Page 9 of Two Secrets to Surrender (Blackwood Legacy #2)

Chapter Eight

“ W here are you taking me, my sweet Rose?” he asked.

“Somewhere safe,” she said. “A place where the world cannot reach us.”

She knew her actions would be judged as wrong and wicked, but she didn’t care. With Thomas, she felt safe for the first time—safe to be who she was. That feeling of security awakened her dormant recklessness. Because of her family, the villagers believed she was wild by nature, but she wasn’t. At heart, she was shy and quiet. She preferred the woods over the village, plants over people. She’d been innocent in the ways of men…until she wasn’t.

But she wouldn’t think of him now. She wouldn’t desecrate the few precious moments she had with Thomas. With him, she had only one thing on her mind: love.

She took his hand, which bore the calluses of the life he’d led before he’d retreated to the world of the scholar. They were alike in their craving for solitude. Nonetheless, destiny had given them something better, something she hadn’t known to wish for until he came along.

A soulmate. The other half of herself. Although they came from different worlds, with him she could be her true self. As she led him down, down into the deepening darkness, she shivered despite the growing heat. While he made her whole, was she tearing his existence apart? She brought danger to his life—burdens he shouldn’t have to carry. He deserved peace, and she was anything but.

It was too late. They entered the secret space, as warm and humid as a womb.

“I did not know about this,” he said in wonder.

“Few people do,” she whispered. “Mr. Caldecott didn’t manage to get it working until my da tinkered with it. Now it works but only in fits and starts.”

“It is working now,” Thomas murmured.

He gathered her face in his hands, sweeping his thumbs over her cheeks, which were damp from tears or the humidity…she didn’t know which. She didn’t care because he kissed her then, her Thomas, not a buttoned-up bachelor any longer but a fierce and demanding lover. She let him in, wanting everything he had to give.

Passion surged over them, a swelling tide that made them moan and writhe, anchored only to one another. Even after, when the ravenous need had ebbed, they remained intertwined, bound by sweet words and even sweeter promises. Yet pounding footsteps made the stone walls shudder, booming threats reaching them even here.

You are going to burn, witch.

She clung to Thomas as the world caught fire. Her sanctuary was built on water, yet the blaze of rage reached her and her lover even there. Smoke and flames had her gasping for survival. Thomas was fighting with everything he had, but it was not enough.

If I cannot have you, I am going to destroy you. You’ll be mine in hell, witch. Mine.

Rocks tumbled loose, pelting her before Thomas covered her body with his own. Yet he couldn’t protect her from the water that rose from the pool. Higher and higher, reaching their knees, their chests. It was too hot, no escape.

Please God, don’t let it end this way?—

Gigi shot up with a gasp. Perspiration sheened her face, moisture trickling down her neck. It took her a moment to register that she was in her room in her brother’s manor. Her heart pounding, she realized that she’d had a dream.

It was more than a dream . The thought shivered through her. It was a…a memory.

The encounter between Rosalinda and Thomas had blazed with authenticity. Just like the image Gigi had had of the lovers standing by the stream, the details had felt real . Panic poured through her as she felt smoke clogging her lungs and the heat of rising flames. Although the exact location where Rosalinda and Thomas had met was foggy, Gigi somehow knew the lovers had been at the spa. Sudden fear gripped her: something dreadful was happening there right now . The vision was a premonition—a warning.

Oh my stars, Letty sleeps like a log. She wouldn’t know if the spa was on fire. Wouldn’t know if the flames spread to her little cottage…

Fear catapulted Gigi out of bed. She thought about rousing her brother, but what if Ethan didn’t believe her? What if he forbade her from going? She was already on thin ice where the spa was concerned. Over supper, Xenia had let the cat out of the bag about Gigi’s encounter with Conrad. Although Gigi had pleaded that nothing had happened, Ethan had set his foot down.

