Luring a Lord's Love: Regency Fairy Tale (Fairfield Fairy Tales Book 4)

  Luring a Lady’s Love

  Fairfield Fairy Tales Book 4

  Tammy Andresen

  Copyright © 2019 by Tammy Andresen

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Epilogue

  Capturing a Lady’s Love

  More about Tammy

  Tammy’s Books

  Chapter One

  Arianna pulled her green cloak tighter about her head, tendrils of her auburn hair threatening to catch the breeze and escape from its heavy cover. She couldn’t allow that to happen as her bright locks might give her away. Today, she was particularly glad to have finally retired the red riding hood she’d worn for much of her youth. The green helped her to hide amongst the trees and the forest brush.

  She desperately needed that cover now. Strange occurrences had been happening in their tiny Scottish village. Reports of wolves attacking people had begun to circulate. There were no wolves in Scotland, hadn’t been for centuries, but something was frightening people. Then robberies started occurring, and lately, disappearances among the villagers. Many of them young maidens like herself.

  She shouldn’t be out and about in the woods alone at a time like this. She had enough sense to know that. Her father, a huntsman, had gone on an extended hunt with the local lord. A great many of the men had joined them. The timing had been most unfortunate, considering all the strange events that had been occurring, and she desperately wished they would return.

  To make matters worse, her grandmother was old and feeble requiring regular care. Arianna’s mother would have moved the woman to their own cottage, but Angus, her youngest brother, was ill and the doctor had warned them to keep Granny away from Shamus. The elder might catch her death.

  Her brother’s ailment was the reason Arianna, rather than her mother, had made this journey. Granny needed help, she knew that, but her limbs shook with fear as she picked her way down the wooded path toward Granny’s home. Just last night, she and her mother had discussed Arianna moving to the cottage to care for the woman until her father returned. It frightened Arianna a little to think of being separated from her mother, but at least her Granny would have the care she needed, and neither she nor her mother would have to make the now-treacherous journey.

  Neither of them should be venturing out with the rash of crimes that were occurring. As she had prepared to leave, her mother had pulled the cloak tight about her head. “You keep this over your hair. Stay in the shadows and come home before dark. If you can’t make it, stay at your Granny’s. Be safe.”

  “Yes, Mama,” Arianna had replied and set off with the basket in her hand.

  The woods had been quiet and peaceful. She’d done as her mother had asked and stayed in the shadows. After what seemed like hours, her grandmother’s cottage came into view, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Stepping out of the forest, she began to cross the sunny glen that surrounded the house.

  It sat upon a cliff, and the sound of the ocean waves that crashed below filtered in, even through her hood. It was a short walk to the path that led down the cliff to the water’s edge, and in happier days, her family had passed whole afternoons on the beaches below. She’d explored every nook and cranny along that beach and all the waters that fed into it.

  Reaching the house, Arianna tried the handle of the door but found it locked. She was glad that Granny was taking precautions, but Arianna began to feel uneasy again. Her gaze darted about trying to find the source of her discomfort. And so, setting the basket down, she scurried to the back side of the cottage to fetch the hidden skeleton key that would turn the lock.

  The waves were louder on the back side of the cottage as she pulled the key out from under a pot in the garden. Between the water and the hood, she nearly missed the rustle of sound that came from her right. A tingling of nerves raced along her skin as she wondered, for a moment, if her imagination was frightening her. In times like these, one might imagine every scratching branch was a monster.

  But as she lifted her head, she caught sight of legs coming toward her. Her hood blocked most of the figure, but she distinctly made out two furry legs.

  Looking up, she could see that it was a man, tall and thin. He was covered in a pelt of some sort, a wolf’s head resting upon his own like a hat. His face was painted black, his features nearly undiscernible.

  “Don’t you look good enough to eat,” he growled out as he moved closer.

  Without thinking, Arianna picked up the pot and hurled it at the man-beast, then turned and ran. She didn’t have time to go back to the front of the cabin so she made a dash for the woods.

  Her breath coming in sort gasps, and she pushed herself faster. Though he would surely catch her in open land, the forest would hide her again, if she could reach it. Her legs burned with the effort as she raced toward the trees. She knew every stick in this part of the forest, and she could hide if only she could make it.

  The pounding of footsteps behind her spurred her on as she reached the forest’s edge. Ducking into its shade, she immediately hid behind a large tree. He’d expect her to continue to run, which was why she stopped. It was important to keep her wits. Thinking rather than reacting might just save her.

  He raced by, his loping stride looking oddly familiar. But as he disappeared among the trees, she turned left and made her way to a better hiding spot. Once the coast was clear, she’d go home. Someone in the village could surely help her care for her grandmother.

  Part of her wished to pull back that infernal hood. It blocked her hearing, but it also kept her hair from giving her away. Just as she was about to risk it, two more voices filtered her way.

