Lord Of Danger Stuart, Anne (classic fiction .TXT) 📖

“Yes, my lord.” He lowered his eyes, to keep the frustration and rage from Richard’s observant gaze. Richard would know, of course. But he would only feed on the proof of it. He started to back away, accepting his dismissal, when the wizard leaned forward and whispered something in Richard’s ear, a circumstance that didn’t bode well.

“Stay a moment, Sir Thomas,” Richard said, holding up a hand. “My Grendel has a most clever idea.”

If Simon of Navarre had any objection to being called by a monster’s name he showed none of it. “My lord?” Thomas said.

“Since you are so keen on eschewing the ways of the flesh you would be perfect as bodyguard to my sisters, particularly the younger one. While the elder is plain and far from tempting, the other is a bewitchment to stir most males. I can count on your strong right arm to keep those hungry males at bay, and your ascetic soul to keep your own lust under control.”

He’d heard of the sisters already. The one docile, the other a beauty. A heartless, faithless jade like his wife, no doubt. Proximity would be hell, as both Richard and his wicked advisor knew.

They also knew he would scarce object. He simply bowed low in acceptance. “Your faith in me does me honor,” he said.

“If any man touches either of my sisters without my express permission,” Richard continued, “then you may hack off whichever body part seems handy. There will be no exceptions. You understand? You’re responsible for their chastity and obedience.”

It was more than he could bear. “My lord, are you certain that women are capable of understanding the concepts of chastity and obedience?” he said.

“Probably not But that’s not my problem,” Richard said sweetly. “That’s yours.”

And he heard the wizard laugh.

“Where were you?” Claire demanded, sitting up in the big, high bed, her hair atangle from a restless night’s sleep.

Alys opened her eyes groggily. It was already past dawn, well into the morning hours, and she, who habitually rose at five, was still so tired she could scarcely move. “What do you mean?” she said with a prodigious yawn.

“I woke at midnight and you weren’t here.” There was no missing the accusation in her light voice. “And don’t tell me you had gone in search of the garderobe, for I won’t believe you. I was terrified, alone in this place, with none of the serving women nearby. I lay awake for hours, waiting for you to return.”

“It must have only seemed like hours,” Alys said, closing her eyes as a fierce pain in her head assailed her. The last day and evening were a blur of too many faces, too many voices, too much food and wine. In truth, at the moment she couldn’t precisely remember where she’d gone last night. She knew she’d wanted to find the demon wizard, to force him to leave her sister in peace, but all she could remember was a sleep-drugged haze.

Her eyes shot open in sudden horror, as vague tendrils of memory filtered back. She had seen him. She’d drunk his wine. And maybe it wasn’t sleep that had drugged her at all.

She scrambled out of bed in sudden panic, only to discover she’d slept in her clothes. Her plain, serviceable gown of muddy brown was wrinkled but still tightly fastened, and she still wore her hose, though her soft leather shoes were at the side of the bed. He hadn’t touched her, she knew that with a certainty that she could only call relief.

Claire had risen to her knees, staring at her sister with troubled green eyes. “What happened, Alys? What did you do?”

“I’m… I’m not quite certain,” she confessed, pulling at her crumpled gown. The rest of her clothing was even less flattering than the plain gown, but she would have little choice in the matter of changing. She couldn’t present herself to her brother looking like a slattern.

“I believe I had an audience with Grendel.”

Claire shuddered. “Don’t call him that!” she cried. “I can’t bear the thought of marrying such a monster. I’ll throw myself from a window before I let him touch me…”

“Put your soul at rest, dearest,” Alys said wearily. “He’s going to marry me.”

Claire’s expression was—insultingly—one of shock. “Don’t be ridiculous. That’s impossible.”

Memory was coming back, clearer than ever. The dark, shadowy room, lit only by flickering firelight, the honeyed sweetness of the wine, the beguiling murmur of his voice. She’d been astonishingly bold, but he’d been even more shocking.

The only thing she couldn’t remember was what had happened after he told her he would marry her. And how she’d managed to return along those deserted hallways to find herself in bed with her sister once more.

“Not the slightest bit impossible. I went to beg him to leave you alone. He told me he’d already chosen me. There’s the end of it.”

Claire’s expression was one of disbelief. “It makes no sense,” she said after a moment. “Not that any decent, wise man wouldn’t prefer you, my love, but I have yet to discover that men are either wise or decent. And certainly our brother’s wizard could not be counted on to make the right choice. I would have thought he would have preferred beauty…” Her voice trailed off before Alys’s ironic expression. “You know what I mean,” she mumbled contritely.

“Perhaps he prefers a wife capable of tact,” Alys stated, stripping off the rest of her clothes to bathe using the icy bowl of water left by their bedstead. “Or someone who’ll fade into the background and leave him in peace. I have no idea, but I’m not about to quarrel with it. Neither should you. Count your blessings that I’m to be sacrificed to the monster and not you.”

Claire immediately burst into noisy tears, but for once, Alys made no move to comfort her. She was cold, she was weary, and her head ached abominably. On top of that, she