Rose Read Online Free Page B

later as he leaned far out over the rail, searching for answers to his dilemma in the white-capped waves. Funny how just a few hours ago, he’d wondered if the galley would stay in one piece.
    â€œAre you sad because of the dead woman?” Everard asked. “Sarah? I said my own prayer for her soul.”
    Dominus gave half a nod. Not because of the woman so much, though he cared about how Sarah’s death seemed to affect Mamie. He’d turned the strands of her hair into a sailor’s knot and stowed it in his wallet. “I am contemplating life.”
    â€œA philosopher?” Everard chuckled. “We spend enough time in quiet. But we are supposed to be praying.”
    â€œI do. Most of the time.” He said his prayers and then allowed his mind to wander. How to keep Mamie from joining with anyone else, now that they were so near Jerusalem and the completion of his assignment?
    Everard glanced around to ensure they were alone. The slap of the water against the wood of the ship made it difficult to be discreet. “I saw you speaking with the redheaded woman, and so did a few others. Odo, for one. Take care. He is not in charge of our conduct, but I am certain he will speak to the commander once we reach Antioch.”
    Dominus pushed himself back from the rail. “There is no cause for concern. I know my duty.”
    â€œYou are a brave soldier, Dominus.” He hesitated, then said, “A few of the other knights say we are cursed because the king refused to take control of Constantinople.”
    Dominus squeezed Everard’s shoulder. “We are men of God and do not listen to idle gossip. This caravan is gathered at the bequest of the king, who has shown himself to be a man of integrity. He has followed the rules of conduct, though his advisors urged him otherwise.”
    Everard shrugged off Dominus’s grip, his eyes flashing. “Message received, Brother Dominus.” He adjusted his cloak, slipping his hood up to thwart an oncoming drizzle. “I will keep my own counsel. Does talking to you constitute gossip?”
    Dominus exhaled. “I am here to listen, whenever you need a friend.” Or not. His mission was to listen. To everything. For what purpose, only the bishop knew.
    â€œPraise be to God, and he shall see us through.” Everard bowed his head.
    â€œPraise be to God,” Dominus answered. He watched the young knight cross the deck, pausing now and again to offer comfort or prayers to some of the soldiers who’d had coin enough to buy passage. The poor souls who had no silver were forced to make the land journey through the mountains, fighting hunger and Turks to, God willing, meet with them in Antioch.
    Was this pilgrimage cursed?
    He searched the horizon for land. Dominus did not believe in omens or portents of fortune. He believed in muscle and the strength of man. He believed in God, though he wasn’t completely sold on the Templar doctrine. It had been his life experience that too strict a diet caused a man to gorge.
    Dominus, committing a sacrilegious thought, wondered if God gave a shit. He turned toward the queen’s small tent at the front of the ship. What was Odo doing there? He did not care for the king’s watchdog.

    â€œI don’t know why I teased Dominus,” Mamie told Fay. She didn’t share that he thought she was going to jump into the ocean. He’d shown true concern, which was not something to poke fun at. His compassion confused her.
    Larissa and Eleanor sat upright on the narrow bed, as if it were a couch. Fay sat on a stack of pillows on the floor, while Mamie perched, cross-legged, on a trunk. “But I could not stop myself once he’d given me that challenge.”
    â€œHe reminded you he was chaste!” Eleanor laughed. “That is not a challenge, my dearest Rose. Be kind. There are plenty of men on board this ship. Do not cause a crisis of faith in a man we need to help us win