A slight noise at his back had Draco on his feet and drawing his sword even before he recognized the newcomer. “Bianca?” A sigh of relief escaped his lips as he watched the small beauty coming toward him. And then anger replaced his pleasure at seeing her as he realized that she was alone. “What the hell are you doing here? Have you no sense at all? Where is your escort?”
Draco’s verbal attack was so unexpected that Bianca stopped and stared at him in disbelief. But instead of letting him see how much his harshness hurt, she stood a little taller and raised her chin in a show of defiance.
“I could ask the same of you, my lord, but I would be a little more civil in my address.” The hurt that she thought to conceal, showed so obvious on her lovely face and over bright eyes that Draco silently cursed his harsh words and reached for her.
“Ah, Bianca, I did not mean to snap at you. Your sudden appearance took me completely unaware.” But even as he placed his hands on her shoulders to draw her close, his brother’s voice reminded him that there was a much more pressing matter to deal with a the moment.
“Draco?” At the low call that came from behind Draco, Bianca gasped and pushed away from him and with an agile move, stepped around him to move to the edge of the precipice.
“Who is it? Who is down there?” Before he could stop her, she moved so close to the unsteady edge that he ground beneath her feet began to crumble. If Draco had not caught hold of her, Bianca would have joined his brother on the ledge below.
“Damn it, Bianca. Are you trying to kill yourself?” The heart-arresting sight of her nearly tumbling to her death had him clutching her to his chest. His embrace threatened to crush her.
“Please, Draco, I cannot breathe.” Her gasping statement had him loosening his hold on her, but only slightly. Wide, frightened violet eyes gazed up at him as he lowered his head and he gave her a quick, hard kiss before he released her and pushed her behind him, away from the edge.
“Stay there while I talk to Cynric.” A look of horror masked her face as she glanced to the edge of the bluff. “Yea. My brother is down there. I will explain everything later. For now just stay away from the edge.” At that command, Draco moved forward to peer below.
Standing precariously upon a tiny ledge, Cynric waited. His face was ashen and beads of sweat rolled down his temple.
“That damned stallion threw him. He went over the side.” It was all the explanation Bianca would get for now. Draco set his mind on a way to get Cynric up. Tentatively, he eased as far over the ledge as was safe and reached as far down as he could, but it was not enough. The distance was too great. He would need a rope or a long piece of something. He glanced at the reins of his stallion and sent up a prayer. The leather strap would work as well as hemp rope, maybe better.
“Bianca, take my dagger and cut the reins from Inferno’s bridle and bring it to me.” He drew the weapon and handed it to her. “The strap should be just about long enough to reach. Hurry.” Even as he instructed her on what he wanted, he noticed that the fragile rock ledge on which his brother stood was crumbling beneath his feet. It would be close. “Hurry, Bianca. Be as quick as possible, he does not have much time.”
Giving a quick nod, Bianca ran to the great black stallion with every intention of carrying out Draco’s instructions. But Inferno had other notions. The stallion snorted a warning and stamped his huge hooves as he danced away from her.
“Here boy, easy now.” She held out her hand and tried to coax him to accept her but he danced away, shook his great head and snorted in arrogance, but he would not hold still long enough for her to cut the leather rein from his bridle. After several moments of such nonsense, Bianca was nearly in tears.
“Hurry, Bianca, the ledge is disintegrating rapidly. There is not much time.” Draco’s bellow brought a sob of frustration and terror from her.
“Please, Inferno, please,” she begged the black stallion but he ignored her pleas and turned and trotted away to stop beneath the shade of a tree were he gave her an imperious look before lowering his head and grazing on the grass.
“You damned beast!” Tears rolled down her face as she stood helplessly, she turned to go back to the bluff edge empty-handed when a thought came to her. Then an inspiration came to her and before she could change her mind, Bianca quickly plaited her long hair as she made her way back to the edge of the bluff.
“Keep back from the edge, Cynric. It will not be long now. Bianca has gone to get a length of leather. I will be pulling you up any moment.”
Cynric’s eyes were wide with fear as another piece of the rapidly disappearing ledge broke loose and fell away. Even as the seconds ticked by, rock by rock, bit by bit his sanctuary disintegrated. He glanced up to see Draco’s head and shoulders still visible above him. “Make it soon, big brother. I fear the end is near.”
Draco heard Bianca’s footsteps behind him and he reached back for the strap. “I could not get Inferno to stand still long enough to get the rein, Draco. This is all I have.” She placed a length of rope in his hands and without pausing to heed her meaning, he lowered the life-saving line down to his brother’s waiting hands.
Cynric grabbed hold of the lifeline and Draco pulled him up and over the top in no time at all. He fell into the safe embrace of his older brother, who nearly strangled him in his enthusiasm of having his baby brother safe. But then he found himself being shaken until his teeth rattled in his head.
“What were you thinking, you little rascal?” It took a moment for Draco’s words to make sense. But when Cynric realized what he was saying, he could do no more than make weak excuses.
“I just wanted to show you what a great trade I had made.” He smiled weakly in the face of the fury in his brother’s eyes. “I know it was foolish to let the stallion take control, but I wanted to see how fast he could go. How was I to know that the fool horse would shy at a tiny hare?”
