'And now I've most of this damn wood under my skin, thanks to you,' she muttered as she bent her head to look at the damage.
Duncan sighed. Madelyne heard the exaggerated sound all the way across the room, but she didn't hear him move, and when he suddenly grabbed hold of her hand, she jumped back, clipping the top of her head against the bottom of his chin. 'You move just like a wolf,' she announced as she allowed him to drag her toward the light of the fire. ' 'Tis no compliment I'm giving you, Duncan, so you can quit smiling.'
Duncan ignored her mutterings. He reached up on the mantel and took hold of a sharp, almost needle-pointed dagger. Madelyne closed her eyes until she felt the first prick. She had to open her eyes then, for if she didn't watch him, he'd probably cut her thumb clean off. Madelyne leaned down until she inadvertently blocked Duncan 's view of her thumb.
He pulled her hand upward to get it in a better light. He bent his head to finish his task. Madelyne's forehead touched Duncan 's. She didn't move away, and neither did he.
He smelled nice.
She smelled like roses again.
The splinter was removed. Madelyne didn't say a word to him, but she was looking up at him with such a trusting expression on her face. Duncan frowned in frustration. When she looked at him like that, all he could think about was taking her into his arms and kissing her. Hell, he admitted with disgust, all she had to do was look at him and he wanted to bed her.
Duncan threw the dagger back on the mantel and then went back to bed. He hadn't let go of Madelyne's hand and now dragged her behind him. 'Can't even get a splinter out and you think to kill a man,' he muttered.
'I am not sleeping with you,' Madelyne stated most emphatically. She stood beside the bed, determined to win. 'You're the most arrogant, the most stubborn man. My patience is running as thin as water. I'll not put up with much more.'
Madelyne realized her error was in getting too close to Duncan when she shouted her threat. He reached up and literally lifted her on top of him. She landed with a thud. Duncan shrugged her to his side, his hand still locked on her wrist.
He closed his eyes, obviously trying to dismiss her. Madelyne faced him.
'You hate me too much to sleep next to me. You lied, didn't you, Duncan? We haven't been sleeping together. I'd remember it.'
'You can sleep through a battle,' Duncan remarked. His eyes were still closed but he was smiling. 'And I don't hate you, Madelyne.'
'You most certainly do hate me,' Madelyne retorted. 'Don't you dare change your mind now.'
She waited a long while for Duncan to answer her. When he didn't say a word, she started in again. 'It was a sorry deed that brought us together. I saved your life. And how am I repaid? Why, you drag me to this godforsaken place, constantly abusing my good nature, I might add. I imagine you've conveniently forgotten all about my saving Gilard's life too.'
Lord, she wished he'd open his eyes so she could see his reaction. 'Now I've taken on caring for Adela. I'm wondering, though, if you hadn't planned that all along.'
Madelyne frowned over that thought and then continued. 'You should admit by now that I'm the innocent in this scheme of yours. I'm the one who is being wronged. Why, when I think of all I've been through-'
Duncan 's snore stopped her cold. Madelyne was suddenly so furious, she wished she had the courage to scream right into his ear.
'I'm the one who should hate you,' she muttered to herself. She adjusted her gown and settled herself on her back. 'If I didn't have satisfactory plans of my own, I'd be angry over what you've done to ruin my good name, Duncan. I can't ever make a suitable marriage now. That's a certainty, but I'll admit Louddon will be the loser, not me. He was going to sell me to the highest bidder. At least that's what he told me he was going to do. Now he'll only kill me if he gets near enough,' she muttered. 'And all because of you,' she added with gusto.
She was exhausted when she finished her complaints. 'How am I ever going to get you to promise me anything? And I've already given my word to poor Adela,' she added with a weary yawn.
Duncan moved then. Madelyne was caught unprepared. She only had time to open her eyes before Duncan was leaning over her. His face was close to hers, his breath warm and sweet against her cheeks. One of his heavy thighs trapped her.
Good God, she was flat on her back.
'I'll find a way to tell your Lady Eleanor if you take advantage of me,' Madelyne blurted out.
Duncan rolled his eyes heavenward. 'Madelyne, your mind is consumed with my taking…'
She slapped her hand over his mouth and held it there. 'Don't dare say it,' she returned. 'And why else would you be draped over me like a blanket if you didn't want to…'
Madelyne matched his sigh with one of her own. 'You try to make me daft,' she accused him.
'You already are,' Duncan announced.
'Get off me. You weigh more than the doors to your home.'
Duncan shifted his weight until his bulk was cushioned by his elbows. His pelvis rested against Madelyne's. He could feel the heat in her.
'What promise do you want from me?'
Madelyne looked confused by the question. 'Adela,' Duncan reminded her.
'Oh,' Madelyne said, sounding breathless. 'I had thought to wait until tomorrow to speak to you about Adela. I didn't realize you'd make me sleep with you though. And I'd hoped to catch you in a better mood…'
'Madelyne.' The last of her name was drawn out in a long, controlled groan and she knew from the way he clenched his jaw that his patience was gone.
'I wish you to give me your word Adela may live here with you for as long as she wants, and that you'll not force a marriage on her, no matter what the circumstances. There, is that specific enough for you?'
Duncan frowned. 'I'll speak to Adela tomorrow,' he stated.
'Your sister is too frightened to speak freely to you, but if I may tell her you've given your word, then I believe you'll see a remarkable change in her. She's so worried, Duncan, and if we can ease her burden, she'll feel much better.'
He felt like smiling. Madelyne had taken on the role of mother to Adela, just as he suspected she would. He was enormously pleased his plan had worked. 'Very well. Tell Adela I've given my word. I'll have to speak to Gerald,' he added, almost as an afterthought.
'Gerald will just have to find someone else to marry. Adela believes the contract isn't binding now, anyway. Besides, Gerald will want an unblemished woman, and that makes me dislike him immensely.'
'You never even met the man,' Duncan said with exasperation. 'How can you judge him so easily?'
Madelyne frowned. Duncan was right though it was almost painful to give him that admission. 'Does Gerald know all of what happened to Adela?'
'By now all of England knows. Louddon would have made certain.'
'My brother is an evil man.'
'Does your uncle Berton feel the same way about Louddon?' Duncan asked.
'How did you know my uncle's name?' Madelyne asked.
'You told me,' Duncan supplied, smiling over the way her eyes widened.
'When? I've an excellent memory and I don't recall mentioning it.'
'When you were sick, you told me all about your uncle.'
'If I spoke to you, I don't remember. It was rude of you to listen to anything I said.'
'It wasn't possible to block out your voice,' Duncan told her, grinning over the memory. 'You shouted everything you said.'
He exaggerated, just to increase her reaction. When Madelyne wasn't guarded, her expressions were so innocently refreshing to see. 'Tell me what else I said,' Madelyne demanded. Her tone sounded with suspicion.
'The list is too long. Suffice it to say that you told me everything.'
'Everything?' She looked horrified now. Lord, she was embarrassed. What if she'd told him how much she liked him kissing her?
There was a sparkle in Duncan 's eyes. Perhaps he was only teasing her. That didn't sit well. Madelyne
