Read Online Scarlet Moon (Once Upon a Time) by Debbie Viguié - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Debbie Viguié
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find my clothes and go home.
After a couple of minutes he got his bearings and trudged off through the woods. His bare feet padded on the ground, the soles calloused from many mornings such as this one. After nearly half an hour he reached his destination. He always left his clothes in the same place so that he could easily find them.
Usually he awoke somewhere near them, though that hadn’t happened this time.
Why can’t I remember anything?
What did I do?
Questions crowded his mind, and he couldn’t cease their clamoring. The moaning of the trees echoed his state.
He spotted his small pile of clothes at the same time he heard whistling. He ducked behind a thick tree just in time to avoid being seen by an older woman.
Ruth’s grandmother
, he realized as he watched her.
It couldn’t be anyone else.
The old woman was walking along slowly, a basket on one arm and her eyes fixed on the ground. She suddenly bent over and pulled a plant from the base of a tree. Laying it gently in her basket she straightened and moved on. She was moving ever closer to his clothes, and if she looked up she would discover them.
He bent, picked up a stone, and threw it into the woods in the direction away from his clothes. It landed with a loud thud that startled all the birds into silence.
The old woman didn’t turn around; she didn’t even flinch. After a moment, though, she said, “If you want your clothes, you’re just going to have to come get them.”
He could feel the blood racing in him, and he was afraid. How did this woman know that he was here, watching her? He thought about his options. Clearlyshe couldn’t be fooled or diverted. He could leave and come back later.
But what if she takes my clothes with her? Maybe I can make it back to the castle without being seen.
He rolled his eyes.
That’s smart—even if I can make it all the way to the castlet there will be eyebrows raised when I walk into the great hall naked.
He sighed; there was no help for it. “If milady would avert her eyes it would be greatly appreciated.”
She raised her head, and he could swear he saw a smile dancing on her lips, “Why? If you feel as free as one of Gods forest creatures, then why should you be ashamed to be seen?”
“It was not my intention to be without my clothes.”
“Don’t fib, young man. There is no water nearby that you might have been swimming in, and your clothes are laid out too neatly for them to have gotten that way by accident,”
“Still, I do not wish to be seen,”
“You should have thought of that before you decided to take your little romp in the woods,”
He shook his head, “You’re just as difficult as your granddaughter,”
The old woman’s smile faded suddenly, “You know my granddaughter?”
“If her name is Ruth, then I know her,”
“It is,” she said, her voice now cautious. “You wouldn’t happen to be the young man she saw naked on the path a month past, would you?”
“I’m afraid so, though I hope she doesn’t realize that.”
The old woman took on a threatening stance. “You will leave her alone, young man.”
William couldn’t believe this was happening. He, the earl of Lauton, was naked in the forest being lectured by a peasant woman to leave a lady blacksmith alone.
How much stranger does it get than this?
he wondered. He looked down at the torn sleeve in his hand and wished he hadn’t.
A lot stranger, if only Ruth knew.
“I’m afraid I can’t leave her alone, I’m growing quite fond of her.” He deepened his tone, something he did rarely. “Now, good woman, you will turn around so that I may get my clothes.”
The old woman cocked her head. “Earl of Lauton?” she asked hesitantly.
“Yes.”
She turned in an instant. “Beg your pardon, milord.”
“All is forgiven so long as you keep your back turned,” he said, striding out from behind the tree. He reached his clothes and dressed quickly while she stood silent with her back to him. When he was
After a couple of minutes he got his bearings and trudged off through the woods. His bare feet padded on the ground, the soles calloused from many mornings such as this one. After nearly half an hour he reached his destination. He always left his clothes in the same place so that he could easily find them.
Usually he awoke somewhere near them, though that hadn’t happened this time.
Why can’t I remember anything?
What did I do?
Questions crowded his mind, and he couldn’t cease their clamoring. The moaning of the trees echoed his state.
He spotted his small pile of clothes at the same time he heard whistling. He ducked behind a thick tree just in time to avoid being seen by an older woman.
Ruth’s grandmother
, he realized as he watched her.
It couldn’t be anyone else.
The old woman was walking along slowly, a basket on one arm and her eyes fixed on the ground. She suddenly bent over and pulled a plant from the base of a tree. Laying it gently in her basket she straightened and moved on. She was moving ever closer to his clothes, and if she looked up she would discover them.
He bent, picked up a stone, and threw it into the woods in the direction away from his clothes. It landed with a loud thud that startled all the birds into silence.
The old woman didn’t turn around; she didn’t even flinch. After a moment, though, she said, “If you want your clothes, you’re just going to have to come get them.”
He could feel the blood racing in him, and he was afraid. How did this woman know that he was here, watching her? He thought about his options. Clearlyshe couldn’t be fooled or diverted. He could leave and come back later.
But what if she takes my clothes with her? Maybe I can make it back to the castle without being seen.
He rolled his eyes.
That’s smart—even if I can make it all the way to the castlet there will be eyebrows raised when I walk into the great hall naked.
He sighed; there was no help for it. “If milady would avert her eyes it would be greatly appreciated.”
She raised her head, and he could swear he saw a smile dancing on her lips, “Why? If you feel as free as one of Gods forest creatures, then why should you be ashamed to be seen?”
“It was not my intention to be without my clothes.”
“Don’t fib, young man. There is no water nearby that you might have been swimming in, and your clothes are laid out too neatly for them to have gotten that way by accident,”
“Still, I do not wish to be seen,”
“You should have thought of that before you decided to take your little romp in the woods,”
He shook his head, “You’re just as difficult as your granddaughter,”
The old woman’s smile faded suddenly, “You know my granddaughter?”
“If her name is Ruth, then I know her,”
“It is,” she said, her voice now cautious. “You wouldn’t happen to be the young man she saw naked on the path a month past, would you?”
“I’m afraid so, though I hope she doesn’t realize that.”
The old woman took on a threatening stance. “You will leave her alone, young man.”
William couldn’t believe this was happening. He, the earl of Lauton, was naked in the forest being lectured by a peasant woman to leave a lady blacksmith alone.
How much stranger does it get than this?
he wondered. He looked down at the torn sleeve in his hand and wished he hadn’t.
A lot stranger, if only Ruth knew.
“I’m afraid I can’t leave her alone, I’m growing quite fond of her.” He deepened his tone, something he did rarely. “Now, good woman, you will turn around so that I may get my clothes.”
The old woman cocked her head. “Earl of Lauton?” she asked hesitantly.
“Yes.”
She turned in an instant. “Beg your pardon, milord.”
“All is forgiven so long as you keep your back turned,” he said, striding out from behind the tree. He reached his clothes and dressed quickly while she stood silent with her back to him. When he was
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