Free Always by Lynsay Sands Page A

rider.”
    Eyebrows rising slightly, Aric peered over his shoulder at the woman trailing them. They had started out on either side of the young woman’s horse. His mind awhirl with thoughts and worries about the marital state that had suddenly been thrust on him, Aric had quickly lost track of her. As soon as they had hit the trees, in fact, they had had to switch to riding single file and he had taken the lead, leaving Robert to take up the back behind his bride.
    The trees had thinned out somewhat, however, and Robert had just now moved up beside Aric to murmur his comment. To say she was not much of a rider, he saw now, could in no way be interpreted as an exaggeration. If anything, it was an understatement. The woman was bouncing around upon the back of her mare like a lumpysack, going up as the horse was down, her bottom slamming down again as the horse’s back came up. It seemed that, while she might have worked daily in the stables with the animals, exercising the horses by riding them had not been a part of her duties. He would bet Goodhall Castle that she had never before even been on horseback. And while he pitied the horse she rode, it was her he was more worried about. Or, to be more specific, her bottom. If it were not sore yet, it surely would be soon, and Aric could hardly make her ride while in pain.
    Noting the discomfort on her face, he frowned. He had set a mild pace at first, but had every intention of picking up the speed as soon as the trees thinned out a bit more. That was the fastest way for them to travel, since they did not yet have the benefit of his men accompanying them.
    Aric supposed that the three of them could have rested the night at the convent rather than setting out at once, but he had not missed Robert’s discomfort there. He himself had not felt quite at home, either. There was nothing like an abbey full of holy brides of God to make a man feel an interloping sinner. Besides, he knew Robert was worried about his father. The man had been at death’s door not long ago. He had seemed to improve just before the king’s arrival, but had not yet been out of the woods long enough to make them comfortable. He knew his friend would prefer to return as promptly as possible.
    Of course, the distraction of traveling also helped Aric ignore the fact that his entire life had just taken a decided turn. For better or worse, he was not yet sure, and until he was, he was more than happy to delay having to face the fact. So he had decided upon an immediate return. Unfortunately, it was not to be a comfortable ride. Without their men, they had to depend on speed to make the trip safe. The roads were full of bandits and thieves who were more than happy to prey on the weak. Two men and a woman traveling alone would be attractive prey, especially nobles.
    He had intended to ride hard and fast, trading back at the stables for the horses they had exchanged on the way out and traveling through the night to reach Shambley the following morn. That was when he had assumed that his wife had been trained properly in all things. Now he realized that he had assumed too much. The girl had obviously not been taught to ride. He wondered briefly what other training had been neglected, then shrugged such worries away. Her lack of skills would matter little if he did not get her home unscathed, which he might not do at this pace. Unfortunately, it was becoming obvious he could not force her to a faster gait. She would bounce right off her mount.
    But this would not do.
    Muttering under his breath, Aric reined his horse in and turned him back toward his wife. She hid her pain at once and sat up straighter in the saddle, doing her best to appear a proficient rider. Impossible, the way she was jostling about, Aric thought, but he merely nodded at her politely as he reached her side.
    Without a word, he reached out, hooked her around the waist, and scooped her off her mare with one hand, while taking the