Read Online A Knight With Grace: Book 1 of the Assassin Knights Series by Laurel O'Donnell - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Laurel O'Donnell
Tags: Historical Romance
Ads: Link
someone else, someone she assumed was William. The man nodded and moved away. She watched him go, tingles dancing along the nape of her neck as she craned her head for another glimpse of the man. Who was he? A man sent by her father? Or just some innocent farmer? She couldn’t be too careful.
William entered the cottage. He looked around the room and took the reins of his horse. “Stay inside,” he said softly to her. He led the horse outside.
His order worried her. There was something in his tone, a warning perhaps. Before she could ask about the man, William had departed.
She bent back to the parted wood and watched as William returned to the spot where he had been speaking to the man, Hellfire in tow. William began to tend to Hellfire. He lifted one of the horse’s hooves and inspected it. He let the leg go and patted Hellfire’s neck. William returned inside. “He’s still out there. Stay inside.” He picked up a bag and walked outside to his horse.
Again, Grace looked through the planks at the forest and the area all around. She couldn’t see the man. Maybe William was mistaken, but she doubted it. He was a trained knight and he would know if someone was still lurking around. Who was the man? What did he want? She could only guess he was a scout sent by her father. William did say they would come today. But it couldn’t be her father’s man because William would have handed her over. There would be no reason to hide from him. She watched William tend Hellfire. He cleaned the horse’s shoes, removing small rocks and debris. He checked the animal’s legs and body. Then he tied Hellfire to a tree, letting him eat the grass.
William removed his sword from its scabbard. He looked down the long length and then sat down. He took a whetstone from his saddle bag and began to sharpen his weapon.
Grace scanned the surrounding forest, but still did not see the man. Why would he be hiding? To see what William was doing? Because he didn’t believe whatever William had told him? She straightened, struggling to fight back her apprehension. Who was that man? What did he want? She bent and looked out through the planks again. William was still sharpening his sword. Hellfire was still eating grass. The man was nowhere in sight.
She needed to do something to distract herself from her nervousness. She rose up away from the loose planks and moved deeper into the cottage. She pulled the blanket from the bed and folded it, preparing it for the inevitable journey back to the castle. She took one of William’s bags from the floor and opened it to put the blanket inside. She paused. On the top of his clothing and supplies was a crucifix. She picked it up and looked at it. It was made of gold with the image of Jesus on it. The expression on the statue’s face was of Jesus crying out and looking skyward. She ran her finger over the figure’s face. It was beautiful. Whoever had made it had taken a lot of time and effort, and even love, to mold it.
Footsteps made her look toward the door. William entered. When he spotted her, his gaze shifted to the crucifix. His face darkened; his brows furrowed. He marched to her side.
Grace tried to explain, “I was putting the blanket away. I didn’t mean --”
He snatched the crucifix from her hands and shoved it back into the bag. He stood over her for a long moment, his face tight and angry, his jaw clenched.
Grace waited for the yelling, waited for the barrage of harsh words he would use to berate her. She had experienced such rage many times from her father and expected no different from him.
Instead, he whirled without a word and stalked from the cottage.
CHAPTER 10
W illiam tossed the bag down in the area where he had been sharpening his blade. What was she doing going through his personal items? She had no right! He sat down and picked up the stone to run it along his blade. His movements were quick and intense. The fact she was going through his bag wasn’t really the
William entered the cottage. He looked around the room and took the reins of his horse. “Stay inside,” he said softly to her. He led the horse outside.
His order worried her. There was something in his tone, a warning perhaps. Before she could ask about the man, William had departed.
She bent back to the parted wood and watched as William returned to the spot where he had been speaking to the man, Hellfire in tow. William began to tend to Hellfire. He lifted one of the horse’s hooves and inspected it. He let the leg go and patted Hellfire’s neck. William returned inside. “He’s still out there. Stay inside.” He picked up a bag and walked outside to his horse.
Again, Grace looked through the planks at the forest and the area all around. She couldn’t see the man. Maybe William was mistaken, but she doubted it. He was a trained knight and he would know if someone was still lurking around. Who was the man? What did he want? She could only guess he was a scout sent by her father. William did say they would come today. But it couldn’t be her father’s man because William would have handed her over. There would be no reason to hide from him. She watched William tend Hellfire. He cleaned the horse’s shoes, removing small rocks and debris. He checked the animal’s legs and body. Then he tied Hellfire to a tree, letting him eat the grass.
William removed his sword from its scabbard. He looked down the long length and then sat down. He took a whetstone from his saddle bag and began to sharpen his weapon.
Grace scanned the surrounding forest, but still did not see the man. Why would he be hiding? To see what William was doing? Because he didn’t believe whatever William had told him? She straightened, struggling to fight back her apprehension. Who was that man? What did he want? She bent and looked out through the planks again. William was still sharpening his sword. Hellfire was still eating grass. The man was nowhere in sight.
She needed to do something to distract herself from her nervousness. She rose up away from the loose planks and moved deeper into the cottage. She pulled the blanket from the bed and folded it, preparing it for the inevitable journey back to the castle. She took one of William’s bags from the floor and opened it to put the blanket inside. She paused. On the top of his clothing and supplies was a crucifix. She picked it up and looked at it. It was made of gold with the image of Jesus on it. The expression on the statue’s face was of Jesus crying out and looking skyward. She ran her finger over the figure’s face. It was beautiful. Whoever had made it had taken a lot of time and effort, and even love, to mold it.
Footsteps made her look toward the door. William entered. When he spotted her, his gaze shifted to the crucifix. His face darkened; his brows furrowed. He marched to her side.
Grace tried to explain, “I was putting the blanket away. I didn’t mean --”
He snatched the crucifix from her hands and shoved it back into the bag. He stood over her for a long moment, his face tight and angry, his jaw clenched.
Grace waited for the yelling, waited for the barrage of harsh words he would use to berate her. She had experienced such rage many times from her father and expected no different from him.
Instead, he whirled without a word and stalked from the cottage.
CHAPTER 10
W illiam tossed the bag down in the area where he had been sharpening his blade. What was she doing going through his personal items? She had no right! He sat down and picked up the stone to run it along his blade. His movements were quick and intense. The fact she was going through his bag wasn’t really the
Similar Books
