Worlds Apart Read online

  She grinned at him. “Send her my regards.”

  “I will.” He swiftly walked out the room. Tia took the chair Burton had just vacated. She thought back to what Burton had said. He was right. Because of his association with her, Burton enjoyed a semblance of recognition from her peers. Otherwise he would’ve simply been another slave brought here to serve his master. He was so much more to her. He was her brother, friend and protector. The only other person who received as much from him was Janine, the cook’s daughter. They all grew up together and it was evident early on that the shy, redhead and the hulking Burton loved each other. Because of his status, they could never marry or be seen about as lovers, but in this house, they were married. Her father was the one to ask Cook for her daughter’s hand in marriage so that the two youngsters could be together.

  She slapped her forehead at her own stupidity and made a mental pledge not to act so selfishly again. She drained her brandy.

  Burton was right; she needed to go to bed now that they were to explore alternative ways to draw out The Maverick.

  ***

  She wrinkled her nose and sighed softly as the tickling sensation stopped. Just as she was about to drift into a deep sleep again, the tickling started again. Huffing in irritation, she threw her hand over her face hoping to crush the irritating insect. The tickling stopped and assured that the insect was finally dealt with she blew out a relieved sigh. A soft brushing over her arm caused her eyes snap open. What the devil was wrong with the insect? The room was dark and she sleepily leaned over to turn up the lamp. A soft squeak left her lips when she bumped into something solid and warm.

  There was someone in bed with her. She opened her mouthed to scream, knowing that it would carry to the wing that housed Burton and Janine, but a large hand was clamped over her mouth.

  “Now, now, we don’t want any of that, do we?” a deep, husky voice whispered close to her ear. The warm breath brushed against her skin and made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. Her eyes were wide, but in the darkness of the room, all she could make out was the dark figure looming over her. Even in her state of shock she remembered one of the first lessons Burton had taught her when she was young. When your sight has been compromised, use all your other senses. And she did just that. She could feel the length of the intruder against her side. Whoever was in bed with her was big, not as large as Burton, but definitely tall and muscular. Surprisingly or maybe not, since she didn’t know who her midnight visitor was, he smelled clean. She tried to place the scent. Sandalwood. He smelled of sandalwood and brandy. The man was obvious very relaxed, because she could hear his soft, calm breathing. She tried to put all that together and came to one conclusion. She didn’t have the foggiest idea of who this was, why he was here or how he got in.

  “Ok. Listen carefully for I won’t repeat myself.” The man’s breath ghosted over her cheek and Tia swallowed at the sensation.

  For as long as she could remember no man, except Burton, had ever come this close to her. But having this oddly nice-smelling stranger so near to her was strangely appealing. She closed her eyes for a moment. What the hell was wrong with her? This man could turn out to be a vicious, murdering rapist.

  “I won’t hurt you, but if you try to scream, I’ll use whatever force I need to silence you. You understand me?”

  Tia took a deep breath. For as long as she could remember, maybe even as a babe in her mother’s womb, she had hated being ordered around and absolutely loathed threats made to her person. Now this oaf not only ordered her to keep quiet, he also threatened to use force against her. Feeling white-hot rage fill her, she forcefully turned her head away from him. The movement was so unexpected that it caused the man’s hand to slip. Capitalizing on his surprise, she rolled away, but he recovered quickly and threw his bulk on her, pressing her down into the mattress. In the dark he was struggling to make out where her mouth was and was desperately touching her all over her face to find the right grip. Realizing her good fortune, she opened her mouth wide and waited. It didn’t take long for the man’s hand to slip past her mouth and inside. She closed her eyes and bit down hard.

  A soft groan sounded as the man jerked his hand away from her.

  “That serves you right for threatening me, you brute,” Tia hissed at the man. For a moment the man went completely still on top of her.

  “You bit me, because I threatened you?” His voice held utter disbelief.

  “I’ll have you know that I absolutely hate it,” she snapped back.

