Chapter Eight
"Well, if this isn't every man's fantasy, I don't know what is," Xander stood in the door, looking over Willow, Tara and Anya, who were all tied back to back, wearing only their chemises. They were all gagged, and all looked furious.
"Mr. Harris, is that really appropriate?" Giles said, stepping forward and taking Anya's axe to cut the ropes.
Xander started pulling gags off, starting with Anya's, hoping for a sweet smile. Instead she glared at him and started yelling about bloody men. Quickly, he stepped away and freed Willow and Tara.
"What happened?"
"William," Willow flexed her arms. "Some woman turned up and threatened us with a musket and set him free. Then she lassoed us all together and gagged us and they rode off. I'm afraid they took your horse," she added to Giles.
"Another insane woman with a gun?" Xander said.
"How many do you know?" Anya asked.
"What did she look like?" Giles asked.
"She was small..."
"Pretty..."
"Blonde hair..."
"Men's clothes..."
"Are you sure she was a woman?" Giles asked, and Willow said, "Oh yeah."
There was silence for a few seconds. Willow blushed hotly. Giles cleared his throat.
"Are any of you hurt?"
"I think I have rope burns," Anya rubbed her stomach, then looked up at Xander, and held out her arm so he could inspect her flawless shoulder. "Does that look sore to you?"
Xander's eyes glazed over. "It looks perfect."
She smiled, showing him a perfect pair of dimples.
Giles rolled his eyes. "Well, I don't suppose there's any chance of us getting him back," he said.
"Why would we want to?" Willow said. "He was a highwayman"
"Yes, but he knew this P-Perdita who we think might be Elizabeth," Tara said. "He might know where she is."
"But how do we find him?" Anya asked, tearing her eyes away from Xander.
They all looked at each other.
"We'll start asking in the morning," Giles said wearily. "For now, perhaps we should all try and get some sleep. And you three, please, put something on."
"I need to know," Buffy said to Angel next morning at breakfast. "Everything about myself. Whatever you can tell me. It might help jog my memory."
Angel pushed a piece of bacon around on his plate. "Starting?"
"When did we meet?"
He thought about it. "You'd have been about sixteen. You were out riding, early morning, before anyone else was awake. And I was on my way home with a nice haul. You looked at me, and I looked at you, and you just rode off."
"Why didn't you try and rob me?"
He gave her a disarming smile. "Because what I wanted from you wasn't your money."
Buffy blushed.
"Did you-" she was horribly embarrassed, "did you get it?"
He nodded slowly.
Darla grinned. "Are you sure you don't remember that?" she asked. "It's quite something to forget."
Buffy shook her head. "I'm sorry."
"So am I," Angel said. "Perhaps I should remind you."
"And then I'll kill you," Will said, the first time he'd spoken.
"Calm down," Darla said. "You know, Buffy, it's a shame you don't remember. A comparison might have been fun."
"Don't you dare," Will said.
Cordelia came in and paused at the door. "My God," she said, "I can hardly breathe in here."
"What's wrong?" Buffy asked.
"You four. The air is thick with lust."
"Actually, that's bacon-"
She rolled her eyes and handed a letter to Angel. He opened it, frowned, and then said to Will, "Will you come into my study?"
Will frowned too. He touched Buffy's hand, then rose to his feet and followed Angel from the room. She watched him, admiring the fluid way he moved, and Darla had to click her fingers in front of Buffy's face to get her attention.
"He had that effect on me," she said, and Buffy stared.
"You - and Will-?"
Darla grinned. "Don't tell Angel, but he might have got competition."
"No," Buffy said firmly, "he hasn't. You go anywhere near Will and I'll cut your fingers off."
Darla raised her eyebrows. "I didn't realise it was that big."
This time it was Buffy's turn to grin.
"I meant," Darla laughed, "what you two have. How long have you known each other?"
Buffy sighed. "A couple of days. Darla - did you know me? I mean, before-?"
"No. He talks about you a lot though. The Slayer. You were a big thing in his life."
