Lady Thief - By Rizzo Rosko Page 0,17

she saw that despite the condition of the castle, the stables were kept remarkably well.

The dark haired man shifted his feet and looked about as though expecting his master to appear at any moment. “I don’ know if you should be in here, milady.”

Marianne ignored him. Grooms stacked the hay stacked properly, fresh water and grain for the horses had been laid out while the grooms inside brushed the animals. Her eyes found Archer down at the other end of the stables, sitting on a stool under a window and cleaning out one of the horses’ shoes with loyal attention.

Marianne suddenly felt as if she could float away. How happy she was to see him, unhurt and where William said he would be put.

“If I am to be the mistress of this castle then ‘tis time I see what needs to be done.” She lifted the hem of her gown to keep from dirtying them and continued to where Archer sat. Happiness filled her when he looked up at the sound of her voice. How she wanted to speak with him.

He stood when she approached and bowed, but then looked over her shoulder and saw Adam.

Damn! How could she apologize to Archer if William’s footman insisted on following her so closely wherever she went? Before she could steal Adam away to have her tour of the castle, Lord Gray had seen them, pulled her away from Adam and had made clear to her that he wanted no one to know that she had forced him into a marriage. There was not a chance he would have let a servant, even if he was the most loyal servant, know about the condition of their union.

‘Twas foolish for him to have Adam remain so close. The true reason was that he did not want to risk that she might run away.

Regardless, the apology would have to be postponed for later. Perhaps now was the best time to simply speak with him and determine if he remained angry with her, or if his back still stung from her father’s treatment.

When he bowed to her she was pleased with the easy way he did so. Perhaps his back no longer troubled him as much as she thought it did.

“Milady,” Archer greeted her, sparing Adam a nod of his head.

“Archer,” she did not know what to say. What would a gentle-bred lady say to the man hired to keep her horses? She had never had to watch her tongue around him before. He was much more like an older brother than a servant, especially after Reggie’s death.

She could think of nothing to say, and Adam’s presence had naught to do with it. “You look well,”

He nodded. The horse whose shoe he had been cleaning nudged him, and Archer reached a hand up to stroke his muzzle without taking his eyes away from her. “Robert ‘as been keepin’ me busy. Keeps my mind from wanderin’ to…other things.”

Guilt attacked her entire body and clawed her mercilessly from the inside. He referred to his family, the family he had been separated from for protecting her from her father. There was no scorn in his voice, none directed towards her at any rate. Perhaps this meant he would forgive her?

“Yes, the stables are kept much better than the castle. Perhaps I could convince my new husband that ‘twould be more suitable to spend our nights here.”

A ghost of a smile cracked Archer’s miserable lips before disappearing.

Adam cleared his throat. “Naught here has been well kept for quite some time. Master Gray usually has to make his demands known loudly whenever he wishes the stables as clean as this. I too am amazed at the neatness in here. No doubt ‘twas all your doing rather than Robert’s?”

Archer hesitated, eyed Adam carefully, then nodded when he finished judging his character. Marianne could hardly blame him. No one wished to speak ill of their superiors should their words make it back to the person in question.

Marianne blew air out of her mouth. How many of William’s servants were running loose throughout his household? How could he be so cold to her and still allow these people to walk all over him as they seemed prone to do?

Seeing William would have to wait for later. She could not wait to tell him of her plans with his castle. No, she would set her commands in motion now, before the servants knew of his wishes, and let him see that she was as fit