Becoming a Lady (2 page)

“
I would not know, Sir,” Anna said softly, without looking at him.  She had never had anyone look at her, man or woman, that she could recall.

“
Have you never had a man look at you?”   His voice sounded more curious than condescending and Anna looked over at him.

“
You are the first man who has ever paid me mind,” she shrugged, then unsure of how to continue.  He was quite handsome to look at; that was true, but it was maddening that he would not tell her what he was planning.

“
I find that hard to believe with the mouth on you.”   The man straightened and stretched his long legs out in front of him.             

“
I should explain, then, that I am usually left to my own devices.  I do not intentionally speak with anyone.”   Anna moved her hair off her shoulders and rolled them.  She was growing tired, and she was truly not used to speaking to anyone at all.

“
That would also explain your mouth,” he scoffed.  “You should not speak to anyone else, is that clear?”

“
That sounds like an order, and I do not take orders.”   Anna crossed her arms in front of her chest.

The man showed a very small smile. 
“Oh, you will learn to, but tonight you go to sleep.  We have a long journey still ahead of us.”

Anna said nothing, as she pulled her legs up underneath her.  She certainly did not want to learn to take orders from this man, no matter what his purpose.  She desperately wanted him to return her to her village, but a small stirring inside of her wondered if he had something else in mind. 
The tales of brutal men, much like the ones that had stolen her innocence, had been told to her by Sir John, but truly this man had yet to touch her in an unsavory way.  If he were really planning to cause her harm, surely he would have done so by now!  Anna looked over at him and then back to her lap.  She sighed deeply, and let the effects of the ale and the ride put her to sleep.

Chapter Two



Anna awoke with a start as she looked up
at the man sitting in the chair next to her.  His eyes were focused on her face and she blinked several times before glancing towards the door.  “I must attend to myself.”



“
Do what you need to and return here immediately.  I should not need to remind you to keep quiet.”   He stood up and rolled his shoulders, keeping his eyes locked upon her.

The vivid image of Evrain stroking his beard made her stomach lurch, and she quickly shook her head. 

“
No, Sir, I will do as you say.”   Anna stood and made her way to the back of the hall.  She relieved herself, and rinsed her face with cool water from the basin.  As she straightened she felt something press against her spine. 

“
Though you have no price, you must not be so good for your guardian to leave your side.”  

She was pressed closely against a man that she could not see.  She opened her mouth to take a breath; if it was the sly man, she needed to warn her companion.  Her brain laughed at her choice of words, but she still believed she fared better with him
.



“
If you scream, pretty, I will carve out your kidneys.”   She was turned around then, and she could clearly see the fox-like man stroking his awful black beard.  “Do not over-think my intentions.  I simply want those lovely thighs wrapped around my body.”



Anna gagged. 
“I would rather eat raw liver.”



Evrain
smiled.  “You will do exactly as I say.  We are going to walk down the hall and through the main room.  If you open your mouth or gesture to anyone, I will not think twice about slicing you to pieces.”

Anna shuddered.  She did not want to cooperate with this filth, but she might be able to escape if someone in the main room could see her predicament. 
“I will do as you say, Sir.”



Evrain
grinned as he looked over her dress.  “Walk, my pretty.”



Anna walked down the hall and into the main room.  No one would catch her eye, as they were too busy setting up for the day.  Not one person glanced her way.  Anna was fuming inside.  How dare they pay her no mind!  She grew more desperate with each step towards the door
.

Evrain opened the main door, and gestured for Anna to walk through.  

Anna paused a moment before following his command.  She felt his arm wrap around her waist, and she gagged again. 

“
Your touch disgusts me.”



“
Your thighs have no tongue.  Perhaps I will wrap my cloak around your mouth to keep it that way.”



Anna swayed and was pinched hard on the arm. 
“I will find a way to get away from you.”



“
You and I have business Sir, and now it is not to your liking.”   The tall man was standing in front of them.

Anna blinked but kept her mouth shut. 

Evrain
sneered, “Why is this woman so important to you, Sir?”



