Free Forbidden Love by Maura Seger Page B

that she did not consider his presence an intrusion and that she could stay awake long enough to hear what he had to say.
    Politely offering him the bench, she perched on the side of the bed. All her concentration was required not to think of the circumstances that prevailed when they were last together in the chamber.
    The forest green tunic Colin wore in no way hid the sculpted strength of his body. She had all she could do not to drink in the broad sweep of his shoulders and chest, the rippling muscles of his arms, the long tapering line of his waist and hips ending in sinewy legs. It amazed her that so large a man could move so gracefully and act, when he chose, with such gentleness.
    Longing to heal the rift between them, she gave no thought to how she appeared to Colin. The fading light turned her hair to spun gold and cast delicate shadows across the hollows of her face and throat Clad only in the fragile gown and cloak, she was as beguiling a picture as any man could wish for. Their seclusion in the bower strained his self-control to the limit.
    Swallowing hard, he murmured, "There is no reason for you to remain in here. I know you are upset about what happened, but you must believe that I did not mean to hurt you. In fact, I only spoke as I did to protect you from harm."
    Leaning forward on the bench, he stared at the big hands clasped between his knees as he added, "What I did was clumsy, but well meant"
    Roanna, having had a chance to think over the events in the hut could not help but recognize the truth of his words. She had acted impetuously without consideration of the probable results. Any man she had ever met, other than Colin and her brother, would not have hesitated to take full advantage of the situation.
    The memory of her wantonness made her blush. Anxious that he not think such behavior was normal for her, she said, "It is I who must apologize. My actions were . . . out of character. . . ."
    That was the closest she would come to expressing any regret The joyful awakening he had sparked within her was too precious to be denied for any reason. If he chose to mink badly of her, she would just have to bear it
    But Colin, far from condemning her, was even more enchanted. At last he had found a woman whose courage and intelligence equaled her beauty. Had she been of his own people he would have lost no time winning and wedding her. But she was part of that hated race whose very name spurred anger in the heart of every Englishman. Staring at her in the velvety light of the fading day, he struggled to remember that he must not think of her in any other way.
    Wet he could not suppress his pleasure when she appeared in the bailey the following morning. As she crossed the edge of the training field, their eyes met and held. A surge of happiness rose within him at her quick smile followed by shyly lowered eyes.
    Hours later he would remember that smile and curse himself for forgetting the difference between friends and foes.

Chapter 5

    " H is body was seen by many, my lord. There is no doubt he is dead." The freeman spoke with quiet assurance. He knew the words he brought were greatly unwelcome, but he understood his duty and would not shirk it

    A low murmur ran through the hall. The sudden arrival of the messenger had brought retainers and their womenfolk to hear what he had to say. Colin would have preferred to see him in private, but he did not get the chance. Barely had the man slid from his saddle when he blurted out his news.
    The laggard cousin was dead in the Norman keep. His body had been seen by Anglo-Saxon servants, who quickly spread the word to the nearest freeman farmer they knew could be trusted. The man had ridden hard to bring the news to the Algerson stronghold.
    Rage burned through Colin, not because of his cousin, whom honesty forced him to admit was a scant loss, but because of the untenable position suddenly facing him. How could any man, even a Norman, callously throw away the life of a