Once Upon a Pillow by Christina Dodd

Author:Christina Dodd
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: historical romance, contemporary romance, medieval romance, georgian romance, romance novellas, christina dodd, connie brockway
Publisher: Teresa Medeiros

Chapter Fifteen

At the sight of Rion, Lady Helwin gave a shriek that shattered the silence.

But that shriek was more of a shout of triumph than a scream of fear.

Her attacker looked up. He saw Rion thundering down toward them. He released her and staggered backward. He scrabbled to reach his saddle and draw his own sword from its sheath.

And Lady Helwin, damn the woman, picked up a stout branch, and with one good swing of her arm, slammed the villain in the back of the head.

Her attacker dropped face first into the grass and rested there, unmoving.

Rion could have screamed himself. He had wanted to kill the man who had attacked his woman.

But he couldn’t murder an unarmed, senseless man. “Damn you, Hellion,” he roared as he pulled up beside her. “You should have let me handle this!”

“Why?” She almost danced with rage. The sun glinted off of her loose, blonde hair, and her eyes snapped blue sparks. “You’re not the one who was kidnapped—again!— and this time almost murdered in cold blood.”

“I will wait until he wakes. Then I will kill him.” Armed with that resolve, and his sword, Rion dismounted and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine.” She pointed at the man on the ground. “I don’t care if he is unconscious. Kill him now!”

Rion liked her bloodthirsty demand. This was no milk-and-toast maiden who jumped at the sight of her shadow. She would make a fine bride for a mercenary warrior. “I can’t. And you put quite a lump on his head. I don’t think he’s going to wake soon.”

“I practiced on you,” she snapped.

Rion rubbed his own head where only recently had his lump subsided. “So you did. And I can vouch for your vigor.” With his foot, he turned the fellow over. “Do you know him?”

“I do. He’s one of Uncle Carroll’s men.”

“So it’s true. Your uncle is trying to kill you.”

“Aye, the wretched knave!”

In his heart, Rion had hoped it was not so; Rion’s men had his back, and they knew how to do battle, but Lord Smythwick had the resources to bring in supplies and hire an army of mercenaries. Here and now, the odds against them were high, so Rion had no choice. “We leave this blackguard on the ground, and return to Castle Masterson as fast as we can ride. Hurry. I’ll help you mount Samson.”

“That’s not fair!”

“Hurry,” he repeated.

Hands on her hips, she stood mulishly still.

Then, startled, she looked up toward the top of the hill. She had heard what Rion heard…the thunder of hooves.

And Lord Smythwick rode over the hill on his snowy-white, fine-boned, sissy gelding, surrounded by a dozen livery-clad soldiers armed with swords. “Going somewhere, Lord Masterson?”

Of course. Lord Smythwick had come to personally make sure the foul deed was done.

Rion placed himself in front of Lady Helwin, raised his sword to fighting position, and directed, “Helwin, mount the horse and ride for my castle.”

“I will not.”

Of course. What else had he expected

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