Page 9 of One Knight
“I was told there was a priory three days’ ride from here.”
He watched her face for any indication of the conclusion he had reached. The draining of color from her cheeks gave him his answer, yet she did not lie.
“Yes, that is true. You will find Brother Benedict there, if he is not here or en route.” She struggled against his hold finally. “Can you please put me down? Surely, there’s no reason to hold me aloft any longer.”
“I do not mind holding you; that seems like reason enough, my lady.” He spoke the truth, and his meaning could not have been lost on her.
She swallowed, and her gaze dropped to his lips. He wished he could read her mind. Instead, he lowered her to the floor with a fleeting sense of reluctance.
“Who else will we find on the way to the priory, my lady?”
She looked away and straightened her dress. “How should I know, sir? I do not practice divination.”
“I have a suspicion that you know very well who we might see along the way. Your niece perhaps?”
Her gaze cut to his. “What makes you say that?”
“You mentioned taking vows. Surely, you consider the priory a safe haven for yourself. Why wouldn’t you send her there?”
“Would you breach the sanctity of a holy place?”
“You haven’t answered my question.”
“Have you asked one?”
He couldn’t help but like the fire in her spirit. He found it much preferable to fear. “Will we overtake your niece along our route to find a priest to marry us, my lady?”
Her green eyes widened. “What?”
“We leave in the morning for the priory. We travel light. We travel fast. Pack only the basics of what you need.”
Her mouth fell open. “You can’t be serious.”
“And yet I am, my lady. You do know how to ride, do you not?”
“Not like a knight.”
“But you do know how?”
“Of course.”
“Excellent. Then you won’t slow us down. Make ready. We leave at first light.”
CHAPTER 6
The sun was barely showing when Elisande found herself astride her horse, moving at a bruising pace in the direction of the priory. She was at the center of a formation of three knights and three soldiers, with three squires following behind them. If Sir Henry was surprised to see her with wide skirts spread over both sides of the horse, he said nothing to indicate it. He simply gave her a nod and urged his massive black warhorse forward.
Is he really seeking a priest, or is Hilda his true prey?She didn’t know the answer and certainly didn’t know him well enough to trust his word. He was a Norman. They had come to take the whole of England.
They didn’t slow until the sun was high in the sky, and they approached a stream.
“Let the horses have a drink,” Sir Henry said to his men. “My lady, you may tend to your needs.”He nodded to a stand of trees about two dozen paces away.
Unused to long rides, Elisande was already feeling the effects. A moment off her horse sounded like a godsend, but she wondered how she would ever manage three days at this pace.
Then she corrected herself. At this speed, they were likely to reach the priory faster than any member of the baron’s household ever had and certainly faster than a nag and cart could manage.
Fear rose within her as she swung her leg over the saddle and slid from the horse, only to be plucked from the air by capable hands circling her waist.
