Gem of Gravane (The Northern Knights) Read Online Free PDF

any possible
siege. The manor guards would be replaced with his own soldiers
immediately.  They had also spoken on Thomas and Rose.  They needed
to act faster on the other task William had requested of them.  
    Aric did not like the way the two
treated his betrothed.   He knew last night that the two had slipped
and surely had not intended for he or Balwain to notice. He knew whatever it
was ran deeper than what they had witnessed. What remained hidden was very
dark. 
    The servants were wary of him and
he wanted it to stay that way.  It had to be in order for him to manage as
the new lord and master here.  But even that was not the whole of the
thoughts that plagued him.  
    He’d been as exhausted as his fleet
of soldiers, but the round face of the lady of Gravane kept rising up in front
of him.  
    Those unique eyes, the color glowed
it seemed as he tried to get her face out of his thoughts.  Her mouth was
not pouty, just full and shapely, made for kisses.  His kisses.  He
grimaced at the startling image.
    She was young. Not a beauty like he
usually preferred. But striking all the same. Aric convinced himself ‘twas
because of the look of her eyes and the beauty mole near her lip. She had
character. A unique look of her own and from what he’d noticed she was unaware
of her alluring beauty.  
     Tall and blessed with
generous curves, she was quite lovely indeed.  Those curves called to him
with want, need and he had tried to convince himself that it was only because
he’d not been with a woman in many months. The limp she had took nothing from
her and curiosity stirred within him. He wondered how she’d come to be injured
and hoped she’d not suffered much.  He did not ask himself why he cared or
thought it, he just did.    
    The moment William had awarded his
soon to be legacy upon him; Aric had pledged to do nothing erstwhile than tie
up loose ends at court and had been too busy for slaking his lusty desires.
 He’d been embroiled in fighting and squashing out the rebellious bands of
mercenaries refusing to accept William between here and Normandy. The only
thought he’d given to his bride was that she would give him the heirs that he
needed, naught more and stay out of his way.  He’d not really cared at
first what she truly looked like as long as she’d be comely enough so he’d be
able to bring himself to bed her.  
    Damn all to hell, if he did not
find the lady utterly breathtaking.  He did not realize that the dark
scowl on his face was morphing into a smile and that the smile remained until
she knelt next to him as she repeated the vows.   
    That beautiful hair was in two fat
braids clasped with a matching ribbon circlet of flowers at the back of her
neck.  It seemed to him the lady had a liking for flowers.  Her gown
only confirmed Aric’s lusty thoughts for it caressed every full curve
lovingly.  
    She was rigid next to him,
answering automatically to the priest.  Her hands, he saw, shone white
through her tanned skin as she clutched the bouquet of fresh flowers hard to
her middle.   Aric shot a dark look over her head to her
cousins.  One grinned.  The other, Rose, stared daggers into
his bride’s back.   
    Aric bristled with rage when
it came time to give the cursory kiss. He’d barely grazed her lips ere he was
in a full charge stride of wrath over to Thomas to wipe the grin off his face.
 
    So focused on his target, Aric did
not see the stricken look that flashed across his bride’s face.
    Danielle closed her eyes to stop
the tears.  
    What was wrong with her? She had
hardened herself years ago against this sort of dismissal from Thomas and Rose
and had vowed to never cry over anyone else ever again.  And she
hadn’t.  Not even when her selfish father had taken his last breath, did
she shed not one tear.   
     Now, here, in less than two
days, this dark warrior had nearly brought her to tears several times by his
blatant and obvious