Wildewood Revenge by B.A. Morton Read Free Book Online Page A

eating; looked at her bowl suspiciously. If they’d wanted to finish her off, they could simply have left her in the forest.
    “I have eaten.”
    “You look hungry.”
    “I’m always hungry,” Edmund said simply. He grinned at her and gestured to the bowl. “Please eat yer fill, Miles will soon return.”
    “Why is he not taking me home? What does he plan to do with me, Edmund?” She picked at the food. Despite her hunger, she had no appetite. The strong taste of the meat and the way it had been boiled within an inch of its life, made her feel queasy. She put down the bowl, slipped the knife into her pocket and ran her fingers through the tangled strands of her short hair picking out blades of straw in a vain attempt to regain some semblance of normality.
    “I will take you to Kirk Knowe eventually.” Miles appeared suddenly in the doorway behind her. Propped casually against the doorframe, he added, “But first, I plan to collect some compensation for my trouble, from the bishop.” He smiled at her, a crooked smile with a glint in his eyes. He looked younger. Less weary; more dangerous.
    “Do not concern yourself, you’ll soon be back in the safety of the convent and I will be a good deal richer. A satisfactory conclusion do you not agree?” He didn’t wait for a reply. “Edmund put out the fire. Mademoiselle finish your food now, we must make haste.”
    What was he talking about now? What convent? Which bishop? But there was no time to ask questions. She was swept up by him and manhandled out to the horses. Real horses just as he’d said. Well, he could forget that. The last time she’d allowed herself to be manhandled she’d almost ended up in prison. She dug her heels into the snowy ground.
    “Let me go,” she insisted, as he made to lift her onto the horse.
    “We need to make haste, the weather is set to turn again and we’ve a distance yet to travel.”
    “Do you really expect me to go with you?”
    Did he think she was a fool, had no will of her own? Well perhaps she did have a foolish streak, her behaviour over the previous year had rather proved that, but she also had an iron will.
    He cocked his head quizzically and removed his hands from her waist. “I do.”
    “I’d rather not,” she said, in what she hoped was a self-assured voice, but came out a little less so and rather prim.
    “You do not have the luxury of choice, Mademoiselle,” he replied as he turned and tightened the horse’s girth.
    “You’re a stranger, I don’t know you, I’m certainly not about to wander off into the wilderness with you.” She didn’t appreciate having to address his back either. She resisted the urge to prod him.
    Miles shrugged. “We have introduced ourselves, we are no longer strangers.”
    “Nevertheless, I think I’ll just stay here, someone will find me eventually, someone who’s prepared to take me straight home to Kirk Knowe .” She took a hurried step away, as he turned quickly and she found him a little too close for comfort.
    “You’re already found, I have found you. What more do you want? This is not a well beaten path. There will be no more travellers this winter. If you wait here alone you will perish and no one will benefit from your ransom.” He raised one brow and smiled his crooked smile. “Seems a waste, don’t you agree?”
    She hesitated, reluctant to go with this unknown man, to a destination, far from her home. Similarly, she had no wish to remain alone and injured in this remote place. He was cocky and arrogant, but was he dangerous she wondered, did he mean her harm? He was smiling now, a rather charming smile, but she hesitated nevertheless.
    “I want to go home,” she stated flatly.
    “And I want to go on,” he replied. “I have neither the time nor inclination, to retrace our steps through the storm.”
    “I don’t care what you want.”
    He narrowed his eyes and smiled a little slyly. “A foolish move, Mademoiselle, I would also suggest rather