Return of the Rose Read Free Page A

she must pay for her foul deed. Leave us be, Hugo, or you, too, shall pay.”
    Having no desire to be left with Otgar and his men, Morgan prayed Hugo wouldn’t abandon her. Although Hugo was covered with metal links and daunting in size, he appeared old and wise…and his eyes hinted at kindness. But then again, she had a doozy of a headache and she couldn’t be sure.
    Without warning Otgar tossed her to his closest man as if she were a sack of grain. “Ooomph.”
    The horse beneath her stamped the ground with one of its massive hooves. Her heart lodged in her throat. “I really need to get off this animal. I won’t run away, I promise. Just let me down…nice and slowly.” She’d never been fond of horses; she was scared to death of them, actually. Even on carousels she tended to pick the pig or the boring sled that didn’t move.
    Otgar merely snorted at her complaints while the man holding her lowered his nose to her neck and sniffed.
    She slapped his head. “Stop that!”
    Hugo, she noticed, peered toward the denser area of the forest. She followed his gaze, disappointed to see nothing but woodland.
    “The woman you hold captive is Lady Amanda, daughter of the Earl of Silverwood,” Hugo said to Otgar. “Do you not believe me? You have only to look around her neck for proof of what I say. You will see that her pendant bears the Forrester crest.”
    Morgan frowned. “My necklace has nothing to do with this earl guy.” She lifted her hands in exasperation. “Lady Amanda,” she said with a snort. “Do I look like a lady?”
    Otgar’s men mumbled and shook their heads.
    “Hand her over now,” Hugo added irritably, glaring her way, “and I am sure Lord Vanguard will reimburse you the loss of your dinner. If you refuse, take heed, for King Henry and Lord Vanguard will have your heads within a fortnight.”
    “And what would Vanguard have to do with any of this?” Otgar questioned.
    “‘Tis Lord Vanguard who is to marry the lady,” Hugo answered.
    Marriage to a lord. And just when she’d thought her predicament couldn’t get any worse. Why hadn’t she awoken yet?
    Otgar laughed. “The very blackguard who caused my own brother’s death plans to marry?”
    “Aye,” Hugo answered calmly. “Release her. Let there be no bloodshed today.”
    For a moment she considered telling Hugo that she wasn’t Amanda at all. But what if Hugo believed her and left her with Otgar? What then? The crisp pine-scented air and the pungent body odor of the man who held her confirmed her suspicions. This was no dream. Her mind spun with the absurdity of her situation. Losing her mind would not get her home. For now, she decided, she would let them think she was Amanda.
    Rage flickered in Otgar’s cold sea-green eyes. He raised his sword, apparently ready to wage war.
    A wave of terror swept through her. She gazed toward Hugo, praying the older man might help her, but he was gazing toward the forest again. This time he waved his sword above his head as if signaling to someone.
    Looking in the direction he beckoned, she saw a man encased in metal charging straight for her. Her eyes widened in alarm. And then she screamed.
    Scooped up like a worm snatched by a bird and tossed to the horse’s rump, she clung to cold interlinking metal rings of armor covering the rider. The horse dodged a maze of pine trees and thorn covered shrubs. Her chin bumped against his back with every turn. Behind them, fading in the distance, she saw Hugo take down both of Otgar’s men before knocking Otgar to the ground. Hugo then chased the horses off.
    Otgar threw his weapon to the ground as he watched her disappear through the regiment of trees.
    When they finally cut through the forest’s edge into a clearing of grasslands, the horse slowed to an excruciating trot. Morgan struggled for her release. “P-Put me d-down!” She thumped the man in armor, hurting her fist in the process.
    “Hold still!” the man ground out as Hugo caught up to