Free Lord of the Blade by Elizabeth Rose Page B

next to him, having changed
her clothing once again following the mass and now donned a scarlet
satin gown, overly lacy and too frilly for Corbett's liking. She
sat to his right - the spot that would have been for Corbett's lady
of the manor, had he been married. Her annoying chatter with her
son next to her was trying his nerves. But the worst of it, Corbett
decided, was her latest obnoxious but fashionable imported
headdress which sported a large plume off to the side.
    Corbett sat tilted away from her as the
plume irritatingly kept brushing the side of his face every time
Gilda turned her head from side to side dramatically while she
talked. She gave words of warning to her red-haired son of the
perils of the hunt he was about to embark upon.
    God's teeth, he was glad she was not going
with. It would be bad enough constantly having to supervise
Malcomn, but having to deal with her also would surely drive him
mad.
    A buxom maidservant reached over to collect
an empty serving platter from in front of Corbett, and he found
himself staring at her deep cleavage, tightly drawn by the lacings
of her low-cut bodice.
    How he'd like to play wet-nurse with her. He
hadn't had a wench in a while and was long overdue. The girl
giggled, having noticed that she gained his attention, and she
smoothed back a golden lock which covered her eye.
    "Will there be anything else, milord?" she
asked with hope in her voice.
    Aye. Take off your clothes. That's
what he wanted to say. He'd had this wench more than once before
and knew she'd bend over backwards to please him. He eyed her
cleavage once again, only this time when his gaze returned to her
face he saw Devon's green eyes in his mind. He could almost taste
her sweet lips and smell the fresh essence of her soft, silken
skin.
    "Milord?" The serving wench's words were
like a charging steed, ripping him from his own thoughts. She
smiled at him wantonly, licking her lips and slightly leaning
towards him, giving him a better view down her bodice of the goods
she was offering.
    "Would there be anything more you would
require of me, milord?"
    Damn, that wench called Devon. She'd invaded
his head not to mention the privacy of his dreams. How could he
take any other wench to bed when she was the one he really wanted?
He knew he wouldn't be able to enjoy the company of the usual
lightskirts again while she was occupying his thoughts. His raven
let out a fierce scream and the serving wench gave it a daggered
look.
    "Nay," Corbett answered, dismissing her
quickly. "That will be all.”
    She stacked the platters with a forlorn look
upon her face, storming off to the kitchen in such a hurry she
knocked into Father Chapman who had risen from the wooden bench
while reenacting a story that had held the table's attention. The
platters fell to the ground with a loud crash, followed by herself
as she landed on her bottom upon the rushes. Many eyes rested upon
her, and a muffled voice was heard calling her a 'clumsy shandy
wench'.
    Father Chapman held out his hand to offer
his assistance in righting her, but she boldly refused. She
retrieved the platters and uneaten trenchers that laid strewn upon
the rushes of the floor and hurried off to the kitchen. Several
mangy dogs wandered in, eagerly devouring the spilled scraps.
    Corbett found himself thinking that this was
the first time he had denied an invitation to couple when he was in
such dire need. What was happening to him?
    "Lord Corbett?" asked his steward for the
third time, as he slowly waved his hand in front of Corbett's face.
"Are you feeling ill today?" He gazed at Corbett's barely touched
food.
    Corbett's mind snapped back to attention,
realizing he had all but ignored this monk who sat quietly through
the meal at his left side, being ever so patient with him.
    "Nay, Brother Ruford." Corbett answered. "I
was merely . . . meditating." He laid his hand upon the holy man's
simple black tunic. "Surely, you can understand that."
    The black and gray hair of his