Vengeance 02 - Trust In Me by Lana Williams Read Free Book Online Page B

forward to stand in front of Nicholas. “Are you a knight, sir?”
    Nicholas looked down at the child and smiled. “Aye, but I’m a lord as well.”
    “A lord? Truly?”
    Her doubtful expression made Nicholas chuckle. He squatted down so he could look her in the eyes. “Don’t I look like a lord?”
    “Nay, sir. All the lords I’ve seen are old and ugly.”
    “Sarah,” Elizabeth admonished her.
    “’Tis all right,” Nicholas said. “I think Sarah has a valid point.” He winked at Elizabeth, who blushed an even deeper shade.
    “My lady?” a woman’s voice called from inside the cottage. “May I ask your assistance?”
    “A moment, Edith,” Elizabeth answered. “Was there something you needed, Lord Trisbane?”
    “Aye. You.”
    Her mouth opened, and she stared down at him, eyes round, clearly shocked by his answer.
    Their surroundings narrowed until all he saw was her. He slowly stood, ignoring the wide-eyed girl between them. Lord, he did need her. Though he’d been watching for her most of the day, now that he had her, he couldn’t think of what he was supposed to do.
    He smiled, trying to ease the sudden tension in the air. “I was hoping to speak with you again.”
    “Oh.” She looked down at the girl and to the other children standing nearby. “I need to help Edith and then I suppose I’ll have a bit of time.”
    “I’ll wait.”
    Her expression turned doubtful. “Here? With the children? Perhaps you should return to the hall,” she suggested.
    She could not lose him that easily, not after he’d waited most of the day to find her. “Aye. Here. With the children.”
    “Lady Elizabeth?” the woman in the cottage called again.
    “Children, be on your best behavior with Lord Trisbane, please. I’ll return shortly.” She gave each of them a stern look then shot him one last glance before entering the cottage.
    He waited, hands on hips, wishing he’d asked how long she’d be. A giggle sounded, bringing Nicholas’s attention back to the children. They stared as though waiting for him to do something.
    Was he supposed to entertain them? Perhaps meeting Elizabeth in the hall would’ve been a better choice.
    But no. He could do this. They were children after all. How hard could it be?
    *
    “We’ll need more birch leaves come summer for the yellow colors and juniper berries for certain, don’t you agree, my lady?” Edith, the dyer, sorted through a basket of thread, her stout form bent with age.
    “Ah...indeed. That would do nicely.” Elizabeth couldn’t keep her mind on the task before her. Selecting the proper colors with the dyer was an important job, especially for the threads for her tapestries, but her mind wandered outside.
    “Is something wrong?” Edith peered up at Elizabeth with a concerned frown on her wrinkled face.
    “Actually, I need to tend to another matter. Could we finish this later?”
    “Certainly. Were those children bothering you?”
    “Nay. Nothing like that.”
    “ Oh .” The emphasis the dyer put on the word made Elizabeth follow the old woman’s gaze outside.
    “Ohhh,” Elizabeth repeated in a sigh, her heart melting at the sight before her.
    Lord Trisbane sat on the ground, Sarah’s small form cuddled in his lap. Edmund stood before him with a stick in his hand. The lord seemed to be instructing the boy on the proper way to wield a sword.
    “That man would be a good one to hold on to, my lady.”
    “What?” So enthralled by the sight of the powerful lord entertaining the children, it took Elizabeth a moment to realize what Edith meant. She shook her head. “He’s just passing through.”
    “Mark my words; he’ll be back.” She gave Elizabeth a pat on the arm. “Go on with you now. ’Tis a fine afternoon for a little romance. Moments such as these should be seized, my lady, for they are rare indeed.” She laughed and nudged Elizabeth out the door.
    Rather than trying to explain this was not one of those moments, Elizabeth conceded.