Knight's Treasure by Amanda Scott

Author:Amanda Scott [Scott, Amanda]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Romance
ISBN: 9780446618557
Amazon: 0446618551
Publisher: Forever
Published: 2006-12-31T13:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

Although her lips had already parted to respond to Lady Ellen Logan’s greeting, Adela froze at the airy disclaimer, unable to believe what she had heard. Her first inclination was to ask her ladyship to repeat her words, but she did not.

Instead, taking an extra breath to let her emotions settle, she said, “How pleasant to meet you, madam. Pray accept my sympathy for your great loss.”

“I hope you are mistaken about those rumors, Ellen,” Isabella said sternly.

“But I’m not, madam,” Lady Ellen said, surprised. “In troth, they say the horrid man who stole her ladyship from her wedding also stole her maidenhood. They say, too, that when Ardelve discovered the theft, he threatened to return her to her father in disgrace. To avoid that fate and to keep her marriage settlements, they say, she poisoned the poor man at their wedding feast.”

“At Roslin?” Isabella’s tone had turned icy.

Feeling dizzy, Adela swayed, but a firm hand at her elbow steadied her.

“Who are these insolent rumormongers?” Lestalric demanded.

“I vow, I do not know,” Ellen said. “Sithee, it is just what one hears.”

Collecting herself as his steadying hand left her elbow, Adela said with careful dignity, “You are kind to have warned me, madam. I thank you.”

“You need not,” Lady Ellen said, turning as she did to Lestalric and saying in her artless way, “But come and talk with me now, Robbie. You may escort me back to my lady mother, on the dais. I yearn to hear about all that you have done since you went away. You can imagine my astonishment at learning you were here. I am truly sorry to have missed your grand entrance. They say you created a great stir. Until that moment, everyone had thought you must be dead.”

“You give me too much credit, madam,” he said. “I doubt that ‘everyone’ had held any thought of me whatsoever all these years since I left home.”

“Faith, Robbie, art angry with me for marrying Will? You must know that even had I not wanted him, my father would have forbidden me to marry you.”

“Ah, but you see, you did want him—or all that he could provide for you.”

“I’d have had to be mad to marry a man with naught,” she said, smiling winsomely. “You’d not have wanted to marry a madwoman, would you, Robbie? In any event, now we can put everything right in a trice, as we are both free to do as we will. So come and walk with me. The countess will excuse us.”

Adela’s palm had begun to itch midway through her ladyship’s discourse, but she said nothing, merely shifting her gaze to Lestalric.

He was looking at Lady Ellen, and Adela saw a muscle twitch in his jaw. But his tone was the languid one he had used before as he said, “Sakes, madam, you cannot want everyone here to see you parading about with some-one of such low estate as myself. I will spare you my company and provide you with a Norse prince instead.

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