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He struggled to roll back, but Ralf had already leapt to his feet and retrieved the grip on his sword, trapping Bernard against the wall

"Prepare to die, whoreson" He raised the sith both hands, and drove it down

At the lastinto Ralf and unbalancing hi A screae erupted froain just as Bernard caught sight of his dagger lying on the floor Joanna saw it, and staggered forward to kick it toward him

The swordwildly, he rolled again, closing his fingers over the coolness of his knife

He beca in the doorway, but Bernard was too ensconced in the fight for his life to note who they were He tightened his grip on the dagger and prepared to strike

Ralf towered above higed edge--and Bernard tensed, ready

It happened at once The sword caer found its mark, and the sword clattered helplessly to the floor Ralf screamed and collapsed in a heap next to it

Bernard leapt to his feet and, bracing hi, blood oozing from the wound in his neck, his eyes closed in death

"Joanna," Bernard said, never taking his eyes off Ralf, but opening his ar into his e down at her husband

A loud clearing of the throat brought Bernard’s attention to the audience that had clustered in the doorway

"Aye, Merle, it appears that our plotting has all been for naught" Bernard’s father, Lord Harold, coughed into his hand "My son has a hter, too," responded Merle of Languh the crook of his elbow "Now, let us help Bernard in ridding himself of the re Ava’s wedding celebration, Lord Wyckford represented hiry at his son-by-law’s treatust

However, the ument when Bernard informed him that he would wed Joanna, for Derkland’s lands would be a valuable asset to the lands Wyckford already controlled through his own demesne and those of Swerthht later, and Bernard’s brother Thomas performed the ceremony Bernard’s other brother, Dirick, was absent fro…but Bernard hid soue for his wild, devil-may-care brother

When he wed Joanna, Bernard refused to allow a bedding cerenity of being stripped But in the privacy of their chaently lifted the fine linen undertunic and bared her body for the first ti, along with the barely-healed cuts from Ralf’s leather whip

"If he weren’t already dead," Bernard breathed, his trehtly over her hip, "I would make him wish he’d never laid so much as a breath on you" His face was stricken, for this was the first he’d ever seen the full extent of her injuries "Joanna, how can you suffer any touch? Does it still pain you?"

"Your touch is a aze steady and calh if you tell Maris I have co, I must deny it"

A little chuckle at her jest surprised him "Lady Maris is rather serious about hernot to think of what had been done to the delicate wo but pain!

S a sweet kiss to the corner of his tre one," she ainst his ether Can we not celebrate this new life and forget the evil ofher into his ar else I would rather do Now and forever"