Chapter Thirteen

Adrian crossed the gravel drive of the duchess’s palatial home and climbed the wide stone steps to the door. He knew it wasn’t proper to arrive after dark and uninvited, but dammit, he didn’t care. He wanted to see Elissa, to assure himself she was staying out of trouble. And dropping in unexpectedly gave him a bit of an edge—which he damned well needed where this lady was concerned.

A pair of liveried footmen showed him into the foyer, then the butler arrived, a gaunt blond man with high, carved cheekbones and a slightly arrogant smile.

“I shall have to see if the countess is at home this evening, my lord. If you will please follow me, you may wait while I inquire.” Without checking to be certain Adrian followed, the butler led him into the drawing room.

Drawing room, hell, Adrian corrected, admiring the elaborate baroque salon done in black and gold marble. With its huge gilded sconces and high-domed ceilings painted with scenes of the Crucifixion, it was more like a ballroom. As magnificent as Castle Wolvermont was, it couldn’t compare to the palaces in Vienna.

“I shall return forthwith,” the butler said, guiding him over to a gold brocade sofa. Adrian sat for a moment, then sprang nervously back to his feet, irritated more than a little that the notion of seeing her had the blood running fast through his veins. He hadn’t been like this over a woman since he was a randy schoolboy.

Even Miriam hadn’t been able to affect him this way.

The thought came out of nowhere, bringing a bitter taste to his mouth. It slithered away at the sound of footfalls ringing on the gray marble floor. The butler reappeared, a woman padding softly along behind him. It wasn’t Elissa. It was the Duchess of Murau.

“Good evening, Lord Wolvermont.”

He shifted a bit uncomfortably. “A pleasure to see you, Your Grace.” He gave her a bright, charming smile. “I realize you weren’t expecting me, but a matter of some importance has come up and I wished to discuss it with Lady von Langen.”

The duchess’s graying blond brows drew together. Obviously his effort to be charming was lost on this particular woman.

“Ordinarily, Colonel, I would frown on your impertinence in arriving unannounced, but as it is, I am glad you are here.”

Unease trickled through him. Instinct warned him that something was wrong.

“Normally I might not be so blunt,” the duchess continued, “but under the circumstances, I don’t see any choice. The truth is, Colonel, I am worried about Lady von Langen.”

His mouth went dry. “Why is that, Your Grace?”

“Several hours ago, the countess received an invitation from General Steigler asking her to join him for a carriage ride. According to her maid she was supposed to have returned before dark.”

“Perhaps they were simply enjoying themselves and time got away.” But he didn’t really believe it and the claws of tension sank into him deeper still.

“I wish I could agree with that, Colonel, but you see, I had her followed. General Steigler is quite discreet in his activities, but word of such unusual … pursuits … has a way of leaking out. I know his reputation. And that his interest in the countess has been growing. I also know he will be leaving Vienna the day after the morrow. When I learned Elissa intended to accompany him this afternoon, I feared he might not be willing to postpone his pursuit.”

“Where has he taken her?” The hand at his side unconsciously fisted. His heart pumped angry spurts of blood through his veins. He had tried to warn her. Dammit, why hadn’t she listened?

“General Steigler is a member of a particular gentlemen’s club in Kohlmarkt. It has a certain … reputation.”

“Yes, I’ve heard of it.”

“My footman followed him there, to a door in the alley at the rear. He was carrying a heavy bundle when he climbed the back stairs. I only heard the news just moments before your arrival. I wasn’t certain exactly which course to pursue, but now that you are here—”

Adrian didn’t wait to hear more, just spun and started striding toward the door. His chest felt tight, his stomach as leaden as if he’d swallowed a dozen musket balls.

“Bring her home, Colonel,” the duchess called after him. “Don’t let him hurt her.”

Adrian just kept walking. He would bring her home—of that he was certain. The question was, would he reach her in time? And if he didn’t, what condition would she be in when he found her?

His stomach grew even more leaden.

*   *   *

Elissa awoke to the soft glow of an oil lamp burning beside the bed. Her mouth felt dry and shadows danced on the ceiling above her head. She sat up inch by inch, feeling a slight ringing in her ears, trying to remember where she was, to think what might have happened.

The last thing she recalled was drinking a cup of coffee heavily laced with cream that the general had stopped to purchase before they entered the park.

“Ah, so at last you are awake.” She turned at the sound of his voice. He handed her a glass of water. “Drink this and you will begin to feel more yourself.”

She accepted the glass with a hand that trembled only faintly. “What happened?”

“You swooned, my dear. Perhaps the air was still too chill, or you were simply a bit fatigued. One never knows what might send a lady into a swoon.”

Frowning, she took a deep drink of water and her head began to clear. “The air was pleasant, and I don’t believe I have ever fainted.” She glanced at her surroundings, a small, nondescript bedchamber, clean but spartan, with a dresser against the wall, a chair where her cloak had been draped, an oak armoire, and of course the big iron bed she sat on.

