of Danford. He was not some knave to be ordered about by a pretty face and bared flesh.

  Granted, Garrick discovered what he’d longed to know from the first night they’d met. Aisley’s body was covered in light brown freckles and he’d been tempted to count them. In the near future, he would kiss and taste each one. Her waist-length red hair had been damp and tangled, but it was more beautiful than silk. In spite of his feelings, her generous breasts, firm backside, nicely rounded hips and long legs were not for anyone else to view. She was his and it was time she accepted her fate.

  Aisley Reeves had made it a habit of speaking her mind. It was a trait he admired. But he could not let her continue. Bathing naked in a stream was absolutely forbidden for the woman meant to become his countess.

  Tonight, he would grant her wish for a visit. On the morrow, she would be moved to the manor house and begin learning what he would require of her as his wife.

  Upon following her to the abbey and discovering her parents’ identity, he couldn’t allow her to reside alone any longer. See him she would and he would set her straight. He actually looked forward to the visit, he realized, more so than he’d felt for any woman in the past.

  It was fortunate she had no reasonable idea how much he had wanted her while she lounged in the cool water. He’d been tempted to turn when he took her clothing into the forest. But his panthera instinct had warred with his manhood and proved stronger in resisting his mate. By the Creator’s doing, his leopard half would protect her, even from the man that he was.

  “Ah, little one, had I gone to you in my true form, I would have claimed you.”

  Garrick did not know if he could resist her later that night, but he would not stay away. Aisley would have her visit and they would be alone.

  Chapter Five

  Alone in her cottage, Aisley spoke to her mother aloud. “Oh, I miss you so,” she said “Were you here, I could ask how you came to trust Papa’s intentions when he asked you to marry him. It seems so odd that a healer and a nobleman’s physician would find each other, but he loved you no matter the consequence. Then again, Papa did not hide in the manor house like Lord Danford does. He lived here in the village with us. The villagers liked him.”

  Fighting tears, Aisley lifted a drenched cloth to her face. The warm almond-scented water flooded her nostrils. Her mother’s scent, she recalled, a bittersweet pang lurching in her stomach. It was rare for one such as her to possess almond oil for bathing, but her father’s position in the Earl of Danford’s household allowed him to gift his wife and daughter with unexpected luxuries. She’d treasured the vials of oil he’d left behind, using it only when she needed to feel close to her parents.

  Squeezing the cloth, she leaned backward a little and allowed water to rain down her naked body. The water cleansed as it should. It could not ease her troubled heart. More than memories of her parents bothered her this night. She’d hoped he would have come to her. Thinking such a thing was foolish. She knew that. Yet her heart felt differently. The Earl of Danford could not have known of the wish she’d made to his leopard. He would not come to a mere villager when his rank was far more superior. Laws prevented her from wearing anything that might say she was highborn. How could she possibly think an earl would come down from his manor and visit, even if it happened only once?

  “Why, why must everything I hear about him come from a villager or his squire?”

  With a bitter laugh, she thought back to her interrupted bath in the stream. She didn’t understand how Lord Danford commanded a leopard. The very thought that a savage beast would listen to his master should have frightened her. In truth, she was awed by the Earl’s ability to control such a magnificent creature.

  What would the villagers say if they knew a black leopard protected the forests around them? They already knew that their lord had chosen Aisley as his countess and many pitied her. She’d tried to claim that the gossip they’d heard was untrue. They did not believe her. Instead some dared to say that she would be in danger if she married him. She wasn’t inclined to think he would harm her and decided to keep the existence of the leopard a secret. If they thought Lord Danford controlled a savage animal, they might accuse him of dark sorcery or wickedness. Just the thought of such ugliness touching the Earl made her feel ill.

  Aisley lowered her eyes to the bucket of warm water and wished she could return to the stream. As she stared, she whispered to her mother. “I needed Lord Danford this day and had no way of telling him. Sir Knight was a diversion for a time, but it was Garrick I wanted to see. Even a glimpse would have been enough.”

  Thinking it was wrong to speak a nobleman’s given name aloud, Aisley rinsed her face again. Squeezing the cloth, something caught her eye and she lowered her hands. Burning candles flickered. The fragrance of exotic spices overcame the scent of her bathwater, causing her to tremble and her mouth to water.

  She wasn’t alone. She was certain. Turning slowly about, she used the small cloth in her hands to hide her womanhood and hoped her hair covered her bare breasts.

  Mercy, the Earl…he couldn’t…he wouldn’t have entered without invitation, would he?

  “I can handle your temper, Aisley. Your crying tears me apart. Come to me anon and I will quiet your tears,” Lord Danford said.

  Aisley’s face grew warm as she faced the folded screen she used to separate her bedroom area from her living space. A tallow candle resting on the table nearby cast her figure upon the thin screen. A similar one on the opposite side of the room revealed the Earl of Danford was rising from a sitting chair.

