Page 124 of Historical Hotties
She did not have an answer to that. She was still thinking on Bress, the results of her actions, and she looked over her shoulder again to see Jory standing over the golden body in the distance. She came to a halt and Creed with her. He noted the concerned expression on her face.
“That knight,” she said haltingly. “I dunna… I dunna like him. I dunna want him tending my horse.”
Creed eyed Jory in the distance as well. “My lady, he cannot harm your horse. The horse is dead. He is simply going to dispose of the body.”
“How?”
“More than likely, he will burn he corpse.”
She sighed; he heard the soft, wistful hiss. He expected more protests but she remained silent. Just as they were turning around to resume their walk, something caught her attention and the emerald eyes flew open wide. Creed turned to see what she was looking at and they both watched as Jory relieved himself on the dead horse. He peed all over him. Carington looked accusingly at Creed, fully prepared to berate him, but the words would not come. She burst into tears instead.
“He… he peed on him,” she sobbed pitifully. “My sweet Bress. He fouled him.”
Creed sighed heavily, turning her for the camp and putting his enormous arm around her shoulder so she would not turn around again.
“I am sorry, my lady, I truly am,” he said, his voice a gentle growl. “I will take care of Jory, have no doubt. I shall avenge what he has done to your horse. Do you believe me?”
She was tucked into the curve of his torso, the plate metal of the armor jabbing her in tender places. But it was a strangely comforting position. She gazed up at him, the dusky blue eyes and square jaw. Something passed between them, a jolting flicker of warmth that almost made her forget her tears. Whatever it was came right out of those amazingly moody eyes.Lightning bolts! She thought to herself.I felt the lightning bolts!
“I-I believe ye,” she sniffled and stammered. “But my horse….”
He gave her a gentle squeeze. “I will see to him myself if it will make you feel better. For now, let us get you some food and into bed. You need to rest.”
Carington fell silent the rest of the way back to the encampment. In fact, she was singularly focused on the big knight’s arm around her shoulders and trying to figure out why she was not demanding he remove it. Prudhoe men had set up anice little tent city near the outskirts of the small village where the knights from Gilderdale had found her. Creed took her back to the tent she had occupied the night before, a larger shelter with a large flap of an opening. The rising wind was beginning to whip it about.
He took her into the dark innards, made spooky by the strong breeze. The oilcloth fabric was cold and uninviting, but the vizier was sitting in the middle of the tent, lit and weakly sparking. Carington’s possessions lay in a neat pile near the door where someone had put them.
“It should warm up in here shortly,” he said, letting go of her the instant they entered the tent. He bent over and began to untie her bedroll. “Now would be a good time to rest before sup.”
She stood there and watched him; now that he had removed his thick arm from her, she was able to focus on his demeanor somewhat. He was acting as if nothing in the world was wrong, as if she had not run from him. He had, after all, been relatively considerate the entire time she had known him. To have run from him was to have slapped him in the face and, more than likely, destroyed his trust in her in the process. She was coming to feel guilty for a multitude of reasons.
She stood there a moment, pulling at her cold hands, watching him unroll the bedding. Her mind was beginning to work. Emotional, exhausted, the words came spilling out whether or not she wanted them to.
“If… if I insulted ye with my actions, then I am sorry,” she spoke haltingly. “Ye’ve been kind to me, Sir Knight, and I am sorry if I offended ye.”
He did not reply right away. Truth was whatever fury had held him captive for the past several hours was gone. The lady was safe and that was all that mattered, though it might have been very gratifying to spank her for her insolence. Still, it was done. And he was not a beating kind of man. Moreover, she hadbeen punished enough for her actions by the event of her dead horse. He could not have made a greater impact on her than that.
When the bedroll was finally laid out, he stood straight and put his hands on his hips. “How I feel is of no matter. What matters is if you plan to do it again.”
She fixed him in the eye with her emerald gaze, her eyes glittering in the weak light like rare and precious stones. After a moment, she lowered her gaze, wringing her hands furiously. “Nay,” she said softly. “If I knew that my escape attempt would kill my horse, I would never have gone. I swear I wouldna have.”
Creed did not say anything; he was not sure if he believed her. Aye, he knew she was sorry how things had turned out. Frankly, he was too. But had things worked in her favor, she would not have regretted anything. At the moment, he did not trust her in the least in spite of her obvious remorse.
“Rest,” he told her, moving for the exit. “I shall see to your animal and I’ll bring back something to tend that cut.”
She had forgotten about the scratch on her neck, touching it absently when he reminded her of it. But it did not deter her from thoughts of her horse. “Bress,” she murmured, her eyes glittering with emotion. “He… he was a good horse. I was…I was hoping.…”
She trailed off, unable to finish. Creed paused. “What were you hoping, my lady?”
She was back to wringing her hands. She almost did not tell him, waving him off, but she took a deep breath for courage. “I was hoping ye could say a prayer for him,” she finally said. “He was my friend.”
Praying over a horse. Creed’s first reaction was to snort at the foolishness of the request, but he could see by her expression how serious she was. He should not have felt such pity for her, but he did.
“If that will comfort you.”
“It would.” He turned from her but she called to him again. “Sir Knight?”
He stopped, hand on the tent flap. “My lady?”
