He looked at her lips. They were full and pink and pleasing.Christian shook himself. Nay, he would not think upon her lips. He was betrothed.
The men had their blades out, approaching Ashley.
“Pardon.”
The men looked to him.
“I am charged with taking her to the bishop of Winchester. She is a distant cousin and filled with sin.”
Ashley gaped at him.
The men peered at her. “Aye, she has an evil look about her.”
The men muttered amongst themselves before one shrugged and tossed the small tube into the woods.
“No, I need that.”
Christian took her hand in his. “Now ’tis not the time.”
She seemed to sense the danger, for she did not argue.
The leader sneered at him. “The sword and the gold.”
The sword was Christian’s favorite, a gift from his sire, and it pained him to hand it over. But he stood and handed the man the sword, along with the pouch at his waist. ’Twas all the gold he had with him. Why had he not hidden gold in his boot?
“And the dagger in your boot.”
Christian handed over the dagger, grateful the man had not seen the other. They examined the goods as Ashley leaned close to him.
“Why did you say I’m full of sin? That’s crazy.”
He shrugged. “The red color for your lips.” His ears burned and he coughed. “’Tis what a woman of low class—a strumpet—uses to darken her lips. I said you were cousin to the bishop so they would not harm you.”
“Thank you. But you called me a whore.”
“I did not mean what I said.”
She scowled at him. “Jerk.”
The leader kicked him. “Why so quiet? You fear us?”
Christian scoffed. “Nay, I am marking your faces so when I findyou again and take back what is mine, I will slit you from belly to neck and leave you to die in the dirt.”
The man snarled, showing a great deal of missing teeth as he took hold of Ashley, who let out a scream loud enough to bring any thief within a day’s ride. The men startled, giving Christen the moment he needed. The dagger left his hand, ending the man where he stood. Another was dispatched before the other three turned and ran, stealing his favorite horse.
Disgusted, he wiped the blade clean of blood on his hose. Ashley’s mouth opened and closed but no words came forth. She pointed, hand shaking.
“Blood. That’s real blood. I can smell the copper smell. There’s steam rising from where you stabbed him. They’re dead. All dead.”
“Not all. Three escaped with my sword, dagger, gold. And my favorite horse.”
“Well, I lost my watch and necklace. Not to mention my lipstick.” She swayed. “I… There’s something very wrong here.”
And with that, she swooned.
Ashley came to screaming.The last thing she remembered was seeing two men fall to the ground bleeding, their eyes open and unseeing.
“Breathe. Slow and easy.”
