Will looked back over his shoulder at her. Remarkable. Third day riding and she appeared as fresh as the first day he saw her. Apparently sleeping outdoors at night and traveling all day suited her. In truth, she slept better than he did. His sleep was broken frequently, but every time he looked at her in the night, he found her sound asleep, curled up in her cloak.
In the morning, her head would poke out from the cover of her fur-lined cloak like a dear little forest creature leaving its den. He liked to see her face first thing in the morning, her cheeks pink, and lips puffy from sleep. He liked to watch her last thing at night, too. She would plait her hair into one thick braid before burrowing under her cloak. Then, first thing in the morning, she’d shake the wavy tresses free.
He tried to run his gloved hand through his hair, but it got caught in the tangles of curls. Somehow, a stick had gotten stuck there. He plucked it out and threw it to the ground.
They had long left the moors behind them and were in territory familiar to him. The branches of the trees lining the road and arching overhead were heavy with snow, almost blue in the fading light. The horses moved silently over the blanket of snow, and he heard the trickle of a stream, hidden among the trees.
When the village came into view, he looked back at her again and noted the tension on her face.
“We’ll spend the night at the inn. I do look forward to sleeping with a roof over my head and a mattress beneath me. How does that sound to you? Spending the night together comfortably. Getting to know each other at our leisure,” he called back to her. The look of alarm on her face was priceless. He turned back to the road to hide the smirk on his face. It amused him to prick her virginal ears. How he would miss this when she was gone.
Juliana rode up closer to him as they entered the quiet village. The only sound was a sign creaking over a door as the wind buffeted it. A warm, orange glow spilled out of the windows of the building from which it hung.
“The inn. We’ll stay here the night. And, by the way, you’re my wife now. I made you such this moment. I’ll try and make it pleasurable for you while the marriage lasts.”
She glared at him. “I find one can endure most things when there is an end in sight.”
Will let out a hearty laugh. “Prepare yourself. I’m good at stretching out the hours.”
“I’m glad you amuse yourself, if no one else. ’Twould be such a waste of breath, if not for that.”
“We’ll see the horses stabled,” he said as he dismounted.
He held out a hand to her, which she ignored and helped herself to the ground. He swept his hand back in a dramatic bow to her. She smirked at him and threw back her hood. In an instant, he saw they might have a problem.
“Could you not look…” He faltered to find the words.
“What? Could I not look what?”
“Ah, I just wonder... Could you make yourself...less comely? ’Tis not good to attract too much attention in a place like this.”
When she only knitted her eyebrows in confusion, he reached into his pocket and took out a cap, which he fitted on her head, pulling the side flaps down to cover as much of her hair and face as possible. Looking at the results, he saw it was no use.
“Just stay close to me, look down, and keep your back to the room.”
Forgetting the instruction to keep her face down, Juliana looked about her with interest. They’d stepped out of the cold and quiet into a merry scene. The inn was warm—hot, even—with a roaring fire in the fireplace and many bodies packed around the low-ceilinged room. Boards were laid across barrels to make tables, and many of the benches were full. The sweet trill of pipes playing filled the air over the roar of conversations.
She felt an elbow to the ribs. Sir William leaned down to her and whispered in her ear, “Keep your head down.” It was then she noticed all faces were turned toward the newcomers, or more specifically, toward her.
He put his arm across her shoulder, sheltering her under his cloak, and led her to a corner where a table had been set up. She went to sit down on the bench against the wall, but he propelled her up and over to the facing bench.
“I do not sit with my back to the room. Ever. And you should sit with your face to the wall.”
A young woman wearing a turban of linen over her hair came over to them brandishing ale in leather cups. She bent down low when placing the cups on the table, giving a view of the tops of her bosom. Juliana noticed she made prolonged eye contact with Sir William, who seemed to enjoy that very much, indeed. Juliana gave him a sharp kick in the boot.
He turned his sights away from the serving girl and looked at her with his cheek sucked in, eyebrows raised in surprise. “My wife and I would like something to eat. We’ll be staying the night. And tell the innkeeper we require a private chamber.” He said all this with his eyes fixed on Juliana, the corner of his mouth twitching in mirth. The girl bowed and left.
Her stomach clenched. “A private chamber?”
“Unless you want to sleep with this lot,” he said, sweeping his arms out.
The look on his face made her blood heat up. She looked down at the table. When a trencher laden with stew was placed in front of her, she started, and looked up. Sir William nodded his thanks to the serving girl and took out his knife to eat. She watched him stab a chunk of meat, which he held in front of his mouth and then paused to look at her. His golden ringlets caught the candlelight. Days out in the open had made his hair wild with curls as if it were a live thing.
“Do you have a knife? But, of course you do. I see you’re never without it within easy reach.” He winked at her and flashed that grin, popping the morsel into his mouth. “Hmmm. Not bad. Rabbit, I think. Sweet looking creatures. It’s almost a shame to eat them, but they do taste divine. Hard to resist such a treat, and I am only a man…after all.”
Suddenly, Juliana who had been suffering hunger pangs earlier had no desire to eat. “Sir William, I—”
“Call me Will. Why aren’t you eating?”
“I was going to say I’m not hungry.”
“You must eat. Go on.” He put down his knife and watched her.
She pushed around the food with her knife before settling on a small piece of meat, thick with sauce. When she put it in her mouth, her appetite returned with a ferocity. Nothing tasted as good as the food before her, though she’d had better. Days of hard traveling on only cold cheese and bread made this first hot meal seem like a novelty. She plunged her knife in again and again, her hand moving rapidly from trencher to lips. All the food was gone, and she was down to the trencher soaked in juices, when she remembered her companion.
Will was staring at her with his mouth gaping. “I do enjoy a woman with an appetite.”
