Free Ruby - Book 1 (Daughters of the Dagger Series) by Elizabeth Rose Page B

not fret, dear sister, as they are
all together now.”
    His eyes darted over to Ruby, and the
falconer’s apprentice seemed to be getting closer to her. He didn’t
like this in the least. “Come, I want you to meet my new wife,” he
said, taking his sister’s arm and guiding her across the hall
toward Ruby. Her handmaiden followed.
    “Lady Ruby,” he said, reaching out and
taking her by the arm, “I’d like you to meet my sister, Lady
Linette.”
    “How nice to meet you,” said Ruby, so
respectful he barely thought it was the untamed girl he’d really
married.
    “Yes, I heard you were married, brother,”
Linette said, nodding an acknowledgement to Ruby.
    “And which of his marriages were you
referring to?” asked Ruby. “This or one of the other three?”
    “Other three?” asked Linette in question,
looking at her brother.
    “I’ll tell you later, sister.”
    Nyle squeezed Ruby’s hand, trying to warn
her to keep her mouth shut, but she just continued.
    “He tried to give me their cursed wedding
ring, but I wouldn’t accept it, because I don’t plan on ending up
dead like his other wives.”
    Yes, the shrew was back. Why had he expected
anything less? He felt like crawling behind the ornate tapestry
lining the wall for warmth. He didn’t want his sister hearing this
as the first thing when she’d just arrived and was in mourning.
    “Yes, I’ve heard that rumor, but I assure
you my brother didn’t murder anyone,” Linette replied.
    His eyes shot up to his sister and he spoke
to her in a low tone. “How did you hear?”
    “My handmaiden, Ascilia told me,” she said
splaying her hand toward the silent woman right behind them.
    Nyle turned around quickly and confronted
her. “How did you know?” he asked. The woman had black hair tied up
under a wimple that not only covered her head, but wrapped around
under her chin in folds, covering most her face. She looked to the
ground quickly, stopping him from viewing her face.
    “I . . . heard it while occupying the
household of the king in Windsor,” the woman said, not looking at
him.
    “Windsor?” He looked up at his sister. “I
thought this was your handmaiden from the Highlands.”
    “No,” his sister relayed. “Actually, my
handmaiden was injured on the journey here. I was lucky to find
Ascilia when I stopped at an inn for the night. The innkeeper
recommended her. She tells me she was a handmaiden for one of the
ladies at King Edward’s court. Since you spent time there, mayhap
you know the lady whom she served.”
    The handmaiden’s name sounded familiar, but
Nyle truly did not remember her from his time at Windsor. “Which of
the ladies there did you assist?” he asked. The handmaiden answered
without looking at him.
    “Lady Jocelyn,” she said, catching him by
surprise. “Perhaps you know her?” she asked. “After all, I do
remember you, Lord Nyle and unless I’m mistaken, you seemed to have
spent much time with the Lady Jocelyn.” The woman’s voice was soft
and held a crackly odd tone to it.
    Nyle’s heart stood still. He clenched his
jaw tightly, still affected by the name of the woman he’d loved and
who’d betrayed him by coupling with the king, as well as others. He
was not about to admit he knew her now. Not after the king banished
her from his dwellings and took her baby. And now the king was
bringing Jocelyn’s child here on the morrow. Egads, this was bad
timing. He only hoped the handmaiden wouldn’t remember the child,
but that was probably too much to ask.
    “I remember Lady Jocelyn,” he admitted. “But
only vaguely.” He noticed the handmaiden’s body stiffen and she
glanced up quickly, then dropped her gaze again. He saw a flash of
bright blue eyes. He also noticed several ugly burns on the woman’s
face that left hideous scars. She seemed to try to cover it with
some type of ointment that made her skin look even rougher.
    “Excuse me, my lord and lady,” said Oralie,
coming to Ruby’s side.