Rumors Among the Heather Page 15
The silent, grim-faced men rowed them to shore and waited until they stepped safely onto solid ground before quietly pushing off. Ribble placed Julie across his shoulder and started the long climb up jagged cliffs. He handled her as easily as if she were of no more account than a sack of potatoes. He did not stop or draw a long breath until they reached the top. Once there he set her down and rested. After no more than five minutes, he picked her up again and began walking at a fast pace across the island. He kept to the shadows and out of sight.
Sometime later, Ribble navigated another steep incline. She held her breath and shifted helplessly on his shoulder, suspended precariously between heaven and earth, perched on a fulcrum. Her eyes searched for some landmark to tell her where they were. With growing dread, it dawned on her where he was taking her. In a panic, she began to squirm. He lowered her to the ground and looked her in the eye.
“So ye ken where I’m taking ye. ’Tis the only place both of ye’ll be safe. He’ll be there to protect ye.”
Julie began to struggle with her ropes. She tried frantically to talk through her gag, but the only sounds were unintelligible garble.
Ribble shook his head and said, “Ye’re just wearing yerself out. Ye’re a smart lass. I’ll get ye there any way I can, and if that means landing ye another facer, then I’ll do it. I don’t like hitting a lady, but these are desperate times.”
True to his word, they once more started their descent. Halfway down the face of the cliff, he stopped and began to inch his way across. He squeezed both of them between two rocks which jutted out from the face of the cliff, and swung down into a sheltered passageway.
They stepped into total darkness, and Julie felt herself being lowered. Her feet touched the hard floor of the cave. Next, Ribble propped her up against a wall and untied her hands, leaving her feet for last. When her feet and hands were free, he rubbed them until her circulation returned. Julie let out an involuntary sigh of relief.
“Who goes there?” Matthew’s voice came from deep in the darkness of the cave.
“It’s me, Ribble,” Ribble answered gruffly.
“Who else is with you?"
Ribble made his way past the entrance of the cave and to the candles. He lit one and held it up. The flame from the one small candle seemed to flood the cave with light.
“Why the devil did you bring her here? I want no more to do with Hamilton’s mistress,” Matthew snarled at her, but his words did not hurt Julie half as much as the icicles of reproach she spied in his eyes.
She shuddered physically from the cold icy stare. It stung that he could have so little faith in her. Julie fought back on instinct. “Fine words coming from the mouth of a paragon of virtue. I’m nobody’s mistress, not yours…not anybody’s. By the heavens, I swear if I were a man, I’d not rest until the ground soaked up your blood, and the crows picked at your liver.”
Ribble started to speak, but Julie motioned for him to be quiet.
“If not for your henchman, I’d have been miles away from this place…and you! He knocked me out and tied me up. I’m here only because I had no choice in the matter. As soon as I can get away, I will.” Julie punched holes in the air with her pointed finger.
Just as quickly as her anger came, it abated. When she calmed down, she saw Matthew’s swollen eyes and the bruises on his handsome face. Her heart ached to touch him, feel his pain, and tell him how much she cared. But she would only be rebuked. She turned away, disheartened.
Nonplussed, Matthew took in her appearance for the first time. She looked like an orphan fighting over the last crumb of bread, with her feet planted stubbornly apart and her fists clenched. He did not expect her to retaliate in kind. He wanted to hurt her with words as she hurt him when he first realized she had betrayed him. He wanted her to feel remorse, to beg his forgiveness. Unexpectedly, her words cut him like a knife. She had no right to be angry with him. He had been the one wronged, not her. Did she hate him so much?
I should be immune to her after her treachery. After all that has happened, she still has the power to hurt me. Why does she disturb me more than ever?
Ribble tugged on his arm and guided Matthew outside. “I had no choice, my lord. Dressed like a lad, she was. Said she was going some place, but she wouldnae tell me where. Said she wasn’t too sure herself. I couldnae let her go, and I had no other place to bring her. After all, she saved your life. She got the key for us from under Hamilton’s nose.”
