She imagined the stench of ale floating from their drunken foul mouths. Mouths that were missing most of their teeth, and the teeth remaining, stained dark with rot.
She was grateful the knight had a friend she could lodge with. It didn’t appear that any inn she might have found, even if it did get her off of the street, would keep her safe. And she had no means to pay anyway.
Her stomach growled loudly. She bit her lip hoping the knight hadn’t noticed.
“Maude ought to fix you up something warm to calm your hunger.” His voice still had a hard edge to it.
Her cheeks flamed. “My thanks,” she muttered.
They continued to ride through the town, crossing another drawbridge and entering into the lower bailey of the keep. There he paused at a little house. Although the house was small, it was built much better than the houses she’d seen in the first parts of the village. There were no spaces for her to see into the houses. It was built of wattle and daub, not just wooden planks.
As she studied the house of the woman he called Maude, the door was yanked open roughly by a large older woman. Her hair, gray from age, looked as though it had been in a tight bun, but now remnants fell loose about her shoulders. Her ample bosom heaved and her face registered shock from seeing the knights at her doorway. The knight she rode with dismounted and then lifted Chloe to the ground. He’d removed his gauntlets and his strong hands wrapped around her waist. She shivered despite their warmth. When he lowered her, his gaze caught hers. Steel grey eyes bored into hers from behind a silver mask. His fingertips boldly brushed the sides of her breasts. She was grateful for the cloak covering her body’s shameful reaction, but was sure he’d seen the shiver of desire that passed through her. Her legs grew weak, and she gripped his arms to steady herself. Lips parted, she nearly sighed. At once she felt like he stripped her of everything—her clothes, her fortitude. She stood naked, bare, and God help her, willing.
For a moment she was shocked still, not able to lower her gaze or turn away.
“Yes, my lord?” Maude asked, breaking the spell.
Chloe winced inwardly and turned toward the woman. So much for keeping a low profile. Her hopes were dashed. She’d tried to ignore that the men at the gates referred to him as their lord as well. Indeed she’d been rescued by the Lord of Hardwyck. The name rang familiar, and this time when her skin tingled with gooseflesh it wasn’t desire.
“I found this girl getting quite a beating from a beggar. She has no place to stay. I thought perhaps you could take her in and then bring her to me in the morning to see about work.” His voice was smooth as he spoke, not as cold as before.
“Of course, my lord.” She nodded quickly and reached for Chloe’s hand. “She’ll be in good care here.”
Chloe grasped Maude’s hand, glad to have a kind person to stay with, some of her fear abated slightly, until she remembered his last words. She would be seeing him again in the morning. Maude pulled her toward the house and out of the way of the knight’s horses. She watched the lord remount his steed. He looked back one time, a roving, assessing gaze, before riding through the bailey toward the keep.
Chloe’s blood went from cold to hot and back again. She was oddly attracted to this man, more so than any of the courtiers who’d professed their love for her, and even made love to her with their words. The innermost parts of her mind wished he would whisk her away. And ravish her. She shook her head. What was the matter with her? Had the English air turned her from virtuous courtier to wanton woman? But there was something about his strength, his overwhelming raw maleness that teased her. The fact that he had saved her played with her heart. She’d never met a man with such a brute personality that had her quivering with wicked desire. She fairly ached with the need for his lips to touch
She was grateful the knight had a friend she could lodge with. It didn’t appear that any inn she might have found, even if it did get her off of the street, would keep her safe. And she had no means to pay anyway.
Her stomach growled loudly. She bit her lip hoping the knight hadn’t noticed.
“Maude ought to fix you up something warm to calm your hunger.” His voice still had a hard edge to it.
Her cheeks flamed. “My thanks,” she muttered.
They continued to ride through the town, crossing another drawbridge and entering into the lower bailey of the keep. There he paused at a little house. Although the house was small, it was built much better than the houses she’d seen in the first parts of the village. There were no spaces for her to see into the houses. It was built of wattle and daub, not just wooden planks.
As she studied the house of the woman he called Maude, the door was yanked open roughly by a large older woman. Her hair, gray from age, looked as though it had been in a tight bun, but now remnants fell loose about her shoulders. Her ample bosom heaved and her face registered shock from seeing the knights at her doorway. The knight she rode with dismounted and then lifted Chloe to the ground. He’d removed his gauntlets and his strong hands wrapped around her waist. She shivered despite their warmth. When he lowered her, his gaze caught hers. Steel grey eyes bored into hers from behind a silver mask. His fingertips boldly brushed the sides of her breasts. She was grateful for the cloak covering her body’s shameful reaction, but was sure he’d seen the shiver of desire that passed through her. Her legs grew weak, and she gripped his arms to steady herself. Lips parted, she nearly sighed. At once she felt like he stripped her of everything—her clothes, her fortitude. She stood naked, bare, and God help her, willing.
For a moment she was shocked still, not able to lower her gaze or turn away.
“Yes, my lord?” Maude asked, breaking the spell.
Chloe winced inwardly and turned toward the woman. So much for keeping a low profile. Her hopes were dashed. She’d tried to ignore that the men at the gates referred to him as their lord as well. Indeed she’d been rescued by the Lord of Hardwyck. The name rang familiar, and this time when her skin tingled with gooseflesh it wasn’t desire.
“I found this girl getting quite a beating from a beggar. She has no place to stay. I thought perhaps you could take her in and then bring her to me in the morning to see about work.” His voice was smooth as he spoke, not as cold as before.
“Of course, my lord.” She nodded quickly and reached for Chloe’s hand. “She’ll be in good care here.”
Chloe grasped Maude’s hand, glad to have a kind person to stay with, some of her fear abated slightly, until she remembered his last words. She would be seeing him again in the morning. Maude pulled her toward the house and out of the way of the knight’s horses. She watched the lord remount his steed. He looked back one time, a roving, assessing gaze, before riding through the bailey toward the keep.
Chloe’s blood went from cold to hot and back again. She was oddly attracted to this man, more so than any of the courtiers who’d professed their love for her, and even made love to her with their words. The innermost parts of her mind wished he would whisk her away. And ravish her. She shook her head. What was the matter with her? Had the English air turned her from virtuous courtier to wanton woman? But there was something about his strength, his overwhelming raw maleness that teased her. The fact that he had saved her played with her heart. She’d never met a man with such a brute personality that had her quivering with wicked desire. She fairly ached with the need for his lips to touch
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