A Girl of White Winter by Barb Hendee

Author:Barb Hendee
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington
Published: 2018-08-07T17:37:08+00:00

Chapter Eleven

The next day, upon waking, I was in so much pain I wasn’t sure I could move.

At least I was alone.

Royce had left me at some point. My mind would only allow in small bits of what he’d done to me in the night, and it rejected some of the memories fighting to surface. Slowly, I tried to rise from the bed, ignoring the small spatters of blood on the sheets.

Making my way to the water basin, I hoped there was still water inside.

The door to my room opened, and I froze in terror, fearing he’d come back.

But it was Adina, her face awash in concern. “Kara, what happened last night? Royce just came downstairs with a face like thunder, and he walked through the house without speaking to anyone. I’ve never seen him so angry.”

Then she took a look at me. “Oh, Kara…what have you done? You didn’t try to refuse him, did you?” She saw the fallen silk screen, and her eyes widened in alarm. “You could not possibly have…Didn’t Lady Giselle teach you anything?”

I barely followed what she said.

Moving closer, she took my arm, and the alarm on her face turned to fear. “Did you try to resist him? Don’t you understand? He views himself as your savior, your protector. That is why he values you. If you lose that, you’ll lose him.”

Her eyes shifted back and forth, but I still barely heard her words and pulled away, cupping water into my hands and drinking several mouthfuls.

“Listen to me!” she said urgently. “There’s still time, but you have to do exactly as I say. He’s out riding, as he always does at this time of day. He’ll come in later for lunch. You need to get dressed and meet him out back in the rose garden as he’s walking in. His mother planted it, and it’s one of his favorite places. Kara, are you hearing me? Ask his forgiveness. Plead your innocence and ignorance. He’ll understand that…He may even like it. But you must convince him how grateful you are to him for both giving you this position and rescuing you from those brigands. You must make him feel like your savior.”

What was she saying? She wanted me to go to Royce and ask his forgiveness, when last night he’d forced himself on me as I wept and begged him to stop?

“No,” I said. “I won’t do that.”

“Then you’re lost! You have one chance to turn this around, and if you can’t, he could lose his value of you.”

“Good. He’ll send me back to my lady.”

“Back to your lady? Kara, he lost a thousand pieces of silver on a land deal to purchase you. Do you think he’ll give that up? He’ll sell you to another nobleman who might not view you as an honored companion, or he’ll sell you to…” She trailed off and then said. “There are far worse things in this world than flattering and catering to the needs of one man.”

I stared at her, finally listening.

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