Rowan's Lady Read Online Free Page B

moments more.
    Arline nearly jumped from her skin when the bar on
her door was thrust upward. The scraping sound made her skin prickle with fear.
She could feel her blood rush from her face when five large, angry-looking men
hurried into her room without so much as a knock or polite request to enter.
Rude beasts, every last one of them.
    Her husband led the pack of men into her room, but
left them near her door as his heavy feet pounded across the floor. Garrick
towered over her, his face red with anger, his blue eyes nearly black with
rage. He made no attempt to hide his displeasure, his anger. Arline’s head
began to swim with fear.
    She tried to look him in the eye but could not.
The courage she had mustered only moments ago fell away the instant he stood
before her. Arline felt very much like a fool as she tightened her grip on the
iron she hid at her back. Courage, ye foolish woman! She cursed
silently. Ye had it a moment ago. Do no’ let the bastard win.
    “Ye will never, ever defy me again,”
Garrick seethed as he grabbed Arline’s forearms. “Do ye understand that?”
    Garrick had grabbed her so suddenly and with such
force that she let loose her grasp on the iron. Thankfully, it did not tumble
to the floor but instead it fell toward her and rested against her bottom.
    “Aye, m’laird,” she scratched out, nodding her
head rapidly.
    “I will give ye no more chances,” he said as he
dug his fingers into her arms and shook her. “Do ye hear me words, woman?”
    Her arms burned where he dug into them. Biting her
lip to keep from crying out -- which was no easy feat for it stung considerably
-- Arline nodded her head again and held her breath. He had given her a
reprieve. For what reason she could not at the moment understand nor did she
care. She would simply be thankful for it.
    As if to make certain she did in fact understand
him completely, without question, he dug at her arms even harder and gave her
another good shake before letting her loose. He spun on his heels to look at
his men.
    Arline could feel the iron begin to roll from
where it rested. Rubbing one hand along her arm, she reached around with the
other in time to keep the poker from falling over. Blood rushed in her ears as
her heart pounded against her breast bone. If he saw the iron poker he might
realize what her intent had been. She knew he would immediately withdraw his
earlier reprieve and order her put to death.
    She took a deep breath, turned around slowly and
very carefully put the iron back in the stand. Once it was back in its place,
she began to rub her forearms. There would be bruises tomorrow, reminders of
just how powerful her husband was. Reminders of how he held her life in the
palm of his hands.
    “Ye’ll take care of the brat.” Garrick tossed his
comment over his shoulder. “Me men have no time to waste on wiping noses or
arses.”
    Arline spun around uncertain she had heard him
correctly. Her doubt was put to rest when the same man from below stairs
carried the little girl into the room. He stood near the doorway, looking
perturbed and disgusted, as if he were holding a bag filled with manure instead
of a sweet little babe.
    Her little cheeks were blotchy, her tiny nose as
red as a beet, and her eyes bloodshot from crying. Hiccuping, her thumb in her
mouth, rattled sighs, the poor babe looked a frightful sight. But Arline was
beyond pleased to see her and to hear that she would be allowed to care for
her.
    “Thank ye, me laird,” Arline whispered, frozen in
place, afraid to dash to the child and pull her from the man’s arms.
    “Do no’ thank me, woman,” Garrick bit out
as he turned once again to look at Arline. “’Tis only temporary, until her da
pays the ransom.”
    Arline choked back a retort. She thought it odd
that her courage had returned now that he was not within arms reach of her
person.
    “Ye’ve no’ much time left here, Arline,” Garrick
reminded her. “I recommend that ye do no’ question me