DAUNTLESS: Book Eight: Age of Conquest by Leigh Tamara

Author:Leigh, Tamara
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Tamara Leigh
Published: 2021-09-14T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-One

Her betrothed was gone. A good thing, though Godfroi had wanted to speak with him before his departure, setting aside jealousy for which he alone was responsible and expressing gratitude for all the chevalier had done.

As told by Olivier, Roche and his hunting companions had thwarted an attack on Robine and their sons that could have ended more disastrously than it had. Afterward, greatly the chevalier had aided in holding Valeur together while Olivier healed from injuries that would have been mortal had they not been tended at Castle L’Épée where Robine was deceived into believing her sire was on his deathbed.

When Godfroi had asked who was responsible for sending the false missive, Olivier had glanced at Lady Maëlys who arranged for the evening meal to be served to retainers in the inner bailey, allowing her family privacy in which to reunite. Obviously, he did not wish to discuss the attack in her hearing, but it could wait as had many things these months.

The hermit was also gone, the same as Roche having departed without allowing Godfroi to express appreciation. Johannes’ swift departure had troubled his mother as well, and she had suggested they send a man after him, but when Godfroi revealed how resistant the hermit had been to entering the castle and his greatest desire was to worship the Lord in his cave, she had let it be.

Now she was with Guarin and Cyr in her chamber abovestairs, having scooped the drowsy boys off their sire’s lap where he had sat at the ink-stained high table in conversation with Olivier, the solar curtains parted to allow him to watch for Robine’s awakening that she resisted despite Cat’s attempts to rouse her.

Once Guarin and Cyr were out of sight, just as Olivier had discreetly aided in his lord’s dismount after learning of his impairment and assisted him into the hall, he had delivered the crutches hidden from the boys. Though Guarin had not questioned why his sire, who rarely sat still for long, had not moved from the table for two hours, once the excitement of his father’s homecoming waned, the boy would ask. Hence, soon he must be told of the injury he would understand only somewhat better than Cyr.

Having propped the crutches against the wall alongside the bedside table and unstrapped Johannes’ contraptions that lent rigidity to legs otherwise given to falling from under him when he worked the crutches with his upper body, Godfroi shifted lower on his pillow and looked to Robine on her side of the bed.

It was then he noticed the ring he had given her the day they wed was absent.

Here jealousy again, aimed at her betrothed who was her betrothed no longer. Here restraint again, reminding him acceptance of widowhood and preparation to wed another warranted such.

He settled his regard on her face. It worried she had yet to awaken, but the physician come from the nearest village had assured him though she struck her head when she fell, no

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.