Read Online Choose the Sky: A Medieval Romance (Swordcross Knights Book 2) by Elizabeth Cole - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Elizabeth Cole
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rule.”
“I’ll bring your opinions to my father,” she said dryly.
“Oh, I’ll tell him myself when he returns.” Luc watched her face, and he saw again what he’d noted the previous day. She froze completely when he mentioned speaking to her father directly. It was just a second’s hesitation, but it was there. Why? What possible reason could Domina have to be scared of such a meeting, unless Godfrey had something to hide from an agent of the king?
She glanced up toward the castle gate. “If you’ll excuse me, I must return to my work. There are plenty of tasks to complete before dark.”
He fell into step beside her. “I’ve seen what I need to see for the moment. I’ll walk you back.”
She offered a tight smile. “How kind.”
Once they returned to the castle, Luc kept an eye on Domina for the reminder of the day. It was difficult, because the woman seemed to be everywhere at once. She appeared in the kitchens, speaking to everyone from the cooks down to the scullery boys. She vanished into the stables, only to emerge with a flock of boys at her heels as she ordered them to move a fresh load of hay into the building to accommodate the guests’ animals.
She dashed into storage buildings, she strode through the great hall. Ancel the steward hailed her, and they had a brief conversation Luc couldn’t hear, though he could see that the steward didn’t look happy. The man’s lined face pulled into a frown, his high forehead wrinkled. Domina soothed him with a few words, and moved on.
Luc watched as she consulted a clutch of ladies spinning and weaving in a small room clearly devoted to women’s tasks. She ran her long, slender fingers over a bolt of cloth, a smile briefly illuminating her face.
Then she was off again. Luc trailed her back outside. He was briefly distracted by the sight of a kitchen maid scurrying away from a building in the corner of the courtyard, one of the few places Domina hadn’t gone that day.
He switched his path to cross that of the maid, who was returning to the kitchen in the main keep.
“What is over there?” he asked. “In that building in the corner?”
The maid had stopped short on being addressed, and two bright spots of color bloomed on her cheeks. “That…that building, my lord?”
“Yes,” Luc said patiently. “The one you just came out of. What’s in there?”
“Storage, my…my lord.” The maid offered a clumsy curtsey with her stuttered explanation. Was she so provincial that the mere presence of a stranger tongue-tied her? From the way she was staring at him, wide-eyed, it seemed possible.
“Storage for what?”
She opened her mouth twice before an answer finally came. “Wine and foodstuffs, my lord. The cats like it there, for they kill the mice.”
“Very well,” he said. “Go on with you.” He watched as the maid dashed off to the keep, her shoulders hunched over as if she expected a reprimand.
Luc glanced back at the building, intending to go over and investigate it, for it seemed rather fine for mere food storage. It stood two stories tall, with shuttered windows on the upper floor.
Just then, a black shape slunk from around the corner of the building, one of the cats the maid spoke of. This one was a long but lithe creature, all black save for a patch of white on its chest. It fixed Luc with a contemptuous stare, as if to warn him from invading its hunting grounds.
“Not today, then,” he muttered. “I know where I’m not wanted.” The cat’s gaze reminded him of Domina’s look when he first arrived at her castle. She kept her claws sheathed thus far, but Luc knew she was capable of scratching.
Recalling his determination to keep watch on her—not that she’d done anything suspicious yet—Luc retraced his steps, hoping to pick up her trail.
He heard her before he saw her, so Luc stopped to hear the conversation. He’d recognized the deep voice of Haldan from this morning.
“There must be no further delay,”
“I’ll bring your opinions to my father,” she said dryly.
“Oh, I’ll tell him myself when he returns.” Luc watched her face, and he saw again what he’d noted the previous day. She froze completely when he mentioned speaking to her father directly. It was just a second’s hesitation, but it was there. Why? What possible reason could Domina have to be scared of such a meeting, unless Godfrey had something to hide from an agent of the king?
She glanced up toward the castle gate. “If you’ll excuse me, I must return to my work. There are plenty of tasks to complete before dark.”
He fell into step beside her. “I’ve seen what I need to see for the moment. I’ll walk you back.”
She offered a tight smile. “How kind.”
Once they returned to the castle, Luc kept an eye on Domina for the reminder of the day. It was difficult, because the woman seemed to be everywhere at once. She appeared in the kitchens, speaking to everyone from the cooks down to the scullery boys. She vanished into the stables, only to emerge with a flock of boys at her heels as she ordered them to move a fresh load of hay into the building to accommodate the guests’ animals.
She dashed into storage buildings, she strode through the great hall. Ancel the steward hailed her, and they had a brief conversation Luc couldn’t hear, though he could see that the steward didn’t look happy. The man’s lined face pulled into a frown, his high forehead wrinkled. Domina soothed him with a few words, and moved on.
Luc watched as she consulted a clutch of ladies spinning and weaving in a small room clearly devoted to women’s tasks. She ran her long, slender fingers over a bolt of cloth, a smile briefly illuminating her face.
Then she was off again. Luc trailed her back outside. He was briefly distracted by the sight of a kitchen maid scurrying away from a building in the corner of the courtyard, one of the few places Domina hadn’t gone that day.
He switched his path to cross that of the maid, who was returning to the kitchen in the main keep.
“What is over there?” he asked. “In that building in the corner?”
The maid had stopped short on being addressed, and two bright spots of color bloomed on her cheeks. “That…that building, my lord?”
“Yes,” Luc said patiently. “The one you just came out of. What’s in there?”
“Storage, my…my lord.” The maid offered a clumsy curtsey with her stuttered explanation. Was she so provincial that the mere presence of a stranger tongue-tied her? From the way she was staring at him, wide-eyed, it seemed possible.
“Storage for what?”
She opened her mouth twice before an answer finally came. “Wine and foodstuffs, my lord. The cats like it there, for they kill the mice.”
“Very well,” he said. “Go on with you.” He watched as the maid dashed off to the keep, her shoulders hunched over as if she expected a reprimand.
Luc glanced back at the building, intending to go over and investigate it, for it seemed rather fine for mere food storage. It stood two stories tall, with shuttered windows on the upper floor.
Just then, a black shape slunk from around the corner of the building, one of the cats the maid spoke of. This one was a long but lithe creature, all black save for a patch of white on its chest. It fixed Luc with a contemptuous stare, as if to warn him from invading its hunting grounds.
“Not today, then,” he muttered. “I know where I’m not wanted.” The cat’s gaze reminded him of Domina’s look when he first arrived at her castle. She kept her claws sheathed thus far, but Luc knew she was capable of scratching.
Recalling his determination to keep watch on her—not that she’d done anything suspicious yet—Luc retraced his steps, hoping to pick up her trail.
He heard her before he saw her, so Luc stopped to hear the conversation. He’d recognized the deep voice of Haldan from this morning.
“There must be no further delay,”
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