Bride for a Night(131)

“As you command.”

The dark-haired soldier did not bother to hide his disappointment, but trained to obey his superiors, he gave a nod of his head and turned to urge his horse toward the path leading back to Calais.

Jacques waited as the second mounted soldier paused to allow his compatriot to leap onto the saddle behind him and disappeared into the trees before he urged his own horse into a steady trot.

“Hold on tight, ma belle,” he murmured, not bothering to glance behind him.

To hell with the Earl of Ashcombe and his damnable brother. If there was any justice the pair of them would drown on their journey back to England.

“Forgive me, Jacques.” A soft female voice broke into his pleasant imaginings of Gabriel sinking to the bottom of the Channel.

With a frown he glanced down, studying the regret that darkened Sophia’s eyes.

“Forgive you?”

“This entire…” she searched for the proper word “…debacle is my fault.”

Debacle was an apt description, Jacques had to ruefully agree, but there was no one to blame but himself.

“What is your fault?”

“I should never have assisted Lord and Lady Ashcombe in escaping from the palace.”

With gentle care he cradled her against his chest, savoring the beauty of her pale face in the cresting dawn.

“That is in the past,” he assured her. “We will not speak of it again.”

“And tonight?” she persisted, almost as if she needed to punish herself. “If I had not intruded, they would not have been allowed to escape yet again.”

The path led them beyond the trees and between the rolling fields that were bathed in a glistening dew.

“You were concerned for me.”

“Only in part.” She heaved a sigh. “I knew you were in your private chambers with Talia and when I heard the sound of crashing glass I used it as an excuse to interrupt. I was afraid…”

“And you were afraid of what?” he prompted as her words faltered.

“I was afraid that you intended to take her to your bed.”

“And you thought you could prevent the seduction?”

“I was not thinking,” she professed huskily. “I was following my poor heart that could not bear the thought of you with another.”

He slowed the pace of his mount at her unexpected confession. The beautiful actress had always been successful in keeping her feelings hidden even as she pandered to his needs. Now he found himself instinctively shying from the emotions that smoldered in her dark eyes.


“Sophia.”

She averted her face to stare at the passing fields, effectively hiding her expression.

“I know you do not wish to be burdened with my unwanted affections, Jacques.” The words were so low he could barely catch them. “But I very nearly lost you this evening and I could not bear the thought of you dying without knowing that I love you.”

“I…” He shifted in the saddle, shying from her blunt confession. “We will discuss this later,” he muttered.

He felt her stiffen in his arms. “There is no need for discussion, chérie.”

But Jacques found himself annoyed by the stark resignation that hardened her profile. A preference to discuss such a…delicate subject in the comfort of his home rather than on the back of a horse when they were both so weary was considerably different than hoping to ignore it altogether.

“Are you so certain?”

“Oui.” She turned back to meet his gaze, understandably confused by his unpredictable reactions. “I comprehend that I have overstepped the boundaries of our liaison.”