It hurts like the very devil! Perspiration popped out on his brow and he fought against the waves of faintness which threatened to overcome him. To make matters worse, his head hurt almost as much, too, and he supposed he must have struck it when he fell from his horse. Past experience had taught him that the best way to take one’s mind off physical discomfort was to concentrate on something else. To that end, he stared at the female who had entered the room on the heels of those two Friday-faced minions who had deprived him of his clothing, then left him to bleed to death. As a means of distraction, she left much to be desired, and he needed only one glance to take her measure. To begin with, she looked to be far past her prime. She was also something of a Long Meg, being rather taller than the average female. Her hair, partially covered by a lacy white cap, was a soft, though unremarkable shade of brown. And her gown, while obviously of the finest material and well made, was not designed to show off her feminine attributes to any advantage.
