Red, Red Rose Page 6

  A minute or so later, Elspeth heard him breathe a soft sigh of relief and then for one terrifying moment, he disappeared. She froze against the hillside. Had he fallen off some ledge she couldn’t see? What would she do without him? Suddenly he was there in front of her again, holding out his hand. “Hurry!” She scrambled as fast as she could and found herself in front of a small cave—although it may have been generous to call it that, for it was so small it was more of a hollow in the rocks. But there were actually a few scraggly bushes in front of it, an almost miracle in this barren landscape.

  “It is a bit cramped, but I think it will hide us well enough,” Val whispered as he guided her in. “Be careful of your head.”

  There was no room to stand. Indeed, there was hardly room to sit down and be able to stretch out their legs.

  “Not the most luxurious of accommodations, I admit, Miss Gordon,” Val said ironically.

  At least he had a sense of humor, this Lieutenant Aston, Elspeth thought as she sat down. Their shoulders brushed and she immediately tried to slide to her right, but the side of their “cave” was too low and forced her head down.

  “I am afraid where we are is the most comfortable,” said Val as he felt her shift away and then back again.

  Elspeth nodded her head and then felt ridiculous, for of course he could not see her in the dark.

  She heard a horse whinny, but could not tell if it was one of theirs or belonged to the bandits. She heard voices getting closer and when she realized they were climbing up the track, she stopped breathing.

  “You can breathe, Miss Gordon. They can’t hear you,” said a soft whisper in her ear. She let out a ragged breath and tried to ignore the way her heart was beating. It was thumping around in her chest like a parade drum and when she next heard the bandits, she could tell they were just below them, on the path. How could they not hear her heart if she could hear every shuffle of their boots? She gave an involuntary little moan of fear and then felt a strong, steady hand close over hers as the lieutenant shifted and brought their shoulders closer together.

  Her fear didn’t go away, but as she let herself take in the strength and warmth of his hand and the solidity of his shoulders, it receded a little. As the moon rose, she could see the shadows of rocks and bushes take shape. “Dear God, please don’t let them find us here. Please let me see home again,” she prayed over and over as they huddled there for what seemed hours.

  It was probably less than half an hour, Elspeth realized later. The ruffians’ voices grew fainter and she began to hope that they had ridden on. Between her great relief and the chill of the rocks behind her, she began to shiver uncontrollably.

  “Are you all right, Miss Gordon?” whispered Val.

  “J-j-just c-c-cold,” she replied, her teeth literally hitting against one another. “I c-c-c-can’t stop.”

  “Here, lean back against me,” Val said, pulling her in front of him and opening his legs so that she could rest herself against his chest instead of the rock walls. She was beyond modesty, she realized, as she felt his arms come around her, pulling her back against him. He closed his legs around her, surrounding her with his body heat.

  “It is shock as well as cold,” he murmured reassuringly.

  “Are they gone?”

  “I think so. But I want to wait just to be sure. Close your eyes and get some sleep, Miss Gordon.”

  At first Elspeth couldn’t relax. She had never in all her life been so close to a man’s body and she was aware of the lieutenant’s every breath and slightest movement. Her backside was tucked right between his legs and she was aware that she was resting right against his…private parts. But as the warmth penetrated her body, her shivers stopped and her eyes grew heavy. Without volition, she relaxed against him and finally slept.

  Chapter 2

  Val was grateful for the cold sharp rocks that bit into his back, for they distracted him from the sensations caused by his enforced intimacy with Miss Gordon. She had relaxed enough to sleep, but he doubted he’d close his eyes that night. Miss Elspeth Gordon might be tall and slender, but she was not all bones and angles; she was soft warm curves as well, and Val felt he was in contact with every one of them. His vigil was a combination of pain and pleasure, for his body was stiffening with the cold even as he enjoyed the sensation of a woman in his arms. It wasn’t until the sun rose and light began to penetrate their small hideaway that he realized the implications of their night together. Had she spent the night with any other officer, the man would have been a gentleman and able to remedy the fact that she’d been compromised. He would do the right thing and offer to marry her, but he doubted Major Gordon would want him as a son-in-law. Miss Gordon would certainly not want him as a husband. He felt the old shame rise up in him and as Miss Gordon stirred awake, his voice was brusque as he gave her a good-morning.

