Chapter 14: Your shortness

Melisende smoothed her hair that had come loose and squared her shoulders. His explanation didn't calm her worst fears; there was no mistaking the meaning of that word breeder. No matter how much respect it was done with, breeding was animalistic behavior. Could human women have demon babies?

"Why me?" The nuns had told her she'd be condemned for her unfeminine ways. For reading when she should be embroidering. Maybe they'd been right all this time. Except, several of them had told her that no man would be interested in a female such as her. This man was definitely attracted to her. Though to be honest, this was not quite a man. "What made you choose me?"

He looked her up and down, that glance feeling like a touch warmer than the fires of hell, his black eyes glittering. "I heard Sir Robert was to wed a tall woman, with a beautiful name, who had the habit of reading and bathing every day. Those are invaluable traits in this century."