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battered, the temptation to follow her into that room and continue what they had begun in the garden had almost been too strong to resist. He needed to cool the fire in his blood before he approached her again.
As he started toward his own bedchamber, he caught sight of Lady Eleanor at his door. Keeping to the shadows, he changed direction and returned to the garden. Jankyn looked up at the full moon and thought of the royal hunting grounds not far from the castle walls. A hunt would ease the bloodlust that still hummed in his veins after having to let Lachlan and Thomas yet again slip free. It might also ease the tight knot of unsatisfied desire that gripped his innards. Despite knowing that is was risky, he left the garden and headed for the royal hunting grounds. Tonight he would feed.
Chapter Seven
Efrica tensed as Lady Eleanor approached her. Jankyn had only been playing her guard, and she his, for one day, but Efrica was sure Lady Eleanor was coming to speak to her about him. The few times she had caught sight of Lady Eleanor yester eve, the way the woman had been watching her and Jankyn had given Efrica chills. Jankyn neither trusted the woman nor wished to be with her, but Efrica did not think he saw her as any real threat.
"Where is your champion?" asked Lady Eleanor as she stopped only a few inches away from Efrica, her smile of greeting cold.
"My what?" asked Efrica, determined not to let this woman intimidate her.
"Jankyn, of course. I suppose he clings to your skirts to keep Lachlan and Thomas at a distance."
"As my kinsmon, he would naturally wish those two to stay far away from me. They have been a trouble to me."
"Jankyn is your kinsmon? I didnae ken that there was a kinship between MacNachtons and Callans."
"My sister is married to Jankyn's laird, who is also his cousin."
"That hardly makes him a kinsmon," Lady Eleanor snapped, then swiftly controlled her irritation. "Ye cannae be quite so naive, can ye? Do ye nay ken the mon's reputation? He is insatiable."
The tone of gentle advisor, which Eleanor had adopted, made Efrica clench her teeth. "That may be, m'lady, but I doubt Jankyn would e'er consider dishonoring the sister of his laird's wife." The way Lady Eleanor stared at her made Efrica uneasy, for the woman's pale blue eyes seemed to see right into her heart, a heart Efrica constantly lied to. "Jankyn feels it his duty to protect me from further insult."
"Ye consider young Lachlan's and Thomas's wishes to make ye wife to one of them an insult?"
"Their manner of wooing isnae much to my liking."
"I think ye may prefer your kinsmon's manner of wooing. Ah, but what woman wouldnae, aye? He is the sort of mon who easily makes a woman lose all good sense and caution. Many have fallen victim to his beauty and his charm. I should hate to see ye, young and innocent as ye are, be deceived by the sweet lies he tells so weel. As I was," she added on a mournful sigh.
If the woman expected Efrica to offer her any sympathy, she would rot where she stood. It was bad enough that the woman spoke to her as if she were a child, and a rather witless one at that. That Lady Eleanor would play the part of an innocent seduced and abandoned by her heartless lover was infuriating. Did she really think Efrica was fool enough to believe that?
Efrica was forced to admit to herself that some of her fury was bred from pain. Lady Eleanor's character might be as ugly as sin, but she was physically beautiful, very beautiful. To look at this woman and know that Jankyn had held her, kissed and caressed her, and made love to her made Efrica feel as if she were bleeding inside. Efrica was not sure whom she hated more at that precise moment, Eleanor for reminding her of Jankyn's lecherous nature and all the lovers he had had, or Jankyn for being so free with his favors.
It was a poor time to have a revelation, she mused. The woman facing her was hunting for a weak spot, and Efrica realized she had a big one. Her heart had not
As he started toward his own bedchamber, he caught sight of Lady Eleanor at his door. Keeping to the shadows, he changed direction and returned to the garden. Jankyn looked up at the full moon and thought of the royal hunting grounds not far from the castle walls. A hunt would ease the bloodlust that still hummed in his veins after having to let Lachlan and Thomas yet again slip free. It might also ease the tight knot of unsatisfied desire that gripped his innards. Despite knowing that is was risky, he left the garden and headed for the royal hunting grounds. Tonight he would feed.
Chapter Seven
Efrica tensed as Lady Eleanor approached her. Jankyn had only been playing her guard, and she his, for one day, but Efrica was sure Lady Eleanor was coming to speak to her about him. The few times she had caught sight of Lady Eleanor yester eve, the way the woman had been watching her and Jankyn had given Efrica chills. Jankyn neither trusted the woman nor wished to be with her, but Efrica did not think he saw her as any real threat.
"Where is your champion?" asked Lady Eleanor as she stopped only a few inches away from Efrica, her smile of greeting cold.
"My what?" asked Efrica, determined not to let this woman intimidate her.
"Jankyn, of course. I suppose he clings to your skirts to keep Lachlan and Thomas at a distance."
"As my kinsmon, he would naturally wish those two to stay far away from me. They have been a trouble to me."
"Jankyn is your kinsmon? I didnae ken that there was a kinship between MacNachtons and Callans."
"My sister is married to Jankyn's laird, who is also his cousin."
"That hardly makes him a kinsmon," Lady Eleanor snapped, then swiftly controlled her irritation. "Ye cannae be quite so naive, can ye? Do ye nay ken the mon's reputation? He is insatiable."
The tone of gentle advisor, which Eleanor had adopted, made Efrica clench her teeth. "That may be, m'lady, but I doubt Jankyn would e'er consider dishonoring the sister of his laird's wife." The way Lady Eleanor stared at her made Efrica uneasy, for the woman's pale blue eyes seemed to see right into her heart, a heart Efrica constantly lied to. "Jankyn feels it his duty to protect me from further insult."
"Ye consider young Lachlan's and Thomas's wishes to make ye wife to one of them an insult?"
"Their manner of wooing isnae much to my liking."
"I think ye may prefer your kinsmon's manner of wooing. Ah, but what woman wouldnae, aye? He is the sort of mon who easily makes a woman lose all good sense and caution. Many have fallen victim to his beauty and his charm. I should hate to see ye, young and innocent as ye are, be deceived by the sweet lies he tells so weel. As I was," she added on a mournful sigh.
If the woman expected Efrica to offer her any sympathy, she would rot where she stood. It was bad enough that the woman spoke to her as if she were a child, and a rather witless one at that. That Lady Eleanor would play the part of an innocent seduced and abandoned by her heartless lover was infuriating. Did she really think Efrica was fool enough to believe that?
Efrica was forced to admit to herself that some of her fury was bred from pain. Lady Eleanor's character might be as ugly as sin, but she was physically beautiful, very beautiful. To look at this woman and know that Jankyn had held her, kissed and caressed her, and made love to her made Efrica feel as if she were bleeding inside. Efrica was not sure whom she hated more at that precise moment, Eleanor for reminding her of Jankyn's lecherous nature and all the lovers he had had, or Jankyn for being so free with his favors.
It was a poor time to have a revelation, she mused. The woman facing her was hunting for a weak spot, and Efrica realized she had a big one. Her heart had not
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