Arabella blinked in surprise. Lord Nelson had always simply sent a messenger. He must have grown tired of her turning down the requests and come a calling himself.
“Sir,” she bowed her head slightly, “I’m very pleased to see you but I am in the middle of something at the moment. As you can see my home isn’t up for guests at the moment. Maybe another time. Tomorrow perhaps?”
Lord Nelson, like Mrs. Gildon, looked past Arabella into the dim home and saw the state of it. The smirk he wore on his face faltered slightly.
“Quite. Tomorrow you say? Why not come to dine with me later in the evening. The kitchen wench says they’ve gotten a haul of fresh fish in. We’ll dine and discuss the matter of you being here alone with so much to do.”
Her first instinct was to argue with the Lord and tell him to mind his own, but she knew doing so would cause him to shift his plans into something more diabolical than simply seeking dinner with her.
“Yes, yes. I’ll dine with you tonight. An hour before sundown?”
His smirk had returned. “Yes. I’ll see to it than someone comes to fetch you, so that you aren’t traveling the roads alone. I heard there’s been a killing along the main road just the other night. Not a thief it seems because the poor man still had what was to be believed all of his belongings.”
“A sad affair. Have a good day lord.”
She shut the door before the rat faced man could continue his long winded talk. She feared if he kept it up, Rayzier would become inpatient and decide that their death was better than listening to the unpleasant conversation.
Listening, she heard the trotting steps of the horses being ridden away and down the lane. Arabella breathed a sigh of relief as she melted against the closed front door.
Rayzier appeared in front of her, startling her from her momentarily relaxed state.
“You have friends in high places?”
Arabella shook her head. “No, no. He simply wants my farm. We’re far from friends.”
Rayzier grunted and looked around once more. “Why are you alone Arabella?”
It was the first time he’d said her name. It sounded delightful as it escaped his lips. She knew that a lie would be better suited for the situation, but she didn’t want to lie.
Chapter Three
There was a tense moment as Arabella explained everything. How Henrick had died, how she was on the edge of losing her property or possibly her life if Lord Nelson got his way. She even sat down at one point in a rickety chair while Rayzier simply listened to her spill everything that had been pent up.
For a dangerous drifter type, he listened well. Nodding at the right moments and asking questions without prying too much. By the end of it, Arabella felt an immense weight lift from her shoulders. Rayzier was watching her.
“—I just don’t know what to do now.”
A silent moment spread between them. Arabella had told a complete stranger her inner most worries and troubles, and now anything could have happened.
“Come with me,” slipped out of Rayzier’s mouth.
Arabella’s head lifted from her hands as she looked into his face, making sure she had heard correctly. There was no humor on Rayzier’s face. No hint of having misspoke.
“Go where? I know nothing of where you come from. I know nothing of who you are.”
He blinked once, a calm yet serious expression on his face.
“I told you where I came from. You may be the answer to my problems. Come with me; settle the differences between me and my Uncle. I will return and make sure this Lord never bothers you again.”
“So it was your Uncle that wounded you? Why would he do such a thing and how could you possibly help me? Lord Nelson is practically untouchable.”
Rayzier stepped closer to Arabella. “My Uncle did not directly injure me or cast me from the high mountains of Istian. He is the cause of it though, I am certain.”
She noticed he didn’t comment on Lord Nelson, he’d carefully not bothered to explain further. Instead though, he reached down and took Arabella’s hand, pulling her to stand. She was just about to begin another torrent of questions when his mouth suddenly clamped onto hers.
Shocked at what he’d done, Arabella stood stock still. But the warmth of his body against hers woke up something that had been lying in wait. Loneliness wrapped around desire. Rayzier was a beautiful although very rough man, everything about him was completely different from her long dead husband but the initial shock didn’t last long and soon Arabella swept her arms around his neck and buried her lips against his.
Swallowed by the increasing tide of lust, He began to walk backwards, away from the too small kitchen that smelled of rotting vegetables and was covered in dust, and pulled Arabella with him towards the now cold bed so that they could warm the sheets together.