realized his hands ached to touch her, his arms to hold her. But she had fled swiftly, leaving him speechless and thrilled.
He wiped his fingers across the spot she had kissed, bringing them to his mouth and brushing his lips against them, wondering if he could taste her. He could.
Weston did not follow her when she fled. Amalie was a delicate creature emotionally and he knew she would not take it well if he followed her. She needed to be alone, to unwind herself, to breathe again after the emotional day she’d had. But he knew for a fact that he would have those spiral stairs closely watched for any sign of her.
He sent a servant to find Esma.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Weston was standing on the outer wall of Hedingham, watching the activity in the bailey below. It was a truly massive place that could house an enormous army. So far, he had six hundred men from Bolingbroke to command plus the two hundred personal retainers he had brought with him. With an eight hundred man army at his disposal, it was an impressive sight.
When he hadn’t been focused on Amalie since his arrival, he’d been surveying Hedingham and inspecting the troops. Since he was a man who liked strict order, the first thing he did was create an armory in the northwest tower of the outer wall because there seemed to be no central armory at Hedingham.
The second item on his agenda was to build a troop house to hold the bulk of the army which was, as of now, sleeping in any dry place they could find. Most of them loaded up in the banquet hall and in the galleries while a few of them found lodgings in one of the smaller outbuildings that was, for the moment, vacant.
Weston knew that it wasn’t a prime time of year to be building but he also knew it would give the men something to do, so he and his knights began to organize the men into groups; there were those that would collect rock and stone, those that would shape it, and those that would build. They had started their ambitious project yesterday and he was pleased to see that things were falling in to place.
His plan was to put the building against the western wall near the north tower and he stood now, gazing down on the men who were clearing away the foundation for the building. Heath was particularly good at building and he watched the red-haired knight down in the middle of the action, directing the men to clear away and compact a foundation that would, when finished, house close to five hundred men on two levels. He planned to incorporate a second story into it. It would be a big building that would take up a good portion of the lower bailey but, fortunately, the lower bailey was enormous and had room to spare.
It was enough to keep his time occupied but he kept looking up to the enormous keep, imagining Amalie within the walls. Their last conversation still had him reeling; her soft kiss on his cheek, the sheer beauty of the woman. He’d caught glimpses of her humor, her wit, and it had him enamored just like everything else about her.
Weston could sense a tremendous amount of strength behind the lovely façade and it was something he wanted to get to know much, much better. The only reason he hadn’t flatly informed her of his interest was because she was still so emotionally fragile. He was afraid it would somehow upset her. So he had resorted to kind words and innuendos instead. At least he hadn’t driven her off. Not yet, anyway.
As he stood upon the battlements with his enormous arms crossed, watching the activity below, John mounted the ladder from the bailey and came to stand next to him. The big, bald knight made some small talk with him, shouted a few heckles down to Heath, before turning his full focus to his liege.
“How are your ribs?” he asked.
Weston twisted his torso gingerly. “Sore,” he said. “I will not wear this damnable wrap beyond today. The only reason I allowed the surgeon to wrap me was because Lady Amalie
He wiped his fingers across the spot she had kissed, bringing them to his mouth and brushing his lips against them, wondering if he could taste her. He could.
Weston did not follow her when she fled. Amalie was a delicate creature emotionally and he knew she would not take it well if he followed her. She needed to be alone, to unwind herself, to breathe again after the emotional day she’d had. But he knew for a fact that he would have those spiral stairs closely watched for any sign of her.
He sent a servant to find Esma.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Weston was standing on the outer wall of Hedingham, watching the activity in the bailey below. It was a truly massive place that could house an enormous army. So far, he had six hundred men from Bolingbroke to command plus the two hundred personal retainers he had brought with him. With an eight hundred man army at his disposal, it was an impressive sight.
When he hadn’t been focused on Amalie since his arrival, he’d been surveying Hedingham and inspecting the troops. Since he was a man who liked strict order, the first thing he did was create an armory in the northwest tower of the outer wall because there seemed to be no central armory at Hedingham.
The second item on his agenda was to build a troop house to hold the bulk of the army which was, as of now, sleeping in any dry place they could find. Most of them loaded up in the banquet hall and in the galleries while a few of them found lodgings in one of the smaller outbuildings that was, for the moment, vacant.
Weston knew that it wasn’t a prime time of year to be building but he also knew it would give the men something to do, so he and his knights began to organize the men into groups; there were those that would collect rock and stone, those that would shape it, and those that would build. They had started their ambitious project yesterday and he was pleased to see that things were falling in to place.
His plan was to put the building against the western wall near the north tower and he stood now, gazing down on the men who were clearing away the foundation for the building. Heath was particularly good at building and he watched the red-haired knight down in the middle of the action, directing the men to clear away and compact a foundation that would, when finished, house close to five hundred men on two levels. He planned to incorporate a second story into it. It would be a big building that would take up a good portion of the lower bailey but, fortunately, the lower bailey was enormous and had room to spare.
It was enough to keep his time occupied but he kept looking up to the enormous keep, imagining Amalie within the walls. Their last conversation still had him reeling; her soft kiss on his cheek, the sheer beauty of the woman. He’d caught glimpses of her humor, her wit, and it had him enamored just like everything else about her.
Weston could sense a tremendous amount of strength behind the lovely façade and it was something he wanted to get to know much, much better. The only reason he hadn’t flatly informed her of his interest was because she was still so emotionally fragile. He was afraid it would somehow upset her. So he had resorted to kind words and innuendos instead. At least he hadn’t driven her off. Not yet, anyway.
As he stood upon the battlements with his enormous arms crossed, watching the activity below, John mounted the ladder from the bailey and came to stand next to him. The big, bald knight made some small talk with him, shouted a few heckles down to Heath, before turning his full focus to his liege.
“How are your ribs?” he asked.
Weston twisted his torso gingerly. “Sore,” he said. “I will not wear this damnable wrap beyond today. The only reason I allowed the surgeon to wrap me was because Lady Amalie
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