Red Deception Read Free

stairs. They paused before large double doors carved with mirrored images of stags rearing up. She produced a key from the pocket of her dress and unlocked the door. Warmth rushed out to greet them. Judith could not wipe the look of awe from her face as she stared at the most immaculate room she had ever seen. A fire burned in the hearth, as promised. An immense dark wood four-poster canopy bed loomed in the far corner. The bedding looked soft and wonderful, made of red damask silk reserved for royalty.
    “May I take your cloak now, Lady Noire?” 
    Judith untied the cloak, let it slip from her shoulders, and crossed her arms, feeling as if the truth of her identity were written all over her.
    “Is there anything more I can do for you, Lady Noire?” the servant asked.
    “No, thank you,” Judith replied, stepping further into the room, admiring the sheer size of it.
    “I will leave you to rest, then. We will fetch you for supper.”
    Judith waited until the doors closed before she walked to the bed and brushed her fingertips over the luxurious linens. The coverlet was double-stitched to keep the cold out on a winter night. A black bear hide lay folded at the foot of the bed for extra warmth. Tears of joy burned Judith’s eyes. The room was truly something out of a dream.  
    Like a child, she threw herself down on the fluffed pillows and nuzzled her face into them. Giggling, she kicked off her muddy boots and rubbed her feet against the bearskin blanket.
    A knock on the door scared the joy right out of her.
    She leapt off the bed and straightened her dress.
    “Yes?” she called.
    “Lady Noire? I have your belongings.” a man’s voice called back.
    She pulled open the door to see a pock-faced man standing beside a stack of trunks.
    The man greeted her with a tip of his head. “May I enter?”
    “Yes,” Judith stepped aside.
    She settled on the edge of the bed and watched the sweat roll down the man’s flushed brow as he stacked the trunks neatly in the corner.
    “Enjoy your evening,” he offered before departing.
    I most definitely will… Judith thought, smiling at the trunks.
    She waited until his footsteps disappeared before investigating the trunks contents. She opened the first one and lifted out a lavish purple dress only a baroness could afford.  Laying it aside, she picked up the next. The dresses were never ending, an array of colors from marigold to forest green. After she had laid them out all over the bed, she realized she needed to choose one for supper. After inner debate on whether red made her look too sultry, she chose the forest green because it brought out the green in her hazel eyes.
    She finished exploring two more trunks of Lora’s belongings before she came across her grooming supplies. She found a silver hairbrush and matching hand mirror. She brushed her hair until it shone. Two servants joined her in her room shortly after. One milled about, putting away the contents of the trunk, while the other helped her into a warm bath. After the bath, they assisted her into the emerald dress. Judith felt like royalty as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. The dress was a snug fit on her hips and breasts and was just a bit short on her, just like Lora’s dress she had worn earlier. They gathered her long black hair into a hair net with emerald gems that matched her dress then placed Lora’s silk slippers on her feet.
    Once she was ready, the servants led her downstairs. Before Judith even set foot inside the hall, her stomach rumbled from the enticing aroma of freshly roasted meat. The large doors of the hall opened, and she was escorted inside.
    He stood at the head of the table dressed in his fabled black attire, from his doublet to his boots. His straight black hair fell past his shoulders. An elegant silver rapier with an elaborate jeweled hilt dangled from his belt.
    Once she met his onyx stare, she knew there was no question about why he was the most feared man in Caldwell.
    She