Free Conquering William by Sarah Hegger Page B

on the ride.”
    “You.” Sister snapped her fingers at a nearby serving wench. “Go and fetch Lady Alice another wimple.”
    “My lady has no need of one.” William stood beside her, his hand warm on the curve of her back.
    “Your pardon, Sir William, but any lady has need of a wimple.” Sister drew herself up. “No decent lady dares go about with her hair unbound. It is an affront in the eyes of our Lord.”
    William took a deep breath, the press of his fingers harder in her back. “An affront to our Lord?” His voice softened, silky with anger. “Our Lord is surely not so capricious as to create such beauty and then see it hid.”
    “No disrespect, Sir William.” Sister raised her chin stretching her lips into a tight smile. “But I believe as a bride of the church, I am somewhat closer to the wants of our Heavenly Father.”
    Alice’s skin prickled with the waves of anger seeping from William.
    “Indeed, however—”
    “I prefer my wimple.” Stepping away from his light touch, Alice moved closer to Sister. “I will repair my appearance and see you for the evening meal.”
    “The men and I will do the same and meet you in the hall,” William said.
    Sure she must have misheard, Alice stopped and whirled about.
    Sister’s chest rose and fell with her rapid breath. “The men do not eat in the hall.”
    “They do now.” William strolled closer. The charming man who had ridden with her vanished beneath a calm, ominous stranger. “They will bathe and present themselves in the hall for meals from this point onwards.”
    “At Tarnwych we—”
    “As a knight, Sister,” William sketched a low bow, “I believe I am somewhat closer to the ruling of men.”
    * * * *
    William kept himself still as anger, indecision, and frustration all chased across Sister’s harsh features. Riding with Alice before him had washed away the last of his sour mood, but it returned with a roar that left him wanting to punch something.
    The way Alice had buckled and folded before Sister’s condemnation roiled inside him. All day, he’d caught glimpses of a different Alice. A woman whose laughter rang, one who waited at the bars of her cage for someone to set her free. With one look, Sister Julianna had slammed the door shut on Alice.
    He didn’t trust himself around the malicious old crow. He needed to occupy himself elsewhere until he had a firm hold on his temper. “But for this night, the hall will sit down to its meal without us.” He strode through the men to the barracks. “This night we work.”
    Crows cawed loud and raucous over the silence in the bailey. Heads whipped between him and Sister. “I want everything out of the barracks.” Pinning the men nearest him with a hard stare, he raised his voice. “All the filth, all the beddings, everything. I want them out and burned. Rufus.”
    The man’s head snapped up.
    “Build a fire in the center of the bailey. The men of Tarnwych do not live like swine.”
    “Everything.” Sister’s voice rose from behind him. Sweet Jesu, this would not end well between him and this woman. She had enough love for her neck to remain on the steps leading into the keep. “Is such wanton destruction necessary?”
    “Everything.” William shifted his glare from man to man. “Right now. Burned.”
    “How will the men sleep?” Alice appeared at his elbow.
    For her sake, William tugged hard on the reins of his temper. “They will not sleep until the barracks are cleansed of filth and vermin.”
    Dunstan cracked his knuckles and planted his feet akimbo. Aye, another reckoning came there too. William met his stare. He ached to take the big bastard on, right here and now. Disappointment soured his gut as Dunstan turned and shouted orders to the men around him. The man would make a good commander, if he could bend his bull neck to his new master.
    “Will you not rest?” Alice touched his wrist. “They could clean the barracks in the morning.”
    Nay, he could not rest. He