seed pouring inside her. He rolled to his side, bringing her along with him. For a few silent moments she fought to catch her breath, before becoming aware of her surroundings. The wooden beams above her, the soft rug beneath her, the crackling fire behind her, and the man beside her.
He still held her, his fingers brushing lazily along her spine, but he looked toward the flames, the fire casting half his face in shadow. Once again his brow furrowed.
Silence.
His braies were still down around his knees, her kirtle up about her hips. Embarrassed at their fevered coupling and how much she had enjoyed it, she pushed her skirts down over her legs.
Going up on her elbow, she placed a hand on his chest. "What ails you, Renaud?"
He glanced at her, his troubled gaze searching her face.
She saw the hesitation in his eyes, and no longer was she worried that he had found out about the healer and the sleeping draught. Somehow she knew what his tortured gaze meant.
He smoothed her hair back from her face. "I received a summons from King William today."
The hair on the back of her neck stood on end. She sat up abruptly, and his hand fell away.
"He wants Adelstan brought to York."
She shook her head. "Nay."
"We are to leave in a fortnight."
The trembling began deep within her and drew outward until she shook like a leaf. "Nay, you cannot. William will have his head." She scrambled to her feet. "You promised!"
Worse than his silence was the simple fact he did not deny it. How could she have ever believed Renaud de Wulf would show mercy? What a fool she had been to trust him.
He would be leaving—taking Adelstan to certain death. She must get the draught. They must escape now, before it was too late. The thought of life without her brother was too painful... unthinkable. "You gave me your word, Renaud. You agreed to our bargain."
"And I have kept your brother safe, Aleysia."
"Aye, you did, but what now? You merely kept him alive so your king would have the privilege of killing him!"
He stood slowly, pulling his braies up and tying them. "I promised nothing."
He could not even look at her.
She shook her head, not believing her ears. She had given this monster her maidenhead, thinking she would buy them time, but he had no intention of giving her or Adelstan leniency. "I beg that you let him go. Tell William that he escaped."
Finally, he looked at her, and his eyes were full of regret. "I cannot do that, Aleysia."
She felt like her world had been ripped out from beneath her. "Why not?"
"He is my king, and I have given him my word."
"And what of your promise to me?"
His gaze shifted over her slowly. "You will stay at Braemere. I will speak to King William. Mayhap he will show mercy. In fact, I am prepared to ask for your hand."
"I would never marry a Norman!"
His gaze turned cold. "You would rather suffer the same fate as your brother than be my wife?"
She nodded and tears slipped down her cheeks. "Aye, I would." He frowned and reached for her.
She jumped away. "Do not touch me ever again! We had a bargain and you have failed to live up to your end. I ask that you release me now. Put me in the tower with my brother, for I will not live without him."
He stepped toward her and lifted her chin with strong fingers, wiping away the tears with his thumbs, his expression softer than moments before. "I am not prepared to let you go."
She took hold of his wrist. "Then let Adelstan go, Renaud. You have the power to release him. Let him escape to Scotland. Tell William what you must—that Adelstan is dead, but let my brother live."
His finger slipped down over her throat and the pulse beating wildly there. "Release him—so he can return with Laird MacMillan to demand your freedom? I cannot take that chance." He bent his head as though to kiss her, but she pulled away so fast, she nearly stumbled back into the chair where she had ridden him moments ago.
"I do not belong to you—nor do I want you."
The sides of his mouth
He still held her, his fingers brushing lazily along her spine, but he looked toward the flames, the fire casting half his face in shadow. Once again his brow furrowed.
Silence.
His braies were still down around his knees, her kirtle up about her hips. Embarrassed at their fevered coupling and how much she had enjoyed it, she pushed her skirts down over her legs.
Going up on her elbow, she placed a hand on his chest. "What ails you, Renaud?"
He glanced at her, his troubled gaze searching her face.
She saw the hesitation in his eyes, and no longer was she worried that he had found out about the healer and the sleeping draught. Somehow she knew what his tortured gaze meant.
He smoothed her hair back from her face. "I received a summons from King William today."
The hair on the back of her neck stood on end. She sat up abruptly, and his hand fell away.
"He wants Adelstan brought to York."
She shook her head. "Nay."
"We are to leave in a fortnight."
The trembling began deep within her and drew outward until she shook like a leaf. "Nay, you cannot. William will have his head." She scrambled to her feet. "You promised!"
Worse than his silence was the simple fact he did not deny it. How could she have ever believed Renaud de Wulf would show mercy? What a fool she had been to trust him.
He would be leaving—taking Adelstan to certain death. She must get the draught. They must escape now, before it was too late. The thought of life without her brother was too painful... unthinkable. "You gave me your word, Renaud. You agreed to our bargain."
"And I have kept your brother safe, Aleysia."
"Aye, you did, but what now? You merely kept him alive so your king would have the privilege of killing him!"
He stood slowly, pulling his braies up and tying them. "I promised nothing."
He could not even look at her.
She shook her head, not believing her ears. She had given this monster her maidenhead, thinking she would buy them time, but he had no intention of giving her or Adelstan leniency. "I beg that you let him go. Tell William that he escaped."
Finally, he looked at her, and his eyes were full of regret. "I cannot do that, Aleysia."
She felt like her world had been ripped out from beneath her. "Why not?"
"He is my king, and I have given him my word."
"And what of your promise to me?"
His gaze shifted over her slowly. "You will stay at Braemere. I will speak to King William. Mayhap he will show mercy. In fact, I am prepared to ask for your hand."
"I would never marry a Norman!"
His gaze turned cold. "You would rather suffer the same fate as your brother than be my wife?"
She nodded and tears slipped down her cheeks. "Aye, I would." He frowned and reached for her.
She jumped away. "Do not touch me ever again! We had a bargain and you have failed to live up to your end. I ask that you release me now. Put me in the tower with my brother, for I will not live without him."
He stepped toward her and lifted her chin with strong fingers, wiping away the tears with his thumbs, his expression softer than moments before. "I am not prepared to let you go."
She took hold of his wrist. "Then let Adelstan go, Renaud. You have the power to release him. Let him escape to Scotland. Tell William what you must—that Adelstan is dead, but let my brother live."
His finger slipped down over her throat and the pulse beating wildly there. "Release him—so he can return with Laird MacMillan to demand your freedom? I cannot take that chance." He bent his head as though to kiss her, but she pulled away so fast, she nearly stumbled back into the chair where she had ridden him moments ago.
"I do not belong to you—nor do I want you."
The sides of his mouth
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