Chapter 9

In a heartbeat, the mood had turned serious. Uncertain, Will turned to Lissie, her pale eyes burning through the haze. Neither of them had noticed the birds stop singing, nor did they feel the rain falling in big drops from the sky. He didn"t feel it because he was looking at her.

For the first time, he felt her apprehension. The confident Lissie was gone; she was just a mask that had been revealed. In her place was a vulnerable girl on edge but holding her nerve.

It was for just a moment, though; pretty soon, the glint in her eyes returned, flashing and challenging him to a duel.

"So come on then, are ye ashamed o" me?" she asked, her light blue eyes shining furiously.

Will stayed still but shook his head.

"Ashamed of you? What errant nonsense. The whole town wants to wed you." he asserted.

He loved the look of her hair, billowing all around, removed from its dratted headdress. But it seemed that Lissie was not done yet. She was looking at him in a measured way.

"Nay," she said softly. "The whole town doesnae want to wed me. I am the talk o" it, but nae for the right reasons."

Will moved over, and he hoped down to the ground. This time he did come close to her; they were standing side by side.

"I do not care for such talk," he said, wishing that he could kiss her. A startled look came into her eye. Will badly wanted to take her then. Desperate to clear his mind of such things, he came to an uneasy truce.

"So, go on, then. Just once, and once only, I challenge you to a race!" she said, her eyes flashing.

Will sighed. Then he glanced about from side to side.

"It"s quite alright," Lissie said, with a sly look. "Jane isnae going tae bother us, dinnae fash yerself!"

"But..." Will could not quite bring himself to agree. Awkwardly, he looked to see where Jane had gone. He couldn"t see her. Reluctantly, he nodded. "Alright. But of course, even a foot race still will not be fair on your poor tiny feet!"

He smirked madly. The girl was doing things to him. She shouldn"t be there. He shouldn"t be with her, not really, not without a chaperone. And yet, here they were.

"Och," she pouted. "Dinnae fash about my poor wee feet. Ye should fash more about how ye are going to get beaten by a lass."

By the look on her face, she meant it. Will grinned. He had clearly hit a nerve. All the same, he gestured valiantly to her.

"After you, my dear," he said politely.

Lissie looked perplexed. The mocking smile she sent him ignited him deeply. "What on Earth are ye on about, laddie? "Tis a race!"

Will shook his head. "I"m giving you a head start, mistress. I do not doubt you are going to need it."

Lissie looked as if she had been slapped. Then, she looked as if she was going to slap Will. Bearing in toward him, Lissie stared. She was so close that Will could feel her heartbeat.

"No head start," she said fiercely. "We are running this race fair an" square. An" if ye win, then so be it, but I am telling ye, lad, ye wilnae!"

Her eyes flashed vehemently. Will could not help but laugh.

"Very well." He moved right beside her, her body heat radiating into his. The sensation of her flesh, right there next to him, close enough to touch, was too much to bear.

Suddenly, he sprung into life. Then, he looked thoughtful.

"Who"s going to call it?" he asked suddenly. "You or me?"

Lissie pursed her lips up irrepressibly. "Noo!" she cried, as Will scrambled to get a start. Before he could get moving, Lissie elbowed him out of the way, tearing past him at speed.

And before he had even staggered to his feet, she was halfway across the hunting ground, heading toward the boundary mark as fast as she could. By the time he had made it properly upright, she was almost there.

Cursing beneath his breath, Will got into his stride. He was big, and his legs were long. Ordinarily, his running speed was fast, but he had already been blindsided by a false start. All the same, he resolved to give her a proper go.

"Come on, lad!" laughed Lissie, but Will could barely see her; she was disappearing fast in a whirlwind.

Will sped up, but it was to no avail. She was already too far ahead. Then, just as he was getting close to catching up, out of nowhere, the ground slipped in front of him and swallowed him up.

With no warning, Will was on the hard land, staring up at the twinkling sun. Light streamed in through the woodland, dappled and hazed. Lying back, Will groaned as Lissie streamed into the first place. Seeing him dangled there, his limbs splaying everywhere, Lissie tutted.

"Come, lad, shake a leg!"

Will had gotten himself upright and now did not waste a single second longer. Before she could get any further, he was sprinting toward her, closing the gap in seconds.

If Lissie was surprised, she did not show it. However, she pulled a reserve of energy from somewhere and literally blasted off forward.

By now, they were neck and neck, Will having made up for his earlier lack of speed. Panting, he struggled to get his breath.

God"s tooth! Why am I so out of breath?

But there was no time to think. Lissie was closing in. And she appeared to be having no problems breathing. Worse still, she was getting away.

Will tried his hardest, but Lissie remained infuriatingly one step out of reach. Just as he was narrowing in on her, a sudden cheer went up.

Thrashing his head around, Will saw Lissie crossing over the invisible boundary by the edge of the hunting ground. As she passed through, she shouted in exultation, "I won! I won! I won!"

She was laughing so hard she almost fell from her shoes. Will looked on in curiosity as, once more, she was shoeless, with nothing but her stocking feet on display.

