Read Online Susan Spencer Paul by The Heiress Bride - Free Book Online
Authors: The Heiress Bride
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We’ll stay here.”
He was silent again, gazing hauntedly ahead.
Rosaleen cleared her throat. “Will we be spending the night in the middle of the road, then? Or shall we go down?”
Hugh turned to look at her, and the fire in his eyes nearly burned her to a cinder. His hands were clenched so tightly around the reins of his steed that his knuckles showed white.
“We will go, my lady, but I want you to know that the only reason I even came within a day’s ride of this place is because of you.”
He spurred his horse forward and galloped toward the monastery, leaving a stunned Rosaleen to follow. Above them, Amazon, having been loosed to feed herself an hour earlier, circled and gave her fierce cry.
Hugh rode like a demon through the monastery’s gates, causing the monks working in the surrounding fields to look at him wonderingly. Rosaleen followed more sedately, smiling and nodding politely at the bewildered men,hoping that they wouldn’t turn them away because of Hugh Caldwell’s rude behavior. When she made the gates herself she saw that he had gone straight through the courtyard and into the stables. She rode in after him and was grabbed and yanked out of her saddle before her eyes could adjust to the building’s darkness.
Hugh set her firmly on her feet.
“Go and wait for me in the gardens. I’ll take care of the horses and meet you there.”
Well! thought Rosaleen. He treated her as though she were naught but baggage!
“I’ll not be ordered about like a servant, Hugh Caldwell! And I’ll not be tossed about like a sack of grain!”
Ignoring her, he took hold of the little mare and led her toward a stall. “Go wait in the gardens for me,” he repeated. “They’re just across the courtyard and through the half gate. You’ll find them easily enough.”
Rosaleen stood her ground, glaring at him. Hugh turned, saw her there and raised his eyebrows.
“Have you gone deaf, Rosaleen? I told you to go and wait for me in the gardens.”
“I heard you!”
“Then get out of my sight, woman, and do as I say. Go on, now.” He turned his attention back to the horses.
Rosaleen huffed loudly, then stormed out of the stables with as much dignity as she possessed. Ignoring the stares of the monks in the courtyard, she strode across it to the half gate, flung it open and slammed it behind her after she walked into the gardens.
“If he thinks that I came to the gardens because he bade me do so,” she announced aloud, “then he’s an even greater idiot than I first supposed!”
Making her way down one of several paths to a bench, she angrily plopped down upon it.
“I don’t care if he is the handsomest man I’ve ever seen,” she muttered. “He’s rude and ill-mannered, and he probably thinks he’s one of God’s blessings to women!”
A cool breeze brushed her face, but Rosaleen’s fury wasn’t tempered by it.
“He’ll be sorry when he discovers who I am.” An angry, feline smile lit her face. “And I only hope I’m there to see it! By my troth, I’ll make him grovel if it’s the last thing I do. When he realizes who it is he’s insulted, he’ll be on his knees, begging my forgiveness!”
So caught up was she in her vengeful fantasies that she didn’t hear the garden gate open again, or the sound of the careful footsteps that approached her.
“Wretched beast! Brother of a pig farmer! Thinking he can treat me, the daughter of an earl, without the least bit of common decency, as though I were naught but the lowliest whore! But he’ll come to rue his behavior, I vow. He’ll…”
“Careful, daughter, lest you say words you’ll one day regret.”
Hugh! Rosaleen thought, paralyzing with mortification. He had finished with the horses more quickly than she had imagined he would. Embarrassed beyond words to have been discovered talking to herself, Rosaleen flushed and slowly raised her eyes to look at him.
What she saw stole the breath from her.
“Hugh Caldwell!” she
He was silent again, gazing hauntedly ahead.
Rosaleen cleared her throat. “Will we be spending the night in the middle of the road, then? Or shall we go down?”
Hugh turned to look at her, and the fire in his eyes nearly burned her to a cinder. His hands were clenched so tightly around the reins of his steed that his knuckles showed white.
“We will go, my lady, but I want you to know that the only reason I even came within a day’s ride of this place is because of you.”
He spurred his horse forward and galloped toward the monastery, leaving a stunned Rosaleen to follow. Above them, Amazon, having been loosed to feed herself an hour earlier, circled and gave her fierce cry.
Hugh rode like a demon through the monastery’s gates, causing the monks working in the surrounding fields to look at him wonderingly. Rosaleen followed more sedately, smiling and nodding politely at the bewildered men,hoping that they wouldn’t turn them away because of Hugh Caldwell’s rude behavior. When she made the gates herself she saw that he had gone straight through the courtyard and into the stables. She rode in after him and was grabbed and yanked out of her saddle before her eyes could adjust to the building’s darkness.
Hugh set her firmly on her feet.
“Go and wait for me in the gardens. I’ll take care of the horses and meet you there.”
Well! thought Rosaleen. He treated her as though she were naught but baggage!
“I’ll not be ordered about like a servant, Hugh Caldwell! And I’ll not be tossed about like a sack of grain!”
Ignoring her, he took hold of the little mare and led her toward a stall. “Go wait in the gardens for me,” he repeated. “They’re just across the courtyard and through the half gate. You’ll find them easily enough.”
Rosaleen stood her ground, glaring at him. Hugh turned, saw her there and raised his eyebrows.
“Have you gone deaf, Rosaleen? I told you to go and wait for me in the gardens.”
“I heard you!”
“Then get out of my sight, woman, and do as I say. Go on, now.” He turned his attention back to the horses.
Rosaleen huffed loudly, then stormed out of the stables with as much dignity as she possessed. Ignoring the stares of the monks in the courtyard, she strode across it to the half gate, flung it open and slammed it behind her after she walked into the gardens.
“If he thinks that I came to the gardens because he bade me do so,” she announced aloud, “then he’s an even greater idiot than I first supposed!”
Making her way down one of several paths to a bench, she angrily plopped down upon it.
“I don’t care if he is the handsomest man I’ve ever seen,” she muttered. “He’s rude and ill-mannered, and he probably thinks he’s one of God’s blessings to women!”
A cool breeze brushed her face, but Rosaleen’s fury wasn’t tempered by it.
“He’ll be sorry when he discovers who I am.” An angry, feline smile lit her face. “And I only hope I’m there to see it! By my troth, I’ll make him grovel if it’s the last thing I do. When he realizes who it is he’s insulted, he’ll be on his knees, begging my forgiveness!”
So caught up was she in her vengeful fantasies that she didn’t hear the garden gate open again, or the sound of the careful footsteps that approached her.
“Wretched beast! Brother of a pig farmer! Thinking he can treat me, the daughter of an earl, without the least bit of common decency, as though I were naught but the lowliest whore! But he’ll come to rue his behavior, I vow. He’ll…”
“Careful, daughter, lest you say words you’ll one day regret.”
Hugh! Rosaleen thought, paralyzing with mortification. He had finished with the horses more quickly than she had imagined he would. Embarrassed beyond words to have been discovered talking to herself, Rosaleen flushed and slowly raised her eyes to look at him.
What she saw stole the breath from her.
“Hugh Caldwell!” she
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