The Everlasting Covenant Read Free

opened it, causing her to tremble anew.
    His arm came around her from behind and the moment she turned, his lips took hers. Her surprise lasted only a moment, and to her benefit, for her gasp left her lips parted and Dylan savored in the wine-sweet taste of her mouth. She pressed herself against him, holding him fiercely, holding him forever. Finally he released her mouth, but only to gather greedy fistfuls of her hair and roam the softness of her neck and shoulder with his lips.
    “ Anne, my love, my beautiful angel ... ”
    “ Dylan, this is such madness. We will both be killed for it. ” But her protest was breathless, and she had come as he requested as she always did. “ How did this begin, Dylan? Where does it end? ”
    He held her back a bit and smiled down at her. He touched her nose with his lips. “ It began when you snubbed me at the Lincoln fair, minx. And the next year, when the rain separated you from old Minerva, you were at my mercy in the gardener ’ s pavilion. ”
    Anne ’ s eyes were moist with frustration and sadness. “ A year has come and gone, Dylan, and a dozen times I have crept away from my family on some excuse to be with you. What is to become of us? I have never been so afraid as I was today. ”
    “ Afraid that I would win? Afraid that I would lose? ”
    She began to cry as emotion spilled down her cheeks, al though she wished to be strong and brave. When their moment finally arrived and her lips could touch his, the fear that she might never be in his arms again came instantly.
    Dylan held her gently, stroking her back, letting the tears come. He knew this was too much for her, but he could not abstain. Each time he saw her the longing became more intense within him ; each time he touched her, he wanted more of her. And the poor little demoiselle, so in love with him, could not refuse these dangerous encounters. He wanted better for her, better for himself. But for now, this was all they had.
    “ Please, Dylan, have p ity on me. Take me away now .. . tonight. ”
    He chuckled ruefully and touched the graceful curve of her cheek. “ Now? Carry you away from the tournament grounds? Do you think there are quite enough knights to come after us? Ah, my love, Lord Gifford would sound the alarm and every knight would mount up at the first call. A maiden, s tolen from the lists .. . ”
    “ Then soon, Dylan. ”
    “ Soon, my sweet love. ”
    “ Ah, ” she sighed, leaning her head against his chest. “ I curse our grandfathers, Dylan. I would go into hell to curse them. ”
    Dylan groaned sadly. There was a heaviness in his breast, like a boulder on his heart. “ It has little to do with our grand fathers now, ” he said quietly. “ The curse of the late-born son is to hear too much, too soon. But I think I have good news. It may come to nothing, but we do have one sympathetic ear. Daphne, my mother. ”
    Anne ’ s head snapped back and she stared into his eyes, stricken for a moment. “ You ’ ve told her? ”
    “ No, but Daphne has the eyes of a hawk, and, praise God, the heart of an angel. She has seen me watch you. She told me she understands .. . and if there is a way to help me without defying my father, she will do so. ”
    Disappointed, Anne let her head drop to his chest again. “ Oh, Dylan, there is no way for you to claim me with your father ’ s good will. If I go to the deFraynes as your wife, my family will only start more battles against your house. We must both leave our families. There ’ s no help for it. ”
    “ Then we shall. ” He lifted her chin with a finger. “ If that is what must be, we shall leave them to their stupid war. I am a good fighter, I will do well anywhere. The inheritance my father has in mind for me will be nothing to dismiss ... he would be pleased to add it to Wayland ’ s or Cam ’ s small fortune. Your dowry cannot be ri ch, little second-born lass .. . what do they have that we cannot win in a few months from Burgundy or Calais?