  “The young pup is on the scent,” one called.

  “Fan out,” another replied. “Help him catch our prey.”

  She froze in fear, dropping her chin to pull the hood further over her head. But the next sound made her blood run cold. A hound let out a howl, and she knew her cloak would only protect her for so long. It would hide her from a man’s sight, but not from a dog’s nose.

  She’d thought to return the way she had come, but instead, she pushed toward an estuary that ran nearby. If the tide was high enough, it would be full. Hiding in the water was the only way to fool the dogs.

  Splashing into icy water, she grabbed a log that was floating nearby and pulled her cloak tighter about her face, allowing her body to sink into the water.

  The tide was pulling out, and soon she’d be at the beach. Hopefully the water would eliminate her scent and then she could wait out these ruffians. She would hide among the rocks, and once the coast was clear, go back to her grandmother’s cottage and stay for the night.

  Her heart was still beating wildly in her chest. The beach came into view, and she made to slip off the log to swim to the shore, but as she let go of the log, her robes were too heavy and she began to sink.

  Gasping, she clutched at the log again as the force of the water pulled her farther out to sea. Arianna briefly wondered if she should take off the cloak and swim for shore, but then she’
d be exposed.

  She was already near frozen, and her mind couldn’t seem to decide if it was better to be swept out to sea or to be found by the wolf men. Looking back, she watched two of them searching the beach and she hunkered her head down again, her decision made.

  But the water’s pull was faster than she imagined, and within minutes, she was quite far out. Too far to ever swim back to the shore. Her legs barely worked, they were completely numb from the water. She tried to push herself farther up on the log and out of the icy depths, but her body just wouldn’t cooperate. It was then that her hood finally fell away. It didn’t matter now, she’d be dead in a matter minutes if she didn’t get out of this water.

  Laying her head on the log, she closed her eyes. Better to die peacefully here then to have been captured by those men, her clouded mind reasoned.

  “I do believe I’ve found a mermaid,” a deep voice called out. The wolf men. Her body jerked to attention and she lifted her head. But it wasn’t wolf men, instead a large ship that filled her gaze.

  Where had that come from?

  Chapter Two

  Nick jumped into the icy water, heedless of the cold. It wasn’t the first time he’d doused himself in the frigid Scottish ocean, and he suspected it wouldn’t be his last.

  He’d seen an odd movement in the spyglass, and when the shock of red hair had come into view, he’d known it was a person in the water.

  He had to be careful, of course. He’d been tasked with an important mission. One which he could not fail, but he didn’t believe he couldn’t rescue another person from drowning. It was the right thing to do, no matter what other mission was his to complete.

  Swimming to the log, he reached for the young woman. She held the log with taut fingers, grasping it with all the strength she had left. She blinked dazedly at him as she said nothing.

  “Don’t you worry,” he found himself soothing her. “I’ll get you out of this water.”

  Even as pale as her skin was, he noticed her beauty. Fine high cheek bones, a perfectly straight nose and full lips, albeit currently purple in color.

  Catching a rope that a member of his crew threw down, he tied it under her arms and gave the signal.

  The sailors easily pulled her from the water and tossed another rope down for him.

  As soon as his feet hit the deck, he plucked the woman from his first mate’s arms and started for his quarters. He could tell by her color that the cold was bleeding the life out of her. She needed to get warm.

  Throwing open the door, he lay her on the floor, her eyes now closed, as he piled blankets on the bed.

  Pulling the cloak from her shoulders, he stripped off her simple garments as quickly as he could. He kept himself focused on the task, trying not to look at her much. She was in distress, and he focused on that.

  When the cold air hit her skin, she moaned, and as he scooped her up to settle her in the bed, she gave a cry at the feel of his wet clothing.

  Yanking back the covers, he laid her quickly on the mattress and then tossed the blankets on top of her. He knew he had to warm her fast, and there was no fire to stoke up on a ship.

  Grimacing, he stripped down his own clothing then and slipped under the blankets. She felt like ice against him as he settled her body closer.

  It had been a long time since he’d held any woman, and as he wrapped an arm about her waist, he tried not to think about what he was doing. He meant to warm her. But he couldn’t help but notice how perfectly she fit against the hollows of his body. She relaxed into him and, for a moment, pressed closer until she jerked away and cried out, “The wolves, the wolves.”

  “Hush,” he whispered close to her ear. “There are no wolves here. You’re safe.”

  She shrunk further into him, clutching at his waist. “The wolves.” She repeated as though it meant something. Of course, there weren’t actual wolves. Not here, not for centuries. But why would she be saying it?

  Her body slowly heated next to his, and he breathed a sigh of relief. When she was finally warm, he slipped out of the bed and got dressed. The cold air was a slap to his body after the warmth of lying next to her. But, intimate as it was, she didn’t know him, and it might frighten her to wake next to a stranger. He didn’t want to leave her, but he would allow her the privacy of waking in bed alone.