“It was irresponsible of you to ride an untried horse with no thought about the consequences. You could have been killed, Cynric.”
“I am sorry, Draco. But I was assured that the stallion was but a little spirited.”
“The man lied to you so he could rid himself of a useless mount and part you from your hard-earned coin. I thought I had taught you better.”
Draco’s harsh tone was a cover for his true feelings but still he needed his brother to realize that his poor judgment had caused serious consequences. Cynric had nearly been killed and the aftermath played havoc on his emotions. Perhaps with time, Draco would get over the horror of those moments just after Cynric disappeared over the bluff. Maybe in another fifty years. For now, all he could think to do was hold Cynric and shake some sense into him, which he did for several moments before he gave his younger brother one last, fierce hug and released him. Yea, he was more scared than angry. Draco took a deep breath and expelled it slowly as he fought to unbend.
“Come, little brother, we will take that dangerous animal back to this man you traded with and get your horse back and the gold you paid for the gray.”
“No, Draco. It would not be fair. I made the deal and I will not go back on it.”
Admiration for his brother’s honor warmed Draco’s dark eyes. He was forced to admit that his little brother had grown into a worthy man, no longer needing him to play nursemaid at every turn.
“Very well, Cynric. I will allow you to make this decision. But you will train the horse properly before you try riding him again, assuming that you manage to catch him.” It was then that he looked around to discover that Inferno was nowhere to be seen. Nor was Bianca’s palfrey.
“Bianca, where did you leave your…?” But he did not finish his statement as his gaze fell on her. It took a moment for him to recover but when he did, it was with a vengeance and a very loud shout.
“God Almighty! What have you done? What happened to your hair?”
Her beautiful blue-black locks, which had cascaded down her back to just below her knees had been shorn so short that it hung in a
cloud of curls just past her shoulders.
At his startled exclamation, Bianca froze for a moment before she raised a trembling hand to sift it through the mass of curls framing her face. A sense of loss suddenly filled her as she became aware of the missing weight of the mane of hair that had only a short time ago had brushed the backs of her calves.
“Inferno ran away when I tried to get the leather strap off him and you needed a rope…but there was none…” Her words came out slower and slower, nearly gagging her as she realized what she had done. She shrugged her shoulders when her voice gave out and tears darkened her sad eyes as she stared at something in Draco’s hand.
Draco looked down and found that he was still clutching the rope she had given him to save his brother’s life. He had never felt such pride or such humility at the sacrifice this small, beautiful woman had just made to save a man’s life. No female he knew would have ever done such a thing. But his beautiful Bianca had, without hesitation, willingly cut off her lovely hair to save his brother. The notion took his breath away and his chest swelled out with gladness.
After a moment of perusing Bianca’s shorn head Draco turned his attention to her face and found that silent tears streamed down her cheeks as she watched him with anxious eyes, waiting for his denunciation.
“I am sorry I have disappointed you, Draco. But there was nothing else I could do. It is only hair, after all, it will grow back…eventually.”
It was a plea for understanding and before she could say more, she found herself engulfed in his huge arms, crushed to his massive chest. He placed a kiss on the top of her head as he murmured, “I know it will, sweetheart.”
“Then why are you so angry?” Her voice was heavy with tears.
“I am not angry, Bianca. How could I be at such an unselfish act? You saved my brother’s life, for God’s sake. For that I will always be grateful.”
“Oh! And what think you of my…hair?” She could barely bring herself to say it.
“The length of your hair matters naught. Your beauty lies deeper than your outer appearance, Bianca.” Draco placed a finger beneath her chin when she refused to look at him, and raised her face. “You are more beautiful to me at this moment than I can say. You have courage and selflessness that most would never understand.” He tapped her chest with his finger. “In here. And, in here.” He moved his hand to her head where he thrust his fingers through her soft shining curls. “You are lovelier to me than you will ever know.” And then his mouth covered hers and he kissed her deeply showing her just how much he meant his words.
They were so lost in the passion that threatened to engulf them that they forgot where they were until Cynric discreetly cleared his throat to remind them that he was standing only a few feet away watching them. Draco ended the kiss but held Bianca close in his arms for a moment more as he glanced at Cynric, who sported a brilliant color of crimson upon his cheeks.
“Have you never seen a man kiss a woman before, Cynric?”
“Yea, but never quite like that.”
“Then you have never seen a man kiss the woman whom he loves.”
* * * * *
When Heloise saw her shorn locks for the first time, she was furious. Her eyes narrowed to slits of blue fire and her face turned an alarming shade of red. For several moments, Bianca feared for her stepmother’s health.
“What were you thinking, you little fool? Or perhaps you were not. I suppose you imagine this new style will somehow catch on and be all the rage in society.” Before Bianca could defend her new look, Heloise raged on with her criticism leaving Bianca with little option but to stand there and listen. “This, this…” Heloise could not seem to find the appropriate words to describe her feelings about the matter. “This…” Her finger jabbed at the new curling mane of her stepdaughter as she tried to think of how to express her horror at the unfashionable style. “This makes you look like an eccentric old maid who cares nothing for securing a husband. You did this on purpose did you not? You think to punish me for trying to help you and your father find you a man willing to marry you, but in truth you are only hurting yourself.”