"Awfu" clarty clogs!" She grinned.

Will was not too sure he understood, but sought to smile in the right places anyway. But he just could not stop watching.

Perhaps he watched too long, as she turned to see him. "Still think I needed a head start?" She smirked.

Will just shook his head. His eyes darted toward her feet.

"Come, lad, havenae ye seen a foot afore?" she teased, leaving Will hot under the collar. Will just smiled. He had already abandoned the trail and had conceded defeat gracefully. The next thing to deal with was Lissie and her family.

But that could wait. Will wanted to check all was well. The lass herself seemed fine, but he could not be sure. There she was, standing against the light, her long, almost-black hair cascading down in ringlets. And her cheeks glowed, full of the sun of the last few days.

She looked so sweet, he just had to possess her.

A heat was taking him, and if the look he sent her way had anything to do with it, it was affecting her as well. Moving closer, Will felt the pull from her body. She was reeling him in like a spider snagging its prey.

Lissie glanced, her shawl discarded, sending the shape of her shoulders into sharp relief. The dress revealed the upper tip of her décolletage, where her chemise lay beneath. Will"s eyes could not help be drawn to it.

"Lissie," he said hesitantly. He had stopped to scoop up the shoe, once again holding it out for her stocking feet. Wordlessly, he handed it over to her, all the while fighting a desire to rip the hosiery from her legs and caress their smooth texture.

He had had a glimpse of her skin beneath their cover—silken, glistening, and sweet—and wished to confirm it. Will hovered overhead as Lissie knelt by the edge of the hunting ground.

Overhead, the cloud thickened, a deep gray nimbus blocking out the hazy rays of the morning sun. It was like the sun was conspiring with them, giving them the cover of darkness to hide in. Will looked furtively about to see if Jane was there, but she was nowhere to be seen.

"She"s nae there," said Lissie, emboldened. She had seen the look in Will"s eye and moved nearer. Now she was crouched on the floor, her leg dangling temptingly near to Will"s hand.

Will felt himself heat up.

From the flirtatious look she sent him, it would seem there was nothing accidental about it. By stealth, Will moved closer. She was near now, the scent of her perfume hovering overhead.

Suddenly, everything swirled around to create momentum in him. Will"s heart pounded.

He had to have her. It was the most natural thing in the world for him to caress it.

"Here..."

He found her shoe lying nearby. Just like yesterday, he helped her with them, his fingers tracing the delicate outline of her feet in them. Instantly, Will felt his temperature rise.

Ruefully, Lissie smiled, pushing an errant curl behind her head. Something massive leaped inside Will. He had to kiss her. The sight of her there, her hair disheveled and unraveling. She was just pure temptation.

Lissie smiled at him a little unsurely as she quickly fastened her shoe. He could feel her willing him to make the first move. But he could not. Tension ached all over him.

With a nod, Will walked back to where his horse was waiting. A little flash in Lissie"s eyes told him she understood.

Will smiled sadly. He didn"t want to go. Every inch of him wanted to go back to her. But he knew it was impossible. Backing away, Will patted the horse and waited patiently for Lissie to join him.

He knew she would. And in full time, Lissie put on her shoes, straightened her headdress—that she had somehow reattached—and grinned at him.

Jane even reappeared. Rather conveniently, just when there was definitely nothing to see, leading Will to feel sure she had, in fact, seen everything.

And then, it was gone. Their little moment was over, just like that. But as they mounted their horses and trotted slowly through the passageway, it was definitely not forgotten.

Shaking hands, they parted after he accompanied her to Annice"s. Lissie smiled but noncommittally, and somehow they made their farewells as if nothing much had happened on their ride.

Except it had. They both knew that.

The real question was what were they going to do about it.

* * *

"Brother!"

Trenton"s dramatic entry into the room got looks from all eyes.

It was late the next morning. Will had been up for some time and had already done a tour of the manor. He was about to go and meet with his steward and discuss household duties when his foppish brother crashed the hall.

Louchely, Trenton meandered into the room, seeming to grapple with the furnishings on his way around. As he came near, the pungent odor of last night"s liquor clung to him. Bumping into furniture, Trenton finally arrived next to Will, swaying awkwardly like a frail tree in the autumn winds.

"Forsooth, I must congratulate you, Brother," he slurred, thumping Will fervently on the back. Will, who had been about to depart, looked at him confused.

It was getting late. He had business to attend to and had spent the last half an hour extricating himself from his mother, the duchess, who was still poised at the top table, hovered uncertainly as Trenton wobbled into view.

"As I said, Brother, congratulations are in order. "Tis all around the manor."

"Trenton, you speak in riddles," said Will, briskly removing his brother"s inebriated hand. Every inch of him seemed to exude alcohol. Mentally, Will tutted.

But Trenton was looking at him oddly, a sly little grin starting in the corner of his face. Despondent, Will recognized that look. It meant he had something on him.

Squaring up to him, Will found his mood souring.

He really had no time for this.

"Come, Brother, there is no need for false modesty," said Trenton, casting his smirk across the room.

