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would bring your corpse home for decent burial." |
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Rhiannon had to laugh. Realizing it was useless to argue because Simon would never agree, no matter what she said, she held up her hands, put her foot on his, and was lifted. When he had her safely settled, Simon turned and kissed her throat. |
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"If you would agree to marry me at once, there would be no reason for any man to try to eliminate me," he murmured slyly against her skin. |
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"Why not?" Rhiannon snapped, even while she arched her neck to facilitate his kiss. "There is no betrothal to a corpse, nor wife to a dead man. A widow is as good as a maid." |
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"But at least I would be rewarded for my early demise, Simon said plaintively, kissing between words. "I would enjoy my last few days of life." |
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"You may enjoy them without betrothal or marriage," Rhiannon reminded him, "any time you wish." |
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There was a silence. Simon withdrew his lips; Rhiannon sighed regretfully. Ymlladd picked his way carefully up the steep slope of the stream's course. Simon might have been more troubled by Rhiannon's seemingly lighthearted refusal if half his mind had not been wondering whether his unarmed back would be pierced by an arrow. However, nothing stirred in the wood and Ymlladd reached level ground. Simon touched him with the spur and they went through the wooded area at a speed that would leave any footman far behind. A master archer might have succeeded in pinning Simon even at speed, but there was no one in the wood when Simon passed. |
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Earlier, Madog had seen the direction Simon took and had followed. It had taken him some time to find the correct cove, and he had actually seen nothing more revealing than Simon and Rhiannon sitting decorously side by side and talking. He could not hear what they were saying, but their placid manner did not soothe him in the least. Disregarding the practical fact that |
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