Roses & Thorns Read Online Free Page B

forward on a full bench lined in crushed, red velvet. The seat
was thickly padded and slanted back at a comfortable angle so that the larger
bumps and potholes did not throw her about too severely. Across from Angelique
was a half-bench, similarly cushioned. Beside it stood a cabinet which had deep
holes set into its top for decanters. A glass covered tray with fruits and
sweetbreads was nestled into the cabinet-top next to a decanter of wine. On the
wall beside the cabinet, where a window should have been, leather pockets were
neatly arranged to hold glasses and silverware. Small lanterns flanked the
doors, delicate pink-glassed chimneys hanging in little brass rings. Directly
above them were narrow slits in the roofing which drew the smoke away when they
were lit.
    But
what most took her breath away, however, was the slender vase affixed to the
wall beside the door she had entered. It held a single pink rose, a bud barely
in bloom. Angelique lifted it gently from the glass, wary of thorns, only to
find someone had carefully stripped it of those sharp barbs. She wondered again
about this lonely noble who lived in such isolation.
    There
was a knock at the door, but, before she could respond, the door opened without
the carriage halting and Culdun climbed deftly in. He took the seat opposite
her. "I trust that I am not intruding, my Lady?"
    "No,
not at all."
    He
nodded in satisfaction, settling himself more comfortably as he tugged down the
sleeves of his coat. Angelique noticed the box step that had been built into
the floor beneath his seat. It compensated for the man's shorter height, so
that his feet could rest there instead of dangling.
    "I
see you found the rose."
    Angelique
smiled, again lifting the pale bud to smell the light, sweet scent. "Was
this your doing, Culdun?"
    His
smile was kind as he answered, "I admit I'd been thinking I should, miss.
But as it turned out, I found my Liege had already attended to it... just as
you were hoping."
    She
laughed faintly. "Am I so transparent?"
    "No,
only nervous. It's the least one can expect given the circumstances, isn't
it?"
    His
eyes lost their tenderness, replaced by a searching intensity. Angelique
frowned, trying to decipher the unspoken part of his question.
    "I'm
sorry." He passed a hand tiredly over his face. "I’vecome
to offer you a chance for questions, not make you frown."
    "Questions?"
    "Aye,"
he grinned broadly, gray eyes twinkling again. "Such as how long is the
journey?"
    "I
was curious," Angelique admitted cheerfully.
    "Well,
that depends on you."
    "Oh?"
    "We've
fresh horses posted along the way, and it's quite possible to pull straight
through. But traveling is not much fun for the less experienced. My Liege has
no wish to exhaust you for the sake of a day or two. If we drive through, we'll
arrive tomorrow afternoon."
    "So
soon?"
    "Aye,
we've a swift lot of horses. However, we've also brought pavilions and comforts
for overnights if you'd rather stop for the evenings. In that case, we'd be out
for three or three-and-a-half days."
    "Sounds
like an awful lot of bother for just one person's comfort," Angelique
mused.
    Culdun
chuckled, but assured her, "It would not be a bother, miss. And I do not
expect you to answer me now or in the hour. You simply manage as far as you
feel capable and then tell us. We'll call a halt for you. If you feel the need
to stretch your legs, we can make a stop at any time you'd like. And, of
course, you're always welcome to walk about when the horses are being
changed."
    "That
is most kind. But I must say I disagree with you, Culdun," Angelique
murmured with a half-smile, eyes on the rose in her hand. "You are taking
an awful lot of trouble over me."
    His
responding laughter was soft and friendly, making Angelique feel less alone
than she had for years.
    "What
else may I ask you, Culdun?"
    "What
else would you like to know, my Lady?"
    She
moistened her lips, her mind jumbled with all the things Aloysius had not been
able to say.