Chapter Twenty-Four

T his was not happening again! Pounding her fists on Richard back only earned her sore hands because of the chainmail he wore beneath his tabard. This foul beast presumed much as he continued carrying her farther and farther away from the battlefield. How dare he think he could just take over and control the outcome of her life? He had no right!

“Release me this instant, you bloody whoreson!” she yelled to no avail. Instead, he slapped her bottom as if she were a misbehaving child. “How dare you!”

He slapped her again but did so this time with a chuckle. “I will dare much where you are concerned, my lady,” Richard answered as he adjusted her weight on his shoulder before he chuckled. “Have you gained weight since we last met?”

A roar of outrage rang from her lips. She pounded upon his back again. “You bloody bastard,” she swore.

“I believe we already had the discussion, but in case you required a reminder—I am a titled lord so your name calling will get you nowhere. Now behave before you end up with a sore bottom.”

She cursed again earning her another playful slap… not that his abuse hurt. Nay. ’Twas more like a tap to get his point across but still! “Put me down, Richard,” she bellowed again until he finally listened to her demand and put her back on her feet. She swayed from the sudden movement, and he took hold of her arm to steady her. “You have no right!

“Aye, I do,” Richard proclaimed folding his arms over his firmly muscled chest.

“You know why I must needs fight for Stephen,” she argued but to no avail. The man before her was too stubborn for his own good.

“And you must know why I cannot in good faith allow you to continue to do so. It appears we are at a stalemate.”

“Give me my sword so I might return to the fighting,” she ordered holding out her hand.

“As I just said, your days of fighting for Stephen are at an end.”

“You cannot make choices on my behalf when you know I fight for my son’s life and the safety of those left at Meregate,” Annora declared placing her hands upon her hips. How could he prevent her from fighting when the lives of her people and her son were at stake?

“I understand your plight, but you must also see my reasoning of why I cannot allow you to continue,” Richard answered stepping closer causing her to inch backward. If he touched her now in any sort of intimate way, she knew her heart would crack.

“We are not wed, nor do you have any say on my life, Grancourt,” she replied whilst attempting to hold onto her temper. Yelling seemed unlikely to gain her anything but another smack to her bottom. “You cannot just show up and assume control over me.”

“We may not be betrothed as yet—

“There is no as yet ,” she yelled at him. “Now give me my sword.”

“—but ’tis my hope that we can perchance one day come to an agreement,” he finished whilst standing there with a seductive smile plastered on his unfairly handsome face.

Did he honestly think one look at him would melt her resolve? From the slow smile that slid across his lips, that was exactly what he was thinking. Well, she would prove him wrong! She stepped closer hoping to pull her sword from his belt. He relaxed his stance and Annora assumed he thought she would give in to whatever plans he had for her. He began to lower his head and for the briefest instant she wanted to feel his lips upon hers—but that would only prove his point and not her own.

Her hands went to his chest to hold off any further advances from him. When she finally voiced her thoughts aloud, her tone was clear and strong. “I will never concede to whatever plans you think are in my best interest. I am perfectly capable of seeing to my own needs and the commitment I have made in order to return to my home and people.”

Those hypnotic blue eyes widened at her words before his brows contracted. “I thought mayhap given our time at Oxford that you might favor a union between us.”

“You mean the few days when you forced me to be in your company?” she retorted hotly.

He shrugged. “Days… weeks… what does it matter how much time has passed when there is some invisible connection between a man and a woman?”

“I hardly would say a few conversations were enough to conclude that we would suit one another for a lifetime together,” she said knowing she was telling a falsehood. She would not think on their brief time together and how the memory of those days had held her heart and spirit together on the darkest of days since they were in each other’s company.

Richard took hold of her arms and brought her closer. “Feel free to lie to yourself, Annora, but do not utter such falsehoods to me. I know what we shared even if you think you can easily dismiss the attraction.”

“There was no attraction,” she murmured, repeating the lie if only to try and convince herself.

A laugh left him. “Shall I prove it to you, my dear?”

“You would not dare!”

He took her chin and tilted her head up giving her no choice but to gaze upon him directly. “I believe, sweet Annora, that I have already proved I will dare much where you are concerned.”

“I do not know why you are bothering at all with me. I am no one to you,” she shouted in despair.

“You are all to me.”

