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‘But what of your brother?’ she asked.
Simon laughed and there was a bitter edge to it. ‘I am gambling, Lady A
A
Simon shifted uncomfortably. ‘Malvoisier will reason that a live hostage is worth more to him than a dead man,’ he said. ‘He will want to keep Henry safe in case he needs to barter to save his own miserable neck.’ He turned away with a dismissive gesture, but not before A
‘This is not so easy for you as you pretend,’ she accused. ‘You know you are taking a desperate chance!’
Simon turned on her, his mouth twisted wryly. ‘Aye, I know it! And if Henry dies because of it, I will have years of grief in which to regret my decision.’
A
‘You care deeply for your brother,’ she said. ‘Aye, and for your father too. I believe that you are letting me go because you do not wish my father to die alone and uncomforted. You respect him. And you know what it is to be estranged from your family and to lose all that you hold dear.’
Simon’s dark gaze was murderous now. There was so much repressed violence in him that she shivered to see it.
‘Enough!’ he said. He moderated his tone almost at once. ‘You have said quite enough, madam. You may think that you know me, but you know nothing at all.’ He straightened. ‘You may disabuse yourself of the notion that I am letting you go through chivalry, or for pity, or generosity or any other virtuous reason.’ There was a self-mocking tone to his voice now. ‘I know nothing of such emotions now, if I ever did. The simple fact is that I do not need a hostage. I can take Grafton without.’
A
For a moment she thought she saw something behind the unrelenting hardness of Simon’s expression, some element of pity or sorrow or regret. She had already put out a hand to him in appeal when he spoke, and his tone was unyielding.
‘No, you ca
A
And yet she could feel Simon watching her with those dark, dark eyes and his look made the awareness shiver along her skin. She could feel that look in every fibre of her being. It stripped away all her defences. Against all odds and against all sense there was still something between them, something shockingly powerful. There should not be. There could not be, for they were sworn enemies, and a part of her hated him whilst she was equally, frighteningly, as drawn to him as she had been four years before.
She slipped the cloak about her shoulders. Simon was standing by the door and she had to pass him to go out. She was desperate to be gone, yet when she got to the door she hesitated, and looked up into his face. Suddenly she did not know what to say to him.
Abruptly he caught her hands in his. The intensity of his gaze burned her. ‘You are betrothed to my sworn enemy,’ he said softly. ‘I am about to lay waste to your home and your people’s livelihood. If I say that I am sorry, you will only think me a liar, but believe that I will do what I may to lighten the blow that falls on Grafton.’
A
‘I understand,’ she said. A faint, bitter smile touched her lips. ‘As you have said before, this is war. In a war people will get hurt.’
‘Be careful tomorrow,’ Simon said. He looked down briefly at their joined hands, then up into her face again. ‘Even if you do not trust me, take this advice. When the attack begins, take only those closest to you and lock yourself in the safest place in the house. I will send word to you as soon as I can.’
A
‘Yes.’
A
The words were out before she had time to consider them and she heard his swift intake of breath. Standing there so close to him, feeling the warmth of his touch and the tension latent in his body, it was impossible to keep any secrets one from the other. Simon’s dark eyes were brilliant with desire now and A
Simon took a harsh breath. ‘If I should find Gerard Malvoisier before he finds me tomorrow,’ he said roughly, ‘do you want me to save his life for you?’
There was a pause, full of feeling, and then the hatred smashed through A
‘No,’ she said, and her voice shook with feeling. ‘I would not wish you to spare Gerard Malvoisier on my account, Lord Greville. He has taken everything that I care for and destroyed it or desecrated it beyond redemption.’ She could feel herself trembling with hatred and passion, and knew Simon must be able to feel it too. ‘He has taken my father’s life, my home, the loyalty of my people…’ She tilted her face up and met the intensity of Simon’s gaze. ‘If you wish to show your gratitude to me, Lord Greville, then you will take his life. Kill him for me.’
There was a moment when Simon stared down into her eyes and then he pulled her to him with one violent motion. His hand tangled in her hair and his mouth was hard on hers and A
But this was no youthful kiss now. It held all the fierce demand and desire of a man for a woman and it evoked an instinctive response in her. She yielded helplessly, conscious of nothing but the touch and the taste of him, the feel of his hands on her body, the scent of his skin so surprisingly and achingly familiar to her. Her knees weakened and Simon scooped her up with an arm about her waist and took two strides across to the truckle bed.