Page 38 of Saxon Blade Norman Blood
When the Saxon had dragged her to one side to expose his plan to her, she had almost fainted. But mercifully, she had been able to hold on to her composure until the end of the encounter and everything had gone smoothly. William had not betrayed any suspicion and he and Cuthbert had parted ways as if they’d been the best of friends. She let out a shaky breath. Mayhap it would be all right; mayhap he had not seen anything amiss.
While she was lost in her musings, he led her to a clearing in the woods then stopped for no understandable reason.
“So,” he said, jumping from his horse. Hand on the hilt of his sword, he walked toward an old, gnarled oak. “It seems I finally have my answer. Cuthbert is your master.”
He sounded detached, indifferent almost. Someone who didn’t know him might not have detected any anger in his tone, but Rowena knew different.
He was about to explode.
“He’s n-not,” she stammered.
This she hadn’t seen coming. She’d been so worried William would realize who she was, that him believing her Cuthbert’s creature instead was a shock.
“Don’t eventhinkof lying to me,” he growled. “I saw the looks between you two. Once I realized what was going on I cut the meeting short for fear I strangled him on the spot. But I had to find out the truth first.”
Her heart skipped a beat. He sounded impossibly bitter, as if she had betrayed him. All of a sudden she understood why he had taken her to this deserted spot. He thought he had identified his elusive enemy at last, the man who supposedly wanted him dead. As a consequence, she was of no use anymore—and he was about to get rid of her.
Bile rose into her throat. How would she stop him from killing her?
She slid down from the saddle, fighting the impulse to throw herself at his feet and beg for mercy. She didn’t want to die, not now, not like this. Not by his hand.
Not for something she was innocent of.
“Please, I swear, it’s not what you think.” She could barely talk for fear.
Never had William appeared more formidable than in this moment. If he drew his sword she would be dead before she knew what had happened. Even armed to the teeth, she would never be a match for a man like him.
“Is it not? Are you saying that Cuthbert doesn’t know you? That he did not ask you to kill me? That he did not give you a dagger?” William challenged, coming toward her. “If I slipped my hands under your dress, I would not find any weapons? Shall I try?”
“No, I…” The mere thought of him running his fingers over her body made her knees buckle. “I will do that.”
She turned around and reached out to her stocking with trembling hands.
“I see. This isexactlywhat I thought,” he commented when she turned back to face him, dagger in hand.
“I-I swear I had no intention of using it on you. Cuthbert did give it to me, he did ask me to kill you, but we had never had any agreement before today, I swear. You must believe me.”
“Imust?” William let out a grating laugh. “I don’t think you are in a position to tell me what I must or must not do. But before anything else…”
Rowena had no idea how he’d done it but in the blink of an eye, he had disarmed and immobilized her against a tree trunk, imprisoning her wrists in an iron hold. The dagger lay on the grass some ten feet away from her. She was utterly at his mercy.
“Now,” he growled, his mouth at her ear. “Tell me precisely what Cuthbert told you to do. And why.”
*
It was only when he asked the question that William realized that incredibly, he was giving the girl the benefit of the doubt.
Again.
He was giving her a chance to justify herself when there was no way of knowing if what she was about to tell him was the truth or some elaborate lie meant to appease him. He waited, holding her close, willing her to be honest, staring deep into her eyes.
She seemed petrified of what he would do in his anger, with good reason. In that moment he wasn’t sure what his reaction would be if he convinced himself she was Cuthbert’s pawn.
“So?”
“It’s…”
The girl seemed unable to organize her thoughts. Whether that was because she was wild with fear or because his proximity had created havoc within her, he wasn’t sure. But he could not make himself less threatening when he was beside himself with fury and disappointment. To think only this morning he had flattered himself that they had reached a new understanding. The disillusion hit him hard, just as when he’d found the dagger in his bed at Old Sarum and he was not sure how to handle it.