  “Why, it is growing light!” she exclaimed. “I can’t believe I slept through the night.” Then, as she remembered just where she had slept, she struggled to stand up. “Be careful, Miss Gordon,” Val whispered at the same time as she hit her head and gave a little yelp. She dropped to her knees and said, “I am sorry. Dear God, what if they heard me?”

  “They are long gone, Miss Gordon,” Val reassured her. “I’ve been awake all night and haven’t heard a thing.”

  Elspeth looked at him with grateful sympathy as he hobbled around, trying to work the stiffness out of his back and legs. “I had a much more comfortable night than you did, Lieutenant. Thank you for keeping watch.”

  Val only nodded and, after a few more stretches, said, “I am going to see if they found our horses, Miss Gordon. You can take care of any of your, er, private needs while I am gone.”

  Elspeth desperately needed to relieve herself and, as soon as Val was out of sight, crawled behind one of the bushes. Val had left the canteen in front of the cave, and when she was finished, she picked it up and shook it. It was only about a quarter full, so she only took two sips, one to rinse out her mouth and the other to ease her thirst. She was walking around in small circles to work the stiffness out of her legs when Val returned.

  “They got the coach horse, but my gelding got away,” said Val. “I’ve found a small path that is an easier way down to the track.”

  “Thank God,” said Elspeth with a relieved smile. “I was afraid I’d have to stay here forever, because I could not imagine going back down the way we came up.”

  When they reached the track, Val gave a low whistle and Elspeth heard his horse trotting toward them.

  “You and your mount seem to have a friendship which is strange for an infantryman,” she teased.

  “Yes, and the men in my old regiment are always telling me I won’t be able to keep up with them anymore. But a good horse is a necessity for an exploring officer. This isn’t the first time Caesar has saved my ar—er…my life.”

  Val rummaged around in his saddlebags and pulled out a lumpy parcel. “This bread and cheese isn’t very fresh, but it will keep us going, Miss Gordon,” he said apologetically as he opened the wrapper and offered her some. The cheese was almost as dry as the bread, but they washed it down with a few sips of the water and then Val held out his hand. “Come, let’s get you up on Caesar.”

  “But surely you are going to ride too,” she protested.

  “He can’t carry two of us on this track, Miss Gordon. Once we are through the pass and it seems safe on the cart road, I’ll ride.”

  He was different this morning, thought Elspeth as she watched him walking in front of her. Yesterday she had felt like they were…not friends, but at least comrades.

  What they had gone through had brought them close and although she knew nothing at all about him, at the same time she felt she knew Lieutenant Aston better than some men she had known for years. Facing death certainly broke down conventional formality, she thought, as did a night spent huddled together on a mountainside. Perhaps it was just embarrassment, she thought, and decided that she would have to break thr
ough the lieutenant’s reserve.

  “How do you come to be working for Captain Grant, Lieutenant?”

  “I was with him in the Eleventh Foot for many years, Miss Gordon. As his sergeant,” he added stiffly.

  “Oh, but you are a lieutenant?” Elspeth asked without thinking. “You must have done something to distinguish yourself, then, to obtain a field promotion,” she added quickly.

  “My father purchased my commission, so I arrived here a lieutenant. Then, after Captain Grant began serving as Wellington’s intelligence officer, he asked for me to join him.”

  “I see,” Elspeth said brightly. She didn’t see at all. To purchase a lieutenant’s commission took money, so Lieutenant Aston’s father must be at least of the merchant class, if not gentry. But then why wouldn’t he have done so to begin with? she wondered. Unless there had been some bad feeling between father and son? Given the lieutenant’s tone and the brevity of his reply, she didn’t think he would tell her more, no matter how friendly her questions, so she turned the conversation in a different direction.

