by Jody Hedlund
But my voice went unheard above the din of the barking dogs.
“Your Grace,” I called again.
A long, shrill whistle sounded behind me. I turned to find that the young knight had followed me outside. With a curl of his tongue, he whistled again, the piercing sound penetrating the melee below us and bringing the men to the silence I desired.
For a long moment, I could only stare at the knight, at the confidence in his gray eyes, at the boldness of his manner. Was he the one who had so daringly rescued the criminals yesterday in the marketplace? And was he the one who had so bravely entered the sheriff’s well-guarded estate and brought me information in the chapel?
His gaze was unswerving. And I could see that there was no pretense in him. He wasn’t putting on airs or trying to be anybody other than who he was. Yet neither was he divulging whether he’d come to my aid before.
“Lady Rosemarie,” the duke said, hastening to stand at the base of the steps and smile up at me. “You look lovely this morning. I trust all is well.”
“Yes, your Grace,” I answered, tearing my attention from the young knight. “I’m sorry to disturb your hunting preparations. But I would like to make an announcement.”
“Anything for you, Lady Rosemarie,” he replied with a bow.
“After much prayer and consideration . . .”
The duke’s eyes were warm and happy, as if he already guessed my next words. And suddenly I knew that no matter the outcome, my dear friend had been wise to present this option to me, even if the idea of courting three different men made me uncomfortable. Even if in the end I entered cloistered life anyway. At least I would be a stronger and better woman for taking this risk.
“I have decided to accept your challenge.”
At my words, the two knights below stepped forward, surprise and delight registering upon their countenances. I could feel the other young knight behind me stiffen. I glanced at him again, hoping to see the same eagerness that the other two showed. I was unprepared for the glimmer of frustration I saw in his eyes before he shifted his focus to a nearby servant drawing water from the well.
“This is good news indeed,” the duke said, drawing my attention. “I’m glad you’re considering it. I’ll make all the arrangements for the courtship and festivities. In fact, we shall begin the month with a dance.”
“And I hope with proper introductions, your Grace,” said one of the knights with a crooked but endearing grin.
“Ah, yes.” The duke returned the grin. “Lady Rosemarie, let me introduce my three most loyal men.” He waved his hand at the fair-haired man who had made the comment. The knight’s skin was tan, his eyes an alluring green, and his face animated with a lightheartedness that made him appealing.
“Lady Rosemarie, may I introduce Sir Collin Goodrich.”
With a gallant flourish of his arm, the young man gave a bow. Then he sprang up the steps, knelt before me, and reached for my hand. A sparkle in his eyes danced like leaves in the summer sun. “My lady, I look forward to winning your heart.” And with that, he placed the gentlest kiss upon the tips of my fingers.
The sweet warmth of his words and kiss was unlike anything I’d ever known, and it seared a trail up to my cheeks.
“You may not monopolize her attention, Collin,” said the other knight standing at the base of the steps.
“And this is Sir Bennet Windsor,” the duke said, nodding at the one who had just spoken. He was slightly taller than the others, with wavy raven-black hair and features of chiseled perfection. The overall effect was as if a master artist had crafted him after an ancient Greek god. Even though his midnight eyes twinkled, there was a determination on his face that made me blush again.
How strange it was to be desired by these men and to entertain their attention and flattery. After the past years of solitude, it was disconcerting, but not unwelcome.
“I look forward to getting to know you, my lady,” Sir Bennet said, his eyes speaking the truth of his words.
Sir Collin shot his friend a grin. “First, you’ll have to fight me away from Lady Rosemarie.”
“Oh, I doubt I’ll have to fight you away,” Sir Bennet jested with a smooth smile of his own. “Especially when she realizes just how dull you are.”
“And how unsophisticated you are,” Sir Collin countered, bumping his friend good-naturedly.
“I’ll look forward to seeing a little competition between you men.” The duke chuckled. “But rest assured, I’ll give you each fair time to win Lady Rosemarie’s hand.”
A prick of doubt assailed me. “I wouldn’t want to be the cause of discord between good friends.”
“This competition will serve to strengthen their character,” the duke replied. “And while I hope they’ll fight hard to win your hand, I know they’ll do so with the utmost integrity, honor, and kindness toward one another.”
The knight behind me on the upper landing hadn’t spoken or moved since his whistle. I glanced at him again, suddenly conscious of his presence nearby and the fact I still didn’t know his name.
