The Perfect Princess by Elizabeth Thornton

Author:Elizabeth Thornton [Thornton, Elizabeth]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: England, Historical, General, Romance, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Love Stories
Publisher: Bantam
Published: 2001-01-02T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

It didn’t feel like a rescue to Richard. When he came out of the bothy, he was surrounded by a horde of mean-faced menacing minions, who looked as though they wanted to kill him.

“They won’t hurt you, Richard,” Rosamund called out. “They’re loyal to the duke.”

Loval to the duke? What did she think this was—the Middle Ages? A closer look revealed that they were all dressed in blue coats and gold frogging, the duke’s livery. They were servants, but their livery was misleading. He knew war veterans when he saw them, and this lot looked as though they’d seen many a battle.

Hugh Templar spoke up. “Just do as they say, Richard, and you’ll be all right.”

Harper said, “Now, don’t stiffen up like that, Colonel, sir. They’re on our side. Their feathers are ruffled ’cos you abducted Lady Rosamund, but they won’t do you no harm.” He chuckled. “Or she’ll have their guts for garters, and they knows it.”

With three of the few people he trusted all saying the same thing, Richard relaxed his guard a little.

“Get his gun and any other weapons he may be concealing on his person.”

The speaker was standing beside Rosamund, and Richard had no difficulty in identifying him as her brother, Lord Caspar—tall, handsome, unsmiling, and with the haughtiness of an aristocrat. Richard disliked him on sight.

There was some jostling as two of the Devere men began to search him for weapons. They took away his pistol and the blade he kept in his boot. Someone else stood on his toes. But Harper barked out an order and, like the trained soldiers they were, they fell back and left a space around him.

Rosamund started forward, but her brother’s hand shot out and grasped her arm, keeping her by his side.

Hugh came up to him and clapped him on the shoulder. He bore it stoically. He didn’t want to talk about his health. He just wanted to know what in Hades’s name was going on.

“Richard,” said Hugh, smiling. “Thank God, you’re all right.” His smile faded. “I know, you want an explanation of why I’ve come after you, but this isn’t the time. There’s a troop of militia close by. I don’t think they know about us, but we can’t be sure. We must ride out of here at once.”

Rosamund cried out, “But he’s not fit to ride. Can’t you see he’s on the point of collapse?”

No one paid any attention to this outburst. A horse was brought to him, the same horse that had run off when they fell off it. He didn’t know if he had the strength to mount it.

Rosamund said something passionate, though inaudible, to her brother, who merely shrugged his broad shoulders; Hugh frowned; Harper cupped his hands and bent down to hoist Richard into the saddle.

“Come on, Colonel, sir,” he whispered. “You can do it.”

Lord Caspar’s bored voice cut across Harper’s. “Mount up or hang. It’s all the same to me, Maitland.”

The men in blue livery laughed.

Richard gritted his teeth, put his booted foot into Harper’s cupped hands, and mounted up.

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