Siege Of the Heart by Elise Cyr

child. Very well, I shall not dissemble anymore.” His eyes burned like ice in the sunshine. She could not look away. “You think if you put me off long enough my men and I will pack up and leave you alone,” he continued. “I can assure you that will not happen. I have an…interest in what goes on here.”
    Isabel cursed to herself, and the hold he had over her was broken. This man…how could he see into her mind, know what she planned? Alexandre was not going to leave her alone. He had too much honor and mayhap too much insight. The knight had already determined she had no intention of being cooperative. He was subtly warning her she was no match for him. She would prove him wrong. There was only one thing to do…
    “What are you implying, sir?” Before he could respond, she continued, “Be ready after the church service at lauds on the morrow. I will not tolerate tardiness.” Isabel swept into the castle as Alexandre chuckled softly behind her.
    * * * *
    The next morning Alex was waiting for her. He did not want to give her any excuse for not following through with their agreement, so he arrived to the hall early.
    “My lady, you honor me,” he said when she entered. She gave him a nod and was about to make her way past him, but Alex would not be dismissed like one of her servants. He held up a hand to stop her. “I want to return these to you,” he said, producing the sword and seax he confiscated from her.
    She looked at him in surprise before she snatched them out of his hands and unsheathed each blade to confirm they were hers. Always the warrior. She eyed the familiar scrollwork with relief and handled the smooth leather-wrapped grips of each weapon. “I am grateful to see my equipment returned to me,” Isabel finally said as she deftly strapped both to her belt.
    “ Certainement . Such craftsmanship is meant to be used, not collecting dust somewhere.”
    Her head snapped up, an eyebrow arched in disgust. “Then you should have given them back sooner.”
    He grinned and moved to take her arm. “Perhaps.” As he expected, she recoiled from his touch and pushed past him.
    The battle of wills had begun. And a large part of him looked forward to it, he realized as he followed her outside. From those moments when he had first spoken with Isabel, he knew of her temper, despite her efforts to control it. Nor had he forgotten their quarrel the other night. At first he had been enraged by her outburst. No one—not even his foul-tempered father—had ever dared to speak to him in such a manner. Still, Isabel’s tirade gave him valuable insight into the woman he was to marry. She certainly did not like his methods of procuring information, and her fear for her future colored her thoughts and deeds.
    He understood her sentiments up to a point, but she was not alone in this. Her father would soon return to help her shoulder such responsibility, and Alex was here in the meantime.
    When they reached the stables, he was surprised to see her dismiss the stable boy and saddle the steed herself, her hands sure, moving swiftly over the straps. She behaved like no other woman of his acquaintance, noble or otherwise.
    He had learned from Matilde she was not yet twenty. He had not expected to find such a woman, well-endowed with both beauty and lands, unattached. If she were in Normandy, she would have children clinging to her skirts by now. He did not pretend to understand how the English married off their daughters, but Matilde did say she had rejected every possible suitor over the years.
    Was Isabel afraid marriage would steal away the freedom she so cherished? She wanted to be a man’s equal, and was, he admitted, in many capacities. She would be a prize for any man, but her uncompromising attitude… Until she warmed to him, she must remain ignorant of William’s intentions for her. It would be better to win her on merit. That way she would not feel manipulated when the truth was revealed.
    He saw no other way