He gave his head a shake, wishing she would make up her mind.Then he started off after her.
“Not so close!”she hissed over her shoulder.
This was ridiculous.He reached for her arm to halt her.“Will ye explain to me what’s goin’ on?”
Her brow creased with worry.“Ye wouldn’t understand.”
She tried to pull her arm out of his grasp, but he held tight.If something was troubling her, he wanted to help.
“Try me,” he said.
“There’s no time,” she bit out.“Just…shoo.”This time she managed to pull away.
He snatched the back of her gold girdle, hauling her up short.
“I can help ye,” he explained.
“Ye can help me,” she mumbled, straining against the girdle, “by lettin’ go o’ me.”
He did.
She would have fallen forward, so hard was she pulling against his grip.But he quickly caught her about the waist to steady her.
“Hold there!”bellowed a voice behind him.“Unhand the lady!”
Adam released her and turned to face Aillenn’s champion.
His heart plunged to the pit of his stomach.
It was the prior himself.
And this looked very bad.
Before he could explain, the prior shouted, “Guards!”to summon two strapping monks posted at the gates.
He tried to explain.“I meant no—”
“Seize him!”the prior ordered.
Adam could have fought his way free.He was fast and agile.He could have run past them all and left them in the dust.But he didn’t want to abandon Aillenn, who was clearly upset about something.
Besides, there was no point in resisting or trying to explain.In the prior’s eyes, Adam was a monk who’d laid hands upon a lady.A lady who, if he’d guessed correctly, had just made a very generous donation to the priory.If Adam had been in the prior’s place, he would have made the same assumption.
Eventually, Adam would straighten things out.Meanwhile, it would serve no purpose to antagonize the guards or the prior.So he allowed them to seize him.
“Take him to an empty cell,” the prior growled.
As they lugged him away, behind him, he heard the prior speaking to Aillenn.“I must apologize, m’lady, for my monk’s inexcusable behavior.I assure ye ’twill be punished.But ye’re shakin’ like a leaf.Did he harm ye?”
“’Tis only shock,” she said.
“O’ course,” he said.“Well, make no mistake.I’ll be sure the sinner pays for what he’s done.”
Just before Adam was dragged out of range, he overheard the lady’s parting words.Her cold dismissal soured his stomach and sank his heart.
“My thanks, prior,” she said.“I trust your judgment.”
It took every bit of Eve’s willpower to put one foot in front of the other and abandon Adam at the priory.
