Read Online The Winter Promise by Jenny Jacobs - Free Book Online

that way, for her to touch him with such gentleness. He caught his breath at the very thought, then gritted his teeth and tamped the longing down.
    “What are you doing?” he asked, chastising himself as she jumped and he realized how harshly his words had come out.
    She put a palm to her heart and steadied her breath, tilting her head back to stare up at him, her lip caught between her teeth. He supposed he was rather big and imposing. Just because Elizabeth said it was so didn’t mean it wasn’t true.
    He sat down on the bench a little distance from her so he wouldn’t loom so large. “Is this your kitten?” he asked, his voice coming out a little gentler now. Imma shot him a perplexed look, as if not sure how to answer him. He couldn’t see that the question was particularly complicated. But he sensed Imma could complicate anything. Imagine what she would make of his desire to see her smile at him, his longing to hold her in his arms. It was possible that the very idea would frighten her enough to send her on her way, which would solve one of his problems, but not in any way that would satisfy him.
    “The stable boy brought her,” she explained. “He said I could have her. May I keep her?”
    Robert reached out to touch the animal’s silky fur. The kitten slitted its eyes at him and gave a rusty purr. He was aware of how close he was to Imma, who held the kitten in her lap. He could lift his hand and touch her. What would she do? Scream until the watchmen came running? Draw her dagger? What was the weregild for the unwanted touching of a freewoman? He would be happy to pay it, even if it were one hundred shillings. One thousand. But what he really wanted was for Imma to be willing.
    “What is her name?”
    “Morfydd.”
    “She is a Welsh cat?”
    “Yes,” Imma said, and smiled at him. He stared at her for a long moment, until he became a little dizzy and he realized he had forgotten to breathe. He dragged a breath in. “May I keep her?” she asked again.
    He found himself falling into her violet gaze. “Of course you must keep her.”
    “Thank you, my lord.”
    He concentrated on keeping his hands on the kitten, which was a great deal more difficult than he would have expected.
    “What were you telling Morfydd earlier?”
    “My lord?”
    “You were talking to her,” Robert said, suddenly feeling foolish. He had had an entire conversation with Imma and she had not fainted from fear. Why did he push further? “When I walked up I thought you were telling her a story.”
    She leveled the violet gaze at him again. “Perhaps I was.”
    “What was the story?”
    She eyed him; her fear was returning. He set his jaw and chided himself. Why had he pushed? Why couldn’t he be pleased with their small progress and leave it at that?
    “Never mind,” he said, lifting his hand away and getting to his feet.
    “It was the story of Peredur, whom you English call Perceval,” she said in a rush.
    “The grail story?” He sat back down, intrigued. “Was this in one of the books you read to Elizabeth?”
    “No, my lord,” Imma said. “In my uncle’s household was Efa, a bard. She taught me the stories. The Welsh legends and tales.”
    “Will you tell me the story?” he asked. He picked up the kitten and put it in his lap. “Morfydd and I are both eager to hear it.”
    At his words, her violet eyes filled with tears. Dismayed, he stared at her. How could he possibly have caused that ?
    “My lady?” he asked uncertainly. He disliked feeling uncertain. She kept him so twisted and turned and knotted up he regretted ever allowing her to stay in his household. And yet he did not like to contemplate the thought of her leaving —
    “You are sure you want to hear the story? Simon didn’t like me to tell the tales.”
    “I am not Simon,” Robert said, with what he thought was admirable restraint.
    “If you would like to hear it, then I would like to tell it.”
    The fog thickened as Imma began the story,