Unbidden (The Evolution Series) (9 page)

He did not release her hand, nor did she immediately demand it
. Heaven help her, these stirrings were becoming a wild tumult, gathering for some storm she could only sense on the horizon. When she tried to free her hand, he held it firmly. She squeezed it hard to show him her ire. When he gently squeezed back, she could not suppress a smile. He grinned. So quickly she had journeyed into this unknown, dangerous territory, quickly and willingly gone to a foreign place within herself, yet somehow of him, where they bantered with words and touches until she did not want to stop, until, God save her, she was enjoying it!

He lifted her hand, studying
it for a few seconds before gallantly raising it to his lips. “I think we will do well together, if you give it a chance,” he said softly.

His words brought her back to herself
. She pulled her hand away. This time he let it go. “You do not fight fair,” she said as she wiped her hands on her tunic. “I am not going to blindly follow you like some green soldier. I
will not
marry you, so you might as well give up on the hand kissing and stay here in the hopes that your emperor has another bride in his treasury for you.” 

He rocked back on his heels
. “
Our
emperor expects us to marry within a month. I am willing to give you a few weeks to get to know me and to become accustomed to the idea before I press you. The day will come when you will marry me. The sooner you accept that, the better.”

Chapter Eight

Rochelle waited in front of the shabby little house
, in an overcast misty dawn, rubbing Denes’s nose and giving herself a firm talking to. Though anxious to be away from Aix-la-Chapelle, she wasn’t sure how she would face David. She hadn’t seen him since the night before last, and that had been fine with her.

He had put her off balance that night with his inappropriate touches and twisted justifications
. She must be on her guard against him, even if his physical touch had, for a few moments, both thrilled and tempted her. She’d never experienced anything like it, yet it was no wonder she’d been vulnerable considering the day she’d had leading up to that dinner!  And she had found it very difficult to sleep the last two nights due to her excitement at returning home. She caught herself staring into space several times yesterday with the tips of her fingers stroking her opposite wrist because...well, she could not explain that, but she was through with any genial thoughts of him now. She reminded herself that by the end of that evening she had been resolved against him again. Firmly resolved. It was time to return to Alda and become the young woman she knew herself to be:  hardworking, responsible, and permanently unmarried. As such, she must be careful to offer no more encouragement to David of Bavaria. She certainly hoped he had no expectation of holding hands again.

Gilbert and Marian came out the door carrying the last of the provisions to add to the pile along the wall of the house
. Most of their things would ride in Theophilus’s cart, as would Marian for much of the trip, though she had her own horse tied next to Gilbert’s.

“Is that a wolf?” Marian asked anxiously, pointing down the street.

A thin canine shape trotted a zigzag path toward them, nose to the ground to catch every scent the road had to offer. Rochelle squinted at it as her mother instinctively backed toward the safety of the house. The animal’s size and build were about right for a wolf, but its ears flopped at the side of its head cheerfully.

“Magnus!” a man’s voice called
. The dog stopped to turn its head to the sound, fluffy tail wagging. Rochelle’s heart skipped a beat as her stomach sank. The voice was David’s. She fixed her face in an expression of indifference as he came into view, mounted on a heavily built horse that surged through the gloom. When he came abreast of the dog, apparently named Magnus, the creature set in motion again, staying next to David’s horse. Theo and the men who had accompanied Rochelle to Aix followed David, also on horseback. Rochelle could hear the rumble of a cart following them.

David pulled up in front of her to lean on the high pommel of his saddle
. His horse was magnificent, black from head to tail, though the winter coat was starting to fill in with shaggy tufts. “Good morning, Rochelle,” David said, his face set in serious lines. “You look ready to travel.”

She glanced down self-consciously at her traveling clothes
. She wore a voluminous brown wool tunic caught at the waist with a plain leather belt. A heavy wool cloak, tied at the neck, nearly dragged the ground around her. She’d covered her hair with dark blue linen. She wore no gold or jewels. It might not be an attractive outfit, but it was comfortable for riding.

“I prefer to be inconspicuous on the road,” she said, sounding a little defensive even to herself.

“A wise decision,” he replied as he slid off his horse.

