The Winter Love Read Online Free PDF

he led her around the room. As she started to walk, her inner thighs burned as if they were being held over a fire and pricked by a thousand sharp needles. She stumbled against him, but soon managed to control her legs a bit more. She was aware again of his strength as he held her. He supported her as if she were nothing, but he held her gently, as if he was afraid of her, or afraid that he might break her. This morning she felt fragile enough that she thought it possible that he could.
    “Try it on your own.” Henry’s voice was encouraging, but impatient.
    Henry let her go and Eleanor found she could shuffle across the floor unaided.
    “That’s not very impressive,” he said. “No one’s going to be convinced by a stable boy who’s saddle sore.” He was irritated by her again.
    “Perhaps I can have some other kind of illness,” suggested Eleanor.
    “You can’t be sick at all.” He was exasperated by her lack of understanding. “We have to leave here on Solomon and you need to eat something. I can’t wait on you, you’re the servant.”
    “Then perhaps you should have been my servant!” Eleanor shouted.
    “Nuns don’t have servants,” Henry muttered.
    “I didn’t ask you to take me away.” She was close to tears, but would not let her captor see them. She had known too much humiliation in the past to show her feelings easily. Her parents had died in the Big Death. Although not much older than her, her brother was already an adult and had inherited their father’s estate and property. Philip had enjoyed his inheritance, but he had not enjoyed being responsible for a young girl. For a while he had suffered her presence, making her aware that he took no pleasure in it. He had made fun of her to his friends and she had learned early how to hide her distress and embarrassment. She had kept this protection about her since he had sent her to the convent for her education and the nuns had found her a strange and distant child, happiest when alone and never seeking out anyone’s company. It had taken a long time for her to accept that the nuns meant her no harm and to behave in a way that showed her trust in them. Now she remembered the lessons she had learned so early and put them into practice so that her abductor could not hurt her.
    Henry took her awkwardly in to his arms and began to smooth her back. To her surprise she moved closer to him and took his tunic into her fists. “I’m sorry Eleanor, I didn’t intend to take you away, but it was the safest thing to do. I truly don’t mean you any harm, but I can’t take you back there now.”
    Eleanor sniffed. “I know. Let me go, I’ll walk.”
    Henry released her and Eleanor walked purposefully back to her side of the bed and sat down to put on her shoes. It hurt a great deal, but she managed not to cry out. Then she thought about getting back onto Solomon and choked back a sob. Busying herself with her shoes, she managed to bring herself back under control.
    “Can you carry my bag and my sword?”
    She looked up. Henry was holding the saddle. He looked less comfortable with it this morning than he had last night. He would not be able to carry the sword as well. She picked up both, even though the sword was heavier than she expected. Henry opened the door and went down to the hall before her. Each step was easier than the last, but each one made her catch her breath. She could not suggest that Henry ask the innkeeper for any balm, but perhaps when they were on their way he could be persuaded to purchase some. That must surely help.
    They sat together again as they ate and Henry kept a wary eye on the rest of the travellers. Eleanor knew that today would be just as dangerous as yesterday, but for different reasons. Any one of these travellers could be an outlaw who would waylay them and rob them later. They might even pretend to be going in the same direction so that they could accompany them to a quiet place where they could attack them. She