“Saved my life? That’s rich! She’s the reason I’m in this bloody fix in the first place. You don’t mean to tell me a leopard can change his spots, do you?”
“Ye’re wrong, my lord. If I had time, I’d explain, but right now I’ve got to get back to the castle. They think I have been fishing, but if I don’t get back with a good catch, I could be the one with a noose around his neck.” Ribble turned and left quickly.
Matthew watched him until he disappeared from sight. He took a deep breath and went back into the cave.
Instead of finding a caged lion in the corner ready to do battle, he found Julie curled up on the floor with clenched fists, sound asleep. Effortlessly, he picked her up and stood there holding her in his arms. Reluctantly, he laid her on the pallet and covered her with his blanket. Wrestling with his emotions, he went to the entrance of the cave and stood guard. He wanted to take her in his arms and kiss away the awful words they had thrown at each other and erase the last few days. He ran the gamut from supreme hate to total forgiveness, yet there were so many questions he needed answered. His heart hardened at the thought of the beatings he received in prison, and the way Hamilton pawed at her on the beach.
Why do I let her torment me so? I can’t get the thoughts of Hamilton touching her out of my mind. He put his filthy hands on her. I’ll go insane if I keep thinking about the lovemaking we shared. The passion was real, I know it was, and it was my right alone, not Hamilton’s.
Another love affair ended. The time has come for me to realize there is no such thing as love and to accept it. I’ll take my pleasure where I find it from this day forward and blast the consequences.
Matthew continued to stare coldly out into the night while Julie slept peacefully. A stiff wind blew from the north, bringing with it rain. He pulled his greatcoat tighter around his shoulders and moved farther back into the shadows of the rocks. He did not want to go back into the cave, to be near her—to hate and love her at the same time was too much to bear. His forbidden need of her exacted a heavy toll. The violence of his emotions carried a chill through his body.
He remembered their lovemaking and felt familiar feelings stir within him. Suddenly the clouds burst and poured forth their burden of freezing rain. The onslaught drove him farther inside. He tried to assume a position of indifference while he waited for her to wake. Instead his resolve weakened moments after he saw her sleeping peacefully. His body longed to lie beside her, to feel her warmth. His mind told him nothing would ever be the same again.
* * *
Julie opened her eyes to darkness and wondered if it was still night. She stiffened when she heard someone breathing in the darkness. Angrily, she remembered Ribble and the cave. She prayed Ribble stood in the darkness and not Matthew.
“Who’s there?” With her heart in her throat, she listened for a reply but none came. The sound of a candle being lit broke the silence a moment before Matthew spoke.
“If you don’t mind, I would like to lie down. I have kept the night watch. As soon as the storm stops, it’ll be your turn to keep the day watch. Stay low and in the shadows. If you see anything that looks like redcoats, wake me immediately.”
His words might have been delivered by a stranger.
Rebuffed and stung into silence by the coldness of his voice, Julie quickly stood up from the pallet and moved to the entrance of the cave. She looked out at the gray, angry skies and felt a kinship with them. A chilling wind tore at Julie, making it necessary to pick up Matthew’s discarded greatcoat and wrap it around her in o
rder to keep warm.
I can still smell his scent. It’s almost more than I can bear. If only I could throw off his coat along with my love and run through the rain into the sea. If only my mind would forget how much I love him.
Frustrated, she snuggled deeper into the coat and stared unseeing out onto the bleak seascape. Hours passed until the day began to wane, and she wondered if Matthew would wake up any time soon.
The storm still raged when her unwilling cave mate built a small cooking fire near the back wall of the cave using dry kindling, which gave off little smoke. As soon as the kettle boiled for tea, he put the fire out. He walked over to Julie and handed her a cup.
She looked up into his icy blue eyes and took the cup. The warmth of the cup surprised her. She half expected it to be as cold as his stare. Julie searched his arctic eyes in vain for any hint of forgiveness or warmth.
