Read Online A Knight's Persuasion by Catherine Kean - Free Book Online Page A

jewelry? Swear to commit crimes that could see her imprisoned for the rest of her life? “I—”
    “Juliana!”
    Mayda’s gaze held such haunted fear, Juliana couldn’t help but nod. “All right. I promise. I will do as you ask.” After all, how likely was it that Mayda would come to the harm she feared?
    Rosemary’s wail snapped Juliana from her memories. “There, there,” she said, as she continued toward the door. When Juliana drew near, she realized the door was slightly ajar; the chilling draft blew in from around it.
    Wishing she’d taken the time to pull on a woolen wrap, but not wanting to delay Rosemary’s feeding any longer, Juliana drew open the door and stepped out into the hallway lit by flaming wall torches. The draft whispered across the passageway’s stone floor; it seemed to be coming from the stairwell farther along, the one leading to a door that opened onto the wind-scoured wall walk.
    Over the sputter of the nearby torches, she heard voices. A man and a woman, arguing. The harsh quarrel drew Juliana toward the stairwell. Some of the words carried down to her on the gusting wind. She recognized Mayda’s voice, shrilled by bitterness. The sound of her friend’s torment . . . Unbearable.
    Juliana hugged Rosemary closer. The baby sniffled, then whimpered, as though about to cry again. Curling her finger, Juliana rubbed it against Rosemary’s toothless gums. Turning her head to follow Juliana’s knuckle, Rosemary began to suck.
    Juliana hesitated at the bottom of the stairwell, caught between eavesdropping or walking away. In truth, she had no right to listen. Landon and Mayda, as lord and lady of this keep, deserved their privacy. But remembering the fear in her friend’s expression and her earlier promise, Juliana forced herself to step into the close stairwell, shivering at the coldness of the stone beneath her bare feet.
    “—do I mean to you? Do you love me? Care for me at all?” A wrenched sob. “I wish to know, Landon.”
    “ Cease .”
    Partway up the stairwell, Juliana froze. How could Landon speak to Mayda in that manner? His tone was little more than a snarl. He’d speak that way to a murderous traitor chained in his dungeon. His wife, the mother of his babe, deserved far more respect.
    Regret pierced Juliana, for less than a year ago, Mayda and Landon had seemed so much in love, in the way they’d smiled at each other, exchanged coy words, touched hands, and kissed. Just observing them had stirred yearnings within Juliana, for she’d hoped one day to have a marriage equally as wonderful. But all the trust and happiness between Landon and Mayda seemed to have vanished. For their relationship to have come to this was nothing less than tragic.
    “Do not turn your back on me. I want an answer,” Mayda shrieked.
    “How you tire me,” Landon growled, followed by the rap of footfalls on stone. The sound implied he’d moved away from her.
    More sobbing came from above, and Juliana bit down on her lip. The cruelty of Landon’s tone was truly frightening.
    Was Mayda in danger? Would Landon harm her, as she’d suggested days ago?
    The atmosphere, indeed, seemed ripe for violence. If Juliana dared to interrupt, though, saying the babe had woken and needed feeding, that would give Mayda a reason to return to the solar. She’d be safe then. If she and Landon had more to discuss, they’d do so later, when they’d both had time to calm their tempers.
    Aye. That was the best solution. Yet putting herself in the midst of the disagreement . . . Juliana pressed back against the stone wall and fought a twinge of alarm.
    Don’t be foolish, Juliana. You are friends with Landon. He will not harm you, especially when you have his daughter in your arms. If you care for Mayda and little Rosemary, you will find the strength to act for them .
    Shifting Rosemary closer to her shoulder, to shield her from the wind swirling down into the stairwell, Juliana pressed on.
    “You say I tire you.”