paused and watched her. “What’s that ye doing, m’lady?”
“Just this.” Maddie hurled the snow at the two women who were becoming her friends. She laughed at their shocked faces, which soon turned to smiles as they hurried to procure their own snow missiles to hurl.
It became an all-out snow fight from that point onwards. The snow soon turned to icy water and in their haste to pelt each other, they slipped on the muddy ground. Tears from laughter streamed down Maddie’s face and her gown was soon covered in muck. As another bucket of freezing water landed on her head, Maddie’s hair came loose and fell down her back. She gasped for breath as icy water dripped down her back. She pushed her hair from her face and noticed her companions had halted their mirth. A prickling of unease tingled up her spine and Maddie looked over her shoulder and met the unamused gaze of William.
He stood silent, his eyes wide in shock. Sir Alex, who stood beside him, wore the same expression. Maddie turned back to her friends and smiled. “You had better go change, girls. I will see you tomorrow.”
“Yes, m’lady,” they said in unison and scuttled off to their homes.
Maddie walked up to her husband and curtseyed before proceeding indoors.
Minutes later, Mistress Rhode set about helping her to change; a task that was quite difficult thanks to the woolen dress under her surcoat, which was heavy with water and clung to her like a second skin. Maddie stood in front of the fire and rubbed her arms to beat the chill from her flesh. She inwardly groaned as her bedroom door opened and slammed against the wall.
“Leave us!”
Maddie frowned at William before looking at her maid who seemed undecided as to whether she should obey his command. “You may leave, Mistress Rhode. Thank you.”
William kicked the door shut as the maid left.
Maddie glanced at him briefly. The man obviously didn’t know the meaning of fun. “What is it, my lord?” she asked, her words, like her skin, far from warm.
“What in God’s country were you doing? What has possessed you to act in such a low and undignified manner?”
Maddie watched the flames lick at the wood and beat down a sigh of annoyance. “I do not think that interacting with people is degrading in any way. You may be the son of a rich man and they are not, but that is the only thing different between you. They are human, are they not, even with their low birth, as you would call it?”
“You forget, Madeline, you are also the daughter of a rich man. And from what I’ve heard of you, you would have thought the same as I on the matter not two months ago.”
Maddie looked at him, exasperated. He was annoyed because she had lowered herself. Not that she may catch a cold and get sick. But because her status as a baron’s wife had been tarnished. Well, she’d had fun for the first time since being thrown into the twelfth century and she would be damned if she’d apologize for it.
“Yes, I do believe I’ve changed from what I was, and if I’m not mistaken, for the better. Now, if there is nothing else, I would like to finish dressing before I head back outside to finish my tasks,” she paused. “With my lowly, common servants.”
She peeked at him and wondered what he was thinking. William stood near the door, his hand clasped tight on the latch. Did he want to leave, or had she ignited a passion within him he refused to acknowledge? Poor man, for he’d get no response from her. If her temper did fan his desire, he would be in a pickle. A devil sat on her shoulder and egged her to test the theory. She ran her fingers through her hair, enjoying the warmth of the fire at her back and his eyes burned a path between them.
And Maddie had her answer.
Silence ensued and she wondered what he would try, or worse, do. His gaze feasted on her breasts, barely covered by the fine chemise she wore. She pulled her shawl over her shoulders and glowered at him. The man was dangerous, and she
“Just this.” Maddie hurled the snow at the two women who were becoming her friends. She laughed at their shocked faces, which soon turned to smiles as they hurried to procure their own snow missiles to hurl.
It became an all-out snow fight from that point onwards. The snow soon turned to icy water and in their haste to pelt each other, they slipped on the muddy ground. Tears from laughter streamed down Maddie’s face and her gown was soon covered in muck. As another bucket of freezing water landed on her head, Maddie’s hair came loose and fell down her back. She gasped for breath as icy water dripped down her back. She pushed her hair from her face and noticed her companions had halted their mirth. A prickling of unease tingled up her spine and Maddie looked over her shoulder and met the unamused gaze of William.
He stood silent, his eyes wide in shock. Sir Alex, who stood beside him, wore the same expression. Maddie turned back to her friends and smiled. “You had better go change, girls. I will see you tomorrow.”
“Yes, m’lady,” they said in unison and scuttled off to their homes.
Maddie walked up to her husband and curtseyed before proceeding indoors.
Minutes later, Mistress Rhode set about helping her to change; a task that was quite difficult thanks to the woolen dress under her surcoat, which was heavy with water and clung to her like a second skin. Maddie stood in front of the fire and rubbed her arms to beat the chill from her flesh. She inwardly groaned as her bedroom door opened and slammed against the wall.
“Leave us!”
Maddie frowned at William before looking at her maid who seemed undecided as to whether she should obey his command. “You may leave, Mistress Rhode. Thank you.”
William kicked the door shut as the maid left.
Maddie glanced at him briefly. The man obviously didn’t know the meaning of fun. “What is it, my lord?” she asked, her words, like her skin, far from warm.
“What in God’s country were you doing? What has possessed you to act in such a low and undignified manner?”
Maddie watched the flames lick at the wood and beat down a sigh of annoyance. “I do not think that interacting with people is degrading in any way. You may be the son of a rich man and they are not, but that is the only thing different between you. They are human, are they not, even with their low birth, as you would call it?”
“You forget, Madeline, you are also the daughter of a rich man. And from what I’ve heard of you, you would have thought the same as I on the matter not two months ago.”
Maddie looked at him, exasperated. He was annoyed because she had lowered herself. Not that she may catch a cold and get sick. But because her status as a baron’s wife had been tarnished. Well, she’d had fun for the first time since being thrown into the twelfth century and she would be damned if she’d apologize for it.
“Yes, I do believe I’ve changed from what I was, and if I’m not mistaken, for the better. Now, if there is nothing else, I would like to finish dressing before I head back outside to finish my tasks,” she paused. “With my lowly, common servants.”
She peeked at him and wondered what he was thinking. William stood near the door, his hand clasped tight on the latch. Did he want to leave, or had she ignited a passion within him he refused to acknowledge? Poor man, for he’d get no response from her. If her temper did fan his desire, he would be in a pickle. A devil sat on her shoulder and egged her to test the theory. She ran her fingers through her hair, enjoying the warmth of the fire at her back and his eyes burned a path between them.
And Maddie had her answer.
Silence ensued and she wondered what he would try, or worse, do. His gaze feasted on her breasts, barely covered by the fine chemise she wore. She pulled her shawl over her shoulders and glowered at him. The man was dangerous, and she
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