Chasing Eliza (Cavendish Mysteries 3)

She could hear the rustle of his clothing as he dressed and moved across the room to sit in the chair beside her. “Yes thank you. Shall I ring for breakfast now?” She didn’t wait for his answer and moved to the bell pull beside the fireplace.

They waited for breakfast in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

“I hope that today we will be at the inn I have asked Peter to meet us at.” His eyes met and held hers solemnly. “Unfortunately that means another long ride ahead of us.”

Eliza winced and shifted uncomfortably on the hard chair, feeling the bruised flesh of her bottom acutely against the unrelenting wood of the seat. Reluctantly she nodded her agreement, realising that this would be the last meal she would share alone with Edward. She felt a sense of loss so acute that tears stung her eyes and she had to blink several times to stop them falling.

Edward studied her with a frown, watching the array of emotions sweep over her face. Reluctance followed by discomfort, then fear, followed by sadness. He considered the demands of yesterday with a wince and knew he was pushing her too hard.

“We’ll take some food to eat on the journey; enough for luncheon and tea, but if we don’t make our meeting place tonight we will find somewhere else to stay and meet Peter tomorrow morning. He’ll wait.” Edward added, his voice laced with an air of certainty Eliza didn’t think to question.

Still, she didn’t complain and instead accepted his explanatio

n with a curt nod. Inexplicably he had the urge to sweep her into his arms for a hug, but given what had happened last night didn’t trust himself to lay even a finger on her.

His own self control could only be stretched so far, and he was only human. If he caved in to the increasing awareness that shimmered between them, he knew they wouldn’t leave the room until they had explored every inch of the large expanse of bed beside them, preferably without their clothes on. Shaking his head at the mental image of rolling around with her completely naked, he stood and turned his back so she didn’t see the hard evidence of his driving need for her.

“If you’re ready, let’s go.” He didn’t wait to see if she was behind him and moved towards the door, holding it open expectantly.

The hour was still early as they entered the hallway of the small coaching inn. Most of the occupants were still abed; the main tap room completely empty apart from a solitary maid who was relaying the hearth in preparation for the breakfast rush.

Edward barely stepped outside when the sudden shifting of a shadow to the side of him drew his attention. He barely had time to duck out of the way before the sharp glint of a sword tip swept inches from his nose.

“Get back!” He snapped to Eliza, drawing his scabbard. Immediately the fight was on and his attention as held by the parry and thrust of his opponent. It had been a while since he had entered into any prolonged sword fighting and at first cursed his own lack of dexterity with the smaller scabbard as he clashed with the man before him.

He was vaguely aware of a small scuffle behind him and felt a jolt of alarm as Eliza let out a small squeak. Everything within him screamed at him to glance over his shoulder and check she was alright, but he couldn’t take his attention of the man before him and give him the advantage. Eliza needed him alive, not skewered on the tip of his opponent’s sword.

Desperation clawed at him and with a hard volley and lunge of his blade, he watched the man drop to the floor with a thud, blood gushing from the wound in his chest.

Spinning around he cursed fluidly at the sight of Eliza being carried toward the entrance of the stable yard by a large bear of a man. He was running towards them when he saw Eliza wrench one hand free and issue the man a solid smack in his ear. It immediately unbalanced him enough to allow her to wriggle and jerk free. Instinctively the man tried to wrap his arms more securely about her only for her to lunge backwards clear of his arms and land on the floor with a heavy thud.

“Get the horses.” Edward snapped, putting himself firmly between the man and Eliza, his blade raised to strike.

As his second battle of the morning began to ring out across the stable yard, Edward waited and indeterminable age for Eliza to reappear with the horses in tow. She had mounted her own and waited some distance away with Edward’s horse. Her eyes wide with fear as she watched the fierce battle several feet away.

“Go! I’ll catch up.” Edward gasped, lunging and parrying with surprising dexterity. He wished he had more shot for his pistol and cursed his oversight.

“No. I’m not leaving you.” Eliza argued, refusing to leave him alone.

“Oi! What’s going on with you? Get out of here.” The Innkeeper came scurrying out of the tavern, a large broom in his hand. Immediately he began to bash Edward’s assailant on the back of his head. The big turn towards him with a snarl, giving Edward the opportunity he needed.

“Hey!” Edward shouted, lowering his scabbard. As the big man turned, he didn’t see the large fist that landed squarely in the middle of his face and fell to the ground with a thump.

Edward glared at the innkeeper. “Call the magistrate. Make sure these men are arrested for kidnap and attempted murder.” He ignored the innkeeper’s startled gasps as he issued his direction in clipped tones before stealing the sword lying unattended on the ground, mounting and setting off after Eliza.

“I told you to go.” He growled as they thundered away from the village, fury and adrenaline hammering through him at the risks she had faced.

“I’m not leaving you.” She argued, her chin rose in defiance.

She squared her thin shoulders, prepared for battle as Edward grabbed her horse’s bridle and drew her to a stop, nudging Guinness around until he was standing alongside her.

Lost to find a way to vent the anger without offending her with the coarse language that threatened to break free, he did the next best thing and tugged her head towards him for a hard and very thorough kiss.

“You ever do that again and I swear as God is my witness, it won’t be just Scraggan you have to fear.” His eyes glinted in stern warning; his hot breath swept gently over her cheeks as he captured her gaze with his and held it in silent warning.

“Keep close now and do as you I tell you.”

“Yes boss.” Eliza replied sarcastically, bristling at his arrogant tone of command.