A wet nose pressed unexpectedly into her palm
. She startled gracelessly to one side.

“That is Magnus,” David explained.

“Hello, Magnus,” Rochelle said with a smile for the dog. She ruffled the thick ruff of fur at his neck. He panted happily, then turned to sniff the assortment of parcels on the ground. “Is he yours?”

David chuckled
. “You could say that. He adopted me several years ago. He seemed determined to hang around. so I trained him.”

“T
o do what?”

“Magnus, stop,” David said, as explanation
. The dog stopped his sniffing to turn expectantly. David pointed at Rochelle. “Guard,” he said. Magnus trod back to Rochelle, sniffing her for a moment before sitting beside her. Rochelle looked at David questioningly.

“I told him to protect you,” he said
. He bent to inspect the feet of Gilbert’s horse.

She glanced down at the dog
. He didn’t seem to be doing anything special, just sitting there smelling the air and, well, being a dog. She shrugged, then walked to help load the cart. As she turned from transferring a few parcels, she noticed Magnus waiting behind her. He had moved silently and still didn’t seem especially interested in her. She glanced over at David who had his fingers under the girth of Gilbert’s saddle, but was watching her reaction to Magnus with a slight smile on his face. She patted Magnus’s head awkwardly. “Good dog,” she whispered, not exactly sure why.

When David moved toward De
nes, Rochelle hurried over. “I have checked him. He is ready to go.”

“I am sure he is,” David answered as he picked up Denes’s left front foot
. Denes turned his head, his ears peaked with curiosity toward the unfamiliar man at his side. David patted his neck reassuringly before moving to his rear foot.

“If you are sure,” Rochelle said quietly, “and I am sure, then why are you checking my horse?”

“Habit.”

Rochelle shook her head. “You cannot have any habits about my horse
. There are no habits between us. We have no habits!”  Her voice had risen precipitously.

“We have to start somewhere,” he said with authority
. “Shall I lift you up?”

“Are we ready?” she asked, startled
.

They were
. Everyone had been very busy while she’d been petting Magnus and arguing about who checked her horse. The cart was loaded, with a soft area of their bedding prepared for Marian who was climbing in with Theo’s help.

This was not how today was supposed to begin
. Today was the day she regained control of herself and her life. Yet she’d already lost track of the simple task of preparing her own party to leave. “I can mount my own horse,” she said rudely. “The mounting block is right there.”

“W
hat would your mother think of me if I let you do that?”  David slipped his hands beneath her cloak to grip her firmly around the waist. He hoisted her, his neck cording in a distracting way. She placed her hands on his shoulders for balance as she slung one leg to the other side of the narrow saddle. His muscles flexed as he lifted her carefully over the saddle to settle her on Denes’s back. She fussed with the extra cloth of her tunic to arrange it over her legs.

“Oh!” she exclaimed
, when David tugged the excess of her cloak from under her bottom to drape it over Denes’s rear. As he handed her the reins, their hands met and clung for an awkward moment. He squeezed her fingers, sending a bolt of heat up her arm. As if by reflex, she pressed in reply. He smiled, a hint of satisfaction in his eyes, and she cursed herself for her weakness. This was exactly what she was
not
supposed to be doing, yet she dare not say a word, or he would know beyond the shadow of a doubt that he had again gotten the better of her.

Thinking very carefully of what direction was south, she urged Denes into a brisk walk
. If nothing else, she would create the illusion that she’d decided it was time to go.

Rochelle was glad to see the city disappear behind her, even if some extra baggage had attached itself to her party
. She would always remember the wonder of the beautiful chapel, but the memory of it was spoiled by the betrothal contract she’d been forced to sign within its marble walls. Now, days of arduous travel lay ahead with the very man who had compelled her to do it. Days with nothing to do but watch the scenery go slowly by, and avoid all interaction with an exasperating Bavarian.

David had been watching Rochelle from behind since they left Aix hours before. She sat the horse well. Her intelligent and well-trained gelding remained attentive to her commands long after their group had settled into a plodding pace. She seemed to talk to the beast incessantly. His ears turned to her voice as if eager for the next bit of wisdom she would impart. Even Magnus, jogging along beside, peered up at her occasionally, and was each time rewarded with a small comment David could not hear. The dog’s tail would wag and he’d be happy for the next league or so.

