After Swein’s death Copsi had sent a couple of emissaries to Ellena. The hints had been subtle, but it had become clear that he was trying to broker a marriage between her and himself.
Even if she had been tempted to remarry, it would not have been to a man whose two previous wives had died in suspicious circumstances, both of them only a short twelve months after marrying him. Her first marriage had been bad enough, but at least she had survived it. She wouldn’t put herself under another man’s mercy again.
‘What are you doing in this part of the country?’ Copsi asked Braedan.
‘I’m on the Earl of Ogmore’s business,’ growled Braedan. ‘You are straying dangerously close to the border,’ he added.
Copsi ignored Braedan’s comment and let his eyes blatantly roam over the group. When he caught sight of Ellena a faint smile crossed his reptilian lips.
She shuddered and tasted bile in her throat, the thought of that mouth anywhere near her body making her feel sick. For the first time since leaving her castle she was grateful for the solid wall of warriors that surrounded her.
‘Well, it is good to see you again, Sir Braedan. I won’t keep you. I know Ogmore doesn’t like you to keep him waiting.’
Ellena was shocked by Lord Copsi’s patronising tone. Rumour had it that no one spoke to The Beast like that and expected to get away with it.
Braedan’s jaw tightened but he said nothing.
Copsi looked at him for a long moment, and then turned to his men and motioned that they should proceed.
Braedan and his men held their positions until Copsi had disappeared from sight.
‘I’m afraid we won’t be stopping to eat, Lady Swein. I want to make Nerdydd by late afternoon,’ said Braedan.
‘But...that wasn’t that threatening,’ said Ellena, dismayed at the thought of having to continue riding until they reached the first stop on their destination. Copsi might have a bad reputation, but he looked as if a strong breeze would push him over.
‘We have some men in Copsi’s court who are loyal to your father,’ said Braedan as he nudged his horse into action. ‘They have reported that he has become increasingly obsessed by the thought of making you his wife. It would serve the double purpose of disrespecting your father and getting hold of Swein’s land. We had hoped to take you to Ogmore before he was aware of it, but he obviously has spies of his own in your father’s court. He will now be determined to take you before you reach your father’s lands. Today’s meeting was about checking how much manpower we have. We would be foolish to underestimate him. Come—we must ride quickly.’
Ellena’s muscles protested as the horses fell into a steady trot, but she didn’t argue against Braedan’s point despite her growling stomach. The quicker she returned to Ogmore, the quicker she could convince her father that there was no need for her to marry again. She was content at Castle Swein and she had no intention of being married off.
She shuddered, despite the warmth of the day. Her marriage had been the stuff of nightmares. She would not enter into such a union again—especially not with Lord Copsi, a man who reminded her too much of her vile late husband.
Chapter Two
Braedan would have preferred to camp outside in the woods, where the acrid smell of spilt ale and the relentless babble of strangers would be replaced by the soothing sound of the wind whispering through branches. But as his latest mission meant he was charged with the safe return of his liege’s only daughter, he could hardly expect the gently born lady to camp under the stars.
Besides, it was unlikely that Lord Copsi would mount an assault here. There were too many people around. He would wait until they were camped out—which they would have to do at least once before they reached the safety of Ogmore Castle. Braedan was sure they would find trouble at that point.
He took a long draught of ale and was surprised by its fruity tanginess. A serving maid appeared by his right elbow to top up his tankard. She’d been sending him smiles all evening, causing his men to smirk and make ribald comments, but he had no intention of taking her up on what she was clearly offering.
He covered the top of his cup with a hand and shook his head. He needed to stay alert, and drinking too much ale wouldn’t help.
He downed the rest of his drink and dropped the tankard on the table as he stood. He’d make another circuit of the grounds and check for any signs of Copsi and his men.
He strode out of the tavern, ignoring the plaintive face of the maid. He’d made no indication that he might return her interest, and he doubted she had any real desire to bed him anyway. He might have been passably attractive when he was younger, but years of campaigning for Ogmore’s interests had left his face disfigured and he knew that he repelled most people.
Even his own mother struggled to look him in the eye any more—but that might not be solely down to the scars covering his face and have more to do with her disappointment over the way life had turned out for their family. She was not living the way she would have expected when she’d married his father, an eminent and wealthy landowner.
If women showed him any interest he knew it was his reputation as The Beast that drew them to him, and he’d long since tired of achieving pleasure on that basis.
The tavern door closed sharply behind him and the sounds were immediately muted. He breathed a sigh of relief and stepped away from the inn. A fine mist coated his hair and beard and he turned his face to the heavens, relieved to be outdoors once again.
The sun had set and the streets of Nerdydd were quiet and cool. A lone man scurried past, his head bent and his cloak wrapped tightly around him. Braedan watched him as he made his way down the street but he didn’t once turn towards the inn so he was probably harmless.
