Heather Graham Read Free

Which I do. You were duped, sir, and that is why you draw breath this very instant.” He stared at Danielle, a hard, rueful smile curled into the corner of his lip. “She is charming, is she not? But as I’ve said, I know her well, and you, sir, should now be warned to beware of such devious and seductive charm and beauty! I’ll let you live today …” His eyes left Danielle’s face and he stared sharply at Langlois, “But if we meet again, sir, you die!”
    Langlois gasped, realizing just who had accosted him. “MacLachlan!” he cried out.
    “Indeed.” Adrien inclined his head. “Ah, yes! I am that savage, heathen Scotsman. Comte, c’est moi .”
    For a moment, Langlois looked decidedly ill. Adrien’s reputation for expertise in tournaments and in battle was well known throughout the Christian world. A flick of the wrist, and …
    But Langlois seemed to think Adrien outnumbered.
    “Take him!” Langlois cried out, and the two cutthroats started forward to do his bidding, the one to the right of the proprietor raising a honed blade and slashing down with tremendous strength.
    Yet the man was a simple barroom brawler; Adrien had spent his life learning to do battle. Steel met steel, and Adrien drew back first, as swift as mercury, and the man fell to the floor. A cry flew from Danielle’s lips.
    “Seize him, fool!” Langlois shouted to the second man, who started forward, stared at Adrien’s blade, and swiftly retreated. Langlois let out a strangled sound which was silenced when Adrien’s swordpoint pressed against his throat again. “Adieu, milord comte! I should kill you, but I will spill no more blood than necessary over this treachery. She did summon you.”
    Danielle stifled a cry when Adrien’s fingers wound around her upper arm, for his hold was like steel, with no mercy. She found herself blindly propelled out the door. His fingers then entwined with hers as he raced her down the hallway, pausing as he neared the stairs, for more men had come up to meet him.
    “Get me a weapon!” she cried.
    “Not while I draw breath, milady! It would fester in my back!”
    “I never brought arms against you!”
    “I beg to differ!”
    “You’ve too many men to fight!” she cried. “You’ll kill us both, unless you’ve men of your own waiting below.”
    “I came alone.”
    “Alone!” she cried in dismay. It seemed that all of the tavern had risen, and every man was reaching for a weapon.
    “I try not to invite witnesses when I am hoping to prevent a rock-headed little wench from endangering herself in the act of betraying the King of England—not to mention me!” he retorted.
    A crimson flood rose swiftly to her cheeks even as he cried out to her again. “Get behind me. Close. And if you even think to betray me here again, I swear before God, I’ll live long enough to make you regret it!”
    She had no choice but to obey him, for he still held her fingers. She’d had no intention of giving him the least resistance, but it seemed that he was more furious than she might have imagined, even knowing him. Fear seemed to fill her heart anew as she realized that even now, as their lives were threatened, he would not be surprised at any betrayal from her.
    There were numerous men to meet his sword, men practiced at illegal professions, but none of them so perfectly trained to battle and hand-to-hand combat. His first blow took the man at the top of the stairs, who fell backward, hurtling the others down like felled trees. Adrien stepped over them swiftly, dragging her along. His strength was tremendous. When a huge fellow charged them at the foot of the stairs, he swung her hard to the side before him, stepping aside just in time for the man to crash headfirst into the stairs.
    “Duck!” Adrien charged her, and he did so as well as a cutthroat’s sword arced above their heads. Adrien rose, his sword swinging, and their attacker fell. He spun around, slicing the man who had come behind them, even