Read Online The Red Cross of Gold I:. The Knight of Death by Brendan Carroll - Free Book Online

find
another guard. One with better manners and one… who looks better,
too.”
    “Listen to you! A nice guard. A pretty guard.
Meredith Nichole, I swear, what would a nice, pretty guard do for
us?” There was a brief silence and the sound of someone walking
around the room. “You gave him a bath,” he could hear the one
called Cecile moving around the room. Her voice kept changing
directions as she poked about, looking for something. What?
    “He was… he needed a bath. You know how hot
it was yesterday. Maxie tied him to a tree,” the Pixie’s tone
changed and she sniffed loudly. “I couldn’t let him sleep in my bed
like that. All sweaty and everything. I wanted him to be
presentable for you. I did it for you. And where were you all
night? Why didn’t you come home?”
    “I had urgent business in town. Now, Merry,
don’t cry,” the second voice softened a bit. “You know I can’t
stand that. As long as you didn’t do anything you… or I… will
regret. I’m just looking out for your welfare, Merry, that’s all.
And we have the ceremony coming up. You know how important your
role is.”
    Muffled sobs and more sniffles followed.
    “Go downstairs. Check on breakfast and bring
me some chocolate. OK? I’ll watch over him for a while. You take a
break, sweetie.”
    The door opened and closed again. His only
ally, if she could be called that, was gone.
    Faint footsteps muffled by deep carpeting,
drew near the bed. The owner of the other voice, which he presumed
to be the infamous Valentino, picked up one corner the comforter
and he tried not to hold his breath as she looked him over. The
cover dropped back over him.
    “Mr. Ramsay?” The voice was all business now.
He waited, pretending to be asleep a bit longer, just to be
convincing.
    “Mr. Ramsay!” The voice was more insistent.
“Wake up.” She bumped the bed with her knee.
    He opened one eye. The sunlight had moved out
of his eyes, but his mouth was so dry, he doubted he could make a
sound.
    “You cannot stay in this bed, sir,” she told
him.
    He raised his head slightly, opened his other
eye and looked at the knotted cords on his wrists before focusing
on her face. She was surprisingly enough, quite lovely in her own
right, though completely opposite the Pixie.
    “I have another room for you,” she
continued.
    Her black eyes glittered, calculating and
cold. She had an olive complexion and short, very dark hair. She
appeared to be dressed in some sort of ceremonial garb with a broad
red ribbon embroidered with two turtle doves in a heart-shaped
wreath draped over one shoulder and fastened at the waist. . A
garland of baby yellow roses adorned her hair.
    “I have waited a long time for you,” she told
him with an appraising glance that made him feel very exposed. “You
look better than I expected, but where is your beard? I though you
guys prided yourselves on your beards?” She chuckled softly and the
sound of it made him shudder inwardly.
    He made no response to her remarks and
questions. She seemed irreverent. But what did that make him? Some
kind of priest? It seemed that he thought of everything in terms of
sin and religion.
    “I have been searching for your people for a
long, long time. Of course I’ve found plenty of pretenders… here
and there,” she sounded almost tired as she curled onto the far end
of the bed and leaned against the bedpost. “I don’t intend to have
my quest spoiled by misbehavior on your part or Merry's, for that
matter. You will have to forgive her ignorance. She doesn’t really
understand what you are and I want to thank you for not hurting
her. I'm sorry that Maxie treated you… less than hospitable. He
gets a bit over zealous at times.”
    Mark Andrew still could not bring himself to
speak with her. There was something very dangerous about her and
silence seemed to be the best course of action.
    She smiled when he raised his head to look at
her. “But Merry is a very desirable specimen, isn’t she?