Winning the Highlander’s Heart
Published by
Vinspire, Inc.
Copyright © 2010 by Terry Spear
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Discover more about Terry Spear at: http://www.terryspear.com/
CHAPTER ONE
WEST SUSSEX, REIGN OF HENRY I
“My lady!”
The Countess of Brecken’s lady-in-waiting, Mai, threw the door open to Anice’s guest chambers at Arundel Castle, then quickly slammed it shut. Two gray curls fell loose from the older woman’s plaited hair; her ivory cheeks flushed. She breathed in rapid, shortened breaths, and her gray eyes were rounder than the full moon. “His Grace is headed this way. Lady Anice, ye must hide.”
‘Twas folly for Anice to think she could avoid the king’s unwanted solicitations for long.
And she, his wife’s cousin.
“I am no’ hiding, Mai,” Anice scolded, “like I said before. I am making myself unavailable to his...charms.”
She tied the rope to the bed leg, then ran to the nearest window and tossed the other end out. If the English ladies of her cousin’s court had not treated her with contempt because of her Scottish heritage, she would be visiting with the queen right now and could save herself the trouble of fleeing from the king’s attempted seduction, again.
“Och, my lady, you cannot mean to—”
“Aye, Mai, I mean to. Just delay His Grace if he should come knocking at the door before
I have vanished. Moreover, for heaven’s sakes be sure to hide the rope. Tell him I am with Her
Grace sewing in her solar.”
Anice lifted the full skirt of her bliaut and chemise underneath, and scrambled atop the embroidered cushion resting on the stone window seat.
With heart pounding, she peered below. ‘Twas a shame it opened on the inner bailey of
Arundel Castle where women washed garments in large wooden barrels, the blacksmith pounded on an anvil, sending sparks flying, and beyond, noblemen’s sons thrust and parried wooden swords on the warm summer day. Still, with everyone a goodly distance across the bailey from where she attempted escape and very much preoccupied, mayhap no one would notice a lady slipping down a rope from the second story window.
Mai wrung her hands. “My lady, what if ye should fall?”
“You are not helping me, Mai. Hush. I have done this many times before as a wee lass.
You know that.”
But this time was entirely different from her many escapades of the past. ‘Twas difficult enough to find a husband who would live long enough to give her wedded bliss, but she was not about to be tupped by a lusty king who already had a wife.
