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.The slave ship had weakened her more than she’d thought, and her long, trailing skirts were no help.“I can’t swim far,” she admitted, her breath coming in little gasps.“I’m going back.”Rannulf was but a handspan away.“I can take you back to shore.Relax against me.Aye, that’s it.I won’t lose you to the sea goddesses, and I have yet to claim my forfeit.”Judith let Rannulf float her back to land.She watched the stars.The air must be clear as crystal for her to see so many.She heard the soft swishing pulse of waves on sand.Then her heels scraped a rock and she flinched.“Judith?”“Nothing.’Tis only my feet.They need time to heal.”“I’ll carry you to the boat.You can change into my dry tunic,” he said.He lifted her in his arms.“I’ll only put it on if you turn your back.”His lips twitched.“What about my forfeit?” He set her down on the upturned boat.“But the race was never run!” Judith objected.“I knew it was folly to gamble with a woman,” Rannulf sighed.“You conceded defeat.Victory is mine.I claim my prize.” He fixed her with a limpid gaze and finished on a whisper.“Will you yield to me?”“I…I…What do you mean, yield?” Judith stuttered.The dip in the water had not cooled her down at all.She wished it were not so dark.She could not tell if he were serious or…“Why, pay me the forfeit, of course.What else would I mean?” Rannulf opened his eyes wide.“I thought…I…that is…oh, never mind.” Judith was embarrassed at where her thoughts had led her.“Wh…what do you claim?”“Nothing too terrible.Only a goodnight kiss when I’ve carried you back to the door.”She breathed again.“Oh, is that all?”“That’s all.” Rannulf pushed his tunic into her hands.“Call me when you’re ready.I won’t look.”Judith peeled off the sodden robe, keeping a wary eye on his back.Rannulf had a fine body.Slim, straight and strong.Perfectly proportioned.No giant, no brute beast, but lithe and fit and…her heart twisted.Damn him for being a Norman!She yanked his tunic over her head.Something rolled out and landed on the pebbles.It sparked up at her, a tiny star fallen to earth.Forgetting her feet, Judith jumped down.She winced.She picked up the winking star, and discovered it to be a pendant—a reliquary such as pilgrims wore.Curious, she turned it over in her hand.Rannulf was a crusader.He had been to Jerusalem.What Holy Relic did the tiny casket contain?Her blisters made her fingers thumbs.She fumbled with the catch.An iron hand wrenched on her wrist.Judith jumped.“R…Rannulf!”“My property, I believe,” he said tightly.“I…I…I’m sorry,” she stuttered, excusing herself.“I only wanted to see what you had in it.” She dropped the pendant into his waiting hand.She frowned, noticing the protective way his fingers closed over the reliquary.Guy had said that Rannulf was a good man.Judith conceded that.But she had not marked Rannulf down as being particularly pious…Rannulf slipped the chain over his head.He made no move to show her the contents.He tossed a wet strand of hair back from his forehead, and his face had an oddly closed look about it.“I’m sorry,” Judith repeated.“I am forgiven?”Rannulf’s face cleared.He bowed, and placed a hand over his heart.“Sweet lady, I could forgive you anything,” he declared.Judith laughed with relief.“A dangerous promise, Rannulf, but I’ll remember it.”“’Tis well past midnight,” he told her “Time we were all abed.In the morning we’ll find you new gowns and—” he glanced down at her “—some shoes.And if you dare to say that you’ll repay me when we get back to England, I swear I shall beat you!”“Yes, Rannulf,” Judith agreed, meekly.“Will you carry me?” She wound her arms about his neck and smiled.“I shall have forgotten how to walk soon!”Light from inside their quarters squeezed through the shutters and cascaded on to the dusty ground.Several moths fluttered against the wooden slats, drawn by the warm glow.A predatory lizard scuttled into the shadows.Judith could hear voices, speaking in English.Someone else must have arrived.She looked enquiringly at Rannulf.“Another friend of mine,” he enlightened her.“Oh.You have more than one, then? You surprise me,” Judith teased, to hide her sudden shyness.Lighthearted banter did not come easily to her after those grim years in the forest struggling for survival.Rannulf deposited her on the doorstep with an aggrieved sigh.“You ungrateful wench.I carry you all this way, and what is my reward? Mockery.” He put his hands on his hips.“What am I to do with you?”The voices inside rose.“Claim your forfeit?” Judith whispered, swaying towards him.His feet made no sound on the sand.The diffused candlelight softened his features.Strong hands cupped her face.Judith lost herself in that beautiful green gaze of his.Her hands went to his shoulders, and slid round his neck.She angled her head so their lips could meet and closed her eyes.Nothing happened.No firm mouth met hers.She opened her eyes and saw an unmistakable expression of horror had transformed Rannulf’s face.“Jesus, no!” he swore.“Not yet!”Judith frowned.Rannulf’s head was tipped to one side, listening to the conversation inside the cottage.She sharpened her ears.“You bought her for him?” she heard someone ask.“Aye.So there can be no backlash from this folly of his,” a different voice replied.Judith frowned, not understanding.“And where is de Mandeville now?” the second voice wondered.Judith’s insides turned to ice.“Wh…what?” she stuttered, staring blindly at the shutters.She felt weak.She dug her nails into Rannulf’s shoulders for support [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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