He’ll never believe I had nothing to do with his capture or Geoffrey. ’Tis plain he hates me. What am I to do?
Bitterly, she shook her head and wrapped her fingers around the hot tin. The warmth felt good, but the icy particles around her heart threatened to strangle her.
By early afternoon, the rain slowed to a drizzle. Julie stared across the ocean. Suddenly, something caught her eye. Fear gripped her when she saw a small boat gliding into the cove below. She strained her eyes to see who the people were. She caught a flash of red before a black cape closed over the shoulders of the lone man on deck. Petrified, she watched him take a spy glass and begin to scan the cliffs above him.
Quickly, Julie flattened herself against the rock beneath her feet and then crouched and crawled back into the cave. She made her way to where Matthew rested once more and began to shake him.
“Matthew, wake up! Redcoats below!”
Matthew shook the sleep from his eyes and moved unsteadily to his feet. With the broadsword in his hand, he crossed quickly to the entrance of the cave. Cautiously, he stepped beside the entrance and peered out to get a better view. They both strained to hear what the captain said.
“Men, you will search in every cave and cranny. We know he’s here. I want him in chains before nightfall,” the captain ordered. His men began to row toward the shore.
Pressed against the wall of the cave, Matthew waited in ambush to do battle with the first Sassenach who entered. They heard the scraping as the soldiers climbed over the rocks. Julie could hear her own heart beating furiously. Sweat began to bead up on her forehead and run down her face.
Matthew’s hand went across her chest protectively when they heard a man getting nearer. Her whole body tensed. She dared not breathe. Two more steps and he would be at the entrance to the cave. Matthew raised his sword ready to strike.
From somewhere below, they heard someone shout. “Ahoy! There he goes. After him, men! There’s a bonus in it for the man who brings him back. Dead or alive!” Men began scurrying up the face of the cliff. Julie and Mathew watched breathlessly when a redcoat passed the entrance to the cave and scrambled up the side after a lone runner.
A soldier called out somewhere above them, “Over there. Quickly, men, there’s a man coming out of one of the caves. He’s running toward those woods to the right. Don’t let him get to the woods. After him!”
Julie and Matthew stayed near the entrance for over two hours, muscles tensed with dread. When the soldiers did not return, the little boat weighed anchor and headed toward the castle landing.
They both took a deep breath at the same time. Until now, they had scarcely dared to breathe.
Julie looked into his eyes, and her thoughts froze. She tried to move, but she felt weak. His touch drained her of any energy to fight him. Half-heartedly she tried to turn away, but his hand came up her arm and around her shoulders and pulled her into his embrace.
Gently, he began to rock her back and forth, and the tenderness she felt for him flooded her body. She buried her face against the corded muscles of his chest, and she heard his heart beating wildly. His hand grasped her chin and tilted it up as his mouth came down to claim her lips. Matthew’s tongue sent shivers of desire coursing through her very being. When he let her go, he left her lips scorched from his fire.
Julie did not know if he loved her, and for the time being it did not seem to matter, but in the back of her mind, she knew it would later. Her mind whirled. She felt her treacherous body yield completely to him. Every nerve ached for his touch. As the fire grew fiercer and their passion demanded more, she wanted the sensual intimacy as much as the air she breathed. She felt her body arching up, drawing him closer until their bodies melded into one.
They were both caught in a whirlwind of emotions. Gently, he picked her up and carried her over to the pallet where he slipped the shirt over her head, and his trembling fingers undid the binding across her chest. Free of their bondage, his hands cupped her breasts. Quickly, he removed her breeches.
Julie reached for him and pulled him toward her. She needed his closeness, to feel his skin against her skin. He whispered her name, and she felt his need of her. Her hand touched his face. “Matthew…” Julie breathed his name as they joined together gently. Sweet torture mounted by leaps and bounds. Julie’s body met his with equal fervor. She felt the need to feel a lifetime at this moment, forever climbing higher and higher. Suddenly, her being seemed to explode. She was not aware of anything but the earth-shaking ripples of delight inside her own body. Matthew fell against her, and they both rolled onto their sides, still locked in a lovers’ embrace. She did not want to let go. If she did, they would be enemies again. Their temporary truce would be over.
