Prisoner of My Desire Read Online Free PDF

drink. He was not even in the bed yet. He clutched his chest and fell off the bed steps.”
    Gilbert looked back at her husband, and must have believed her. He drew the black robe over Lord Godwine’s body before he stood up and faced her.
    After a moment’s thought, he said, “Do not leave this room. Do not let anyone inside.”
    “What are you going to do?”
    “Find you a suitable substitute. ’Tis imperative now that you start breeding this very night. Damn this black hair of mine, or I would do it.”
    Her eyes flared wide at the meaning of his last words as much as of his first. “Nay. I will not—”
    “You will,” he snarled, “if you wish ever to see your mother again—alive!”
    Now it was stated plainly, what she had only suspected before, and she blanched, not doubting at all that he meant it. But the horror of what he intended…a substitute!
    Desperately, she asked, “How can you even hope to perpetuate such a deception? The man is dead.”
    “No one need know that until a sufficient time has passed to see you breeding. When you are not directly attending to that, you will stay in this chamber—”
    “With his corpse?” she gasped, taking still another step back.
    “Nay, I will get rid of the body,” he said impatiently. “When ’tis time to bury him, I will find another body to pass off as his. At any rate, he will be officially buried before his brother learns he is dead, and you will be for certain with child before the man arrives to try and wrest his due. But he will have naught. Godwine would have wanted it so.”
    That was likely true, but did that justify what Gilbert meant to do? And he sounded so confident in his new plan. But why not? Again, he had to do naught but sit back and wait while her body was sacrificed on this altar of deception. And this time her mother’s life truly depended on her compliance.

Chapter 5
    They set upon him on his way out of the common bathing room at the inn. Five of them there were, dressed in the leather jerkins of men-at-arms, yet he doubted they were that. Thieves, more like. Lawlessness was prevalent in most towns that had a weak or absent overlord, or corrupt aldermen. And he did not know the town of Kirkburough, had never passed through it before. For all he knew, this could be another pocket of high villainy where all travelers and strangers were set upon and robbed, or tortured if they could not promise fat ransoms. To travel in Stephen’s England alone or with a small escort was to risk penury as well as your life.
    Truly, this had been an act of stupidity and conceit on his part, to come here with no more than his squire just because he wanted to beautify his appearance before he met his betrothedon the morrow. A bit of vanity, and look what it had wrought. Too long had he been confident in his reputation of swift retribution for any wrong done him, to keep offenders at bay. It had stood him in good stead for a goodly number of years, ever since he had turned his life toward vengeance. But for a reputation to do any good, it had to be known, and as he did not know this area, neither was he known here.
    Warrick de Chaville could be forgiven his carelessness, though he would not forgive himself, for he was not a forgiving man. The town had looked peaceful and well ordered. He had a lot on his mind. He would soon be marrying for the third time, and he did not want this new wife to fear him as the other two had. He had much hope in the Lady Isabella. For nearly a year he had courted her when he could find the time, though that was not his way. Her father had given her to him at first asking, greatly desiring the match, yet Warrick had wanted Isabella’s consent, and would not make contract for her until he had it. Now he had it, and he was eager to make her his.
    Lady Isabella Malduit was not only a great beauty and much sought after, she was also soft-spoken, sweetly tempered, and had a charming sense of humor. Warrick wanted humor in his