  Even though he couldn’t see her nakedness, she tossed her cloth aside and grabbed a towel. Not a breath later, he was standing just a few cubits away, looking down at her as if he had the right to be there. That he was the Earl of Danford meant that he did, but Aisley couldn’t hide her outrage.

  “You are not welcome here!” she screeched when she found her voice.

  “On the contrary, I was invited.” Lord Danford folded his arm across his abdomen, sweeping a regal bow and extending his hand as he straightened to his great height. “I am your servant, my lady. Tell me this visit has persuaded you to remain in Danford.”

  Aisley grabbed the pail of water and threw it at him. He deflected her weapon and she watched it fall to the floor, wetting his boots.

  “If you ever need lessons in weaponry, allow me to be your teacher,” he teased. “But you must first learn your place before being tutored by me.”

  “Do not mock me. You’ve no right, oh, nay—” Her knotted towel slipped and she hastily grabbed the edges before she bared herself to him again. He hadn’t moved or reached for her, yet she felt his curiosity in the heat of his gaze. Flushing, she looked away as she secured the towel around her front.

  “I’ve every right to speak to you as I wish, Aisley. But I’d rather talk instead of rebuking you. Will you tell me what is troubling you so?”

  Dismayed by his willingness to ignore
her anger, she stared. Lord Danford was as huge as she remembered. In his blue cote-hardie, white gypon, silver hose and black thigh-high boots, he looked regal and proud. His hair was unbound, reminding her of an animal’s thick pelt, tempting her to touch it just to see if it was as warm and soft as fur.

  Knowing she should lower her eyes, she trembled and begged, “Please, milord, turn away.”

  He came closer with a speed that belied his size, moving so close she could smell him. She could hear the rumble in his throat when he breathed out and she wondered how he made such a sound. His sharp glare made her step back in fear even as her heart slammed hard inside her chest, her knees became unsteady. She wasn’t certain she had the strength to escape him if he suddenly leapt at her.

  “You dare refuse my right to look upon you, yet bare yourself in the forest where any villager or stranger could have seen you. That displeases me, Aisley. I realize you’ve lived alone for a long time, but you’ve habits that I cannot allow you to continue.” Extending his hand, he almost caught the edge of her covering until Aisley realized she was leaning toward him and stepped out of his path.

  “I was alone,” she said.

  “Are you certain? Did you even take a moment to think that a thief might have come upon you, or worse, a man intent on rape? What if Sedgewick Haywood had returned and tried to take you against your will?”

  Aisley couldn’t answer. Stunned that he was still so close, she dodged him and strode toward the bed where she’d placed her chemise. Pointedly, she kept her back to him and pulled the thin garment over her head.

  “I’ll not be ignored,” he warned.

  “I’m not ignoring you. I refuse to talk while I am undressed.” Wishing she wore more than a chemise, she dropped the towel on the floor. She knew better than to test the Earl’s patience much further.

  “You are clothed now. Come, face me and answer my question.”

  Aisley shifted around, keeping her distance. She did not fully trust Lord Danford at the moment. He was so huge, so imposing and savage looking, he reminded her of Sir Knight. Folding her arms across her chest, she resisted the urge to flee. She doubted she could ever best the Earl on foot. Silently she wondered if he would pursue her if she dared to leave.

  If he caught her, would he attempt to steal a kiss from her lips? The notion of being chased and caught shouldn’t have made her womb clench or her mouth to gape open with longing. Yet it did and she quickly cast her eyes to the floor on the chance that he would know.

  “I looked for dangers and I had your cat watching over me. I was safe,” she said, clenching her teeth.

  “There’s more to the leopard than you know. If it weren’t for him, you’d have found yourself in a great deal of trouble.” He sounded tired and she brought her gaze back to his. His eyes were dull. His mouth was tightened by strain. “You do not seem to understand the consequences of your actions.”

  “I didn’t mean to alarm you, milord. I simply wanted to bathe. I will be careful not to do so again,” she answered. “But how do you know what I did in the forest?”

  “Ah, little one, I know many things about you.” In two silent strides, he stood before her. “I know you visited the abbey this morn and prayed over your parents’ graves. I know it was on this day three years ago that you lost your mother to the plague. Your father, Archer Reeves, once my physician, died a sennight later and you became the village healer.”

  Aisley stared up at him, amazed at what he’d learned. She wanted to say something about her parents, but Lord Danford shook his head, warning her to stay silent.

  “I was leading my men into another battle with France when I learned plague came to Danford. Bloody hell, the war kept me away for so long I was unaware that my physician had taken a wife and had a child. Mayhap many things would have been different if I’d known about you, Aisley. I would like to think I’d have come home sooner. I know not for certain. For now believe that you are to be my countess and that I’ve spent the last ten days preparing for our betrothal.”

  Trying to ignore the way her heart raced at the mention of being Lord Danford’s countess, Aisley shook her head. “I confess I don’t understand why you’d want to marry me. I’m not highborn. Aren’t most noble marriages arranged? Sometimes you frighten me by what you say, milord.”

