Read Online Heartsong by Allison Knight - Free Book Online Page B

through the room. His father dropped the dagger and staggered to his knees beside Gwendolyn. Garrett started forward knowing something was wrong, terribly wrong.
    “Get that child from here.” A sharp masculine voice spoke above the strangled sobs of his father. Garrett had never heard that voice before but terror raced through his young heart.
    William glanced up and his harsh voice rang through the chamber.
    “Pernith, take the boy away.”
    Pernith, Gwendolyn’s maid, grabbed him and pulled his resisting body from the solar. As they left the chamber, they passed Morgana Hubbard, who had come to foster at Knockin.
    Garrett never liked Morgana. From the tension between the two women, he knew Pernith never liked her either. Pernith glared at her, then said, “You’ll never have my Lord’s heart. And, when he remembers you sent him to this room with your lies he will hate you.”
    “Be quiet, old woman. Now that Gwendolyn is gone, William will be mine, but you will not be here to see it.”
    Pernith pushed Garrett past Morgana, down the stairs and into the hall. Garrett didn’t understand the exchange. His mother wasn’t gone. She lay on the floor of the solar as still as death. However, he never saw his mother again. They took her away that day. But he heard the whispers.
    Garrett knew, even in his childhood confusion, his father had caused Gwendolyn’s death, that Morgana had sent William to the solar, also that the stranger from Wales had played a role.
    He learned from castle gossip the stranger’s name was Brac ap Craig, some noble from Wales. No one knew who he was or why he came to Knockin. Garrett knew only that he had come and taken Gwendolyn away.
    Morgana was also Welsh and from that same class. Just before she gave birth to Colvin, she married grief-stricken William. Then, because William no longer seemed to care about anything, Morgana made life at Knockin a living hell. The day in the solar, Garrett lost his mother and his father. Morgana Hubbard was to blame.
    As he grew older, he reasoned the ruling class of Wales, people like Brac ap Craig and Morgana, deserved his hate. They had it. Edward had used his hate. Garrett had never minded.
    He forced himself to ignore the pain that whipped through his heart. When sleep came it was not a restful sleep. He continued to see the blood on Gwendolyn’s bliaud. Once more he felt the hurt and emptiness he suffered at her loss. It also reminded him of the day not long before, when another woman had the top of her gown covered with her own blood.
    Long before the dawn, Garrett paced the small room he’d taken for his rest. Memories continued to plague him. This Rhianna of Wales had opened a corner of his mind and he could no longer push his aching loneliness aside.
    However, what if he thought of his captive as a guest, instead of his enemy? Could he then shove the caustic memories into the deep recesses of his mind, where they belonged? Another thought occurred. If they did learn that she bore a blood relationship to the dead hostage, treating her as a guest would stand him in good stead with the King.
    So be it. He would consider Rhianna of Wales his guest and not his captive. Taking her to his bed was no longer something he’d entertain, unless she came willingly.
    He smiled at that. Aye, if he tried, he could probably seduce the little witch. He jerked upright at that thought.
    Yesterday, she was a captive slave from Wales. Today
    he had decided to name her a guest. Mayhap she did have an ability to cast a spell on him.

Five
    Rhianna rose with the dawn and had dressed before Mildred knocked on her door.
    “Lord deShay wants you to break your fast in the hall below.”
    “Nay,” Rhianna announced. “I’ll stay here in this chamber again today. I’ve no wish to face those in deShay’s hall.”
    “Oh, but you must. My Lord is waiting for you.”
    “He awaits? Nay, he can wait forever.”
    “Oh, nay. You must come. Do not be afraid. If you are with