Breakfast that morning was not well attended, with a spartan turnout from the family itself. It was not a repast Will believed in, leaving it for the womenfolk and the invalids of the estate. So it was hardly a surprise to find Trenton munching on a handful of bacon from the table on the way in.

"Trenton?" he snapped irritably, the smell of the bacon making his stomach churn.

Trenton raised an eyebrow and smirked. "As I said, Brother," said Trenton, steadying himself on the table"s edge, "I must congratulate you. I didn"t know you had it in you! Quite a hit with the Scottish hen." He grinned stupidly, and Will wanted to shove the irritating churl into the porridge bowl.

Noticing the porridge, Trenton grinned again. Picking up the spoon, he tasted a bit before quickly spitting it out.

"Good Lord, it"s got salt in it!" He wiped the porridge from his face with his loose shirt sleeves. This morning he was looking particularly foppish, his blue linen shirt contrasting jarringly with his tight-fitting red doublet. The doublet was embroidered with a particularly rich edging and tucked in tightly with a fine belt direct from Milan.

Will squinted.

His fine leather belt, to be precise. He was just about to say something when Trenton lurched forward. Will started; his first instinct was to draw his sword, as for one minute, he thought Trenton was about to attack him.

But of course, he did not. Will relaxed back into his chair as Trenton stumbled and then burped loudly.

"Well, "tis the sort of thing that your new paramour should approve of, what ho!" blathered Trenton, still clinging to the table leg and threatening to pull it over with him.

It was then that Will stood up.

"Trenton. If you"ve got something to say, then kindly say it. Else I am needed elsewhere." His eyes flashed their meaning, but to Will"s annoyance, Trenton just smirked.

Across the room, their mother looked on unsurely. She didn"t like it when they fought, but always found a way to excuse Trenton"s behavior.

"I do, as it happens, Brother. I wanted to offer you my congratulations and hope that I am the first invited to the wedding." His eyes dazzled, connecting their meaning.

From the back of the room, Will felt his mother having a minor conniption.

"Or the christening. Whichever"s first. You can never tell with a lively chit like that, ding, ding!"

Starting to get aggrieved, he snapped at Trenton, "Stint thy clapper, Trenton! There are ladies present!"

By ladies, he meant his mother and the one or two serving wenches scurrying soundlessly about the hall. But Will"s eyes made clear his displeasure. But still, it was fast becoming clear from the snigger of the serving maidens that news of his and Lissie"s impromptu games was all about town.

This was not something Will had been anticipating, but perhaps he should have.

"You shouldn"t listen to tell-tales, Trenton. They have half-truths and nothing more. So what if some old gossips" bottom lips are wagging? They should mind their own," he announced. "No respectable person would repeat anything like this!"

However, Will"s discomfort served only to make his brother laugh more.

"Ah-ha! You have fallen into my trap, Brother," exclaimed Trenton mirthfully.

At this point, Will had a good mind to lunge upon Trenton with the upturned fork in his hand. It took him all his willpower not to.

"What trap? The only trap I see here is yours, permanently agape!" scoffed Will. He looked at Trenton, feeling rather pleased with that line.

But Trenton continued, unfazed.

"Well, it seems perchance that you think the young lady is not good enough for you, in which case, I would be more than happy to take her off your hands." Trenton delivered a smirk to the passing serving girl, who tried desperately not to understand.

The poor girl pursed her lips up and cast her head down. A familiar pose, Will noted, when his brother was around. Irritably, Will turned to Trenton.

"By what meaning are your blathering?" he snapped. Will felt himself rile up. He had had just about enough of Trenton"s nonsense. He would not let him laugh at him any longer. But Trenton was not going anywhere. Lunging half upward, he pulled himself near, just close enough for Will to get the full benefit of his stale claret vapors all over again.

Will felt sick.

"I mean what I said," said Trenton mockingly, but this time with an edge to his voice. "That I will take your comely wee hen into mine nest, since she is not of noble stock and therefore not good enough for the third duke of Iverst!"

"That"s what I thought you meant," said Will succinctly. Then, casually, he stood up and flattened him with his fist. Trenton flumped to the ground impressively.

"Will," his mother gasped.

Will tried his hardest to keep his temper, but it was to no avail.

"Leave it, Mother," he warned her, before turning his ire straight to Trenton.

Trenton lay panting at his feet, a tangled mess of hair, feathers, and chaperone all splayed on the heavy wood floor. Will felt a twisting disgust in his belly.

All the same, Trenton managed a sly half-smile. "Touched a nerve, I see, Brother."

Will leaned down close, his leather riding boot on Trenton"s windpipe.

"Will!" protested his mother meekly. But Will did not pay her heed. Instead, his eyes glared down at his brother, feeling more disgust than he ever had before.

"Now listen here, Brother, and listen good. You leave Lissie alone if you know what"s good for you!"

Trenton lurched forward, struggling to get free. But in a trice, Will was already moving. He shoved his drunken brother back down, marching out of the hall at great speed.

He had wasted enough time already.