“
That is of no concern of yours.  Let her go or we will quarrel.”   The man was staring above Anna’s head.



Evrain
moved the dagger from the small of Anna’s back to point it at the man.  “Your death will be on her.”



The man pulled his sword and twisted his wrist so smoothly that
Evrain actually seemed to admire it; instantly he was stretched out on the ground, felled by a single blow from the sword’s pommel.   He had knocked Evrain roughly on his head, and though it was not deadly, it would teach the man a lesson.



“
I have never seen a man quarrel without killing his opponent.”   Anna was in awe as he reached for her arm.



“
Do not mistake ‘did not’ for ‘could not.’”   The man led her around the inn.



“
He said dirty, nasty things to me.”   Anna bit her lower lip as she walked unsteadily towards the horse. 

The man picked her up and placed her on the saddle before mounting. 
“Did you enjoy those things?”



A
nna spit on the ground.  “No!”



“
Then do not think of them again.”   The man sounded tired.



Anna huffed,
“He touched me.”



“
If you do not enjoy anyone touching you then perhaps it is something within you.”   His arms shifted, and Anna found his left hand close to her body.  He was not touching her, but she could feel the heat.  Anna reached over hesitantly and ran her hand over the top of his.  His hands were so large that she wondered if he could hold both of hers in one.



“
You have no knowledge of the things that I have seen in my life, Sir.”   She moved her hand back.



“
You are but a child.”   He shifted and moved his hand back to the reigns.



Anna craned her neck to look up at him and was deeply surprised to see his dark stormy eyes looking down at hers intently. 

“Perhaps you would ask what I have seen, Sir.”



“
What things then, Little One?”



Anna looked back at the trail. She felt a small flush run over her body at his choice of words.  They almost sounded like affection.
“It is a rather long story, Sir, and I doubt that I can tell it with nothing to warm me.”  

“
Will you share your story with me tonight?”   He straightened then, and she was very aware of how close their bodies were.



“
If you will tell me what your purpose is.”   Anna stiffened, though she could not deny that his body pressed up behind her was less than exciting.

“
I cannot share that information with you.  I do hope that you see I have not harmed you, and have kept you sheltered and fed.”   He drew up on the reigns and his arm passed by hers.



Anna turned her head. 
“That answer does not satisfy me.”   Surely this man could not be any more irritating?   He did not respond, which only further fueled her ire.  Anna narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips.  “Then what use of me, Sir?”   Her voice dripped with sarcasm over his title.  It was so hard to be respectful when she could not tell his intent.



“
Perhaps I intend to carry you off into the woods and slaughter you like a little deer.”   His tone did not match the spoken words and Anna wondered if he were trying to be amusing.  “Do not mistake my courtesy for affection.”



“
Since you have shown me no affection, I do not,” Anna huffed, but remained staring up at him.



“
I can see why you have no husband,” he grumbled then.



Anna balked. 
“You have made no attempt to distinguish me from any other woman; how dare you say that of me!”   Anna shook her head.  “You are a piece of filth.”



“
You have made no attempt to distinguish me from any other man so I must say that your view is tilted.”   His voice was low and threatening and she could feel his breath on her ear.



“
I have no comment to that, Sir.”   Anna was growing weary of this.  She was not used to talking to anyone at all, and she was not used to this sort of banter.



“
For that I am grateful.”  

He pulled up on the reigns and straightened
.

Anna spun her body completely around to face him.  “I have done nothing to you and do not know you, Sir.  Tell me now, what use am I!”



The man slowed,
then stopped the horse.  “Have you lost your mind?   Turn around and do not address me until I tell you to.”



Anna raised an eyebrow. 
“I already told you that I will not take orders from you.”



The man narrowed his eyes. 
“What could you have done that your father never disciplined you?”



Anna was confused.  What had her father to do with this?  
“I am of no use to my Father.”



“
You were not taught to listen to a man and I want to know why.”   He kept his eyes on hers.  “Has no one told you what happens to a woman who speaks sharply to a man?”



“
I do not speak sharply.  I do not have ties to you, Sir, and so I will not take orders.” Anna shrugged casually.



