“Mercy is the mark of a true warrior,” he told her, hoping that she would respond to reason. He was growing weary of wrestling with her when he had work to do. “I want you to listen to me and listen carefully, because what I tell you will be of importance to you. You did right by showing Kristoph mercy. You will never know how grateful I am to you. I understand that you came to me to tell me where he was but you also confessed that you hoped my drive to rescue my knight would result in your brother’s death. Therefore, you have a dual purpose. I have no problem killing Alary once we catch up to him. In fact, I demand it – he has taken my knight and my vengeance knows no bounds. But your task with me is not completed. Telling me of Kristoph and your brother was only the first part of it. Now, I need your help to find your brother so that you may finish what you have started. If my mission is to be a success, then I need your help. Will you do this?”
From fighting and spanking one moment to calm, rational conversation the next, Ghislaine found herself staring up at the man and watching his mouth when he spoke. He had full lips, curvy, and big dimples in each cheek when his mouth moved. And his voice… it was that liquid metal again, searing and smooth, filling her ears with its heat. Something about that voice made her heart lurch strangely. Or was it simply him in all of his male glory that did it? She honestly didn’t know. All she knew was that when he spoke to her in that tone, she felt like doing anything he wished, like she had no mind of her own.
Witchcraft!
“You do not need my help,” she said, her voice raspy. “I told you where Alary lives. You can easily find him.”
Gaetan shook his head. “I do, indeed, need your help. You know this land, the people. You will be of great service to me and my men as we navigate into the heart of the country.”
Ghislaine could tell that no matter what she said, he was still going to force her to accompany him. It wasn’t as if she had to return home because anyone was waiting for her; there wasn’t anyone any longer. She’d spent the past two years trying to find something to fill that hole that her sweet Hakon had left in her; whether it was helping Edwin or commanding her men, no matter what she did, that hole lingered. She had no reason to believe that assisting the Normans would help her find what she was looking for, but it wasn’t as if she really needed to return home. There were only bittersweet memories there, and if she was considered a traitor for aiding the enemy, she really didn’t care. She knew the truth.
Perhaps now, she was being presented with another purpose in life.
A Norman purpose.
“Very well,” she said after a moment. “I will take you. I will finish what I started. But you had better kill my brother or he will kill me when he sees what I have done.”
Gaetan had to admit he was rather relieved that she was willing to cooperate. “Do not trouble yourself over your brother. When I catch up to him, he will not survive my wrath.”
“I hope that is true.”
“If I release you, you will not try to run again?”
“I will not try to run again.”
Gaetan immediately climbed off her, reaching down a hand to pull her up. But Ghislaine ignored the hand; she wasn’t willing to forgive him yet for everything he’d done to her. She wasn’t willing to fall so easily for his chivalry. Instead, she sat there, trying to pull up her breeches discreetly.
As she fidgeted with her clothing, unwilling to look at him, the big dog came up beside her again, sitting down and leaning against her. Ghislaine had completely forgotten about the dog, who had scampered out of the way when the fighting began, but now he was back again and practically sitting on top of her. She tried to scoot away from him.
“I do not like dogs,” she said. “Can’t this beast find someone else to sit next to?”
Gaetan had been watching her as she tried to straighten her clothing out, but he’d just turned for his chest again when she spoke. He looked over his shoulder at the big wolfhound as it practically sat in her lap.
“That is Camulos, named after the Gaul god of war,” he said, turning back to his trunk. “He will answer to Cam.”
“I do not like dogs.”
“That is unfortunate because he likes you.”
“Is he your dog of war?”
Gaetan sighed heavily. “Nay,” he said flatly. “Cam is like my child; loyal, affectionate, and demanding of my attention. He will lick you to death before he would try to kill you. It is unfortunate that a dog with that size is so docile, but I do not have the heart to leave him behind. He goes where I go.”
Ghislaine managed to pull her breeches up again, re-tying them with part of a leather strip that had been broken when Gaetan had yanked them down. She moved away from the dog only to have it cozy up to her again. She sighed with frustration as the dog looked at her with longing in its doggy eyes.
“My men packed my possessions and took them when they left the encampment,” she said, ignoring the dog who wanted her affection. “I have nothing but the clothes on my back, my bow, and my knife. I have nothing else.”
Gaetan pulled the tunic over his head, revealing a padded tunic beneath. “I will supply you with what you need.”
“I need something to eat,” she fired back softly, noting his disapproving expression when he glanced up at her. She softened her demand, not wanting to anger him because she wanted something from him. “I… I have not eaten since yesterday.”
Still casting her that expression that suggested he didn’t like a demanding woman, Gaetan made his way over to the tent flap even as he unfastened the ties on the padded tunic. He stuck his head out of the opening and ordered one of the squires to bring food. When the boy went off, running, Gaetan came back into the tent and pulled off the padded tunic.
“I will have food brought to you,” he said. “What else do you require?”
Ghislaine didn’t answer right away, mostly because she found herself looking at a naked man from the waist up. And what a naked man… Gaetan’s skin was tanned from having worked and practiced beneath the sun’s rays and he had a fine matting of dark hair over his chest. His neck was thick, his shoulders broad, and the muscular design of his arms and chest were a size that Ghislaine had never seen before. The man was positively enormous. Her heart started to do that odd leaping thing again and, this time, she realized that her breathing was coming in strange gasps as well.
Of course, she’d seen men with their tunics off and in an intimate situation. She well remembered Hakon’s sinewy torso and long limbs. He was the only man who had ever touched her naked flesh until Gaetan had so rudely spanked her naked buttocks. But in looking at the attractiveness of the Norman as he tossed the padded tunic into the chest… she almost didn’t care that he’d spanked her.
Maybe if she was lucky, he’d do it again.
Foolish wench, what are you thinking? She scolded herself, tearing her eyes away from Gaetan as he practically stripped naked in front of her. Good God, is that where this was heading? Was he simply going to take off of his clothing right in front of her? The thought titillated her and terrified her at the same time. She tried to distract herself by focusing on the question he’d asked her.
“I… I require a bedroll, something to sleep on when we travel,” she said. “Mayhap a cloak because mine was with my men when they took my possessions away. I will also need a horse and some arrows for my quill. I used most of mine in the battle yesterday.”