The Mermaid's Knight (10 page)

The sermon stretched on until the priest bowed his head, intoning a final, “Amen.” The crowd chorused after him and then began to disperse. Worried that Lady Matilda would see her and start another scene, Leah grabbed her skirts and hurried out of the small chapel.

“Leah, I would see you a moment please, my child.” Father Andrew’s placid voice called to her across the chapel, just before she could get out the door.

Curses. Caught like a rat in a trap. She turned slowly, forcing her fisted hands to unclench from her skirt, and pasting the sweetest smile possible on her face.
Keep calm. Remember what
Muffin said. You’re here for a second chance at life, not to fight over a guy.
Leah turned her most gracious, most innocent face to the priest.

“You allow your whore to come to mass?” Lady Matilda’s sugary voice became a screech. “Is nothing sacred in this keep? When I am mistress—”

“When you are mistress,” Royce interjected smoothly, “you will still have no say in the matter. Are we quite clear?”

Matilda’s face turned a mottled shade of purple.

Leah had to bite her cheek even harder to keep from smiling. She turned her serene gaze to Father Andrew and made a gesture with her hand that he should continue.

The priest seemed a bit disconcerted. “It is a matter that requires… delicacy, lady. I think it would be best discussed in private.”

Her gaze slid to Lady Matilda, then back to the priest.

“I’m afraid it will have to wait, Father.” Royce moved to her side and grasped her elbow in his hand, his grip unyielding. His eyes were flinty as he stared down at her. “I have things I wish to discuss with Leah that cannot wait.”

As Leah watched, Matilda picked up her skirts and lifted her chin, storming out of the chapel with as much dignity as possible. So much for that. She turned to glance at Royce and found him staring down at her, an unreadable look on his face.

He grabbed her by the elbow again and began to pull her out of the chapel.

“Wait, my lord,” Father Andrew pleaded. “I need to speak to her.”

“It can wait,” Royce growled and continued to drag Leah across the courtyard. “I’ll send her back to you once we’re done.”

All eyes turned to stare at them at that statement, and Leah flushed bright red. That certainly didn’t leave much to the imagination, and her temper flared at the indignity. She tried to jerk away from him, but his fingers were firm on her arm as he propelled her forward.

Royce escorted her down a hall and through the great hall of the castle. She recognized where they were – her own bedroom was near here. But he didn’t stop there. Rather, he continued on to the far end of the corridor, where he opened a door and pushed her inside.

Leah stumbled in, her legs tangling in her skirts, furious at him. How dare he treat her like this?

A female servant was in the room, picking up clothing. At the sight of Royce and Leah, she stopped in her tracks, her mouth falling open in surprise. “Please leave us, Mary.” His voice was solicitous and kind. “I have things I wish to say to Leah.” As she watched, the servant nodded and scurried out of the room with the laundry. He shut the heavy door and bolted it, then turned back to her.

Leah took a step backward at the cold look in his eyes. She bumped against something hard, sending a shockwave of sensation up her ultra-sensitive legs. A quick glance behind her revealed the hard item to be a bed. A very large, very masculine bed.

She was in Royce’s room.

Her heart hammered in her throat, and she glanced back at Royce in surprise. Why was she in his room?

He was still staring at her with that icy glare, approaching her slowly. “Cease with the innocent act, woman.” His body butted up against her own, and she could feel the anger and heat radiating from him. His fingers brushed along her cheek, as if testing the quality of her skin. “So beautiful. I see why Rutledge must have prized you so.” She froze, her spirits taking a downward plunge. She tried to brush his fingers away.

He gripped her chin in his hand, forcing her to look up into his eyes. “I want to know why you’ve lied to me.”

Lied to him? Lied to him about what?

His cold gray eyes stared down into her own. “I want to know where you were last night, Leah.”

She stilled in his arms, then tried to break free of his overwhelming embrace. His arm snaked around her waist, pulling her closer and pressing her body against his. Trapping her there.

Panic snaked through her. How much had he seen? How much did he know? Had he seen her on the beach last night?

