any cost."
He gazed deeply into her eyes.
Excitement rose within her. He wanted her not just for tonight,
but forever. He wanted to marry her, not for just her castles, but
for herself How delicious it was to keep him waiting, keep him
begging, keep him aching for the consummation. Her fingers
traced across the pulse beating in his throat, then up across
his lips. He had the most beautiful, demanding mouth she had
ever seen. Surely it could not lie to her? He had pledged that
he wanted her for herself alone, not her Marshal inheritance,
and more than anything in the world she longed to believe him,
longed to have someone love her.
Rosamond caught her breath on a shiver. She was intoxicated
with the nearness of him and swept her lashes to her cheeks
lest he see the wild desire she was feeling. His hands moved
up her body, then his fingers slid into her hair to hold her
captive for his mouth’s ravishing. His lips claimed hers with
such ferocity, Rosamond was lost, lost. She opened her
mouth, welcoming his thrusting sleek tongue deep inside.
Then she rubbed her woman’s center against his hard body
until she could feel the heat of him. I am no longer an ice
maiden in need of a thawing... love me, Rod, love me!"
When Rosamond opened her eyes in the morning, her dream
stil lingered. As she recal ed al the sensual details, she was
shocked by her wanton feelings for Rodger de Leyburn. How
could she have al owed him to kiss her and touch her
intimately, even in a dream? Rosamond denied that she found
him attractive and put the blame on last night's actual events,
as the memory came flooding back to her. She blushed
deeply, covered with shame for the sexual encounter she had
deeply, covered with shame for the sexual encounter she had
overheard.
36
That the lovers were Lord Edward and Alyce de Clare made it
a thousand times worse, shocking her beyond belief. She
took refuge in anger; it was al that devil de Leyburn's fault that
she had accidental y learned of the scandalous affair!
Rosamond did not want to share this shameful secret with
him, nor share anything else, despite the fact that she had
found him attractive in her dream. Blood of God, if he had his
way, she would soon be sharing his bed, sharing his life! As
her eyes fel on the purple garment at the foot of her bed, her
blush deepened. Whatever had possessed her to conceal
herself with the cloak and go to his chamber at midnight? It
was time she stopped behaving recklessly and acted with
reason and resolve. She would go to the one person who
would help her, the lady who had been both mother and
guardian angel to her since she was a child. Rodger de
Leyburn was no match for Countess Eleanor de Montfort!
******************
"Lady Eleanor, may I speak with you about something that has
been deeply troubling me?" Rosamond dipped a curtsy, and
the chatelaine of Kenilworth, who had just finished breaking
her fast and was about to leave the hal , sat back down at the
table.
Eleanor patted the seat beside her. "It's about your betrothal,
isn't it, Rosamond?"
"Yes! How did you guess?"
"You wish to end the betrothal and marry."
"Yes ... no! I want to end the betrothal, Lady Eleanor, but I do
not wish to marry!"
"Rosamond, dearest, you are seventeen, quite old enough to
be a wife. You have learned your lessons wel and wil make,
not only a beautiful bride, but a most efficient chatelaine."
"I don't want to wed Rodger de Leyburn; I don't want to leave
Kenilworth."
"Oh dear, I'm afraid we've sheltered you too much from the
world. I should have encouraged you to visit your own
properties more often, so you could take a hand in running
them. I ful y understand that Kenilworth became your refuge
when you were a young girl, but now you are a grown woman. I
want to see you spread your wings and take your rightful place
in the world."
37
"Rodger de Leyburn wants only my Marshal inheritance!"
"Rosamond, that is not true.
He gazed deeply into her eyes.
Excitement rose within her. He wanted her not just for tonight,
but forever. He wanted to marry her, not for just her castles, but
for herself How delicious it was to keep him waiting, keep him
begging, keep him aching for the consummation. Her fingers
traced across the pulse beating in his throat, then up across
his lips. He had the most beautiful, demanding mouth she had
ever seen. Surely it could not lie to her? He had pledged that
he wanted her for herself alone, not her Marshal inheritance,
and more than anything in the world she longed to believe him,
longed to have someone love her.
Rosamond caught her breath on a shiver. She was intoxicated
with the nearness of him and swept her lashes to her cheeks
lest he see the wild desire she was feeling. His hands moved
up her body, then his fingers slid into her hair to hold her
captive for his mouth’s ravishing. His lips claimed hers with
such ferocity, Rosamond was lost, lost. She opened her
mouth, welcoming his thrusting sleek tongue deep inside.
Then she rubbed her woman’s center against his hard body
until she could feel the heat of him. I am no longer an ice
maiden in need of a thawing... love me, Rod, love me!"
When Rosamond opened her eyes in the morning, her dream
stil lingered. As she recal ed al the sensual details, she was
shocked by her wanton feelings for Rodger de Leyburn. How
could she have al owed him to kiss her and touch her
intimately, even in a dream? Rosamond denied that she found
him attractive and put the blame on last night's actual events,
as the memory came flooding back to her. She blushed
deeply, covered with shame for the sexual encounter she had
deeply, covered with shame for the sexual encounter she had
overheard.
36
That the lovers were Lord Edward and Alyce de Clare made it
a thousand times worse, shocking her beyond belief. She
took refuge in anger; it was al that devil de Leyburn's fault that
she had accidental y learned of the scandalous affair!
Rosamond did not want to share this shameful secret with
him, nor share anything else, despite the fact that she had
found him attractive in her dream. Blood of God, if he had his
way, she would soon be sharing his bed, sharing his life! As
her eyes fel on the purple garment at the foot of her bed, her
blush deepened. Whatever had possessed her to conceal
herself with the cloak and go to his chamber at midnight? It
was time she stopped behaving recklessly and acted with
reason and resolve. She would go to the one person who
would help her, the lady who had been both mother and
guardian angel to her since she was a child. Rodger de
Leyburn was no match for Countess Eleanor de Montfort!
******************
"Lady Eleanor, may I speak with you about something that has
been deeply troubling me?" Rosamond dipped a curtsy, and
the chatelaine of Kenilworth, who had just finished breaking
her fast and was about to leave the hal , sat back down at the
table.
Eleanor patted the seat beside her. "It's about your betrothal,
isn't it, Rosamond?"
"Yes! How did you guess?"
"You wish to end the betrothal and marry."
"Yes ... no! I want to end the betrothal, Lady Eleanor, but I do
not wish to marry!"
"Rosamond, dearest, you are seventeen, quite old enough to
be a wife. You have learned your lessons wel and wil make,
not only a beautiful bride, but a most efficient chatelaine."
"I don't want to wed Rodger de Leyburn; I don't want to leave
Kenilworth."
"Oh dear, I'm afraid we've sheltered you too much from the
world. I should have encouraged you to visit your own
properties more often, so you could take a hand in running
them. I ful y understand that Kenilworth became your refuge
when you were a young girl, but now you are a grown woman. I
want to see you spread your wings and take your rightful place
in the world."
37
"Rodger de Leyburn wants only my Marshal inheritance!"
"Rosamond, that is not true.
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