She dragged herself up from the mattress, suddenly uneasy, swung her legs to the floor and stood up. She swayed a moment, then steeled herself. “Where are we?”

“A place near the park I enjoy upon occasion. It was near and I was concerned.”

Why didn’t she believe him? “I appreciate your worry, General, but I am quite all right now. The duchess will be wondering where I am. I must be returning home.”

He only smiled, a thin line of red in a harsh, unsympathetic face. “Then she will simply have to worry. I have different plans for you this evening, Elissa, ones that don’t include your leaving for quite some time.”

Her chest squeezed into a knot but she lifted her chin, fought to get a grip on the fear sliding into her stomach. “I want to go home, General Steigler. I am asking you as an officer and as a gentleman to take me.”

He moved closer, took the glass from her trembling fingers and set it on the nightstand beside the bed. “There is no need to be frightened, my dear. We have both known this moment was coming for quite some time. Now it has finally arrived.” He bent his head and covered her mouth with his lips. They felt dry and slightly rough. He tasted of the coffee they had been drinking.

Elissa pulled away. “You drugged me, didn’t you?”

His thin mouth curved. “You left me no choice. I warned you what would happen if you tried to play games.”

She fought to think as he drew her into his arms and kissed her again, a wet kiss now, slick and disgusting, yet she forced herself to endure it, to let his tongue slide into her mouth.

She had known this moment might come, had known it from the start. She had told herself she would get through it, that she would let him take her if she had to. She had said she would do anything to win his trust, anything to keep the promise she had made to find the man who murdered Karl. She thought of him now, lying dead in an alley, of the secrets he must have discovered, of why she had come to Vienna. If she turned Steigler away, she would have failed.

She steeled herself, battled down her revulsion, slid her arms around his neck and kissed him back. She could feel his lips curve with satisfaction.

“Very good, my dear. Very good, indeed.” His mouth returned and his tongue slid in. She swayed on her feet and thought she might be sick. His hands moved over her breasts, slid into the bodice of her gown, cool hands, slightly damp. They pinched her nipples, then began to squeeze the fullness. His breath whispered into her mouth, as wet and sticky as his tongue, and one of his hands began to move down her body. When he reached the vee between her legs, he cupped her there, and the feeling was so revolting, so incredibly vile, she jerked away.

“I—I can’t do it. I—I’m just not ready. I haven’t been that long a widow.” Tears threatened. She desperately forced them away.

“Nonsense. It’s been almost three years.”

“I’m sorry, General. I know—”

“Franz,” he corrected, “my name is Franz. I wish to hear you say it.”

She tried to smile. Failed in the attempt. “I know you are disappointed … Franz, but I just can’t go through with this. At least not yet.”

His smile was swift and hard, a ruthless curve of the lips that held an edge of anticipation. “Do you really believe you have a choice?”

She backed away from him then, till her knees hit the side of the bed. “What—what do you mean?”

“This place I have brought you is private. There is no one who will come to your aid. I am in charge here, not you. You will do exactly as I tell you.”

He cocked his head toward a panel in the wall she hadn’t paid attention to before. “Come in, Major Holdorf. It is time for you to join us.” Someone shoved the panel back and the major walked in from a room on the other side.

“Good evening, my lady.” He made an excessively formal bow. “How good of you to come.”

Cold fear seized her, an icy talon that ripped into her stomach. “I—I must get back to the duchess. Her Grace will be worried.” She glanced toward the door, but the general stood in the path of escape. Her gaze swung back to the slender blond man who had just walked in. “Major Holdorf, it is your duty—”

Steigler’s hand came out of nowhere, a swift, hard stinging across her cheek. Her head snapped back, the vicious blow turning her skin bright red.

“Major Holdorf’s duty is to me, not some lady whore who has played the tease far too long.”

“But I—”

“Silence!” He slapped her again, harder this time, cutting her lip and bringing a trickle of blood to the corner of her mouth. “I gave you a choice and you made it. I would have made love to you, taken you with care, but you refused. Now Major Holdorf will take you, and I will please myself by watching. When he has finished, you will be mine.”

A wave of nausea swept over her and the room grew dark around the edges. This time she thought she might faint in earnest. “Please, I beg you—”

He seized her arms before she could finish, dragging them up behind her, pain knifing into her shoulders. “Gag her, Major. I am tired of hearing her whine.”

A length of white cloth appeared in the major’s pale hands. He tied it around her mouth and secured it behind her head, while the general held tightly to her wrists. She stood there feeling numb, knowing it was useless to try to fight them, knowing there was no chance of escape yet unwilling to give in. For a moment, she surrendered to the building terror, overwhelmed by it, and more afraid than she had ever been in her life.