Unable to resist any longer, David trotted up to ride beside her
. She glanced over and scowled. His stallion, taller and heavier than her gelding, pranced a bit before quieting. Rochelle leaned forward in her saddle, as though hoping to move Denes ahead, but Theo and two of the other men rode abreast before her, blocking any escape.

“That is a good mount,” David said
. Although it was the truth, he also knew a compliment to an obviously beloved animal could do him no harm in his wooing of her. And he had decided to woo her. Her words last night about being forced to make an impossible choice had influenced him. She had been placed in an untenable position by politics. How could he, or anyone, expect her to accept it in one day?  Maybe some other weak-kneed girl would, but not Rochelle.

“Yes, he is a fine horse,” she answered stiffly.

“What is his name?”

“Denes.”

“The Greek god?  Or was it a mountain?”

“Both
. My father named him. He was my father’s horse.”

“It is a good name
. Mine is Woden, coincidentally enough. Named for a pagan god.”  David patted the stallion’s thick neck. “I say it particularly loudly when there are priests about.”  He finally earned a slight quirk of her lips, though she continued to stare straight ahead.

“Most women ride mares,” he observed.

“I had a mare once, when I first started riding the estate with my father. He thought I should have her.”

“You did not like her?”

Rochelle shrugged indifferently. “I found her to be overly twitchy when she was in estrus. Which seemed to be all the time.”  Ahead of them, Theo choked.

“I agree,” David said quickly
. “Mares are unpredictable.”

Rochelle turned to study Woden
. “But stallions can be also. He is handsome, but a brute of a thing. Do you take him to war?”

“I do.”

“Is it dangerous?”

David decided to interpret her question as applying to his horse
. “We do not generally ride into battle. Our horses just get us there with all our weapons and armor.”

“I suppose that is why he needs be so large.”

“Exactly. And because I would look ridiculous with my feet dragging on the ground.”

Rochelle smirked again
. “Does he ever try to run off with you?  I have heard stallions can be hard to manage, though I have never ridden one myself.”  Theo made a strangling sound. “Theo, do you need water?” she called. His waved a hand in reply.

“He tried once, early on
. We had a meeting of the minds and it has not happened since.”

“A meeting of the minds?”

“It is just a matter of establishing priorities. We have gotten along well since the day he understood he could have at the mares when he was not saddled, and especially when I was not on his back.”

Rochelle finally laughed, emitting one reluctant giggle that seemed to brighten a very gray day
. “I negotiated a similar agreement with Denes. He sometimes has to pull a cart and it tweaks his pride. Afterward, I take him on a glory ride all over the estate so he can regain his dignity.”

David nodded
. She understood the male mind quite well.

“Work comes firs
t, Woden,” she lectured. “Then, the rewards.”

“One can only hope,” David agreed, thinking more of himself than his steed.

They continued to ride companionably, including Theo in their widely ranging conversation. They did not discuss anything too personal. David purposely guided their topics away from marriage and Alda so that Rochelle could get to know him as a regular man instead of the main character in the nightmare into which she felt she’d fallen.

After the midday meal, satisfied with his progress and not wishing to push his suit too hard, he took a turn riding ahead of the group
. Near dusk, he found a clearing where they could spend the night. The clouds were breaking, so they decided to forego the tents in order to save time packing up in the morning. The men gathered wood and started a fire while the women selected the food for dinner. The conversation around the fire was friendly and lighthearted, but full stomachs and the rigors of the day soon drove them to find their bedding.

David had spent many a night sleeping on the ground by a fire
. He had never, however, shared his campfire with women. When Rochelle and Marian crept off through the trees to attend to personal matters, he had to be satisfied that Magnus followed them. Still, he waited anxiously at the edge of the firelight until they reappeared. Rochelle’s veil had been replaced by a little white cap with all her hair stuffed under it. She still wore the brown tunic, the removal of the cloak and belt her only change in preparation for sleeping.