“I see the guilt in your eyes,” he said. “Did you not think that I’d go to your room last night? To comfort you? To explain myself when I’ve vowed to seduce you and my betrothed shows up on my doorstep? You may be just a leman, Leah, but even I have compassion. I imagined you sitting all alone in your tower room, crying to yourself, and went to you.” His fingers brushed against her cheek again, then dropped. “Imagine my surprise when you were not there.”

Leah flinched and looked away.

“I thought perhaps that you had gone to the jakes. So I waited. And waited. And when you did not return in an hour, I left.” His voice became hard. “And I want to know, my sweet Leah, where you were.”

Startled, Leah stared up at him and shook her head. How could she explain?

“Did you kiss him, Leah? Did you kiss him freely while I must fight for every kiss from your lips?” His hands slid around her face, cupping her cheeks and forcing her to look up at him again. His eyes were stormy, revealing the torment inside. “Did he taste the sweetness of your mouth and now he can’t get you out of his mind?” His thumb slid across her lip, and his eyes focused there.

A shiver crept across her flesh, and her breath began to quicken at his touch. She closed her eyes and leaned into the caress.

He groaned, his hand sliding down to her ass and pressing her against the junction of his hips. “I want you, Leah. You know this. I’ve never lied to you about what I want.” He bent his head close to her own, his mouth skimming along the edge of her jaw, teasing at her throat.

“What I don’t understand is what you want. You can’t speak, but your eyes tell me that you want me, too – but every time I touch you, you tense up like a scared virgin.” His lips found the shell of her ear and she felt his teeth gently tug on the sensitive skin, teasing her into mindlessness. A soft moan escaped her.

It excited him. He pulled her hips against his own, squeezing at her buttocks. “That’s it, Leah,” he breathed into her ear. “Let me touch you. Let me wipe those other men out of your mind. You’re mine.”

She stiffened against him at his words, struggling to break free of his grip.

He ignored her struggles, his head dipping against her throat. She could feel his mouth on her skin, and he sucked, hard. It shot a thrill through her body, and her fisted hands unclenched, and then clenched again, this time against his shoulders. Her body loosened against his.

Slowly her hands un-fisted and she clung to the front of his tunic, angling her face toward his. His lips brushed hers once more and then he pulled away, as if waiting to see her response to him.

Leah wasn’t ready for the kiss to be over. She tugged on the neck of his tunic, jerking his face back down to hers and planting her mouth firmly against his. Teeth clashed and her lips felt bruised, but she didn’t care. The only thing that mattered was his mouth on hers.

When she reached up to continue the kiss, he groaned against her lips and leaned into her.

His tongue delved into her mouth in a slow, hypnotic rhythm, and he ground his hips against hers with each thrust. She wanted to sink against him and be absorbed into his skin, part of him forever.

He lifted her hips up against his once more, and then he was lifting her back onto the bed, nudging her legs apart and resting his knee between them. His lips left hers and she felt his hand roam away from her buttocks to her thigh, stroking her leg and easing her skirts up. Her breath quickened and her eyes slid open at this new, dangerous angle to their embrace, and found him watching her with narrowed eyes as he laid her back on the bed. “Do you want me to touch you, Leah?”

She wanted it very much, she realized. The barest brush of his hand against her skin was doing wild things to her mind, and when his fingers skimmed along the inside of her thigh, her whole body clenched in anticipation. She arched her back toward him, indicating that yes, she would like very much to be touched.

Royce’s fingertips slid up her knee, then skimmed her thigh. Closer and closer he came to the hot, throbbing spot she wanted him to touch more than anything, the thought of which was making her mindless. “Do you, Leah?”

She nodded, her hands sliding over the shoulders of his tunic, her eyes closed as she swam in the sensations.

“Then ask me for it.”

Her eyes flew open. Humiliated, she tugged her skirts back down around her legs and slapped his hands away, then leapt off the bed and shoved past him. Tears of embarrassment and hurt flooded her eyes, but she averted her face. She didn’t want him to see that he’d hurt her.

He didn’t follow her. “If you want me, Leah, I’ll be waiting for you. But you’ll have to make the first move.” Royce’s voice was wintry in its arrogance.

Leah didn’t look behind her. Instead, she tore out of the room and down the hallway, seeking refuge in her own bedroom.

And as luck would have it, Lady Matilda was coming down the hall, accompanied by one of her ladies. She stared at Leah, her eyes growing narrow when she noticed the room that Leah was leaving.

