Melisande’s face. “You look…rather… Well, very—”
Helena was obviously at a loss for words, but at the moment, no words was exactly what Melisande wished for. They began the ascent up the narrow stone stairs toward her chambers.
Melisande tried to comfort her hostess. “Truly, I had a wonderful time, I am just tired.”
“Fitzherbert and I are concerned about you,” Helena said, placing her arm around Melisande’s shoulders.
“You need not be, truly. Go, dance the night away and be merry. You and Lord Bergavny seem to be so in love. Do not take that for granted,” she said as they reached her door, just before Maggie pulled it open for Melisande.
“You are wise beyond your years, my child.” The elder woman smiled.
“Goodnight, Helena.” Melisande dipped her head in a polite bow then she stepped through the door.
Tilly and Maggie helped her undress. They chattered between themselves about the different men they had met and which ones they would like to get to know better. Melisande dismissed the young chits and blew out the candles herself. Used to an even cooler chamber at Dupree than Willowbrook’s walls afforded, she decided to move aside the large tapestry and open the shutters for some fresh air. Once this was accomplished, she climbed into bed.
Melisande was drifting into a satisfying slumber—in truth, she was even more tired than she had admitted to Helena—when she heard a noise that seemed to come from outside on the allure below.
Through the barest of slits in her parted eyelids, upon the ledge she could see the tall figure of a man leaning against the partition that separated the twin portals in the wall, his shoulders just touching either side of the one he filled. Melisande knew exactly who it was. Devin . How dare he come to her room like this, and how long had he been standing there? If he took one step in, she vowed she would scream to high heaven.
Chapter Six
Devin watched Melisande as she slept in the moonlight, gazing upon her halo of hair fanning out across the pillow beneath her head. His insides felt as if they were plummeting to his feet. She seemed so pure, so real. God’s teeth, how he longed to climb under that coverlet and just hold her. Nay, he admitted with a shake of his head, he wished to do more than that… Much more. But she was asleep. He daren’t awaken her, for he knew she’d never forgive him for disobeying her wishes about not wanting his company this night. For as much beauty as she possessed, she had a headstrong disposition. What sort of attack could break down such defenses ? He almost laughed aloud at the idea. He’d never even thought to adhere to the concerns of the other women he’d been with. He’d never had to. They’d wanted him and he’d wanted them. He’d never lingered beyond the coupling, had never had to make pleasant conversation. The arrangement had always been simple.
He focused on Melisande once again. Suddenly nothing was simple.
Pretending to be asleep, Melisande did not move at all during his perusal of her, which, to her, seemed to go on forever.
Of a sudden, he stood up straight. Melisande flooded her lungs with air, ready to shout in alarm. However, he reached up and placed the tapestry back over the window as if shutting a door, then he was gone.
Melisande sat up in her bed, and the scream she’d prepared was hastily puffed out of her mouth in silence. She threw the coverlet off and dashed over to peek beyond the tapestry. It seemed that he’d vanished over the wall.
“That was the extent of his visit?” she said aloud, suddenly wondering at the discovery that she’d actually wanted his company so late at night…in her chamber. Her indecisiveness vaulted emotions over the edge from victim to huntress. A very disappointed huntress. More vexed than before, she slammed the shutters closed, bolted them, flung the tapestry shut and marched back to bed, stomping her feet on the hard floor, kicking
Helena was obviously at a loss for words, but at the moment, no words was exactly what Melisande wished for. They began the ascent up the narrow stone stairs toward her chambers.
Melisande tried to comfort her hostess. “Truly, I had a wonderful time, I am just tired.”
“Fitzherbert and I are concerned about you,” Helena said, placing her arm around Melisande’s shoulders.
“You need not be, truly. Go, dance the night away and be merry. You and Lord Bergavny seem to be so in love. Do not take that for granted,” she said as they reached her door, just before Maggie pulled it open for Melisande.
“You are wise beyond your years, my child.” The elder woman smiled.
“Goodnight, Helena.” Melisande dipped her head in a polite bow then she stepped through the door.
Tilly and Maggie helped her undress. They chattered between themselves about the different men they had met and which ones they would like to get to know better. Melisande dismissed the young chits and blew out the candles herself. Used to an even cooler chamber at Dupree than Willowbrook’s walls afforded, she decided to move aside the large tapestry and open the shutters for some fresh air. Once this was accomplished, she climbed into bed.
Melisande was drifting into a satisfying slumber—in truth, she was even more tired than she had admitted to Helena—when she heard a noise that seemed to come from outside on the allure below.
Through the barest of slits in her parted eyelids, upon the ledge she could see the tall figure of a man leaning against the partition that separated the twin portals in the wall, his shoulders just touching either side of the one he filled. Melisande knew exactly who it was. Devin . How dare he come to her room like this, and how long had he been standing there? If he took one step in, she vowed she would scream to high heaven.
Chapter Six
Devin watched Melisande as she slept in the moonlight, gazing upon her halo of hair fanning out across the pillow beneath her head. His insides felt as if they were plummeting to his feet. She seemed so pure, so real. God’s teeth, how he longed to climb under that coverlet and just hold her. Nay, he admitted with a shake of his head, he wished to do more than that… Much more. But she was asleep. He daren’t awaken her, for he knew she’d never forgive him for disobeying her wishes about not wanting his company this night. For as much beauty as she possessed, she had a headstrong disposition. What sort of attack could break down such defenses ? He almost laughed aloud at the idea. He’d never even thought to adhere to the concerns of the other women he’d been with. He’d never had to. They’d wanted him and he’d wanted them. He’d never lingered beyond the coupling, had never had to make pleasant conversation. The arrangement had always been simple.
He focused on Melisande once again. Suddenly nothing was simple.
Pretending to be asleep, Melisande did not move at all during his perusal of her, which, to her, seemed to go on forever.
Of a sudden, he stood up straight. Melisande flooded her lungs with air, ready to shout in alarm. However, he reached up and placed the tapestry back over the window as if shutting a door, then he was gone.
Melisande sat up in her bed, and the scream she’d prepared was hastily puffed out of her mouth in silence. She threw the coverlet off and dashed over to peek beyond the tapestry. It seemed that he’d vanished over the wall.
“That was the extent of his visit?” she said aloud, suddenly wondering at the discovery that she’d actually wanted his company so late at night…in her chamber. Her indecisiveness vaulted emotions over the edge from victim to huntress. A very disappointed huntress. More vexed than before, she slammed the shutters closed, bolted them, flung the tapestry shut and marched back to bed, stomping her feet on the hard floor, kicking
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