Free A Knight Of Her Dreams (Knights of Passion) by Evie North Page A

lady, I swear, so you don’t have to worry about that. You’ll see.”
    Rowena swallowed. “ Nell, I know you mean well but . . . if my husband were to discover this . . .”
    “He won’t my lady. And don’t you worry, I’ll be there. And if you change your mind then I’ll bed him for you.” She spoke the last in a rush, obviously trying to please her mistress.
    Rowena didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Thank you, Nell,” she said gravely, “but that won’t be necessary. None of it will be necessary,” she added firmly.
    Nell appeared crest-fallen. “But lady, you are not happy. I can see it and it grieves me. You are kind and beautiful and good, and you deserve happiness.”
    Rowena felt tears sting her eyes. Was it so obvious? And what did it matter if she took a man to her bed or not? The idea had planted a warm seed inside her, a tiny glow of longing. Oh if only she was as free as Nell to say yes! But if she were found out then her actions would jeopardise her position, and perhaps even her life. Lord Bigod, her husband, had never shown himself to be a jealous man but he was a cruel man, and Lady Rowena was very aware that if he turned on her she could be cast penniless from the gates. Or worse, taken down to the dungeon where Bigod tormented many a poor soul.
    I don’t care!
    Quite suddenly she felt reckless. She’d always done the right thing, abided by the rules, but now she wanted to do the wrong thing and break the rules. Wolf had found love and she had no one. Why not enjoy one night, one single night, of passion? As Nell had said, one glorious night.
    “Very well, Nell,” she heard herself saying, “I will meet this man you speak of. I don’t promise I will allow him to . . . that is, I may change my mind, but you may bring him to me tonight.”
    Nell ’s grin split her face from ear to ear. “Oh yes, my lady!” Her smile turned lascivious. “You won’t regret it.”
     
    Rowena had bathed and dressed in a loose robe, her hair braided into a long rope at her back. The hostelry was clean but far from luxurious, and her bed was narrow and hard. Well maybe that was just as well, she thought with grim humour. She would not want to spend long cavorting upon it with this stranger. In fact she may not want to cavort at all, and the more time that passed, the more doubts were crowding her head.
    The soft tap on the door made her mouth go dry, but she told herself that it must be one of the hostelry staff bringing her a message from the guard. Or warmed wine to help her sleep?
    And then the door opened and all her thoughts fled.
    She could see Nell behind him, made tiny by his bulk, and she could hear Nell’s words, “Roget wishes to speak with you, my lady, on a matter most urgent,” but she could make no sense of them.
    Her head was filled with the sight of the man before her, just as he filled the doorway into her room. Broad shoulders and powerful arms beneath the plain brown tunic, his leather sword belt strapped about his narrow waist, lean hips and long muscular legs. Remembering herself, her gaze jerked up toward his face, and found dark eyes gazing down at her, a hint of a smile in them, despite his grave expression.
    “Lady,” he said, his voice sending prickles along her skin. “I have something of importance to discuss with you.”
    She tried to find her voice but it seemed to have lodged in her throat. She managed a jerky nod instead, and turned swiftly, putting distance between them. Behind her she heard the door close.
    “Lady, there is no need for unease,” he said, and he hadn’t come any nearer. “I am your man, heart and body, no matter what passes between us this night.”
    Her man, heart and body? The words, spoken in his low, husky voice, made her melt inside. Rowena gathered her courage and turned to face him, and saw that Nell was gone. They were alone.
    Suddenly she was panicking.
    “I am sorry,” she said in a rush, “but there is a mistake. I never