Johanna Lindsey by Joining

Author:Joining
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Romance, Historical, Fiction
ISBN: 9780552166980
Publisher: Avon
Published: 1999-01-02T00:00:00+00:00

Twenty-eight

She had left Rhiska with Jhone near the fire in the hall, since the bird had been noticeably shivering a lot herself that evening. But Growls padded up the stairs right behind her, unaffected by the cold with his gray coat grown thick for the winter months.

She supposed she could blame the lighting, or lack of it the torch at the top of the circular stairs had burned out, likely because of the draft and her haste for her hard collision with the man who was just entering the stairwell from above.

She heard him grunt as they impacted. She heard Growls growl. She turned to quiet the wolf before she apologized, then thought better of it, at least until she knew who she had slammed into.

But the wolf quieted on his own, no doubt because he could smell the man now, and knew him not to be a threat. Would that Milisant felt the same.

But that was not the case at all when she felt those strong hands on her shoulders, steadying her, and heard Wulfric say, "Dare I hope that you followed me up here for a reason I might find to my liking?"

There was light farther down the corridor behind him, so he had had no trouble seeing who she was. The question that came to her mind, though, was how he had known it was she, rather than Jhone, to make a remark like that, when she and her sister had worn matching bli-auts today.

However, she addressed his question first. "I

am on an errand for your mother. But be assured that if I had seen you come up here …"

"If you say you would have run in the opposite direction, I may thrash you," he interjected.

Milisant stiffened slightly. She had been about to say something of that sort. Now, instead, she remarked, "Now, why does that not surprise me overmuch?"

Wulfric sighed, very loudly, before he said, "That was a jest, wench."

She refrained from snorting, just barely, said merely, "Was it?"

But she didn't want an answer. She wanted to be on her way, which she tried to do. But his hands didn't release her shoulders, though he did allow her to come up the last step, tugged her up it, actually, so she didn't feel quite so ... dwarfed in his presence.

"Your tone implies you doubt me. When have I ever given you reason to think that I might beat you? And do not mention that time when I thought you were an insolent peasant. Even then did I stay my hand against you, because I thought you must be mad to be that foolish."

She did not need to mention that time. She had other memories of much worse pain and terror.

So she said in answer, "If you can beat an animal, Wulfric, you can beat a woman." She was also quick to remind him, "And you did in fact raise your fist to Stomper, would have hit him if I had not got in your way."

He actually smiled at her.

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