Arissa giggled as he escorted her into the room, glancing about the small chamber with indifference. "It smells in here, too."
He pulled the oiled cloth off her shoulders. "Would you rather sleep in the rain?"
She smiled, a devilish gesture. "Of course not. But you promised me that if our room smelled, you would order the innkeeper to scrub it until it met with my approval. Well?"
He tossed her protective cloak onto the chair. "I lied. If you do not like it here, you can sleep out in the rain with my horse. As for me, I am going to enjoy a warm bed and a hot meal."
She tried not to grin. "Richmond le Bec, do you mean to say that you deliberately deceived me? I shall.... I shall go sleep with Gavan. His room smelled better."
"How do you know? You did not smell it."
"Anything is better than this."
Richmond removed his helm, running his fingers through his damp hair. "Go then, you ungrateful wench. I shall not listen to you complain all night."
Her grin broke through and she went to work on her cloak, removing the thick garment with the rabbit lining. Underneath, she wore a surcoat of burgundy wool, a magnificent shade against her striking coloring. Richmond cast her an appreciative glance as he removed his gauntlets. "Well? I thought you were going to go and sleep with Gavan."
She turned to him, her glorious breasts emphasized to the extreme in the clinging wool. A gold belt graced her slender hips, accentuating her bosom further. With the high neckline and long sleeves, the picture was consuming.
She cocked an eyebrow, noting his lustful gaze. "Are you sure that is where you want me to sleep?"
"Hell, no. Come here."
She giggled, gliding across the floor and into his arms. He kissed her deeply, fully, smiling as he listened to her whimpers and gasps of delight. But as her fingers raked through his dark hair, he pulled his lips away.
"God's Teeth, woman, let me remove this armor before I explode," he grunted, unfastening pieces of plate and allowing them to fall to the floor.
Arissa stood back, watching him undress with a great deal of anticipation. Down to a damp tunic, thick hose and boots, he smiled seductively at her.
"There," he said softly. "Now, as I said. Come here."
She cocked her head. "Aren't you going to take all of your clothes off?"
He laughed, deep and hearty. "God's Teeth, Riss, control your lust. I do believe I have created a wanton woman."
Her cheeks mottled with a faint flush and she smiled shyly. "Not at all. 'Tis just.... well, I thought....."
"I know what you thought, my shameless little tart, as my thoughts are exactly the same. But we must wait for two reasons; one, Gavan will be here shortly with your trunk and, two, our meal will arrive at any moment."
She averted her gaze, clasping her hands behind her back and turning away from him. "Of course. I have forgotten already."
He continued to grin, watching her pace across the floor toward the hearth. "I promise you, kitten, the wait shall be worth it."
She cast him a sheepish gaze, still smiling. He chuckled softly at her embarrassment as a sharp knock rattled the door. Gavan was in the doorway, Arissa's trunk slung across his massive shoulders. He moved into the chamber, dumping the wet case onto the floor.
"God's Blood, Richmond, what in the world did we pack that would make that thing so heavy?"
"Nothing but the necessities, as I recall," Richmond said, shoving the trunk against the wall. Suddenly, he paused, passing the trunk a curious gaze. After a moment, he kicked it into the wall again. This time, they all heard the muffled grunt.
Gavan unsheathed his broadsword before Arissa could draw another breath, moving to take a protective stance in front of her. As Richmond unlatched the case, she strained to peer around Gavan's massive body; she did not see anything at first, but Richmond's stern gaze told her that he was not pleased in the least. He continued to stare into the trunk, his expression severe.
"How, may I ask, did you get in there?" he finally asked, struggling to maintain his calm.
Emma's blond head appeared, her pale blue eyes wide at Richmond. "I.... I slipped in when you put Arissa's trunk out in the corridor before transporting it to the wagon."
Richmond pursed his lips, scratching his head with a great deal of irritation. "Where are her clothes?"
Emma, flushing red about the ears, shifted in the trunk as if to look underneath her. "A few items are still here, but I took the majority out and put them in the servant's alcove."
