Read Online Her Lord and Protector (formerly titled On Silent Wings) by Pam Roller - Free Book Online
Authors: Pam Roller
Ads: Link
coverlet. But in here, as in Katherine’s room, the heavy
rose patterned drapes were pulled tightly shut to keep out the light.
“Would you like
coffee?” Elizabeth asked, indicating the blue and white ceramic pot the servant
held, “Or have you taken to drinking the tea that Queen Catharine so enjoys?”
Katherine raised
her brows in interest and pointed to her cup. She had indeed come to appreciate
tea as well as coffee, but this morning, she needed the strength that only a
hot cup of coffee could offer. On the table, she noticed paper, quill and a
small bottle of ink. How nice that Elizabeth had procured the items for her.
Feeling
obligated to write her thanks, she placed her bandaged fingers on the thin
quill, but only managed to slide it around instead of lifting it. She blew out
an exasperated breath and glanced down at the thick square of chalk nestled in
its holding place on her slate. Perhaps, if she managed to pry it out, she
could palm it in her hand as would a young child. With her thumb, she tried to
lift it.
“Would ye like
me to help, m’lady?” Millie asked, sounding just as frustrated as Katherine
felt.
Katherine raised
a hand in impatience and shook her head. She would thank Elizabeth later, when
she could write again.
She concentrated
on lifting her coffee cup to her mouth using both hands. Even so, too much of
the hot liquid stung her lips and tongue. Gritting her teeth in frustration and
pain, she eased the cup back into its saucer.
“I doubt you
would like to be treated as a baby and fed,” Elizabeth said with moist eyes,
“but is there anything I can do to help you?”
Katherine forced
a smile, shook her head, and managed to slide her thumb under a piece of bread
and lift it to her lips.
It was a stupid
thing she had done, getting stuck in her closet. No matter what happened,
during the remainder of her stay at Drayton Castle she would control her
curiosity, a vice which had caused her to lose her voice and now injured her
hands.
Lord Drayton
must think her a clumsy, prying fool. For some silly reason, his opinion of her
mattered a great deal.
She ate her
bread and, determined to succeed, wielded spoonfuls of pottage to her mouth,
spilling most of them in the process. Although Millie placed a cloth on her
bodice, Katherine knew she would have to change her dress after breakfast.
Elizabeth must
have shaken her head and murmured “Poor thing” twenty-odd times, so that by the
time a knock came to the door, Katherine was ready to run from this smothering
pink bedchamber back to her sparse, colorless room. Elizabeth’s maid opened the
door.
Lord Drayton
stood there, his shoulders spanning the doorframe. “The soldiers have gone.”
His cool gaze lowered to Katherine’s soiled dress, and then to her hands. A
fleeting compassion crossed his annoyingly handsome features. “Millie,” he said
decisively, “you will feed Lady Katherine her meals until she is able to
handle....”
His voice
trailed off as Katherine gave him a fierce stare and shook her head. Would he
allow her no dignity!
Lord Drayton’s
face resumed a mask of indifference. “As you wish. I came to tell you that I
leave for Chiswick this morning to meet with a lawyer and draw up a marriage
contract for you.”
Katherine’s eyes
widened in stunned surprise. So soon? Livid now, she brushed at the quill until
the end of it extended off the edge of the table.
“But she-she is
injured,” Elizabeth said.
Katherine
finally grasped the quill between her thumb and palm and thrust the point
straight to the bottom of the inkbottle.
“I said I would
meet with him. I did not say she would leave immediately. I know what’s best
for her.”
And now he was
speaking as if she weren’t in the room—as if she were a mere child. She
struggled to keep the pen from slipping around in her bandages as she wrote.
“Who is he?”
Elizabeth asked.
Lord Drayton
hesitated, and Katherine glanced up to see him looking down at his
rose patterned drapes were pulled tightly shut to keep out the light.
“Would you like
coffee?” Elizabeth asked, indicating the blue and white ceramic pot the servant
held, “Or have you taken to drinking the tea that Queen Catharine so enjoys?”
Katherine raised
her brows in interest and pointed to her cup. She had indeed come to appreciate
tea as well as coffee, but this morning, she needed the strength that only a
hot cup of coffee could offer. On the table, she noticed paper, quill and a
small bottle of ink. How nice that Elizabeth had procured the items for her.
Feeling
obligated to write her thanks, she placed her bandaged fingers on the thin
quill, but only managed to slide it around instead of lifting it. She blew out
an exasperated breath and glanced down at the thick square of chalk nestled in
its holding place on her slate. Perhaps, if she managed to pry it out, she
could palm it in her hand as would a young child. With her thumb, she tried to
lift it.
“Would ye like
me to help, m’lady?” Millie asked, sounding just as frustrated as Katherine
felt.
Katherine raised
a hand in impatience and shook her head. She would thank Elizabeth later, when
she could write again.
She concentrated
on lifting her coffee cup to her mouth using both hands. Even so, too much of
the hot liquid stung her lips and tongue. Gritting her teeth in frustration and
pain, she eased the cup back into its saucer.
“I doubt you
would like to be treated as a baby and fed,” Elizabeth said with moist eyes,
“but is there anything I can do to help you?”
Katherine forced
a smile, shook her head, and managed to slide her thumb under a piece of bread
and lift it to her lips.
It was a stupid
thing she had done, getting stuck in her closet. No matter what happened,
during the remainder of her stay at Drayton Castle she would control her
curiosity, a vice which had caused her to lose her voice and now injured her
hands.
Lord Drayton
must think her a clumsy, prying fool. For some silly reason, his opinion of her
mattered a great deal.
She ate her
bread and, determined to succeed, wielded spoonfuls of pottage to her mouth,
spilling most of them in the process. Although Millie placed a cloth on her
bodice, Katherine knew she would have to change her dress after breakfast.
Elizabeth must
have shaken her head and murmured “Poor thing” twenty-odd times, so that by the
time a knock came to the door, Katherine was ready to run from this smothering
pink bedchamber back to her sparse, colorless room. Elizabeth’s maid opened the
door.
Lord Drayton
stood there, his shoulders spanning the doorframe. “The soldiers have gone.”
His cool gaze lowered to Katherine’s soiled dress, and then to her hands. A
fleeting compassion crossed his annoyingly handsome features. “Millie,” he said
decisively, “you will feed Lady Katherine her meals until she is able to
handle....”
His voice
trailed off as Katherine gave him a fierce stare and shook her head. Would he
allow her no dignity!
Lord Drayton’s
face resumed a mask of indifference. “As you wish. I came to tell you that I
leave for Chiswick this morning to meet with a lawyer and draw up a marriage
contract for you.”
Katherine’s eyes
widened in stunned surprise. So soon? Livid now, she brushed at the quill until
the end of it extended off the edge of the table.
“But she-she is
injured,” Elizabeth said.
Katherine
finally grasped the quill between her thumb and palm and thrust the point
straight to the bottom of the inkbottle.
“I said I would
meet with him. I did not say she would leave immediately. I know what’s best
for her.”
And now he was
speaking as if she weren’t in the room—as if she were a mere child. She
struggled to keep the pen from slipping around in her bandages as she wrote.
“Who is he?”
Elizabeth asked.
Lord Drayton
hesitated, and Katherine glanced up to see him looking down at his
Similar Books
