Page 33 of A Raven Reformed

“Excuse me for a moment, gentlemen,” he said with a sigh before ushering her away from the group.

Once they were out of earshot, he faced her. “This,” he said, waving his hand up and down beside her. “Is hardly appropriate attire for you to be traipsing about in the presence of an entire group of men.”

Perhaps he wasn’t wrong about that. “I was afraid if I took too long to dress, you’d be gone before I could stop you.”

He closed his eyes and took in a slow, deep breath. “Go back inside, Belle.”

She shook her head. “I’m not going in until you assure me you’re not going looking for someone who wants to harm you. You've already been shot, Michael.”

“Are you openly disobeying me?” He raised a challenging brow. “Do you need a spanking, Belle?”

She swallowed. One thing she had learned was that he was not bluffing, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t negotiate. “Will spanking me keep you from leaving?”

He chuckled dangerously. “Absolutely not. It will simply ensure that you are locked in your bedroom with a sore bottom while I’m gone.”

She shrugged her shoulders with a defeated sigh. She didn’t doubt the threat for a second. She had officially lost this argument.

His palm was warm as he pressed it gently against her cheek. “If, however, you do as you're told and go back inside without further argument, I might reward your good behavior this evening.” His tongue seared across her bottom lip before he briefly claimed her mouth.

Her insides were instantly warm and tingly, and she grudgingly acquiesced. “Yes, my lord.” Her voice was already slightly breathless.

The corners of his mouth ticked up and she was pretty sure she heard a soft growl rumble inside his chest. “Good girl.”

Her backside was met with a firm swat as she walked away from him. How could he so easily make her whole body hum with anticipation? Two little words and a smack to her bottom was all it took, and she was ready to beg him to take her any way he wanted. She would not be sleeping in her own bed tonight. That was for certain.

Once Belle was dressed and presentable, she went looking for Rosie. After all, with the men gone, it was just the two of them.

After not finding her anywhere else, she eventually went to her chambers and knocked softly. When Rosie opened the door, she was wearing her coat.

“I’m glad it’s you,” she said with a relieved sigh.

“Are you going somewhere?”

“My stomach is not feeling well this morning, and I desperately need some fresh air. But please don’t tell Patrick. He’s a bit overly protective of me and won’t be happy that I’ve left the house while he’s away.”

“Only if you promise not to tell Michael either. I’ll get my coat.”

It was nice to be out of the house for a bit, even if it was cold. They wandered out near the trees. The leaves had mostly fallen, but not long since, so their vibrant colors carpeted the ground still.

“The leaves here are different from what I used to find in Virginia.”

“Really?” Rosie bent and picked up a couple of small red leaves. “Tell me about what it was like.”

“Well, a lot of the leaves were bigger there, and the trees were so tall. It was warmer than it is here, even in winter. But there were some not so beautiful things, as well. Parts of the landscape there are still scarred with battlefields and trenches.”

“I’ve never left England. You’re so lucky to have seen other parts of the world.”

Belle had never thought of it that way before. Perhaps she was.

“Oh, look how bright this one is!” Rosie ran a few feet away to grab a leaf off the ground. It started a sort of game between them, each of them trying to find the brightest or the biggest or the most interesting shape.

Laughter and running and fresh air. It felt so good. She hadn’t realized she’d been missing it until now. She suddenly saw movement out of the corner of her eye and whipped around. Isaac was standing some distance away, his finger over his lips. But how could that possibly be? How was he here?

He shook his head and pressed his finger over his lips again. He must have known how much she wanted to run to him. Her heart kicked inside her chest. He held up something small and white so she could see it, and then slipped it into a crevice or something on the tree beside him. He pointed to her, and then to the thing he’d hidden, and then he sprinted away through the trees.

No. Where was he going? Why was he running away? But then she realized… tall and thin with dark hair… he was the man they were looking for. She gasped.

“Are you alright?”

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