Lady Thief - By Rizzo Rosko Page 0,43
him and wishing to be anywhere else. Though he did make a point to walk with a straight back and not offer his assistance to the seemingly feebly old man.
“Now, business you say? Pray, what business could you possibly have with an old man like me?” Ferdinand turned his face to him, leaving William unsure if the man sneered or ‘twas the expression that came with having a face of a gnarled tree.
William folded his hands behind his back, preparing to barter for what he wanted. “Aye, I wish to purchase some of the servants that came into your possession.”
“Oh? Your timing could be better, milord. I sold many already.”
William forced his expression to remain professional. He wanted to purchase the servants and get out, but if Ferdinand decided to be difficult that could ruin his plan of a hasty retreat.
“I only require a select few.”
He could not purchase all the servants of the former Holton House, or even all the men who participated in his abduction, but he could retrieve the families of the men currently in his care.
A woman stationed at the doors opened them when Ferdinand and William arrived at the steps, and despite how Ferdinand continued to walk in the manner of a man about to fall over, William was aware of how all heads turned down at his approach, and how no one came to aid him while he walked so weakly.
The man had not been this fragile when he attended the wedding party those weeks ago.
Ferdinand stopped before the doors to his new home, turned, and raised an eye at the men who followed William.
“I would prefer if your men remained waiting here.”
William controlled his jaw into remaining neutral at the order barely disguised as a request, though he could not convince his hand to not clench like it did.
The man was trying to vex him.
He nearly told Ferdinand that he would prefer that his men stayed with their lord, but knew that should he retaliate Ferdinand could simply not sell him what he wished to buy, and there would be naught at all William could do about it.
Ferdinand took his silence as an answer, his smile twisting his sagging features. “Unless, milord, that you fear an elderly man so greatly that you require protection?”
‘Twas not the elderly man William feared would sneak up on him with a blade, and he did not doubt for a minute that should he enter Ferdinand’s territory with no protection he would surely suffer a fatal accident, as was known to happen with some of the people in Ferdinand’s acquaintance. William spun on his men. “All of you, wait for me in the stables, James, you will come with me.”
The smile was removed from Ferdinand’s mouth, and his face returned to the natural scowl that was his face. “I suppose one man will not hurt anything.”
“James is not yet knighted, and as you and I both know ‘tis incredibly foolish to go anywhere without a man to watch your back. Unless you have something to fear from a squire.”
Though he was an incredibly talented squire, Ferdinand did not need to be subjected to that information.
Ferdinand sniffed, leading the way into the house. “Very well.”
He expected the house to be considerably warmer than the outside, but not a fire crackled anywhere. The hall was entirely silent but for the sound of easy footsteps while William and Ferdinand trailed mud into the house. Beyond that William detected no sounds of maids conversing with each other as they did the laundry or children laughing.
Ferdinand easily put one leg in front of the other while leading them up the stairs, his pace becoming stronger as he forgot to play the feeble old man with their conversation, but his hand never left his back.
“How many were you hoping to purchase, milord?”
“As I said, only a few. Three.”
“So few? I would have thought your new lady would have you coming to me to rescue the entire lot from my inadequate care.” He smiled that same sneering smile over his shoulder. “But then your care has not been much better for some time now, has it?”
William focused as much fire as possible into his eyes when he stared into Ferdinand’s. He should have known the man would be petty enough to remind him of this, as well as insinuating that he knew exactly what had caused William’s long lapse in judgment. He shook his head and made the decision to not allow Ferdinand the pleasure