Read Online The Mercenary Knight by Elyzabeth M. VaLey - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Elyzabeth M. VaLey
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lint. Her cheeks glowed and he fought against the urge to take her into his arms and feel that astonishing bolt of lightning race through him again.
“Conrad, why are you angry with me? What have I done to displeasure you?” The question was unexpected, barely a whisper. Tanya’s eyes searched his face and he forced himself to look away. Conrad was angry, but not at her. He was angry with himself for being a fool. He was angry because he wanted her so badly it hurt his very soul.
“What have you done? Nothing,” he lied.
“Then why won’t you look me in the eye?” she demanded. He glanced into Tanya’s fiery amber eyes and almost smiled. Barely moments ago she had stood before him, a figure of disappointment. Now, her temper was rising, her character much like his. Unpredictable. Perhaps that’s why he was so attracted to her, he mused.
“Well?” Conrad did not answer.
“Conrad.”
“What?”
“I asked you a question. Why have you been avoiding me throughout the week? Why are you so mad at me that you glare at me at every given opportunity? You won’t look me in the eye, you won’t—"
“Why should I?”
“What?”
“I said, why should I look you in the eye?”
“Well…” Tanya stalled and he plunged on.
“Just because the rest of my men and Reynard faun over you like you were some royal whore does not mean that every man wants you, Tanya.”
Tanya gaped at him.
“You think me a whore?” The hurt in her voice was unmistakable but the words came out before he could stop them.
“I don’t know any respectable woman who would bed two men on a single night.”
“How dare you?” she shrieked.
Despite his growing agitation, Conrad didn’t reply. He continued brushing his mare as if Tanya wasn’t there. He had fled to the stables to be on his own, precisely because he didn’t want to confront the pretty maid, and now she was here urging him to speak. Unexpectedly, Tanya was yanking at his arm, forcing him to look at her. Her eyes were on fire, and she held her hands to her sides in small fists.
“You spied on us?”
“I didn’t have to. You were all loud enough.”
Tanya’s jaw fell and her face became red, almost to the root of her hair.
“You’re just jealous,” she spat.
Conrad laughed, anger feeding his words. “Jealous of what? Of taking a whore to bed? I can go to any brothel and pick any girl a thousand times prettier than you and fuck her all night long. She’ll probably be cheaper, too.”
Tanya’s eyes shot daggers at him and he knew that he had crossed a line.
“I did not ask you to rescue me. I did not ask for your food. I did not ask for your help. You offered it. When I told you I had no money because it had been stolen you offered to pay. You bought me that horse because you wanted to. I did not ask it. How dare you accuse me of being expensive?”
Conrad shrugged. He wasn’t sure what to say. Already he regretted his last words.
“You’re just like all the other knights, a self-righteous bastard. Don’t worry about me any longer, Conrad. On the morrow I’ll find an occupation in Hadford and you can be rid of me and my expenses.”
Tanya turned on her heels and stormed out. Conrad stared dumbly after her. He had seen the pain in her eyes and once again could not move to comfort her. He passed a hand through his hair. What had he done now, and how was he going to fix it?
Chapter Eight
Tanya had had enough. She hurried across the distance from the stables to the inn, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill. She regretted going down to the stables. She knew she should have stayed at the common room with the men, but she had to talk to Conrad. She was hoping that by catching him alone she could have a quiet word with him, to understand why he had been evading her for the past week. Instead, she had lost her temper and somehow things had gotten out of hand. He didn’t want her there and she had pushed him to his
“Conrad, why are you angry with me? What have I done to displeasure you?” The question was unexpected, barely a whisper. Tanya’s eyes searched his face and he forced himself to look away. Conrad was angry, but not at her. He was angry with himself for being a fool. He was angry because he wanted her so badly it hurt his very soul.
“What have you done? Nothing,” he lied.
“Then why won’t you look me in the eye?” she demanded. He glanced into Tanya’s fiery amber eyes and almost smiled. Barely moments ago she had stood before him, a figure of disappointment. Now, her temper was rising, her character much like his. Unpredictable. Perhaps that’s why he was so attracted to her, he mused.
“Well?” Conrad did not answer.
“Conrad.”
“What?”
“I asked you a question. Why have you been avoiding me throughout the week? Why are you so mad at me that you glare at me at every given opportunity? You won’t look me in the eye, you won’t—"
“Why should I?”
“What?”
“I said, why should I look you in the eye?”
“Well…” Tanya stalled and he plunged on.
“Just because the rest of my men and Reynard faun over you like you were some royal whore does not mean that every man wants you, Tanya.”
Tanya gaped at him.
“You think me a whore?” The hurt in her voice was unmistakable but the words came out before he could stop them.
“I don’t know any respectable woman who would bed two men on a single night.”
“How dare you?” she shrieked.
Despite his growing agitation, Conrad didn’t reply. He continued brushing his mare as if Tanya wasn’t there. He had fled to the stables to be on his own, precisely because he didn’t want to confront the pretty maid, and now she was here urging him to speak. Unexpectedly, Tanya was yanking at his arm, forcing him to look at her. Her eyes were on fire, and she held her hands to her sides in small fists.
“You spied on us?”
“I didn’t have to. You were all loud enough.”
Tanya’s jaw fell and her face became red, almost to the root of her hair.
“You’re just jealous,” she spat.
Conrad laughed, anger feeding his words. “Jealous of what? Of taking a whore to bed? I can go to any brothel and pick any girl a thousand times prettier than you and fuck her all night long. She’ll probably be cheaper, too.”
Tanya’s eyes shot daggers at him and he knew that he had crossed a line.
“I did not ask you to rescue me. I did not ask for your food. I did not ask for your help. You offered it. When I told you I had no money because it had been stolen you offered to pay. You bought me that horse because you wanted to. I did not ask it. How dare you accuse me of being expensive?”
Conrad shrugged. He wasn’t sure what to say. Already he regretted his last words.
“You’re just like all the other knights, a self-righteous bastard. Don’t worry about me any longer, Conrad. On the morrow I’ll find an occupation in Hadford and you can be rid of me and my expenses.”
Tanya turned on her heels and stormed out. Conrad stared dumbly after her. He had seen the pain in her eyes and once again could not move to comfort her. He passed a hand through his hair. What had he done now, and how was he going to fix it?
Chapter Eight
Tanya had had enough. She hurried across the distance from the stables to the inn, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill. She regretted going down to the stables. She knew she should have stayed at the common room with the men, but she had to talk to Conrad. She was hoping that by catching him alone she could have a quiet word with him, to understand why he had been evading her for the past week. Instead, she had lost her temper and somehow things had gotten out of hand. He didn’t want her there and she had pushed him to his
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