imprisoned in the castle again. Pursing her lips, she inched down little by little. Suddenly, she saw a flickering light to her right. Her eyes widened when it began to draw nearer. There was nowhere for her to hide. Instead, she stayed stock still staring at the light, hoping and praying it was a guard and he wouldn't notice her. Unfortunately for her, the light stopped directly beneath her, and an instantly recognisable voice boomed out. "What in God's name dost thou think thou art doing?"
She closed her eyes. It was John. Of course it was. Had she really thought she could thwart him? She glared down at him. "I was taking the night air. What doth thou think I am doing?"
Perhaps it was the wrong thing to say, but she was angry at being caught out. It wasn't fair! Her hands were getting tired, and her fear was making her irritable. Nothing was going right at all! She'd planned it all so carefully and yet she'd been found out.
John called up to her. "Do not move another inch. Just hold on tightly to that rope whilst Owain fetches a ladder."
Within minutes, Owain was back with another guard and a very long ladder. They positioned it on the wall next to her, and she could just make out John stepping onto it. She closed her eyes. She was in for such a scolding, that was certain. She'd hoped to be away by now, far into the country, and on her way to see her father. She wanted to stomp her foot she was so cross.
John reached her level and, even in the near dark, she could see his eyes glittering with rage. He was near enough that he could reach out to her, and she felt his muscular arm slip around her waist. It was comforting to have such a solid mass to cling to. "Now, let go of the rope. I hath thee."
Reluctantly, she let the rope uncoil from around her waist and swing freely against the wall. John positioned her in front of him on the ladder, holding onto her waist whilst she felt in the darkness for a foot hold. All the way down, he kept hold of her so she wouldn't fall. Anyone would think he cared, she thought to herself. But she knew that wasn't true.
They reached the bottom, and Owain and Bayard waited silently for their orders. John instructed them to remove the rope from the parapets for the safety of the castle and then dismissed them, but not before thanking Owain for his vigilance.
Arabella stood futilely next to him, silently lamenting her failed escape plan. She felt John's hand on her upper arm and stared at him over the flickering torch. His face was set, his eyes hard. "That was one of the most foolhardy things I hath ever witnessed."
"'Twas not!" she objected. "I was quite safe."
He shook his head and peered closer at her, holding the torch aloft, so he could see her more clearly. "Hath thou lost thy senses, Arabella? Thou was oft careless as a child, but as a woman, I would hath thought thee more careful but it wouldst seem not!"
"Oh, by the rood! I could not hath been more careful. I didst not fall!" she spat angrily. He was treating her like a dimwit.
"Nay, thou didst not, but it doth not alter the fact that thee could hath fallen."
"What doth it matter to thee?" She tried to shrug free of his grip. "Thou dost detest me. If I were no longer here thou wouldst not care!"
He pulled her nearer to his side and growled, "Thou art my wife, and I wouldst care, for I own thee, Arabella, lest thee had forgotten."
She narrowed her eyes. "How could I forget?" she spat.
"Thy temper is as volatile as ever. Come, I will see thee to thy chamber."
Without waiting for her answer, he manoeuvred her along the castle walls, to the main entrance, where the guards were waiting for him. When they passed through the gates, they closed them securely with a loud thud. Once again, Arabella was imprisoned.
* * *
John was amazed at the lengths Arabella would go to escape him, but he would make sure it wouldn't happen again. He couldn't risk her doing anything so foolhardy again. First, he was going to spank her until she
She closed her eyes. It was John. Of course it was. Had she really thought she could thwart him? She glared down at him. "I was taking the night air. What doth thou think I am doing?"
Perhaps it was the wrong thing to say, but she was angry at being caught out. It wasn't fair! Her hands were getting tired, and her fear was making her irritable. Nothing was going right at all! She'd planned it all so carefully and yet she'd been found out.
John called up to her. "Do not move another inch. Just hold on tightly to that rope whilst Owain fetches a ladder."
Within minutes, Owain was back with another guard and a very long ladder. They positioned it on the wall next to her, and she could just make out John stepping onto it. She closed her eyes. She was in for such a scolding, that was certain. She'd hoped to be away by now, far into the country, and on her way to see her father. She wanted to stomp her foot she was so cross.
John reached her level and, even in the near dark, she could see his eyes glittering with rage. He was near enough that he could reach out to her, and she felt his muscular arm slip around her waist. It was comforting to have such a solid mass to cling to. "Now, let go of the rope. I hath thee."
Reluctantly, she let the rope uncoil from around her waist and swing freely against the wall. John positioned her in front of him on the ladder, holding onto her waist whilst she felt in the darkness for a foot hold. All the way down, he kept hold of her so she wouldn't fall. Anyone would think he cared, she thought to herself. But she knew that wasn't true.
They reached the bottom, and Owain and Bayard waited silently for their orders. John instructed them to remove the rope from the parapets for the safety of the castle and then dismissed them, but not before thanking Owain for his vigilance.
Arabella stood futilely next to him, silently lamenting her failed escape plan. She felt John's hand on her upper arm and stared at him over the flickering torch. His face was set, his eyes hard. "That was one of the most foolhardy things I hath ever witnessed."
"'Twas not!" she objected. "I was quite safe."
He shook his head and peered closer at her, holding the torch aloft, so he could see her more clearly. "Hath thou lost thy senses, Arabella? Thou was oft careless as a child, but as a woman, I would hath thought thee more careful but it wouldst seem not!"
"Oh, by the rood! I could not hath been more careful. I didst not fall!" she spat angrily. He was treating her like a dimwit.
"Nay, thou didst not, but it doth not alter the fact that thee could hath fallen."
"What doth it matter to thee?" She tried to shrug free of his grip. "Thou dost detest me. If I were no longer here thou wouldst not care!"
He pulled her nearer to his side and growled, "Thou art my wife, and I wouldst care, for I own thee, Arabella, lest thee had forgotten."
She narrowed her eyes. "How could I forget?" she spat.
"Thy temper is as volatile as ever. Come, I will see thee to thy chamber."
Without waiting for her answer, he manoeuvred her along the castle walls, to the main entrance, where the guards were waiting for him. When they passed through the gates, they closed them securely with a loud thud. Once again, Arabella was imprisoned.
* * *
John was amazed at the lengths Arabella would go to escape him, but he would make sure it wouldn't happen again. He couldn't risk her doing anything so foolhardy again. First, he was going to spank her until she
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