Sapphire - Book 2 (7 page)

She looked to him and her heart ached. If only
he had been here when she’d arrived at the castle, then she
wouldn’t be in this situation. But now, because of him, she was
stuck in a loveless marriage with a man who would never be able to
give her children. All her dreams, all her hopes were dashed away,
and she had naught to look forward to in this lifetime. And it was
because of the handsome man she could not have named Roe
Sexton.

“We all make mistakes, my lord. And the
biggest mistake I ever made was agreeing to my father betrothing me
to you!”

She walked away quickly, not wanting to hear
anything else he had to say. The man of her dreams had just entered
her life and it had turned into a nightmare. He thought she was
naught more than a whore and wanted nothing to do with her. And the
saddest part was, she was starting to feel like one. She knew now
one night of ecstasy was not worth the hell she’d live through
every day, seeing the only man who could make her feel alive, and
not being able to even touch him.

She ran to the kitchen hoping to find Lady
Katherine, as she needed a mother figure near her in her time of
great need.

Roe watched his little lark running through
the gardens, the long tippets of her sleeves flowing in the breeze
as she crossed the ground. Her hair fanned out behind her, making
her look like an ethereal goddess.

By the rood, he had never expected to see her
here right inside his castle walls. And never in a million years
had he thought he’d ever be betrothed to a woman as beautiful and
as witty as Lady Sapphire. His loins stirred for her still, even
more now that he’d seen her in her natural setting. She’d be a
perfect wife for any man, but unfortunately it would never be
him.

“Damn,” he cursed aloud, wishing he had
returned earlier, or even sent a missive to his mother while he was
gone. This should have been his wife, not that seething despicable
cur, Baron Walter Poussin. He couldn’t stand by and do nothing
while Sapphire spent the night in that man’s bed. It would drive
him mad to know that another man was touching her when all he
wanted was to wrap her in his arms and never let her go.

Besides, the man beat women. That was
something he could not tolerate. He needed to do something to break
up this farce of a marriage before the girl was hurt
further.

“Oh, there you are, my lord,” said his squire,
Waylon, entering the gardens with Dugald right behind him. Waylon
was a tall young man of eight and ten years, nearing his time for
knighthood. He had long blond hair pulled back in a queue and a
scraggly beard and mustache. He had been a loyal squire, staying
with him the entire time he campaigned in France. “Did you want me
to take the rust off your armor, now milord? Or perhaps polish your
sword?”

Roe surveyed Waylon who looked like hell.
Dirtied and smelly from being on the road so long. Then he looked
at Dugald with his fresh face and clean hair, depicting an image of
being proper instead of bedraggled like his squire. My, how the
tables were turned. Roe wondered if he looked as bad as Waylon, or
if he smelled as nasty. And he found himself wondering what
Sapphire thought of him - the oddest part being that he realized he
really cared.

“Egads, you smell, Waylon,” he said with a
scowl. “You need to clean and shave that hayfield upon your face
before you sup at my table.”

“My lord?” Waylon picked up an arm and took a
sniff. “Do I smell?” he asked Dugald.

“Not any more than Lord Sheffield,” said the
boy who then looked to him and smiled. Roe had known Dugald since
he was a child and couldn’t be angry with him when he knew the boy
was only jesting with him like they used to do years ago. He was
fond of Dugald. And he knew in his heart there was no way this boy
could ever hurt a woman. He felt bad now that he told him he
couldn’t see Erin, as he really liked the young girl as
well.

“Well, you two, are you going to stand there
gawking at me like a beached fish, or are you going to do something
about the smell in this garden – and I assure you it isn’t
roses.”

“My lord?” asked Waylon.

“Have the servants draw me a bath anon,” he
said. He looked across the garden. “Oh, I see the tub set up in the
sun with the water already warming. Tell them I’d require a tent
above it for privacy. And find me some soap and a sharp edge as I’m
going to find my face again under all this hair.”

“Aye, milord, at once,” said Waylon. “And I’ll
find you a fresh set of clothes to go with it, my lord.”

They started away, but Roe called out to
Dugald.

“Dugald. Come here,” he said.

The boy turned around, surprised and ran back
to his side.

“Aye, milord, what can I do for
you?”

“Tell me the truth. Did you hit
Erin?”

The boy’s head shook furiously. “Nay, Lord
Sexton. I give you my word I never hurt her.”

“Then someone else is hitting her and I need
to do something to stop it.”

“But what?” he asked.

“I’m not sure, but I assure you I’ll find the
man who is hurting her and put it an end to this
myself.”

Chapter 5

Sapphire walked past the garden, heading for
the great hall, as the meal was about to be served. She’d helped
Lady Katherine in the kitchen and while the woman tried to find out
what was bothering her, she’d remained silent instead.

How could she tell the woman she’d gone to bed
with her son when she was married to the baron? And how could she
be forgiven for the sin that would send her straight to hell? She
needed to keep this a secret, and therefore couldn’t even take the
chance of confessing it to the priest. She wasn’t sure what to do,
but for now she just needed to get through the night. As if it
wasn’t bad enough that she’d have to sit through the meal looking
at Lord Sexton, but now she’d also have to decide where she planned
on sleeping tonight.

As she passed by the gardens, she spied the
bath tent and wondered whom it was being prepared for. She loved
baths and if the water felt warm enough from the sun, she may just
tell her handmaid, Corina that she’d skip the meal in place of a
bath instead.

She’d just stop inside and test the warmth of
the water for herself. She pulled back the flap of the tent and
entered, only to stop in her tracks when she saw Lord Roe Sexton
sitting naked in a tub of water, peering into the back side of a
shiny platter, and using the edge of a sharp blade to remove his
beard and mustache.

