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He hesitated “Then I die”

“Just until we leap, right? You’d be okay after we leap”

“I don’t think so, sweetheart”

She shook her head “I won’t accept that” She storily

He hugged her to his chest and she relaxed against hi of confidence in ”

“I hope you’re right, Reece I’ and Eleanor’s happiness Not for anything”

Chapter 11

They rode into the courtyard of a castle aroundof dread in her chest Eleanor did not like this place and she wasn’t happy to be returning

“Everything will be fine,” Reece whispered in her ear, picking up on her unease

“Are you sure we can’t run away?” she said, glancing up into his inti helmet

“Hoould it look if we ran off and young Toby jousted in my place?”

Lara’s gaze fell on the profile of the young lassy with star-struck wonder

“Funny, I don’t think he’d be upset about it”

Reece chuckled, the rich sound of his laughter ht about that”

A man stepped in front of theirof hooves on cobblestones drew to a halt

The man spoke, his voice authoritative and rather bored “The challenge will coht, for three rounds of tournament Milady, your father would like a ith you”

“My father is here?” she blurted

“Since he is your guardian, he e,” the norance

“Of course,” she said

Reece dismounted and helped Lara from the horse

“Don’t die,” she demanded in a harsh whisper “Actually, just win Okay?”

He grinned “With you asprize, how can I possibly lose?”

“I’ll try to re a lance from your chest”

“Such faith you have in me, woman,” he said jovially and patted her on the rear before she et out of reach

She gave hi look and he winked at her Lara headed towards the loo place would become Eleanor’s home And that asshat A

bbot would become her husband Lara prayed that wasn’t Eleanor’s fate

Lara glanced back at Reece before she began to ascend the wide stairs to the castle He was speaking with Toby, probably about the upco competition She bit her lip, unable to contain her worry, and then started up the steps The door opened in front of her and she stepped inside It was gloos She’d never had an opportunity to visit a real castle, but it had always been a dream of hers The museum curator in her was in sheer heaven as her eyes darted from one artifact to another Well, they would have been artifacts in her time Here, they were just stuff

“Follow me, Lady Eleanor,” said the servant who had opened the door “They await your arrival in the gathering hall”

“They?” she questioned

“Lord Abbot, your father, and your sister”

Okay, this was so not going to be fun A feeling of dread settled in the pit of Lara’s stomach

The castle suddenly lost all appeal, but she took in the sights so she ht savor the fronized Abbot bedecked in ars She wondered if he’d commissioned a tapestry to be made in his likeness Pretty tacky of him The occasional piece of heavy, wooden furniture broke up the e shadows on the stone floor It all added to the dooloom she felt as she shuffled closer and closer to the confrontation ahead

When they entered the gathering room, the servant announced, “Lady Eleanor Clayton”

She swept into the roo to look confident She was glad she earing a gown so they couldn’t see her knees knocking together

The olderat her with disapproval could only be her father He stood near the fire nursing an ae Lord Asshat, er, Abbot was there as well, sprawled in a heavy chair with a thick steak on his right eye And then she noticed the s near thePale and wane, eyes downcast, she didn’t even glance up when Eleanor entered the room She was too well-dressed to be a servant, and her red hair, which matched Lord Clayton’s in color, led Lara to believe that this was Eleanor’s younger sister Meek, uni