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“Terribly,” she told him firmly.

“Good,” he replied, “which brings me back to our original discussion. I will not have you disobeying my orders again. Is that understood?”

She sobered a little, but he had not entirely destroyed the mood. “Perfectly, English,” she replied with a touch of sass.

He was half-joking, half-serious. “I mean what I say, my lady. I will tolerate no insurrection.”

She shrugged lazily. “I am Scot. That is all that I know.”

He was on his feet, hands on his hips and trying to look as severe as he could. “Then if I must teach you a lesson, I will gladly do it.”

Her eyebrows drew together. “Is that so? What could an Englishman possibly teach a Scot?”

He pursed his lips, fighting off a grin. “Is that a challenge or are you speaking before you think again?”

She stood up from the chair and thrust up her chin defiantly. “Ye’ll not teach me a thing, English. That is no challenge, ’tis a fact.”

“I see,” he said. “Then you are saying that you know everything that there is to know. Amazing for a woman who admitted not five minutes ago that she was stupid.”

She shot him such a menacing look that he laughed aloud and her heart leapt wildly in her chest.

“May I prepare for bed now?” she asked primly, pretending to ignore the fact that he had bested her in an argument.

“Aye,” he replied, still smiling. “I shall call Jason to bring your possessions.”

He caught a flash of something in her eyes before she nodded quickly and lowered her head. It puzzled him. “What is it, my lady?”

She shook her head vigorously. “Nothing, sir knight. Nothing at all.”

She was lying. The change in her mood was abrupt and he wondered why. What had he said? All he had done was give her permission to prepare for bed, and that he would send Jason for her things. Then, it occurred to him.

…Jason?

“Is there a problem with Jason, my lady?” he asked.

She hesitated before shaking her head. It was the hesitation that gave her away. He went to her, putting a finger under her chin and tilting her head up to look at him.

“What is it with Jason?” he asked, somewhat quietly.

She blinked back at him and he could read the fear. His stomach twisted with a spark of rage. “What has he done, my lady?” he asked. “You will tell me now.”

He caught a nervous twitch in the corner of her eye as she drew in a ragged breath. Truth was, she was torn between telling him the truth and lying. She didn’t want to be alone with Jason, considering the man could not keep his hands to himself, and she was afraid of him. She didn’t know what to say, afraid William would explode either way, but he was waiting for an answer. Frightened and tired and frustrated all over again, her eyes welled up with hot tears.

William sighed heavily and dropped his hand from her chin. “Answer me, my lady,” he said softly. “Please.”

She wiped at her eyes quickly. “Well,” she stammered. “He… I dunna want to be alone with him.”

“Why not?”

She grunted softly, hesitant to say. But she knew she must. She’d come this far. “Because… because his hands… when I was on his horse, he liked to… touch me.”

William stiffened and stood his considerable height. That scared her all the more.

“Touch you?” he repeated, infuriated. “How did he touch you?”

She lowered her head. “In… in a way a husband would touch his wife.”

He grabbed her and she gasped with surprise, her eyes finding his. “Where?” he demanded. “Show me where he touched you.”