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Authors: Gwen Kirkwood
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some privacy, but she soon realised he was sound asleep.
After he had left her the previous evening Zander had drunk freely of his uncle’s French brandy, hoping to drown the memory of her in bed with her mouth so soft and responsive to his kiss, so innocent. He didn’t want to think of Henry’s fumbling efforts to make love to her or the pain he might unwittingly inflict. When he went to bed, sleep evaded him and he had had risen early to see Jamie and Sam on their homeward journey. This morning Zander felt relaxed and happy again, convinced the girl beside him was as innocent still as when he left her last night. He fell into a deep sleep.
He wakened to find Isabella shaking him. He sat up, rubbing his eyes, smiling apologetically at her.
‘I heard a whistle. Walter and Thomas have returned.’ He jumped to his feet, then remembered they were bare. He put two fingers in his mouth and gave a piercing whistle to let his friends know they were here and safe. Hastily he pulled on his hose and boots. Walter gave him a wry look and even Thomas raised his eyebrows when he and Isabella appeared. Isabella had managed to tidy her hair a little but Zander looked dishevelled and sleepy.
‘There’s no need to look like that,’ he snapped at Walter. ‘I didn’t sleep well last night and I fell asleep in the sun.’
‘Mmm, whatever you say,’ Walter said doubtfully.
‘It is true,’ Isabella giggled. ‘He looked as peaceful as a little boy, and almost as innocent.’ The two men stared at her. They realised she was speaking the truth. Zander recovered his good spirits and the happiness which had bubbled inside him as he fell asleep.
‘You were supposed to be guarding the horses. Where is the mare belonging to Mistress Douglas?’ Thomas asked. It took Isabella a moment to understand he was referring to her but Beauty was nowhere to be seen. Isabella called her name but she did not come cantering as she usually did.
‘She is probably too far away to hear your voice,’ Zander said. ‘You will have to train her to come when you whistle.’
‘But I can’t whistle,’ Isabella protested. ‘What if she is lost?’ The three men looked at the ground and walked further along the valley until there was no sign of the grass being cropped or droppings left from the horses.
‘She must have gone towards home,’ Thomas said.
‘The only home she knows is across the marshes,’ Isabella protested, swallowing a lump in her throat.
‘She didna go that way, Mistress, or we should have seen her,’ Walter reassured her. ‘She’ll have gone back to where she last had her oats.’
‘He’s right, Isabella,’ Zander said. ‘You’ll need to ride with me,’ and before she could reply his hands clasped her waist and lifted her onto his horse. He vaulted up behind her, holding her safely with one arm while he guided his horse with the other. Walter grinned and raised an eyebrow but Isabella did not see Zander’s warning scowl at his friend’s silent teasing.
Isabella felt safe and warm cradled against Zander’s broad chest but she was anxious about her little mare.
‘Beauty is the only link with home I have now,’ she said in a low voice, ‘I do hope we find her.’
‘This is your home now, Isabella, and we are your friends,’ Zander replied softly. ‘We shall find Beauty, I promise.’
They were almost within sight of the courtyard when Isabella called joyously,
‘There she is! There’s Beauty grazing happily. Beauty-eee,’ she called. The mare pricked up her ears at the familiar voice and came cantering towards them. Walter leapt from his horse and held up his arms to Isabella.
‘I think it best if she rides the rest of the way home on her own horse,’ he said. ‘After the brandy your uncle swallowed last night he might explode if anything displeases him.’ Zander knew what he meant but he was too happy to care after spending the morning in Isabella’s company.
They were surprised when William
After he had left her the previous evening Zander had drunk freely of his uncle’s French brandy, hoping to drown the memory of her in bed with her mouth so soft and responsive to his kiss, so innocent. He didn’t want to think of Henry’s fumbling efforts to make love to her or the pain he might unwittingly inflict. When he went to bed, sleep evaded him and he had had risen early to see Jamie and Sam on their homeward journey. This morning Zander felt relaxed and happy again, convinced the girl beside him was as innocent still as when he left her last night. He fell into a deep sleep.
He wakened to find Isabella shaking him. He sat up, rubbing his eyes, smiling apologetically at her.
‘I heard a whistle. Walter and Thomas have returned.’ He jumped to his feet, then remembered they were bare. He put two fingers in his mouth and gave a piercing whistle to let his friends know they were here and safe. Hastily he pulled on his hose and boots. Walter gave him a wry look and even Thomas raised his eyebrows when he and Isabella appeared. Isabella had managed to tidy her hair a little but Zander looked dishevelled and sleepy.
‘There’s no need to look like that,’ he snapped at Walter. ‘I didn’t sleep well last night and I fell asleep in the sun.’
‘Mmm, whatever you say,’ Walter said doubtfully.
‘It is true,’ Isabella giggled. ‘He looked as peaceful as a little boy, and almost as innocent.’ The two men stared at her. They realised she was speaking the truth. Zander recovered his good spirits and the happiness which had bubbled inside him as he fell asleep.
‘You were supposed to be guarding the horses. Where is the mare belonging to Mistress Douglas?’ Thomas asked. It took Isabella a moment to understand he was referring to her but Beauty was nowhere to be seen. Isabella called her name but she did not come cantering as she usually did.
‘She is probably too far away to hear your voice,’ Zander said. ‘You will have to train her to come when you whistle.’
‘But I can’t whistle,’ Isabella protested. ‘What if she is lost?’ The three men looked at the ground and walked further along the valley until there was no sign of the grass being cropped or droppings left from the horses.
‘She must have gone towards home,’ Thomas said.
‘The only home she knows is across the marshes,’ Isabella protested, swallowing a lump in her throat.
‘She didna go that way, Mistress, or we should have seen her,’ Walter reassured her. ‘She’ll have gone back to where she last had her oats.’
‘He’s right, Isabella,’ Zander said. ‘You’ll need to ride with me,’ and before she could reply his hands clasped her waist and lifted her onto his horse. He vaulted up behind her, holding her safely with one arm while he guided his horse with the other. Walter grinned and raised an eyebrow but Isabella did not see Zander’s warning scowl at his friend’s silent teasing.
Isabella felt safe and warm cradled against Zander’s broad chest but she was anxious about her little mare.
‘Beauty is the only link with home I have now,’ she said in a low voice, ‘I do hope we find her.’
‘This is your home now, Isabella, and we are your friends,’ Zander replied softly. ‘We shall find Beauty, I promise.’
They were almost within sight of the courtyard when Isabella called joyously,
‘There she is! There’s Beauty grazing happily. Beauty-eee,’ she called. The mare pricked up her ears at the familiar voice and came cantering towards them. Walter leapt from his horse and held up his arms to Isabella.
‘I think it best if she rides the rest of the way home on her own horse,’ he said. ‘After the brandy your uncle swallowed last night he might explode if anything displeases him.’ Zander knew what he meant but he was too happy to care after spending the morning in Isabella’s company.
They were surprised when William
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