Page 35 of Dragon Heir

I shook my head. “No, he was just wondering what I was doing out here.” A nervous laugh escaped me. “So am I.”

“Rose?”

The worried voice came from the door where Will stood in the frame. A concerned expression accented his features as he hurried up to me, though he was mindful enough to close the door behind him.

He grasped my arms and looked about our small group. “Is there a problem?”

“I noticed a suspicious person peering into the pub and followed him through the back alleys to one of the local inns,” Raines informed him.

“Did he notice you following him?” Will wondered.

Raines smiled and shook his head. “I don’t believe so, My Lord, though he was nervous enough to stop and look over his shoulder many times.”

“It was that sneak, Donald Wrecan,” Ealdor spoke up with a sneer on his lips. “The damned fool was seeing if you could wrangle up all those complaints and knock ‘em down as you did.”

“He didn’t look too happy about that,” I added as I twisted my head around to look at Will.

He grinned. “I’m glad to hear that. They’re setting up dancing in there and I was curious if I could find a partner out here.”

My eyes twinkled as I nodded at Raines. “Since Raines is so sneaky I bet he’s good on his feet in a dance, too.”

Will chuckled. “I am sure he is, but he doesn’t quite have the right. . .build that I had in mind.” He looked me over. “You, however, appear to have such a build, so if your companions won’t mind-”

Even if they had, he didn’t give them a chance to object as he wrapped an arm around my waist and whisked me back inside. The tables had been pushed against the walls and most of the people watched as the couples stepped onto the impromptu dance floor. A man whipped out a fiddle and a woman stood tall and straight in front of him with a gentle smile for her audience. She opened her mouth and the most beautiful sound came forth. The pace was a fast waltz and the dancers took it in stride to go even faster.

Will swept me into his arms and onto the floor where we joined the flow of merriment. I couldn’t help but laugh as more than one partner accidentally prodded the toe of their sweetheart with their foot. The crowd laughed with me and even Will smiled.

“Get a load of the lord and his lady!” someone shouted.

The other dancers stepped back so all could take in the view of Will and me waltzing across the floor. I blushed under the attention but Will couldn’t have been prouder.

He leaned in and lowered his voice to a whisper. “You are doing fantastic.”

I snorted. “That’s because I have a good partner.”

“It takes two to dance,” he reminded me as he spun me in a fast circle that left me breathless.

A man cupped his hand around his mouth. “A dance for all of us, Lady Thorn!”

“Aye!”

“Let us welcome you with a dance!”

“A dance for all of us!”

Oh boy. It was going to be a long night.

Chapter Twenty-One

And boy, was it.

The weak light of a foggy morning greeted me. I creaked open my eyes and glared at the slender shafts of light that streamed in through the windows of the bedroom I shared with Will. Murmuring voices came from downstairs. I rolled over and discovered that I was alone in bed. That early bird always wanted those worms.

I sat up and stretched my arms above my head. Big mistake. My back cracked like fireworks and something twanged. I winced and rubbed my aching back muscles. Then I moved my attention to my legs and arms.

“I should’ve stopped at the twentieth dance. . .” I murmured as I gingerly tapped the soles of my feet against the floor. Yep, definitely sore. The calves were in rags and my thighs were now stringy enough I wondered if I would fit in my jeans or if they would drop off my hips.

I eased myself onto my feet and slipped into some comfortable clothes. The murmuring downstairs had ceased and I made my way over to the door, but something made me pause with my hand wrapped around the handle.

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