The journey to Nottingham had been conducted in complete silence. Katherine had a face like stone; Guy had a smug smile playing about his lips most of the time and Katherine's two servants kept exchanging nervous glances.
As the horses came to a standstill, Guy dismounted and came round to help Katherine down from her horse.
‘Fletcher will help me, ‘she said to him, nodding towards her male servant.
Guy smiled a mean smile. ‘Look around you Katherine. This is Nottingham. You are not in charge here.’ And with that he reached up and put both his hands round her waist and lifted her down from her horse. Then he stood still with his hands round her waist and his body right next to hers.
She kept her eyes lowered; he did not try to talk to her, to touch her any more than he was already, he just held her and enjoyed how her body felt against his. He watched a blush bloom on her face and neck, heard her breathing quicken and then watched as her eyes flickered up to meet his. As soon as they did he stepped abruptly away from her and strode away, grinning.
Katherine was left looking confused and embarrassed. She somehow felt as though he had stripped away a layer of her skin to leave her feeling exposed. She turned around to see her servants watching her.
‘Please get the baggage. We will no doubt be told where we are to go.’
She swallowed hard, ‘Come along swiftly, stop dawdling.’
‘Katherine,’ a voice called out and she turned to see Vasey coming towards her, Guy walking a few steps behind him. She studiously avoided looking at him and instead smiled sweetly at the Sheriff. ‘How delightful to have you here, my dear. Finally. Now we can repay your hospitality. Let my housekeeper show you to your chambers.’
Vasey was all concern and kindness. Katherine played her part and thanked him, smiling as if she had not a care in the world. Both men watched her and her servants follow the chamberlain along the corridor.
‘There you are,’ Vasey said to Guy, ‘I told you I'd get her here. Now the rest is up to you.’ He chuckled, ‘Got your work cut out there though I'd say Gisborne.’
Guy just smiled, the fact that she was here was half the battle won.
Later, he stood in his room dressing and thought of what the coming evening might bring. He hated these formal dinners. They were merely an excuse for the nobility of Nottinghamshire to push their snouts in Vasey's trough and profess undying loyalty.
And then laugh behind their hands at him as soon as the opportunity arose. Let them laugh, Vasey and he could squash most of them like bugs if they so chose.
Guy turned his thoughts to Katherine and how he would seduce her. He ran his hand over his chin and down his neck and then he held it there, imagining it was Katherine's neck he was holding. He breathed out to calm himself. Rushing at her as though she was a bitch on heat was not going to work. She thought she was only at Nottingham for three days. In truth he and Vasey had no intention of letting her return home in the foreseeable future.
So he had three days before she would start to chafe at being kept at Nottingham. Three days … time to take it very, very slowly.
Guy shrugged his way into a fine linen shirt and pulled on his breeches. As he laced them he smiled wryly. Much as he would like to entertain himself with thoughts of Katherine unlacing them for him tonight, he knew he must not try for that. Not yet.
No, tonight he would be all courtesy and deference. He looked forward to seeing the confusion in her eyes as he did not even attempt to touch her and he smiled, remembering the little scene in the courtyard. He had moved her then, no doubt of it, albeit that only minutes before she had been viewing him with unconcealed hatred.