“
You will turn around and you will do what I tell you to or your cheeks are going to be as red as my bag.”

Anna held a hand up to her face and scrunched her nose.  She could not tell if he was bluffing or not. 



”I am not speaking of those cheeks, Little One.”



Anna
’s eyes went wide and she immediately turned around.  He could not possibly mean that he would spank her!  He had kidnapped her for no coin and was now threatening to discipline her?   She was no longer a child!  How dare he speak to her in such a manner!  Yet Anna was deeply intrigued by the thought.  “You are saying that to scare me.”



“
Try me.”   The man adjusted the reigns again.



“
I will not.”   Anna ran her hand down over the horse’s mane and tried to stop the thoughts that were barreling through her head.  The thought of his doing such a barbaric thing to her made her nervous - and something else.  It was something that felt like excitement.  Had she gone mad in her mind?   Did she actually anticipate with pleasure the thought of being touched that way?   Anna bit her lip and nuzzled closer to the horse.  She missed tending to the horses, and as they rode further on, Anna began to lose hope of ever seeing her village again.  Her thoughts returned yet again to the man sitting so close to her.  Surely, if he wanted nothing to do with her or to cause her harm, he would not be so casual to tell her of such consequences.  They continued to ride on until it was unsafe to continue.  The man dismounted first, and then set her down as well.  Anna kept her mouth shut and said nothing, as he tied the horse to a tree and urged her forward.  



***



Anna cringed as he tied her arms up over her head. 
“You tie me as if I could think of escaping in the middle of the night in the middle of nowhere!”



The man said nothing as he drew the rope tighter
.



“
Do you not understand how very sore my arms will be in the morning?”



The man grunted. 
“That is not my concern.”



Anna struggled against the bonds.  He had tied her to a large tree and then led the slack to his belt. 
“You are not an honorable man.”



The man leaned over Anna so that they were face to face, only inches apart. 
“You will speak only respectful words to me from here on out.  Do I make myself clear?”



“
What if I do not?”   Anna scrunched her face.



“
Then your arms are not the only things that will be sore in the morning.  Make no mistake about that.”



Anna narrowed her eyes up at him. 
“Twice you have made mention of such discipline and you have yet to follow through, I think perhaps you are bluffing.”



The man raised an eyebrow. 
“Twice you have challenged me.  I suspect that my idea of discipline does more to you than you are willing to admit.”



Anna
’s jaw dropped.  “That thought is very disgusting!”



“
Then I am going to say this only one more time; are you listening?”   Anna nodded as he continued.  “If you utter one more disrespectful word to me, I am going to pull you across my lap like a babe and take my belt to your hind end until you have learned your lesson.  Now do you understand?”



Anna blinked back tears.  Part of her still wanted to see if his words were true, but how could an honorable man threaten such a thing?  
“I understand, Sir.”

“
Perhaps I did you a favor taking you away from your village that does not show concern for you.”   He pulled the ropes and dropped his hand to his side.



Anna frowned. 
“I guess that depends on what you plan to do with me.”



The man leaned down again. 
“You are going to have to trust me.”  

Anna did not reply, as he tugged on the other side of the ropes. 
“This is going to prove to be a difficult journey for you if you cannot do so.”



Anna took a deep breath. 
“How can I trust a man who will not explain his purpose, and now has me strung up like an animal?”



“
I need you to listen and to stay here.  If I untie you, surely you will run.  These woods are not safe under the best conditions and surely not at night.”



“
I am days away from my village.  Please untie me.  I will not stray.”   Anna pleaded with her eyes.

 “I will not.”  

The man moved back and lay down. 
“We will talk more in the morning.”



Anna looked up at the trees and wondered if the man who lay less than a foot away from her could truly be the sort of man that a woman may fancy as a husband.  He had saved her from the fox-man and had yet to do anything to harm her.  Could she honestly allow the man that had stolen her away from her village to be looked at as more of a monster than the men who had hurt her
as a child?   Anna tried again to get into a better position, but that only tugged at the rope.  She threw a cautious glance to the man.