Leah didn’t care. She slammed the bedroom door shut behind her.

Chapter Twelve

After that, Matilda seemed to realize she had the upper hand.

Leah hid in her small bedroom for the majority of the day. She skipped dinner that night.

She didn’t want to face Lady Matilda’s gloating face, didn’t want to see Royce’s accusing eyes.

Someone knocked at her door sometime during the evening, but she ignored it, huddling under the covers and feeling miserable.

It was obvious – Royce wasn’t in love with her. She couldn’t make him fall in love with her if he mistrusted her. Worst of all, she couldn’t defend her honor, so he suspected her guilt by way of her silence. He was probably toasting his engagement to Lady Matilda even now.

She was doomed.

Hunger made her get dressed the next morning, though she felt dull and exhausted despite the many hours of sleep. Her legs throbbed – she’d skipped her nightly journey to the beach, terrified at getting caught – and she had the twinges of pain with every step as a result.

Ginny hadn’t made her usual morning appearance – either Royce had scared her off or Matilda had, so Leah laced up her dress, finger-combed her hair, and headed for the great hall.

It was a mistake. The hall was nearly empty, with the room emptying out as the food trenchers were carried away by servants. Most of Royce’s soldiers had gotten up and left, and all that remained were a few lone stragglers, some servants, and Lady Matilda and her crew at the head table.

Leah flinched at the sight of them. Just what she needed.

A catlike smile spread across Lady Matilda’s features when she noticed Leah. The woman was dressed immaculately, as usual, with an elegant two-pointed hat perched atop her head, covered in gold veils. They made her blue eyes stand out, even when they were narrowed in hate.

The woman gave Leah a quick up and down look, as if assessing her competition. The triumphant smile that spread across her face told that she found Leah clearly lacking.

Leah’s appetite died anew at the sight of her, and she turned to leave.

“Oh, Leah, do come here. I’ve something I wish to discuss with you.” Lady Matilda’s overly sweet voice rang across the hall. “It concerns your status in this household.” That was the last thing Leah wanted to discuss. She hesitated, torn between confronting Matilda and turning tail and bolting out of the room. The smirk on Matilda’s face spoke volumes.

Had Royce confirmed her as his fiancée and she wished to brag over it? Leah’s heart sank at the thought.

Before she could decide, a hand slid under her elbow. “Leah,” said Father Andrew, at her side. “Do you have time to have that discussion we mentioned?” Grateful for the interruption, she let him guide his hand to the loop of her arm and turned with him, nodding. Saved by the kindness of the priest. Leah smiled at him, relieved.

“I do apologize, Lady Matilda, but my discussion with Leah cannot wait.” He spoke soothingly to the woman. “I have matters of grave importance that we must discuss.”

“See that you work harder at saving her soul, father,” Matilda replied tartly as she nibbled on a piece of pastry. “Whoring is not a becoming trade.”

“Of course, my lady.” Father Andrew took Leah’s arm and gently steered her away, out of the main hall.

They met Royce on the way out, and Leah flinched again. It was really turning out to not be her day. She averted her gaze and would not look at him.

All he said was, “Greetings, Father. I trust you are well.”

“Indeed,” came the mild reply. “If you will excuse me, my lord, Leah and I have business to attend to.”

“I see.”

Leah watched Royce’s feet step aside, and Father Andrew began to guide her forward again. “It will be all right,” the priest said, patting her hand. “Trust me in this.” At least someone had faith in things.

#

Royce scowled as he entered the great hall. It had been a trying day already. He’d found one of his guardsmen dead, and a good deal of coin stolen from his stores. He hadn’t slept much last night due to Leah’s deceptions; he’d gone to bed hard as a stone and been unable to sleep.

He’d even knocked at Leah’s door last night to try and talk to her, but when she didn’t answer his temper got the better of him again. He imagined her locked in the arms of her secret lover, and went to bed furious.

Seeing her in the great hall just made it worse. He remembered the way she’d looked yesterday on his bed, all soft and warm under his hands. He remembered the pleased, surprised look of pleasure on her face when he touched the inside of her creamy thigh. Hell, he was getting hard just thinking about it.