Page 25 of Twin Flames
George turned and smiled at his wife. They looked at each other. No words were necessary. He adored her generosity.
Swifty’s blue eyes welled up, and tears glistened on his long eyelashes. He wiped his filthy sleeve across his face and cleared his throat.
‘Thank you, my lady. You and my lord are the most kind and generous folk. My brother was right when he spoke of you. I would love to be with Bertie again.’
‘He’ll need to teach you a thing or two about horses.’ George laughed. ‘Come on. We’d better get off this road. We’re far too visible, and we need to stop and rest awhile.’
They cantered on the grassy track for a few more minutes before Cara guided the chestnut down the bank and on to a narrow track. George and Swifty followed.
Five miles back along the road, King Henry’s soldiers rode in vigorous pursuit of the escaped prisoners. They had firm orders to deliver the earl and countess to the Tower of London, preferably alive, but dead if necessary. Their escape was an embarrassment to the council, and the king was livid. He had declared that no one must escape from Newgate Prison again.
At the Black Eagle Inn, two men huddled around a table in a dim corner, waiting for their chance to continue their conversation with the busy innkeeper. They drank their ale and watched him. They were keen to know more about his stolen horses.
York, present day
Cara opened the front door to her cottage and entered the bright hallway, which immediately raised her spirits. She loved her home. It had been an exhausting day. She dropped her suitcase onto the shiny wooden floor and sighed. The return journey had been difficult because images of Daniel pecked at her conscience at every turn. She caught herself grinning like a love-struck teen when she thought of George, but her happiness was soured by guilt. She had decided she would tell Daniel their engagement was off as soon as she had a chance. There was no real choice: she could fight her feelings, but she was certain she would lose. After what had occurred in Seville, she couldn't keep up the charade any longer. She knew the truth in her soul. The partnership she had talked herself into, was dead. Her relationship with Daniel was built on a bedrock of self-deception. It was no one’s fault but her own. She’d been lying to herself all along, and now the bubble had abruptly burst. She was drowning in conflicting emotions.
She had pretended to herself, and to him, that what they had would be enough. She had wanted to believe she could be fulfilled in a life with Daniel because it was the sensible choice. Cara liked order and good sense. Messy, unpredictable emotions made her feel dangerously out of control. She’d lost any illusion of being in control since meeting George.
Being thrown into another time, without any say over when she came or went, was a leveller of epic proportions. She was too preoccupied with her feelings for George to battle anything else. She couldn’t now settle for an ordinary relationship. It wasn’t fair on any of them.
But that won’t make it any easier to tell him.
A heavy mass of emotion clogged in her chest, and the task which lay ahead looked ominous. She pulled her cardigan tighter around her shoulders and went to make tea. She was tired and cold. As she poured the boiling water on the teabag, she pondered the kindest way to break the news to Daniel. Her stomach churned at the thought of hurting him. He was a good man; this wasn’t fair to him at all, but ultimately, staying with him when she didn’t love him, would be even worse. He deserved better. He would find somebody more suited once word got out that he was back on the market. She frequently heard women in York complain about the shortage of eligible men. They were all apparently either married or too screwed up to marry.
Cara wished she could be happy with what she had. It would be so much simpler. From the minute, she’d collided with George in the bookshop, the old life she had so carefully constructed had begun to disintegrate. It was no longer hers to live. There was no going back to the way it was; to the way shehad been. There hadn’t been an earthquake in York that day, but there had been a monumental shift.
She sat at the wooden table, cradling her mug of tea, pondering how she’d got herself into this crazy mess.
Seville, the previous day
Cara had never felt so close to anyone as she did to George. Alejandro drove her to the conference and waited to take her back to the villa. George had asked if she would stay the night with him. She’d expressed concern about his staff. He had assured her that Valeria had the following day off, and Alejandro was discreet and had been loyal to him for years.
Cara lay in George’s arms, prosecco-like bubbles of joy fizzed in her belly. They had just made exquisite love again, and she felt emboldened. She trailed her fingers across his chest.
‘Have you ever had anything like this happen to you before? I’ve read stories about couples who’ve met and fallen instantly in love. One of my friends met a guy in Canada, and they were married within two weeks. It seemed crazy to me at the time, but now I think I get it.’ Cara blushed. ‘I mean. . .I didn’t mean we should get married, obviously,’ she trailed off, wishing she hadn’t spoken.
He’s already married, you fool.
They were married in the Tudor timeline, but that didn’t change the reality of their present-day life.
‘I know what you mean but I’ve never experienced anything like it.’ He stroked her shoulder and dropped a kiss onto her collarbone.
She shivered.
‘Apart from the French dancer and the Swedish librarian,’ he said.
Her heart missed a beat. ‘What?’ she said, her voice high-pitched and squeaky. Then she saw his smile. ‘Ah, you are teasing me.’
They laughed and joked as they nibbled on Spanish delicacies, made more sweet love and then fell into a blissful sleep just after midnight. It was the perfect evening. Cara awoke in the early hours to go to the bathroom and caught sight of her pink cheeks in the mirror. Her skin was flushed from George’s stubble, and she glowed from within. She’d not known contentment like this existed.
I’m going to enjoy each moment and not worry about tomorrow.
She returned to the giant bed and nestled into the cocoon of his arms. He stirred and planted a trail of kisses on her neck. The sensation of his naked body touching hers aroused her.His kisses torched her senses like touch-paper. Her longing for him was unquenchable. His lips sought hers with increasing urgency, and in seconds, they were tasting and devouring each other’s bodies again.
Their passion surged, and once again they lost all inhibitions. They undulated together to their own tempo as shards of dawn splayed through the wooden shutters.
First light cast a golden glow across the white linen sheets and illuminated the sleeping pair as they lay locked together. Cara had fallen into a deep slumber and dreamt of perfect days at Willow Manor with George, Thomas and May.
