Chapter Four

A nnora folded her arms over her chest after declining his silent request to sit. Instead, she took a moment to study the man who held her against her will. When he had taken off his white cloak, strands of his short-cropped black hair stood on end. He threw the garment on the chest at the foot of his bed and her breath caught in her throat. God’s bones! Surely, he would not take her against her will, would he? She hoped he had more honor than that, but the truth was that she knew nothing about this knight other than what she had seen with her own eyes on the battlefield.

She had lied when she pretended not to recall seeing him during the battle at Winchester. Of course she had noted such a magnificent fighter. There was no doubt he was an accomplished swordman for she had witnessed his skill with a blade both at Winchester and at this very castle. But her encounter with another woman who fought for her own cause had given Annora pause to acknowledge the lady’s skill. When she saw this very man coming toward her on the battlefield, Annora had fled to avoid a confrontation with him.

’Twas not the first time such a weakness had overcome her. She had been about at her breaking point back in September when their blades had met that fateful day outside of the city of Oxford’s gates. If others fighting for Stephen had not come to her aid, she might have suffered a devasting blow. She had been lucky but obviously such luck had run its course given her present predicament.

“What is your name?” the knight quietly asked running his hand through his hair.

“Does my name honestly matter to you?” she returned tartly.

He swirled around so quickly that Annora jumped back. Even though he remained several steps away, she could not help but feel inadequately small compared to a man who must be at least six feet tall.

He took several menacing steps in her direction, and she lifted her chin hoping to give him the impression she was unafraid of him. “I asked you a question,” he said through clenched teeth.

“Aye, you did.” She began tapping her boot upon the floor. She finally looked him in the eye and she tried to hold back her surprise. Blue… his eyes were an incredible shade of blue. Their color was one she would most likely not soon forget. Blue eyes and black hair… the combination had always been her downfall, but she swore she would not allow this man to get the better of her.

“Will you make me wait the remainder of the night to learn what you are called?”

“Perchance… will I end up waiting as many hours to learn what you plan to do with me?”

He pulled her forward once again and she had no other choice but to place her palms on his chest to keep herself from pressing against him with her entire body. “I can tell you are going to be a handful and not allow me a moment’s peace.”

“What did you expect when you captured a woman in the middle of the night to hold her against her will?”

An unexpected chuckle left him before he let her go and proceeded to take a blanket from the foot of the bed. With his back to her, Annora was finally able to breathe. “You have certainly lived up to my recollections of you, my lady.”

She watched his back wondering what he would do or say next. He certainly did not seem bent on having his wicked way with her. He put the blanket back down before turning toward her again and striding over to stand before her.

“I am Lord Richard Grancourt,” he said by way of introduction. He then gave her a slight bow. He stood there waiting for her reply. After a few moments of silence, it became clear that their conversation would not continue until she answered him.

“Lady Annora de Maris,” she said, refraining from giving any other information about where she hailed.

“De Maris?” he asked, and she only nodded. “The name sounds familiar to me.”

Annora shrugged. “’Tis a common enough name, I suppose.”

“’Twill come to me eventually but for now at least we know what to call one another,” Richard declared, stepping forward. He began inspecting her. Annora stepped away from him, her worries renewed that mayhap he was indeed bent on taking her.

A smirk spread across his face as he quickly reached out and unfastened the belt around her waist that held her scabbard. It dropped to the floor, but he was not done inspecting her for hidden weapons. She screeched in outrage as he began patting down her body. She did her best to fight him off. Her elbow met his stomach, her boot kicked at his shin—but he was undeterred. He found the knife tucked away behind her back in the waist of her hose and that, too, fell to the floor. He pulled her over to a chair and the next thing she knew she was forced onto his lap.

“Let me go!” she said, squirming as she demanded to be released.

“As soon as I know you no longer have anything to plunge into me whilst we sleep.”

“’Tis the first thing I will do when I am able,” she retorted, remaining defiant even as she was firmly held in his grasp.

“Hence my inspection of your person,” Richard retorted. Despite her protests, she knew his precautions were well founded. She supposed she would have done the same if their situation had been reversed.

Annora pushed on his chest to put some sort of distance between them, but to no avail. If anything, she swore his arms only tightened around her, bringing them chest to chest. She began to realize that any further moment on her part might just cause a part of him to become aroused. That would certainly not help her cause to remain untouched.

“I do not have any further weapons on me,” she said, lying.

“And I am certain you are spewing a falsehood.”

She could not hold back her cry of surprise when she was suddenly flipped over onto her stomach. Her head now almost touched the floor with her bottom upward in a most undignified manner. “I am so tempted,” he said before he reached for her boots and gave them a tug. The sound of one dirk and then a second as the other boot was removed now told Annora she was completely at this man’s mercy. He pulled her up again and she had no choice but to stare into his eyes when he brought her close.

“I hate you,” she jeered pushing again on his chest to no avail.

“I am certain you do but we are stuck with each other… at least for now.” He pushed back some of her hair that had fallen across her face, and she could sense the calluses along his fingertips and palms. This was no man of leisure. He was a trained warrior, and she could expect nothing from him other than for him to be her enemy.

“You are a fair maiden, Annora, and one who was meant to be kissed often,” Richard said whilst continuing to stare upon her.

She was no maiden having been married before… but mayhap if he thought she was still a maid, the lie might work in her favor to be left untouched. “I suppose you think you are man enough to see the matter done properly?”

Another chuckle left him and he took both her cheeks in his rough palms so she was forced to watch him. “Perchance… but not this night. The eve has had many unexpected surprises. One of which was you.”

“No one told you to take me captive, Grancourt,” she hissed. He quickly stood and Annora stumbled to keep her balance. He held her about her waist until she was steady.

“Nay, you were not a part of our plans, but you are here now and we must needs deal with one another,” he replied slowly as he gathered her weapons from the floor and went back over to the chest.

She had not noticed the lock upon it but now he took a key from a pouch at his belt. A loud click sounded as the padlock was opened and her weapons placed inside. The lock was once more put into place, and she watched him put the key away. She doubted she would be able to get the key away from him, but mayhap she would be able to pick the lock whilst he slept. He grabbed the blanket and went to the door. His sword was placed next to the fabric, and he began to lay down right in front of the only route of escape.

“You may take the bed, Annora,” Richard finally said as he settled his fully clothed body upon the hard stone floor.

Undressing in front of him was unthinkable so she warily climbed onto the bed to lay on the farthest side away from him. When she heard a soft snore escape from the man who chose the uncomfortable floor instead of his own bed, she was finally able to relax. She fluffed the pillow beneath her head. As she began to finally ease into sleep, she swore the woodsy sent of a perfect stranger soothed her into the best night’s sleep she had in years.