The Loyal Heart Read Online Free Page B

smile and his blue eyes filled with regret. He couldn’t remember a time when he hadn’t wanted her, or when she had shown the least sign of returning those feelings. Swallowing his heart, he started down the stairs towards her. It wasn’t until he was halfway across the courtyard that he realized with a jolt who the man dismounting next to her was. Windale. His face reverted into its darkest scowl.
    “Lady Aubrey,” he greeted her, his voice rougher than he wanted it to be. He moved to help her dismount, but before she could so much as glance at him Windale was by her side, reaching up to take her around the waist.
     
    “Sir Crispin.” Aubrey smiled as tingles raced through her body where Ethan put his hands on her. Under normal circumstances she would have had a good, sound whack for any man who dared to help her off her horse, but for Ethan she would put up with it. She lingered longer in his arms than she should have once her feet were on the ground, glancing to him with a coy smile. “Thanks.” She turned to face Crispin. The dangerous smoldering in his eyes made her blink. It was just her luck that they had come across him in a mood. “You remember Sir Ethan, don’t you.” She batted her eyes as if the night before had never happened, splitting her glance between the two men.
    “Windale.” Crispin pulled himself to his full height and crossed his arms over his broad chest.
    “Huntingdon.” Ethan echoed the stance.
    They stared at each other as if their eyes would grow swords and strike each other down.
    “Sir Ethan has just returned from the Crusades,” Aubrey informed Crispin as if making an introduction at a party.
    “So I’ve heard,” Crispin growled, eyes glued to Ethan.
    Sizzling silence followed. Aubrey’s mouth twitched as she hid her amusement. “Sir Crispin was made Bailiff of Derbyshire while you were away,” she added to Ethan.
    “Among other things,” Ethan fumed.
    Crispin arched an eyebrow. “Unlike some people, I welcome responsibility.”
    Ethan’s face colored, and he leaned forward to seethe, “I have been shouldering the responsibility of fighting for the king, proving my loyalty to England.”
    “Nobly fighting a war in a foreign land on behalf of the Pope,” Crispin finished his sentence.
    “Nobly indeed.” Ethan took half a step forward, shoulders first. Both men’s hands twitched towards their sword belts and Aubrey’s eyes dropped to the dagger tucked against Crispin’s side.
    She opened her mouth to say something to cool them off, but Toby’s breathless scurrying broke the tension. “My lord, that is the last time I let you gallop all the way to Derby!” He marched towards them, his face somewhere between pale and green, his mousy hair sticking up at odd angles. “That ride just about finished me!” He glanced up and saw Crispin, flinched, and took two tumbling steps backwards, eyes big as saucers.
    Aubrey said a silent prayer of thanks as Toby backed into Ethan, knocking him off balance and forcing him to turn away from Crispin. Crispin’s mouth twitched but his eyes betrayed no mirth. He ignored Ethan and Toby and addressed Aubrey. “If you’ve come for the feast and the entertainment, you’re early. If you’d like, I could show you-”
    “Ethan was hoping to have a word with Buxton before the rest of the nobles arrived,” she interrupted, wishing he wouldn’t stare at her with such kindness. It twisted her gut with guilt.
    Crispin’s shoulders dropped. “Buxton won’t see anyone.”
    “What entertainment?” Ethan inserted himself into their conversation as he set Toby upright.
    Crispin clenched his jaw and flicked a glance to the gallows at the other end of the courtyard. Ethan followed the glance and grimaced, turning his disgust on Crispin as if he were a mad dog.
    Aubrey was left to do the talking again. “Who’s he hanging this time?” she sighed.
    Ethan’s eyes popped wider. “You mean he’s hung people for entertainment