Defy Not the Heart Read Online Free PDF Page B

him down, Ranulf, the fellow would remember he has a tongue.”
    But it was Theodric who did the remembering and said, “’Tis the Lady Reina you are throttling, my lord.”
    Oh, curse and rot that boy for not being more subtle! The giant was so surprised he dropped her, just let go, and Reina went crashing to the floor at his feet.
    They stood around her, three towering knights too stunned to move, let alone speak, staring down at her with the most ridiculous expressions. If Reina did not hurt so, she would have laughed, for this truly was the perfect topping to an otherwise rotten day. But she did see the humor in it. Later she would be mortified. Just now, it was their turn.
    “Well, this is one way to discover if the rushes need changing.”
    She could not have said anything to embarrass the giant more. If it were possible, his face would have gone up in flames, it burned so red.
    Reina felt better already, until she tried to rise by herself and could manage no more than getting to herhands and knees. Jesú , she had to get this armor off her back—immediately. Nothing had ever made her so graceless and bone-weary, and the minute it was off, it was going straight into the fire.
    Two hands slipped under her arms, and she became weightless again for a second as she was lifted and then set on her feet. Directly at eye level now was the giant’s chest. Reina refused to look any higher until she stepped back several feet so she would not have to crane her neck. And then she felt her own surprise.
    That face had been a golden blur before, but now she saw each feature clearly. Golden brows, straight and thick, and far darker than the light golden hair, of a length to set on those immense shoulders. A well-shaped nose between broad cheekbones covered with sun-kissed skin. Firm lips over a square-cut jaw shaded with dark bronze stubble. It was a face harsh in its masculinity, yet even so, incredibly handsome. And he had violet eyes, piercing, narrowing now as she stared. Violet! Imagine that.
    Ranulf could feel his anger returning, and centering solely on the lady, if lady she really was. He had thought her a man, albeit a little one, but a man nonetheless, and who would not think so with her shapeless mail hauberk that fell to her knees, mailed chausses on her legs, a mail coif clinging to her head, leaving only a small oval of her face visible. Even her brows and chin were covered by the coif, and there was dried blood on her sleeves and hands.
    She might not be wearing a sword or any other weapon, but she in no way appeared to be a woman—except her voice was soft and melodic, but heard too late to keep him from making a fool of himself. He did not even have the appeasement of seeing her reactto him as most females did. She might have been surprised, but for no more than a second. Her large blue eyes, as pale as the morning sky, held no admiration or fascination as they looked him over. They were direct now, without fear, with just the barest trace of curiosity.
    “Thank you,” he heard her say in response to his assistance.
    “Nay, I must beg your pardon,” he heard himself answer, when what he wanted to do was rip that coif off her head to see if he could then determine if she was child or woman. He did not like not knowing.
    And then she surprised him by taking full blame for his mistake, when she had every right to upbraid him instead. “Nay, my lord, ’tis I who must beg pardon for receiving you like this, and so causing confusion. I had hoped to change first, but Aubert said you were—impatient—to be assured of my safety.”
    The dark-haired man beside the golden giant laughed suddenly. “And so you were safe, demoiselle, until you came before my friend here. Allow me to present to you this chagrined fellow who is feeling much the fool, Ranulf Fitz Hugh, and our young friend, Searle of Totnes.”
    “And you are?”
    “Walter de Breaute, at your service.”
    She inclined her head to each of them, though