“It was a remarkable five minutes, husband,” she murmured, watching him grin. “You would have denied me that?”
He propped himself up on one elbow, gazing down into her exquisite features and brushing a stray bit of hair from her cheek. “What a fool I was to resist,” he kissed her tenderly. “How I wish I could have taken all the time in the world. Are you all right?”
“I am all right,” she whispered, her smile fading. “Thank you, Sean.”
“For what?”
“For giving me a part of you.”
The corner of his mouth twitched. “You have more than a part of me, Lady de Lara. You have all of me. You are the most important thing in the world to me.”
Unable to reply, feeling increasingly saddened as the pangs of separation threatened, she lifted herself up to his lips, attaching herself to his mouth and kissing him with passion that defied explanation. Sean enfolded her in his arms, taking a last few moments to experience the taste and feel of her. He would need the memory to sustain him in the dark days to come.
“I love you,” he murmured against her mouth.
“And I love you,” was her whispered reply.
A few minutes later, they were dressed. It had been done silently, swiftly. Sean took her hand and led her back into the antechamber, sitting her carefully in the chair and patting her shoulder affectionately as he moved for the lancet window to view the grounds below.
Fortunate for them that they had possessed a keen sense of timing; no sooner had Sean reached the window than Gilby was rapping at the door. Sheridan leapt up and unbolted the panel, allowing the little man entry and locking the door behind him.
“You had better go, Sean,” he blustered inside. “There are men looking for you; I could hear them speaking your name across the grounds.”
Sean swore softly under his breath, knowing that he had delayed too long, and moved swiftly for the door. He was about to leave when he suddenly stopped as if a thought had just occurred to him. Retracing his steps, he took Sheridan in his arms and kissed her deeply. It was enough to weaken her knees and he had to steady her when he released her. She grinned and he winked boldly.
“Gilby, take care of her,” he instructed the old man, his soft gaze lingering on his wife’s lovely face. “She is all to me.”
“I must remove her from the Tower,” Gilby replied, witnessing the tender looks between Sean and his wife. “She cannot stay here, Sean. You know that.”
“I am going to ask the Marshall to take her back to Watford House.”
Gilby went to Sean and yanked on his sleeve. “She cannot wait for the Marshall to come for her. I must remove her, and young de Braose, immediately. I shall take them both to Watford House if that is your wish.”
Sean tore his gaze away from Sheridan long enough to look at the little old man. “She needs a full escort. There are twenty thousand men attacking London as we speak. You’ll never get her through their lines without protection.”
Gilby raised an eyebrow. “She made it through their lines by herself.”
“It was a stroke of luck.”
“Be that as it may, I will take her and de Braose out of London myself, this very night. No one would dare bother a physic on his duties.”
“What duties would that be? You are pulling a cart laden with hay like a farmer.”
“I shall tell them that I have been ordered to attend the king’s troops outside the walls. The hay is for their animals.”
It was a plausible scenario; moreover, most of the king’s men knew Gilby. He’d been at the Tower forever. It was a rare moment of indecision in Sean’ eyes; both Gilby and Sheridan saw it. When the old man looked at Sheridan as if silently beseeching her to support his statement, she went to her husband and wrapped her soft hands around one of his enormous mitts. When Sean looked down at her, she smiled sweetly.
“He is right,” she said quietly. “You must return to the king and you must allow Gilby to remove me from the Tower. Have no fear; I will be waiting for you at Watford House.”
His indecisive expression was replaced by one of raw longing. “It may be quite some time before I see you again,” he squeezed her hands gently. “I have no way of knowing when I shall come for you.”
It was like a stab to her heart but she fought it. Tears would do no good at the moment; she had what she wanted. She had married him. Now they both knew what needed to be done. Sean had a destiny he needed to fulfill; she could do nothing more than wait for him to fulfill it.
“I understand,” she said as bravely as she could. “However, I may move from Watford House at some point and return home. If I am not at Watford, then I will be at Lansdown. There is nowhere else I will be.”
“Go, Sean,” Gilby urged quietly. “You must not linger here.”
Sean nodded sharply, put both hands around Sheridan’s face, and kissed her strongly. When he pulled back, his eyes were glimmering with emotion.
