Page 38 of Castle of Refuge

The snake lifted its head and her stomach sank.

It was a dangerous adder.

The servants at home had taught her which snakes were poisonous, and this was definitely one of the poisonous ones. She’d only encountered one once before on her walks, and it had moved away from her before she had time to get very frightened. But this one was close.

“If it is within two feet of you, it can strike you in less than a moment,” her father’s groom had told her.

“You must not move, or it will strike,” another had said.

Audrey held her breath, her hand still over her mouth. Was the thing staring at her? Its little tongue flicked out of its mouth, moving about, then darted back inside.

She couldn’t stay motionless forever. It would surely strike her. And she had no weapon, nothing except the cloth bag she was clutching to her chest.

It moved its raised head slightly, its black eyes trained on her.

If she could just move back, out of its striking range, she would be safe. She would run and it could not catch her. Could it?

She took a step back. It jerked its head slightly and slithered closer. She took another step back, but her foot landed on something big and round. A fallen tree. She lost her balance and screamed, throwing her bag toward the snake as she fell backward. The back of her head struck the ground.

Ten

Edwin heard a scream. He pushed his horse to go faster, weaving around tree trunks and ducking branches, holding on to the pommel and leaning forward to keep from slipping. Just when he wondered if he was going in the right direction, he saw Audrey standing among a cluster of trees, clutching her bag to her chest. Why was she so still? Then he saw the poisonous adder in front of her, its head up, coiled and ready to strike.

He slid off his horse and drew his sword.

Audrey screamed and fell backward, throwing her bag at the snake. The snake struck the bag, biting it, then pulled away. It coiled itself again, its head swaying as if trying to find its prey.

“Don’t move!” Edwin kept his eyes on the snake, stepping between it and Audrey.

“Oh!” she cried. “It will bite you!”

The coiled snake was getting ready to strike. Edwin sliced his sword blade through the snake’s body, cutting off its head.

He turned to find Audrey staring up at him with wide eyes. He held his hand out to her and focused on fixing his feet firmly enough not to fall as he pulled her up.

“Oh, thank you!” She peered around him to stare at the snake. “Is it dead?” She clutched his hand in hers and pressed her other hand over her heart.

“Yes.”

“You saved me.” She gazed up at him. In that moment, with the way she was looking at him, he felt as whole and strong as he had before he lost his arm.

She seemed to realize she was still holding his hand and let go. She took a step away from him.

Edwin bent and, careful not to lose his balance, picked up her bag and handed it to her.

“I suppose you know who I am now.”

He simply looked her in the eye. What explanation would she make?

“In case you don’t, I am the daughter of the Viscount Engleford and I was pledged to marry Sir Clement.”

“Yes. I know.”

“You will not send me back, will you? Please don’t send me back.”

“To your father?”

She nodded. Her bottom lip trembled just before she clamped her teeth on it.