Of Love and Vengeance by Louise Lyndon

Author:Louise Lyndon [Lyndon, Louise]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Medieval, Marriage of Convenience
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Published: 2014-09-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

Three days had passed since Laila had told Aymon she no longer wished to bed him. She had locked herself in her solar as she could not look at him without feeling her heart heavy.

She ached to be able to touch him again. Even just briefly, just so she could feel the warmth of his skin beneath her fingers. She missed hearing his deep, rich voice and the warmth of his laughter. She longed for his earthy, masculine scent to envelope her. She missed how her belly fluttered if he sat a little too close. She missed how her breath caught in her throat if she unexpectedly caught sight of him. And she missed secretly studying him as he bowed his head over the chessboard as he contemplated his next move.

Had Laila fallen in love with her husband?

Was that possible after such a short amount of time?

Ead had said she’d fallen in love with Blaxton the moment she had seen him. When Ead had told Laila, Laila had laughed at her. How could you possibly fall in love with someone without actually knowing who they are?

But Laila did know who Aymon was. Or at least she knew who she wanted him to be.

Laila needed to believe Aymon was like all the other Normans. She wanted him to be like Diggory, cruel and unkind. Because then she would not be able to fall in love with him. She could keep him at a distance, and she could stop herself from getting hurt.

She knew she was unlovable. Her own mother could not love her because of the way she looked. How could she expect Aymon to ever possibly love her? Besides, he made it clear he did not believe in love.

It would have been so much simpler if Aymon had been like Diggory. But Laila knew he wasn’t. And she knew if she did not wish to be hurt, she would need to keep away from Aymon. No matter how hard that would be.

So she had stayed hidden in her solar. But she could not hide away for the remainder of her days.

The seasons were changing, and before too long it would be too cold and icy to venture out. So she pushed aside her heartache and headed downstairs. If truth be known, she longed for some company.

As she reached the bottom of the stairs, she heard Hildred and Fira talking in the kitchens. She hadn’t spoken to Hildred in three days, and she missed her dearly as well. But as Laila neared the kitchens, something stopped her from announcing her presence. The women spoke in hushed whispers, and Laila knew it was her they spoke of.

She should have continued outside, but she wanted to hear what they were saying about her. So she hovered in the shadows and listened to the women gossip.

“I think we should tell her,” Laila heard Fira say.

Hildred made a deep sound in her throat.

Laila’s brows squished together.

“Maybe,” Hildred said. Laila heard a loud clatter, as if something had dropped.

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