Taming her Irish Warrior by Michelle Willingham

Author:Michelle Willingham [Willingham, Michelle]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Medieval
Published: 2009-12-12T23:00:00+00:00

That night, in the privacy of their shared bedchamber, Katherine whispered, ‘Ewan hasn’t said a word to me, Honora. Was I wrong to choose him?’

‘Of course not,’ she lied. ‘It was a surprise, that’s all. He was expecting to talk with our father first, I imagine.’

Honora’s stomach wrenched at the thought of what she’d done. The stunned look in Ewan’s eyes had made her want to weep. She had spoken to her father out of desperation, knowing that Ewan had too much honour to refuse the match. He would accept Katherine as his bride and gain the land he’d always wanted.

In turn, she would slip away quietly before her own wedding could take place. Though she disliked the idea of hurting Sir Ademar, there was nothing she could do.

‘He hasn’t spoken to me,’ Katherine continued. ‘And he looked so angry.’

‘He wasn’t angry with you. He was simply surprised that our father chose to announce it in that way.’

‘And you’re going to wed Sir Ademar.’ Katherine’s face flushed with excitement. ‘He seems like a good man.’

‘He is.’ A kind, humble man, who didn’t deserve to be used like this. Honora buried her face in the coverlet, wishing she could just run away right now.

Could she talk to Sir Ademar? Persuade him to go along with the deception in order to see Katherine safely wed? Perhaps she could grant him something in return, such as rents from her dower portion.

But, no. The knight had too much pride for that.

The night hours wore on, and Honora still couldn’t sleep. When her sister’s shoulders rose and fell in deep slumber, she donned a cloak and tiptoed out of bed. She hardly knew where she was going, or what she planned to do, but restlessness plagued her.

Most of the household was abed, and, except for the guards, she saw no one else. She continued down the staircase until she saw the familiar glow of candles inside the chapel.

As she drew near, she went to study the wooden chest. Why had it been stolen in the first place? The dim glow of candlelight cast a soft light upon the wood, but she could see nothing that made it different from any other carved chest.

She’d nearly forgotten about the thief, she’d been so caught up in worrying about John. Now she wondered if there was a connection between them.

He wanted the ruby Marie St Leger had worn, along with the legendary treasure. The funds never seemed to be enough, no matter how much he possessed.

The door opened, and her stomach sank when John entered the chapel, crossing himself as he did so. The gesture was almost a mockery, for surely he was a demon in the flesh.

‘Come to pray for your sins, Lady Honora?’ he murmured.

The red gash upon his cheek caught her notice, and she reached for her knife. It wasn’t there. She’d forgotten to bring it, thinking there was no need, so late at night.

‘What do you want, John?’

He moved closer, and Honora circled until her back was towards the door.

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