Chapter 21 #2
“We did discuss the matter further,” he said after a pause.
“As you know, Gigi believes the water could refer to the spa or the stream, but she agrees that this area is the priority. In her vision of Rose hiding the marriage license, she sensed the latter’s fearlessness.
Rose knew her enemy was coming for her—but for the first time, she didn’t run.
After the villain had murdered her lover, she was unafraid, as the clue suggests. What she wanted now was vengeance.”
Finn was listening intently. “I don’t blame her. The bounder deserved to pay for his crimes.”
“Bloodthirsty sort, are you?”
“If anyone were to threaten those I loved, I would do everything in my power to stop them.” Her gaze was hard. “And if I failed, I would see that he was punished.”
“Ad Finem Fidelis,” he murmured.
“What?”
“It’s my family motto. It means ‘faithful until the end.’” He squeezed her hand. “So you see, you fit right in with the Harringtons.”
“I do not.”
“You needn’t look so appalled,” he said wryly. “Whilst we Harringtons have our flaws, you could do worse.”
“It’s not that.”
“Then what is it?”
“You belong to the aristocracy.”
“It’s not a disease, you know.” He thought about it. “Well, maybe it is. But I didn’t have a choice in the matter.”
“I am being serious. You do realize that I grew up in an orphanage? I don’t even know who my parents are. All I have of my past is this cut-rate pendant.” She tapped the dented heart with a touch of defiance. “Most likely I am a bastard. One whom no one wanted.”
Hearing the pain beneath her matter-of-fact tone, he yearned to comfort her.
“I want you.” He pulled her into his arms. “And I don’t care about your origins.”
“You don’t know me.”
“I know you are loyal, brave, and clever.” Seeing the denial in her eyes, he strove to lighten the tone. “And so beautiful that being near you makes me hard.”
She huffed out a laugh. “Don’t blame me for that last problem. You are naturally hot-blooded.”
“Even so.” He cupped her cheek. “I want you, Finn, and not just physically. I like you. How bold you are and how much you care even when you try not to show it. I like that you’re complicated.
And my family likes you too. You haven’t met my parents, but they have no use for snobbery.
Papa is always going on about character, and he would admire your strength through adversity.
Mama would find you a kindred spirit, for she is an independent female herself. ”
Finn was staring at him, open-mouthed. He took the opportunity and kissed her. Thoroughly, with a great deal of tongue and even more of tenderness. The way she melted into him told him without words what he wanted to hear.
He was the one to break the kiss. “We should get to the tree before dark.”
“Right.” She looked adorably dazed. “The tree.”
He took her hand, and they resumed their journey.
Soon the trees cleared, revealing the stream and its muddy banks.
The water was calm, the sunset casting a few last sparkles on the gently rippling surface.
Even so, the past rushed through him, and he saw the churning dark waves closing over a man’s head…
“Is everything all right?” Finn was peering up at him.
“Yes.”
“Your hand is cold.”
“It’s cooler by the water.” He shoved the memory aside. “Let’s have a look at the tree.”
The giant yew by the stream’s edge stood like an ancient sentinel with its gnarled branches and sprawling canopy of green needles.
Over time, the bank had eroded, and a section of the thick, exposed roots dangled over the water.
Awed by nature’s majesty, he touched the twisting trunk, which spanned at least eight feet across.
Finn was circling the tree. “Where was the marriage license hidden?”
“In a hollow behind those upper branches.” He pointed out the approximate location. “I gave Gigi a boost onto that lowest branch, and she managed to get the rest of the way.”
“Ready to give it another go?”
“Do I have a choice in the matter?” He sighed. “As I said to my sister, try not to break your neck—or drown. Despite their thickness, the branches may not be sturdy. Be sure to avoid the ones over the water.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Her cheeky salute made him smile. She reached to her waist, unhooking some hidden fasteners that caused her dark skirts to fall to the ground.
He swallowed when he saw what she wore beneath.
The charcoal stockinet drawers were the sort worn by ropewalkers and acrobats and fit like a glove from her waist to her ankle.
The way they showcased her shapely legs made the front of his trousers instantly tighter.
“What have you got on there?” he said thickly.
“You didn’t think I would climb in skirts, did you?” She winked at him as she removed her boots. “Now give me a boost.”
He wanted to boost her up against the tree and have his way with her. But he knelt, and she climbed onto his shoulders. Feeling her sleek thighs sandwiching his jaw was a unique kind of torture. Holding her steady by the hips, he rose slowly.
“The next part is more challenging. If you have difficulty getting to your feet, try steadying yourself against the trunk…”
He trailed off because his instructions were superfluous. Finn was standing on his shoulders with the poise of a ballerina.
“I’ll need an extra boost to reach the lowest branch,” she said. “On the count of three. One, two, three.”
He pushed her upward. The instant her feet left his shoulders he braced, ready to catch her—but there was no need. She grabbed onto the branch, then hoisted herself gracefully onto the ledge.
“I think I see the hollow.” She craned her neck. “I’ll be right back.”
Nimble as a squirrel, she dashed along the branch, leaping onto the next one. Her expertise was reassuring but didn’t prevent his chest from tightening when she vanished out of view. He glanced at the stream, noticing that the current had picked up pace.
“Remember the fragile branches,” he called. “And the water—”
“I found the hollow!” Her voice was muted by the greenery. “I’ll have a look inside.”
The canopy rustled and swayed. She let out a string of colorful curses that made his brows rise.
“There’s nothing here.” Frustration laced her words. “I’ve searched the hollow thoroughly.”
He wasn’t surprised. After all, he’d taken a look himself.
“You’d best come down,” he said.
She grumbled something, and there was more rustling. Seeing movement on the side of the yew closest to the stream, he frowned.
“Be careful, Finn. You’re too close to the water—”
At the loud crack, all the hairs rose on his nape.
He acted on instinct, rushing to the edge of the bank, stretching out both arms. A branch plummeted the instant before he caught her.
He saw her terror and felt his own as he held her, half-suspended over the water, her hair whipped by the wind.
He saw the branch being swept away in the frothing water and felt the tenuousness of his grip.
An instant later, he yanked her to safety.