Richmond's stern gaze lingered on her a moment before turning to Gavan. "I thought you secured this trunk yourself before putting it into the hall."
"I did," Gavan lifted a disapproving eyebrow at Emma. "She must have slipped in the very moment we left it unattended."
"And then the soldiers who were ordered to store the trunk on the wagon re-secured the latches, thinking we had failed to do so," he shook his head with wonder, moving away from Emma. "Thank God she’s not a Welsh assassin. We should have never left the trunk unattended."
"Welsh assassin?" Emma repeated, confused. "I.... I simply want to go with Riss."
Richmond returned his grim attention to her. "You have put me in a very awkward position, Lady Emma. Did you actually believe I would allow you to accompany Arissa to the abbey?"
Emma nodded unsteadily, moving to unseat herself from the trunk. Her joints were stiff and her head hurt from all of the movement, but she was not nearly as concerned for her own discomfort as she was apprehensive of the look on Richmond's face. "What are you going to do with me?"
He put his hands on his hips. "Send you back to Lambourn. What did you expect I would do with you?"
Emma's cheeks flushed bright red and she lowered her gaze, moving away from the massive knight. But somewhere within the fear and respect for the man came a seed of defiance. She did not want to return to Lambourn; Arissa was her very best friend and she was terrified to be without her. Penelope had Daniel, her mother was busy with Lady Maude, while she herself had no one. When Arissa left, she would be all alone and she hated the very idea.
Which was why she had stolen away in Arissa's trunk. After Richmond had chased her and Regine off and slammed the door, it had not been difficult to slip into Arissa's baggage unnoticed. A quickly-formulated plan that had been just as quickly executed. She was going, too.
"I am.... I am going with her, no matter what you say," she stood her ground against Richmond, albeit weakly. "I am sixteen years old and if I want to pledge my life to Whitby, I can do so without my mother's approval."
Richmond cocked an eyebrow at her insolent tone. "Very well. Take your vows if it pleases you. But do not expect me to escort you; you must find your own way. Until then, you will return to Lambourn."
Emma's flush grew brilliant. Her breathing was coming in heavy gasps, indicative of her emotion and rising anger. She licked her lips, swallowed hard, struggling with the words she was attempting to bring forth. "If you take me back to Lambourn, I shall.... I shall tell the earl about you and Arissa, I swear it."
Arissa gasped, standing next to Gavan. "You.... who told you, Emma? I demand to know!"
Emma turned to Arissa, regret suddenly visible in her blue eyes. "Regine. She told Penelope, too. She said she watched as Richmond took your maidenhood."
All of the color drained from Arissa's face, not merely from the not-too-surprising revelation that Regine had betrayed her word, but from the mere fact that Richmond would not allow Regine's breach to go unpunished. She looked to Richmond, her eyes wide with apprehension and horror.
"I told you I did not trust her, Richmond," she said, her voice hoarse with emotion.
Richmond met her gaze evenly. "And what would you have me do, Riss? Kill her to keep her silent?"
Arissa lowered her gaze and turned away, shaken and nauseous. Richmond returned his attention to Emma, who was visibly losing her courage under his piercing stare. Brave not a moment before, it was becoming obvious that her attempt at blac
kmail had been a mistake.
"Do as you must," Richmond said quietly. "Tomorrow, Gavan will return you to Lambourn."
Emma went from bright red to a sickly gray. "Oh, Richmond, I am sorry. I should not have said that. It's just.... I cannot bear to be away from Riss. She was the only bit of life at Lambourn and with her gone, it will be a colorless place."
Richmond merely turned away from her. Emma began to shake, knowing he had effectively shut her out. Slowly, she turned to Arissa. "I will apologize to you too, Riss," she moved toward her shaken friend, tears in her eyes. "You are my very best friend. I do not know what I shall do without you."
Arissa suddenly let out a choked sob and turned to Emma, throwing her arms around the young woman and weeping. Emma's sobs filled the room also as the two ladies wept and consoled one another.