No! she silently whispered. I won’t let it happen. Not like this. Not like this! Gathering her strength, she jerked free of the general’s hold and started to fight them, lashing out with her feet, scratching and clawing, raking her nails down Holdorf’s cheek, feeling a surge of triumph at the sight of a thin line of blood. Steigler hit her again, another brutal slap across the face. Twice more she felt the stinging blows, but she kept on fighting, then a hard punch to the jaw sent her spinning into darkness, landing in a painful heap on the floor.

She awakened spread-eagle on the bed, naked except for the tiny gold locket on a chain around her neck, a present from her mother. Dear God, how she wished she were home with her mother now. Her jaw was throbbing, bruised and beginning to swell. Her muscles ached, and her heart slammed in quick, sharp jolts against her ribs. She tugged on the sash that lashed her wrists to the painted iron headboard, but the knot only went tighter. Another sash bound each of her ankles to a corner of the footboard.

She tried to cry out but the sound was cut off by the gag stuffed into her mouth, and she didn’t think anyone would come to her aid even if they heard her. Her eyes moved helplessly toward the man who stood just a few feet away.

The general sipped a glass of white wine, his mouth a narrow red gash in a face without the least trace of pity. His black eyes seemed to glow, lit from within, burning with an evil light unlike anything she had seen in him before.

She noticed his jacket was torn but his hair had been carefully combed back into place, leaving only faint evidence of their struggle. Holdorf had mopped the blood from the scratches on his face, but the damning evidence remained, giving her a shot of satisfaction. Anger sparked in the major’s pale blue eyes. He was stripped to the waist, his thin chest bare, spidery curls of nearly white hair forming a fine web over his fair skin.

Elissa closed her eyes as he moved toward her, reached down toward the buttons on his breeches. Tears burned her eyes and began to slide down her cheeks. Dear God, she had never believed it would end like this.

*   *   *

Adrian shoved his way through the doors of the Neue Burg Private Gentlemen’s Club on Kohlmarkt Street. It was quiet inside except for the soft female laughter coming from one of the drawing rooms. The faint odor of cigar smoke rode the air, and the music of a pianoforte seeped through the walls of a room deeper in the interior.

A man in the gold and crimson livery of a footman with a body twice too large stepped in his path as he started for the stairs.

“Where do you think you are going?”

He forced his temper down, fought to make himself think, to ignore the too-rapid thudding of his pulse and the worry for Elissa that coursed like a river through his veins. He had to find her. This was his chance if he could just stay in control.

“I’ve an urgent message for General Steigler. I am told he is here.” He glanced at the line of rooms at the top of the stairs. “Which room is he in?”

Big beefy arms came up and folded across the man’s broad chest. “You cannot come in here. This is a private club only for members. You are not a member.”

Adrian clamped down on his jaw. It took every ounce of will not to hit him. “I told you I’ve got important news for Steigler. I’m a colonel in the British Army and I need to see him. Now tell me where he is.” When the man said nothing, Adrian moved forward till their faces were inches apart. “Do you want to be the one to tell him there was a colonel here with news of the war but you wouldn’t let him in?”

For the space of several heartbeats, the huge man didn’t move. Then his arms fell away from his chest and he took a step backward, clearing a path up the stairs.

“Room fourteen. Last door in the hall to your right. Knock before you go in or you won’t be a colonel much longer.”

Adrian made no reply, just took the stairs two at a time up to the second floor and strode down the hall. Tension ate like acid into his stomach. Fear tightened a knot in his chest.

When he reached the door, he paused, an unwelcome thought rising up from the darkest part of his mind—what if this is what she wants? What if it is Steigler she has wanted all along?

He prayed it wasn’t so, knew he would look like a damned bloody fool if it was. Forcing down the thought, he turned the knob and shoved open the door. Any doubts he might have had slid away at the sight of the woman on the bed. His woman. Staked out like a banquet for Holdorf and Steigler, beaten and battered and bruised.

A low growl erupted from his throat. He leapt forward, wrapped a hand around Holdorf’s neck and jerked him off the foot of the bed. Slamming a fist into his stomach, he whirled the man around and punched him hard in the jaw, sending him flying into a corner.

Adrian’s breath came hard, burning sharply in his chest. He turned to Steigler, who stood calmly a few feet away.

Steigler’s mouth curved thinly. “I would suggest you rein in your temper, Colonel Kingsland. Before someone gets hurt.” A small pearl-handled pocket pistol appeared in the general’s hand. “As a matter of fact,” Steigler continued, “I strongly suggest that you leave.”

Behind him Holdorf groaned. He could hear Elissa whimper, and a sudden calm descended over him. It was the same calm he felt before a battle, the same icy purpose.

“But you know I won’t do that, don’t you? Not without the girl.”

A sleek black brow arched up. “You would risk a bullet for her?”

