informed him that she was stronger than he assumed. She hauled a dozen heavy buckets of water to the bathhouse each night, for she refused to bathe in water dirtied by another. It seemed her obsession with cleanliness was about to prove a valuable trait.
“He made it to the bottom.” Thomas pulled her forward until she stood before the crenel, then he whispered in her ear. “One sound, lady. One whimper, or one false move, and the rope will not hold you. Do you understand me?”
Claudia gave him a frantic nod. She braced her hands on either side of the crenel and stepped into the opening. The moonlight revealed the craggy rocks far below and the shadowy figure of a man. Baron Montague looked the size of an ant. She kept the moan of fear locked inside her throat. The rope that extended down the wall lay at her feet, beyond her reach in the narrow opening. How did Guy manage it? How would she manage?
Thomas solved that problem for her. His hand clasped her arm in a fierce grip while the other pushed her forward. In that moment she knew why they had gagged her. He meant to throw her over the side after all.
This time she couldn’t contain her muffled cry of terror.She clawed at the stone crenel with her free hand, but her balance was lost. She pitched forward, a slow, falling motion that seemed to take forever, but ended almost before it started. Her heart slammed against her chest with a force equal to the one that jerked her in a half circle to face the outer wall of the tower. Thomas’s grip on her wrist held fast. She said a hasty prayer of thanks that he did not intend to murder her after all, cut short by an overriding instinct to secure her dangling weight.
Thomas lowered her enough to grab the rope, then eased her left hand downward until she could grasp the slender lifeline with both hands. He even continued to hold her by the arm until she managed to get her knees and slippered feet around the rope through the vicious slash in her gown. Uncertain when Thomas might change his mind about her fate, she gave him a choppy nod and he released her.
She couldn’t move.
Her hands felt frozen around the rope, her legs as well. If she moved, she would fall. If she did not move, Thomas would cut the rope from inside the wall. She wondered if she would be lucky enough to faint before the fall killed her.
“You made it this far.” Thomas’s voice sounded surprisingly gentle, yet she could not look up to see his expression. “The rest is easier. Just grip the rope with your feet and move one hand at a time.”
Claudia tried to take a deep breath, but even her chest felt as if it were trying to wrap itself around the rope. She focused all her attention on the stone wall straight ahead and on the movement of her left hand as it eased lower. She let her feet slide down a few inches of the rope as well. Her right hand let go of the rope just long enough to move below the left, then she repeated the motion, again and again, until she thought it would never end. Her arms ached, her legs ached, even her bones ached from the fierce effort. And she thought a few buckets of water would prepare her for this task?
This was hell. Thomas had pushed her and she just didn’t remember the fall that had killed her. Whatever sinsshe committed in her life, she had been damned to climb down this rope for eternity.
Someone grabbed her ankle. A smothered sound of relief came from behind her gag. Guy. She released the rope and fell on top of him. They both landed in a heap, although he managed to cushion her fall.
“Christ’s bones, you are heavy!” He pushed her away and stood up.
If he thought she might try to escape him, he didn’t appear worried by the possibility. He drew a dagger from his waist and cut a length of rope several feet long, then he gave the remaining rope two sharp tugs and kept his attention focused high overhead. From her seat on the ground Claudia watched Friar Thomas pull the long rope back inside the wall.
“He made it to the bottom.” Thomas pulled her forward until she stood before the crenel, then he whispered in her ear. “One sound, lady. One whimper, or one false move, and the rope will not hold you. Do you understand me?”
Claudia gave him a frantic nod. She braced her hands on either side of the crenel and stepped into the opening. The moonlight revealed the craggy rocks far below and the shadowy figure of a man. Baron Montague looked the size of an ant. She kept the moan of fear locked inside her throat. The rope that extended down the wall lay at her feet, beyond her reach in the narrow opening. How did Guy manage it? How would she manage?
Thomas solved that problem for her. His hand clasped her arm in a fierce grip while the other pushed her forward. In that moment she knew why they had gagged her. He meant to throw her over the side after all.
This time she couldn’t contain her muffled cry of terror.She clawed at the stone crenel with her free hand, but her balance was lost. She pitched forward, a slow, falling motion that seemed to take forever, but ended almost before it started. Her heart slammed against her chest with a force equal to the one that jerked her in a half circle to face the outer wall of the tower. Thomas’s grip on her wrist held fast. She said a hasty prayer of thanks that he did not intend to murder her after all, cut short by an overriding instinct to secure her dangling weight.
Thomas lowered her enough to grab the rope, then eased her left hand downward until she could grasp the slender lifeline with both hands. He even continued to hold her by the arm until she managed to get her knees and slippered feet around the rope through the vicious slash in her gown. Uncertain when Thomas might change his mind about her fate, she gave him a choppy nod and he released her.
She couldn’t move.
Her hands felt frozen around the rope, her legs as well. If she moved, she would fall. If she did not move, Thomas would cut the rope from inside the wall. She wondered if she would be lucky enough to faint before the fall killed her.
“You made it this far.” Thomas’s voice sounded surprisingly gentle, yet she could not look up to see his expression. “The rest is easier. Just grip the rope with your feet and move one hand at a time.”
Claudia tried to take a deep breath, but even her chest felt as if it were trying to wrap itself around the rope. She focused all her attention on the stone wall straight ahead and on the movement of her left hand as it eased lower. She let her feet slide down a few inches of the rope as well. Her right hand let go of the rope just long enough to move below the left, then she repeated the motion, again and again, until she thought it would never end. Her arms ached, her legs ached, even her bones ached from the fierce effort. And she thought a few buckets of water would prepare her for this task?
This was hell. Thomas had pushed her and she just didn’t remember the fall that had killed her. Whatever sinsshe committed in her life, she had been damned to climb down this rope for eternity.
Someone grabbed her ankle. A smothered sound of relief came from behind her gag. Guy. She released the rope and fell on top of him. They both landed in a heap, although he managed to cushion her fall.
“Christ’s bones, you are heavy!” He pushed her away and stood up.
If he thought she might try to escape him, he didn’t appear worried by the possibility. He drew a dagger from his waist and cut a length of rope several feet long, then he gave the remaining rope two sharp tugs and kept his attention focused high overhead. From her seat on the ground Claudia watched Friar Thomas pull the long rope back inside the wall.
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