Richmond passed a glance at the two of them, shaking his head faintly when he realized that, more than likely, Emma would be accompanying them to Whitby. He knew the question before Arissa even asked and as he tried to formulate a refusal, he knew with resignation that a denial would be fruitless. As always, he would do as she asked.
Irritated with himself but resigned to the inevitable, he moved toward the two women.
"There, now, stop weeping," he put his hands on Arissa shoulders. "You are going to make yourself ill. Gavan, seat Lady Emma. Our meal should be here shortly."
As if on cue, a loud knock rattled the door and Gavan opened it to the innkeeper and two serving wenches. They whisked into the room silently and efficiently, depositing the ordered fare and leaving the room with equal rapidity. The food steaming upon the table was pungent and appetizing and Richmond seated Arissa, serving her himself and then hovering over her to make sure she ate.
It had always been the same with her; Arissa could go for days without food and would have probably died of starvation had someone not forced her to consume nourishment once in a while. Richmond couldn't count the times he had literally spoon fed the defiant young girl, sputtering and crying throughout the meal as if he were torturing her.
Tonight, however, she was hungry and ate every bite. Between her and Emma, they managed to devour a good portion of the meal, leaving the more chivalrous men to consume the leftovers. But it was not nearly enough to sustain them and Richmond ended up ordering more food when Arissa and Emma left the table to throw themselves on the large bed in over-stuffed misery.
"You naughty gluttons," he scolded, although he was pleased with Arissa's ravenous appetite. "I hope you both explode."
Arissa, flat on her back in the great bed, frowned. "I am very close to achieving your desire," she rolled over, causing Emma to shriek in protest as the mattress jostled. "I could sleep forever."
Richmond and Gavan, two huge knuckles of beef between them, passed glances. Gavan snorted into his food as he read Richmond's thoughts, knowing that Lady Arissa would be claiming very little sleep this night.
As the ladies quieted, Richmond and Gavan devoured a meal fit for several men, listening to the rain outside as it pelted the windowsill. All suddenly seemed peaceful, serene, as if the battle for Lambourn that had constituted their day was a million miles away. As if the threat to Arissa's life had only been a bitter dream, easily forgotten.
The conversation between them was quiet and light. Even after the food was gone, they continued to talk and drink the remainder of the ale. But the longer they sat, the more fatigued they became until Richmond finally rose stiffly to his feet.
"I do believe I am going to retire," he passed a glance at the bed, noting that the two female occupants had suddenly grown very still. "Oh.... damn."
As if in response, Emma snored softly. Gavan laughed as Richmond shook his head grimly. "You should have never let them lie on the bed," Gavan said.
"What was I supposed to do?" Richmond went over to the overstuffed mattress; Arissa was sound asleep, her angelic face serene. Emma was rolled up in a ball like an opossum. Richmond shook his head again. "I will not be tossed from my own bed by a fugitive."
"Let them alone," Gavan said quietly, still smiling. "I would wager the inn isn't full. There is another bed for you to sleep in."
"I do not want another bed," Richmond gestured to Gavan. "Take Emma with you."
Gavan's smile vanished. "I do not want her. God's Teeth, Richmond, that girl is worse than my shadow. I can't get rid of her. Do you realize what could happen if she sleeps in the same room with me?"
"I care not of the sleeping arrangements. But she will leave this bed and this room, and I expect you to watch over her until morning. Am I understood?"
Gavan gritted his teeth. "Aye, I understand you. But you, apparently, have no comprehension of her infatuation with me. Last eve, she followed me as I went along my rounds, distracting me from my duties with her foolish chatter. And do you know that I caught her spying on me when I went to relieve myself? She’s a damn nuisance, I tell you!"
Richmond fought off a grin. "God only knows what she sees in you. But the fact remains that I have ordered you to take charge of her. And you will."
There was no point in arguing with a direct order. Sighing heavily, Gavan cast Richmond a baleful glance as he moved around the bed toward Emma's huddled form. He shook her gently once, twice, but she refused to awaken. By the third and fourth jarring, she simply rolled over in an attempt to ignore him and he sighed again.