  Sitting back on top of the covers, he brushed the still-damp locks of red hair away from her face. She looked even lovelier now, her cheeks rosy with warmth, her lips a soft pink. The creamy edge of her shoulder peeked out from under the blanket and his fingertips brushed its curve. He wanted to make sure she was still warm, but he could admit, at least to himself, that her skin was silky soft, and he simply liked touching it.

  Where had she come from? Why was she in the water, and who were the wolves?

  Reluctantly, he stood. Nick didn’t want to leave her, but he did need to speak with his crew. He had to stop long enough to answer these basic questions. He couldn’t just sail off with her.

  Though it was tempting. Then he laughed at himself. All three of his brothers had recently fallen in love and married. Graham had started it, meeting and marrying Charlotte. But the other two had quickly fallen as well. Their lovesick antics had clearly addled his mind.

  But thinking of his brothers led him to remember why he’d set out in the first place. He pulled a pouch from his belt and opened the string that tied it closed. Tiny shards of glass glittered up at him, their appeal undeniable. Even now, with half of them missing, scattered along the ocean floor, they begged him to be whole. Promised him a bright and beautiful future if only he’d put them back together again.

  “Enough of that.” He cinched the bag closed, determined to ignore them. “You’ll stay as you are.” He wasn’t crazy, hadn’t imagined that inanimate objects had spoken. They were, in fact, enchanted. Remnants of a magical object that his brother, Will, and wife, Eirwen, had destroyed when they’d defeated a sorceress some months ago.

  Before Graham and Charlotte, if someone had asked him if magic was real, he would have denied it. Laughed even. But he’d seen far too much with his own eyes to ever deny it now.

  Looking up from the bag, large eyes made contact with his. She was awake. Whoever she was. And she was looking from the bag to him, her lovely green eyes growing larger with each passing second.

  “Did you hear it too?” he asked, but she only shrunk into the bed, pulling the blankets up to her nose. He was frightening her. He couldn’t blame her. He had time to get used to this whole business of magic, and it still scared him near to death. He tried again. A safer topic. “What’s your name?”

  Her voice, muffled by the quilt, was almost impossible to hear as she whispered, “Arianna,”

  “Arianna?” he asked to make sure, and she nodded her head. “Is something wrong with your voice?”

  She nodded again, allowing the covers to dip down to her chin. “I can’t…” but she let it trail off her hand coming to her throat. The gesture exposed a little more of her skin.

  “Is it always like this, or was it the water?” He wanted to brush her hair away from her face again, to comfort her, but he’d frightened her enough already.

  “Water,” she whispered.

  He got up then and crossed the room to pull a fresh shirt from one of the built-in drawers. “Put this on. I am going to find some hot broth for you and have the ship’s doctor give you an examination.”

  One of her creamy arms reached from under the blankets to grab the shirt from his outstretched hand. Her eyes were still wide with fear, her auburn tresses cascading about her. He swallowed, hard. Beautiful as she was, he had to find where she belonged and return her quickly. He had a job to do.

  Chapter Three

  The man was daft.

  It was the only explanation for why he’d been talking to the contents of a bag. What was more, he seemed to think they were talking back.

  What unsettled her most about the entire interaction was that she had heard something st
range. A voice, as though in her mind, asking her for help. Begging to be whole. Promising her the aid she needed. It even promised help with the wolves.

  She searched her mind to remember where she was and how she’d gotten here? Memories of the men dressed as wolves flooded her thoughts, and she shrank farther into the bed. She was on a ship, that much she understood, and it suddenly occurred to her that she could just sail away from this whole business. They’d wanted to hurt her, those men. Referred to her as prey. What had happened to the other girls in her village?

  She shuddered because that made her think of her family—her Granny, brother, and mother—who would surely be worried.

  She couldn’t just sail away with an insane man. How did she even know he wasn’t connected to the wolves. Leaving with him was ludicrous to even think. No matter the danger, she would stay. Care for them and help them as best she could. Even if that did mean she put herself in harm’s way. And, crazy as her sailor might be, he had plucked her from the water. A little warmth spread through her at the thought.

  Not just because he was handsome; though, by the saints, he was handsome. Rich brown hair and sparkling eyes. A strong jaw with broad shoulders. He had the sort of strength…then she laughed at her own thoughts. She’d been about to think that he looked like the sort of man who could save a woman. But, of course, he was. He had saved her. Jumped into freezing water to rescue her.

  Arianna closed her eyes. Even if he couldn’t help with the wolves, mayhap he could return her to the beach to deliver the basket to her Granny?

  She’d failed everyone today.

  She attempted to sit up in bed to put on the shirt, but her limbs simply wouldn’t work. Arianna couldn’t even get her arms to prop her up so that she might pull the garment over her shoulders.