His words rocked her to her very core, and she could only stare at him with her mouth open. Hate him or love him, she still could not risk losing her home and son because of an infatuation with a handsome stranger. For that was what he was—a man who briefly came into her life and gave her hope for another path she could have taken before reason once again required her to take control of her present situation. He had been but a brief dream of a life that she knew would never become a reality.

“You barely know me,” she said in a last effort to change whatever was about to happen.

“And we shall have plenty of time in the days ahead to get to know one another again,” Richard declared with a smile. “I made a vow that I would find you one day and now I have. Do you honestly think I will easily let you go?”

“You must. People’s lives are at stake, or have you forgotten about my son?”

“I have not forgotten anything you have told me about your son, Annora. And that, too, shall be resolved with time.”

“You do not understand!” she bellowed. “I do not have time. If I do not report to Stephen’s captain, I will forfeit all.

Richard stared at her with a worried frown. “You cannot report to someone if you have been captured.”

“You are not seriously going to take me prisoner again, are you?” she snapped.

“How else will your absence be explained? Even now, Stephen has made his escape with Bishop Henry, leaving his men to be killed or captured. Now if you are done arguing with me, let us be on our way,” Richard said waiting for her to concede.

“Nay.”

One dark brow rose at her answer. “You will not go on your own accord?”

“Nay,” she repeated crossing her arms over her chest.

“So be it.” Richard came at her so quickly she barely had time to protest when he once again lifted her up and hoisted her over his shoulder. She placed her forearms on his back so her head would not thump against his back with each step he took.

“Richard!” Her attempt to protest her mishandling only afforded her another slap on her bottom.

“Hush! You had your chance to walk on your own. Now you must needs pay the price for your insolence in refusing to listen to me,” Richard replied.

The sound of horses drawing closer only had Annora hiding her face in her hands knowing that others were nearby to witness her humiliation.

“Grancourt,” a voice bellowed when the horses slowed to a walk next to Richard. “Why are you walking away from the battlefield when you are needed?”

“Just taking a prisoner, my lord,” Richard replied as he continued walking.

“Then set the man down and allow him his dignity,” the voice ordered, causing Richard to chuckle.

“This is no man, my lord, but a woman.”

“Really?” the voice drawled in apparent fascination.

“Aye, my lord, and my prisoner,” Richard exclaimed.

“And is she unable to walk on her own accord?”

“She is… stubborn , my lord.”

“Ensure she is secured and will not escape before you return to the battle. The men need their captain,” the man said before his horse went off in a gallop.

Annora continued to squirm trying to see where this insufferable man was taking her. From the tents they passed, she could make out that she was now deep within the enemy’s camp. When he opened the flap to a tent, Annora assumed the structure belonged to Richard. He put her on her feet, and she quickly made a mad dash toward the entrance.

“Not so fast, Annora,” Richard said with a sly grin. He grabbed her about the waist, and she twisted in his arms. That was probably a mistake on her part since she was now firmly held as his arms of steel brought them close. She firmly pressed her hands against the solid wall of male chest.

“Let me go,” she insisted sharply.

“I thought we were past this part of the discussion and that you had realized your fate was sealed.” He pushed her into the center of his tent and quickly went to grab a rope. Her eyes widened as she realized that he would actually tie her up to be held against her will.

“Nay!” she cried out.

“Aye,” he retorted and pulled her to the center post before forcing her to sit upon the ground. He made quick work of tying her hands behind her back. She was at his mercy, and she did not care for the situation one bit!

“Oh, how I hate you for this,” she muttered. If the glare she tossed him were daggers, he would be severely injured and bleeding from multiple wounds.

Richard knelt in front of her. “I think I mentioned before there is a fine line between love and hate. I look forward to proving that your hatred of me is far from the whole of your feelings for me.”

He leaned forward and their breath mingled in the air between them before he gently placed his lips upon her own in a soft kiss. She turned her head to break the contact and heard him chuckle before he left her side and exited the tent.

Even without his presence, he left her with the lingering taste of his kiss upon her lips. Their brief contact had ignited a flame to all the feelings she had originally experienced with Richard whilst at Oxford. Their connection, no matter how much she had tried to deny it, was still as real as the fact that he had taken her prisoner against her will… again.

Alone and angry, she could only ponder what she was to do now and more importantly, how she would escape.