her elbow. 'Tor what purpose?" she demanded.
"I should think that would be obvious. You, Lady Kathryn, are coming with me."
'To Somerset?" Disdain mingled with incredulity.
"Aye. To Somerset—and Sedgewick." He leisurely crossed his arms over his chest and awaited her reaction.
As he'd expected, it wasn't long in coming. Her eyes narrowed. Her jaw snapped shut, only to open a scant instant later. "I have no intention of going with you to Somerset."
"And I have no intention of leaving you here at Ashbury. You and your Roderick could form an alliance that would be dangerous to my health, my lady fair, which is why you go where I go."
His utter calm was infuriating; his audacity knew no bounds. Kathryn's gaze swept around the bailey, seeking and coming to rest on Roderick, who stood near the entrance to the hall. She had no doubt that he'd heard every word she and the earl exchanged. He looked angry but he said nothing. Kathryn rebelled at the reluctant helplessness she sensed in him. A part of her raged at his acquiescence, yet another part of her understood that to challenge his new lord was to forfeit his life.
Her gaze swung back to the earl. "You do this only because I have no knightly protector!" she cried.
Guy hadn't missed the look exchanged between the two. So, he noted angrily, she sought salvation from her lover.
His gaze flickered briefly toward Roderick. "Indeed you do not," he taunted softly.
His mockery cut deep. Kathryn dimly noted Roderick retreat into the hall; never had she hated the earl more.
She lashed out unthinkingly. "I'll not play nursemaid to your brat, do you hear?"
"I've not asked you to.” Scorn lay beneath his tone. "You've Richard's blood in your veins, girl. I'm not sure I want you anywhere near my son!"
Shattered inside but determined not to show it, she met and matched the fiery hold of his eyes. If it had been anyone but the earl, she might have cried and pleaded for indulgence.
But she hadn't counted on Elizabeth. Wrapped in a red haze of fury, she was scarcely aware that Elizabeth had stepped forward.
"My lord!" Elizabeth clasped her hands together as if in prayer. "Surely you will not take my sister from our home!"
Guy's harsh manner softened ever so slightly. Elizabeth's blue eyes were huge, her expression utterly stricken.
His tone was gentleness itself. "I'm sorry, Elizabeth. But I fear I must, at least for now."
She cried out sharply, "But you cannot. Oh, please, you cannot take her from here. You cannot!"
Those devilishly arched brows rose high in silent question.
Elizabeth swallowed hard. The devious plan Kathryn had once thought to use against Richard leapt into her mind. Oh, Mother Mary, did she dare? Would she burn and rot in hell for bringing about such a lie? Yet she could not bear to be without Kathryn. Never in their lives had they been separated. Never!
Dimly she heard his voice. "Elizabeth," he inquired, "why do you insist Kathryn remain here?"
"Because—because she is with child!"
Kathryn gasped. Guy sucked in a harsh breath; his eyes immediately cut back to Kathryn. Her gaze swiveled to lock on her sister. So shocked was she that she failed to notice the grim mask that descended over Guy's features.
"Kathryn!"
She actually jumped at the sound of his voice.
"I asked if the child has made you ill!"
Too stunned to be thinking clearly, Kathryn shook her head.
'Then my decision stands," the earl stated flatly. "Since obviously the child will not be here for many months, you come with me to Sedgewick.”
Though she was shaken and distraught, Kathryn quickly recognized his determination was as relentless as hers.
"I—I need a cloak," she said desperately. "I'll not keep you waiting long, I promise." A moment alone was all she sought, for she knew the keep better than the earl or any of his men. She could flee and hide and they would soon tire of searching for her and be off. . .
But alas, it seemed he had anticipated everything! Before she could
"I should think that would be obvious. You, Lady Kathryn, are coming with me."
'To Somerset?" Disdain mingled with incredulity.
"Aye. To Somerset—and Sedgewick." He leisurely crossed his arms over his chest and awaited her reaction.
As he'd expected, it wasn't long in coming. Her eyes narrowed. Her jaw snapped shut, only to open a scant instant later. "I have no intention of going with you to Somerset."
"And I have no intention of leaving you here at Ashbury. You and your Roderick could form an alliance that would be dangerous to my health, my lady fair, which is why you go where I go."
His utter calm was infuriating; his audacity knew no bounds. Kathryn's gaze swept around the bailey, seeking and coming to rest on Roderick, who stood near the entrance to the hall. She had no doubt that he'd heard every word she and the earl exchanged. He looked angry but he said nothing. Kathryn rebelled at the reluctant helplessness she sensed in him. A part of her raged at his acquiescence, yet another part of her understood that to challenge his new lord was to forfeit his life.
Her gaze swung back to the earl. "You do this only because I have no knightly protector!" she cried.
Guy hadn't missed the look exchanged between the two. So, he noted angrily, she sought salvation from her lover.
His gaze flickered briefly toward Roderick. "Indeed you do not," he taunted softly.
His mockery cut deep. Kathryn dimly noted Roderick retreat into the hall; never had she hated the earl more.
She lashed out unthinkingly. "I'll not play nursemaid to your brat, do you hear?"
"I've not asked you to.” Scorn lay beneath his tone. "You've Richard's blood in your veins, girl. I'm not sure I want you anywhere near my son!"
Shattered inside but determined not to show it, she met and matched the fiery hold of his eyes. If it had been anyone but the earl, she might have cried and pleaded for indulgence.
But she hadn't counted on Elizabeth. Wrapped in a red haze of fury, she was scarcely aware that Elizabeth had stepped forward.
"My lord!" Elizabeth clasped her hands together as if in prayer. "Surely you will not take my sister from our home!"
Guy's harsh manner softened ever so slightly. Elizabeth's blue eyes were huge, her expression utterly stricken.
His tone was gentleness itself. "I'm sorry, Elizabeth. But I fear I must, at least for now."
She cried out sharply, "But you cannot. Oh, please, you cannot take her from here. You cannot!"
Those devilishly arched brows rose high in silent question.
Elizabeth swallowed hard. The devious plan Kathryn had once thought to use against Richard leapt into her mind. Oh, Mother Mary, did she dare? Would she burn and rot in hell for bringing about such a lie? Yet she could not bear to be without Kathryn. Never in their lives had they been separated. Never!
Dimly she heard his voice. "Elizabeth," he inquired, "why do you insist Kathryn remain here?"
"Because—because she is with child!"
Kathryn gasped. Guy sucked in a harsh breath; his eyes immediately cut back to Kathryn. Her gaze swiveled to lock on her sister. So shocked was she that she failed to notice the grim mask that descended over Guy's features.
"Kathryn!"
She actually jumped at the sound of his voice.
"I asked if the child has made you ill!"
Too stunned to be thinking clearly, Kathryn shook her head.
'Then my decision stands," the earl stated flatly. "Since obviously the child will not be here for many months, you come with me to Sedgewick.”
Though she was shaken and distraught, Kathryn quickly recognized his determination was as relentless as hers.
"I—I need a cloak," she said desperately. "I'll not keep you waiting long, I promise." A moment alone was all she sought, for she knew the keep better than the earl or any of his men. She could flee and hide and they would soon tire of searching for her and be off. . .
But alas, it seemed he had anticipated everything! Before she could
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