Amongst Silk and Spice Read Online Free PDF Page B

parted with surprise, but she was unable to articulate for a moment.
    "Hugo Beauford?" she said incredulously, her eyes traveling back and forth between his. She recognized him, it seemed. Her shoulders shrank back and her fingers moved up to her mouth. "What are you doing here?"
    "Your father wants a word."
    Eloise looked around. "Is he here?"
    "Of course not, you twit." Hugo grabbed her, taking her by surprise as he lifted her over his shoulder. "You have to go to him. He insists."
    It took her a moment to realize what was happening and she started hitting his back as soon as she did. "Let me down at once," she yelled. Hugo turned around and eyed the people around to see if anyone was set to object to him taking this woman. The Cathayans eyed him and the scene they caused, but no one made a move to assist her—just as he’d thought.
    Walking down the street, he tried to orient himself to the stable where the horse he'd bought was waiting. It was time to start the journey home.
    Her fists beat his back, but she would soon tire herself out. The screeching didn't stop, but he ignored it, flinging her on top the horse once he'd brought it out. She scrambled to get off and he had to hold her wrists. Being a slim creature, she had little strength, but he knew she would not come willingly.
    "You let me down this moment, Hugo Beauford," she demanded. "You cannot just go and grab me. It is immoral and illegal."
    Hugo chuckled, tying her hands and feet together. She still fought him, but she was soon too restrained to do anything other than complain as he walked the horse through the city, heading to the road south.
    "If you are going to yell all the way back to England, I might be deaf by the time we get there."
    "I am not going back to England and you have no right to interfere with me!"
    Hugo ignored her and kept walking.

Chapter 6:
----
     
    Eloise wore herself out fighting and shouting, but it served no purpose other than to wear her out. In the end, she could only lie there, rocking with the movement of the horse walking wherever Hugo was taking her. Her mind spun—Hugo Beauford had appeared and kidnapped her. It was like a horrible dream hearkening back to the days when she’d dreamed about running into either of the Beauford brothers.
    Saying that, Hugo Beauford looked nothing like she would have expected, although he was recognisable, having grown from the lanky fourteen-year-old boy she associated with him. He was a man now, and a knight by the looks of him; although that was not a surprise. His father had been as well.
    "This is completely ridiculous," she said. "You cannot mean to take me back to England, cross the whole world because ' he ' wants to have a word. I won't stand for it." But he ignored her. She could hear him walking. "Release me now, Hugo Beauford, or I'll … "
    "You'll what? Scream? You haven't changed a bit."
    He had though. His voice wasn't the high, cracking ear-sore it had been. It was deep and calm.
    "You have no right to abduct me. Neither does Earl Chanderling."
    "I'm not actually here on behalf of Earl Chanderling. I'm here on behalf of the king, and he can do whatever he wants—including sending me across the known world to collect you. Now be quiet. You're giving me a head ache."
    Eloise grumbled, stiff from being tied to a horse. She wanted to yell and curse just to annoy him, but it really did exhaust her. It felt like it had been hours, which was nothing compared to the months of travel Hugo had intended.
    "Please let me go," she pleaded, trying a different tack. He just ignored her. "I don't want to go to England."
    "I really, really didn't want to go to Cathay!" he said forcefully. "What possessed you to travel all the way here?"
    "I was curious."
    "Curious?! This is insanity and to find you living with a Saracen, too. Your father will be interested in hearing that."
    "He has absolutely no bearing on the issue. And he's not my father. You were quite good at pointing that out yourself,