  “I have met Captain Grant, Lieutenant, and it is not hard to understand why Lord Wellington chose him. Not only is he a most competent officer and fluent in Spanish and Portuguese, he is an utterly charming companion.”

  “He is also one of the most courageous men I have ever encountered. I was very pleased when he sent for me.”

  From the lieutenant’s tone, it was clear to Elspeth that she was not going to be successful in her attempts at friendly conversation. They made their way down the track in silence for a good long while until they began their descent to the road. There was a small stream that had formed a pool in the rocks as the track ended. Val stopped and helped Elspeth down.

  “We can take a short rest here, Miss Gordon. Caesar is thirsty and I know I am.”

  Elspeth cupped her hands and drank. Although its surface had been warmed by the sun, the pool was deep enough that the water underneath was cool and refreshing. She splashed her face and neck and stepped back so Val and his mount could take their turns.

  “How are you feeling, Miss Gordon?”

  “I desperately needed that drink, Lieutenant. And I am dusty and dirty enough to wish I could immerse myself in that pool. But other than a little chafing, I am fine. This is not my usual riding outfit, you know,” she added with a wry smile.

  “I would guess that we are only a few hours from camp.”

  “Well, then, I shall survive the rest of the ride by dreaming of a long hot soak in my father’s copper tub,” Elspeth said lightly.

  “Yes, well, perhaps we’d best get on our way,” Val said quickly and Elspeth blushed from having mentioned something so personal.

  “You are going to ride now that we are on better ground?”

  “Actually, I had thought if you rode pillion behind me, you would be a bit more comfortable also,” Val told her.

  “I won’t feel very secure, though,” Elspeth said with a slight frown. “I must confess I don’t ride sidesaddle very often. I think I will sit astride behind you, if that is all right.”

  Val mounted and, leaning down, grasped Elspeth’s hand as she put her foot in the stirrup, and drew her up.

  “You can put your arms around my waist when you need to, Miss Gordon,” he said stiffly.

  “Thank you, Lieutenant.”

  * * * *

  At first Elspeth kept her balance with her knees. But sitting astride a horse’s rump, though kinder on her legs than the saddle leather, was not the easiest way to ride, and when Val kicked Caesar into a trot, Elspeth was forced to throw her arms around his waist whether she wanted to or not. For the first two hours, they alternated trotting and walking, but when Caesar showed signs of tiring, Val kept him at a walk and Elspeth was able to relax, which was a mistake, because almost before she knew it, she was dozing off, her head against Val’s back.

  * * * *

  Val knew immediately that she had fallen asleep when he felt her slump against him and her arms loosen. He let go of the reins with one hand and covered her right arm with his to support her. They rode that way into the camp and when Val identified himself to the sentry, he felt Miss Gordon begin to stir.

  “Which way to Major Gordon’s tent?”

  “He is in a house in the village, sir. All the way down and to your right.”

  “Are you all right, Miss Gordon?” he asked as they moved through the encampment.

  “I am, Lieutenant. I am just ashamed I fell asleep.”

  “Don’t be. You’ve been through a lot these last twenty-four hours.”

  “As have you, and you have not closed your eyes at all. You must be exhausted!”

  When they reached the small stone house that was the Gordons’ quarters, Val dismounted and held out his arms for Elspeth. Just as she was sliding down, a tall, gray-haired woman hurried out.

  “Elspeth!”

  “She is fine, ma’am.”

  “I am all right, Mama.”

  They both spoke at the same time and then Mrs. Gordon took her daughter into her arms.

  “My dear, we have been so worried about you. You were to have been here by noon at the latest. Your father is beside himself. I kept telling him it could have been a broken axle, but you know what he is like where you are concerned.”

  Elspeth pulled herself out of her mother’s arms and laughed shakily. “Yes, Mama, I do. This is Lieutenant Aston, Mama, and he is the reason I am here safe with you.”

