The Conquest by Julia Templeton Page A

and I do not wish to sound ungrateful for all that I have, but I swear I would change places with ye right now if I could.”
    “Come, no more frowns, my dear. Tomorrow is another day.”
    “What if we ran away?”
    “Rhiannon, ye cannot be serious?”
    “Aye, but I am. Do ye think Antony would leave with us?”
    Elspeth’s brows furrowed. “I do not know. What of your marriage to Lord Malgor?”
    “I am certain Lord Malgor can find another bride, and he earned Castle Almeron on his own.”
    Elspeth smoothed her hands over her skirts. “Once he learns how truly beautiful ye are from the soldiers who return, he will be furious to know ye slipped through his fingers.”
    “I could never be happy with him, Elspeth. I know it in my heart.”
    “When de Cion dies, ye shall claim everything he possesses, including lands and wealth.”
    Rhiannon could care less about lands, titles, and wealth at the moment.
    Elspeth poured warm wine into a goblet. “Here, perhaps this shall help ease your mind.”
    “Numb my mind, ye mean.”
    Motioning for Rhiannon to sit on a bench before the fire, Elspeth began brushing out her hair.
    Rhiannon took a long drink of the wine, her mind still racing with all she had witnessed this night. “Damn, but I cannot rid myself of the image of those two together.” What had Adelstan said to Machara? Tomorrow night I shall make it up to you.
    Not if she had anything to do about it.
    “Ye must put Adelstan from your mind if ye are to have any peace.”
    If only she could.
    “Tonight, when he walked me back to my chamber, I saw the way he looked at me. I admit I took off the cloak in order for him to see my body. I wanted to see if he desired me the same way he desired Machara.”
    “And did ye get your answer?”
    “I don’t know for sure. I thought I saw a heat in his eyes. Lord help me, but I want him desperately, Elspeth. I burn for him.”
    Elspeth hugged her from behind, and rested her head on her shoulder. “Ye will not rest until ye have him, will ye?”
    Rhiannon set the goblet down and turned. “Nay, I will not.”
    Elspeth smiled. “That is what I thought.”
    “So what can I do?”
    “Remain here as long as possible, then ye might just have time to win Adelstan over.”
    “But how do I win him over, especially now that he has found a lover, and one who is much more experienced than I?”
    Elspeth’s lips quirked. “Seduce him.”
    “I do not know how.”
    “Ye are already well on your way, but ye must be aggressive with a man like Adelstan, who puts duty and loyalty above all else.” Elspeth’s brows drew together. “First off, ye must understand what making love means. I could try to explain it to ye, but it would be best if I could show ye what I mean,” she said absently. “Aye, ye must see for yourself. It is the only way ye will truly understand.”
    Realizing what Elspeth was suggesting, Rhiannon’s heart rate increased. She was not about to tell her friend she had already spied on her and Antony making love.
    Taking a deep breath, Elspeth looked at Rhiannon, her gaze intense. “I am meeting Antony again tomorrow night in the stables. Ye can watch us from up in the loft.”
    “Ye want me to hide in the loft?”
    Elspeth nodded slowly. “I will not tell Antony ye are there, and ye must be very quiet. I mean it, Rhiannon. Ye cannot let out a single peep or be discovered, or he may never forgive me.”
    Surprised Elspeth would be so willing to help her in this matter, Rhiannon nodded. “I swear I will be as quiet as a mouse. Neither one of ye will know I am there.”
    “I doubt that,” she said, running a hand down her face. “Ye can never say I don’t do anything for ye.”
    “Thank ye, Elspeth. This means a lot to me.”
    Elspeth crossed her arms over her chest and paced the chamber. “Until then, ye must gain Adelstan’s attention. Seduction is not all about making love. It’s the way ye look at a man, talk to him, or just make him feel. Moments