He turned and offered her his hand. By now they had passed the scrubby gorse bushes and were near the base of the falls. Spray cooled her face. Oliver’s eyes looked glassy.
‘You look half-dead,’ she said.
He grimaced ruefully. ‘My thanks.’
He guided her to a moss-clad boulder and she sat down. Dragging off her shoe, she probed for the pebble while Oliver sank to the ground and rested his arms on his knees. His chest heaved.
‘Why so much haste?’ she asked. ‘There’s no point killing yourself.’
Grey eyes held hers. ‘I’d like you to show me the location of the rebel camp and then I want you to direct me to the castle. It sounds as though I have duties which I’ve been neglecting. The baron will be relying on my help to muster the forces against the rebels. If I don’t get back quickly, I shall be deemed a traitor and my life will be forfeit.’ He lifted an eyebrow and gave her a straight look. ‘It’s possible my absence will already have condemned me.’
She tapped a shoe against the boulder. ‘How much do you... that is...how much do you remember?’
His face twisted. ‘I have a hazy recollection of a grey horse...’
‘That’s Lance, your destrier. The rebels took him. I think they wanted him as proof you were their prisoner. They went to negotiate your ransom.’
‘Then that’s another reckoning that I shall have to settle with Eadric and his gang. I’ll get Lance back.’ A crease formed in his brow. ‘I keep seeing a castle sprawled on top of a cliff. Is that-?’
‘That’s Ingerthorpe. You’re remembering!’
‘I could do with remembering more. Much of it is very hazy.’
‘You will soon remember everything, I am sure.’
‘Would that I were gifted with your faith. I know I was given a commission of some importance and I very much fear I should have been executing it at dawn. But as to the details...’ He ran his hand through his hair, fingering his wound, and his dark locks became more disordered than ever. ‘It was likely connected with those swine who clouted me. I pray this Baron Geoffrey is merciful towards forgetful knights. Holy Mother, what a mess.’
‘He might be lenient with you.’
Oliver eyes sharpened. ‘How so?’
‘He’s your cousin and you’re to wed his sister.’ She shoved on a shoe and pulled off the other one. ‘She’s the Lady Cecily.’
Oliver linked his hands and rested them on his knees. ‘That displeases you, as I recall.’
Rosamund cheeks grew warm. ‘You overheard us. It was not honourable to listen.’
His lips twitched. ‘It wasn’t something I intended to do. I was wandering in and out of my wits and couldn’t help myself. It was nigh on impossible to differentiate between dream and reality.’
Rosamund glared at her shoe and jammed it back on. ‘How much did you hear?’
‘I learned that I’m a knight, and that I owe my allegiance to Lord Geoffrey at Ingerthorpe. I rather imagine he’ll be relying on me to assist in rounding up the rebels who addled my brains.’
‘What else did you hear?’ she asked, watching him out of the corner of her eye. Does he know I want him to love me, and that I would marry him if he asked me?
‘What else?’ His wide shoulders lifted. ‘Nothing of any import.’
‘Nothing of any import?’
He shook his head and she glimpsed his cracked front tooth. She clenched her jaw. ‘Then why insist I come back with you?’
Slowly he unclasped his hands. Holding her with his eyes, he pushed to his knees. He took her by the waist and his gaze dropped to her mouth. ‘Because you’re my lover?’
‘Not because you need me to take you to the rebel camp?’ She moistened her lips. Her mouth was dry and it was a struggle not to look at his mouth. She ached for his kiss – and a sign that he felt something for her. Although of course, even if he kissed her, she couldn’t be sure that what he felt was affection. He wanted her in his bed.
His hands fell from her waist and his eyes gleamed. ‘Of course! I knew there must be some good reason for bringing you with me but, sweet lady, it had quite escaped my mind.’
She jumped up and moved to the edge of the pool.
‘Take care, my sweet.’ His deep voice warmed her ear and a tingle ran through her. His arm slid about her. Warm lips moved softly on the nape of her neck and she shivered. It was too easy for him to affect her and he knew it.
‘Oliver, don’t.’ Not unless you love me.
She felt him stiffen. ‘My apologies, I thought you had a liking for my kisses. When we left the moor you were glad enough to accept my company in place of Alfwold’s.’