"Was I? Were we... Were we together a long time?"
"I think it was a couple of years."
Buffy was shocked. "And we were lovers, as well as partners?"
"You certainly were."
Buffy frowned pensively. She drummed her fingers on the table.
"I need to go out," she said. "I need to ride. Would you have some clothes I could borrow?"
"I'll send Cordelia up with some."
Cordelia helped Buffy dress in the smart red riding outfit and tucked her hair under a little veiled hat. "When Angel's messenger gets back from Virginia he'll hopefully have some clothes for you," she said. "Darla's are all too short and mine would be huge on you."
"It's fine, really," Buffy said. "You've already done too much." They went downstairs, and Cordelia disappeared in the direction of the kitchen while Buffy wandered through the house, trying to find the way to the stables.
She heard voices in Angel's study, and was about to knock and ask which way to go, when someone shot out in front of her and thrust a hand over her mouth, pressing her back against the wall.
She looked up, surprised, ready to fight, and saw Will's eyes sparkling down at her.
"Going riding?"
She licked his palm, and he moved it away.
"Want to join me?"
"Oh, yes," Will said, and kissed her. Buffy's arms wound up around his neck, and his hands slid around her back. The riding outfit wasn't as tightly corseted as a normal dress, although she still had layers of stays and petticoats under it. She was hardly aware she'd even lifted her leg against William's waist until she felt his hand sliding up her thigh, over her stocking tops, and she gasped.
"Will, not here!"
He nuzzled her neck. "Why not?"
"Someone might see..." He licked her collarbone, and she let out a little moan. "Or hear."
"Mmm. I don't care. I want to be inside you."
Buffy tried to think of a way to protest, because she really didn't want anyone to come by and see them, but his hand was doing exquisite things under her skirts and his mouth was hot on her neck and she wanted him to be inside her too, and, hardly of her own volition, her hands pulled her skirts up.
"Knew you'd see it my way," Will grinned, and unfastened his breeches. Buffy glanced wildly around - Angel was just on the other side of the wall - and then bit her own tongue to keep quiet as Will slid up inside her still rather tender opening. She'd thought it might be painful, after all she was a bit sore, but it just felt good. Like he was stroking away all the pain.
"Oh, you feel so good," he whispered, lifting her up higher, wrapping her legs around his waist, and Buffy closed her eyes, feeling him move inside her, feeling the heat and the hardness of him. He moved slowly, whispering things in her ear that made her wriggle and squirm and clutch at him, trying to get him in deeper, to make more friction, to move faster, harder.
"Will," she said desperately, and he lifted one hand from her hip to press his finger to her lips.
"Shh," he mocked, "someone might hear."
"Let them," she said, "I need you harder. Faster." She squeezed herself around him. "Will, please-"
"Damn it," he said, "I can't refuse you anything," and pushed in so hard she let out a cry. He was so hot, his body so hard, and he felt so good, plunging into her. Buffy's nails dug into his back through his waistcoat and his shirt, wishing she could feel his skin against her fingers. She was so hot and so desperate for release she thought she might die.
"Harder," she whimpered, "harder, Will, please, I'm nearly there..."
He obliged, smashing into her so hard the wall rattled and through the wood and plaster, Angel said, "What's going on?"
Buffy's eyes met Will's, wide with panic, and she nearly told him to stop, but then he ground his hips against hers and she forgot all about Angel and concentrated on the gathering heat inside her, building to a fire, spreading inside her, making her arms and legs shake. She bit her lip, then thought better of it and bit Will's instead, and he let out a hoarse shout, and the door from Angel's study opened and he came out and said, "What the hell?"
"Oh my God!" Buffy cried, and her body convulsed in an orgasm so intense she nearly passed out.
"Right," Angel said, and went back inside.
Will was laughing, shaking as he thrust into her. "God, that was funny," he said, and Buffy barely heard him, clinging to him absently as her mind floated around somewhere on a plane of ecstasy.
