Part 30 (1/2)

Giles closed his eyes against the feel of her small, warm hand atop his. He had thought he'd lost her this night. For the second time, he had been brutally reminded that he could not live in a world without her.

And then he turned and caught her up in his arms, unable to resist stealing a moment. He bent and kissed her, with all of the desire that lay within his heart, wis.h.i.+ng he could make love to her one last time, for he did not know if they might live to see another day.

”I thought Fletcher had killed you,” he murmured as he swept his mouth across her cheek.

Cecily sighed, her head falling back, allowing him to nuzzle the sweet warmth of her neck. ”I love you, Giles Beaumont. Nothing can ever change that.”

He loved her too. More than she could possibly love him. But she would misunderstand if he spoke his feelings. She would think he was promising her a future together. And so he set her gently away from him and turned back to the wall.

She huffed. ”We need a plan before you open that door.”

”I'm open to suggestions.”

”Jimson taught me this trick with mist...”

He shook his head. ”Didn't work on my sword. I lay odds that it will not work on that scepter, either.”

”Give me a moment, then.”

Giles felt his clothes change from sopping wet to slightly damp, a.s.sumed she dried hers as well, for he heard the fabric of her dress whisper as she muttered something about her hair.

”That's the tidiest I can manage without a mirror,” she said. ”Now then, when you open the door, we shall casually walk across the grounds. Two lovers out for a stroll.”

Giles rubbed his cheek. ”No one will believe it.”

”Nonsense. Open the door.”

Giles pressed and it swung open, and they quickly ducked through the fall of water on the outer castle walls. He shut the door behind them, only their shoulders slightly wet again from the dunking.

He b.u.t.toned up his coat at the waist, allowing his hair to fall about his face, slightly obscuring the ugly mark. Then he crooked his arm and Cecily hooked hers through his. They casually strolled down the gravel path, avoiding the lighted pavilions, occasionally stopping to embrace whenever anyone else happened upon them.

Half of the guard and the majority of the soldiers would be attending their own revel tonight. Giles saw more than one uniformed man taking advantage of the moonlight for a private stroll with his sweetheart.

”Apollo and Belle are housed in the smaller stables,” he murmured, guiding Cecily in the proper direction.

She turned her head and smiled up at him. ”You brought Belle?”

He looked down, losing himself in the faceted depths of her eyes. ”I thought you'd be happy to see her.”

”I am. She's a fast little thing, and so very loyal...”

Something s.h.i.+vered between them. Perhaps the danger of their situation heightened Giles's senses-but he didn't think so. For a timeless moment his entire being focused on nothing but her, nothing but the joy of her arm within his, the beauty of her face, the wonder in his heart that she stood beside him, alive and well. He could not fathom that this may be their last time together. They had grown up so close and yet apart, and now- ”There you are!” interrupted a shrill voice. Giles glanced up to find a rather stout woman bearing down upon them. d.a.m.n-he should have never allowed himself to become distracted.

”Lady Pennington,” breathed Cecily.

”Who?”

”I accompanied her family on the carriage ride to the palace.”

Giles did not need to ask how that journey had pa.s.sed. He could hear the vexation in the tone of Cecily's voice.

Lady Pennington reminded him of nothing more than an overburdened cargo s.h.i.+p, lumbering from side to side, using her wide hoops for ballast, her peaked coiffure a mast with the feather atop it flapping like a flag.

”You naughty girl,” said the lady, gasping for breath. ”I have been searching the palace for you since we arrived.”

”Whatever for?” blurted Cecily.

Lady Pennington smiled charmingly and clasped Cecily's hands. ”Why, my dear, we had just begun to know each other and I wished to continue the acquaintance.”

Cecily appeared thunderstruck, so Giles interjected. ”I am sad to say, madam, that your reunion must wait a bit longer. We are on an errand of importance-”

”Pshaw!” she responded, tightening her hold on Cecily's hands. ”There can be nothing more important than my friends.h.i.+p with dear Lucy.”

Cecily narrowed her eyes. ”What exactly is it that you wish, my lady?”

She smiled. ”Good girl. Let there be no pretense between us. I have been admiring Lady Longhurst's new gown-why, it is the talk of the ball! But she has been extremely coy about her new mantua-maker, and insists her seamstress will sew for no one but her. Then I recalled that you recently came into the lady's employ, and easily put two and two together.”

”How clever of you,” muttered Cecily.

Giles s.h.i.+fted, glancing around impatiently. They stood just beyond the pavilion and too far from the stables, but had attracted little notice as of yet.

”Indeed,” replied Lady Pennington, missing the sarcasm in Cecily's voice. ”That gown will set the latest mode and I vow to have one of my own. You simply must agree to sew some gowns for me, my dear. In honor of our shared journey?”

Cecily scowled, as if it would be the last reason for her to accommodate the lady, but she answered quickly in a valiant attempt at escape. ”Yes, yes, of course I shall. But we really must be on our way.” She tried to twist her hands from the lady's grasp.

But Lady Pennington only held on tighter, apparently possessing a degree of elven strength, if not magic nor beauty.

Giles resisted the urge to pick the lady up by her ruffled shoulders and toss her out of their way. Cecily, on the other hand, already appeared to have lost her temper. Giles caught the faint whiff of something burning and glanced about again.

”This shall take only a moment,” insisted the lady.

”What?” snapped Cecily.

Lady Pennington lost her veil of charm. ”Don't use that tone of voice with me, young lady. Why, after everything I did for you on our journey-”

Cecily choked.

”-I should think you could show a little grat.i.tude. Lud! All I need you to do is come with me for but a moment, and tell Lady Longhurst that you have agreed to make me a gown. She keeps insisting her mantua-maker will work for no one but her-merciful heavens! Whatever is happening to your dress?”

Giles glanced down and realized the burning smell came from Cecily's skirts. Worse, a sparkling glow shone through the folds of the cloth, a crackling sound coming from the depths of her hip pocket.

Cecily impolitely cursed and withdrew the scepter; the tip of it shot jagged darts of lightning.

”Lud!” said Lady Pennington. ”That looks like-what are you doing with-?”

Cecily mumbled something about her temper and called her magic, drawing a wave from a nearby fountain and dousing her burning gown and consequently, Lady Pennington as well, who gathered a breath and opened her mouth to astonis.h.i.+ng proportions.