"Sharon Green - [ebel 01 - Rebel" - читать интересную книгу автора (Green Sharon)

Rebel
By
Sharon Green

Chapter One
Adair Cantlen sat on the floor of the dim cell, the torch light coming through the barred door the only
thing keeping complete darkness away. Not that she particularly cared. She sat with her back against the
stone wall, her tights-covered legs bent at the knee, her wrists resting on those knees. It had been at least
an hour since sheтАЩd been thrown into the cell, but Adair didnтАЩt care about that either. One place in that
house was as good or as bad as another, and as long as she had to be here it didnтАЩt much matter where
she was kept.
As had become usual over the years, she was being ignored. Young girls were supposed to be demure
and ladylike at all times, sheтАЩd been told, not ridicule their lessons in proper behavior. When making fun
of the nonsense did no good, sheтАЩd tried to complain to her father, the duke. Duke Elden had smiled and
patted her on the head, hearing not a single word she said, so sheтАЩd also stopped trying to complain.
Instead sheтАЩd made trouble every chance she had, but even that didnтАЩt get anyoneтАЩs attention. Most of
the time her efforts were ignored, and when sheтАЩd done something that couldnтАЩt be ignored her father
took a whole minute or so to inform her that decent young ladies didnтАЩt act in that particular way.
SheтАЩd finally gotten sick and tired of being the family ghost - and intended pawn - and had walked out
with the intention of never coming back, but even that wasnтАЩt acceptable. It took less than three days for
her fatherтАЩs guardsmen to track her down, and now she was right back where sheтАЩd started. Alone and
ignored тАж
The entire area of cells had been very quiet since the guards had closed the barred door and left, but
suddenly the sound of footsteps came to destroy the silence. More than one set of footsteps, so either
they were going to try to feed her, or тАж
тАЬAre you ready to be reasonable yet, or do you have to be left in here a bit longer?тАЭ her fatherтАЩs voice
came after his arrival at the door cut down on the amount of light coming through the bars. тАЬIтАЩm really
angry with you, Adair, and I have no patience left for any more of your nonsense.тАЭ
тАЬIt wasnтАЩt my choice to come back here, Father,тАЭ Adair pointed out without turning her head to look at
him. тАЬIf you hadnтАЩt sent your men after me youтАЩd never have had to put up with my тАж nonsense again.тАЭ
Duke Elden Cantlen made a sound of annoyance.
тАЬIf I hadnтАЩt sent my men after you, youтАЩd probably be dead or worse by now,тАЭ he stated, then turned to
whoever had come to the cell with him. тАЬGet her out of there and bring her to my study. IтАЩm going to
settle this problem once and for all.тАЭ
тАЬYes, Your Grace,тАЭ came before the shadow of AdairтАЩs father moved away. тАЬRight away, Your Grace.тАЭ
From the hoarse scratchiness of the voice, Adair knew that it was Zinder whoтАЩd spoken. Zinder was
more of a general bodyguard than a guardsman, someone who wasnтАЩt under anyoneтАЩs orders but the
dukeтАЩs. The man was no youngster, but there were very few younger men who would even consider
going up against him. Lean and tough and deadly, Zinder was more a member of the family than Adair.
тАЬBetter get to your feet, girl,тАЭ ZinderтАЩs voice came again after the sound of the door being unlocked.
тАЬYou know IтАЩll drag you if you force me to it.тАЭ
тАЬOf course you will,тАЭ Adair answered, making sure not to look at him as she stood up. тАЬYou dragged me
back to this place, didnтАЩt you?тАЭ
тАЬAnother girl in your boots would consider it being saved,тАЭ Zinder said, taking her arm as soon as Adair
got within reach. тАЬOn the other hand, another girl in your boots would never have left to begin with. Do
you have to grab every chance coming past to show how different you think you are?тАЭ
Adair knew that the question was meant to put her on the defensive, so she simply ignored it along with
the man whoтАЩd asked it. Zinder waited no more than seconds before he made the same sound of
annoyance AdairтАЩs father had, and his hand tightened on her arm.
тАЬIтАЩm glad to say the duke wasnтАЩt joking about being out of patience with you,тАЭ Zinder informed her, the