Will looked at her bare throat and flushed face and the tendrils of hair escaping the hat he'd knocked askew, and felt the heat build and shatter in him too. He thrust a few more times into her, then erupted, hot and happy, crying, "God, Buffy, you're amazing."
And Buffy screamed.
Angel's door opened again. "Could you two keep it down?" he began, and then he saw what had made Buffy scream, and froze for a second.
"Was it that good?" Will mumbled against Buffy's neck, and was hurt when she shoved him off her, shoving her skirts down and steadying herself against the wall when her legs trembled. She looked pointedly over his shoulder, and Will glanced that way, and what he saw nearly made him faint.
"Drusilla?"
"My little Willie," she said, and Angel burst out laughing.
"Hey, less of the 'little'," Will said, colouring, fastening his breeches and turning around.
"You know her?" Buffy said.
"We've met," Will said shortly, looking Drusilla over.
"Why is she naked?" Angel said. "Not that I'm complaining, but..."
Buffy rolled her eyes and pulled Will's coat off his shoulders.
"It's short for William," he said, and she hid a smile.
"I know," she said.
"I'm not-"
This time she let him see her grin. "I know," she said, and he smiled at that. She took the coat over to Drusilla, who froze, and looked Buffy over warily.
"It's all right," Buffy said. "No one's going to hurt you."
Drusilla clutched the leather around her and inhaled. "William," she said.
"Better," Will said. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Drusilla didn't answer.
"We found her," Angel said. "Wandering around, talking to herself."
"What happened? She's all bruised and beaten up." Will's sharp gaze swung on Angel. "Did you do that?"
"I've been helping her!" the darker man protested. "Honest to God."
"Drusilla?" Buffy ventured. "Is that really your name?"
"That's the one she gave me," Will said.
"We'll get onto you later," Buffy warned. "Drusilla, what happened to you?"
"All the pretty dollies," Drusilla said dreamily. "They didn't like it. Chop, chop, chop."
Silence.
"Right," Will said. "Dru, sweetheart, what the hell are you talking about?"
"Like red wine," Drusilla went on. "Spill, spill, spill..."
"And I thought I'd lost my mind," Buffy muttered.
"Spill, spill, spill..."
Cordelia came into the room. "What's she doing down here?"
"Interesting question," Angel said. "I thought she was supposed to be staying upstairs."
"I locked the door," Cordelia frowned.
"You locked her in?" Will said.
"Well, there's no telling what she might do if she gets out," Cordelia said. "She started throwing candlesticks around in her room. We had to take all the sharp things out. And the mirror."
"The mirror?" Buffy said.
"She screamed whenever she saw herself."
"Don't know why," Angel said. "She's not bad-looking."
Cordelia rolled her eyes. "I think that's some kind of trauma," she said. "Come on, Dru, let's get you upstairs."
Drusilla shook her head. "Not without my William."
"Your William?" Buffy arched an eyebrow. "Excuse me, but-"
"Not right now, love," Will's hand was heavy on her shoulder.
"You have some explaining to do," Buffy said, shrugging him away.
"Fine, but not right now." He went over to Drusilla and she reached up a hand to stroke his face. Buffy started forwards, but Angel held her back.
"We'll talk later," he said, and gave a look to Cordelia, who nodded and went away.
They followed Drusilla and William up the stairs, Buffy flinching every time she touched him, which was often. She found herself wondering when it was she'd come to regard Will as hers. Probably some time around her tenth or eleventh orgasm.
"Does she have any clothes?" Will asked when they got to Drusilla's room, where the lock had indeed been forced, and Buffy picked up a discarded nightgown. There was blood on it, and she looked up in alarm.
Drusilla shrieked.
"Red, red, like wine, spilling and pouring, trickling like a fountain, pretty all over the walls, the floor, running, running down the stairs..."
Will tried to calm her and she buried her face in his chest. He looked surprised, but put his arms around her and received a scowl from Buffy for it.
"Where's she bleeding from?"
The door opened and Cordelia came back in with a cup of something hot. She looked at the nightgown, then back at Drusilla, and sighed.