  The man was silent for a long moment, before a soft vibration gave away his mirth. Sadly, she couldn’t make out anything in the dark, otherwise she would’ve reached out again, and this time make sure to bite off his whole hand. How dare he laugh at her? With her hands caught under the brute’s body, all she could do was lay there in helpless anger as the man’s body shook with silent laughter.

  “I’ve heard enough about you to know that you’re no ordinary woman, Your Grace,” the man said after a while, his voice still heavy with amusement. “but this simply takes the cake.”

  She stiffened. He knows who she was. The knowledge filled her with alarm. Anyone who knows her and still tries to harm her surely had a death wish, considering her powerful allies. What’s more worrying is that someone with a death wish also had nothing to lose. Chillingly, someone who had nothing to lose was dangerous. Now was surely the time to scream for help. As if he had read her mind, the man leaned over and before she could open her mouth, pressed his mouth to hers. Shock radiated through her body as she realised that the situation had changed completely and that she now found herself in perilous danger. Tia tried to struggle, but the man pressed hard against her and that was also when she made another ominous discovery. Stretched out on top of her, every part of her was pressed against the man’s hard body and that meant every part of him was also pressed against her. In her struggle, her legs had fallen open allowing the man to manoeuvre his large body between her legs. In this strangely intimate position; she could feel his obviously aroused manhood, pressing flush against her sex.

  Tears welled up in her eyes. It had never crossed her mind that her first time would be the result of a violent encounter with a stranger. She felt warm tears trickling out the corner of her eyes and down her cheeks to disappear into the pillow. She didn’t want this. Not like this. A sob tore from her and she felt the man stiffen immediately. His mouth lifted from hers and was immediately covered by his hand.

  “What’s wrong? Why’re you crying?” He sounded genuinely concerned and the oddness of the moment made her sob even harder. He quickly removed his hand. “I’m not going to hurt you,” he said almost urgently as he rolled away from her. “You were looking for me and I was curious as to why the darling of the English Court would go to such lengths to find me.”

  ***

  Tia stopped mid-sob to look at the silhouette of the man kneeling on the bed next to her.

  This was The Maverick?!

  She sat up and wiped at her face, not believing her good fortune. “You’re The Maverick?”

  “Some people call me that, yes,” he said in a strangely sombre tone. “I got your message. Why’re you looking for me, milady?”

  “Could you turn up the lamp?” she asked carefully, suddenly extremely eager to see what he looked like. She desperately wanted to see his face, his eyes.

  “Rather not,” he said curtly. “Tell me what you want with me so I can be on my way.”

  She couldn’t see him in the dark, but sitting here and looking at the shadowy outline of the most elusive man in the country, Tia pondered how to explain to him why she was willing to put her life at risk to meet with him. Her silence caused him to move off the bed.

  “Dawn’s approaching, Your Grace, and by then I want to be far away from here. You have but a few moments to tell me why I’m here or I’m leaving.” He sounded almost annoyed now and Tia knew he meant every word.

  “I need your help,” she said quickly. In the dark
she couldn’t see his reaction so she continued. “I’m ashamed to admit such a fact, but as of recently, it has come to my attention that some unspeakable atrocities are being committed against the powerless and voiceless members of English society.” She waited with bated breath for him to say something. The silence stretched for a few moments and just as she was about to continue, he spoke.

  “The powerless and voiceless? Could you perhaps be more specific, milady?” This time there was a slight edge to the voice. It almost sounded as if she had surprised him.

  Tia climbed off the bed and walked over to where he stood. She was not surprised to find that he was as tall as she had estimated. She was considered rather tall herself, but he easily topped her by at least a head.

  “Women and children are falling prey to unscrupulous elements within the peerage,” she grimaced. “I want to put a stop to it and make sure these people get punished for their crimes.”

  She didn’t have to see his face to know that the man was shocked. His silence said it all.