“I did not do this on a whim, stepmother. It was a matter of need. I was very fond of my hair and that it is now gone saddens me more than I care to admit. It was not vanity that forced my hand to do the task but necessity. Lord Draco’s brother was in great peril.” The tale of Cynric’s misadventure must, by now, have spread through the castle. Bianca wondered why her stepmother had not heard it. Or perhaps she had and refused to let Bianca’s sacrifice sway her to compassion over the loss of her mane of hair. “It matters naught now. And my hair will grow back.”
“Hah, perhaps, but not soon enough. It will take years and you do not have that much time. No man will want you with your hair so scandalously short. It makes you look so…common.” Heloise was actually wringing her hands in her agitation.
“I can think of one or two who would not care.” The dry retort slipped out before she could stop it and her eyes flew to her stepmother’s face and by the look in Heloise’s eyes, her quip was not taken lightly.
“It belittles you to joke about such a serious matter, Bianca. As it happens, your hair was your only redeeming feature. With that gone, a man might find little else to recommend you as an acceptable wife or companion.” The meaning of her stepmother’s last words were not lost on Bianca, and though she refused to rise to the bait, the seeds of doubt where planted firmly in her mind as Heloise intended.
Where men really so shallow as to be enamored by only her hair? Surely not. Bianca refused to believe it of Draco or any of the other suitors who had come seeking her hand in marriage. It was her money they wanted. Most of the young lords who came to court her would not have cared if she were cross-eyed and going bald. It was her inheritance that attracted them, not her hair.
As she picked up her brush and began to pull it through the shortened locks, she glanced in the mirror at her stepmother who continued to hover at her shoulder. Heloise watched her with a strange expression on her face, which she hid the moment she realized that Bianca was looking at her.
“We must do something about this travesty. Fortunately, I came to your chambers when I did. Now I can assist you with your toiletry. That little maid of yours…what’s her name?”
“Leia. Her name is Leia.”
“Yea, that one,” Heloise responded as if it gave her a bad taste in her mouth. “I have to tell you, I do not consider Leia as a fitting lady’s maid for you.”
“But she is very good to me, stepmother. She knows exactly what to do for me. I have trained her well.” Leia had been her personal maid since she was a small child and Leia only a few years older. She would be lost without her.
“Still, I think I will have another more experienced maid assigned to you.”
“No, you cannot! I mean, that is not necessary.”
“My dear Bianca, it is your well-being for which I am most concerned.”
Bianca fought to keep the disbelief from showing on her face at the outrageous statement. Her stepmother had never cared a whit for her. Heloise de Neige had never been concerned about her stepdaughter’s well-being or been the least bit amicable to her in all the time she had been married to Bianca’s father and living here at Castle Neige. Before that, there was a time she feigned a fondness for the motherless child of the man she wanted to wed. Bianca had thought then she might come to like Lady Heloise. Become a friend to her. But that notion changed the day Heloise had become part of the Neige family. It had not taken long for Bianca to realize Heloise wanted only the Duke de Neige, not his offspring, in her life. It had been a bitter truth to learn, but she had swallowed her tears and learned to keep out of the woman’s way as much as possible. Now, however, Heloise had come to offer her assistance and Bianca could not help but be suspicious of her motives. Even as she sat still letting Heloise comb and twist and plait her hair, pinning it in place, talking convivially all the while, Bianca tried to discern her purpose.
>
“I would have you know that I regret that I have not been a better stepmother, but I am here for you now. This is an important time in your life and you need an experienced woman to help you through it. To have so many young men come to pay you suit can be very confusing. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. A lady of your station deserves the very best and I intend to help you get exactly what you deserve.”
As Heloise dressed her hair, Bianca sat quietly listening to her friendly overture. She was not sure how to react to this peace offering. She turned to face her stepmother not quite certain whether to thank her for her offer or to be wary of Trojans bearing gifts. For a moment, she simply looked at Heloise and finally decided for her father’s sake that she would accept her offer.
“Thank you.”
“It is nothing really.” Heloise smiled as she reached out with her plump fingers and put a few finishing touches to Bianca’s hairstyle. She then turned Bianca to face the mirror. “It is magnificent. I swear, your flaw will not even be noticed at tonight’s revelry.” Heloise patted her shoulder before she moved to pour them each a cup of the cider she had brought with her.
Bianca studied her appearance in the mirror. She had to admit that her stepmother managed to hide the fact that she no longer had her beautiful long hair. Unfortunately, with her new coiffeur she had an astonishing resemblance to Heloise, a younger version in fact.
“Here you are, my dear. Drink some of this delicious cider. It will give you the energy you need for the evening to come. Then we will pick out something suitable for you to wear tonight. This will be a special evening for you and for your father and me. There will be entertainment and I am assured a proposal or two will be forthcoming.”
“Oh I would not be so sure, Heloise. I cannot take any proposals too seriously. So far, there have been few suitors with whom I would even consider speaking.”
Kiss of the Dragon Page 34