Page 18 of One Knight
“Sir Henry,” Lady Elisande began.
“We can speak on horseback.” He held out his hand to her. “Come, my lady.”
One of his men brought her mount around, and Sir Henry lifted her into the saddle.
“Besides, you can’t be all that sore if you are able to take a flying leap and nearly land it.”
“It was out of fear for my niece’s safety.”
“And quite the display of courage.”
“Eli?” This came from Hilda.
“I’ll be right beside you, darling. All the way.”
The way she spoke to the girl and how valiantly she had acted in her defense made Henryrealize he had underestimated just how ferociously she would protect her own children. A better mother for his heirs he would not find. He was certain of it.
“Come. Let’s move on. We have hours to go, and everyone is eager to arrive.”
CHAPTER 8
The last stretch of the journey was decidedly different. The fear that had plagued Elisande the entire way came to pass—they had caught up to Hilda and Alger. And yet, instead of it being the nightmare she’d expected, it was … fine.
Sir Henry was right. She must have thought him a monster to believe he would want to marry and bed Hilda.
Making a study of him these last few days had proven him to be a man of honor. He was courteous, considerate, respectful in his treatment of her, his men, and his horse. He was neither crude nor vile, nor any of the things she had heard when others described the feared Norman knights.
In fact, Elisande felt safer with him and his men than she had in her own home when it was occupied by her brother and his warriors.
Truly, the worst had happened, and it wasturning out to be decidedly better than her life had been before she waved the white flag of surrender.
And now, Hilda was safe.Actually safe. Sir Henry had declared there was nothing for either of them to fear, and Elisande believed him. He had the power and ability to make it so.
When the priory finally came into view in the distance, her horse seemed to lengthen its stride, as if he wanted the break as much as she did.
She had no idea how long they would stay, but even a night and a day would be a welcome respite for her aching muscles.
“A good massage of the muscles will help as well,” Sir Henry had said. “After.”
Her fears on that front had also melted away like snow on a sunny spring day. Sir Henry was quite possibly the only man she did not fear. And even with the fatigue she felt in places she hadn’t known she could feel anything, Elisande felt a shiver of unexpected anticipation.
He was an honorable man—and handsome as well. His figure was also quite fine.
Elisande had to admit to herself she had not been as ladylike as she might have been while waiting on the banks of the stream as he plunged his body within it. He was broad of shoulder and back, heavily muscled, with thick legs and arms. His dark hair lay wet against his shoulders as he roughly dried the rest of his body.
Knowing that he had used such a powerful form—at least in her case—to protect rather thandestroy gave Elisande a strange kind of comfort she had never felt before.
The men sent up a cheer when they saw the priory, and Elisande prayed they would not terrify Brother Benedict and the others within.
Now she could honestly give her assent to the marriage that was to come. The most surprising outcome of the entire journey was that Elisande was actually looking forward to having Sir Henry as her husband.
And it means Auldwyn and his men can never return.
The realization that she preferred this Norman to her own kin should have made her feel disloyal, but it did not. The merits of the men were not the same, and Elisande knew it.
“Eli, bumpy!” Hilda bounced in the cart, waving her doll with the motion.
Thank goodness she was such an agreeable child.
