The Knight's Forbidden Princess by Carol Townend

Author:Carol Townend
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2018-02-08T19:31:48+00:00

Chapter Twelve

Lord Rodrigo was riding right beside her, keeping so close, their knees were bumping. This was undoubtedly why Leonor couldn’t stop thinking about the way he had kissed her and whether it was significant. He was a few years older than her, he was bound to be experienced. What might it mean that a man like that—an experienced, worldly man—should kiss her?

Life in the harem had kept Leonor innocent, although she wasn’t entirely naive. Inés had, in her way, tried to redress the balance. Was this the lust that Inés had warned her of? Lust sounded unpleasant, even repugnant. Leonor hadn’t found Lord Rodrigo’s kiss the least bit repugnant. On the contrary...

Leonor turned in the saddle and pushed the kiss from her mind. Through their dust trail, the walls of Córdoba appeared to melt into the horizon. She managed not to think about the kiss when Lord Rodrigo’s knights closed in around them, riding so tightly there was barely a handspan between them. She could see the curiosity in the knights’ eyes as they glanced her way.

Father would consider that Lord Rodrigo’s touch had defiled her but, God help her, she had enjoyed it. What did that make her? And why was the Count glued to her side?

She would not think about that kiss.

The knights’ spurs chinked. The sound conjured a bittersweet memory—Snowstorm. As the ghost of her beautiful grey mare pranced delicately through her mind, silver bells a-chime, her eyes prickled.

‘My lady?’ Lord Rodrigo’s brown eyes were full of concern. ‘Are you well?’

And there it was again. That kiss. She could see it at the back of his eyes and in the slight lift of his lips.

* * *

The light was failing by the time they walked across the courtyard at Castle Álvarez and Leonor was none the wiser about the Count’s motive for kissing her. Perhaps it meant nothing. Since it had been her very first kiss, she had no way of knowing.

Fortunately, there was much to distract her in the castle bailey. She hadn’t been sure what to expect. On the surface, Castle Álvarez was remarkably familiar. The line of sentries posted at the gates and at intervals along the castle walls was reminiscent of Castle Salobreña as well as the Alhambra Palace. She recognised the sweet smell of straw coming from a cart near the stables, the bright clatter of hoofs and the ring of hammer on anvil.

There was also much that was unfamiliar. The atmosphere, though ordered, was entirely outside Leonor’s experience. A woman was leading two goats under the portcullis. She was unaccompanied and Leonor watched in amazement as she exchanged pleasantries quite freely with one of the guards. There were other women too, three girls were flirting with one of the men on the castle walls. Guards were talking and laughing among themselves. Life in Lord Rodrigo’s castle was clearly very different to life under her father. Faces were smiling and open. Happy.

People fell over themselves to greet their lord. ‘My lord! Thank God you are home.

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