Read Online The Fallen One by Kathryn Le Veque - Free Book Online Page A

home.   I am
perfectly fine and everything is well. Put the sword away. ”
    Beauson eyed the young lady; he was more
confused now than he was when he rode up. “What errand?” he asked, genuinely
perplexed. The sword lowered. “What do you mean?”
    Cathlina sighed impatiently. “I mean that
this man saved Abechail and me yesterday from certain harm,” she said,
gesturing at Mathias. “I went on an errand this morning to thank him.   He is quite trustworthy, I assure you.”
    Beauson wasn’t convinced. “Why did you not
tell me or Dunstan so that we could escort you into town?”
    She didn’t want to tell them the truth; it
was that she hadn’t wanted anyone to stop her from going.    She backed off somewhat, frowning.
    “If I had wanted anyone to escort me, I
would have asked,” she said. “Now, go over there somewhere.   I will gather my horse and join you in a
moment.”
    Beauson eyed her a moment before eyeing
Mathias.   “I cannot leave you, my lady,”
he replied. “I have orders from your father to bring you home.”
    “You are not leaving me alone,” Cathlina
said testily, slithering off of Mathias’ horse as he held her arm to gently
ease her to the ground. “I have asked you to move away so that I may thank my
escort and gather my horse. I do not wish to do this with you hovering over me
like a hung dog. Go, Beauson. That is
a command.”
    Beauson sighed heavily, looking to Dunstan,
who was the bigger yet less bright of the pair.   Dunstan shrugged and was already moving away, snapping to the men at
arms as he went.   They were all shuffling
back down the road in a group except for Beauson; he remained. He seemed to be very
interested in Mathias.
    “Who are you?” he asked.
    Mathias opened his mouth but Cathlina cut
him off. “I told you to move away,” she said, pointing an imperious finger to
the group already down the road. “You will not ask his name. It is none of your
business and if you do not move away, I will tell my father you were most
disobedient and… and very naughty. Do
you understand me?”
    Beauson cleared his throat loudly, an
unhappy gesture, and reined his horse sharply back, going to gather with the
group that was now lingering about thirty or forty feet down the road.   As the wind whipped and the rain began to pick
up, Cathlina gathered the reins of her palfrey and made sure Beauson was out of
earshot before facing Mathias.
    He was still mounted on his horse, looking
down at her with an expression between utter pleasure and utter longing.   Cathlina could read emotions on his features
and her heart began to beat strongly in her chest. She was feeling so many
things that it was difficult to voice them but she was coming to realize that
she was more than likely not the only one sad at their parting.   Though Mathias had always been very polite
and very kind, he’d never given her any indication that he might be
romantically interested in her. Until now; she could see it on his face.
    “Thank you for everything you have done,”
she said softly, sincerely. “You saved my sister and I yesterday and I will
always be grateful.”
    He smiled faintly, feeling a tremendous
pull.   Those big brown eyes were sucking
him in, swirling him in the maelstrom of her beauty until he was dizzy with
it.   He truly couldn’t stomach the
thought of never seeing her again but he knew to carry on any relationship with
her would have been extraordinarily unwise. She was a de Lara. Still, it was
hard to resist a pull he’d never felt before and a lady he very much wanted to
know.    Torn, confused, his
disappointment was palpable.
    “You are more than welcome,” he said
quietly. “If you should ever need saving again, please do not hesitate to send
word to me.”
    Her grin broadened. “Are you my savior,
then? Do you plan to make a career out of it?”
    He laughed, leaning forward on his saddle
so he could be closer to her, however small the gesture. “I would do it