she didn’t
start when he kissed her. Hope rose in his heart. She seemed to be
gentling toward him.
Erik sat next to him. “You seem to be lost in
your thoughts.”
“Just pondering a few things.”
“Such as?”
Dominick couldn’t keep the grin from
spreading across his face.
Erik waved him off. “Never mind. I don’t want
to know.”
“No. It’s not what you think.” Dominick
paused for a moment. “Eleanor seems to be feeling more at ease with
me.”
“Ah. So she’s discovering you’re not an ogre
after all?”
“Perhaps. I have made every effort to change
her way of thinking, but there are still many barriers.”
“I’m sure that is the result of the
siege.”
Dominick nodded. “It’s that and much
more.”
“I have heard that her father was, shall we
say, weak in character,” Erik said.
Dominick snorted. “The man was Satan. He
promised Eleanor’s hand in marriage to McPhearson.”
Erik gave an enlightened nod. “Ah, so we have
more than just a border war. McPhearson was a jilted groom. That
explains the ferocity of the siege. From what I have heard of him,
he doesn’t take rejection well.”
“If he couldn’t have Godwin or Eleanor, he
would level it and kill all the occupants inside, including
her.”
“That would explain the deserted village. The
siege must have taken its toll.”
“Exactly. With any luck we will rebuild
Godwin and ward off any attack he may attempt.”
“It was good that you had enough forethought
to bring your own tradesmen.”
“As soon as I saw the castle’s condition, I
sent word to William about its state. He sent most of them.”
Erik smiled. “It must be nice to be a friend
of the King.”
Dominick smiled back. “It has its
advantages.”
Suddenly the hall became very quiet. Dominick
followed the gazes of those who gathered for the evening meal, and
his eyes fixed on the vision before him. She was dressed in an
emerald green gown, with gold embroidery. Even from a distance the
deep jade gown drew attention to her eyes. A sheer scarf that was
held I place by a gold circlet. The scarf shimmered as she moved
through the hall. His heart pounded with excitement.
Dominick looked back at Erik who gave him an
appreciative smile. As Eleanor floated down the stairs, he found
himself drawn to her and moved to meet her at the bottom step.
He pulled her hand to his lips. “You look
exquisite, my lady.”
Blushing, she smiled shyly, “Thank you, my
lord.”
Eleanor was truly a vision. He admired her
gown. “I will have to make a point of finding more fabric in shades
of green, for it makes your eyes sparkle like emeralds.”
She smiled at his compliment. Dominick loved
the way her soft pink lips stretched across straight white teeth.
He took a deep breath to push away the besotted adolescent that had
taken him over, but not too far, for he wanted to enjoy the
moment.
Seating her at his side, he couldn’t look
away.
Finally she turned to him. “Dominick, please
stop gawking. You’re making me uncomfortable.”
“I apologize, but it has been many years
since I have seen such beauty.”
Her cheeks blushed brighter. “Hold your
tongue. I’m not worthy of such a compliment.”
“If only your eyes could behold what I
see.”
The conversation was temporarily interrupted
when food was placed before them. They fell into a companionable
silence while they ate.
A goblet of wine sat in front of him. He paid
it little attention until he saw Eleanor glancing repeatedly at it.
“It’s only wine, Eleanor.”
She seemed to contemplate for a moment. “May
I taste it?”
Surprised, he placed the cup before her.
“Take a small sip. It’s an acquired taste at first.”
She wrinkled her nose at smelling the
goblet’s contents. Hesitating, she looked down into the dark
burgundy liquid and slowly brought the cup to her mouth.
An icy chill ran down Dominick’s spine just
as the apparition of Eleanor’s mother appeared before him. The
wine is
start when he kissed her. Hope rose in his heart. She seemed to be
gentling toward him.
Erik sat next to him. “You seem to be lost in
your thoughts.”
“Just pondering a few things.”
“Such as?”
Dominick couldn’t keep the grin from
spreading across his face.
Erik waved him off. “Never mind. I don’t want
to know.”
“No. It’s not what you think.” Dominick
paused for a moment. “Eleanor seems to be feeling more at ease with
me.”
“Ah. So she’s discovering you’re not an ogre
after all?”
“Perhaps. I have made every effort to change
her way of thinking, but there are still many barriers.”
“I’m sure that is the result of the
siege.”
Dominick nodded. “It’s that and much
more.”
“I have heard that her father was, shall we
say, weak in character,” Erik said.
Dominick snorted. “The man was Satan. He
promised Eleanor’s hand in marriage to McPhearson.”
Erik gave an enlightened nod. “Ah, so we have
more than just a border war. McPhearson was a jilted groom. That
explains the ferocity of the siege. From what I have heard of him,
he doesn’t take rejection well.”
“If he couldn’t have Godwin or Eleanor, he
would level it and kill all the occupants inside, including
her.”
“That would explain the deserted village. The
siege must have taken its toll.”
“Exactly. With any luck we will rebuild
Godwin and ward off any attack he may attempt.”
“It was good that you had enough forethought
to bring your own tradesmen.”
“As soon as I saw the castle’s condition, I
sent word to William about its state. He sent most of them.”
Erik smiled. “It must be nice to be a friend
of the King.”
Dominick smiled back. “It has its
advantages.”
Suddenly the hall became very quiet. Dominick
followed the gazes of those who gathered for the evening meal, and
his eyes fixed on the vision before him. She was dressed in an
emerald green gown, with gold embroidery. Even from a distance the
deep jade gown drew attention to her eyes. A sheer scarf that was
held I place by a gold circlet. The scarf shimmered as she moved
through the hall. His heart pounded with excitement.
Dominick looked back at Erik who gave him an
appreciative smile. As Eleanor floated down the stairs, he found
himself drawn to her and moved to meet her at the bottom step.
He pulled her hand to his lips. “You look
exquisite, my lady.”
Blushing, she smiled shyly, “Thank you, my
lord.”
Eleanor was truly a vision. He admired her
gown. “I will have to make a point of finding more fabric in shades
of green, for it makes your eyes sparkle like emeralds.”
She smiled at his compliment. Dominick loved
the way her soft pink lips stretched across straight white teeth.
He took a deep breath to push away the besotted adolescent that had
taken him over, but not too far, for he wanted to enjoy the
moment.
Seating her at his side, he couldn’t look
away.
Finally she turned to him. “Dominick, please
stop gawking. You’re making me uncomfortable.”
“I apologize, but it has been many years
since I have seen such beauty.”
Her cheeks blushed brighter. “Hold your
tongue. I’m not worthy of such a compliment.”
“If only your eyes could behold what I
see.”
The conversation was temporarily interrupted
when food was placed before them. They fell into a companionable
silence while they ate.
A goblet of wine sat in front of him. He paid
it little attention until he saw Eleanor glancing repeatedly at it.
“It’s only wine, Eleanor.”
She seemed to contemplate for a moment. “May
I taste it?”
Surprised, he placed the cup before her.
“Take a small sip. It’s an acquired taste at first.”
She wrinkled her nose at smelling the
goblet’s contents. Hesitating, she looked down into the dark
burgundy liquid and slowly brought the cup to her mouth.
An icy chill ran down Dominick’s spine just
as the apparition of Eleanor’s mother appeared before him. The
wine is
Similar Books
