Vengeance 02 - Trust In Me (30 page)

“Are you unwell, my lady?”

“I am fine, merely tired.”

Tired in the middle of the day? But he kept his thoughts to himself. “Are you Lady Cristiana Ormond?” he asked again.

Those large eyes narrowed. “Who would be asking?”

“I’m Sir William de Bremont. I was sent by Bishop Duval to escort you to him.”

Her lips pursed, and he could tell she debated lying to him about her identity.

“So close,” she muttered as she closed her eyes for a moment.

“Pardon?” he asked, not certain he’d heard her correctly.

“Never mind.” She folded her arms over her chest. “I truly appreciate you coming, but I am not going with you to the bishop’s.”

Truly perplexed, William could only stare at the woman. “Refusal is not an option.”

“Of course it is. You’ve asked me to accompany you, and I have refused. I believe our business is complete. I’m sorry you’ve wasted your time.” She turned away but William caught her elbow.

“I fear this is not an invitation, my lady, but an order.”

“An order?” she scoffed, then leaned around him to look past his shoulder, her gaze scanning the crowd. Apparently satisfied with what she saw, she faced him once again. “How much?”

“What?”

She rubbed her fingers together. “What will it cost?”

“To do what?”

“For you to forget you saw me.”

Surprised, William could think of no response except to stare at her. How odd--she didn’t look daft. “I fear there’s been some misunderstanding.”

“Good heavens, sir. What is it you don’t understand?” she asked, her agitation increasing. “What is the bishop paying you? I will do my best to double it if you forget you saw me and let me continue on my way.”

William shook his head, taken aback by her boldness. “My services are not for sale.”

Lady Cristiana scoffed. “Everyone is for sale, including you. The bishop hired you, correct? Now name your price and be quick about it else the sisters will discover me and your opportunity will be lost.” She tapped her finger against her lips as she waited for him to respond. “Out with it, sir. Quickly.”

“My lady--”

She peeked over his shoulder yet again and her eyes widened in alarm. With a gasp, she stepped closer to him, gripping the front of his surcoat as though hiding.

Her gaze found his, those eyes now soft and warm, their panicked depths dragging him in. “Please. Please, good sir, I beg you. Will you aid me?”

Her lips parted a hair’s breadth from his. He could already taste their sweet fruit, feel the warm press of her lush body against his. Blood rushed to his nether regions, leaving his thoughts far behind.

What had been her plea?

He caught himself not a moment too late, for he had very nearly nodded in agreement, prepared to fulfill her every wish. Where was his honor? His sense of duty?

“I’ve given the bishop my word to deliver you to Longsbury.”

“Truly? Of all the knights who could’ve been sent to fetch me, the bishop managed to find one bound by honor rather than a few coins? Just my rotten luck.” She released his surcoat and sighed. “You had best seek out the sisters and tell them you’ve found me before they tear apart the place searching. The villagers will not take kindly to a disruption of their celebration.”

He smiled, amused by her clever attempt to escape him. “And leave you unaccompanied? I think not. I’m certain the sisters would prefer to see for themselves that you are safe.”

She scowled at him. “You’re not the trusting sort, are you?”

“On the contrary, my lady. I’m very trustworthy.”

“And a fine sense of humor, I see. Rotten luck indeed.”

He offered his elbow. “Shall we?”

Cristiana stared at him, obviously weighing her choices. “And if I refuse?”

“That would not be wise.”

She sent him a measuring look, clearly not convinced.

“Do not cross me, my lady.”

Still she said nothing.

Deciding he’d gain more ground if he changed tactics, he added, “I would provide you safe escort to speak with the bishop and you can discuss the details with him.”

“Lady Cristiana!” a shrill voice interrupted.

William turned to see the stout form of a nun barreling toward them, a switch grasped tightly in her hand.

“Oh, dear,” Cristiana muttered as she waved at the nun. Sadness came over her tired expression like a window shutter blocking out the sun. “You have no idea of the havoc you wreak. But for the moment, I see you’ll not be convinced to allow me to leave. Let us find the other sisters and leave this place.”

William frowned. Why did he feel as if he’d just lost this battle?

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Acknowledgements
To all the amazing historical romance writers who have inspired me since the beginning: Kathleen E. Woodiwiss, Julie Garwood, Amanda Quick, Joanna Lindsey and so many others.

Thank you for the dream!

About the Author
Lana Williams writes historical romance filled with mystery, adventure, and a pinch of paranormal to stir things up. Her medieval romances begin with A VOW TO KEEP, the first in The Vengeance Trilogy, followed by TRUST IN ME and BELIEVE IN ME.

Her latest trilogy, The Secret Trilogy, is set in Victorian London and begins with UNRAVELING SECRETS. The second book in this series, PASSIONATE SECRETS, will be available in 2014.

Filled with a love of books from an early age, Lana put pen to paper and decided happy endings were a must in any story she created. She writes in the Rocky Mountains with her husband, two growing sons, and two dogs.

She loves hearing from readers! Please stop by her website at
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