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Authors: Sara Bennett - My Lady Imposter
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again.”
“No,” she said breathlessly, and turned her face away. “I never want to see them again. Never.” She had made her bed—or it had been made for her—and she must lie in it. She was not one of them now, they did not know her and would not welcome her. It was better to break away completely.
“You would have left them anyway,” he said harshly. “If Lord Ralf had not chosen you for this... plan. You would have left them anyway.”
“How so?” she whispered bitterly. “I had no such opportunity.”
His hand came up, his fingers tracing the neckline of her gown, and her color rose up under his touch. “Indeed, I speak the truth,” he said softly. “You are not the sort to be chained down, girl. Even with your dirt, I could see that.”
She drew away from him, her heart thudding. “You insulted me!”
His laughter came out of the glare of the sun. No matter how she squinted her eyes, she could see no more than his dark silhouette against its brightness. “I meant to warn you, no more.”
“Against Lord Ralf?” she whispered, drawn further and further into the maze of his words.
“And myself.”
“Yourself?”
“I would you had remained a simple peasant, Kathryn. It would have been so much the better for you. There would have been no danger, no intrigues. You would have thought it a great honor I did you, and come without the warring emotions and thoughts Wenna has fed into you. Now it is too late. You have lost your simplicity.”
“I have lost nothing. No thanks to your efforts!”
His hand snaked out and caught her shoulder. Before she knew it, his mouth was on hers, hard and demanding. She fell back under, his kiss, unable to fight him, her head spinning. “I did not try so hard as I might have,” he whispered, harsh with mockery. “I had a mind to, before Ralf brought you here. I meant in truth to have you, and to teach you my own lessons. But not now, Kathryn. You are altered. I do not want you.” He turned and strode away. She rose, legs shaking and cried out: “You arrogant fool! I hate you. I would have spat in your face!”
But her words sounded mournful in the wind, and fresh tears blurred her eyes. Oh, why did she too wish that things were still so simple!
They set out early, as the crisp air was warming, and the woods and the road shone with a chill sheen. Kathryn had never ridden so far in her life, and found it uncomfortable and painful. Her mount was quiet enough, but seemed always to be going up when she was coming down or vice versa. She clung on with tense fingers, afraid any moment of falling off into the dust.
Lord Ralf rode ahead with the men-at-arms and the knights, while at the other end of the train were the baggage carts rumbling and rattling with their load of baggage, food and servants.
Kathryn smoothed her mantle over her thigh, feeling the soft cloth with pleasure. Beneath it, her gown was again of soft green, while a thick cloak covered her from head to foot. Lord Ralf’s glance at her, when she had been brought down into the castle yard, was encouraging. He seemed pleased with her downcast eyes and gentle manners, pleased with her subdued smile. Wenna must come too, of course.
“As your attendant, my Lady Kathryn,” Ralf said, and watched her color fade, while Wenna’s flushed up into a bright pink. But whatever might have been said was lost in the impatient jostling of the horses. They must be on their way.
It was a beautiful, clear morning after all, Kathryn decided, lifting her face to the sunshine. And they were off into the unknown, already miles further from Pristine than she had ever been or thought to go. And never had she imagined she would be upon a dappled mare, like a lady, with such finery, and so many strong, hard-looking men to protect her dainty person. It thrilled her, and frightened her, all at the same time.
She stared defiantly at the sun. If she was to play at being a noblewoman, then she would play it well!
“No,” she said breathlessly, and turned her face away. “I never want to see them again. Never.” She had made her bed—or it had been made for her—and she must lie in it. She was not one of them now, they did not know her and would not welcome her. It was better to break away completely.
“You would have left them anyway,” he said harshly. “If Lord Ralf had not chosen you for this... plan. You would have left them anyway.”
“How so?” she whispered bitterly. “I had no such opportunity.”
His hand came up, his fingers tracing the neckline of her gown, and her color rose up under his touch. “Indeed, I speak the truth,” he said softly. “You are not the sort to be chained down, girl. Even with your dirt, I could see that.”
She drew away from him, her heart thudding. “You insulted me!”
His laughter came out of the glare of the sun. No matter how she squinted her eyes, she could see no more than his dark silhouette against its brightness. “I meant to warn you, no more.”
“Against Lord Ralf?” she whispered, drawn further and further into the maze of his words.
“And myself.”
“Yourself?”
“I would you had remained a simple peasant, Kathryn. It would have been so much the better for you. There would have been no danger, no intrigues. You would have thought it a great honor I did you, and come without the warring emotions and thoughts Wenna has fed into you. Now it is too late. You have lost your simplicity.”
“I have lost nothing. No thanks to your efforts!”
His hand snaked out and caught her shoulder. Before she knew it, his mouth was on hers, hard and demanding. She fell back under, his kiss, unable to fight him, her head spinning. “I did not try so hard as I might have,” he whispered, harsh with mockery. “I had a mind to, before Ralf brought you here. I meant in truth to have you, and to teach you my own lessons. But not now, Kathryn. You are altered. I do not want you.” He turned and strode away. She rose, legs shaking and cried out: “You arrogant fool! I hate you. I would have spat in your face!”
But her words sounded mournful in the wind, and fresh tears blurred her eyes. Oh, why did she too wish that things were still so simple!
They set out early, as the crisp air was warming, and the woods and the road shone with a chill sheen. Kathryn had never ridden so far in her life, and found it uncomfortable and painful. Her mount was quiet enough, but seemed always to be going up when she was coming down or vice versa. She clung on with tense fingers, afraid any moment of falling off into the dust.
Lord Ralf rode ahead with the men-at-arms and the knights, while at the other end of the train were the baggage carts rumbling and rattling with their load of baggage, food and servants.
Kathryn smoothed her mantle over her thigh, feeling the soft cloth with pleasure. Beneath it, her gown was again of soft green, while a thick cloak covered her from head to foot. Lord Ralf’s glance at her, when she had been brought down into the castle yard, was encouraging. He seemed pleased with her downcast eyes and gentle manners, pleased with her subdued smile. Wenna must come too, of course.
“As your attendant, my Lady Kathryn,” Ralf said, and watched her color fade, while Wenna’s flushed up into a bright pink. But whatever might have been said was lost in the impatient jostling of the horses. They must be on their way.
It was a beautiful, clear morning after all, Kathryn decided, lifting her face to the sunshine. And they were off into the unknown, already miles further from Pristine than she had ever been or thought to go. And never had she imagined she would be upon a dappled mare, like a lady, with such finery, and so many strong, hard-looking men to protect her dainty person. It thrilled her, and frightened her, all at the same time.
She stared defiantly at the sun. If she was to play at being a noblewoman, then she would play it well!
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