nervous. A number of them had even fallen back several steps. Gathering herself in hand, Alana prayed that God would forgive her her deception.
“You see?” she went on with a boldness she was far from feeling. “Now I suggest you let the old man go. Else I will turn you all into goats, the lot of you!”
A low murmur went up. The Normans glanced at each other uneasily. There was not a man among them who would dare challenge her further.
“Aye,” she went on brashly. “Mayhap I will do it anyway—and your Norman lord along with the rest of you!”
“Indeed,” came a grim voice from behind her. “That might prove quite interesting, Saxon.”
It was Merrick. Alana’s heart plummeted. She had the awful sensation Merrick would not be so easily daunted as his men.
And alas, she was right. He gestured to the nearest soldier. “Take the old man to the hall and await my order.”
Alana’s blood seemed to freeze in her veins. Somehow that had an ominous ring to it. Then even that thought was wrenched from her mind, for all at once his hand was on her elbow, like a clamp of iron. Though she struggled and twisted, he was determined—and far stronger than she. He dragged her toward the hall and up the stairs, all the way into his chamber. He thrust her inside and slammed the door shut.
Alana stood frozen there in the center of the room. His arms were folded across his chest.His posture was no less than threatening. The vice-like hold of his eyes entrapped her, as surely as chains. She was afraid to move, just as afraid not to.
She had displeased him yet again. There could be no doubt, for his expression was dark as a thundercloud.
“Trouble follows you like a storm from the sea, Saxon.” His voice was as cutting as his eyes. “I begin to wish I had left you in the forest.”
He spun around and would have strode away. “Wait!” she cried. “What will you do with Aubrey?”
He turned. His face was a mask of stone.
Her hands twisted nervously in her skirts. “You will not harm him, will you? He has done nothing.”
His eyes narrowed. “I am not beholden to you, Saxon. Nor do I see the need to answer to you.”
Panic leaped in her breast, for his expression was so very forbidding. Alana did not move. With her eyes she mutely pleaded. “Please, I must know. Truly, he meant no harm.”
He said nothing.
A hot ache burned her throat. “You asked this morn what I would give. I had no answer then. But if you let Aubrey go free, I-I will offer myself to your mercy.”
Still he did not speak. Alana moistened her lips. “Did you not hear me, Norman? Do what you will with me—whatever you will.”
“Mercy? And what if I have none?”
“Then I am doomed,” she whispered. There was a stark, wrenching pain in her heart. Mayhap she was already…
And alas, he scorned her. With words. With scorching blue fire in his eyes. “So soon you forget,” he mocked. “You cannot bargain, Saxon, for you have nothing to bargain with . I will do whatever I wish, whenever I wish. You are already at my mercy—and so you will remain. And do not fool yourself into thinking I will let this pass. Make no mistake, Saxon, I will deal with you later.”
With that he was gone. Alana stood motionless but an instant. She ran to the door and tried to open it. A cry of sheer fury broke from her throat. She collapsed on the floor in a flood of angry tears. The lout had locked her in!
It was much later when she heard the sound of the bolt being slid from its berth. Alana glanced up from where she’d been sitting at the table, her forehead braced upon her arms. The door creaked open slowly. The lad Simon stood there, a tray in his hands, but he did not enter.
He extended the tray. “After you’ve eaten, my lady, my lord wishes your presence in the hall, to help serve the evening meal,” he informed her, his tone coolly formal.
My lady . At any other time, Alana might have giggled. But as it was, a melancholy weariness
“You see?” she went on with a boldness she was far from feeling. “Now I suggest you let the old man go. Else I will turn you all into goats, the lot of you!”
A low murmur went up. The Normans glanced at each other uneasily. There was not a man among them who would dare challenge her further.
“Aye,” she went on brashly. “Mayhap I will do it anyway—and your Norman lord along with the rest of you!”
“Indeed,” came a grim voice from behind her. “That might prove quite interesting, Saxon.”
It was Merrick. Alana’s heart plummeted. She had the awful sensation Merrick would not be so easily daunted as his men.
And alas, she was right. He gestured to the nearest soldier. “Take the old man to the hall and await my order.”
Alana’s blood seemed to freeze in her veins. Somehow that had an ominous ring to it. Then even that thought was wrenched from her mind, for all at once his hand was on her elbow, like a clamp of iron. Though she struggled and twisted, he was determined—and far stronger than she. He dragged her toward the hall and up the stairs, all the way into his chamber. He thrust her inside and slammed the door shut.
Alana stood frozen there in the center of the room. His arms were folded across his chest.His posture was no less than threatening. The vice-like hold of his eyes entrapped her, as surely as chains. She was afraid to move, just as afraid not to.
She had displeased him yet again. There could be no doubt, for his expression was dark as a thundercloud.
“Trouble follows you like a storm from the sea, Saxon.” His voice was as cutting as his eyes. “I begin to wish I had left you in the forest.”
He spun around and would have strode away. “Wait!” she cried. “What will you do with Aubrey?”
He turned. His face was a mask of stone.
Her hands twisted nervously in her skirts. “You will not harm him, will you? He has done nothing.”
His eyes narrowed. “I am not beholden to you, Saxon. Nor do I see the need to answer to you.”
Panic leaped in her breast, for his expression was so very forbidding. Alana did not move. With her eyes she mutely pleaded. “Please, I must know. Truly, he meant no harm.”
He said nothing.
A hot ache burned her throat. “You asked this morn what I would give. I had no answer then. But if you let Aubrey go free, I-I will offer myself to your mercy.”
Still he did not speak. Alana moistened her lips. “Did you not hear me, Norman? Do what you will with me—whatever you will.”
“Mercy? And what if I have none?”
“Then I am doomed,” she whispered. There was a stark, wrenching pain in her heart. Mayhap she was already…
And alas, he scorned her. With words. With scorching blue fire in his eyes. “So soon you forget,” he mocked. “You cannot bargain, Saxon, for you have nothing to bargain with . I will do whatever I wish, whenever I wish. You are already at my mercy—and so you will remain. And do not fool yourself into thinking I will let this pass. Make no mistake, Saxon, I will deal with you later.”
With that he was gone. Alana stood motionless but an instant. She ran to the door and tried to open it. A cry of sheer fury broke from her throat. She collapsed on the floor in a flood of angry tears. The lout had locked her in!
It was much later when she heard the sound of the bolt being slid from its berth. Alana glanced up from where she’d been sitting at the table, her forehead braced upon her arms. The door creaked open slowly. The lad Simon stood there, a tray in his hands, but he did not enter.
He extended the tray. “After you’ve eaten, my lady, my lord wishes your presence in the hall, to help serve the evening meal,” he informed her, his tone coolly formal.
My lady . At any other time, Alana might have giggled. But as it was, a melancholy weariness
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