Moonstone Read Free Page A

the window in order to get her bearings within the castle, but she stumbled over her own feet.
    Alice steadied her. “Let me fetch you some food. Look at you.” 
    She hated it, but Alice was right.
    She was weak.
    “Yes.” Rhiannon slumped down on the bed, her tired body immediately grateful. “Make haste as you go, and do not make eye contact with any men.”
    “Aye, my lady .”
    Rhiannon grabbed a hold of Alice’s rough wool skirt. “Never forget, this is Geoffrey’s home. If anything happened to you-” Rhiannon’s throat tightened.
    “I will be careful.”
    “Have you your knife, just in case?”
    Alice patted her skirt. “I do.”
    Rhiannon pulled to her feet, gave the room a moment to stop spinning, then followed Alice to the door. She held it open as Alice slipped out. A man in a green plaid with blue and red stripes was standing guard before it. Dark blond hair brushed his shoulders, and a neat beard coated his angular jaw. 
    “Where ’re ye off to, lassie?” he asked, softening his voice.
    Scotsmen , Rhiannon thought, narrowing her eyes at the man. She needed to warn Alice about them and their brogue. More than one woman had been tempted out of her skirts by it.
    Alice looked up, then blinked as if she’d seen something interesting. Rhiannon cleared her throat and Alice looked away. “Food, for my lady.”
    “Go on then,” he told her.
    Alice slipped past him and Rhiannon closed the door. She pushed the bolt into place, said a prayer for Alice’s safety, and then turned to survey her chamber. There was a small canopy bed with a side table, and a round pine table with a pair of hard-backed chairs. A fire burned in the hearth. There were enough peat blocks stacked against the stone wall to fuel it with for days. But it didn’t matter. They wouldn’t be there much longer. They were leaving as soon as she came up with a plan for escape.
    Rhiannon went to the window and opened the shutters. Her chamber was on the second floor. There were guards below her window, but only two, and they were young, no more than fourteen.
    Which gave her a few ideas.
    Rhiannon picked up an iron candle holder and smiled.
     
    * * *
     
    William stared at the rough wooden beams in the ceiling. He’d closed the shutters over the single window in his chamber, but light streamed through the slats, reminding his inner clock that it was morning. Of course, it didn’t help that he was atop the covers, and fully dressed, with his bare sword alongside him like a frigid lover.
    He was on edge. And for good reason.
    This was Geoffrey’s home, and he wasn’t sure what Geoffrey’s next move would be.
    William sat up, placing his booted feet on the floor. He could steal Rhiannon and flee for the Highlands. He smiled. Tempting. Verra tempting. But it wouldn’t resolve things with Geoffrey. William was sick of Geoffrey’s games. If the man wanted to face him, then the duel over Rhiannon was the perfect opportunity.   
    Unfortunately, William doubted Geoffrey had the balls to actually fight him. Nay, Geoffrey would manipulate instead.
    But to what end?
    And what did Rhiannon and Reginald have to do with it?
    William stood and ran his hands through his hair. His shoulder was stiff and he rolled it in one direction, then the other, loosening scar tissue. He poured water from pitcher to basin and splashed his face, hoping the cool liquid would bring some sense to his head.
    He realized t here was one more option. Leave. Turn his back on Rhiannon. After all, he really didn’t owe her anything. William pictured her bruised face, felt her weak hands pushing against his chest, heard her wee frightened hiccups.
    He gritted his teeth.
    Nay, turning his back on her was not an option .
    More than that, a part of him wanted to take her home with him. William donned his leather sword harness and sheathed his sword. He tucked his pistol into the holster on his harness, then walked down the corridor to Rhiannon’s chamber.
    The captain