Even so, Braedan kept a tight grip on the hilt of his sword as he slowly made his way around the inn. At the side he glanced up at the window he knew to be Ellena’s chamber. The shutters were tightly clamped together but he thought he could just make out the flicker of a candle burning somewhere deep inside the room. He wondered fleetingly whether she had finally shed the veil that covered her hair; he was almost desperate to know whether it was the same dark colour as her long eyelashes.
He pushed the thought aside.
His job was to make sure she arrived back at her father’s estate in one piece. He should not be thinking about how beautiful she looked, even when she was fixing him with that haughty gaze she used whenever she wanted to put him in his place.
Thoughts of trailing his fingers over the soft skin of her neck kept pushing into his mind when he was least expecting it. It was irritating, because not only was she above his touch but she was also the most stubborn woman he’d ever met. He’d prefer not to think of her at all.
He was returning her to her father so that the Earl could find her a suitable husband and keep her away from his sworn enemy, Copsi. It was nothing to do with Braedan who she married—although he was glad it wouldn’t be Copsi.
His hand tightened on the hilt of his sword and he thought of her horrified expression when he’d told her that Copsi was determined to wed her before she reached her father’s fortress. Copsi was a man no woman should be subjected to. Braedan’s spies in Copsi’s court revealed a man who took pleasure in tormenting women. He thought women existed solely to give him pleasure, and thought nothing of taking a woman against her will.
Braedan would fight tooth and nail to make sure that Ellena stayed out of Copsi’s hands while she was in his care. And once she was married to someone else she would cease to be of use to Copsi, who would turn his attention to some other poor woman.
He hoped for Ellena’s sake that the Earl of Ogmore would choose someone who matched her in intelligence and strength. Almost anyone other than Copsi would be a better partner for the elegant Lady Swein, whose light blue eyes watched him with a mixture of regal disdain and intelligent understanding.
The one emotion he’d never seen cross her face was fear. Unlike most people, she wasn’t afraid of him. Yet.
Braedan smiled. Ellena had made no secret of her desire to remain widowed. But the fact that his wilful daughter didn’t want to marry again wouldn’t matter to a man like Ogmore, who was keen to spread his influence across the country and not averse to using his family members to achieve his aims.
He would like to be a fly on the wall when father and daughter met again. Both were as stubborn as each other, although he was fairly confident Ogmore would win in the end. He usually did.
It was nothing to do with him whether or not she remarried.
Braedan knew he was a bully for taking her away from her home, but she had to remarry anyway, and a new husband would allow her to have children of her own. What woman didn’t want that? And there were plenty of contenders for Ellena’s hand. Many men wanted to form an alliance with her influential father, and marriage to his daughter was one of the best ways to secure his protection.
The most likely contender was the Earl of Borwyn, whose land was close to Ogmore’s. He was reportedly a decent and handsome man.
Braedan’s fists curled as the urge to punch someone rushed over him. He took a deep breath and loosened them—what was wrong with him?
The stables were at the back of the inn and he made his way towards them. He would check that Stoirm was settled for the night before turning in himself. He had scheduled his watch for the early hours of the morning. He found it hard to sleep for more than five hours anyway, and he preferred to be busy rather than just lying there remembering all the people who depended on him and were now waiting for him to let them down—as his father had done before him.
Soft, whispered noises were coming from deep within the stables. He paused on the threshold and tilted his head, listening.
A grunt which sounded suspiciously like Merrick reached his ears, followed by a soft, feminine moan, and he smiled ruefully. Perhaps the barmaid had persuaded his friend to sample her delights.
From his vantage point at the stable entrance he could see that Stoirm was contentedly munching through the hay provided for him, and that was enough for him. He’d leave without intruding.
He quietly stepped backwards, so as not to disturb the lovers, but before he could go much further the woman giggled.
He knew that sound. It was Ellena’s tiresome maid—the one who had been making eyes at his second-in-command all day.
If she wasn’t with Lady Swein then Ellena was all alone.
Someone was supposed to be with her constantly.
He raced back to the inn and practically ran over a stable boy who got in his way.
The two guards he’d stationed outside her room were still there.
‘Has anyone been in or out of this room?’ he demanded.
‘No, sir,’ they both replied as one.
Without pausing to knock, he pushed open the door and strode inside.
There was a squeal and a flurry of bedclothes as the door slammed shut behind him.
‘What...?’ spluttered Ellena as she struggled to untangle herself from the bedcovers.
Braedan stood frozen in the centre of the room. He’d been right about Ellena’s hair. It was a rich chestnut colour and her locks fell in waves loosely around her face and down to her navel.
His eyes followed the tresses and he realised she was wearing only a white chemise. Although this was tied up to her neck, he could still make out the curves of her figure beneath it.
‘What are you doing barging into my chamber?’ she demanded.
Heat flooded his face as he realised he was staring at her like some sort of young page who was seeing a woman other than his mother for the first time.
He cleared his throat. ‘Aldith isn’t with you. Anyone could have barged in here and taken you. Why were you so foolish as to let her go?’
She frowned, and he fought the urge to rub the crease away with his thumb.