She became aware of the grease coating her fingertips. There was no tablecloth on the table to wipe her hands on, so she had to do with her dress, which was already worse for wear. “I didn’t realize how hungry I was.”
“Makes me wonder what other appetites you’ve been suppressing.”
“Oh, what are you spouting off about now?”
He steepled his fingers. “’Tis just that you’re so young to be resigned to your lot in life, as you say. What of love?”
“What of love? My sister gambled on love and lost all.”
“If everyone lost at that gamble, none of us would be here. Besides, I wonder if your sister could speak for herself if she’d say it wasn’t worth it.”
“Of course, she’d say the gamble wasn't worth it! She died humiliated and heartbroken.”
All the while they talked, his eyes darted about as if taking the measure of the other occupants in the room. “I don’t know. To experience the spark of passion…to be washed away by love.”
“You speak from experience, I take it.”
His face lit up. “Oh, yes! Frequently! I love being in love. I can’t imagine life without it.”
“You sound a rather fickle lover. I imagine you a bee going from flower to flower, taking what you need and moving on. Sampling.”
He continued to scan the room as he spoke. “And what’s wrong with that? I give pleasure as well as receive it. What else do we have? I wonder if your sister, given the same choice, even knowing how ’twould turn out, would go down the same path. Passion is a strong master who rarely consults reason.”
She had to wonder, as well. Her sister had been so happy in love. She was altered by it. But when pain came, ’twas in equal measure to the pleasure. Nay, she’d be better off not having known love.
Juliana turned her attention back to Will. No wary expression on his face, now. He was looking over her shoulder with an appraising grin on his face and one eyebrow cocked.
She turned her head to look over her shoulder only to see the serving girl looking at Will with sly, downcast eyes while chewing on her thumb.
“What are you doing? Are you flirting with that girl?”
“What of it?”
“What of it! In front of your wife! How do you think that makes me look?”
He sat back and tilted his head. A chuckle bubbled out of his mouth. “She minds!”
“Of course, I mind. If only for the sake of appearance.”
He leaned forward. “You’re right, wife.” He took her hand and rubbed the pad of flesh between her thumb and index finger. “My beauty. My own. I want to rest mine eyes only on you.” His eyes sparkled, and though she tried to pull her hand away, he held her with a strong grip. “When I am with you, the rest of the world slips away. ’Tis only you and me.”
He bent over, and while looking at her, ran his lips over the backs of her fingers. His touch so light, she felt a frisson between her skin and his lips that buzzed down the length of her arm. Then, he parted his lips and caught the tip of one finger—and then another—in his mouth. She sat, stunned, as he explored her flesh with his hard teeth and velvety tongue. All the while, the deep, appreciative hum he made in his throat vibrated in her veins, making her feel light-headed.
She snatched her hand away, scandalized and flustered. “I don’t care for your teasing.” Without being aware of doing so, she’d found herself poised on the very edge of her seat, her boots pushing hard against his under the table.
His eyes had grown darker and his breath came deep and rapid. “Do you think I toy with you?” His voice was soft, almost pleading. “I do not.”
• ♥ •
She avoided meeting his eyes after they left the table. If the passion he’d aroused in her showed on her face, she would be mortified. He remained strangely silent, too, as they made their way up to the chamber on the second floor. The innkeeper led, holding an oil lamp in front of him.
When he flung open the door, Juliana’s legs went weak when she spied the single, large bed. He left the lamp on a crude sort of table and left them alone. Will cleared his throat, which she thought a preamble to one of his inappropriate comments, but he remained mute. Her heart beat wildly. She stood in the middle of the room, unsure of what to do. He moved up behind her, and without looking, she knew where he was. She was keenly aware of his presence. She held her breath and closed her eyes.
He gave out a long, shuddering sigh. “You should go to bed now. This will be the first decent night’s sleep you’ve had in days.”
She spun around, but he was already moving away. He whipped his cloak off and to her surprise he laid it on the floor before the door.
“I’ll sleep here, blocking the door. I didn’t like the look of some of them downstairs.”
“All right,” she said in a weak voice, removing her own cloak. She hesitated before stripping off her outer kirtle and garments to her chemise, her back to him. She’d been sleeping fully clothed for days and couldn’t bear the thought of one more night thus. She laid her clothes over a stool to air, and retrieved her book. Then, she climbed under the covers as fast as she could.
When she dared glance over, Will was on his back, hands resting on his stomach. In the half-darkness, she couldn’t see if his eyes were open or closed. A restlessness had taken hold of her, and she knew sleep would not come easily. Instead, she read poetry by the dim light.
“’Tis good, you know.” His voice shot through the dark, startling her.
“What’s good?”
“Love. Sharing a bed. Holding someone in your arms.”
A burn starting at her chest, flashed up to her ears. “If you’re waiting for an invitation, you—”
“Nay. I’m on guard by the door here. I just wanted you to think about what you’ll be missing whilst caring for your father.”
“You don’t miss what you don’t know.”
“I think you do. Maybe by different measure, but you do miss it.”
“You know so much about the subject. Why aren’t you married?”
“Who said I’m not married?”
A pain, like a band around her heart, gripped her. “You have a wife?”
“Did. I did have a wife. She died.”
“I’m sorry. How did she—”
“In childbirth. The baby died, as well.”
Visions of blood soaked sheets. Cries of pain...and then eternal silence. “I’m so very sorry. You loved her?”
There was a long pause. “My feelings grew. I was...fond of her.”
“How long ago—”
“Good night. Don’t worry about the light bothering me. Go on reading.” He flipped over on his side with a lot of noise and thrashing.
And I do know what ’tis like to sleep with someone in my arms. With that thought, Juliana blew out the light and settled into bed.