Read Ruby - Book 1 (Daughters of the Dagger Series) for Free Online Page B

ball, resting her head on her knees.
    “I wish to sleep now, my lord.”
    “Aye,” he agreed. “We have a long day ahead
of us tomorrow. And though we have been headed in the right
direction all day, we will still have to ride hard to make up for
lost time.”
    She had no sooner closed her eyes, then she
found herself drifting off to sleep. And in the midst of her
slumber, she heard the words of Lord Nyle of Sheffield vowing he’d
make her a lady if it was the last thing he ever did.
     

Chapter 5

     
    The sun poked its rays through the trees,
and Nyle of Sheffield lay wide awake atop the blanket like he’d
done most the night, watching over Lady Ruby to ensure her safety.
He couldn’t risk losing another wife, now that he was almost
certain their deaths had not been accidents after all. The assassin
could be on the prowl in these very woods and following them.
    Now he almost regretted letting her wander
through the woods for hours yesterday, letting her think he could
not catch her. But since she had been heading in the right
direction, he let her continue. He’d done it purposely, hoping
she’d get disoriented and frightened just to teach her a lesson.
And it worked wonderfully, especially with that little perk of a
wolf showing up just at the right time. But now, after that little
episode, he figured she’d be less apt to cause trouble.
    Still, he needed to stay alert to keep a
watchful eye for anything that may seem amiss. Someone hated him so
much that they would do anything to stop him from being guardian to
the king’s bastard. He didn’t understand it, but everything would
be clear as soon as he caught the culprit.
    He’d waited until she fell asleep last
night, then he’d collected her horse that he’d seen grazing not far
from their encampment. There was no way he was going to lose any
more of his dowry.
    Ruby rested her head against his chest,
snuggled in deeply beneath the crook of his arm. If she knew what
she did, she’d most likely run from him in horror. This woman hated
him, of that there was no doubt in his mind. But then again, he
hadn’t really given her any reason not to. He could have told her
he wasn’t the cold-hearted murderer she saw him to be, but instead
he’d kept his stories to himself as he had for most of his
life.
    That’s one thing his father always told him,
was to keep your personal doings to yourself. And though he’d
fought with his father about things that didn’t matter, that was
one thing they’d both agreed on. Nyle liked his privacy and that’s
why the rumors about him cut him deep to the bone. But instead of
setting people straight, he’d let them think what they wanted, and
kept his life as private as he could, and that wasn’t easy in these
days and times.
    He didn’t care what she thought of him, he
tried to convince himself. He didn’t need her to be fond of him, he
just needed her as his wife. King Edward would be sending a
messenger soon to tell him where and when to meet him. He wouldn’t
disappoint his sovereign by not doing what he asked. He had a wife
now as the king instructed, and though he’d lost three in the
process, he didn’t plan on divulging that information to King
Edward. At least, not just yet.
    If Edward knew someone was trying to stop
Nyle from taking guardianship of the his bastard, so much so that
they’d resorted to murder, the king would never leave the boy in
his care. He had watched over Tibbar since the king first sired the
boy and had become very fond of him during the past year. Nyle
almost felt like a father to the child since the king kept the baby
and banished the boy’s mother, his mistress - Lady Jocelyn. But
then again, thought Nyle, he may feel like the boy’s father because
there was a very good chance he just might be.
    Ruby shifted and nuzzled her nose into his
chest. Though her gown was dirty and damp, her hair still smelled
clean and he couldn’t help but rub his cheek against it. He’d never
allowed