Read Online The Intended by May McGoldrick - Free Book Online Page A

But she was acting as if she’d been completely
disloyal in spending the day at the stables nursing Malcolm. After
all, she argued with herself, she was doing Edward a great service
in trying to keep his prisoner alive. That was certainly true. Then
why had she panicked at the thought of Edward finding her there.
Why was she planning to deceive Edward now?
    The thought flashed through her mind that
Edward was changing. He was still—with the exception of his
passionate outburst last night—as courteous as ever toward her. But
his changing moods—mercurial enough to keep many servants in a
state of constant terror—were becoming more evident to Jaime, and
the side of him she saw at Norwich Castle frightened her a bit. As
much as she despised Malcolm MacLeod for what he had done, she
could not risk having Edward snuff out his life on a whim. And when
she considered Edward’s passionate feelings for her, she decided
that the risk was far too high.
    Mary lifted a hand and waved to Edward. Jaime
turned to greet him as well, forcing her lips into a smile as he
approached them. His strides were long and impatient, but his face
was partly obscured by the lengthening shadows. She tried to keep
her hands still in her lap.
    “By the devil, Jaime! I have been
looking...”
    “So fierce, Edward,” she admonished him
cheerily, springing to her feet as he came up to them. His face was
flushed beneath his velvet tam with the plume of peregrine
feathers, and he was wearing a finely worked velvet doublet that
matched his russet-colored hose. Jaime noted the high riding boots.
Edward was clearly dressed for his journey to the king’s court at
Nonsuch Palace. “Well, you certainly missed the most glorious
afternoon of hunting. Oh, I wish so much that you had been there.
The falcons are magnificent and the catch...” As he took hold of
her hands, she paused and turned a blushing cheek to him when he
bent down to kiss her. “You see our cousin Mary here...”
    “Hunting? I saw you at the house little more
than an hour ago, Mary,” Edward said, looking skeptically at the
younger woman.
    When her cousin went brilliantly crimson to
the very roots of her hair, Jaime cut in immediately. “Mary didn’t
go hunting today. But we thought a quiet walk in the gardens would
help dispel her headache. And ‘tis working, is it not, my sweet?”
Jaime detached herself from Edward and glided to her cousin’s side,
squeezing her hand as Mary nodded and smiled weakly. “In fact,
we’ve just come up from the mews. ‘Tis such a fine day to be
outdoors, and I was certain the sight of His Grace’s beautiful
peregrines as well as the fresh air might do her some good.”
    Edward’s face quickly changed as he dismissed
the subject from his mind, and Jaime noted the excitement that
flashed across his face. He peered into her upturned face for a
moment and then pulled his hat from his head, running his fingers
through his hair as he began to pace back and forth before
them.
    “Mary, leave us,” he ordered, halting
abruptly and turning to them.
    Jaime jumped as her cousin sprang up like a
startled pheasant. Tugging hard at Mary’s hand, she drew her
roughly back onto the bench.
    “Edward, she’s not well enough to go up to
the house on her own,” Jaime scolded, looking defiantly into his
annoyed expression. He towered over her. “So please stop ordering
her around.”
    His face cleared as he visibly struggled to
keep Jaime’s rebelliousness from spoiling his intentions.
    “But...well, I have some news that I would
like to share with you, alone .”
    “So you have been summoned to the
king,” Jaime said, springing to her feet excitedly, to the
amazement of both Edward and Mary.
    “You already know?” He asked puzzled, a smile
beginning to work across his face.
    “But how could we not know?” she said,
clapping her hands. “Everyone knew that, in no time at all, news of
your capture would be well received at court.” She touched