Bride for a Night(56)

She waved a limp hand. “I am too weary to disobey you, my lord.”

“Good. Perhaps God does answer prayers,” he muttered, turning on his heel to head across the damp meadow.

Giving the burnt cottage a cursory inspection, Gabriel shifted his attention to the detached stone barn with a red tile roof that had received only minimum damage from the fire. He pulled open the wide wooden door, cautiously searching through the two-storied structure before moving on to the remaining outbuildings and the surrounding grounds.

Only when he was certain there were no hidden dangers did he return to Talia, his lips thinning at the sight of her seated on the ground, her head bowed in weariness.

Dammit, he was her husband.

She should never have been exposed to such danger. Or have been forced to endure such harsh conditions.

It was untenable.

In the future he would make certain she did not take a step outside the door unless he was firmly at her side.

Dismissing Talia’s inevitable outrage at his restriction, Gabriel leaned down to scoop her into his arms, his determination hardening at the feel of her tiny body cradled against his chest. Despite her delectable curves, she was as light as a feather.

Clearly he would also have to supervise her meals from now on, he decided. He would not have it said he refused to feed his own wife.

Her eyes fluttered open as he carried her across the field.

“What are you doing?”

“It is time you were tucked in bed.”

“Oh, it is evil of you to tease me,” she complained, her voice thick with exhaustion. “I would give anything to be in the comfort of my bed.”

His lips twisted, knowing whatever she would be willing to give was nothing in comparison to what he would sacrifice for the opportunity to join her in the comforts of her bed.

He had wanted her for so long it had become a perpetual ache.

With an effort, he managed a strained smile. “A proper wife would claim she was content so long as she was at her husband’s side.”#p#分页标题#e#

“Well, bully for the proper wife,” she countered, although she readily nestled her head against his shoulder. “I want a soft mattress and a feather pillow and linen sheets.”

He shook his head at her continued defiance. “What am I to do with you?”

“What do you want to do with me?”

“A dangerous question.”

Their gazes clashed with a sudden flare of heat and delayed promise. He felt Talia tense before she lowered her lashes, shielding the emotions she did not wish to share.

But it was too late.

Talia might have transformed from a shy mouse to a prickly shrew, but she wanted him with the same blinding need that held him captive.

Satisfaction coursed through him, easing his frustration as they entered the barn, and he crossed the plank floor to the far corner that was piled with loose hay.

The air was musty with only a hint of rosy dawn penetrating through the shuttered windows. From the loft above there was the unmistakable scratch of scurrying mice. Still, it was reasonably clean with a tidy row of farm equipment along one wall that had been left behind, as well as a few household items that had been rescued from the farmhouse. No doubt the owners hoped to return once the war had run its predictable course.

“Here,” he murmured, bending to lay Talia on the hay. “Not the most comfortable of beds, but it is better than the ground. Give me your bundle.”

Taking her rolled up dress, he tucked it beneath her head. Then, struggling out of his tight jacket, he gently laid it across her shoulders. Only when he was certain she was as comfortable as possible, did he lie down beside her and tuck her against his body.

She stiffened. “Gabriel?”

“Shh.” He laid a finger across her lips. “We will have only a few hours to rest. Close your eyes and go to sleep.”

Braced for an argument, Gabriel was unprepared when she instead snuggled into his embrace and, with a soft sigh, allowed her eyes to close. Within moments, she was deeply asleep.

Barely daring to breathe, he brushed the dark curls from her cheek and skimmed his lips over her forehead, savoring her sweet lilac scent. For long, timeless moments he simply gazed at the pale beauty of her face, allowing the sight of her to ease the savage fear that had been gnawing at him since her disappearance.

Then, feeling ridiculously content, he pressed his lips to her throat and gave in to his own weariness.



IT WAS MIDMORNING when Gabriel awoke with a stiff neck and empty stomach to discover the rosy dawn had been replaced with threatening clouds.

Careful not to disturb his slumbering wife, he left the barn, needing to stretch his cramped muscles. And of course, there was the necessity of making a thorough search of the area. The barn was remote, but they were still in the middle of France. He would not lower his guard until they were safely returned to Devonshire.