A Midnight Dance by Lila DiPasqua

Author:Lila DiPasqua [Dipasqua, Lila]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fantasy
Published: 2011-08-01T22:00:00+00:00

Jules insisted on walking into the house without assistance. Though by the time he’d crossed the field and the threshold, he could barely hold himself upright. Upon entering, he noted the home was still in disarray from the search and that the Laurent lot were seated near the hearth, looking stricken. Josette wept softly. Bruno, Serge, and Daniel stood guard.

Jules caught Sabine’s gaze.

Her expression of distress quickly turned perplexed when she noted his irregular gait. He thought he saw concern flash in her eyes, but dismissed it as he concentrated on breathing and walking toward the room to the left off the common room as normally as possible. The bed inside beckoned him. Raymond directly behind him, Jules entered the bedchamber, grateful there was one on the main floor.

“Turn down the quilt. See if there are any fleas,” Jules ordered. Though given his state, even if there was an infestation, he doubted he could have resisted the urge to lie down.

“It looks very clean,” Raymond said, having pulled back the bedcovers.

Jules lowered himself onto the edge of the bed, refusing Raymond’s help. He tried to pull off his shirt, but couldn’t lift his arm without pain ripping across his side. He swore viciously. “Get this binding off me, Raymond. It feels like a vise!” He couldn’t breathe, and the pain was making him impatient and irritable.

“Of course, my lord.” Unfazed, Raymond removed Jules’s shirt then undid the knot and deftly unraveled the binding from around his ribs. When it was off, Jules took in a breath and let it out slowly.

The door opened and slammed shut.

Furious that one of his men would dare intrude so rudely, Jules looked up to see who was about to receive the full brunt of his ire.

Sabine, balancing a tray with one hand, locked the door quickly with the other and turned to face him. Her eyes immediately narrowed on the massive discoloration across his ribs. Jerking her gaze up, she met his stunned regard with her own.

Rapid footsteps approached the door. Someone attempted to turn the locked latch, then pounded at the portal.

“Mademoiselle!” Marc called out. “Out of there!”

She glanced back toward the commotion. Raymond stepped toward her, the key visibly vulnerable in her hand. But she turned around before he could grab it and dropped the key down the front of her chemise, tossing him a “Don’t you dare” look.

Raymond froze, then glanced at Jules for direction.

Jules placed a palm over his eyes, wrestling down the expletives bellowing in his brain. Clearly, he wasn’t finished being tortured this night.

“Mademoiselle!” Marc continued to strike his fist against the door. “Commander?”

“Commander?” Raymond said. “What do you wish me to do? Um . . . fetch the key?”

Jules lowered his hand and slanted Raymond a look. Raymond had the good grace to blush.

“No,” he managed to say calmly for the sake of his ribs, though it took considerable effort to tamp down the vexation boiling in his blood. “But you can tell Marc to cease his incessant pounding.

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