The Kindling (45 page)
She stared as the squire thrust gracefully forward, withdrew, then laughed joyously and waved his sword heavenward.
Foolish
, she told herself as the idea came together.
Terribly foolish.
“Nay,” she murmured, “’tis perfect.”
A knock at the door brought her head around. “Milady!” Her maid’s voice floated into the chamber. “Ye are needed.”
As distinct as her words were, Lizanne knew the girl was on her hands and knees in the corridor outside, mouth pressed near the large gap between floor and door.
“Can it not wait?” Lizanne called.
“’Tis a child, milady. She has been hurt.”
Lizanne rose and hastened to the chest that contained her medicinals—a chest that had been her father’s. “A moment,” she called as the lid fell back against the wall. As happened each time she delved within, memories visited her.
Though more often a woman’s domain, her father had been fascinated with the healing properties of herbs. He had encouraged his daughter’s interest in healing, taking her “herbing” with him from a young age.
In the end, however, nothing could save the old baron from the terrible sickness that had feasted upon his body. And the attack on Lizanne and Gilbert’s camp had wrested from him his last hold on life. Another reason Wardieu must pay.
Lizanne blinked away tears and gathered the pots she might need, her fine sewing needle, and strips of clean linen. Then she ran across the chamber and threw the door open.
“Where is the child?” she asked as Mellie straightened from the floor.
“Belowstairs, milady. ’Twas a dog that bit her.” Relating the details of the attack, the maid kept pace with Lizanne all the way to the hall where the child’s weeping mother sat upon a bench, her precious one clutched to her bosom as the servants clustered around.
At Lizanne’s approach, all stepped aside to allow her access to the sobbing child. “Send for Lucy,” she instructed Mellie as she sank to her knees.
“She has been sent fer, milady.”
“What is keeping her?” Gently, Lizanne pried away the mother’s arms and turned the child about. She was a pretty little thing, perhaps four years of age.
Lizanne pushed aside the bloodstained cloth on the child’s arm and leaned near to examine the injury.
Mellie bent down so no others might hear and whispered, “Lucy is tendin’ that other’s wound, milady.”
Other? Lizanne stretched out the child’s arm and gently wiped away the blood. The wound was not as bad as she had feared, but it would require stitches—
She snapped her chin around. “Other, Mellie?”
The maid shrugged apologetically and nodded, confirming it was Wardieu whom Lucy tended.
Lizanne’s anger was short-lived as the healer in her pushed it aside. Evil though the man was, he had been wounded and it would be unseemly to leave him uncared for, even if she could not bring herself to see to his needs. Not even a vicious animal deserved to be left bleeding and in pain. Nay, her revenge would be carried our properly, Wardieu given the opportunity to defend his person.
She returned her attention to the child. “And what is your name, little one?” She
pushed damp golden hair back from tear-swollen eyes.
The little girl’s bottom lip trembled. “A-Anna.”
“Anna,” Lizanne repeated, forcing out all thoughts of Wardieu so she could offer a genuine smile. “You are a brave girl.”
A smile jerked at Anna’s mouth. “I-I am?”
Lizanne reached for her medicinals. “Aye, you fought that mean old dog and won, did you not?”
Sniffling, Anna turned questioning eyes on her mother. “Did I win, Mama?”
The woman met Lizanne’s gaze. Gratitude shining from her eyes, she smiled and looked to her daughter. “You did.”
“Now,” Lizanne said as she unstoppered a bottle, “I wish you to tell me the whole story.”
Anna looked uncertainly from Lizanne to the bottle that wafted a pungent odor, then back to Lizanne. “Will it hurt?”
Lizanne touched her fingers to Anna’s cheek. “Mayhap a little, but you are brave, hmm?”
After a brief hesitation, Anna nodded.
If you enjoyed this excerpt,
Lady At Arms
will be available Winter 2013/2014.
