Dragonblade Trilogy - 03 - The Savage Curtain by Kathryn Le Veque Read Free Book Online

swore
there was lavender in them.  He had a beautifully square jaw, set like stone, and
a powerful brow.  Physically, the man was as close to perfection as she had
ever seen. 
    Suddenly, he dropped his hand and
rose from the bed. Startled, she watched him walk to the door and unbolt it.
    “Where are you going?” she asked.
    He looked at her, his expression
harboring a strange shadow of remorse.  He cleared his throat softly.
    “To see what has become of your
mother,” he replied. “You will not leave this room until I return.”
    So he was not as hard as she had
originally thought. His expression said it all and somehow, in some way, she
felt as if a weight had been lifted off of her.  It was kindness from a
stranger she had not expected.
    “I will not leave this room,” she
promised softly.
    With a short nod, he turned from
her and lifted the latch.  She called after him before he could get away.
    “Sir Stephen?”
    He paused. “Aye?”
    “For your kindness towards my
mother,” she grasped for words. “I… thank you.”
    He looked rather surprised by her
gratitude. And then he looked guilty.  Without another word, he quit the room.

 
     
     
     
     
    CHAPTER THREE
     
     
    Joselyn woke up the next morning
alone in the small, dirty bed.  It was light outside but she had no way of
knowing what time it was.  Stirring, she propped herself up on her elbows only
to realize that at some point during the night, someone had piled a mound of
woolen blankets on the bed and a fire burned low in the hearth.  The wood was
crumbling, indicating the fire had been burning for some time.  Just the least
bit curious, not to mention touched, she realized that Stephen must have
returned at some point.
    Sitting up, she swiftly
remembered that she hadn’t a stitch of clothing on.  Her rough surcoat and
shift were still on the floor where she had dropped them.  In spite of the
fire, the room was chilly and she moved to the edge of the bed, aiming for her
clothing on the floor, when more items caught her attention that hadn’t been
there the night before.
    A bucket of water and a small
cake of white soap sat on a small table just to the right of the bed.  Standing
up, she hooted when her feet hit the freezing floor as she hobbled over to the
soap and water.  A folded square of linen was placed behind the bucket,
presumably to dry off with, and her lips twitched with a smile.  She could
hardly believe that the cold, hard man she had met yesterday would actually
provide her with such luxuries and kindness that she could scarcely comprehend.
Perhaps he was not so cold and hard, after all.  It was too good to believe.
    Just as she picked up the soap,
the final surprise caught her eye; folded up quite neatly on a small
three-legged stool next to the water and soap, were at least two layers of
different colored material.  Intrigued, she picked up the first bundle and
watched it unfurl into a splendid surcoat the color of cranberries.  She
fingered the fabric, noting it was very soft wool that was long of sleeve and
square of neck.  It was also unhemmed and unfinished.
    Underneath it lay at shift made
out of a material so fine and soft that it was surely made of clouds.  Awed,
she picked it up, rubbed it against her cheek and was delighted to note that it
did not scratch her at all as the wool did. In fact, she had spent the past ten
years wearing rough woolen garments of all kinds and her skin was constantly
red and rashy from the material.  It was miserable but it was all she knew. The
introduction of the white shift made of angel’s wings had her reeling with
delight.
    Quickly, she threw off the dirty
tartan and washed liberally in the cold water.  She hooted and gasped as she
lathered the soap and bathed, unassisted, in the corner of the dingy room. It
had been the first bath she had taken in ages, so it was something of a delicious
treat.  The soap smelled strongly of pine but she didn’t care; it was