‘You have men guarding my chamber and the shutters are locked from the inside. What on earth did you think would happen?’
‘You are not meant to be left alone,’ he repeated stubbornly.
Why must she always question what he said or did? His men obeyed him out of loyalty and others did so out of fear. But she never backed down from him. Her response was both an annoyance and a thrill.
She threw back the covers and slipped from the bed. For a moment he was treated to a glimpse of a slim, pale ankle before she dragged on her long cloak, robbing him of any sight of her skin.
He tried hard not to feel disappointed.
‘I’ll be honest,’ said Ellena. ‘I was quite happy for Aldith to go out for a bit and enjoy some company in the tavern. We don’t have much in common, and after five minutes of talking to her I realised that I should have chosen anyone else in the castle to accompany me on this journey. I was enjoying spending some time on my own.’
‘It is not the company in the taproom she is enjoying,’ said Braedan.
He didn’t know why he had said that. It wasn’t right to talk about pleasures of the flesh in front of gently bred ladies, and it would have been kinder to everyone if he’d let Ellena carry on believing Aldith was sharing a cup of ale with the men downstairs.
‘What do you...? Oh, I see.’
A pink blush stole across her high cheekbones and Braedan took an involuntary step towards her. She didn’t seem to notice, and he managed to halt himself from moving any further before he did something inappropriate.
As the daughter of an eminent earl, and niece to the King himself, she was so far above his touch that to reach out to her would surely be his downfall in more ways than one. Besides, he had enough dependants relying on him. He didn’t want or need another one.
And even if neither of those problems existed he was pretty sure she couldn’t stand the sight of him—and for once it was nothing to do with his many scars. She didn’t like taking orders and she seemed to think she had the right to give orders to him.
He supposed he didn’t blame her—despite his irritation at her refusal to take his instructions seriously. He’d taken her from a comfortable existence at Castle Swein and thrust her into a dangerous situation with an unknown outcome.
‘Do you think she’ll be long?’ Ellena asked, breaking him out of his thoughts.
He chuckled in spite of himself. ‘I guess that depends on Merrick’s stamina.’
She turned an even deeper shade of red and turned slightly away from him.
He realised he could see her toes peeking out from under the hem of her chemise and his gaze became locked on that tiny piece of skin. He wanted to slide his hand along the length of her foot and let it continue further up her long legs...
‘I don’t understand why she’d bother,’ was her unexpected response.
Braedan felt his own skin begin to burn with embarrassment—or perhaps it was the overwhelming lust that had hit him out of nowhere. He wasn’t sure.
He opened his mouth to respond, but then clamped it firmly shut before he could say any more to offend her. It would be best for him to wish her goodnight and leave. But for some reason his feet were refusing to obey his mind’s orders and they stayed exactly where they were.
She’d inadvertently revealed something of her marriage that perhaps it would have been better if he hadn’t known. She hadn’t enjoyed intimate relations with her husband.
That wasn’t entirely surprising. The man had been thirty-four years older than her when she’d married him at sixteen. No young woman would enjoy lying with a man older than her father. But that could not have been the whole reason. The revulsion on her face spoke of experiences worse than just lying with a man she didn’t find attractive.
He clenched his fists to stop himself from taking those final steps towards her and showing her exactly why Merrick and Ald
ith had taken themselves off to the stables.
As if finally realising what she’d revealed, he saw her back stiffen and her neck lengthen as she stood taller and gave him the regal look she always used when she wanted to remind him of her status.
‘When you return downstairs please ask someone to send up some warm water. I asked Aldith to fetch it, but it appears she has forgotten.’
And that put him in his place.
Here he was, imagining running his fingers through her thick hair and over other parts of her body, and she was treating him like the errand boy she clearly thought he was.
‘I’ll see it’s done and I’ll return Aldith to you,’ he growled.
She pulled a face of displeasure before masking it under a cool nod.
He left without saying another word.
Pulling the door firmly shut behind him he glared at her two guards. ‘Do not let Aldith leave her alone again. Not even for Merrick,’ he barked at them.
The two men had the grace to look shamefaced.
He stomped back downstairs and found someone to take warm water up to Ellena. Then he went in search of his friend.
But tearing a strip off Merrick for following his cock instead of his training still didn’t make him feel any better, and it took a while for sleep to come to him that night.
Chapter Three
Ellena didn’t know what was worse: the pain in all her muscles or the damp, soggy weight of her hair, which was causing water to soak through her cloak and freeze her to the bone.
After three days of riding this was the first night they were going to sleep in tents, and the weather couldn’t have been worse. A fine mist this morning had turned into a downpour as the afternoon had dragged on. She began to long for a pair of shears to hack the weight of her waterlogged hair off.
As a child, she’d waited impatiently over many summers before her hair had reached the coveted waist length. Whenever she had been allowed to, she had unplaited her hair and revelled in running her fingers through the rich strands, loving the way the sunlight picked out the different shades.
The Warrior Knight and the Widow Page 2