"She's not hurt," she said. "It's - well, you know," she looked at Buffy, who understood immediately.
Will and Angel looked blank.
Buffy rolled her eyes. "It's a female thing," she said, and watched them both colour.
"Right," Will said, and released Drusilla.
"It's not catching," Buffy laughed. "You two go outside and don't move and we'll sort this out. All right?"
They agreed all too hastily and fled the room. Buffy and Cordelia met eyes and grinned.
"Nice to know there's still some way to intimidate a man," Cordelia said, and Buffy replied, "Oh, there's more than one."
They sorted Drusilla out and gave her the cup to drink from. Cordelia explained that it contained a sleeping draught, and as they left she called a servant to stand outside the door and guard it until she could get someone to fix the lock.
"Right," Buffy looked at Angel and William, "explanation time."
It was midafternoon, when Giles had dismissed his class for the day and was walking back to his little house, that he saw the carriage rumble through the main street. It stopped by the tavern, and the driver went inside, coming back out after a minute or so and taking off again. The carriage rolled away and disappeared around the corner.
Giles thought little of it, until he came to his own house and saw the carriage outside.
Frowning, he went in through the kitchen, where Tara was hastily preparing food with Willow's help.
"Do we have company?"
The maid bobbed a quick curtsey. "Sir. A young lady. Wants to see you. Says it's important. About William."
By now surprised and very curious, Giles took off his outdoor coat and hat and went through into the parlour, where Anya and Xander were sitting rather too close for a couple who weren't courting, opposite a young lady who had her back to him, sitting in the best chair.
He cleared his throat. "I do apologise for keeping you waiting, miss-"
She rose gracefully to her feet and turned to face him. She was quite young, perhaps only fifteen or so, with dark hair and big blue eyes in a heart-shaped face. Her dress was velvet and her hat was very fashionable. "Mr. - Giles, is it?"
He nodded.
"You are the schoolteacher."
He nodded again.
"Your niece tells me you may know something of William the Bloody?"
"Well, yes, yes, I do, but not a huge amount," Giles said, gesturing for her to sit down again, which she did, after shaking his hand and introducing herself.
"Miss Chaleur," she said. "Do you know where Mr. Darling is?"
"Who?" Xander said.
"William. That's his name," Giles explained.
"William the Bloody's surname is Darling?" Xander said, and Anya giggled.
Giles and his guest ignored them. "Mr. Darling," it did sound odd, now he thought of it, "was here yesterday," he said, "but I'm afraid he left last night."
"Do you know where?"
"No, although I would very much like to."
"Did he rob you?" Miss Chaleur said dejectedly.
"No, but he tried," Xander said proudly.
"Did he? I didn't know that," Anya said, and Xander puffed up proudly.
"Oh, sure. He tried to rob us, but we vanquished him."
"Actually, Perdita vanquished him," Willow said, coming in with a tray of cakes. She was followed by Tara, who had tea and cups.
"She's not Perdita," Xander corrected, "she's Elizabeth."
Miss Chaleur looked at Giles for help. "I'm confused."
"My goddaughter, Elizabeth Summers," Giles explained. "She went missing and we have reason to believe she may be the Perdita who rescued Mr. Harris and Mr. Rosenberg from William the - from Mr. Darling."
"I'd like to meet this Perdita," Miss Chaleur said with a bit of a smile. "Why is she using another name?"
"We don't know," Xander said. "We think she was hiding - afraid of something. She, uh, rescued me and Willow," Anya looked disappointed at that, "but she had no idea who she was. But Mr. Giles thinks she might be his friend's daughter."
"I see," the guest nodded. "But she wasn't here with him?"
"No, she left the night before," Xander said. "Before we got here. With Mr. Darling," he sniggered as he said the name.
He was ignored.
"I have a proposal," Miss Chaleur said. "I believe I know where Mr. Darling may be. He told me I was to meet him here but since he is quite obviously not here, I am pretty sure I know where he will be. I will take you there and vouch for you, and you can ask him about your Miss Elizabeth. In return you will protect me on the highways. There are evil men out there. Do we have an agreement?"
