the corner near the hearth.
Sitting between them, Keely suggested, "Let's forget about supper and go directly to our chambers."
"You haven't eaten all day," Odo admonished her.
"You're too skinny as it is," Hew added. "Besides, I'm famished."
Keely gave in with a nod of her head. She was jumpier than a frog in a pond, her nerves fairly crackling with tension. Keely knew in her Druid bones that something remarkable was about to happen. She felt as if she stood on the edge of a precipice—or possibly even the brink of disaster.
"What'll it be, folks?" Marianne greeted them with a smile. She set mugs of ale in front of Odo and Hew and a goblet of mulled wine for Keely.
"Five bowls of stew," Odo ordered.
"Five is it?"
"We're hungry," Hew said.
Keely reached for her goblet of wine and took a sip. Its warmth soothed her badly frayed nerves. As she set the goblet down, Hew slumped in his chair and his hand tugged at her sleeve.
Glancing up at his horrified expression, Keely realized that trouble had somehow found them. "What is it, cousin?"
"That lord we robbed is sitting over there," Hew whispered.
"Where?" Odo exclaimed, half rising out of his chair to scan the crowded chamber.
"Don't look," Keely ordered in a loud whisper. Odo and Hew instantly dropped their gazes. "Where is he?" Keely asked.
"The red-haired man, dressed in black, at the table nearest the bar," Hew answered.
Keely glanced in that direction. On the opposite side of the common room at the table nearest the bar sat two English lords. Deep in conversation with his friend, the red-haired Earl of Somewhere seemed unaware of their presence in the tavern.
"What should we do?" Keely asked.
"Sit still," Odo said. "He won't notice us in this crowd."
"That's right," Hew agreed. "As long as we call no attention to ourselves, he won't notice us."
Keely suffered a powerful urge to slide beneath the table and hide. Afraid to look across the room, she fixed her gaze on the wine goblet. Uncomfortably, she felt the lord's intense scrutiny—or was it her imagination?
Unable to endure the uncertainty another moment, Keely summoned her courage and forced herself to look across the room. The lord appeared deep in conversation with his friend, yet she couldn't shake the feeling that he watched them.
Keely's gaze slid to the earl's dark-haired companion. A disturbing image of lurking evil shrouded in dark mist formed in her mind and made her shiver.
When the two men stood abruptly, Keely's lips formed a silent perfect O. Odo and Hew were caught and would be hanged. If only she'd been blessed with her mother's unworldly talent, she would have correctly interpreted her vision and her cousins would not be coming to this tragic horrifying end.
The earl stood and called a friendly farewell to the tavern's owner, then turned to follow his companion to the door. His gaze flicked past them and then returned to Keely. She watched in growing horror as the earl changed direction and advanced on their table.
"No weapons," Keely whispered to her cousins. "We'll talk our way out of this."
Though she tried to appear casually unconcerned, Keely was unable to tear her gaze from the approaching earl. His copper hair was the brilliant radiance of Father Sun, and his disarming emerald eyes the green of her beloved forests in springtime. His features were ruggedly, handsomely chiseled and his lips sensuously formed. Walking toward their table, he moved with a hunter's predatory grace. Holy stones! The man was a pagan god sprung to life before her eyes.
"Trust the king who wears a flaming crown and possesses the golden touch...."
Keely gave herself a mental shake to banish her mother's prophecy. This was no king, no pagan god, merely a man. And an odious English earl to boot.
Stopping at their table, Richard ignored Odo and Hew and gazed down at Keely, who stared through large violet eyes back at him. Richard smiled then and turned the fall force of his charm on her.
"My lady,"
Sitting between them, Keely suggested, "Let's forget about supper and go directly to our chambers."
"You haven't eaten all day," Odo admonished her.
"You're too skinny as it is," Hew added. "Besides, I'm famished."
Keely gave in with a nod of her head. She was jumpier than a frog in a pond, her nerves fairly crackling with tension. Keely knew in her Druid bones that something remarkable was about to happen. She felt as if she stood on the edge of a precipice—or possibly even the brink of disaster.
"What'll it be, folks?" Marianne greeted them with a smile. She set mugs of ale in front of Odo and Hew and a goblet of mulled wine for Keely.
"Five bowls of stew," Odo ordered.
"Five is it?"
"We're hungry," Hew said.
Keely reached for her goblet of wine and took a sip. Its warmth soothed her badly frayed nerves. As she set the goblet down, Hew slumped in his chair and his hand tugged at her sleeve.
Glancing up at his horrified expression, Keely realized that trouble had somehow found them. "What is it, cousin?"
"That lord we robbed is sitting over there," Hew whispered.
"Where?" Odo exclaimed, half rising out of his chair to scan the crowded chamber.
"Don't look," Keely ordered in a loud whisper. Odo and Hew instantly dropped their gazes. "Where is he?" Keely asked.
"The red-haired man, dressed in black, at the table nearest the bar," Hew answered.
Keely glanced in that direction. On the opposite side of the common room at the table nearest the bar sat two English lords. Deep in conversation with his friend, the red-haired Earl of Somewhere seemed unaware of their presence in the tavern.
"What should we do?" Keely asked.
"Sit still," Odo said. "He won't notice us in this crowd."
"That's right," Hew agreed. "As long as we call no attention to ourselves, he won't notice us."
Keely suffered a powerful urge to slide beneath the table and hide. Afraid to look across the room, she fixed her gaze on the wine goblet. Uncomfortably, she felt the lord's intense scrutiny—or was it her imagination?
Unable to endure the uncertainty another moment, Keely summoned her courage and forced herself to look across the room. The lord appeared deep in conversation with his friend, yet she couldn't shake the feeling that he watched them.
Keely's gaze slid to the earl's dark-haired companion. A disturbing image of lurking evil shrouded in dark mist formed in her mind and made her shiver.
When the two men stood abruptly, Keely's lips formed a silent perfect O. Odo and Hew were caught and would be hanged. If only she'd been blessed with her mother's unworldly talent, she would have correctly interpreted her vision and her cousins would not be coming to this tragic horrifying end.
The earl stood and called a friendly farewell to the tavern's owner, then turned to follow his companion to the door. His gaze flicked past them and then returned to Keely. She watched in growing horror as the earl changed direction and advanced on their table.
"No weapons," Keely whispered to her cousins. "We'll talk our way out of this."
Though she tried to appear casually unconcerned, Keely was unable to tear her gaze from the approaching earl. His copper hair was the brilliant radiance of Father Sun, and his disarming emerald eyes the green of her beloved forests in springtime. His features were ruggedly, handsomely chiseled and his lips sensuously formed. Walking toward their table, he moved with a hunter's predatory grace. Holy stones! The man was a pagan god sprung to life before her eyes.
"Trust the king who wears a flaming crown and possesses the golden touch...."
Keely gave herself a mental shake to banish her mother's prophecy. This was no king, no pagan god, merely a man. And an odious English earl to boot.
Stopping at their table, Richard ignored Odo and Hew and gazed down at Keely, who stared through large violet eyes back at him. Richard smiled then and turned the fall force of his charm on her.
"My lady,"
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