My Lady Vixen by Connie Mason Read Free Book Online Page B

sconce on the stone wall and Alexa was surprised to see that the cave was large and roomy, allowing them space to stand erect. Holding the torch with one hand and Alexa with the other. Adam led her toward a small passage to the right of the cavern.
    With the torch lighting their path the passage led steadily upward and Alexa panted from her exertions. Suddenly they came to a flight of stone steps which they slowly negotiated. Then another, twisting to the left. Then another. And finally a door set into the stone wall. Adam extracted a key from his pocket, fit it in the lock and the door creaked open, protesting loudly from disuse.
    Adam stepped into the room first, bowing low asAlexa crossed over the threshold. “Welcome to Penwell Castle, milady,” he said, his brooding face breaking into a half-smile that did little to allay her fears. “I hope your stay will prove enjoyable.”

4
     
    Cornwall 1778
    Alexa stared moodily out the tall window of the lovely room assigned to her. A high, canopied bed accessible only by climbing three steps onto its surface dominated the room decorated in varying shades of blue. A wardrobe, chest of drawers, delicate French desk and several satin-covered chairs complimented the attractive decor. It was obviously a woman’s room. A fire was blazing in the fireplace to ward off the chill that permeated the stone walls despite the fact that it was summer and they were adorned with thick tapestries. Alexa had been at Penwell Castle for two days and it seemed to her that in all that time the wind blew constantly.
    It was obvious to Alexa that the castle was ancient, built by one of Adam’s ancestors. He had finally confided to her that they were in a remote section of Cornwall and the castle and lands were part of his inheritance. Alexa knew there must be a village nearby for the servants who served the castle had to come fromsomewhere in the vicinity.
    But, Hilda, the elderly woman assigned to see to her needs, might well have been deaf and dumb for all she communicated. It was evident that the servants were intensely loyal to the master of Penwell and though they treated her with respect they obeyed only Adam. Alexa had the run of the house but was not allowed outdoors to walk the wild moors as she longed to do. With the well-stocked library she realized there was no chance of her becoming bored, but she missed her father and all her friends.
    Still, she was eternally grateful that Adam had not yet carried out his threat to make her his mistress. During the day she was left much on her own and at night his only demand was her presence at supper.
    Most times he remained cool and courteous, but at other times the hate and contempt he felt for her father was transmitted to her, his icy blue eyes conveying his feelings adequately.
    What proved most distressing to Alexa was the fact that she had no suitable clothing. The sailor garb was taken from her when she first arrived and she found nothing in the wardrobe or dresser but filmy night-clothes, most unfit to be seen in. When she complained bitterly to Adam he only smiled blandly and said, “You have nothing to hide from me, milady.”
    Alexa could read nothing in his stony expression so chose not to pursue the meaning behind his cryptic words. The less they spoke about his reason for bringing her to this windswept land the better she liked it. So in the end she had worn the gowns and robes, grateful at least for something with which to cover her nakedness.
    From her vantage point high above the cliffs and the sea. Alexa could not see the small cove where
The Gray Ghost
had put her and Adam ashore, for her room was situated in a corner where the cove was not visible. Shehad since learned from Adam that the cave and passageway into the castle were used at one pont in time by an ancestor involved in smuggling, which made her think of Fox. She supposed that by now he was back harassing the British navy. She sighed wistfully as she thought of that