The Courtesan by Susan Carroll Read Free Book Online

Cassandra that she had never known one quiet moment with Nicolas Remy hidden on Faire Isle. But she faltered, obliged to admit that that wasn’t true as other memories flooded back to her.
    Gabrielle had been so restless and bored that summer, still coming to terms with the pain of her past, not yet able to chart the mysteries of a future beyond Faire Isle, the present seeming locked in endless quarrels with her sister, Ariane. But in looking after Remy, aiding in his recovery, Gabrielle had found a measure of peace. She recalled days in which she had forgotten herself entirely in her efforts to keep Remy’s mind off the pain of his wound. Doing anything to entertain him, even unpacking the remnants of girlhood she had put behind her, her books of poems and romances.
    Remy’s hands, so large and callused, had been better suited to wield a sword. He’d looked uncomfortable and awkward turning the leaves of her books, far preferring to have her read to him. But Gabrielle wondered how much sense he’d ever made of the words. She’d glance up from the page to find him staring at her with such a look of steadfast adoration. It had almost been enough to make her feel young and innocent again, untouched. Almost.
    Gabrielle stiffened in her chair, shying away from the recollection. But she became aware of Cassandra gently stroking her hand and urging, “Go on, Gabrielle. Remember.”
    Against her will, Gabrielle’s mind drifted to one particular afternoon when Remy had finally been well enough to rise from his bed and Gabrielle had persuaded him to steal away from the safety of the house, into the woods behind Belle Haven.
    The grass had felt cool and crisp beneath Gabrielle’s bare feet, the sun warm upon her face, but not as warm as Remy’s hand clasped in hers. Gabrielle’s breath snagged in her throat, her head filling with a clearer image of Remy than she’d had for a long time. Soul-weary eyes of a melting brown were shielded beneath thick dark lashes as he smiled down at her, his sensitive mouth so at odds with the rugged lines that time and hardship had carved into his face.
    Remy had had an unusually sweet smile for a man, a little solemn, a little shy, made all the more endearing by the fact that he—
    No. Gabrielle’s eyes flew open, her throat clogging with the familiar grief.
    “I can’t do this,” she said hoarsely.
    “Yes, you can,” Cassandra soothed, continuing her rhythmic caress of Gabrielle’s hand. “You must if you ever want to see Remy again. Just listen to me and I’ll carry you safely past the hurt.”
    Gabrielle sighed, unwilling to return to that August day, the last one she had ever shared with Remy before he’d ridden away from Faire Isle to meet his death. But as she fell under the spell of Cassandra’s hypnotic voice, Gabrielle closed her eyes and fought hard to remember that afternoon by the riverbank.
    She had been teasing Remy again despite the fact that Ariane had frequently scolded her for doing so. Tormenting the man, as her older sister had called it. But Nicolas Remy had needed to be teased out of his seriousness if ever a man did. He needed someone to ease that grave look from his eyes, to make him laugh, to forget for a time whatever heavy burdens he carried.
    Gabrielle had coaxed him into setting aside his solemn dignity and joining her in a favorite flight of fancy from her childhood, playing at knights and dragons.
    If she concentrated hard enough, she could still hear the rough timbre of his voice.
    “So does this game include a part where the fair damsel rewards her bold knight with a kiss?” Remy tried to make the question sound like a jest, but his deep brown eyes were far too serious for Gabrielle’s comfort.
    Gabrielle moved away from him, sweeping her skirts in a grand manner. “A kiss? Fie upon you. It is clear you understand nothing of damsels. We are a cold and cruel lot, requiring our champions to worship us from a distance. The most we ever allow is