  “You do realize that you are talking about your peers, milady? Rich and powerful nobles who could easily get away with a simple slap on the wrist?” He stepped closer to her. “As noble as your idea sounds, it would simply be a waste of time and resources to pursue such an undertaking.” Then he did something that shocked her completely. He reached out and gently touched her cheek. Frozen to the spot, she couldn’t help but wonder if this was truly the feared Maverick who made people quake in their boots. “What you’ve explained to me has been happening for centuries. The poor and vulnerable will always be exploited by the rich and powerful.” His thumb brushed over her cheek. “The poor are used to it now, Your Grace. They’ve learned to take it all in stride.”

  The resignation in his voice resonated in her chest and she grabbed his wrist, drawn to him by his unexpected gentleness. “But it does not have to go on like this. Maybe it’s time for someone to try to put an end to it. Together we can expose these culprits.”

  His hand fell away from her face and Tia felt the loss immediately as if he had moved all the way to the opposite side of the room. “The king will not punish his nobles. He needs them, coddles them. I’m not willing to put my life in danger only to watch the same people walk free and continue their depravity.” His voice sounded hollow. “It’s sad to say, but this is a worthless cause.”

  Tia grabbed his hand, surprising herself with her forwardness. “That’s where you’re wrong. If we could save only one life, then we’ve made a difference. But I need your help.”

  “What would you have me do, milady?” His tone was dark. “Do you want me to kill for you? Because I can.”

  She quickly dropped his hand. “Of course, not…NO!” She took a deep breath. “Once we have exposed these nobles, I will make sure that they are ostracized from society.” She grimaced. “I assure you, Mr Maverick, that a good name and reputation is priceless in our world. Any taint to your name and everyone will immediately find ways and excuses to omit your name from guest lists. That, in my world, is tantamount to the death penalty.”

  She watched his silhouette and waited; her fingers crossed. She had never wanted to hear the word ‘yes’ spoken as much she needed to hear it now.

  “I’ll need time to think about this,” he said eventually and Tia almost fainted in relief. At least it wasn’t a downright ‘no’. “But you should know that I’m a business man and were I to take part in this, there should be some kind of an incentive for me.”

  “Money is not an obstacle, Mr Maverick,” she assured him quickly. There were many ways of finding compensation for his services.

  He moved closer to her, towering over her. “Who said anything about money, milady?”

  Tia blinked at the blatant implication behind the words. She took a careful step away from him. “I will ignore your crude overtones for the sake of us becoming prospective partners, Mr Maverick. You have shown that you are an honourable gentleman and I will cling to that belief no matter the outcome of your decision,” she said coolly. What was it about this man that made her forget that he was, in fact, a criminal and would at times revert back to his true nature?

  A deep, husky chuckle sounded. “Honourable? Most probably, milady. But ‘gentleman’? Now there, I draw the line.” He took her hand and brushed his lips over her knuckles. Tia bit down on her lower lip to stop the gasp that threatened to escape her lips. “I will be in touch, Your Grace.” He straightened to his impressive height and left the room by way of her bedroom door.

  Long after he had left, Tia still stood looking at the door, wondering how he got in the house in the first place.

  II

  ‘The Horny Earl’

  The streets were teeming with life as merchants, nobles and pickpockets tried to suck as much out of the weekend revelry as possible while the night was still young. Everyone had some idea of where they went or at least where they wanted to be, except for the shivering girl retching uncontrollably in the dark alley, hidden from prying eyes.

  Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she staggered to her feet and weakly tried to wrap the threadbare cloak around her thin body. Holding on to the rough, stained walls, she walked deeper into the dark alley, hoping desperately to find an unattended stable where she could rest her aching body. If she was lucky, maybe she wouldn’t even wake up come morning. That would be a blessing.

  ***

  Pensive dark eyes stared unseeingly into the glowing embers of the fire. Weekends were loud and busy and most times the unruliness was welcomed. But not tonight. The door opened, admitting a slightly rotund woman in her middle years. Her face beamed with pleasure as it fell on the person sitting in front of the fire.

