Read Online A Knight's Persuasion by Catherine Kean - Free Book Online
Authors: Catherine Kean
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for her husband.
Juliana hurried across the plank floor to the wooden cradle, trying to ignore the unease racing through her. Mayda had placed Rosemary’s bed at the edge of the hearth tiles, hoping to keep the baby warm through the night, but a draft swept through the room.
Juliana shivered, and not just from the cold. Mayda adored Rosemary. She’d never let her get so hungry.
From when they were young girls, Mayda had talked in a dreamy voice about becoming a wife and mother. Despite the difficult pregnancy and ordeal of birthing Rosemary, the joy that lit Mayda’s face whenever she looked at the newborn with a tuft of wispy brown hair and blue eyes was unmistakable.
“There, now,” Juliana murmured, leaning over the cradle. She slid her hands under the bawling Rosemary and the woolen blanket wrapped around her and picked her up. Humming a lullaby, Juliana tucked the baby into the crook of her arm and gently rocked her.
Rosemary kept crying.
“All right,” Juliana soothed. She must find Mayda; if she couldn’t be found swiftly, then a nursemaid who could feed Rosemary.
As Juliana started toward the solar doorway, her gaze slid over the long trestle table along the opposite wall. Gold glinted. She crossed to see what the object was: Mayda’s wedding ring.
A violent tremor snaked through Juliana. At the same moment, a memory flashed into her mind, of Mayda’s tearful, whispered words when she lay against bed sheets smeared with blood from Rosemary’s birth. “If aught should happen to me, you must keep the baby safe. Promise me that, Juliana.”
Sitting on the bed’s edge, watching over Mayda till maidservants returned with clean sheets and the healer brought another pain-dulling tonic, Juliana touched her friend’s hand. “Do not worry. The healer says you will be fine. So will the babe.”
“A girl.” Mayda’s lips trembled while she glanced at the infant, sleeping in its cradle beside the bed; Mayda’s gaze looked almost . . . terrified.
“She is beautiful,” Juliana said. “Perfect, in every way. Tiny, round nose. Chubby fingers—”
“But not a son.”
Landon’s wish for a boy was well known to everyone at Waddesford. Juliana forced a comforting smile. “Nay, but—”
Mayda’s fingers curled into Juliana’s in a tight, almost crushing, grip.
Juliana fought not to wince. Her friend didn’t seem like herself, and probably didn’t realize her grasp was so strong. “Landon will love her,” Juliana murmured. “Why would he not?”
How clearly she remembered her mother weeping over her dead son, a baby she’d desperately wanted, whether ’twas a boy or a girl. Surely, no father would reject the miracle of his own healthy child, especially one with such a sweet countenance? “One look at his daughter’s face,” Juliana added, “and Landon will adore her. I vow he will be so proud, he will want to show her off to all within the keep.”
She hoped so. Mayhap this little girl would bring an end to the terrible arguments and unite the Ferchantes as a family. Mayda deserved to be happy.
Mayda shook her head against the pillow. How defeated she seemed. “Listen, Juliana. I must tell you before the others return. I have hidden a bag of jewelry—”
“Mayda.” Juliana struggled against rising worry. Her friend was beginning to sound completely out of her wits. Surely, Mayda didn’t fear for her and Rosemary’s lives?
“If I come to . . . harm,” Mayda rasped, “you will take what’s hidden and flee far from here with Rosemary. Sell the jewels—”
“Hush, Mayda—!”
“—You will have enough coin to provide for both of you for years.” Her tone sharpened. “Promise me.”
Unnerved by her friend’s wild-eyed stare, Juliana looked to the door, hoping to see the panel open and the healer step inside. Mayhap his lordship would be with her, eager to see his child for the first time.
“Promise, Juliana.”
Agree to steal a lord’s daughter and valuable
Juliana hurried across the plank floor to the wooden cradle, trying to ignore the unease racing through her. Mayda had placed Rosemary’s bed at the edge of the hearth tiles, hoping to keep the baby warm through the night, but a draft swept through the room.
Juliana shivered, and not just from the cold. Mayda adored Rosemary. She’d never let her get so hungry.
From when they were young girls, Mayda had talked in a dreamy voice about becoming a wife and mother. Despite the difficult pregnancy and ordeal of birthing Rosemary, the joy that lit Mayda’s face whenever she looked at the newborn with a tuft of wispy brown hair and blue eyes was unmistakable.
“There, now,” Juliana murmured, leaning over the cradle. She slid her hands under the bawling Rosemary and the woolen blanket wrapped around her and picked her up. Humming a lullaby, Juliana tucked the baby into the crook of her arm and gently rocked her.
Rosemary kept crying.
“All right,” Juliana soothed. She must find Mayda; if she couldn’t be found swiftly, then a nursemaid who could feed Rosemary.
As Juliana started toward the solar doorway, her gaze slid over the long trestle table along the opposite wall. Gold glinted. She crossed to see what the object was: Mayda’s wedding ring.
A violent tremor snaked through Juliana. At the same moment, a memory flashed into her mind, of Mayda’s tearful, whispered words when she lay against bed sheets smeared with blood from Rosemary’s birth. “If aught should happen to me, you must keep the baby safe. Promise me that, Juliana.”
Sitting on the bed’s edge, watching over Mayda till maidservants returned with clean sheets and the healer brought another pain-dulling tonic, Juliana touched her friend’s hand. “Do not worry. The healer says you will be fine. So will the babe.”
“A girl.” Mayda’s lips trembled while she glanced at the infant, sleeping in its cradle beside the bed; Mayda’s gaze looked almost . . . terrified.
“She is beautiful,” Juliana said. “Perfect, in every way. Tiny, round nose. Chubby fingers—”
“But not a son.”
Landon’s wish for a boy was well known to everyone at Waddesford. Juliana forced a comforting smile. “Nay, but—”
Mayda’s fingers curled into Juliana’s in a tight, almost crushing, grip.
Juliana fought not to wince. Her friend didn’t seem like herself, and probably didn’t realize her grasp was so strong. “Landon will love her,” Juliana murmured. “Why would he not?”
How clearly she remembered her mother weeping over her dead son, a baby she’d desperately wanted, whether ’twas a boy or a girl. Surely, no father would reject the miracle of his own healthy child, especially one with such a sweet countenance? “One look at his daughter’s face,” Juliana added, “and Landon will adore her. I vow he will be so proud, he will want to show her off to all within the keep.”
She hoped so. Mayhap this little girl would bring an end to the terrible arguments and unite the Ferchantes as a family. Mayda deserved to be happy.
Mayda shook her head against the pillow. How defeated she seemed. “Listen, Juliana. I must tell you before the others return. I have hidden a bag of jewelry—”
“Mayda.” Juliana struggled against rising worry. Her friend was beginning to sound completely out of her wits. Surely, Mayda didn’t fear for her and Rosemary’s lives?
“If I come to . . . harm,” Mayda rasped, “you will take what’s hidden and flee far from here with Rosemary. Sell the jewels—”
“Hush, Mayda—!”
“—You will have enough coin to provide for both of you for years.” Her tone sharpened. “Promise me.”
Unnerved by her friend’s wild-eyed stare, Juliana looked to the door, hoping to see the panel open and the healer step inside. Mayhap his lordship would be with her, eager to see his child for the first time.
“Promise, Juliana.”
Agree to steal a lord’s daughter and valuable
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