knight far behind. Alas, it was not to be so. Though she picked her feet up and set them down as fast as she was able, she could not move quickly enough to outdistance him. Her clothing weighed her down and got in the way of her feet and legs. With an angry oath, she hastily discarded her mantle, wishing she could cast off her long tunic as well.
“I must not let them catch me!” Thus avowed, she ran up the last ten steps as fast as her legs would carry her, determined to reach her room and safety.
“Becket’s saintly ghost!” Roderick of Hereford was too close to her heels to allow her an easy respite from his chase. Certain that he had not caught enough of a glimpse of her to know her identity, she decided against entering her own chamber. Of a certainty it would give her away. She had to look elsewhere for a hiding place. But where? The heavy trod of the knight’s footsteps set her heart beating frantically. Despite her effort, he was closing in on her.
With a sudden burst of energy Rowena lost him for just a moment. Hardly daring to hope, she tried one of the doors near the stairs. It was locked, offering no place where she could hide. Swearing beneath her breath, she went to the next. It too was secure against her entry. On to the next and then the next she ran, but these too were bolted. All the while she heard the heavy footfalls coming closer and closer.
Rowena scolded herself for her lack of foresight in not bringing a weapon, any weapon, with her. Against the large man's strength she would be helpless, but she wouldn't be taken without struggle. Whirling around, preparing for a fight, she paused. She’d try one more door.
Running to the fifth portal, she reached out, surprised when it swung open easily at her touch. Ducking into the room, Rowena shut the door tightly behind her. Her chest was heaving, her heart beating as rapidly as the wing of a bird, while her hair tumbled in disarray around her flustered face.
"Well, what have we here? ” The voice was masculine and seemed to be one that Rowena remembered. "So, the lady is anxious for my company.”
Turning around to face the occupant of the room, she was mortified to see that it was the same handsome, dark-haired man who had sat beside her during the banquet. The handsome, overbold, swaggering one. She stood transfixed, looking into his brown eyes, trying not to lower her gaze to the broad expanse of his lightly furred chest, which was all too obviously bare. Horrified, she realized that he had very little on, only a piece of bed linen. The look in his eyes told her that he misunderstood her entrance
“Be most assured that I welcome you.”
"It...its not what you...you think," she stammered, taking a step backward as he took several steps forward.
His hand touched her elbow with a firmness that seemed to tell her he was not planning to let her go. "Come in. I do not want to keep such a lovely young woman waiting." He grinned roguishly.
Kendrick stared into the young woman’s 's wide blue eyes, thinking that they were just as blue as he had remembered. Her soft mouth was just as pink, though curled upwards it would have been more alluring. The soft curves of her slim form were plainly visible in the thin woolen of her blue gown. He thought again that she was very pretty, as delightful as a wild rose.
“Lovely.” Reaching out he touched the softness of her hair. It intrigued him, unusual in its tawny color. He smiled in anticipation. The fact that she had come to his room gave credence to the surety that the lady would quickly succumb to him. He had not misinterpreted her after all. His pride was soothed.
Rowena pushed his hand away. She didn’t want him to think that she had wandered into his bedroom for a social visit. "I was trying to get away from a man," Rowena began, anxious to set his thoughts aright. She did not like the glint in his eyes. She was not so naïve that she did not know what it
“I must not let them catch me!” Thus avowed, she ran up the last ten steps as fast as her legs would carry her, determined to reach her room and safety.
“Becket’s saintly ghost!” Roderick of Hereford was too close to her heels to allow her an easy respite from his chase. Certain that he had not caught enough of a glimpse of her to know her identity, she decided against entering her own chamber. Of a certainty it would give her away. She had to look elsewhere for a hiding place. But where? The heavy trod of the knight’s footsteps set her heart beating frantically. Despite her effort, he was closing in on her.
With a sudden burst of energy Rowena lost him for just a moment. Hardly daring to hope, she tried one of the doors near the stairs. It was locked, offering no place where she could hide. Swearing beneath her breath, she went to the next. It too was secure against her entry. On to the next and then the next she ran, but these too were bolted. All the while she heard the heavy footfalls coming closer and closer.
Rowena scolded herself for her lack of foresight in not bringing a weapon, any weapon, with her. Against the large man's strength she would be helpless, but she wouldn't be taken without struggle. Whirling around, preparing for a fight, she paused. She’d try one more door.
Running to the fifth portal, she reached out, surprised when it swung open easily at her touch. Ducking into the room, Rowena shut the door tightly behind her. Her chest was heaving, her heart beating as rapidly as the wing of a bird, while her hair tumbled in disarray around her flustered face.
"Well, what have we here? ” The voice was masculine and seemed to be one that Rowena remembered. "So, the lady is anxious for my company.”
Turning around to face the occupant of the room, she was mortified to see that it was the same handsome, dark-haired man who had sat beside her during the banquet. The handsome, overbold, swaggering one. She stood transfixed, looking into his brown eyes, trying not to lower her gaze to the broad expanse of his lightly furred chest, which was all too obviously bare. Horrified, she realized that he had very little on, only a piece of bed linen. The look in his eyes told her that he misunderstood her entrance
“Be most assured that I welcome you.”
"It...its not what you...you think," she stammered, taking a step backward as he took several steps forward.
His hand touched her elbow with a firmness that seemed to tell her he was not planning to let her go. "Come in. I do not want to keep such a lovely young woman waiting." He grinned roguishly.
Kendrick stared into the young woman’s 's wide blue eyes, thinking that they were just as blue as he had remembered. Her soft mouth was just as pink, though curled upwards it would have been more alluring. The soft curves of her slim form were plainly visible in the thin woolen of her blue gown. He thought again that she was very pretty, as delightful as a wild rose.
“Lovely.” Reaching out he touched the softness of her hair. It intrigued him, unusual in its tawny color. He smiled in anticipation. The fact that she had come to his room gave credence to the surety that the lady would quickly succumb to him. He had not misinterpreted her after all. His pride was soothed.
Rowena pushed his hand away. She didn’t want him to think that she had wandered into his bedroom for a social visit. "I was trying to get away from a man," Rowena began, anxious to set his thoughts aright. She did not like the glint in his eyes. She was not so naïve that she did not know what it
Similar Books
