Read Online Lavender Vows by Colleen Gleason - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Colleen Gleason
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fighting to focus her eyes on the white cloth that he brandished whilst she prepared herself for the blows and pain yet to come.
“You thought to cuckold me?”
He raged about the room, not yet deigning to take his fury out on her physically…but she knew ’twas only a matter of moments before the blows fell. What was he angry about?
“My squire heard you in the stable—with your lover! He saw you make the whore of yourself—and ’twill be the last time you do!” He leaned forward, menacing, over her. His eyes were wild and yellow in his face, and Joanna nearly fainted as his words penetrated.
His hand closed around her throat, squeezed and released, so that she coughed in agony. She gathered all of her strength, trying to twist away…but in its battered state, her pain-filled body was no match for his iron grip. His fingers closed again, and she reached to claw them away as spots of black light flashed at the corners of her eyes.
Death. ’Twould be welcome—’twould be heaven compared to living her life in this fear.
Bernard.
His face flashed before her as the life began to seep from her body.
And suddenly, Joanna realized she had one last chance. She forced herself to form the single syllable that might save her life.
“Map.”
As though ’twere magic, the word, grating even to her ears, caused Ralf to lessen his grip. She sucked in a huge breath of air, her body shuddering with the effort, and gasped the word again. “Map.”
“Where is it? Where is the map, Joanna? ”
As she’d hoped, greed proved a stronger force to Ralf than anger. She managed to nod her head, barely.
“You have it?” His hands flew to grip her shoulders and she gasped in pain. “Where is it, bitch? Tell me and I might spare your life!”
“Fire…place,” she whispered, streaks of agony catching her breath and making the words nearly unbearable.
He was on her in a moment. “You burned it?” The rage turned his face into a grey stone mask with burning yellow eyes, and he reached for her with clawed hands.
With all of her effort, she half-rolled away, her denial little more than an agonized moan. “ Nay! ”
He whirled away from her, toward the fireplace, and began to pull on the stones, kicking them, shoving at them. “Is it here?”
Joanna stifled her sobs of pain as she struggled to rise from the bed.
She managed to pull herself up to sit, her head spinning crazily and her mouth dry with pain, when she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. If she’d had any strength, she would have screamed in shock and fear…but when she saw Maris of Langumont pull to her feet from the floor, Joanna’s fears subsided.
She watched as Maris moved quickly and silently, taking a heavy wooden bowl and, stepping behind Ralf, brought it down with a loud crack! onto his head.
He slumped instantly into a heap at the fireplace hearth.
Maris turned to Joanna, staggering slightly as she made her way to the bed. “Come, we must go.”
She slipped an arm around her, and eased her off the pallet. Joanna tried to find her feet, but the room spun and she sagged against the taller woman. “Come,” Maris puffed, half-dragging her to the door. “Come.” ’Twas as though she said the words to keep herself moving.
They made it to the door, and a moan from Ralf nearly caused Joanna to faint. Maris managed to prop Joanna against the wall, and Joanna, for her part, kept her knees from buckling whilst her friend got the heavy door open. They fairly fell into the dark, empty passageway out side of her chamber, and Maris shut the door behind.
Joanna summoned more energy and managed to wrap her arm around Maris’s waist and to actually take a step. They paced slowly down the hall until they came to another corridor. A small alcove recessed behind it, and Joanna pulled away toward the dark corner. “Go. You cannot…carry me….”
“You thought to cuckold me?”
He raged about the room, not yet deigning to take his fury out on her physically…but she knew ’twas only a matter of moments before the blows fell. What was he angry about?
“My squire heard you in the stable—with your lover! He saw you make the whore of yourself—and ’twill be the last time you do!” He leaned forward, menacing, over her. His eyes were wild and yellow in his face, and Joanna nearly fainted as his words penetrated.
His hand closed around her throat, squeezed and released, so that she coughed in agony. She gathered all of her strength, trying to twist away…but in its battered state, her pain-filled body was no match for his iron grip. His fingers closed again, and she reached to claw them away as spots of black light flashed at the corners of her eyes.
Death. ’Twould be welcome—’twould be heaven compared to living her life in this fear.
Bernard.
His face flashed before her as the life began to seep from her body.
And suddenly, Joanna realized she had one last chance. She forced herself to form the single syllable that might save her life.
“Map.”
As though ’twere magic, the word, grating even to her ears, caused Ralf to lessen his grip. She sucked in a huge breath of air, her body shuddering with the effort, and gasped the word again. “Map.”
“Where is it? Where is the map, Joanna? ”
As she’d hoped, greed proved a stronger force to Ralf than anger. She managed to nod her head, barely.
“You have it?” His hands flew to grip her shoulders and she gasped in pain. “Where is it, bitch? Tell me and I might spare your life!”
“Fire…place,” she whispered, streaks of agony catching her breath and making the words nearly unbearable.
He was on her in a moment. “You burned it?” The rage turned his face into a grey stone mask with burning yellow eyes, and he reached for her with clawed hands.
With all of her effort, she half-rolled away, her denial little more than an agonized moan. “ Nay! ”
He whirled away from her, toward the fireplace, and began to pull on the stones, kicking them, shoving at them. “Is it here?”
Joanna stifled her sobs of pain as she struggled to rise from the bed.
She managed to pull herself up to sit, her head spinning crazily and her mouth dry with pain, when she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. If she’d had any strength, she would have screamed in shock and fear…but when she saw Maris of Langumont pull to her feet from the floor, Joanna’s fears subsided.
She watched as Maris moved quickly and silently, taking a heavy wooden bowl and, stepping behind Ralf, brought it down with a loud crack! onto his head.
He slumped instantly into a heap at the fireplace hearth.
Maris turned to Joanna, staggering slightly as she made her way to the bed. “Come, we must go.”
She slipped an arm around her, and eased her off the pallet. Joanna tried to find her feet, but the room spun and she sagged against the taller woman. “Come,” Maris puffed, half-dragging her to the door. “Come.” ’Twas as though she said the words to keep herself moving.
They made it to the door, and a moan from Ralf nearly caused Joanna to faint. Maris managed to prop Joanna against the wall, and Joanna, for her part, kept her knees from buckling whilst her friend got the heavy door open. They fairly fell into the dark, empty passageway out side of her chamber, and Maris shut the door behind.
Joanna summoned more energy and managed to wrap her arm around Maris’s waist and to actually take a step. They paced slowly down the hall until they came to another corridor. A small alcove recessed behind it, and Joanna pulled away toward the dark corner. “Go. You cannot…carry me….”
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