Read Online The Baron's Quest by Elizabeth Rose - Free Book Online Page B

within his chest as he wanted the person she kissed to be him. What the hell was the matter with him to be feeling this way?
    “We were so worried about you when you disappeared yesterday, and wondered what became of you,” said the girl.
    “Cecily, what are you doing here?” Muriel asked her friend. “Don’t you know how dangerous it is for a woman to be on the docks?”
    “Hah!” Nicholas laughed aloud, thinking it amusing that she should be the one giving that advice. Well, he had all their attention now.
    “Muriel, are you . . . with them?” asked Cecily in a soft voice. Her brother glared at him and Nicholas suddenly felt very unwanted.
    “Cecily, this is Baron Romney,” she said in introduction.
    “You can all call me Lord Nicholas,” he replied, hoping to smooth over the thick air between them.
    “My lord,” said Cecily, bowing her head and curtseying. Muriel’s brother bowed to him as well.
    “Sir Stanwick,” Nicholas said to his steward. “Please give word to the Coast Waiter to supervise the unloading of my cargo, and have it shipped to the manner house anon.”
    “Aye, my lord,” said the steward and hurried away toward the ship.
    “Roger, why are you still standing here?” he asked his squire. “Find the stableboy and return quickly with my horse. Or did you expect me to walk back to the manor?”
    “Sorry, my lord,” said his squire, glancing back over his shoulder at the little entourage as he hurried away to do as ordered.
    “Muriel, where were you?” asked Isaac.
    “I was trapped on the baron’s ship and ended up in Hastings,” she explained.
    “Trapped?” asked Nicholas. “How about telling them the truth? In an attempt to avoid me, you wandered onto my ship and ended up as a stowaway.”
    “You did?” Cecily’s eyes grew wide with amazement.
    “It’s not important,” said Muriel with a dismissive wave of her hand as if she really believed it to be a trivial issue. This girl had no fear of her superiors and while that infuriated him, it intrigued him at the same time. “What is important is if your stepfather hired Isaac as his journeyman or not. Did he?” she asked with hope in her voice.
    By the way the other two looked at each other, Nicholas knew that he hadn’t.
    “Isaac?” asked Muriel.
    Isaac just looked downward and shook his head.
    “I’m sorry, Muriel,” said Cecily. “My stepfather wanted to, really he did. But the guild wouldn’t let him. They are still very angry over what happened with your father.”
    “My father is dead! Can’t they just let things go? They already took most our belongings. Didn’t that make them happy? By the rood, why don’t they understand we had nothing to do with our father’s actions and decisions?”
    Neither of them answered. They just looked at the ground, and Nicholas knew it was because he was standing there and they felt insecure talking about it.
    “Well, at least we still have the land and will have income from the shepherds who use it.” Muriel was obviously trying to stay positive for her younger brother’s sake.
    “Muriel,” said her brother in a small voice. “The shepherds have taken their sheep to other fields to graze, and are gone as well.”
    “What? Why?” Her eyes darted over to the marshland off in the distance, that was clearly visible from the docks. Nicholas glanced over there as well to see that what the boy said was true.
    “The guild convinced them to go to other fields, and even gave them a better deal than they were getting from you,” added Cecily.
    “Nay!” Her voice quavered and Nicholas almost wondered if she were going to cry. Damn, he hoped not. That was his weakness. He couldn’t deny a crying woman, no matter how hard he tried. “We will have no income at all now,” she retorted.
    Nicholas cleared his throat, subtly reminding them that he was still standing there. “Isaac,” he said. “You and your sister are welcome to live at my manor house, and work for me