Read Online Silversword (de Lohr Dynasty Book 7) by Kathryn Le Veque - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kathryn Le Veque
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and his men came to Newington last night and said that I was to come with them, otherwise, Henry’s men would take me and I might find myself in the vault.”
Liselotte was shocked. Shock gave way to outrage. “Henry would hold you hostage ?” she repeated, aghast. “I know that the House of de Shera supported Simon de Montfort but to take a young woman hostage to enforce their loyalty to Henry is disgraceful. What a horrible man!”
Not strangely, Alessandria felt better hearing the woman’s outrage. It made her feel comforted, as if she had a defender in the tall and elegant Lady de Lohr. Though the nuns at Newington had always been kind to her, they had never shown quite as much concern as Lady de Lohr was showing. That kind of attention was all quite new to her.
As Alessandria stood there, uncertain about stripping off her clothes, Liselotte began to help her, unfastening ties and encouraging her to pull off the damp, smelly clothing. Knowing she had no choice, Alessandria began to pull off her clothing, which didn’t amount to more than a rough woolen overdress, a damp shift beneath, and shoes that had been passed down to her from another ward at Newington. There was a hole in the left toe. But she dutifully pulled off the outerdress, laying it carefully before the hearth as Liselotte held up the coverlet to shield her from the room. The shift quickly came off then, as did the shoes, and as soon as she was completely nude, Liselotte wrapped her up in the warm, dry coverlet.
“There,” Liselotte said with some satisfaction. “Sit by the fire and you will warm up quickly now.”
Alessandria was in heaven wrapped in the heavy coverlet. She didn’t even care that she was nude beneath it, her modesty shot to pieces by the comfort of the thick blanket. Nay, she didn’t care in the least. The dry coverlet won out over any foolish protests of stripping off her clothing and she sank to the floor where the fire was warming up the stones of the hearth, wrapping the coverlet tightly around her and getting as close to the fire as she could without setting herself ablaze.
Heat blasted Alessandria in the face as she huddled close to the fire while Liselotte picked up her damp clothing and held it up, inspecting it. It was durable and well-made, but hardly the dress of a noble young lady. Liselotte eyed the clothing and the young lady seated by the hearth. All of this was quite curious to her because it was most definitely clothing worn by the clergy. The fabric was horrifically coarse and the shift underneath wasn’t much better. Liselotte cringed when she thought about such things close to a delicate lady’s tender skin.
“Are you a nun, Alessandria?” she finally asked.
Alessandria shook her head. “A ward, my lady,” she replied. “I have been considering taking my vows, however.”
“Why?”
Alessandria had to grin; Lady de Lohr was very curious about things and not afraid to ask questions. She rather liked that kind of direct honesty. “Because I consider Newington my home,” she said. “Truthfully, it is the only home I have ever known. My mother died when I was young and my father immediately sent me away to foster.”
Liselotte was looking at her with some sympathy. “How old were you when your mother died?”
“I had seen five summers, my lady.”
Liselotte shook her head, clucking with sympathy. “So young,” she said. “I am sorry to hear that. I have five children and it was difficult to send each one of them away to foster. With my youngest, I could not bear it, so she simply went to Rochester, which is not far away and the stewards of Rochester are related to the House of de Lohr. They are family. I went to visit my youngest every week until my husband put an end to it.”
Alessandria wondered what it would be like to have a mother that was so attentive. “How long did your youngest stay away?”
Liselotte turned away, busying herself with Alessandria’s damp clothing. “When my
Liselotte was shocked. Shock gave way to outrage. “Henry would hold you hostage ?” she repeated, aghast. “I know that the House of de Shera supported Simon de Montfort but to take a young woman hostage to enforce their loyalty to Henry is disgraceful. What a horrible man!”
Not strangely, Alessandria felt better hearing the woman’s outrage. It made her feel comforted, as if she had a defender in the tall and elegant Lady de Lohr. Though the nuns at Newington had always been kind to her, they had never shown quite as much concern as Lady de Lohr was showing. That kind of attention was all quite new to her.
As Alessandria stood there, uncertain about stripping off her clothes, Liselotte began to help her, unfastening ties and encouraging her to pull off the damp, smelly clothing. Knowing she had no choice, Alessandria began to pull off her clothing, which didn’t amount to more than a rough woolen overdress, a damp shift beneath, and shoes that had been passed down to her from another ward at Newington. There was a hole in the left toe. But she dutifully pulled off the outerdress, laying it carefully before the hearth as Liselotte held up the coverlet to shield her from the room. The shift quickly came off then, as did the shoes, and as soon as she was completely nude, Liselotte wrapped her up in the warm, dry coverlet.
“There,” Liselotte said with some satisfaction. “Sit by the fire and you will warm up quickly now.”
Alessandria was in heaven wrapped in the heavy coverlet. She didn’t even care that she was nude beneath it, her modesty shot to pieces by the comfort of the thick blanket. Nay, she didn’t care in the least. The dry coverlet won out over any foolish protests of stripping off her clothing and she sank to the floor where the fire was warming up the stones of the hearth, wrapping the coverlet tightly around her and getting as close to the fire as she could without setting herself ablaze.
Heat blasted Alessandria in the face as she huddled close to the fire while Liselotte picked up her damp clothing and held it up, inspecting it. It was durable and well-made, but hardly the dress of a noble young lady. Liselotte eyed the clothing and the young lady seated by the hearth. All of this was quite curious to her because it was most definitely clothing worn by the clergy. The fabric was horrifically coarse and the shift underneath wasn’t much better. Liselotte cringed when she thought about such things close to a delicate lady’s tender skin.
“Are you a nun, Alessandria?” she finally asked.
Alessandria shook her head. “A ward, my lady,” she replied. “I have been considering taking my vows, however.”
“Why?”
Alessandria had to grin; Lady de Lohr was very curious about things and not afraid to ask questions. She rather liked that kind of direct honesty. “Because I consider Newington my home,” she said. “Truthfully, it is the only home I have ever known. My mother died when I was young and my father immediately sent me away to foster.”
Liselotte was looking at her with some sympathy. “How old were you when your mother died?”
“I had seen five summers, my lady.”
Liselotte shook her head, clucking with sympathy. “So young,” she said. “I am sorry to hear that. I have five children and it was difficult to send each one of them away to foster. With my youngest, I could not bear it, so she simply went to Rochester, which is not far away and the stewards of Rochester are related to the House of de Lohr. They are family. I went to visit my youngest every week until my husband put an end to it.”
Alessandria wondered what it would be like to have a mother that was so attentive. “How long did your youngest stay away?”
Liselotte turned away, busying herself with Alessandria’s damp clothing. “When my
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