off her britches she made no foolishfutile movement of protest and received her reward in the cleardisappointment in her tormentor's eyes. "So, you will not fight me?"His hands stroked lasciviously
over her body. "Eventually you will begme to take you,
ma belle.
When you can no longer bear your discomfort."
"Just tell me why?" Danielle summoned her last reserves of e,nergy."What have I done to you that
you should do this to mer
St. Estephe chuckled. "It is nothing that you have done, ma belle. Youare merely the instrument of my revenge. Many years ago your husband'sfather dishonored my family and I am pledged to avenge the insult. Yourhusband will come in search of you and when he finds you, you will bemy willing submissive plaything. And I will kill him after he has seenwhat you have become."
Danny licked her dry lips again. "You have overlooked one thing,
comte
.My husband is dead. I heard
the news from Pitt before I left England.You may use me as you please, but Justin will have no knowledge of yourrevenge."
The second blow smashed her head sideways into the mattress and,without a further word, the
comte
took the lantern and her tornclothing and left her, naked and alone in the darkness.
Chapter 22
Justin's heart leapt as he rounded the corner of the steep path and atlast saw journey's end. The long low house of Mervanwey glowed mellowin the afternoon light of this last day of October, and the treesbordering the path were a deep copper. One strong wind and they wouldlose the fragile leaves to the winter of gales and sea storms waitingin the wings. As he reached the head of the cliff he looked over
thelow stone wall into the rose garden and saw a sight that brought aglowof pride and love into his eyes. His son, turned sixteen months now,was running on sturdy legs across the grass, shrieking with glee,pursued by Maddy, the young nursery maid, growling like a lion.
Justin dismounted and vaulted over the wall. "Nicky?" Both child andgirl stopped, and Maddy's rosy cheeks suddenly paled as if she saw aghost.
"My Lord," she gasped. "Is it really you? You are alive then?"
"I certainly have that impression," he agreed with a smile. "My son, doyou remember your papa?" Kneeling in front of the little boy, he tookhis hands.
"Papa?" Nicky looked at him seriously and then the small face split ina sunny beam. It had been six months since he had last seen this manbut he still saw his picture every night before he slept, and everyonealways talked to him about "Papa."
Justin laughed with pleasure and picked up the little figure, kissingthe firm round cheek. "Come, let
us go and find
Maman
."
"
Maman
. . . boat." Nickypointed to the gray Atlantic ocean stretchinginto the distance.
"What?" His father frowned and looked at Maddy whose eyes werestricken. She gazed at the ground, apparently tongue-tied. "I will takeNicky with me up to the house," he told her and, hitching his son ontoa hip, vaulted the wall again and remounted easily with one hand. Nickysquealed with delight at finding himself on the back of this greatbeast, an experience that he found not at all terrifying, held as hewas by an iron arm against a broad chest. He babbled nonstop, a mixtureof nonsense and baby words, pointing excitedly from side to side andbouncing up and down on the saddle. Justin responded with the rightdegree of interested encouragement although the prick of unease wasrapidly becoming a cold stab of premonition.
There had been something in the prime minister's attitude that hadpuzzled him when he had made the detailed report of his missionimmediately on his return. Pitt had appeared curiously evasive whenJustin had asked him if he had news of Danny, and had said only that hebelieved her to be in Cornwall. Linton, in his eagerness to reach hiswife's side, had hardly noticed the awkwardness until memory now cameback with full force. Unconsciously he urged his mount into a canter asthe path leveled off.
Nicky shrieked, and the earl instantly checked the horse, only to hearhis son demand, '"Gain, 'gain." Definitely his mother's child, Justinreflected, obeying the instruction. Their arrival at the circulargravel sweep outside the house caused an extraordinary commotion.Justin tossed his son over his shoulder and swung to the ground in onemovement, striding through the gaping gabbling throng of servants intothe cool flagged hallway.
"Justin! Oh thank God! We have been certain that you were dead. Therehas been no news and . . ." Lady Lavinift flung herself weeping againsthis chest.
"It is a long story, ma'am," he said, patting her back helplessly ashis son squirmed and wriggled in his upside-down position.
"Let the man get inside, Lavvy." Charles appeared from the library andtook his wife's arm. "It is such
a relief to see you,Justin," he explained, seizing his hand in a hard grip that spokevolumes. "Come into the library before someone starts charging a fee towitness this spectacle."
"Oh, what can I have been thinking of?" Lavinia scolded herself as herhusband's words took effect. "What an unseemly display, and poor Nickyis quite scarlet."
Justin righted the child who wriggled and said imperatively, "Down."
"I wonder how long it's going to be before you learn to say 'please'?"Justin mused, setting him on his feet.
"Oh, he does already," Lavinia put in hastily. "But sometimes heforgets. Danielle is most insistent that
he . . ." Her voice faded.
"Where is she?" Anxiety rasped harsh in his voice.
"Not in front of . . ." Lavinia gestured toward Nicky, who was pushingchess pieces around on a board resting on a low table.
A cold shiver
