An Oath Taken by Diana Cosby Read Free Book Online

and started to shove them down.
    At Thomas’s gasp, he turned.
    The lad stared at him, his mouth agape and his eyes shimmering with fear. Slowly, a blush swept across Thomas’s face, then he averted his gaze.
    Nicholas swore softly, cursing the men who’d raped the lad. He hadn’t thought twice about disrobing in his own chambers, but then again, it came back to the issue of trust. Regardless of the circumstance, his squire must learn that he would never do him harm. “I know your past has led you to distrust men, but I have given you my word that I will never harm you.”
    Silence.
    As if he expected different? ’Twould take time. “Go to sleep, Thomas.” The feather-stuffed mattress sank under his weight. He tugged the heavy wool blanket halfway up to his chest then closed his eyes. An owl hooted in the distance. A cow bellowed from the courtyard below. Wind blew in a quiet hush, the clean scent of the night and of the moors he was coming to love filled the chamber, but sleep evaded him.
    Nicholas stared out the arched window to where stars filled the sky, exasperated by his inability to deal in the correct manner with this one lad.
    Throughout the years he had handled numerous difficult situations with finesse. Often he would be called upon to end fights or to instill logic when none seemed about. On the Isle of Man after a major confrontation, through negotiations he had played a significant role in defusing conflicts that had cooled tempers and erased rumblings of further rebellion—the reason King Edward had chosen him to serve as castellan of Ravenmoor Castle.
    In the past common sense had served him well, but ’twould seem on matters concerning his squire, his every gesture of good will ended up in shambles. Why?
    The soft slide of the blanket sounded.
    Nicholas glanced over. “I know you are awake.”
    The flames sputtered then swayed erratically in the hearth. An owl, closer this time, called into the night.
    After a long moment, Thomas rolled over and faced him. “Aye?”
    A thousand questions spun in his mind. Should he ask about his past? No, his previous efforts assured him ’twould serve to make the lad withdraw. Ask about his family? Nay. Mayhap ’twas their differences, or those perceived by the lad, that erected the wall between them. If his squire saw that his own path hadn’t been easy, mayhap ’twould be the key to forming the all-important first steps to trust.
    â€œWhen I was six and ten I had the fortune of being sent to a monastery to study.” Nicholas smiled as the past tumbled into his mind. “I remember the pride of that day, of riding alongside my uncle into the grand courtyard surrounded by walls that had taught a myriad of students, diplomats from other countries, sons from influential families, and royalty. Only through King Edward’s intercession had I been granted permission to attend.”
    â€œYou are a priest?” Confusion and a touch of awe filled Thomas’s voice.
    Remorse tainted Nicholas’s thoughts, and his smile fell. “Nay.” The sense of loss after all of these years still cut deep. “I never finished my studies.”
    A log settled in the hearth. Flames skittered and danced around the thin column of smoke lazing up into the night. Silence, thick with unanswered questions, filled the chamber like the scarred memories haunting his mind.
    He waited for the questions of why, but after a long silence he realized that his squire would not pry. If Nicholas chose to share the innermost secrets of his past, his pain, the decision would be his.
    The revelation shook him. He’d not expected this depth of understanding, or mayhap deep down he’d known. That would explain the draw, the unexplainable need to share with this one lad more about his personal life than he had with anyone else—ever.
    The moment grew thick with barely restrained emotion, a quiet force that