Free Her Lord and Protector (formerly titled On Silent Wings) by Pam Roller Page B

despite his
decision to exclude her from this meal to keep her away from the lewd stares of
the merchants, rose to help her into a chair next to Elizabeth. He drew in
breath as he took in the graceful curve of her neck. Were he only able to lean
down and touch his lips to her creamy, scented skin.
    He crushed his
thoughts and returned to his chair, giving an inward growl at the merchants
licking their lips over her low bodice. Elizabeth, thankfully, had dressed with
her customary modesty. “Your meal was sent to your room,” he said to Katherine,
gesturing to a servant to bring writing supplies to the table. “Did you not receive
it?”
    Sitting on
Alex’s left, Elizabeth flitted him a bird-like glance.
    Katherine
reached for the quill. Mouth set and brow furrowed in concentration, she
brushed her hand over the pen until she could grasp it, then maneuvered it
within the cotton bandages of her hand until it was upright.
    His guests’
eyes, Alex noticed, followed her hands as she maneuvered the tip into the
opening of the inkwell, held it over the bottle to catch any drips, and then
wrote on the paper in slow, meticulous strokes. Too many times during the process
she re-inked her quill.
    They all waited
in silence for her to finish. Even the servants at the sideboard seemed to hold
their breaths.
    Alex wished to
God she could just voice her reply to his question. How any man would be able
to put up with her lack of speech, he had no idea.
    Katherine
finally set down the pen and held out her paper to him. Without taking it, he
leaned toward Elizabeth and read her words.
    I wish to eat at
your table .
    “I disagree,” he
replied with a surreptitious glance at the merchants. “’Tis better for you to—”
    Katherine
smacked her left hand on the table, cringed, and then stretched her right arm
over Elizabeth’s plate, thrusting out the paper until it hovered inches from
Alex face.
    Elizabeth made a
small, shocked sound and leaned back.
    Alex snatched
the paper from her hand, balled it up, and flung it onto the floor. Despite his
effort to stay composed, his voice gained volume. “The answer is no .
Millie,” he ordered the maid standing near the other servants, “Escort Lady
Katherine back to her room.”
    Katherine
flashed a scathing look at him and stayed seated, and for a moment Alex felt an
unexpected approval of her courage. He waited.
    Her fingers
inched toward the pen.
    “I have given
you my answer.” Ignoring the curious stares of the merchants, who clearly
expected him to control his lovely but disobedient ward, Alex picked up his
pewter wine goblet and took a slow sip. He watched the intelligent sparkle of
challenge in her eyes and hid the delight that trickled through him. If she
could only speak, what glittering discourse they would have!
    He’d much rather
see her furious like this than sad. No. What he would rather see was her naked
and writhing with pleasure in his arms.
    His goblet
almost toppled in his hand at the thought.
    But she narrowed
her eyes. Pure insolence gleamed from them as, instead of picking up the pen,
she held out her hands for the slate and chalk that Millie held.
    Keeping her eyes
lowered, Millie plucked the chalk from its holder and set it into Katherine’s
hand.
    Katherine
clutched the chalk, sent a warning glance toward Alex, and battered it over the
slate with long, hard strokes.
    Each drawn out
screech gouged reverberating ice into Alex’s ears and straight down to his
feet. He gripped the edge of the table.
    On his right,
Robert breathed, “God Almighty.”
    On his left,
Elizabeth gave a small whimper. The merchants were rendered slack-jawed.
    Katherine raised
her chin and turned the slate toward Alex.
    NO.
    The word took up
the entire surface.
    Alex bristled
and shot to his feet, his approval of her vivacity pooling like melting wax.
She knew he hated the chalk’s sound. Why else did she think he had set up paper
and pens all over the house? “By God, Katherine, you