  “I didn’t know you were back,” she said as she moved over to stand next to the chair. “Gordon told me what happened last week.” When no answer was forthcoming, she sighed. “We worry about you, Oasis. You haven’t been yourself lately.”

  The dark head lifted and coal black eyes searched out the older woman’s gaze. “It’s been six years now, Sylvie. Don’t you get tired of fretting so much?” The words were harsh, but the tone was gentle.

  The woman snorted. “Wait until you love someone so much that your waking hours are spent worrying about them. Till then you don’t have the right to frown on me for fussing over you.” The woman combed her fingers through the short midnight black hair. “Are you okay, my love? Since your return all you’ve done is sit in your room, thinking.”

  The dark head pressed against the woman’s ample bosom. “I’m fine, Sylvie. There are just a lot of things I have to think through.”

  Sylvie nodded. “Just be careful that you don’t get headaches. I’ll have Grace bring you something to eat. Maybe…” She tugged at the short strands, “…she could also offer you a little distraction. The poor girl’s been making cow eyes at you since she turned seventeen. I’ll never understand why you would waste your time with those high-priced whores instead of a nice, gentle girl like Grace.”

  Oasis rolled her eyes at Sylvie. “Because nice girls like Grace deserve a nice hardworking boy who will make love to them while they lay on their back and look up at him with big, adoring eyes. I prefer a woman who is happy to be pressed face down on the bed and ploughed until she goes hoarse.”

  Sylvie shook her head. “You’re a strange one, Oasis. But then, even your conception was a strange occurrence.”

  Grimacing, Oasis climbed to her feet, towering over the much smaller woman. “If it’s going to stop you from dredging up my unfortunate conception, I’ll leave the room and go for a walk. Will that make you feel better?”

  “Somewhat,” Sylvia said with a shrug, but her eyes were troubled as they rested on her. “You need someone to take care of that heart of yours, Oasis. With the life you lead, you risk losing it to the darkness that surrounds you every day.”

  Feeling her temper flare at the woman’s slight rebuke, Oasis turned away from Sylvie. She couldn’t fault the woman for speakin
g the truth. Love – true love-- had evaded her for so long, leaving only her second passion to thrive. Violence and death were part of her daily life and she was good at what she did. It offered a distraction, the power, money and excitement.

  She pulled Sylvie in for a one-armed hug. “Now leave me to my ponderings and go make sure that your husband is not being ripped off by those drunks.”

  Sylvia sighed and walked to the door. “I was serious about you taking care of your heart.”

  Oasis looked up and this time she saw Sylvia flinch. She had an idea of how Sylvia saw her at that moment. Face set in stone and onyx eyes glittering. That was not a nice sight nor did it belong to a nice person.

  She watched as the woman fled the room before she reclaimed her seat and went back to her brooding.

  ***

  Sylvia only stopped when she reached the kitchen. As much as she loved Oasis, the woman still managed to make the hair on her nape stand up on occasion. She had barely stepped into the kitchen when the door, leading to the alley behind the inn, burst open. With a loud squeak, she spun around, her hand over her thundering heart. It took her a few moments to realize that her guest was a girl, young and bleeding.

  “Please…please…help me,” came the broken plea which got her moving in an instant. She reached the girl just in time before she crumpled to the floor. Her mother’s heart ached as she held the young girl’s shivering body against hers. The poor thing was too young to be out on the streets. Her face was a mess of bruises and cuts. She surely had a brutal meeting with a monster. Her eyes were almost swollen shut, but still tears seeped through.

  “I have you, sweetheart. I have you, my dearest girl,” she murmured, even as her sight blurred from the tears filling her own eyes. She heard hurrying footsteps, looking up she found two men filling the door. Their faces spoke of violence and depravity, a look so many of the young men in Fairfield held. They reached for the girl, their hands hard and cruel. Sylvia held on for dear life, earning herself a blow to the head. Still, she held on to the, now whimpering, girl.