Giles looked doubtful for a second.
"I'll come with you," Xander said. "I survived William once, I can do it again."
"You just want to see Perdita again," Willow said.
"I'm coming too," Anya volunteered quickly, and Xander tried, unsuccessfully, to hide a smile.
Giles looked at them, saw the resolve on his niece's face, and sighed. "We have a deal."
"We met on the boat over," Will said, rolling a cigarette and lighting it. "Not much in the way of conversation. She was leaving England for a new life in the new world."
"With her family?" Buffy asked, and he nodded.
"Mother, father, older brother and younger sister."
"Sister?" Buffy frowned. "There was no sister..."
"No, well, there wouldn't be, love. She died on the ship. Not long before we reached port. Mumps. Spread through the ship like wildfire," his eyes were distant.
"You didn't see any of the bodies at the farm," Buffy said. "So you wouldn't have recognised them. But do you remember what they looked like?"
He shrugged. "Her mum looked like her. I remember that. The cheekbones, and the eyes. Really odd pale eyes. Her brother had them, too."
Buffy closed her own eyes and brought to mind the three bodies they'd found at the farmhouse.
"I think that was them," she said. "I'm almost sure of it. I knew Drusilla reminded me of someone when I saw her. That's who."
"So someone attacked the family," Angel said, "killed Ma and Pa and big brother, but not her."
"From the look of her I'd say she'd been raped," Darla said, and Buffy shuddered. Will put his arm around her. "And brutalised. She's still in a hell of a state."
Buffy nodded. "You saw her reaction to the blood. And what was she saying about it flowing down the stairs?"
"She rambled even when she was sane," Will said, blowing out a smoke ring. "Always on about the bloody stars."
"How well did you know her?" Angel asked slyly, and Will glared at him.
"As well as you know her," he gestured at Darla.
"You were sleeping with her?"
"Don't recall much sleeping," Will said with a smirk, which vanished when he felt Buffy stiffen under his arm. "Buffy, love, it was ten years ago. More than that. Twelve, thirteen..."
"She must have been young," Darla said.
"Not much more than a kid."
"And still unmarried at this age."
"Too bloody weird to get married," William inhaled on his roll-up.
"You didn't want her?" Buffy said tonelessly.
"Used goods, love. She was just for then."
"Like me? Am I just for now?"
Angel and Darla exchanged looks.
"Why don't we go and check on Drusilla?" she said, and dragged him to his feet. He looked disappointed, but went.
Buffy got up too, and Will stood, thinking she was going to leave, but she just paced around the room, still wearing that red riding costume, looking lush.
"Am I just for now?" she asked, and he sighed.
"Love, do you know who I am?"
"I'm starting to think I don't."
"I'm a highwayman. I don't do permanency."
"You just do whoever passes by," Buffy said. "Right."
"No," he reached for her, and she shook him off. "No, listen. What I mean is, it would never really work between us."
"Why? Because a highwayman and a highwaywoman are so very different?"
"No, because this time next week, you or I could get shot in the head by the militia. And if I spend any more time with you, then I'm not going to be able to live with you getting shot in the head."
She was silent for a few seconds, and William stepped closer.
"Buffy. Pet. You're one of the most amazing women I've ever met. You're - the things you do, the way you move..."
"So it's just about what we do in bed?"
"The way you breathe," William finished. "Hell, I wanted you when you were throwing rocks at me. But we can't get involved, Buffy. We just can't. Maybe you can go on to a normal life, but not me. I'm set. I like being a highwayman, I'm good at it. I can't give you the life you deserve."
And besides, he thought, what would I ever get from you? You don't even seem to like me most of the time.
"You're right," she said, and he looked up in surprise. "You're right, it would never work. And its not like we have a lot to throw away. Not like this was a grand love affair or anything..."
It could be, Will thought, and sighed. In a perfect world, it could be. But then he'd get shot in the head and she'd be alone again. Or worse, she'd get shot, and he wasn't sure he could go on without her.
