Hostage Bride by Anne Herries

Author:Anne Herries [Herries, Anne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin Historical
Published: 2015-09-02T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

Raphael did not look back as he rode out of the castle with six of his most trusted men at his back. He was angry because Rosamunde had questioned his actions in the matter of Sir Edmund. Damn the woman, had she no idea of what kind of a villain he’d been? Faced by a jury of his peers, Roth had confessed to the crimes he’d committed—not only those she knew of but also many others committed in the late Lord Mornay’s name. He was a thief, rapist and murderer, and had remained unrepentant even when he was taken to be hanged. He had died with a curse on his lips.

The whole incident had left a bad taste in Raphael’s mouth. He knew that he had done what was expected of him and no more than was justice under the laws of England. Sir Edmund had thoroughly deserved to be punished. Even had he never tried to abduct Rosamunde, he would still have been given a severe penalty,

but she had chosen to feel his death as a stain on her own conscience and there was nothing Raphael could say or do that would ease her burden. God knows, he had felt sick to his stomach as he’d given the order to execute a fellow knight. It was something he would have avoided had it been at all possible, but in this case there were no mitigating circumstances, nothing to excuse the behaviour of a knight whose crimes would sicken any decent man.

He’d had no choice. Raphael forced the shadow from his mind. He was a just man and punished transgressions as lightly as possible, but there were times when there was no alternative. Rosamunde had showed her disgust of him plainly. If she had felt more for him than a passing fancy he had surely killed it. He should have sent her straight back to her cousin with the ransom and forgotten her.

Caring made a man weak. Raphael knew that the struggle for England was only just beginning. Prince John would not give up the power he had abused lightly and, if he could, would see his brother dead rather than restored to the throne.

Raphael had heard of men who felt as he did, that every effort must be made to bring Richard back before it was too late. He could not be swayed from his task by the reproachful look in her beautiful eyes.

* * *

Raphael had left the castle. Rosamunde’s throat tightened as Maire brought her the news. Until the last moment she’d hoped that he might return and take her in his arms. It was her fault they’d parted on bad terms. She knew that she’d said terrible things to him; she had regretted them almost as soon as they had left her lips. Raphael was not like his father and she knew it. It had just been such a shock to her that he could order the execution on a day that was meant to be joyous.

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