Yuku free message boards

Jason sank into the steaming bath and groaned. His head still throbbed and despite a dip in the lake on his return to Pine Grove, he still stank of manure.

Much of last night was a blur, but this morning's encounter with Ric was as clear to him as if it'd been burned into his mind. Fury surged through him as he remembered.

Rape.

Ric had told him to rape Elizabeth and when Jason very pointedly refused, Ric had threatened to find another man to do it if Jason couldn't complete the job.

Grabbing the soap and a washcloth, he worked up a lather and began scrubbing himself.

He was in an impossible situation. If he didn't seduce Elizabeth and thereby ruin her life, Ric would hire someone to rape her. Either way Elizabeth was going to be devastated.

And the part that really rubbed him raw was the fact that there was nothing he could do to stop it from happening. Ric had evidence against him and if he tried to thwart Ric's plans directly, he had no doubt that evidence would immediately be used to send him to the gallows.

Jason had no desire to find himself facing the hangman's noose.

He needed to find a way to take down Ric that wouldn't be linked to him. The problem was that there was precious little time to make and implement a plan before Ric got tired of waiting for results and did something to harm Elizabeth.

Quickly dunking his head and then shaking the excess water from his head, Jason smoothed his hands over his wet hair and growled low in his throat. He hated being caught in a trap, but until he had the upper hand, the only way he could protect Elizabeth was to keep doing the job he'd been hired to do.

~*~*~*~

The afternoon was perfect.

The sun was shining in a clear blue sky, a light breeze kept the heat at bay, and the flowers were a rainbow chorus of color.

In fact the only blotch on the moment was the man whose arm she was holding.

Elizabeth slid a sideways look at Ric and pulled her lower lip between her teeth. What on earth was wrong with her? He was being a perfectly charming gentleman. It was not his fault she was attracted to another man. She should not think of him as a blotch or a disappointment.

Their conversation had been by and large benign. They'd discussed the weather, breakfast, dinner, and plans for tomorrow afternoon's tea. Ric had talked about his horses and their fathers' love of cigars. She had mentioned her art and her hope that her friend Emily would be well soon.

"How is your ankle?"

"Very well. Thank you." Which was true. After her sprint to her room yesterday that had left her in pain, she'd been afraid she'd reinjured it. However, this morning it hadn't hurt in the least.

"Here." Ric gestured with a sweep of his hand to a bench under an arbor, "Let's sit and rest a while."

Elizabeth glanced at the arbor and the bottom fell out of her stomach. It was the same bench where Jason had hidden her when they'd returned from their stolen afternoon ride. Uncomfortable at the unbidden memory, Elizabeth sat and coiled her fingers together in her lap.

Ric sat close to her yet without letting any part of his body come in contact with hers.

Then he simply watched her.

The swollen bruise blazoned across his left cheek was very disconcerting and Elizabeth could only bear up under his gaze for a few seconds before she had to look away. He'd explained that he'd gotten the bruise this morning during his ride when his horse had lost its footing in the wet grass and lurched sideways, sending him face first into a tree branch.

Clearing her throat, Elizabeth snuck a glance at him. "Was there a particular reason you invited me for a walk this afternoon?"

He smiled charmingly at her. "Do you realize that if we hadn't changed our wedding date, we would be married right now?"

Yes, she'd been perfectly aware of the fact, and his bringing it up made her slightly nauseous. However she smiled politely and nodded. "Yes. Do you regret putting off the wedding?"

"Only in that it is taking me that much longer to call you my wife."

His smile seemed pleasant enough, but for some reason it made Elizabeth uneasy. She turned back to the scenery in front of her. "This is a lovely spot. Would you mind terribly if I did some sketches?"

"Not at all."

Reaching into the basket she'd been carrying, Elizabeth pulled out a sketchpad and a tin box of charcoals. She was at least thankful that Ric was indulgent of her hobbies. There were men who would not be as kind.

Ric settled back on the bench as she sat forward, bending over her sketchbook. Glancing between the paper and the garden, she began drawing and very quickly lost herself in her art.

So much so that she lost track of what was going on around her until she heard Ric clear his throat rather loudly. Looking up she discovered Reginald, one of the under butlers, standing silently at Ric's side.

"I'm sorry to disturb you. Reginald has brought news of an unexpected guest that I must attend to. Would you like to return to the house with me or remain in the garden?"

It was not a difficult choice. "By your leave I would prefer to remain here and finish my drawing."

Ric stood and bowed to her. "Then I shall return as soon as I am able."

Watching him go, Elizabeth tried to analyze her feelings for the man and felt ashamed for discovering that she mostly felt relieved that he was leaving.

Sighing, she pushed away the feelings. She didn't want to deal with them now. Now she only wanted to lose herself again in her sketching.

Focusing on reproducing the arc of a stem or the ruffle of a flower petal, she drew and smudged and shaded and lost all track of time. So when she finally heard the crunch of footsteps approaching, she assumed it was Ric returning from his meeting.

Only when she lifted her head, she found herself staring at Jason.

He cut a handsome figure in his black breeches and jacket, and as their eyes met, his burst into a twinkling of merriment. Elizabeth's stomach flopped over and suddenly she felt completely out of sorts.

"Good day Mr. Morgan." She had no idea how she got the words out without stuttering.

Jason's head cocked to the side and his grin widened. "You have charcoal smudged on your cheek."

Elizabeth started to reach up to wipe her cheek but as she did, she realized that her hands were black with charcoal. Groaning as she splayed them in front of her, she shook her head and sighed. "It would seem more than just my cheek needs cleaning."

"Come with me then." Jason held out his hand for her and after setting her sketchbook on the bench, she reached out and placed her hand in his. A sizzle of awareness shot up her arm as her fingers slid over his and she pulled her lower lip between her teeth to suppress a grin.

He led her around a winding path to a small fountain where a pudgy garden nymph was continuously pouring water from an urn into a pool lined with rocks. Releasing her hand, he pulled a white handkerchief out of his breast pocket and soaked it in the stream of water.

She reached to take it from him, but he held up a finger to signal her to wait. "First, your cheek."

He stepped closer and Elizabeth's breath caught in her throat. He was much, much to close, this wasn't proper, and yet, she did nothing to stop him.

Jason slid a hand along her jaw and around her neck until he was cupping the back of her head. His thumb brushed her cheek as he gently tipped her head a little to the side. Elizabeth's heart fluttered in her chest and she had to resist an urge to lean closer to him.

His clear blue eyes settled on her cheek, which he daubed lightly with the cool cloth, wiping away the charcoal. When he finished, his eyes lifted to hers and Elizabeth was lost. She couldn't move, couldn't breathe, and as his thumb caressed her cheek, she was helpless to keep from turning into his touch.

Jason's eyes darkened and the intensity in that gaze made her knees weak. As that gaze dropped to her lips, Elizabeth quivered in the expectation of a kiss.

Only it didn't come. Jason frowned and turned his head to the side, releasing his hold on her before stepping away.

The move left Elizabeth bewildered.

"I should go." He turned to leave and Elizabeth panicked.

"Jason."

He stopped, keeping his back to her and she fumbled for something to say.

"Will you be at dinner this evening?"

He turned his head toward her. "Yes."

"Would you favor me with a round of cards after dinner?" It was desperate and smacked of impropriety, but she didn't care.

Jason lifted his eyes to hers and heat radiated through her as their eyes met.

"I would be honored."