It was ridiculous. A few days and he was 'what-if'ing. No. It had to stop now, before he lost concentration.
Someone tapped on the door, and they both looked up. It was Doyle.
"We have visitors," he said. "Well, you do."
"Who?" Buffy asked. "Me or him?"
"Both of you," Doyle said, and Buffy and Will looked at each other in confusion.
Then, "Willow and Xander," Will realised.
"How the hell did they find us?" Buffy said. "Matter of fact, how did you find me?"
"Angel," Will said. "I'll explain later."
He headed out of the room, and Buffy followed, frowning.
They were in the drawing room, more of them than she'd expected. The only one she recognised was Xander, who leapt up in delight when he saw her.
"Perdita!"
"Buffy," she corrected.
"You're not hiding any more?"
"I, er-" Buffy looked around, and saw an older man standing there smiling broadly at her.
"Elizabeth," he said. "I'm so happy to see you safe and well."
"Er, yes," she said. "Er..."
"Buffy," Will's hand rested on the small of her back, "don't tell me you've forgotten your godfather, good old Rupert?"
"Rupert," Buffy repeated, looking him over closely. Nope, didn't ring any bells.
"It has been a long time since I saw you," Giles said, laughing. "I'm not surprised you don't remember. You must have been quite small."
"But you recognised me."
"You look exactly like your mother did at that age."
"My mother?"
"Ah, yes," Giles took off his glasses and polished them with his handkerchief. "I'm afraid I have some bad news. The ship you were on, The Redoubtable, you survived the sinking?"
Buffy nodded. "Just."
"But your mother... I'm afraid we found her on the beach. It appears she drowned."
There was silence for a few seconds.
"Buffy?" Will said gently.
"I thought so," she said quietly. "I thought she must be dead. "Angel, you can call off your messenger."
He nodded and left the room.
"So he's the master of Sunnydale House?" Xander said. "Friend of yours?"
"Old friend," Buffy said, and looked over the two women who'd come with Xander and Giles. One was sitting on the chaise, looking possessively at Xander. Buffy smiled at that. She was delicate and very pretty, and there was a stubborn set to her face that Buffy had a feeling Xander might enjoy.
The other was looking at William, or rather trying to, because Giles was in her way. She was small, quite young, and had dark hair tucked up under her large picture hat. When they'd come in the girl's face had been hidden by the hat, but now it was on show as she looked up. At William. Straight at William. Despite what they'd been saying just a few minutes ago, Buffy felt a flash of jealousy. Will was still hers, at least for now.
Should she ask who they were? Or was she supposed to know?
But Will did it for her. Still unaware of the dark-haired girl, he looked at the girl staring at Xander, and grinned. "This is your godfather's niece, love," he said. "Anya. Does that make you cousins?"
Buffy opened her mouth to say hello, but she was cut off by the younger girl speaking for the first time.
"That depends on if they're related by marriage," she said. "If there's no marriage certificate, there's no relationship. Right, Spike?"
Will froze. Buffy stared at him, and then he shoved Giles aside and stared at the girl.
"What the bloody hell are you doing here?"
"You said you'd meet me at Mr. Giles's. But you weren't there. I thought you might still be here. And you are. With all these..." she looked around, "interesting people."
Buffy narrowed her eyes. She wasn't sure she liked the 'interesting'.
"Friend of yours?" she asked Will.
"No," he said.
Silence. The girl stared stubbornly at him.
"Not a friend, not a relation," she said eventually. "Would you like to tell them who I am?"
Buffy had a dreadful feeling he was going to tell her the girl was his mistress.
Will swallowed. He took a deep breath, and he let it out. "This is Dawn Chaleur," he said, and his fingers curled into a fist. "My daughter."
Betcha didn't see that one coming, huh? Or maybe you did. Let me know! Reviews make me happy. And when I'm happy, I write happy things. So unless you want me to viciously murder Will and Buffy's budding little romance (like they haven't done it already), say nice things! Make me smile! :-)