There was only a candlestick to hand, and she threw it.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
The candlestick hit him on the shoulder and rebounded, clattering to the floor. He did not flinch. This annoyed her even more.
‘You’ve rescued me twice. Three times. A hundred times. I thought this time you were in terrible danger and I wanted to save you, too. It meant all sorts of risks. Believe me, being married to Borin meant being humiliated over and over again, but never in my life have I been so humiliated as I was today. Sitting there almost naked in front of men I’d never met in my life before … that popinjay’s hands on me … Lord Hastings leering down the front of my gown. It was all so disgusting.’ She had started off raising her voice and now she was shouting. ‘I had to pretend being eager, ready to do whatever – and I don’t know how to pretend things like that. I know I was asking to be raped. You may not think being a whore is wrong, but I do. I’ve never, ever done anything – apart from my husband, and I would have avoided him too if he’d ever let me. And you may choose to be patronising and say whores have a right to do what they want, but you seem angry enough with me because you think I was. And all to try and save your miserable life, and to no avail since it seems you weren’t in the slightest danger, after all. So, I’ve made a complete fool of myself – for nothing.’
He continued looking at her silently and without any change of expression she could discern, so she carried on. She was still shouting.
‘The others, too. I know you didn’t want them knowing anything about you, but everything changed – because of Throckmorton. He was planning to kill you. I had to tell them something, and they were all so kind and ready to help. They took terrible risks. Hastings could have had them whipped or even thrown into gaol. And all to rescue you. You said you were going away and I thought you’d gone to Yorkshire after the duke. You lied. If I’d known you were in London, none of this need’ve happened.’
Andrew Cobham said nothing. To Tyballis his faint smirk of amusement seemed malevolent. It infuriated her. ‘And now you dare to suggest,’ she yelled, ‘to hint that I was after that wretched Marrott because he’s rich and handsome – or maybe you think I want to be some horrid lord’s mistress. Me? And then you infer I’m after you, because of guilt and obligation! As if I would. You’re – rude and – stupid. I wouldn’t ever let you touch me. I hope Throckmorton kills you, after all.’
He stood so still and so silent that Tyballis felt an irresistible desire to shatter his immovability and looked around for something else to throw. She noticed the second candlestick, matching the first, and reached for it. ‘I may be pathetic and get into muddles,’ she glared at him. ‘But at least I’m appreciative. You – you just don’t think anyone else can do anything, only you.’
She threw the second candlestick. He had the nerve to catch it. Worse – he was now smiling with genuine pleasure, just as if all her fury was simply for his entertainment. She opened her mouth to object even more loudly, but found herself inexplicably mute. Andrew Cobham was kissing her and she couldn’t breathe.
‘Now, I wonder,’ he said softly, releasing her only an inch as he looked down into her startled expression, ‘should I waste my time answering this absurd bombardment of accusations, or do I simply carry you to bed?’
‘You can’t –’ she said, but managed no more. He had tossed away the towel from around her shoulders and was kissing her again. Peeping up at his face above hers, she thought his eyes glittered strangely. But his mouth was crushing hers, her lips felt bruised, his breath was burning her throat and the taste of him was on her tongue. She could think of nothing else. When he let her go, she staggered back against the bed post and stared at him, panting hard.
He looked her over for one slow moment, then leaned forwards and put both hands to the belt at her waist where her limp and bedraggled skirts remained attached. Just a brief twitch of his thumbs, and he watched as the last of her clothes tumbled to her feet. ‘That’s better,’ he murmured, ‘but not yet perfect. You are too cold.’ And he picked up the towel from the floor and, stretching it between his hands, began to dry her.
He started with her hair, tousling it gently with the towel, absorbing the soaking ruin of the rain and returning her curls to a damp fluff of fair ringlets. His hands then followed down, rubbing around her ears, against the back of her neck and the curve of her spine. As he dried her, he spoke.
‘So many complaints,’ he smiled, ‘and so many misunderstandings. I shall answer what I can. Firstly, I did not lie, child. Indeed, your guess was a good one. I went to Yorkshire and spent nearly three weeks at Middleham Castle. Finally Gloucester gave new instructions, and ordered my return to London. I then stayed three days at the Crosby annexe, where you have stayed before. I was working, and therefore coming back here was no option. You distract my purpose, little one, as you have again tonight. And my purpose is not an idle one. Would you have the king killed for the sake of seeing me?’
She would have objected to this, but was herself distracted. Andrew was drying her shoulders, then the pressure of his fingers within the warmth of the towel moved across her breasts, teasing and pressing, pulling at her nipples. Still leaning against the bedpost, she sighed and forgot what she had intended to say.
Andrew Cobham’s eyes were on her body as he spoke. ‘Seeing you in Marrott’s bed was a shock,’ he continued. ‘I have no wish to be unappreciative, but I still cannot see why you sleeping with that creature was supposed to save my life. You mentioned Throckmorton. The man is a damnable nuisance and is no doubt plotting to slaughter me as he has before, but why you should have been involved with his plans is not at all clear. I am remarkably slow, it seems, but these intrigues are beyond me. I was finishing a long day of tiresome negotiations, and was looking forward to an undisturbed night’s rest. Your sudden appearance, alarmingly naked and in the very last place I should have found you, did not, let us say, appeal to my sense of humour. Being then forced to subject you to a journey home by river, when in all truth I would gladly have thrown you into it, did not smooth my patience either.’
His hands were now beneath her breasts, lifting and soothing. ‘Raise your arms,’ he commanded and dried there, taking each arm, each hand and each finger separately. Tyballis was beginning to feel deliciously warm. ‘For whatever attempts you made and risks you took to do what you thought would save me, I thank you, my dear. I do not understand what nor why, but no doubt you will explain tomorrow. But not now. I am in no condition to listen.’
Now he towelled the small of her back and her buttocks, bringing her hard against him as he pressed his fingers across and between, holding her gaze with his eyes as he continued to speak. ‘As you have remarked, I undressed you before. But I took no advantage, although I confess the thought occurred to me. But ignoring temptation a third time appears to be beyond me. Now I fully intend taking advantage, and if you intend resisting, you may have to use considerably more force than a couple of candlesticks. I am not so easily dissuaded.’
The towel and his hands now kneaded her belly, rubbing over her hips and down to her groin. ‘Marrott is no friend of mine, although I call him friend,’ Andrew continued, his voice in her ear softer than his hands on her body. ‘Taking you from him at the very moment of his arousal was hardly diplomatic. He already considers the world his for the taking, and with a beautiful woman flaunting her breasts in his bedchamber, he could be forgiven for thinking the right was his.’