Page 28 of Raven's Rise
One bright morning while the men-at-arms were loading all the supplies and readying the animals, Rafe helped her into her carriage. All he did was offer a hand to steady her as she climbed in, but that contact was enough to make her think of the kiss once again. In fact, every time she looked at Rafe, she thought of the kiss.
But his expression was neutral. “If you don’t mind my saying, Lady Angelet, you look a little drawn. How did you sleep?”
The truth was that Bethany tended to snore, and Angelet had a lot on her mind. But neither of those facts was appropriate for casual conversation. “No need to be concerned, Sir Rafe.”
“I am concerned. You’re my responsibility while we’re traveling.”
“I will tell you if something serious happens,” she said. “But truly, I slept well enough.”
“You’d sleep better with me,” he said, his voice low and close to her ear.
Her heart hammered and she was having trouble breathing. And why did she like how he smelled? She shouldn’t—it was a smell of the road, and oil and leather and iron, and something else. Yet, she wanted to lean right into him and breathe deep.
But then Rafe said, “Lord. Forget I said that. I meant to apologize for what I said that first night. The…offer. It was inappropriate.” He looked truly taken aback.
“I thought the inappropriateness of it was the charm,” she said, not quite hiding her disappointment.
His eyes flicked over her face. She realized that he hadn’t lost interest in her since his offer—she guessed he’d just been worried he offended her.
“I can’t read you, my lady,” he said, still watching her closely.
“I’m not a book. How do you read a woman?”
“Accept my offer and I’ll show you.”
She took a breath. “So the offer is back on the table? Didn’t you just rescind it?”
“Oh, it’s back. On the table or wherever else you’d like.” Then he was gone, off about his tasks as if he hadn’t just tried to scandalize her in broad daylight.
Oddly, she didn’t feel nearly as scandalized as she ought to. She actually felt better, since Rafe shared her memory of the kiss and his subsequent offer. And he still wanted her.
Warmth spread through her limbs. Being wanted by a man like Rafe was novel for her. It made her feel excited rather than scared, eager rather than wary. Foolishness, she told herself. The man was dangerous, and he didn’t even pretend his intentions toward her were honorable. Not once had he breathed the wordmarriage,yet even that worked in his favor. At least he didn’t think her stupid enough to fall for an empty promise. She’d spent the last several years with people who considered her either mad or vacant or a holy idiot. Now she’d finally met someone who treated her as a grown woman. Unfortunately, she met him a fortnight before she had to foreswear contact with virtuallyallmen.
Angelet often wondered if Satan meddled in people’s happiness directly, or if he sent subordinates to carry out the work. Why else would Angelet be tempted into sin at exactly this moment, after so many years of dull, unchallenged widowhood?
“My lady, are you going to have a fit?”
Bethany peered at her from the other seat in the carriage. The cortège was rolling along the track by now, and the maid had taken her place in the carriage without Angelet even noticing.
“What?” she asked. “No. No, I’m quite well. Why?”
“You were staring at the sky with a look like you were seeing an angel,” Bethany explained. “I half think you’ll collapse in a minute…though in your fits, you never speak.”
“I’m not about to have a fit,” Angelet said, more crossly. “Anyway, I suffered one less than a week ago.”
“So?” Bethany retorted. “Good thing that abbot is willing to take you.”
“The abbot might know of a cure,” Angelet said.
Bethany’s expression was not one of great confidence for any mortal to cure Angelet, but she just sighed meaningfully and went to work at mending something. There was always mending to be done. This item looked like a shirt from one of the men-at-arms. Angelet took out her own needle and thread from the bag she packed. It would be a long, long day.
That night, the group once again reached an inn. This one was more run down, and the sleeping rooms were little more than partitioned spaces, with thin walls and doors that closed only most of the way. Angelet and Bethany got the one at the end, with a little window for light. As usual, the chained and locked chest was carried to Angelet’s room, this time by Rafe and Dobson. They placed it near her bed.
“I’ll take first watch at the door tonight,” Dobson told Rafe. “I’m not sleepy. Tad can take first watch as well.”
Rafe nodded. “That will do. Wake Laurence and Simon when it’s time.”
“Aye, sir.”
