Read Online The Dark Lady by Dawn Chandler - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Dawn Chandler
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as Van felt herself come to a stop at the junction of the girl’s thighs. Van pushed away the guilt at the horror in her gaze.
“ I can always stay here, between your soft white thighs.” Van’s voice took on a seductive whisper. She arched one eyebrow and gave her a grin that said she was through playing.
The girl calmed and Van was impressed by the effort she had put forth to do so. Van removed her hand from the trembling lips and waited.
“ I’m calm, just get off.”
Van pushed herself halfway off and stopped. Still between her trembling legs, Van ran a hand along her thigh to check the scratches left by the rough mail. The girl tensed beneath her touch. “Nothing is bleeding. I don’t think it will turn infectious, but my armor did scratch you. Dr. Burgess will take a look at it later.”
Van pulled down the girl’s brown woolen dress as she rose. She lowered herself to the pallet, but remained alert in case the girl decided to run. “What is your name?”
“ Amy Devant.” The girl’s voice was just above a squeak—a terrified squeak.
“ Devant? Are you a relation of Dorothy Devant?” Dorothy had worked as her mother’s day maid ever since she was ten and had gone to live at the castle to train. She had seen Dorothy occasionally over the last three years when she had come home to visit.
Pain shadowed the girl’s face and a tear streaked down her cheek. “She was my mother.”
Van reached for her thin, trembling hand. “Was? What happened?”
“ She passed away last month, from a lung infection.” Amy stared at Van with the same shocked look that she always witnessed when someone first saw her.
Van knew the only blemish on her face was the long scar that ran along her right cheek. She also knew that everyone thought the same thing, but no one except the stupid would actually say it. They thought that it was a pretty face, too pretty for a Knight with the wicked reputation she had.
Of course, that prettiness was the main reason she had turned out the way she had. Her too feminine face had always been seen as sign of weakness and an easy target for the boys she had grown up with. It was a difference that had forced her to fight to prove herself and to build a reputation.
Van raised her brow questioningly “I did not know that Dorothy had a daughter.”
“ My mother wanted it that way. She had me hide when you would visit.” Her voice was smoother now, not as scared.
Van let out a short bark of laughter that caused Amy to cringe in fear. “I am sure your mother was only looking out for you when she kept you hidden from me. Did my mother tell you about me?”
“ She said that, no matter your reputation, you were a person of honor. That I was to trust you—I am sorry about the pitch fork, I was frightened. My mother always warned me against you. She said you were...a monster.” Amy looked apologetic as she spoke. All the fear had gone from her eyes. A great sadness had replaced it.
“ Do you have family, someone to take care of you?” Van twisted her neck first one way then the other, emitting loud pops and cracks as she did so. Her eyes were heavy and stung painfully with unshed tears and lack of sleep.
Amy only shook her head.
Van’s shredded nerves were on the verge of snapping under the strain of what her life had become. She had been concerned for quite some time of how she would continue her ruse as a man, but now that she no longer needed to portray the knight, her concerns were compounded.
Eolian was a bigger threat to her as a woman than he had ever been to her as a man. To add to her troubles, she still felt responsible for her men and worried how they would fare without her.
“ How old are you?” she asked the girl and grimaced at the weary tone in her own voice. She rubbed her temples momentarily as the pain bounced sharply behind her eyes.
Van did not know how to accomplish all that was necessary. A knight or not, she was still responsible for many women and
“ I can always stay here, between your soft white thighs.” Van’s voice took on a seductive whisper. She arched one eyebrow and gave her a grin that said she was through playing.
The girl calmed and Van was impressed by the effort she had put forth to do so. Van removed her hand from the trembling lips and waited.
“ I’m calm, just get off.”
Van pushed herself halfway off and stopped. Still between her trembling legs, Van ran a hand along her thigh to check the scratches left by the rough mail. The girl tensed beneath her touch. “Nothing is bleeding. I don’t think it will turn infectious, but my armor did scratch you. Dr. Burgess will take a look at it later.”
Van pulled down the girl’s brown woolen dress as she rose. She lowered herself to the pallet, but remained alert in case the girl decided to run. “What is your name?”
“ Amy Devant.” The girl’s voice was just above a squeak—a terrified squeak.
“ Devant? Are you a relation of Dorothy Devant?” Dorothy had worked as her mother’s day maid ever since she was ten and had gone to live at the castle to train. She had seen Dorothy occasionally over the last three years when she had come home to visit.
Pain shadowed the girl’s face and a tear streaked down her cheek. “She was my mother.”
Van reached for her thin, trembling hand. “Was? What happened?”
“ She passed away last month, from a lung infection.” Amy stared at Van with the same shocked look that she always witnessed when someone first saw her.
Van knew the only blemish on her face was the long scar that ran along her right cheek. She also knew that everyone thought the same thing, but no one except the stupid would actually say it. They thought that it was a pretty face, too pretty for a Knight with the wicked reputation she had.
Of course, that prettiness was the main reason she had turned out the way she had. Her too feminine face had always been seen as sign of weakness and an easy target for the boys she had grown up with. It was a difference that had forced her to fight to prove herself and to build a reputation.
Van raised her brow questioningly “I did not know that Dorothy had a daughter.”
“ My mother wanted it that way. She had me hide when you would visit.” Her voice was smoother now, not as scared.
Van let out a short bark of laughter that caused Amy to cringe in fear. “I am sure your mother was only looking out for you when she kept you hidden from me. Did my mother tell you about me?”
“ She said that, no matter your reputation, you were a person of honor. That I was to trust you—I am sorry about the pitch fork, I was frightened. My mother always warned me against you. She said you were...a monster.” Amy looked apologetic as she spoke. All the fear had gone from her eyes. A great sadness had replaced it.
“ Do you have family, someone to take care of you?” Van twisted her neck first one way then the other, emitting loud pops and cracks as she did so. Her eyes were heavy and stung painfully with unshed tears and lack of sleep.
Amy only shook her head.
Van’s shredded nerves were on the verge of snapping under the strain of what her life had become. She had been concerned for quite some time of how she would continue her ruse as a man, but now that she no longer needed to portray the knight, her concerns were compounded.
Eolian was a bigger threat to her as a woman than he had ever been to her as a man. To add to her troubles, she still felt responsible for her men and worried how they would fare without her.
“ How old are you?” she asked the girl and grimaced at the weary tone in her own voice. She rubbed her temples momentarily as the pain bounced sharply behind her eyes.
Van did not know how to accomplish all that was necessary. A knight or not, she was still responsible for many women and
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