  “How can I thank you, Lieutenant?” said Mrs. Gordon, reaching her hand out to Val’s. “You look utterly done in, but might I ask you one more favor?”

  “Of course, Mrs. Gordon.”

  “Could you find my husband? He is off trying to get a party together to search for Elspeth. Then you must come and tell us everything. Come, my dear, let me get you inside.”

  * * * *

  Val met the major just as he was coming out of Wellington’s tent.

  “Major Gordon?”

  Elspeth’s father hardly glanced at him. “Later, Lieutenant,” he said brusquely.

  “Your daughter, sir….”

  That stopped him. “My daughter? What do you know of her? You are one of the Colquhoun’s new officers, aren’t you?”

  “Miss Gordon is safely home, sir. I just left her there.”

  “Thank God!” The major was already half-running toward his quarters and Val stood there openmouthed, when the older man turned and said impatiently, “Come on, Lieutenant, and tell me what happened on the way. Was there an accident? How did you come upon her?” He fired his questions at Val without giving him a chance to answer.

  They were almost back to the cottage when Val reached out and pulled at the major’s arm.

  “Sir, may I speak to you privately for a moment?”

  The major finally turned and really looked at Val. “Who are you, Lieutenant?” he asked quietly.

  “Lieutenant Valentine Aston, sir,” said Val, standing at attention. “Recently reassigned to Captain Grant’s service.”

  “Was it a coach accident? A broken axle?”

  “No, sir. Miss Gordon’s coach was attacked by bandits.”

  “How did you become involved?”

  “I was on my way back from a reconnaissance mission for Captain Grant. I saw the attack from the rocks above.”

  “They did not…harm Elspeth, did they, Lieutenant?” the major asked, his voice tight with fear.

  “No, sir. They had only pulled her out of the coach when I began to fire on them.”

  “So she owes you her life?”

  “Actually, Major Gordon, I may well be in her debt. And her driver’s,” Val added. “There were five of them and I didn’t really have much hope when I took them on. I was only trying to get to your daughter before they…you know what I mean.”

  The major nodded his understanding.

  “But Miss Gordon got hold of a pistol and shot one of them and the driver managed to wound another, which evened the odds. I woul
d say that we saved each other,” Val said with a smile.

  “Had you not chosen to risk your life, my daughter would be dead, Lieutenant Aston,” replied the major. “I will be forever in your debt. And Captain Grant will hear about this, I assure you.”

  The major held his hands out in front of him. “See how shaken I am.” And indeed, the tremors were obvious, although as they both watched his hands finally grew still. “I am never like this, not even before a battle, but ma wee lass is very dear to me.”

  Val was so exhausted that despite his sympathy he almost collapsed in nervous laughter to hear the major call his daughter his “wee lass.” But he managed to keep his face straight and all desire to laugh left him when the major invited him in to have a drink of whiskey. “For you look like you need it, lad.”

  Val looked down at his blood-stained trousers and dusty boots. “I am not fit for polite company tonight, Major Gordon. And I must speak to you of something serious.”

  “If you won’t have a drink, then it can wait till tomorrow, for I can see you are dead on your feet,” the major replied. He grasped Val by the hand and shook it. “You have my undying gratitude, lad, and don’t you forget it.”

  * * * *

  Val was almost faint from fatigue, but first he had to report to Captain Grant and deliver the information he had gathered.

  “I had hoped to be back sooner, sir, but I ended up with something else on my hands.”

  “I heard you came riding in with Miss Gordon, Lieutenant.”

  Val started to tell him the story, but Grant looked up at him with a quizzical smile on his face. “You haven’t had any sleep for almost thirty-six hours, Lieutenant. I suggest you get some. And count yourself off-duty tomorrow. I can hear your story later.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  * * * *

  Val stripped off his filthy uniform and, crawling under his thin army-issue blanket, was asleep instantly. He awoke briefly when he heard the camp stirring the next morning at reveille, and then, turning over, slept till noon. He awoke to the sound of an orderly carrying in a bucket of hot water and a shaving of soap.