  He touched his forefinger to her chin, tipping her head back until she looked into his eyes. His emerald gaze kindled with warmth as he pressed his thumb to her bottom lip and caressed it with the blunt edge of his nail. The rightness of his touch caused her mouth to part, her entire being becoming aware of his nearness, his scent, his size and strength. The most feminine part of her body sharpened with a deep, needful ache that she didn’t quite understand.

  “You have nothing to fear from me. Though I should warn you, what the leopard knows, I know. What he sees, I see,” he said.

  “Do not speak of such things too loud.” Aisley shivered, trying her best to remain calm when what she really wanted was to be closer. She should be pushing him away. Instead she did nothing to repel him. “Some in the village may think you practice sorcery.”

  “You needn’t worry, I do not.” Strangely, he smiled.

  “Dare not mock me, milord,” she bid.

  “Nay, I would not. I am wondering if you would care if someone misunderstood what I am.”

  “What are you?”

  “Would you care?”

  Surprised that the Earl wanted her to admit that she’d cared for him, she breathed in sharply, attempting to calm the quiet tremors coursing through her skin. “If you can speak in my mind, shouldn’t you be able read my thoughts as well?”

  “Aye, I can.” Lord Danford eased back a little. With her chin in his hand, he continued the whisper light caress upon her lips. Each sweep of his thumb sent a rush of heat to her belly, her breath catching in her throat. “You also have the ability to share your thoughts or mask them from me when you want to. You were worried about the villagers and Angelica the night we met and I was able to hear what was happening through you. Normally your thoughts are yours to give as you please. I pray you give them to me often, just as I will for you when you’re more comfortable with me. Now tell me, little one, would you care if someone were to misunderstand our ability to speak in our minds?”

  Surprised by his gentleness, Aisley studied him, forcing herself to remember that she was angry with him. “Aye, I would care if you were accused of something that could see you tried for heresy. But I’m not sure why it matters. I’m angry with you.” Poking him in the chest with her finger, she attempted to push him backward. He did not budge. “Valiant told me that your brothers and his mother are coming to Danford. There’s a room for Angelica and a chamber for me. I’ve also learned that the female servants in your household have taken a liking to you because you are kind to Angelica. Not long ago the servants were afraid of you or so I’m told. Suddenly that has changed.”

  “Are you jealous, my lady?”

  “Such an address is inappropriate. I’m not highborn.”

  “Soon you shall be my countess. You must begin to view yourself as mine.”

  Aisley shook off his touch and withdrew. “Nay, nay and nay, I don’t understand you. I’m a healer, how could I ever become a lady?” Using the only defense she could think of, she sought to make him see that she was a mere healer who should never hope to rise above her place in life.

  “Seems as if you’ve learned quite a bit about me these last ten days,” he said.

  “I know about some of your deeds. I do not know you. If you’d shown yourself before now, I might have agreed. Now I think it most unwise to be your wife.”

  “Aisley, there were matters to be dealt with before I could move you to the manor house. Since I’ve made the necessary arrangements, we may proceed with our betrothal.”

  “We shouldn’t, I shouldn’t want this.” Pleading with him to understand, to listen, she tried to hold his gaze. Her heart raced wildly as he stared back, his boldness ma
king her wish that she was the right woman to become his countess.

  Lord Danford moved closer. This time Aisley was ready and stepped aside, halting when she saw that she stood by the bed. Trembling, she began to retreat.

  “Little one, I have every intention of easing your worries. You are the woman I chose to marry. Nothing will sway me from what I want, which is you.” Boldly, he pursued her until she was cornered against the wall. She’d have darted away if she could, but he placed a hand on either side of her shoulders, keeping her from getting away. “Once you reside in the manor house, I shall devote myself to earning your favor.”

  “Then why are you ashamed of being seen with me?” Stunned that she’d given voice to a fear she hadn’t allowed herself too speak aloud, she felt her face grow hot and quickly looked away.

  “God’s teeth, woman, where would you get such a notion?” he demanded.

  “I’ve been told I am pretty, but I know men dislike my freckles. Some will see my birthmark and think I am wicked.”

  “I realize some in our society frown upon freckles and marks, but whoever made you think such a thing is a fool. Look at me.” Taking one hand from the wall, he gently caught her chin and lifted her face. “You are far more than pretty and I happen to like your freckles. Should you demean yourself again in my presence, I will put your mouth to better use.”

  “Andrew White said something similar when we were younger,” Aisley confessed. “Later I overheard him tell another that he didn’t want our children to have as many spots as I did.”

  “Aisley, he was wrong. Do not allow his words to ruin what we can have.”

  Why did Lord Danford have to be kind when she wanted to remain angry? She shouldn’t allow this. His simple touch had her near swooning and she couldn’t break away. If it weren’t for the wall and his hand beneath her chin, she’d have fallen. She dared not admit that part of her wanted to stay right where she was. Another part wanted him to be closer.

  “What can we have if my freckles and birthmark get in the way?” she asked.