Bride of the Beast Read Online Free Page B
Author: Sue-Ellen Welfonder
tried to call back her loyal companion, but her voice failed her, dying in a sputtering croak, her throat suddenly as dry as Sir Hugh had accused her man-weary body of being.
As if he'd known exactly where to aim his hurtful words.
More shamed by his slurs than she cared to admit, she stood stiffly at the top of the stairs and watched her friend hasten Sir Hugh down the steps. At the bottom, he shook off Rhona's flailing arms and glared up at Caterine.
"Know this, I shall watch for the arrival of this Gaelic warlord," he vowed, his voice reeking of venom and spite. "If he arrives, I will be present at your nuptials for only then will I believe it."
Dashing the rain from his forehead, he glowered at her. "Should he not appear within a fortnight, I shall claim this holding, and you, for myself. Fourteen days, lady, and then my patience will come to an end."
Cold anger rolling off him, he stalked across the rain-shrouded courtyard to where his men awaited him, their solemn faces still set in hard, disapproving lines.
Caterine stood as if carved of stone, her hands clasped tightly before her, as Sir Hugh and his cavalcade rode out of the courtyard and across the narrow bridge of land spanning the deep chasm between Dunlaidir's promontory and the cliffs of the mainland, a formidable headland now all but invisible behind teeming sheets of rain and mist.
When the last clattering noises of their departure faded into nothingness and naught more could be seen of them, she relaxed her stance, finally allowing her shoulders to sag.
Only then did she push the wet strands of hair off her forehead and dash the cold moisture from her face. Only then did she allow herself to tremble. Her entire body shook, quivering uncontrollably like brown and dried leaves on an autumn-bare tree.
"Lady, come inside," Rhona soothed, once more at her side. She placed an arm around Caterine's shoulders and urged her toward the shelter of the waiting hall. "In fresh and dry clothes and with a belly full of hot soup, you'll feel better. You must not heed Sir Hugh'.s insults. He is furious because you've thwarted him."
"Aye," Caterine said, her voice flat. "And now it would appear you seek to thwart me. Or dare I hope your fool babble about Linnet sending a champion was just that... babble?"
"I never babble." Rhona flashed her a smile as they stepped into the dimly lit great hall. "I may meddle now and then, but only for your own good," she added, pausing to secure the iron-studded door.
"And what meddling have you done?" Caterine probed, her blood thrumming with a new kind of agitation. "If you've ignored my wishes and sent for a champion, you've not only thwarted Sir Hugh, you've thwarted your own ill-considered plans as well."
"How so?" Rhona tilted her head to the side. "I may not have had the fullest right to send a courier to your sister, but once Duncan MacKenzie's man arrives, you will see the wisdom of having a brave master-at-arms to guard you."
"By pretending to marry me?" Caterine could scarce push the words past the gall in her throat.
Rhona gave her a look so guileless Caterine almost swallowed her ire. Almost.
"Did you consider that with Sir Hugh in attendance it will be exceedingly difficult to hold a mock ceremony?"
Rhona's dark eyes rounded and her lips formed a little 0. When she glanced at the blackened ceiling rafters and began tapping a finger against her chin, Caterine took leave of her, crossing the near-empty hall as swiftly as her rain-soaked clothes would allow.
She did not care to hear whatever new pearls of wisdom her companion cared to bestow on her. Truth tell, she already had a strong suspicion of what they'd be.
Rhona would smile, get that misty-eyed look on her face, and declare a true marriage to Linnet's chosen champion might prove to be the best solution to Caterine's woes.
Aye, such would be the words to tumble from her fanciful friend's too-loose lips.
Rhona would chatter on until she persuaded, or
As if he'd known exactly where to aim his hurtful words.
More shamed by his slurs than she cared to admit, she stood stiffly at the top of the stairs and watched her friend hasten Sir Hugh down the steps. At the bottom, he shook off Rhona's flailing arms and glared up at Caterine.
"Know this, I shall watch for the arrival of this Gaelic warlord," he vowed, his voice reeking of venom and spite. "If he arrives, I will be present at your nuptials for only then will I believe it."
Dashing the rain from his forehead, he glowered at her. "Should he not appear within a fortnight, I shall claim this holding, and you, for myself. Fourteen days, lady, and then my patience will come to an end."
Cold anger rolling off him, he stalked across the rain-shrouded courtyard to where his men awaited him, their solemn faces still set in hard, disapproving lines.
Caterine stood as if carved of stone, her hands clasped tightly before her, as Sir Hugh and his cavalcade rode out of the courtyard and across the narrow bridge of land spanning the deep chasm between Dunlaidir's promontory and the cliffs of the mainland, a formidable headland now all but invisible behind teeming sheets of rain and mist.
When the last clattering noises of their departure faded into nothingness and naught more could be seen of them, she relaxed her stance, finally allowing her shoulders to sag.
Only then did she push the wet strands of hair off her forehead and dash the cold moisture from her face. Only then did she allow herself to tremble. Her entire body shook, quivering uncontrollably like brown and dried leaves on an autumn-bare tree.
"Lady, come inside," Rhona soothed, once more at her side. She placed an arm around Caterine's shoulders and urged her toward the shelter of the waiting hall. "In fresh and dry clothes and with a belly full of hot soup, you'll feel better. You must not heed Sir Hugh'.s insults. He is furious because you've thwarted him."
"Aye," Caterine said, her voice flat. "And now it would appear you seek to thwart me. Or dare I hope your fool babble about Linnet sending a champion was just that... babble?"
"I never babble." Rhona flashed her a smile as they stepped into the dimly lit great hall. "I may meddle now and then, but only for your own good," she added, pausing to secure the iron-studded door.
"And what meddling have you done?" Caterine probed, her blood thrumming with a new kind of agitation. "If you've ignored my wishes and sent for a champion, you've not only thwarted Sir Hugh, you've thwarted your own ill-considered plans as well."
"How so?" Rhona tilted her head to the side. "I may not have had the fullest right to send a courier to your sister, but once Duncan MacKenzie's man arrives, you will see the wisdom of having a brave master-at-arms to guard you."
"By pretending to marry me?" Caterine could scarce push the words past the gall in her throat.
Rhona gave her a look so guileless Caterine almost swallowed her ire. Almost.
"Did you consider that with Sir Hugh in attendance it will be exceedingly difficult to hold a mock ceremony?"
Rhona's dark eyes rounded and her lips formed a little 0. When she glanced at the blackened ceiling rafters and began tapping a finger against her chin, Caterine took leave of her, crossing the near-empty hall as swiftly as her rain-soaked clothes would allow.
She did not care to hear whatever new pearls of wisdom her companion cared to bestow on her. Truth tell, she already had a strong suspicion of what they'd be.
Rhona would smile, get that misty-eyed look on her face, and declare a true marriage to Linnet's chosen champion might prove to be the best solution to Caterine's woes.
Aye, such would be the words to tumble from her fanciful friend's too-loose lips.
Rhona would chatter on until she persuaded, or
Readers choose
Janet Dailey
Tove Jansson
L. E. Modesitt
Jessie Haas
Chris Keith
Stacey Lee
Tayari Jones
Mary Higgins Clark
Elizabeth Chadwick
Patricia Ryan