her heart skipping beats
like lightning bolts through a summer storm, She felt the bed materialize
behind her knees and sat weakly upon it, holding her palm against her breast,
feeling the pounding of her heart.
“Thank
God,” she whispered, and her eyes stung with tears of relief. Truly they had
come too far to lose everything now. There too much at risk. She lay back upon
the bed and wept silent tears, thanking God that William’s mere presence at
Drakewich removed him from suspicion. For surely not even the Dragon would cast
blame simply out of spite?
Chapter 6
Across
the chamber, tallow candles burned, emitting ribbons of ash smoke that curled upward
toward the shadowy ceiling. William smiled, thinking of the blaze that raged
beyond the castle walls, and his nostrils flared as he sat upon the small cot.
He drew Alyss nearer, despite that she resisted. It mattered not that she did,
for he relished this the most.
“M’lord,”
she protested weakly. “I thought...”
“Shush,
Alyss,” he demanded, for he knew precisely what it was she thought, and it
pleased him not at all. He’d be damned if he’d refrain from partaking of her
fleshly pleasures simply because she was now his sister’s lady’s maid.
Of
course, she was no substitute for Dominique—never had been—and he
silently cursed her for that.
Too bad
his lovely sister was worth so little without her virtue, for he’d long coveted
her within his bed. Too bad, too, that the fool church took such offense with incestus ,
else wise he would have taken her as his own bride.
It was
how it should have been.
Nay, he
felt no guilt for his private fancies—if anything, it was resentment he
felt, for his little sister was much too lovely for the likes of Graeham
d’Lucy. The fool was likely too chaste to understand what to do with a woman
the likes of Dominique. He wouldn’t appreciate her.
Not like William
would.
Well,
it suited him well enough, for when all was said and done, Dominique would be
back in his keeping, and the less she was befouled, the better.
Aye,
and then he would tell her everything. He knew precisely what he would say...
Were it
not that Dominique’s beauty alone had brought him so many marriage offers even before
her first blood, he would have long ago proclaimed her a bastard and claimed
her for his own. Yet now she would bring him the ultimate bride-price, and he
smiled inwardly at the prospect. And in the end, she would be his again... and
he would be whole again. The mere thought of it filled him with gratification.
Something
in his expression must have eased Alyss, for after a moment she relented and
stood before him, stilled at last. That’s what he liked most about her... that
she learned quickly. Still, she had resisted him, and he could not risk her
defiance just now. Not when so much depended upon her complete obeisance to
him.
Positioning
the maid none too gently into the space between his legs, he then bent,
reaching into his boot to retrieve Dominique’s poniard. Alyss’ eyes widened at
the sight of the small blade, but she dared say nothing, and he proceeded at
once to slice the front of her gown, grinning with satisfaction at her
expression of distress.
“M-M’lord,”
she stammered.
His
skin prickled in anticipation. “Shush, Alyss,” he whispered once more, but the
command was no less menacing for its deceiving softness. Alyss complied at once
and he peered up at her, his grin engaging in the shadows of the chamber. He
drew her closer still, tossing the gleaming blade upon the bed. With
satisfaction he watched as her eyes followed it, and then he commenced to
parting her coarse gown, roughly, rending it until she was fully exposed to his
eyes.
“Return
the blade to my sister,” he commanded her softly, and then as she watched, he
placed his lips to her breast. He took great satisfaction in the gasp she
emitted, and despite the gleam of fear in her eyes, her flesh flushed rosy by
the light of
like lightning bolts through a summer storm, She felt the bed materialize
behind her knees and sat weakly upon it, holding her palm against her breast,
feeling the pounding of her heart.
“Thank
God,” she whispered, and her eyes stung with tears of relief. Truly they had
come too far to lose everything now. There too much at risk. She lay back upon
the bed and wept silent tears, thanking God that William’s mere presence at
Drakewich removed him from suspicion. For surely not even the Dragon would cast
blame simply out of spite?
Chapter 6
Across
the chamber, tallow candles burned, emitting ribbons of ash smoke that curled upward
toward the shadowy ceiling. William smiled, thinking of the blaze that raged
beyond the castle walls, and his nostrils flared as he sat upon the small cot.
He drew Alyss nearer, despite that she resisted. It mattered not that she did,
for he relished this the most.
“M’lord,”
she protested weakly. “I thought...”
“Shush,
Alyss,” he demanded, for he knew precisely what it was she thought, and it
pleased him not at all. He’d be damned if he’d refrain from partaking of her
fleshly pleasures simply because she was now his sister’s lady’s maid.
Of
course, she was no substitute for Dominique—never had been—and he
silently cursed her for that.
Too bad
his lovely sister was worth so little without her virtue, for he’d long coveted
her within his bed. Too bad, too, that the fool church took such offense with incestus ,
else wise he would have taken her as his own bride.
It was
how it should have been.
Nay, he
felt no guilt for his private fancies—if anything, it was resentment he
felt, for his little sister was much too lovely for the likes of Graeham
d’Lucy. The fool was likely too chaste to understand what to do with a woman
the likes of Dominique. He wouldn’t appreciate her.
Not like William
would.
Well,
it suited him well enough, for when all was said and done, Dominique would be
back in his keeping, and the less she was befouled, the better.
Aye,
and then he would tell her everything. He knew precisely what he would say...
Were it
not that Dominique’s beauty alone had brought him so many marriage offers even before
her first blood, he would have long ago proclaimed her a bastard and claimed
her for his own. Yet now she would bring him the ultimate bride-price, and he
smiled inwardly at the prospect. And in the end, she would be his again... and
he would be whole again. The mere thought of it filled him with gratification.
Something
in his expression must have eased Alyss, for after a moment she relented and
stood before him, stilled at last. That’s what he liked most about her... that
she learned quickly. Still, she had resisted him, and he could not risk her
defiance just now. Not when so much depended upon her complete obeisance to
him.
Positioning
the maid none too gently into the space between his legs, he then bent,
reaching into his boot to retrieve Dominique’s poniard. Alyss’ eyes widened at
the sight of the small blade, but she dared say nothing, and he proceeded at
once to slice the front of her gown, grinning with satisfaction at her
expression of distress.
“M-M’lord,”
she stammered.
His
skin prickled in anticipation. “Shush, Alyss,” he whispered once more, but the
command was no less menacing for its deceiving softness. Alyss complied at once
and he peered up at her, his grin engaging in the shadows of the chamber. He
drew her closer still, tossing the gleaming blade upon the bed. With
satisfaction he watched as her eyes followed it, and then he commenced to
parting her coarse gown, roughly, rending it until she was fully exposed to his
eyes.
“Return
the blade to my sister,” he commanded her softly, and then as she watched, he
placed his lips to her breast. He took great satisfaction in the gasp she
emitted, and despite the gleam of fear in her eyes, her flesh flushed rosy by
the light of
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