ragged and uncontrolled.
"Ceidre."
She turned her head slightly and saw his foot. She forced herself up, into a sitting position. "Leave me be." To her dismay, her voice was husky with unshed tears and not fierce at all.
Rolfestood, tense and uncertain. He ached as if he were the one wounded. He wanted to reach down and touch her, stroke the dirt from her face and the tendrils of hair away from the corners of her mouth.
Damn that peasant wench!
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"Come," he said, the sound gruff even to his own ears, and he reached down to assist her up.
She shrank away. "Leave me be!" she cried shrilly. "I do not want your concern!"
His hands fell to his sides. "You have it whether you want it or not. All of Aelfgar is my concern."
She turned her face away, wishing he would leave, staring at her hands, white against the black earth.
Rolfehad never suggested anything to anyone, but now, awkwardly, he said, "Let us go back."
"You go. Just leave me alone."
He could order her, of course, but for some reason he was loath to do so. "You wish to spend the night here?" It was inane, his remark, but he did not know what to say.
"No," she spat, "I don't wish to spend the night here. Oh-God's blood!" She started to weep.
For the first time in his life he felt helpless. Ceidre wept at his feet. His urge to touch her was strong, yet he had never touched a woman merely to comfort, without lust-he did not know how. He clenched his fists and just stood there, unsure, feeling weaker than the weakest of boys.
She shoved herself abruptly to her feet, pushing past him.Rolfe was overwhelmed with relief. He followed. They said not a word. She held herself proud and straight, when he knew she was utterly exhausted. She had more courage and determination than most men. At the manor door, she nodded stiffly to him without meeting his gaze. He said nothing, going to the stairs. But there he turned, his gaze automatically seeking her out. He saw her shed the mantle, pause, almost ethereal in the thin white nightgown, and then she collapsed upon her pallet. He hesitated, thinking she would become cold, but he did not move to go to her.
And then a form rose at Ceidre's side.Rolfe went stiff, murderous. He held up his lampAthelstan gazed directly at him.Rolfe watched the old man pull the blanket up over her, murmuring something soft and unintelligible.Rolfe was seared with jealousy and it was onlyAthelstan .
Aliceran from the window inRolfe 's chamber to the solar across the hall where she slept. She had barely dived onto her own bed when she saw his shadow passing her doorway and entering his chamber. She lay rigid, seething. She had known it-hadn't she? She had known he was going to meet that whore when he had left earlier. Seeing them return together confirmed it.Alice had never hated Ceidre more-orRolfe .
She would pay.Alice would make sure of it. But first, more important, she had somehow to keep Ceidre out of her way-and out of her lord's bed. Until after the marriage. OnceAlice was securely wed, she would find a way to deal with Ceidre to remove her permanently fromRolfe 's lusting perversions. Even if it meant marrying her off to some serf in a village at the far end of Aelfgar's borders. Better yet-have her abducted by Scots! Then they would never see hide nor hair of her again!
Alice, soothed by her fantasies, fell into the deep embrace of sleep.
"A fortnight?" Ceidre echoed.
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"Yes. The banns have already been posted,"Athelstan said.
Ceidre turned away. Her mind was racing. She could not allow the viper into their nest! She could not!
But how, how to stop the marriage when her sister was willing? And was it even fair to do so, whenAlice so desperately wanted to wed? Ah, but surely there were others-she did not have to wed theNormanNot theNorman !
"We must stop them,"
"Ceidre."
She turned her head slightly and saw his foot. She forced herself up, into a sitting position. "Leave me be." To her dismay, her voice was husky with unshed tears and not fierce at all.
Rolfestood, tense and uncertain. He ached as if he were the one wounded. He wanted to reach down and touch her, stroke the dirt from her face and the tendrils of hair away from the corners of her mouth.
Damn that peasant wench!
Page 56
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
"Come," he said, the sound gruff even to his own ears, and he reached down to assist her up.
She shrank away. "Leave me be!" she cried shrilly. "I do not want your concern!"
His hands fell to his sides. "You have it whether you want it or not. All of Aelfgar is my concern."
She turned her face away, wishing he would leave, staring at her hands, white against the black earth.
Rolfehad never suggested anything to anyone, but now, awkwardly, he said, "Let us go back."
"You go. Just leave me alone."
He could order her, of course, but for some reason he was loath to do so. "You wish to spend the night here?" It was inane, his remark, but he did not know what to say.
"No," she spat, "I don't wish to spend the night here. Oh-God's blood!" She started to weep.
For the first time in his life he felt helpless. Ceidre wept at his feet. His urge to touch her was strong, yet he had never touched a woman merely to comfort, without lust-he did not know how. He clenched his fists and just stood there, unsure, feeling weaker than the weakest of boys.
She shoved herself abruptly to her feet, pushing past him.Rolfe was overwhelmed with relief. He followed. They said not a word. She held herself proud and straight, when he knew she was utterly exhausted. She had more courage and determination than most men. At the manor door, she nodded stiffly to him without meeting his gaze. He said nothing, going to the stairs. But there he turned, his gaze automatically seeking her out. He saw her shed the mantle, pause, almost ethereal in the thin white nightgown, and then she collapsed upon her pallet. He hesitated, thinking she would become cold, but he did not move to go to her.
And then a form rose at Ceidre's side.Rolfe went stiff, murderous. He held up his lampAthelstan gazed directly at him.Rolfe watched the old man pull the blanket up over her, murmuring something soft and unintelligible.Rolfe was seared with jealousy and it was onlyAthelstan .
Aliceran from the window inRolfe 's chamber to the solar across the hall where she slept. She had barely dived onto her own bed when she saw his shadow passing her doorway and entering his chamber. She lay rigid, seething. She had known it-hadn't she? She had known he was going to meet that whore when he had left earlier. Seeing them return together confirmed it.Alice had never hated Ceidre more-orRolfe .
She would pay.Alice would make sure of it. But first, more important, she had somehow to keep Ceidre out of her way-and out of her lord's bed. Until after the marriage. OnceAlice was securely wed, she would find a way to deal with Ceidre to remove her permanently fromRolfe 's lusting perversions. Even if it meant marrying her off to some serf in a village at the far end of Aelfgar's borders. Better yet-have her abducted by Scots! Then they would never see hide nor hair of her again!
Alice, soothed by her fantasies, fell into the deep embrace of sleep.
"A fortnight?" Ceidre echoed.
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"Yes. The banns have already been posted,"Athelstan said.
Ceidre turned away. Her mind was racing. She could not allow the viper into their nest! She could not!
But how, how to stop the marriage when her sister was willing? And was it even fair to do so, whenAlice so desperately wanted to wed? Ah, but surely there were others-she did not have to wed theNormanNot theNorman !
"We must stop them,"
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