Description
Lady Rowena is sent to marry Lord Aldric of Blackmare, a man who trains warhorses to bow and charge at command. Unease drives her to spy on him in the stables, fearing what sort of husband she has been given. Yet, what she sees is not cruelty, but a man who moves with quiet authority and a gentleness. After the vows, their marriage begins in unexpected warmth. Deep affection grows, but a moment of doubt fractures the trust he had built with such care and what follows is ruin. Rowena now wants to escape, but Aldric, consumed by guilt, desire and something far harder to name will not let her go. ~ She dared a glance toward the stairwell. Empty, but the sound was closer now, the faint scrape of leather against stone. "A poor choice of ground, little fox" Aldric's voice carried down the passage, low and unhurried. "There are few corners here I do not know." She pressed herself flatter against the wall, willing the shadows to keep her. From the angle of the arch she could see the faint spill of lamplight growing along the floor, the way it shivered with each step he took.
1. The Stable Spy