“Sir Derrick Harding, my lady,” the duke said, as if reading my mind.
“Sir Derrick.” I curtsied. His gray eyes clashed with mine again as they had inside, and they probed deeply. The frustration from a moment ago was gone, making me wonder if I’d only imagined it.
“My lady.” He bowed.
I waited for him to say something witty or flattering, as the other two had done. But he only straightened and reached out to stroke Pup, who’d taken a seat at his side.
At the sight of Sir Derrick with the dog, the duke raised his brow. Sir Derrick shrugged his shoulders. “He likes me. At least that’s what I’ve been told.”
I smiled at the picture he made standing against the massive stone keep with the dog by his side, almost as if he were already master over the dog and the castle.
“At least the dog likes you,” Sir Collin called. “Be happy with that, because that’s about all the affection you’ll have the chance to win.”
“I’ll have something to speak about, even if it is a mutt.” Sir Derrick’s response was quick. “Which is more than you’ll be able to say for yourself.”
Sir Collin laughed, clearly appreciating the witty exchange. I could only watch, feeling suddenly breathless and completely out of sorts. I wasn’t skilled in speaking with men or flirting or carrying on intelligent conversations. I had absolutely no idea how to relate to them.
How would I ever be able to participate in this contest for true love? Especially without making a bumbling fool of myself in the process?
When the men made ready to depart on their hunting foray, I went directly to my garden, to the beds upon beds of flowers I’d cultivated over the years. I buried myself in their sweet fragrances and gentle colors, all the while thinking about the men and wondering what it would be like to spend time with them.
“Here you are,” came the voice of a man behind me. From where I knelt among the hedgerow roses, I peeked over my shoulder. The tall, dark-haired knight stood several feet away, freshly groomed in finely tailored breeches and matching shirt of a royal blue that only served to highlight his features. The waves of his hair had been brushed into submission, and he looked like he was about to venture into the king’s court rather than depart on a hunting excursion.
I wiped the dirt from my fingers, suddenly conscious of how grimy I was compared to him. “Oh, you’re not hunting, Sir . . .”
“Bennet. Sir Bennet,” he supplied. “We’ve already returned, my lady. Sir Collin shot a stag with his longbow within the first five minutes of the hunt, and we decided we were done.”
I stood and shook the weeds from my gown. “I didn’t expect you to return so quickly.”
“We were a little too distracted to hunt today.” He smiled meaningfully.
I stared at my dirt-encrusted fingernails, embarrassed once again. I didn’t know how I would ever become comfortable with the attention and kind words of the men. Even
when I’d met Thomas, I’d not had much practice before he’d gone away.
“Besides, the duke is anxious to start planning a month full of activities and events to delight you.” He stepped closer, bridging the distance between us.
“And you? How do you feel about staying for a month?” I forced myself to make conversation even though my insides were squirming like a puppy. “Are you not ready to return to your own home and land after so many years away?”
“I’ve been gone from my home longer than I ever lived there, my lady,” he said wistfully. “Like most nobility, my parents sent me away when I was but a young lad to prepare me to be a knight. Fortunately, I had the privilege of living with the Noblest Knight first as a page then later a squire.”
“’Twould indeed be a privilege to live with him. I’m sure he was a good master.”
“He has become like a father to me — to all of us. He’s taught us not only how to wield our weapons, but more importantly how to use our minds.”
I wasn’t surprised that the duke had invested in educating his pages, although there were some noblemen who thought it a waste of time. “There’s no one better in the land. If you become half the man he is, you’ll indeed do well.”
“I agree.” Sir Bennet was only a hand’s span away. His gaze traveled languidly around my face, feasting on my features. When he reached my nose, he paused, lifted his fingers, and brushed at my skin.
Even though his touch was light and innocent, it made my stomach tremble.
“The rumors didn’t lie to us,” he spoke softly. “You’re the fairest in the land, my lady. Even with a smudge of dirt on your nose.” His smile — revealing even, white teeth — made his noble face devastatingly handsome and lit up his eyes.
There was a hint of magnetism about his natural dark looks that would turn the head of any young lady. While he certainly had distracted me now, would he continue to hold my attention over time? Or would it take more than outward appearances to draw me to a man?
I searched his face. Was he the one who had rescued the criminals and come to me in the chapel last night?
