Captive Heart Read Online Free Page A

puzzled her greatly, as did Raktor’s remark. “Is it not your daughter who is to become Mylan’s bride? And did you say tomorrow? You did not tell her it was to be so soon.”
    Celiese was wearing no more than a light chemise, and Raktor walked around her slowly, enjoying her scantily clad beauty. Her figure was superb, her breasts high and full, her waist tiny, her hips narrow, the proportions of her long, slender legs perfect. “My daughter does not realize I raped you too, does she?”
    “No, I spared her that grief,” Celiese replied proudly.
    “Why? Surely you have no love for me?” Raktor’s eyes continued to rake over the slender girl before him. He licked his lips slowly, making no attempt to disguise his lust.
    “No, my regard is only for Olgrethe, and for no other in this house.”
    “I have decided to send you in her place, after all. You will have to fool the man into believing you are a virgin, but it will not be too difficult, since you are so clever. There will be celebrating long into the night, and I will see that Mylan is so drunk he must be carried to his bed. That will help you trick him. Whatever you tell him when he is again sober he will believe. I have had gowns made for you, not unlike my daughter’s. You will sleep alone tonight and we will leave at dawn. The voyage is not lengthy and Aldred will entertain us all until we are ready to go home.”
    Celiese backed away, not trusting the master of the house or his brutish son. “Shall I return to my own room, then?”
    “Yes, the gown you are to wear tomorrow is there, and the rest are already on board my ship.”
    Celiese left quickly before the man could change his mind about how she should spend her last night in his house, but she heard Oluf begin to argue and ran to bolt her door against him in case he had convinced his father to give her to him. She sagged against the door and waited. Oluf was the strongest, too difficult for her to fight off for long, but Raktor could not send her if she were black and blue from the beating Oluf would have to give her before she’d submit to his attentions. As the minutes passed without mishap she began to relax. Raktor was no fool, and apparently he’d known his plan would be ruined if Oluf had his way. Taking no chances, she pushed her bed across the door before lying down upon it, but still she was too frightened to sleep and lay wide awake until dawn, when she got up to dress.
    The silk gown that lay across her chair was a pale green that reflected the jade of her eyes, and she brushed her hair into the elegant style Olgrethe wore and secured it with the gold hairpins she’d found with the gown. There were gold bracelets for her arms and heavy gold earrings, too. Raktor had left nothing out, and when he came for her she was ready. He quickly handed her a fine woolen cloak.
    “Cover your head, Celiese, none must know it is not my daughter who is leaving this morning, until we are gone. See that none of my men see your face while we are on board my ship, either, as this is a secret that must be well guarded.”
    Still not understanding the man’s reason for sending her in his daughter’s place, Celiese knew better than to question his motives and did as she was told, following close behind him to his sleek vessel, which lay beside his dock, ready to sail. The finely sculptured prow was in the shape of a dragon’s head, its large eyes seeing all in its path, and she shivered, remembering her last voyage aboard the evil ship as though it had taken place only the previous day rather than five years ago. The sea spray stung her eyes as she sat huddled in the stern, but she watched carefully. It took too many men to sail the dragon for her to dream of stealing it to make her way home. The work was hard even with the brisk wind, and the crew cheered when land came again into view. Raktor took her arm firmly in his hand to lead her ashore and whispered, “I did not think to ask, do you ride? They