TAMARA LEIGH NOVELS
INSPIRATIONAL TITLES
Age of Faith: A Medieval Romance Series
The Unveiling:
Book One, 08/12:
Amazon
,
B&N
,
iBookstore
,
Kobo Books
The Yielding:
Book Two, 12/12:
Amazon
,
B&N
,
iBookstore
,
Kobo Books
The Redeeming:
Book Three, 05/13:
Amazon
,
B&N
,
iBookstore
,
Kobo Books
The Kindling:
Book Four, 11/13:
Amazon
, B&N, iBookstore, Kobo Books
The Longing
: Book Five, Spring/Summer 2014
Southern Discomfort Series
Leaving Carolina,
RandomHouse/Multnomah, 2009
Nowhere, Carolina,
RandomHouse/Multnomah, 2010
Restless in Carolina,
RandomHouse/Multnomah, 2011
Stand-Alone Novels
Stealing Adda, 05/12
(ebook edition)
Amazon
,
B&N
,
iBookstore
,
Kobo Books
Stealing Adda,
NavPress, 2006 (print edition)
Perfecting Kate,
Multnomah, 2007
Splitting Harriet,
RandomHouse/Multnomah, 2007
Faking Grace,
RandomHouse/Multnomah, 2008
“CLEAN READ” TITLES
Dreamspell:
a medieval time travel romance
,
03/12
Amazon
,
B&N
,
iBookstore
,
Kobo Books
Lady-At-Arms:
rewrite of the 1994 bestseller
Warrior Bride
from Bantam Books, Winter 2013/2014
OUT-OF-PRINT GENERAL MARKET TITLES
Warrior Bride,
Bantam Books, 1994
*Virgin Bride,
Bantam Books, 1994
Pagan Bride,
Bantam Books, 1995
Saxon Bride,
Bantam Books, 1995
Misbegotten,
HarperCollins, 1996
Unforgotten,
HarperCollins, 1997
Blackheart,
Dorchester Leisure, 2001
*
Virgin Bride
is the sequel to
Warrior Bride
Pagan Pride
and
Saxon Bride
are stand-alone novels
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tamara Leigh holds a Masters Degree in Speech and Language Pathology. In 1993, she signed a 4-book contract with Bantam Books. Her first medieval romance,
Warrior Bride
, was released in 1994, followed by
Virgin Bride, Pagan Bride,
and
Saxon Bride
. Continuing to write for the general market, Tamara had three more novels published with HarperCollins and Dorchester and earned awards and spots on national bestseller lists.
In 2006, Tamara’s first inspirational contemporary romance,
Stealing Adda
, was released. In 2008,
Perfecting Kate
was optioned for a movie and
Splitting Harriet
won an ACFW “Book of the Year” award. Both books were released as audiobooks. In 2009,
Faking Grace
was nominated for ACFW “Book of the Year” and RITA awards. In 2010,
Leaving Carolina
was featured in Target stores’ “Emerging Authors: New, Notable, Red-Hot Reads” section. In 2011, Tamara wrapped up her “Southern Discomfort” series with the release of
Restless in Carolina
.
When not in the middle of being a wife, mother, and cookbook fiend, Tamara continues to write. Recently, she returned to the historical romance genre with the release of
Dreamspell,
a medieval time travel romance. With her new
Age of Faith
series that includes
The Unveiling, The Yielding, The Redeeming,
and
The Kindling,
she once more invites readers to join her in the world of the middle ages.
Lady at Arms,
a “clean read” rewrite of her 1994 bestseller,
Warrior Bride,
will be available Winter 2013/2014 and
The Longing
will be available late spring/early summer 2014.
Tamara lives near Nashville, Tennessee with her husband, sons, and a Doberman that bares its teeth not only to threaten the UPS man but to smile.
Connect with Tamara at her website
www.tamaraleigh.com
, her blog
The Kitchen Novelist,
Facebook,
and
Twitter
. To be added to her mailing list for notification of new releases and special promotions, drop her an email at: [email protected]