Knight of Seduction by Cheryl Holt Read Free Book Online

him.    
    With Blodwin out of the castle, they’d enjoyed a measure of liberty they never had when she and Father Eustace were lording themselves over everyone.  Cadel had exhausted his freedom in a neighboring town, where he was infatuated with a tavern girl.  The girl’s mother was pleased to have such a grand boy sniffing around.  She encouraged Cadel, certain the relationship would bring wealth to her family, but the woman was a fool.  Even if her daughter ended up with child, Cadel would never provide for her.  Blodwin wouldn’t let him.
    When Hugh had arrived the previous day, Cadel had been gone, and Anne had been so distracted by Hugh’s appearance that she hadn’t considered sending for Cadel.  What could he have done anyway? 
    None of them could shout or threaten or demand that Hugh leave, and in Anne’s opinion, the longer Cadel stayed hidden from Hugh, the better.
    “What is it I just heard?” Cadel inquired.  “What is this nonsense about a wedding?”
    Rosamunde shooed the maid out the door, then turned to Cadel. 
    “Don’t worry,” she said.  “He thinks he’s marrying me, but—“
    “I’ll kill him first,” Cadel absurdly raged. 
    Obviously, he hadn’t yet seen Lord Hugh.  Cadel had a slight built and wasn’t much larger than Anne, and he’d never been trained to fight as he should have been.  In a brawl with Hugh, he’d do no more damage than a gnat on a horse’s rump.
    “No, no, listen,” Rosamunde said.  “Anne and I played a trick on him.  We switched places when we introduced ourselves.  He believes she is me.  He believes she is Lady Rosamunde.”
    Cadel smiled a sly smile.  “So we let the wedding proceed.  He’ll assume he’s marrying Ranulf’s daughter, and once it’s over, he’ll look like an idiot.”
    Anne ignored his rude contention that she wasn’t Ranulf’s child, and she snapped, “Absolutely not!  We’re not forging ahead.” 
    “Why?” Cadel scowled. “It’s a brilliant scheme!”
    “Because I’d be married to him.”
     “We’d get it annulled for you,” Cadel said.
    “Annulled!  Are you mad?  The king told him he can choose whoever he wants for his bride.  There’d be no grounds for an annulment.”
    “He’d have to consummate the union for it to be valid.”
    “He won’t have any trouble consummating.  He’s twice my size.  He could force me into any conduct.”
    “Oh, what should we do?” Rosamunde wailed.  “We can’t tell him that we deceived him.  He’d be so angry with us.”  She started wringing her hands with dismay.  “You haven’t met him, Cadel.  You don’t know what he’s like.  If he learns of our charade, there’s no predicting how he’ll respond.  And if he finds out that I am Rosamunde…”
    Her voice trailed off, her panic clear.  If Lord Hugh discovered her true identify, he might drag her to the altar instead of Anne.
    “He can’t marry either one of you,” Cadel asserted.  “He murdered Father.  It’s unseemly for him to even contemplate it.  The man is insane.”
    Hard footsteps were suddenly pounding up the stairs.  A group of determined men were marching in their direction.  Anne’s heart actually skipped several beats.
    “For goodness sake,” she moaned, “they’re coming for me.”
    “Stall them,” Cadel urged.
    “How?”
    “You’ll think of something.”  He dashed to the rear servant’s stairs.
    “Where are you going?” Rosamunde asked.  “You can’t leave us here to face them alone.”
    “I heard in the village that Mother and Father Eustace have been spotted a few miles out.  I’ll ride to fetch them and hurry them along.  They’ll put a stop to this entire farce.  Stall!” he said again, and then, he vanished.
    Anne could barely breathe.  She felt as if she was standing on the gallows and about to have a noose slipped ‘round her neck.  A fist thumped on the door, and she gulped with terror.
    “What should I say?” she