“Until further notice, you must stay away from the spa.” Ethan’s face had been grim with big-brother fury. “Conrad Godwin is reputed to be a ruthless man, one who will do anything to win. No hobby is worth compromising your future for . ”

After futile resistance to her brother’s ultimatum, Gigi did not want to waste precious time arguing with him now. She couldn’t risk another moment with Letty and the spa in possible peril. She had to go. If there was nothing happening at the bath—if what Gigi had experienced was just a dream—then she would spare herself the embarrassment of looking like a ninny. Of being the silly baby sister whom no one took seriously.

I’ll ride over and take a quick look . If there’s a problem, I’ll alert Letty, and we’ll summon help. If everything is normal, then none will be the wiser about my jaunt .

Decision made, she donned the shirt, waistcoat, and trousers she’d filched from Owen’s adolescent wardrobe. This had been her favorite ensemble for romping through the woods at her parents’ estate, and when Owen had been lost at war, she’d worn it to feel closer to him. Next, she contemplated the options for a stealthy exit. She could take the stairs or… Her gaze homed in on the large oak outside her window. Its sturdy branches seemed to beckon in the darkness.

Perfect .

Arriving at her destination, Gigi didn’t know whether to be relieved or disappointed. Through the gate, she saw that the building was dark: there was no sign of fire. No smell of smoke, no glowing flames. Moonlight silvered the roof of the spa, its drawn curtains giving it a sleepy-eyed look.

Good thing I didn’t wake Ethan . I would never hear the end of it .

Nonetheless, she thought it prudent to make sure everything was as tranquil as it seemed. She secured her mare and headed up the path to the bathhouse. In the moon’s glow, the surrounding garden had an ethereal, almost magical, ambiance. She expected to find fairies cavorting in the fountain or gnomes popping out from the bushes. Yet nothing interrupted her journey, and she quickly made her way to the spa entrance.

Taking out the key that Letty had given her, Gigi slid it into the lock, her breath stuttering when the small momentum caused the door to swing open. The door was already unlocked… open . Someone had gone in and left it slightly ajar.

I knew that dream was a warning. I knew something was amiss.

Her heart racing, Gigi crept stealthily into the entry hall. Although it was dark, she didn’t dare light a lamp and alert the intruder to her presence. Was it a burglar? A crafty criminal who planned to make off with Letty’s hard-earned possessions?

Not on my watch.

Determination overrode Gigi’s fear. She had two advantages over the prowler: she knew the spa inside and out, and she had the element of surprise on her side. Hearing sounds of shuffling coming from the bathing area, she dashed to a nearby hearth and grabbed a fire iron. The heavy, solid weight of her makeshift weapon bolstered her courage. Staying close to the wall, she advanced to the pool.

Peering around the entryway, she saw him. The burglar. Dressed all in black, he was about twenty feet away. He had his back to her, his hair hidden beneath a dark cap, and he was crouching next to the pool. Turned low, the flickering sconces cast more shadow than light, and she couldn’t identify him from a distance. He had opened one of the grates on the ground that led to the piping system and appeared to be fiddling around.

Outrage lit a fire in Gigi’s belly. Is the bounder tampering with the pipes? I will not allow some saboteur to ruin Miss Letty’s business.

Tightening her grip on the poker, she inhaled for courage. Then she ran over, weapon raised and ready to strike. At her approach, the burglar shot to his feet and spun around. She had an instant to recognize the glittering green eyes before the poker struck home. The impact jarred her…though, obviously, not as much as him.

“Bleeding hell!” Godwin roared.

He grabbed his shin, his face creased with pain. Her initial plan had been to strike the crouching intruder across the shoulders, but since he’d moved and, to be honest, her aim was more enthusiastic than accurate, she’d struck his leg instead.

Rather hard, too. The impact was still singing up her arm.

Uttering oaths that made Gigi’s brows rise even though she’d grown up with brothers, Godwin hopped on one foot, still holding his injured shin. He was dangerously close to the pool’s edge, which was notoriously slippery (look at what had happened to her the last time). Before she could warn him, he slipped, hitting the water with a splash.