Page 12 of The Red Wolf’s Prize

Turning her gaze again to the floor, she hesitated beforespeaking. “She loves her people and her family, my lord. She is very loyal. Hadshe been a man, she would have fought with her father at Hastings. Most of all,she loves Talisand and would die for its people.”

Her voice, nearly breaking at the end, told him her wordswere spoken with deep emotion. She was close to the Lady of Talisand and to theold thegn.

“I’m told her brother took the lord’s place for a time,” hesaid, hoping she would continue to talk.

She raised her eyes to his. “Yea, Steinar did lead Talisandfor a time, but then he was drawn away by other battles.” When she spoke theyoung man’s name, a tender look came into her eyes. Did she love the old lord’sson? Mayhap she was his leman. The possibility was not to his liking.

Still holding her hand, he looked down at her palm seeingother signs. “These are the calluses of an archer. How is it a lady’shandmaiden comes to use a bow?”

The girl’s eyes shifted to her hand where Renaud had begunmoving his thumb across her palm in slow sensual circles. He was not unaffectedand, he suspected, neither was she.

“Rhodri taught me, my…my lord.” She spoke in ahalting whisper, confirming his touch was disrupting her thoughts. Then sheadded hastily, “I was not the only one. It was the old lord’s desire thatRhodri should teach all at Talisand who cared to learn.”

Renaud remembered that when the young servant women had beenreturned to the demesne, Sir Niel had taken several bows from them.

He stopped stroking her palm. She tried to pull back herhand but he had no intention of releasing her. “Who is this Rhodri?”

“He is a Welsh bard, my lord, who is also skilled with abow. The thegn met him on his travels and invited him here. He lived among usfor several years.”

“Where is the Welshman now?”

“I know not, my lord. Peradventure he is in Wales, thoughhis music and his skill with a bow are much in demand. He may yet be inEngland.”

“A bard and a bowman…an unusual combination.” Renaud frownedin concentration as he considered the idea.

“Not for a Welshman,” she said, matter-of-factly.

Renaud smiled, amused. She was so serious, so insistent,this servant who acted like no servant he’d ever known. “Aye, mayhap you areright. Many Welshmen would have both talents.”

He let go of her hand, but remained close. He knew now whathad attracted his men for he, too, was falling under her spell. She wasbeautiful and well-spoken and something about her enticed him. If she had beenthe leman of this brother of Lady Serena’s or the bard Rhodri, it was possibleshe was not a maiden and would accept an invitation to come to his bed. If LadySerena lingered in Scotland, he might have no woman for some time.

He brushed his knuckles along her jaw from her ear to herchin and then down her neck, feeling her skin like warm silk. She shivered andlooked away.

His mind conjured a picture of the feminine creature nakedin his bed. His heart beat rapidly and his loins grew heavy. Wild images beganfilling his head.

He imagined taking the beautiful serving girl in his armsand kissing her softly, deeply, hearing her purring with delight. In his mindhe lifted her in his arms and carried her to the fur covered bed. Throwing hergently to the bed cushion, he covered her beckoning body with his own, pressingfirmly into her softness as he kissed her again, letting his kisses rain overher face and down her neck, following a trail to the swell of her breasts. Hisexcitement was growing, his hardening manhood the proof.

“My lord,” Sarah whispered. “My lord, is something wrong?”This time the question was louder than before, bringing him back to thepresent. He blinked.

The girl looked as if she was preparing to flee. It had beentoo long since he’d had a woman. His heart pumping, he controlled his breathand shook himself out of his fantasy.

“Sarah, would you come willingly to my bed?”

Angry violet eyes glared at him. “Nay! I may be seventeensummers but I am a maiden still!”

So, the kitten has claws. Her fierce reactionsuggested she spoke the truth, or was it only that she hated Normans enough tolie and lie well?

“You have said no woman would be forced by you or your men,”she reminded him.

He slid a finger along her jaw and saw her shiver. “Youcould come to me of your own accord, Sarah. I desire you.” It occurred to himthen that if she were a maiden still, mayhap he should help her find a worthyhusband among his men, but he found no joy in such a thought. No, he wantedthis one in no other bed but his own.

She glared at him. “Are you not promised to Lady Serena?”

He stepped back at her challenging words, forcing his ardorto cool. “Yea, she has been given to me by William’s decree, and I will takeher to wife because I must. It is my duty. But she is not here. Even if shewere, you could be my leman.” He knew he would never have a desire like thisfor the woman William had ordered him to marry. And he did not want to let thecomely servant go.

“Nay! I would never come willingly to a Norman’s bed. And Iwill be no man’s whore.”

Her words hit him like a hard slap. He was surprised aservant would be so adamant to refuse her lord, now an earl, even if he were aNorman. But he would not press the matter. He could be patient, at least for awhile. With the challenge of wooing Sarah to his bed, he might not mind theabsence of Lady Serena.