Scarlet Moon (Once Upon a Time) Read Online Free PDF Page A

go out so often.”
    “What needs to be done?” she asked.
    “One of the large candlesticks is bent and wax is dripping onto the altar, apparently.”
    “I could go if you like,” Ruth offered.
    “No,” he said, not even stopping to think about it. “You stay here. Simon should be by to pick up those blades a little later. Make sure he pays.”
    “I will,” she promised.
    Ruth watched him leave with a trace of envy. Her father hated leaving the shop to perform hisjob elsewhere, but she could use a change. He would never let her go, though. He was already concerned enough about her image. Having her out working in the public eye would just make it worse.
    She turned back to what she was doing. Now that Peter was home, he might begin to help out as soon as he felt stronger.
    After working for nearly an hour, she heard footsteps behind her and turned to see a tall, burly man enter the shop.
    “Good afternoon, Simon,” she said.
    Simon, a tanner by trade, grunted in reply, “Your father here?” he demanded.
    “No, but your new blades are ready,” she said, nodding toward one of the worktables.
    He crossed and picked one up, examining its edge by running it lightly along his thumb. Even from a couple of feet away she could see the thin line of blood that appeared with the blades passing. It gave her a good feeling to see the sharpness of her blades and to know that her work had paid off.
    “They’ll skin a deer twice as fast as your old ones,” she asserted, moving toward him.
    He tucked the two blades into the back of his belt before sucking the blood from his skin. “I’ll take them because I need them, but I won’t pay for such shoddy work.”
    “Shoddy work!” she exclaimed, cut to the quick. “I assure you both my father and I worked on them,and they are the finest blades in these parts.”
    “I figure a woman would think so,” he grunted, giving her a withering glance. “Tell your father that when he can make better blades I’ll pay for them,” he said, starting toward the door.
    “You’ll pay for these now,” Ruth told him, moving between him and the door.
    “Out of my way, girl, before you get hurt.”
    She balled her hands into fists at her side and braced herself. She might be afraid of wolves and woods, but common men didn’t frighten her. “I know you, Simon, and I won’t be the one getting hurt.”
    “Run home to your father, girl. Maybe if you ask nice he can find a husband for you, if there is a man out there willing to bed you.”
    “You swine!” she shrieked. She lunged forward and hit him, hearing a crunch as her fist connected with his nose.
    He staggered back with an oath, his hands flying to his face. Then with a roar he lunged toward her. She sidestepped and boxed his ear as he lumbered past. He turned, one of the skinning knives in his hand, and was about to come at her again when a man strode into the building and stepped between them.
    “Good sir, you will pay this lady what she
is
due and leave this place.” The stranger was tall and very well dressed.
    “And who might you be?” Simon asked with a bloodstained sneer.
    “William, Earl of Lauton.”
    Simon turned pale and took three quick steps backward. “I’m sorry, milord,” he muttered, dropping his eyes.
    Simon dug into a pouch at his belt and placed three coins on a table before turning and stumbling out of the shop. Ruth snatched up the coins and contemplated throwing them at his retreating back, but she took a deep breath and clutched them tightly in her fist instead.
    “Did he hurt you?” the earl asked after a moment.
    “No,” she spat. “And if you hadn’t interfered I might have knocked some sense into him. Now I’m just going to have to deal with him later.”
    He laughed out loud, his eyes dancing. “My apologies, milady. Next time I will just stand back and watch.”
    “Thank you,” she said, taking a deep breath. They stood still for a few moments as Ruth tried to force her body to