Read Online The Christmas Knight by Michele Sinclair - Free Book Online
Authors: Michele Sinclair
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Phrygian cap with its pointed tip clutched in his grasp. Just the idea of him wearing such an absurd item removed the tension that had been building studying him and she almost laughed aloud.
“Men shouldn’t be so pretty,” Edythe commented, staring at the taller, more handsome of the two. “They are either dull witted or possess an air of arrogance that is even more tiresome. And he…I don’t know. He smiles too easily and not with his eyes.”
“Oh, you’re wrong,” Lily sighed in disagreement. “Maybe I was mistaken about not getting married. I would be able to protect you from Luc and—”
Bronwyn cut her off. “The new lord could not extend such protection to all of us. And do not be swayed by a pretty face.”
“Hmm,” Lily sighed absentmindedly and gave Edythe a light elbow to the side. “Well, you have to admit he is intriguing.”
Edythe kept silent. She was intrigued, but not for the same reasons as her sister. The man was indeed handsome, but Edythe recognized something else. His mouth. He smiled without smiling. An aura of latent power surrounded him, and just as if to prove her point, one of the stable boys swaggered up to him and made a remark. What was said was unknown, but it caused the tall soldier to whip out his sword faster than Edythe had ever seen anyone move and slice it through the air, stopping just in time before he took Ansel’s head off.
Everything in the courtyard stopped, and the stable boy, visibly shaken, immediately started talking quickly, his face one of contrition. Eventually, the sword was put away and both men disappeared toward the stables. Until then, everyone had been holding their breath.
“What are we going to do?” Lily wailed as she threw herself into her hearth chair. “We cannot leave Hunswick to him! He’s a monster! He nearly chopped off Ansel’s head.”
“I doubt that very much,” Bronwyn argued. “Ansel can be very contrary and is known for being combative. He probably said something that more than deserved such a reaction. I don’t think you will have to worry about the new lord ruining Hunswick.”
“Well, then you can be me and stall for time, for I want nothing to do with him or his violence.”
“I?” Bronwyn asked, confused. “You want me to pretend to be you ? It would never work.”
Bronwyn knew she was far from plain, but compared to her sisters, she was also far from beautiful. Edythe’s vibrant red coloring and her petite stature drew men to her side…that is, until they discovered her sarcastic, cutting wit, which often focused on making them feel like idiots. But even Edythe found it hard to compete with her raven-haired younger sister, whose glittering pale gray eyes all men gravitated toward.
Bronwyn was about to point out the impossibility of the farce when Edythe plopped down into one of the chairs and said, “Actually, Lily’s idea is not a bad one. The new lord doesn’t know what she looks like and you are much more likely to stay calm if his temper rises once more.”
Latching on to the notion, Lily nodded her head enthusiastically. “That’s right! Edythe is right! Oh, please, Bronwyn, be me. It would only be for this morning until we leave for Syndlear and then in a few days we will be gone. Who could it hurt?”
Bronwyn licked her lips, searching for a reason to say no. Lying—even pretending—was not something Bronwyn had ever done well and did not relish the idea. “But if his lordship saw you, he would immediately know he had been deceived.”
“Then we will all wear wimples,” Edythe countered.
Bronwyn issued her a “you’re not helping” look, to which Edythe just shrugged. But her sister was right. Wearing the highly uncomfortable white headdress, which went around the head and under the chin, left only the mouth, nose, and eyes visible. The contraption would considerably reduce anyone’s ability to distinguish one of them from another, especially at a distance.
Bronwyn glanced back
“Men shouldn’t be so pretty,” Edythe commented, staring at the taller, more handsome of the two. “They are either dull witted or possess an air of arrogance that is even more tiresome. And he…I don’t know. He smiles too easily and not with his eyes.”
“Oh, you’re wrong,” Lily sighed in disagreement. “Maybe I was mistaken about not getting married. I would be able to protect you from Luc and—”
Bronwyn cut her off. “The new lord could not extend such protection to all of us. And do not be swayed by a pretty face.”
“Hmm,” Lily sighed absentmindedly and gave Edythe a light elbow to the side. “Well, you have to admit he is intriguing.”
Edythe kept silent. She was intrigued, but not for the same reasons as her sister. The man was indeed handsome, but Edythe recognized something else. His mouth. He smiled without smiling. An aura of latent power surrounded him, and just as if to prove her point, one of the stable boys swaggered up to him and made a remark. What was said was unknown, but it caused the tall soldier to whip out his sword faster than Edythe had ever seen anyone move and slice it through the air, stopping just in time before he took Ansel’s head off.
Everything in the courtyard stopped, and the stable boy, visibly shaken, immediately started talking quickly, his face one of contrition. Eventually, the sword was put away and both men disappeared toward the stables. Until then, everyone had been holding their breath.
“What are we going to do?” Lily wailed as she threw herself into her hearth chair. “We cannot leave Hunswick to him! He’s a monster! He nearly chopped off Ansel’s head.”
“I doubt that very much,” Bronwyn argued. “Ansel can be very contrary and is known for being combative. He probably said something that more than deserved such a reaction. I don’t think you will have to worry about the new lord ruining Hunswick.”
“Well, then you can be me and stall for time, for I want nothing to do with him or his violence.”
“I?” Bronwyn asked, confused. “You want me to pretend to be you ? It would never work.”
Bronwyn knew she was far from plain, but compared to her sisters, she was also far from beautiful. Edythe’s vibrant red coloring and her petite stature drew men to her side…that is, until they discovered her sarcastic, cutting wit, which often focused on making them feel like idiots. But even Edythe found it hard to compete with her raven-haired younger sister, whose glittering pale gray eyes all men gravitated toward.
Bronwyn was about to point out the impossibility of the farce when Edythe plopped down into one of the chairs and said, “Actually, Lily’s idea is not a bad one. The new lord doesn’t know what she looks like and you are much more likely to stay calm if his temper rises once more.”
Latching on to the notion, Lily nodded her head enthusiastically. “That’s right! Edythe is right! Oh, please, Bronwyn, be me. It would only be for this morning until we leave for Syndlear and then in a few days we will be gone. Who could it hurt?”
Bronwyn licked her lips, searching for a reason to say no. Lying—even pretending—was not something Bronwyn had ever done well and did not relish the idea. “But if his lordship saw you, he would immediately know he had been deceived.”
“Then we will all wear wimples,” Edythe countered.
Bronwyn issued her a “you’re not helping” look, to which Edythe just shrugged. But her sister was right. Wearing the highly uncomfortable white headdress, which went around the head and under the chin, left only the mouth, nose, and eyes visible. The contraption would considerably reduce anyone’s ability to distinguish one of them from another, especially at a distance.
Bronwyn glanced back
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