Page 28 of Promises Made at Midnight
Ulrick moved slightly into the chamber but still not far enough inside to shut the door. His hand reached out to caress her cheek and she leaned into the warmth of his palm. His hand then skimmed around to her neck, and he gently pulled her forward to place a soft kiss upon her already swollen lips.
“I will not defile you while my liege lord is but several doors down this very corridor, my lady,” he said quietly, while his thumb once more caressed her cheek.
“Defile? Could you please rephrase that word? Making love is hardly sullying my reputation, Ulrick. Remember… I’m a modern woman.”
“Aye, you are a woman from the future but you best remember that you are no longer in a time and place where your actions do not have consequences,” he warned, with narrowed eyes.
She placed her hand upon his chest and gazed up into his determined face. “But I thought you wanted us to be together.”
“Aye, I do but at the right time and place. I make you my vow that we will be together.”
“You do realize you’re making me a promise at midnight, don’t you?” she smiled up into his face.
“Does the time of night or day make a difference when you make such a vow?”
“Oh, yes! A promise made at midnight is like sealing your fate to one another. Very unbreakable,” she said, stepping closer and running her hand along the fabric of his tunic.
He took her hand and kissed her knuckles before stepping back into the passageway. “Then I gladly make you my promise at midnight that weshallbe together soon.”
Before she could answer him, he gave her a wink and quietly closed her door. Bridgette twirled around her room before taking off her cloak and dress. She finally climbed in between the linen of her bed. Staring up at the wood beams on the ceiling, she wondered how on earth she would ever be able to sleep. Wide awake, she could only think of Ulrick’s kiss and what might come next.
CHAPTER19
Ulrick yanked off his helmet, throwing it to the ground. “Godfrey, you worthless cur, if you do not pay attention, you will lose your head. Do you have any idea how close you just came because you diverted your training to stare at a woman on the lists?
“’Tis hardly my fault, Sir Ulrick,” Godfrey complained before also taking off his helmet. “How does Lord Dristan allow his wife and Lady Bridgette such an intrusion that should only be reserved for his knights?”
Ulrick crossed the distance to the young man and took him by his chainmail at the neck giving him a mighty shake. “You would do well to not place your nose in Lord Dristan’s business, including the activity of his lady wife and ward.”
“But look at them, Sir Ulrick! ’Tis not normal for women to behave thusly. Mayhap they are daft in their heads,” Godfrey surmised rolling his eyes upward.
A growl of outrage burst from Ulrick and before the young knight knew what was happening, Ulrick’s fist landed in Godfrey’s face. The crunch of his nose as it broke left a trail of blood running from his nostrils and had the young man reeling on the ground in pain.
Ulrick pointed his sword at Godfrey’s throat. “You would do well to remember to never,ever,besmirch the good name of Lady Amiria and Lady Bridgette. You may be dealing with me at this time, but Lord Dristan would see you flung from Berwyck’s gate and never give you a second thought for such an offense.”
“You broke my bloody nose!”
“You are lucky you yet live. Now get yourself to Berwyck’s healer and remember this lesson well,” Ulrick ordered, watching the young knight pick himself off the dirt to depart on wavering legs to the healer’s hut.
“Any problems, Sir Ulrick?” Lord Dristan asked from across the field.”
“Nay, my liege. Nothing that I have not handled.”
Lord Dristan nodded and returned to his own training, leaving Ulrick to make his way to the side of the lists to quench his thirst. With a cup in hand, he took a long gulp of the cool ale before his own eyes wandered to the ladies who had been Godfrey’s downfall.
But look at them…Godfrey’s words echoed in Ulrick’s head. Yet Ulrick had been doing everything in his power to, at the very least in his outward appearance, remain unmoved to one particular lady as much as humanly possible. Aye… he had gone out of his way to never be alone with Bridgette for the past fortnight because he was not certain he would not grab hold of her no matter where she might be and thoroughly kiss her yet again. He did not trust himself, and, may God above help him, she had become a daily distraction since her return to the lists a se’nnight ago. This fact left Ulrick to assume her hands had healed enough that Lady Amiria felt their training together could resume.
“She is glorious, is she not,mon ami?” Bertram said with a cocky smirk, whilst a cup was thrust into his hand by a nearby squire.
Ulrick tore his attention from the women to peer at Berwyck’s captain of the guard. He was about to respond by saying he did not know what Bertram was sputtering on about, but obviously ’twas of no use. He had been caught staring and there was no use denying what he had been doing.
He drained what remained of his ale. “Aye, they both are,” he replied with a heavy sigh before thrusting his arm toward the squire to refill his own cup.
“You have known Lady Amiria for many a year but Lady Bridgette… nowthatwoman belongs here no matter her origins.”
Ulrick frowned. “How can you make such an assumption? She is only a visitor and could at any moment be whisked away to where she truly belongs.”
Bertram clapped a hand upon Ulrick shoulder. “Then you best hurry and make up your mind if you plan to claim the woman.”
