Vow of Deception by Angela Johnson

Author:Angela Johnson
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corp.
Published: 2010-11-20T23:00:00+00:00

Ayleston Castle

In the year of our Lord 1276, November 3

Fourth year in the reign of King Edward I

The haze of childhood memories evaporated and Rand stared at another bath scene, in another country, in another time, at another manor, with different people. Rose pulled Jason’s tunic on over the lad’s raised arms.

Rand blinked, for Jason looked amazingly like Juliana, down to the golden curls—though his were shorter—and the dimples in his cheeks. Blinking again, he discharged the absurd thought. His imagination was overreacting. For a moment, he’d actually wished Jason were his son.

Slowly, devastating thoughts swirling inside his head, he backed away toward the curtained doorway. Jason was not his son and never would be. The pain clenching his chest shocked him, made him realize deep down that he wanted to be a father. To be the kind of father he’d never had—who would teach him how to ride and fight and swim and to be respectful toward women. One who would even play with him at his bath.

But sadly, he had no happy memories of being with his father as a child. What few he had of Lord Montague he preferred to forget. Seven years after Lord Montague stormed from the bedchamber, Rand’s sister and mother were dead.

Because he was cursed to hurt the ones he loved.

He stared at Rose and Jason, mother and child. His heart began to palpitate and blood drained from his face. I cannot love them. I will not love them.

But he feared it was too late.

Nay. It was never too late. Distance would cure him.

“I must go. I have to get out of here,” Rand blurted out.

“Very well, my lord. Shall we see you at dinner?”

“Nay. I am leaving Ayleston. I think it best if we keep separate households. Rest assured, I shall give you authority to settle estate affairs as you wish. But I’ll leave Sir Justin in charge of the castle forces and for your and the boy’s protection. I have a home in the port of Chester and shall be recruiting in the surrounding countryside for the next several months, so I shall stop on occasion and check to make sure your needs are being met. If you should need me for any reason before then, have Justin send word to Chester and I can return in no more than two days’ time.”

Rose stared in stunned surprise as Rand practically ran from the chamber. A huge lump lodged in the pit of her stomach. Rand was gone, and she had no idea what she’d done to make him flee from her as if she were a fire-breathing dragon. Dazed, she reached down and retrieved Jason’s ship, bobbing in the water.

She stared at the crude toy made from Rand’s own hands. She did not understand the man. One moment he was professing he could not live without her, was kind enough to occupy a little boy hungry for some male attention, and the next he was declaring his intention that they separate before their marriage had barely begun.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.