With a grunt, Gavan scooped Emma effortlessly into his arms. Immediately, she burrowed against him in her sleep and he shot Richmond a completely hostile glare. Struggling against a wicked smirk, Richmond waved them from his room.
He bolted the door behind them, moving to stoke the fire before retiring. It was completely silent but for the patter of rain and he took a moment to breathe in the silence, feeling the tension drain from his body as the food and ale coursed through his veins. Silently, he moved toward the bed and doused the fish-oil lamp by Arissa's head.
The room was dark but for dancing fingers of light cast by the crackling hearth. Richmond stood over Arissa a moment, touching her raven-hued locks, feeling the warmth of her skin beneath his fingertips. Quietly, he removed his clothing and slipped onto the bed beside her.
"Did you take all of your clothes off this time?" she mumbled, her face half-buried in the pillow. She opened her eyes to find him smiling at her, his face a few inches from her own. She returned his smile sleepily. "We're lying atop the bedrug."
"So we are. I suppose we should get up and pull back the covers."
She raised her head, watching the firelight reflecting in his blue eyes. "I suppose so. You must be chilled lying atop the bed without a stitch of clothing on."
"Not at all. Are you cold?"
She shook her head faintly, her eyes raking over his magnificent chest, his narrow waist, his groin. Already fully aroused, he was absolutely enormous and her gaze lingered on him for a lengthy moment.
"You are curious," he said softly.
She nodded vaguely. "I have.... I have never seen.... well, of course I saw you briefly yesterday, but I have never...."
"You have never seen a naked man in your life and you are understandably curious," he could see her blush in the firelight and laughed softly. "There is nothing to be ashamed of, Riss. 'Tis very normal to be inquisitive."
"Regine is inquisitive."
He cocked an eyebrow. "Then I make an exception. Regine is not normal in the least."
She smiled, a grin to alleviate her natural embarrassment. She hadn't been prone to a maiden's modesty yesterday because the heat of passion had taken the edge off her concerns. But now, with a slower, gentler pace, she was provided with the opportunity to realize that, indeed, she had never before seen a naked man.
In faith, her chagrin was short lived. Richmond had the most magnificent body she had ever seen, perfect and sculpted. He was not as bulky as Gavan, but his muscles were thick and well-developed and she found herself touching his chest, marveling at the power beneath the flesh.
Her finge
rs moved to his stomach, dancing over the rock-hard muscles. He rolled onto his back, his abdominals rippling with the motion and she watched with fascination as his body moved with fluid ease. She'd never seen any man function with such grace and it excited her terribly. To think of his magnificent body against hers, flesh upon flesh and heat upon heat, brought warmth to her cheeks.
In her wonder, she had stopped her exploration and he watched her expression as she studied him.
"What's wrong, kitten?"
She smiled, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. "Nothing."
He propped himself up on an elbow. "Then why are you...?"
His words were cut off mid-sentence as she unfastened her golden belt and let it slide to the floor. All previous signs of humiliation and shame had fled, replaced by a sensual confidence that made his blood boil. As the light from the hearth illuminated her beautiful figure, he bit his lip with great anticipation.
Innocent or not, Arissa knew instinctively how to make a man want her. God's Teeth, she'd been causing him to want her for the past two years and not even aware of her charms. But now, in the privacy of the chamber, she knew well how to tempt him mindless. She was about to treat him to an extraordinary event.
Arissa smiled, moving her hands behind her back to undo the stays of her surcoat. As he watched with surging anticipation, the shoulders of her surcoat fell away, followed by the bodice. He licked his lips unconsciously as the entire surcoat slithered to the floor, leaving her clad in only her shift, stockings, and slippers.
His heart was thumping madly against his ribs as she moved to dislodge her shift. He thought he would be content to watch the unfurling, but he quickly realized that he had been mistaken. He could no more remain idle than he could control his emotions.
His hands ached to touch her, his body cried to have her. Mayhap next time, he would allow her to set a slow, erotic pace. But not tonight.
Timeless Tales of Honor Page 62