“Oh!” she exclaimed, and stopped abruptly. He
lowered the platter slowly, and rested the knife on the edge of the
tub. The wooden barrel being used as a tub was lined with a large,
long cloth for comfort against splinters. A small table sat next to
the tub holding items such as a soft ball of soap, rose petals, and
herbs to sprinkle in the water for scent. She saw a wadded up piece
of cloth he’d been using to wash himself, dripping water as it
balanced precariously on the rim, threatening to fall to the ground
at any minute.

“Have you come for another romp, my little
lark?” he asked. Then he leaned forward, dunking his head and face
into the water and came back up with a sharp intake of
breath.

“Water cold, my lord?” she asked snidely, not
liking what he’d insinuated.

“Not as cold as you think.” He got to his
feet, exposing his nakedness in front of her, and her eyes fastened
on his prominent arousal, verifying his words were true. She turned
quickly and held a hand to her eyes to block her view.

“Like I said last night, I don’t buy the
modesty act at all.” She heard the sloshing of water as he exited
the tub and she could feel his presence as he now stood directly
behind her. “Turn around, Sapphire.”

“Nay.” She kept her hand hiding her
face.

“Look at me.” He reached out and gently
lowered her hand, and she turned her head, looking upward slowly to
meet with his perusing, bright blue eyes.

“I don’t want you coupling with that bastard
again. Nor do I want him raising a finger to hurt you.”

Sapphire could barely concentrate on his
words. Since he’d shaved, it revealed the angles of his face and he
looked even more handsome than he had with the mustache and beard.
She even noticed a dimple in his chin. His long dark hair dripped
water that ran in rivulets down his sturdy chest.

“Why should you care?” she asked, boldly.
“After all, you think I am naught more than a . . . a whore.” She
found that she could barely say the word.

“Hush,” he told her, but she kept on
talking.

“I was only in the pub in the first place,
trying to get away from my life of doom.”

“Please, be quiet.”

“But when you dragged me upstairs to suffice
your –”

His mouth came down upon hers, and once again
she found herself weakened under his touch. His lips were strong
and sensuous, yet at the same time, gentle and caring. He pulled
his mouth away slowly and they gazed into each other’s eyes. She
shivered slightly as a delightful tingle danced across her skin.
And though she felt herself being drawn in, she didn’t want to fall
prey to his wily ways once again.

“. . . manly needs,” she finished her
sentence.

Before she had a chance to say more, his lips
were upon hers again and she found herself falling fast into a
whirlwind of sensuous pleasure. She reached up and grabbed his
head, her fingers entangling in his wet hair as she pulled him
closer to her. She couldn’t stop herself. She wanted him, and his
kiss was driving her mad.

She hungrily kissed him, more forceful than
she’d intended, and his arms came around her as his hands slipped
down her back and he pulled her into him as he squeezed her
buttocks. She felt the strain of his manhood pushing against her,
and also her own reckless need. Suddenly, she could think of naught
else than a repeat of their throes of passion from last night. She
needed to stop this quickly, or in a matter of minutes she’d be
naked in the tub of water making love to him, with anyone able to
walk in and see them in the act.

She pulled back and slapped him hard across
the face. The sound of skin against skin echoed loudly against his
freshly shaven face. He jerked backward, surprised, and his hand
went to his cheek. He looked vulnerable in this stage and also so
alluring. And that only made things worse.

“Was that foreplay?” he asked her with a smile
that proved he had dimples at the corners of his mouth when his
lips turned upward, as well as the dimple on his chin.

“I am a married woman,” she reminded
him.

“Aye, and you’ve gone to extremes to point out
how much you hate your husband.”

“I am also a lady!” Her arms folded across her
chest.

“Of course.” He ran a hand through his wet
hair and let out a sigh. “I’m sorry. Sapphire, I got carried away.
I just can’t stop thinking about last night.” He looked down to his
aroused form and added, “as you can see.”

“Then do something about it,” she told
him.

“I thought that was what I was doing when you
slapped me.”

“Not that,” she said. “I mean, do something
about getting me out of my marriage to the baron.”

“It isn’t that easy, sweetheart. The church is
highly against annulments, and very strict about it as well. And as
you know, there is no rule against how a man treats his wife or
about how many mistresses he takes to his bed.”

“And as you
know, there
is
a
rule saying any man finding his wife has coupled with another man,
has the right to see to her punished as he wishes – and no eyelids
would bat if he decided the punishment to be
death.”

“You should have thought of that before you
ever made love with me, sweetheart.”

“I assure you, I never intended for that to
happen.”

“Well, what did you think would happen when
you showed up at a place like the Bucket of Blood wearing the
clothes of a whore and being unescorted?”

“I didn’t know.”

“You are naïve, darling, and I think I will
have to teach you the ways of the world.”

“Roe, the meal is being served,” came his
mother’s voice from outside the curtain. “Is someone in there with
you?”

“Now, mother, why would you think I would take
someone to my bath?” he called out.

“Because I thought I heard Sapphire’s voice,
and I can see shadows through that curtain and I see her
gown.

Roe turned quickly, his hands covering his
groin at her words. Sapphire found herself giggling from his sudden
modesty from his own mother.

“Find a way to get me out of this marriage,”
she whispered. “Because if you don’t, you may have to sentence me
to death. Because I would kill the man by my own hand before I ever
let him touch me again.”

She whisked out of the tent to find Roe’s
mother standing there.

“Lady Katherine, it’s not what you think,” she
said with a forced smile.