against the guilt that seemed to be growing each hour. Certain she could now speak without dissolving into a bout of self-loathing, she said, ‘I—’
The shouts of men and the pounding of hooves cut off her explanation.
William grabbed her and the horses’ reins at the same time. He quickly tossed her up on the saddle, turned the horse in the direction the Earl and Adrienna had gone, and ordered, ‘Go.’
Fear that the men charging toward them could be from the Queen kept her from questioning William. Sarah had no information for Queen Eleanor and she wished not to lose her life, or his, for that lack. So, she leaned as low over her horse’s neck as the saddle would permit and rode for her life.
Over the deafening beating of her heart, she heard the deadly hiss of a sword scraping out of its wooden scabbard. When she lifted her head to look behind her, William shouted, ‘No. Just ride.’
Not in a position to argue, Sarah rode. She flew past trees and bushes so quickly that her stomach lodged in her throat. Yet she hung on, insanely trusting that this man she’d plotted to betray would keep her safe.
She glanced ahead and saw the Earl and Adrienna also riding like the wind. When the Earl turned his head and spotted them, he took the lead, putting the women in the middle, with William to bring up the rear.
Hugh careened to a halt at a small clearing and quickly dismounted, as he ordered, ‘Into the woods.’
On foot they led their horses off the path and into the more protective cover of the woods. Sarah pushed another small tree branch out of her way. “I no longer hear anyone. Why are we leaving the road?”
‘Simply because you do not hear, or see, them does not mean they are not there.’ William explained.
‘So we are hiding from someone we can neither see nor hear?’
William walked alongside her and said, ‘If you would rather wait for them here, you can do so alone.’
The brisk tone of his voice let her know that he was not jesting. She shook her head. ‘No. I’ll stay with you.’
He raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. Which was fine as far as Sarah was concerned. She’d had enough of his attention for this day.
They plodded along in silence behind the Earl and Adrienna for what seemed hours, or perhaps years. Tired and hungry, she wasn’t certain any longer.
William grasped her elbow and slowed their steps, putting a little more distance between them and the other couple. After a few moments, he stopped.
Sarah held her breath. Surely he wasn’t going to continue their discussion now?
‘We need to talk.’
She glanced toward Hugh and Adrienna before dragging her gaze back to stare up at William. ‘Now?’
He reached out and wiped something from her cheek, hesitating for a heartbeat before removing his touch. ‘No. It is apparent to me what it’s going to take to get you to tell me everything. So, obviously we’re going to need more privacy than these woods can provide.’
From the glimmer in his eyes and the tilt of his lips, she knew exactly what he was planning. The knowledge made her want to scream. Instead, she swallowed, then asked, ‘You intend to what? Turn my body against me to get the answers you want?’
William stroked the tip of his finger lightly along her lower lip. At her involuntary shiver, he shrugged. ‘It seems to work.’
‘Why, you—you—’ She was so livid at his dispassionate attitude that she couldn’t find words vile enough to spew at him. She took a deep breath and narrowed her eyes. ‘And how will you know if I lie or not?’
He cupped the side of her head. When she tried to jerk away from his touch, he simply curled his fingers into the hair covering the back of her head, and held her in place. ‘Because I will ask you over…’ he leaned closer ‘…and over…’ he lowered his head to whisper against her lips ‘…and over again.’
She hated what he did to her. Hated it. Hated him. Hated herself and her weakness more. Yet she let her eyelids flutter closed in expectation of his kiss.
When it did not come, Sarah opened her eyes and stared into his steely stare. He thought he was going to toy freely with her? She raised her leg, and with all her might trounced soundly on his foot.
While she gained a slight measure of satisfaction from his flinch, she hadn’t expected him to jerk her forwards and cover her mouth with his. The moment she relaxed, he released her and pushed her away.
Sarah swiped the back of her hand across her mouth. ‘Do you plan on doing that every time you need to coerce or punish me?’
Not for a moment did William think her question unfair. He deserved the query and her dismissive action. But he wasn’t about to back down now by begging her forgiveness. He didn’t want her forgiveness. He wanted her honesty. Was that too much to ask for in a marriage?
Instead of apologising, he pinned her with a glare and answered, ‘If that’s what it takes to get an answer from you, then yes.’
Without waiting for her to respond, he waved a hand toward Hugh and Adrienna. ‘Let’s go.’
‘Go?’ With her fists braced against her hips, Sarah drew herself up to her full height, putting her face just about level with his chest, and then stared up at him. ‘Just like you’re ordering about a dog, is that it?’
If she had the slightest hint of how her flashing blue eyes and flushed cheeks made his blood rush, she’d close her mouth and chase after the other couple as quickly as possible.
Thankfully, she didn’t have the slightest hint. She was convinced that the only reason he touched her, or kissed her was as she’d said—for coercion or…punishment. William swallowed a groan at the thought of punishing her. He’d sooner cut off his sword arm than lay a hand, or mouth, on her in a fit of rage.
Once she calmed down, she’d likely figure that out for herself. In the meantime, what harm was there in taking advantage of her misplaced thoughts?
Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.
Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».
Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.
Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.