“Let her go,” Adrian warned, moving closer, his gaze locked on Steigler’s harsh face. “Cut her loose, or I swear I’ll kill you.”

“You seem to be forgetting, Colonel. I am the man holding the gun.”

Not for long, Adrian thought, easing a few inches closer. He looked down at Steigler’s olive-skinned hand, saw his finger tighten on the trigger at the same instant his foot lashed out, slamming hard against Steigler’s wrist, the pistol flying free, sliding across the floor.

Steigler bolted to retrieve it, but Adrian caught his arm and spun him around, slammed a fist hard into his stomach, then smashed a blow to his face, knocking him backward across the edge of the bed and onto the carpet. Blood erupted from his nose. Scarlet drops scattered across his pristine white uniform coat.

He noticed it was torn, as he had noticed the scratches on Holdorf’s face, and felt a fierce glimmer of pride that Elissa had fought them.

Adrian bent and scooped up the pistol. “Step away from the bed,” he warned, pointing it at Steigler’s heart as he bent and slid a thin-bladed knife from the top of his boot.

“You’ll pay for this, Colonel. I’ll see you stripped of rank—you’ll be a private by morning.”

“I don’t think so.” Adrian leaned over the bed, sliced through the bonds on Elissa’s wrists, moved down to sever the sashes that tied her ankles to the footposts of the bed. “I think you’ll keep your mouth shut, just as you knew the countess would have been forced to do. If you don’t, your reputation will be in ruins. Your dirty little secrets will be spilled all over Vienna.”

A pile of torn peach muslin on the floor told him the fate of Elissa’s clothes. He jerked her cloak off the chair and swirled it around her shoulders while she sat up unsteadily and swung her feet to the side of the bed.

Steigler’s fist began to shake, his black eyes so full of hatred they glowed in the light of the lamp. “You’ll regret this, Colonel. Both of you will regret it—I promise you that.”

Adrian ignored him, turned instead to Elissa, who had removed the gag and pulled the cloak more closely around her.

“Can you make it?” He tried not to think what she had endured, hoped the scene he’d walked in on—Steigler still dressed, Holdorf unbuttoning his breeches—meant they hadn’t yet had time to force themselves on her.

Elissa nodded, wetting her lips, which looked dry and swollen, a corner stained with dark blood. “I can make it.” Still, she swayed on her feet as she stood up, and leaned against him when she reached his side. He slid an arm around her waist to steady her, felt the tremors running through her slender body, and his finger tightened on the trigger of the pistol.

He had never wanted to kill a man so badly. “I’d advise you both to stay where you are until we’re gone. I’ll shoot the first man who tries to follow us.” He turned to Elissa. “Hold on to me. It’s past time for us to leave.”

Easing her backward, his arm still tightly around her, he stepped out into the hall and closed the door. He slid the pistol into the waistband of his breeches, and the moment he did, he saw her knees begin to buckle beneath her. Cursing Steigler, wishing he had pulled the trigger, he turned and scooped her up in his arms. Long strides carried them down the back stairs and out into the alley. Her arms went around his neck to brace herself, and he could see the glitter of tears on her cheeks.

They rounded the building and he spotted his carriage waiting on a side street. He strode toward it. With a grateful nod at the driver, Adrian opened the door and climbed in.

The wheels began to turn a few seconds later, the driver snapping the whip above the horses’ heads. They picked up speed, carrying them farther from Steigler and Kohlmarkt Street, and Elissa relaxed in his arms. He held her in his lap, her head nested into his shoulder, her body burrowing against him, seeking his care and warmth.

“You’re safe now,” he whispered, kissing the top of her head. “I promise you, Steigler will never touch you again.”

She lifted her head. Tear-filled eyes came to rest on his face. “I led him on. I didn’t want to do it, but I had to. Tonight, before Holdorf came in, I let him kiss me. I meant to give in to him, to let him make love to me. I told myself that even though he’d drugged me, even though it sickened me, I could do it. That I had to do it for Karl. But I couldn’t go through with it.” She sucked in a teary breath. “I thought of you, and I couldn’t stand for him to touch me. Not the way you did.” She shook her head and tears rolled down her cheeks. “I couldn’t do it, Adrian. I failed my brother. Worse than that, I failed myself.”

She started to cry then, deep, wracking sobs that squeezed a tightness around his heart. He held her against him, cradled her like a baby, stroked her hair, and kissed her forehead.

“I’m sorry, love, so damned sorry. I wish it hadn’t happened, but it did. Perhaps it wouldn’t have if you had trusted me.” He tipped her chin up. “Surely you know you can trust me now. Don’t you think it’s time you told me the truth?”

She looked at him through wet, spiky lashes, her lovely face pale and bruised, yet even more attractive for the spirit it reflected. “Yes,” she said softly. “It is past time I told you the truth.”