A Knight in Broken Armor (The Knights of Stonebridge, Series 1, Book 2) by Bambi Lynn

Author:Bambi Lynn [Lynn, Bambi]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bourdeilles Books
Published: 2020-09-05T18:30:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINE

“I will not.” Kier narrowed his eyes, pointing a menacing finger at her. “You planned this.”

Ivy’s breath came out in a soft whisper. “What?”

“Was all this…” he waved his arm around to indicate the crumpled grass, “some sort of scheme to hoodwink me?”

A little lump began to quiver in the pit of her stomach. Heat rose up the back of her neck. “No, I—”

“Well you had better be running back and slipping into your tent, because I will not be forced into this. Do you understand me, Ivy? I will not marry you!”

He snatched his cloak from the ground where she had dropped it in her haste to rouse him. With one last glare in her direction, he turned and strode from the riverbank. Only once did he turn back to glare at her anew.

Ivy stared after him until he was out of sight. She wanted to plop right down and cry, but strangely she felt no tears bubbling up inside her, no sobs threatening to overwhelm her. Just a physical pain in her chest and a lump the size of an apple in her throat.

Could it be that horrible? she wondered. Could the mere prospect of marrying me be so repulsive? I would make him a good wife. Can he not see how much I love him?

She had comforted more than one woman lamenting the loss of a lover. She had felt their anguish, their absolute despair.

She could never have imagined this pain.

Slowly she started to drag one foot after the other.

From an early age, she had been warned against the evils of men. Not just the ones bearing coin, but the others. The thieves who would leave you a trinket and take your very soul in return. Was it too late to keep her heart from being broken?

Soon enough she was on the path to the castle. It was still early morning, and there was no need to slip into her tent. Mattie and the others were still sleeping and even the vendors further down had not yet opened for business.

No one would know she had spent the night with the blacksmith.

***

The noon sun beat a direct path on the village of Leywich. Summer would still be a few months coming, so the insects had not yet arrived en masse. The days grew longer and the nights warmer.

Kier could no longer shirk his duties. His avoidance of the castle grounds, and ultimately the whoremonger’s daughter, could not continue. If he did not get to the stables today, he would have hell to pay for sure.

It was all her fault. Before Ivy Sterling came to Leywich he had never avoided the manor. He had faced the ridicule, ignored the mocking laughter, held his head high. For the last handful of years he had expected the worst from people.

They seldom let him down.

But now he found himself increasingly afraid—afraid—of her rejection. Why should he care? She was sassy, headstrong. She might not be titled, but she was like a spoiled little rich girl.

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