Shade of Destiny (The Foreseeing) by Shannon M Yarnold Read Free Book Online Page B

eventually relented as she realised Wynn meant her and her puppies no harm. One of the puppies stopped drinking and turned and looked at Wynn, its tail wagging furiously with curiosity. Wynn smiled at the little puppy, feeling a spike of jealously that the puppy knew its mother and was loved and cared for – before quickly brushing the feeling away.
         The woman carried a baby, a few weeks old; it slept against her breast, a shock of black hair covering its head, to match hers. Around the baby’s neck a thin golden chain lay against the folds of her dress, a tiny star pendant dangling from it, glinting in the meagre light.
         Wynn closed her eyes to block out her dream, for some reason today it was smothering, an inescapable part of her. She took a deep breath and forced herself to think of nothing but the horses that surrounded her. Satisfied her dream would not plague her she stood up and walked back through the stables to the entrance. A black mare beside Wynn, who Wynn had spent slightly longer stroking, poked her head over the stall and nudged her shoulder to gain her attention.
          “Ebony,” Wynn smiled, turning round to stroke the horse’s long smooth nose once more.
          “Beautiful isn’t she?” A voice said admiringly from behind Wynn. Wynn jumped away from Ebony in shock, her hands clenched in fear, searching around for the voice. She spotted a figure standing in the entrance of the stables, silhouetted by the sunlight. His outline was distinctly male and Wynn felt a shiver of fear, knowing she could be whipped for visiting the stables.
          “Yes,” she agreed weakly, forcing herself to answer, as was only proper for a maid, lowering her head so the man could not see her face. The man walked closer to her, his footsteps mirroring her beating heart and through her lashes she could see he was young, with long, brown hair which he had tied back with a leather throng, a gentle face and strong chin. He wore long, thigh high, black leather boots over riding breeches and an off-white shirt.
         He reached Wynn and Ebony, patted Ebony on the neck, who whinnied softly at his touch and turned to Wynn, “Who are you?”
          Wynn blushed in shame and fear, her head still lowered, “I am no one, just a maid, I sometimes come here to see the horses,” she whispered. Her shoulders clenched as she waited for the strike, how would it materialise? A slap, a punch, the crack of a whip? Either way she knew it was inevitable.
          The young man smiled wryly, “Well don’t you worry, our visit shall remain a secret, horses need love and attention and it seems you are one of the only people here that give it to them. Certainly you are the only person I have seen in here since I arrived. What is your name?”
          Wynn gulped painfully, her mouth dry in fear, “Wynn,” she said hoarsely.
          The young man smiled and held out his hand in welcome. Wynn stepped back despite herself, fearing the pain that would come at the hand of this young man. She was used to men coming and going from the Manor, and more often than not they showed a less than innocent interest in her, they came in all guises and this young man was no different in her eyes. The man frowned at her reaction to him, taking his hand away and looking carefully at Wynn’s face for the first time. He noted her bleeding lip, red marks scratched down on her cheek. Wynn felt his eyes searching her face and turned away.
          He put his hand on her shoulder and forced her to turn around and face him, his grip was strong and insistent and Wynn could not have fought it even if she tried, “What happened to you? Who did this?” He demanded.
          Wynn shook her head and moved to leave but the man pulled her back and waited. Wynn’s heart beat against her chest, wondering what would happen now. She was in an impossible situation, she was in the stables without permission and this stranger was