At last, he moved from her. They both lay quietly. Silently, Julie felt her tears trace a path down her cheeks like molten lava. She quickly dressed and moved back to the entrance of the cave while Matthew lay sleeping peacefully on the pallet.
Julie’s tortured thoughts mocked her. Lord, I’m such a fool. Why couldn’t I have resisted him? I have to find a way out of here, or I’ll go mad.
The rain continued to come down in a chilling drizzle. When Matthew awoke, he made a fire and boiled some water for their tea. They ate the last of the cheese and bread in silence. Matthew took the next watch, still without speaking to her. Julie left him at the entrance and lay down on the pallet. She shut her eyes, but sleep eluded her. It was early morning before slumber claimed her.
* * *
The sound of voices awakened Julie.
“Ye’ll soon be able to leave, I’m a-thinkin’. The redcoats are more concerned with finding Prince Charlie than ye at this point. The regiment has orders to move ten miles north o’ here.”
“I’ll rest easier when he’s on his way back to France. We can’t let Cumberland capture him, Ribble. That would tear out the heart and soul of every Scotsman,” Matthew said with emotion.
“I think we may be in for a wee bit of luck on that front,” Ribble said with a hint of mischief in his voice.
“How’s that?”
“Ye remember young Roderick Mackenzie? A handsome lad and brave to boot. Well, if ye’ll remember, he bore a striking resemblance to the prince. Like everyone else, he’s been running and hiding in yon hills, but the bloody English finally ran him to ground. He gave a good accountin’ of himself until they struck him to the ground. He heard the soldiers talking among themselves as his life’s blood flowed out on the ground. It seems some of them thought he was the prince. Roddy was always a quick thinker, yes sir. Even in the throes of death, he yells out, ‘Villains, ye have slain your prince.’ So they cut off his head and sent it to London. When it gets there, they’ll find out their mistake, but in the meantime the hunt has been called off, and the prince is waitin’ to board a ship for France.” Ribble sat back and let the joke on the English sink in.
“I’m sorry to hear that. Roddy was a good man and a good highlander. The ultimate sacrifices have been made by many and all for naught. I’d like to see that ‘Butcher’ Cumberland’s face when he realizes his mistake,” Matthew spat out.
Julie spoke up. “Is it safe for us to leave? When they find their mistake, there’ll be more troops than ever looking for the prince. And us.”
“It’s why I came today. In two days’ time, a ship’ll be waiting off the northwestern coast of the island. I’ll be here to take ye out to it. The asking price is two thousand in gold apiece. If ye’re agreeable, I’ll get the money ready.”
“We’ve no choice. We have to get out of here. We were almost discovered yesterday,” Matthew stated.
All through the day, Matthew and Ribble had their heads together discussing plans for their escape. Julie searched the sea in front of her for her own escape.
If we do escape to France, what will I do? I can’t continue to live on Matthew’s whims. I don’t know how quickly he will try to get rid of me once we’re in France. There no one knows us, and he will have no reason to keep up the pretense of our marriage. I would have to look out for myself again. I must be gone before then. Something will present itself. It has to.
Idly, she watched the tide go out and marveled at how far out it went. She was a good swimmer, but she doubted if she could swim the distance to the mainland in the cold Atlantic. If only she could get hold of a boat. She watched a sea gull swoop down and land on the beach in front of the cliff.
Julie searched the sea before she stretched out on her stomach and pulled with her hands along the cave’s wall until she reached the edge of the cliff. She had always thought the sea battered this part of the island even at low tide, but to her surprise, the beach was expansive—going on as far as the eye could see. Slowly, she slid back into the shadows of her look out. She glanced back inside the cave. Matthew and Ribble were still talking, oblivious to her.