Return of the Rose Read Online Free Page A

suspiciously.
    “That’s what I said. Vanguard’s men came and voilà, here I am.”
    Odelia examined her closely and Morgan was sure the woman was on to her until the lines about Odelia’s face softened. “Perhaps you should change your clothes before you meet your betrothed. Where ever did you find such dreadful garb?”
    “It’s a long story,” Morgan said.
    Odelia wrinkled her nose before ushering her along again. “Your mother and father would have me on the ducking stool if they saw you now. The Lord of Braddock has not made an appearance in the entire two days I have been at the castle. Perchance Lord Vanguard’s rumored disfigurement is worse than we suspected.”
    Until that moment Morgan had forgotten about Emmon’s warning. But now images of Lord Vanguard swirled within her mind. Three heads maybe? Four bloodshot eyeballs? Certainly no man could be uglier than Otgar.
    With much trepidation, she followed Odelia into the castle. As they went along, she caught whiffs of rose and mint. No signs of the dirty, musty smells she would have expected. Rows of rough wood benches lined the room and elaborate tapestries hung from limestone walls. Tables were being set, and unlike the villagers outside, the people within appeared too busy to take notice of her.
    After Odelia was called away, she continued on, peeking through thick oak doors until she came to a room stocked with a vast array of old books and papers. Unable to resist the seductive pull these ancient works had on her, she forgot all about waiting for Odelia and entered the room.
    Using a stool to get a closer look at the collection of books, she touched the leather bindings, surprised by the inner peace that washed through her…the same calmness she felt whenever she stood near her beloved armor in her mother’s store.
    A shuffling of papers startled her. A man sat at a large desk at the far end of the room.
    He stood, and she realized he wasn’t a man at all. He was a giant, and he was coming her way. “I’m sorry,” she said, shoving the books back into place.
    “No need to apologize, I assure you.” His deep voice reverberated off the stone walls.
    She always tried to look people in the eyes when she spoke to them, but for the first time in her life it was more than difficult, not only because of his towering stature but because of the power radiating from his mahogany eyes. He was magnificent to look at. And there was something about him. Something oddly familiar, and yet she was sure she’d never seen him before. Never had she gazed upon such raw masculinity—not in the movies, not in any magazine, not ever.
    He crossed his arms. “It is a book you are looking for?”
    She shook her head.
    “Your first day here at Braddock?”
    Standing on top of the stool, she wanted to speak, but no words would come.
    “Have you no voice?”
    “Of course I do,” she finally managed. “It’s just that you surprised me. I didn’t see you lurking over there in the dark.”
    The corners of his mouth curled upward. He wore a dark green, short-sleeved tunic that clung to his sculpted arms and snug pants that would have looked ridiculous on anyone but him. Massive in proportions, he possessed thick muscular shoulders, raven-black hair that touched his collar, and a very kissable mouth. A few of the men she’d dated had been handsome, but never did the sight of any of them take her breath away.
    His chuckle made her realize she was staring at him as if she’d never laid eyes on a man before. She planted her arms across her chest. “What’s so funny?”
    He was becoming less god-like by the second. And if his dark eyes weren’t looking right through her, making her feel tingly and anxious beneath his gaze, she might have thought of something clever to say. But with him staring at her so intensely, it was impossible to think, let alone speak.
    Get a grip , she told herself, and as she shifted her weight, the stool toppled. She gasped as she fell, but