Read Online The Hellion (The Lady Knights of Barony Book One ) by Elise Marion - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Elise Marion
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that revolves around ball gowns, frippery, and foolishness my lady .”
Ava felt the indignation that rose up within her swiftly at his words
She sat up straighter and squared her shoulders, her chin achieving a haughty angle that only seemed possible when Julian was needling her. “I wasn’t born into privilege, you know.”
Julian lifted his eyebrows and grinned sardonically. “Consider me intrigued,” he said with a flippant wave of his hand that indicated she should continue.
“My father was a blacksmith and before I was born my mother was a shopkeeper’s assistant. They tried for years to bear children before I was born, but could not. They buried three sons before I came along. My father was convinced that a woman needed to know how to defend herself as well as any man. He taught me how to fight.”
“Thus your skill with the dagger.”
“As well as the axe, sword and bow. You know, if you had allowed me to help you with the hunting this evening, we would have had dinner in half the time.”
“And risk an arrow in my back? Not likely my lady .”
“As I was saying,” she interjected quickly, not wanting to ruin the conversation with an argument. She rather liked Julian when he wasn’t being annoying. As he lay now with his chin propped on his hand, his muscles stretched into a relaxed pose, he was at his least threatening. “After my parents died I joined Barony’s ranks along with my cousin Nell. Before long I found myself their captain.”
“Impressive.”
His words held not a hint of sarcasm. Julian seemed genuinely interested in her tale. Pride swelled Ava’s chest and caused her lips to pull into a smile.
“When the war with Barony was at its peak, I was at the forefront. My regiment and I, along with Queen Isabelle, led the last charge against the rebel horde when they attacked Guthrie Hall. The king and the majority of our fighting forces were over half a day’s ride away. We held the castle with only a handful of my soldiers, the queen, and a group of farmers and noblemen who’d never seen battle in their lives.”
Ava couldn’t stop her smile from widening as she remembered that day proudly. She’d never been happier to stand for something than she had on that day. They’d saved Barony, and she had been a part of it.
“After that last battle,” she continued, “King Serge lifted the laws barring women from knighthood in Barony. Queen Isabelle, along with me and three of my soldiers were knighted before the entire kingdom and that is when I received my title. So you see, Lady Ava Longley did not exist until a few months ago. I had to work hard for my title and my estate and lands, unlike the rest of the nobility.”
She came out of the warm haze she’d created around herself during the retelling of her life’s story to find that Julian was no longer looking at her. He stared pensively into the fire, his expression filled with equal parts turmoil and pensiveness.
“Tell me about it,” he said softly, his lips barely moving as he continued to stare into the flames. “Your estate.”
Ava shrugged. “It’s a mansion with too many rooms and grounds as big as the compound I share with over one hundred other women. There are tenants, farmlands, and cattle. There’s also a garden. I believe the caretaker oversees most of its maintenance.”
He shifted on his pallet and his eyes finally reconnected with hers. “You mean you don’t know for sure?”
“I don’t live there. It was a kind gift but Heatherton Manor comes with a lot of responsibility and my priorities are the blacksmith’s shop my father left to me, Barony’s women’s regiment and the people of Gladstone as well as the surrounding villages. Besides, Heatherton Manor is too big for one person alone. Perhaps I will move there when I have a family of my own.”
Ava didn’t miss the scowl that pulled at his mouth and brow.
“You don’t know how fortunate you are,” he said, his voice tinged with a
Ava felt the indignation that rose up within her swiftly at his words
She sat up straighter and squared her shoulders, her chin achieving a haughty angle that only seemed possible when Julian was needling her. “I wasn’t born into privilege, you know.”
Julian lifted his eyebrows and grinned sardonically. “Consider me intrigued,” he said with a flippant wave of his hand that indicated she should continue.
“My father was a blacksmith and before I was born my mother was a shopkeeper’s assistant. They tried for years to bear children before I was born, but could not. They buried three sons before I came along. My father was convinced that a woman needed to know how to defend herself as well as any man. He taught me how to fight.”
“Thus your skill with the dagger.”
“As well as the axe, sword and bow. You know, if you had allowed me to help you with the hunting this evening, we would have had dinner in half the time.”
“And risk an arrow in my back? Not likely my lady .”
“As I was saying,” she interjected quickly, not wanting to ruin the conversation with an argument. She rather liked Julian when he wasn’t being annoying. As he lay now with his chin propped on his hand, his muscles stretched into a relaxed pose, he was at his least threatening. “After my parents died I joined Barony’s ranks along with my cousin Nell. Before long I found myself their captain.”
“Impressive.”
His words held not a hint of sarcasm. Julian seemed genuinely interested in her tale. Pride swelled Ava’s chest and caused her lips to pull into a smile.
“When the war with Barony was at its peak, I was at the forefront. My regiment and I, along with Queen Isabelle, led the last charge against the rebel horde when they attacked Guthrie Hall. The king and the majority of our fighting forces were over half a day’s ride away. We held the castle with only a handful of my soldiers, the queen, and a group of farmers and noblemen who’d never seen battle in their lives.”
Ava couldn’t stop her smile from widening as she remembered that day proudly. She’d never been happier to stand for something than she had on that day. They’d saved Barony, and she had been a part of it.
“After that last battle,” she continued, “King Serge lifted the laws barring women from knighthood in Barony. Queen Isabelle, along with me and three of my soldiers were knighted before the entire kingdom and that is when I received my title. So you see, Lady Ava Longley did not exist until a few months ago. I had to work hard for my title and my estate and lands, unlike the rest of the nobility.”
She came out of the warm haze she’d created around herself during the retelling of her life’s story to find that Julian was no longer looking at her. He stared pensively into the fire, his expression filled with equal parts turmoil and pensiveness.
“Tell me about it,” he said softly, his lips barely moving as he continued to stare into the flames. “Your estate.”
Ava shrugged. “It’s a mansion with too many rooms and grounds as big as the compound I share with over one hundred other women. There are tenants, farmlands, and cattle. There’s also a garden. I believe the caretaker oversees most of its maintenance.”
He shifted on his pallet and his eyes finally reconnected with hers. “You mean you don’t know for sure?”
“I don’t live there. It was a kind gift but Heatherton Manor comes with a lot of responsibility and my priorities are the blacksmith’s shop my father left to me, Barony’s women’s regiment and the people of Gladstone as well as the surrounding villages. Besides, Heatherton Manor is too big for one person alone. Perhaps I will move there when I have a family of my own.”
Ava didn’t miss the scowl that pulled at his mouth and brow.
“You don’t know how fortunate you are,” he said, his voice tinged with a
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