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snapped up and devoured by some marauding lord. But the touch of amusement faded quickly as he
imagined the primitive satisfaction of claiming her, picking her up and carrying her to a soft patch of
ground.
For just a moment he let himself dwell on the idea & lowering himself to her writhing body, tearing her
dress, kissing her breasts
Leo shook his head to clear it, troubled by the direction of his thoughts. Whatever else he was, he was
not a man to force himself on a woman. And yet the fantasy was too potent to ignore. With an effort, he
bludgeoned the barbaric impulses back into submission.
Catherine was halfway up the slope when she gave a low cry and seemed to stumble.
Concerned, Leo started for her immediately.  Did you trip? Are you bloody hell. He stopped in place as
he saw that the ground had partially given way beneath her.  Stop, Cat. Don t move. Wait.
 What s happening? she asked, her face bleached of color.  Is it a sinkhole?
 More like a bloody architectural miracle. We seem to be standing on a portion of a roof that should
have caved in at least two centuries ago.
They were approximately five yards apart, with Leo on higher ground.
 Cat, he said with great care,  slowly lower yourself to the ground to redistribute your weight over a
greater surface. Easy. Yes, like that. Now you re going to crawl back down the slope.
 Can you help me? she asked, and the tremor in her voice wrenched his heart.
He answered in a thick voice that didn t sound like his own.  Sweetheart, I would love nothing more. But
joining my weight to yours could collapse the roof entirely. Start moving. If it makes you feel better, with
all the debris in there, it can t be too far to fall.
 Actually, that doesn t make me feel better at all. White-faced, she moved slowly on her hands and
knees.
Leo stayed in place, not taking his gaze from Catherine. The ground that seemed so solid beneath his
feet was possibly nothing more than a layer of earth and ancient rotted timber.  You ll be fine, he said
in a soothing tone, while his heart pounded with anxiety for her.  You weigh no more than a butterfly.
It s my weight that s put a strain on what s left of the beams and bridging joints.
 Is that why you re not moving?
 Yes. If I cause a collapse when I try to get off, I d like you to be out of harm s way first.
They both felt the ground shift beneath them.
 My lord, Catherine asked, her eyes wide,  do you think this has anything to do with the Ramsay
curse?
 Actually, that hadn t occurred to me yet, Leo said.  Thank you so much for bringing it to my
attention.
The roof collapsed, and they simultaneously plunged amid a torrent of earth, rock, and timber into the
dark space below.
Chapter Seven
Catherine stirred and coughed. There was grit in her mouth and eyes, and she was sprawled on a
wretchedly uncomfortable surface.
 Marks. She heard Leo shove debris aside as he made his way to her. His voice was unsteady and
urgent.  Are you hurt? Can you move?
 Yes & I m all in one piece&  She sat up and rubbed her face. Evaluating the collection of aches and
pains in her body, she decided they were all insignificant.  Just a bit bruised. Oh, dear. My spectacles are
gone.
She heard him swear.  I ll try to find them.
Disoriented, she tried to make out what she could of their surroundings. Leo s lean form was a dark blur
nearby as he searched the rubble. Dust clouded the air, settling slowly. From what little she could see,
they were in a pit, perhaps six feet deep, with sunlight drizzling in through the broken roof.  You were
right, my lord. It wasn t far to fall. Is this the keep?
Leo s breathing sounded strained as he replied,  I m not sure. It could be an undercroft beneath the
keep. I see the remains of a stone partition over there & and hollows in the side wall where transverse
joints would support 
In a burst of fresh terror, Catherine launched herself at his indistinct form, scrabbling to reach him in the
dimness.
 What is it? Leo s arms closed around her.
Gasping, she buried her face against the solid surface of his chest. They were half sitting, half lying amid
heaps of rotted timber, stone, and earth.
One of his hands came to her head, curving over her skull protectively.  What happened?
Her voice was muffled in his shirt.  Undercroft.
He smoothed her hair and pressed her even closer into the protection of his body.  Yes. Why does that
frighten you?
She could hardly speak between panting breaths.  Isn t that & where they keep the bodies?
The tremulous question hung in the air as Leo puzzled over it.  Oh. No, it s not that kind of undercroft.
A quiver of rueful amusement ran through his voice, and she felt his mouth touch the rim of her ear.
 You re thinking of one of the rooms beneath modern churches, where the deceased are put away. But
a medieval undercroft is different. It s only a storeroom beneath the keep.
Catherine didn t move.  There are no s-skeletons in here?
 No. Nor skulls, nor coffins. His hand continued to stroke tenderly over her hair.  Poor darling. It s all
right. Nothing fearsome down here. Take a deep breath. You re safe.
Catherine continued to lie in his arms as she caught her breath. She tried to take in the fact that Leo, her
enemy and tormentor, was calling her  poor darling and petting her. His lips brushed her temple and
lingered gently. Holding still, she absorbed the sensation. She had never been attracted to men of his
size, preferring those of less intimidating stature. But he was strong and comforting, and he seemed so
genuinely concerned, and his voice was like dark velvet wrapping around her.
How perplexing.
Had anyone told her that she would one day be trapped alone in a filthy pit with Leo, Lord Ramsay, she
would have said that was her worst nightmare. And yet it was turning out to be a rather agreeable
experience. No wonder Ramsay was so sought after by the ladies of London & If this was how he set
about seducing them, all this lovely soothing and stroking, Catherine could easily understand how he got
his way with them.
To her regret, he gently eased her away from him.  Marks & I m afraid I m not going to be able to find
your spectacles in this wreckage.
 I have another pair at home, she ventured.
 Thank God. Leo sat up with a quiet grunt of discomfort.  Now, if we stand on the highest pile of
debris, it s only a short distance to the surface. I m going to hoist you up, get you out of here, and then
you re going to ride back to Ramsay House. Cam trained the horse, so you won t need to guide him. He ll
find his way back home with no trouble.
 What are you going to do? she asked, bewildered.
He sounded rather sheepish.  I m afraid I m going to have to wait here until you send someone for me.
 Why?
 I have a  He paused, searching for a word.  Splinter.
She felt indignant.  You re going to make me ride back alone and unescorted and virtually blind, to send
someone to rescue you? All because you have a splinter?
 A large one, he volunteered.
 Where is it? Your finger? Your hand? Maybe I can help to & Oh, God.  This last as he took her hand and
brought it to his shoulder. His shirt was wet with blood, and a thick shard of timber protruded from his
shoulder.  That s not a splinter, she said in horror.  You ve been impaled. What can I do? Shall I pull it
out?
 No, it might be lodged against an artery. And I wouldn t care to bleed out down here.
She crawled closer to him, bringing her face close to his to examine him anxiously. Even in the shadows,
he appeared pale and gray, and when she pressed her fingers to his forehead, she felt cool moisture.
 Don t worry, he murmured.  It looks worse than it is.
But Catherine didn t agree. If anything, it was worse than it looked. She was infused with panic as she [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]