Read Online A Lady's Charade (Medieval Romance Novel) by Eliza Knight - Free Book Online
Authors: Eliza Knight
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worse lot.
Her muscles were rigid. How had she not known? Anger ripped through her middle. How could she have been so filled with desire? The man was her enemy. Even still, the backs of her thighs still burned from the hard muscled flesh she’d sat on.
She pinched the bridge of her nose as she took in the rest of the little room. Next to the table at the back of the house was a pile of burning wood surrounded by stones. Directly on top of the fire sat a steel pot with legs on it. The smoke from the fire escaped a small open hole in the wall which resembled a window. The makeshift fire pit looked very dangerous. The wall behind the fire was black with soot. How many fires had need of putting out in this little house?
The smell of stew coming from the boiling pot reminded Chloe of how hungry she was. Her mouth watered and her stomach growled.
Where was she going to put her horse? She couldn’t just leave him in the middle of the room. The cottage was cramped enough as it was, and the horse took up most of the space. Off to her right was an open area with a wooden beam propped up to separate the small space from the main room. Was this the place they kept their animals? There were none to be seen. The space looked too vacant and clean, as if there hadn’t been any animals there for quite some time.
Maude returned to the main room with a young man. He had soft curly brown hair and was very tall, his head almost touching the ceiling. He was also as thin as a stick. He’d not yet grown into his man’s body. He studied her with watery brown eyes.
“Chloe this is James, my son. James, unpack the horse, missy here is going to stay with us,” Maude said.
James turned his attention to Chloe, unable to take his gaze off her.
She felt awkward and out of place.
“Thank you Maude, but I can see to my horse. Shall I put him over here?” she asked pointing to the empty room.
“That’ll be fine. Boy, help her get the horse in there,” Maude ordered.
James quickly broke his stare and walked over to the area, lifting the beam for Chloe. She led the horse to the space, going into the room first and letting the animal follow her. Her horse snorted a bit, and she soothed him with whispers in his ear. James watched her as she moved and began to undo the belts holding he satchel in place. Chloe panicked. How would she be able to keep her things safe? Not that the satchel contained anything overmuch of value, but it was hers and she didn’t want to lose it.
James eyed the pack with open curiosity. She needed to think of a way to divert his attention so she could hide it.
“James, could I have a drink? I am so thirsty.” Chloe prayed her ploy would work.
“Of course,” he said and scurried away to do her bidding.
She took the pack and shoved it into the corner of the small stall behind a trough, where it would be out of sight, and hopefully out of mind. She knew with the way she must look on the outside, no one would dream of thinking the pack contained anything of value. But still in these hard times, even a crust of bread was likely to be taken.
James returned and handed her a cup of watered ale, his rough hand grazing hers. He didn’t even glance to where she’d hidden her bag. She pondered at the roughness of his hands. They were so different from her soft ones. Soon hers would be just as rough.
He turned away to give her horse a bucket of stale oats.
Lord, forgive her for the charade she’d be playing from now on. Although it wasn’t her fault that she now had to deceive everyone, it was deceitful all the same, and Chloe prided herself on being true and honest.
“Would you mind getting some water for my horse?” she asked James, lowering her eyes, not wanting to appear too demanding. She reminded herself that although he seemed to have no problem running to do her bidding, she must seem his equal or perhaps lower than he because she was a woman, so as not to draw attention to herself.
James nodded at her
Her muscles were rigid. How had she not known? Anger ripped through her middle. How could she have been so filled with desire? The man was her enemy. Even still, the backs of her thighs still burned from the hard muscled flesh she’d sat on.
She pinched the bridge of her nose as she took in the rest of the little room. Next to the table at the back of the house was a pile of burning wood surrounded by stones. Directly on top of the fire sat a steel pot with legs on it. The smoke from the fire escaped a small open hole in the wall which resembled a window. The makeshift fire pit looked very dangerous. The wall behind the fire was black with soot. How many fires had need of putting out in this little house?
The smell of stew coming from the boiling pot reminded Chloe of how hungry she was. Her mouth watered and her stomach growled.
Where was she going to put her horse? She couldn’t just leave him in the middle of the room. The cottage was cramped enough as it was, and the horse took up most of the space. Off to her right was an open area with a wooden beam propped up to separate the small space from the main room. Was this the place they kept their animals? There were none to be seen. The space looked too vacant and clean, as if there hadn’t been any animals there for quite some time.
Maude returned to the main room with a young man. He had soft curly brown hair and was very tall, his head almost touching the ceiling. He was also as thin as a stick. He’d not yet grown into his man’s body. He studied her with watery brown eyes.
“Chloe this is James, my son. James, unpack the horse, missy here is going to stay with us,” Maude said.
James turned his attention to Chloe, unable to take his gaze off her.
She felt awkward and out of place.
“Thank you Maude, but I can see to my horse. Shall I put him over here?” she asked pointing to the empty room.
“That’ll be fine. Boy, help her get the horse in there,” Maude ordered.
James quickly broke his stare and walked over to the area, lifting the beam for Chloe. She led the horse to the space, going into the room first and letting the animal follow her. Her horse snorted a bit, and she soothed him with whispers in his ear. James watched her as she moved and began to undo the belts holding he satchel in place. Chloe panicked. How would she be able to keep her things safe? Not that the satchel contained anything overmuch of value, but it was hers and she didn’t want to lose it.
James eyed the pack with open curiosity. She needed to think of a way to divert his attention so she could hide it.
“James, could I have a drink? I am so thirsty.” Chloe prayed her ploy would work.
“Of course,” he said and scurried away to do her bidding.
She took the pack and shoved it into the corner of the small stall behind a trough, where it would be out of sight, and hopefully out of mind. She knew with the way she must look on the outside, no one would dream of thinking the pack contained anything of value. But still in these hard times, even a crust of bread was likely to be taken.
James returned and handed her a cup of watered ale, his rough hand grazing hers. He didn’t even glance to where she’d hidden her bag. She pondered at the roughness of his hands. They were so different from her soft ones. Soon hers would be just as rough.
He turned away to give her horse a bucket of stale oats.
Lord, forgive her for the charade she’d be playing from now on. Although it wasn’t her fault that she now had to deceive everyone, it was deceitful all the same, and Chloe prided herself on being true and honest.
“Would you mind getting some water for my horse?” she asked James, lowering her eyes, not wanting to appear too demanding. She reminded herself that although he seemed to have no problem running to do her bidding, she must seem his equal or perhaps lower than he because she was a woman, so as not to draw attention to herself.
James nodded at her
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