The question rested at the tip of my tongue, but when he thrust out his hand from behind his back and held out a bouquet of wildflowers of the most stunning display of colors, the question fled.
“I found them during our hunt,” he said. “And their beauty reminded me of yours.”
I took them and breathed in their fragrance, letting the array tickle my lips. “Thank you, Sir Bennet. They’re lovely.”
“As you gaze on them today, I hope they’ll remind you of me.”
I fingered one of the silky petals. “I’ll think on you, sir,” I said somewhat breathlessly.
And as he bowed and left me with another one of his heart-stopping smiles, I realized I would indeed have no trouble keeping my promise to him.
Chapter
6
I slipped through the gardens toward the back of the keep, hoping to enter the castle undetected. I would need a bath to wash away the dirt and grime of my gardening before I was presentable to the knights. As I walked, I pressed the bouquet from Sir Bennet to my nose and breathed in deep. Delight rippled through me — whether from the flowers or from my encounter with the handsome knight, I knew naught.
All I knew was that my interactions with the men were affecting me more than I’d anticipated.
“Lady Rosemarie, wait,” came a voice from near the well. I turned to find Sir Collin striding across the edge of the courtyard toward me by way of the stables. He wove through squires and servants busy at work and dodged hens and geese that flapped about the inner bailey. His hair gleamed in the summer sun, turning it the pale gold of ripened wheat. He was not quite as striking as Sir Bennet, but his face was just as pleasant to look on.
The duke’s claim yesterday had been no exaggeration. He had brought three very fine suitors. He was determined to give me the chance to fall in love, as he believed my parents had wanted.
“Oh, fairest one,” Sir Collin said, falling to one knee before me and bowing his head.
I couldn’t keep from smiling at his theatrics.
“I have been searching for you high and low, through city and state, even to the sun and back.” He peered up at me with his dancing green eyes.
“Have you now? Then ’twould seem you have neglected to look for me in one of my favorite spots in all the world.” I was surprised at how easily I bantered with him.
“What a fool am I,” he said, taking in my bouquet and playing along with me. “How could I have neglected the gardens in my search for the Rose among roses?”
Should I hide the bouquet behind my back? Surely Sir Collin would know one of his friends had bestowed it upon me.
But seemingly indifferent to the flowers, he held out his hand. “For you, my lady.”
I opened my palm and he laid an exquisite diamond pin there — a pin in the shape of a spiraling rose. “A small token of my affection,” he said more seriously, his eyes turning a darker forest green.
Small token? I stared at the glittering jewels, the intricate and gilded pattern of silverwork. Perhaps it was small in size, but it was in no way a small token. It was beautiful and extravagant. “Sir, I cannot take this —”
“Consider it my bouquet to you.” He folded my fingers around the pin. “Perhaps it’s not as colorful as what you’ve already been given, but a flower nonetheless.”
He stood and only then did I notice the fine linen of his apparel, the wide gold belt at his waist, and the jewel-encrusted mantel across his shoulders. Everything about his clothing spoke of riches. Although I’d inherited a great deal of land and wealth from my parents, he apparently had much more to his title, enough to give away diamond pins as one would flowers.
“Whether or not you choose me as your true love, I want you to have the pin always. At the very least, it will help you remember this month and the great fun we are about to have.”
I hesitated.
“You’ll have to get used to lavish praise and lavish gifts, my lady.” He gave me a smile of encouragement. “What is chivalry and romance without it?”
“I’m finding it a bit difficult to adjust to,” I admitted, fingering the diamonds. After having two meetings with my suitors in short succession, I hoped I was reacting appropriately.
“Then I shall make it my goal to help you adjust.” He winked. “Perhaps I shall resort to giving you a new jewel every day until you’re accustomed to the lavishness?”
“’Tis often the rarity that makes something so precious, wouldn’t you say? If I were to have such extravagance daily, then I might begin to think the jewels and the praise are ordinary rather than treasure them as I do.”
“You are wise, my lady.” Admiration shone in his eyes.
Was he the one who had stopped the public torture yesterday? I tilted my head and studied him. He was certainly carefree enough to attempt the deed.
“I guess I’ll have to restrain myself around you,” he said in a low voice. “I wouldn’t want you to think me or my gifts ordinary.”
A call from the stables demanded his attention, and with another grin, he bounded away. Lost in a dizzying cloud of emotions, I wandered toward the back of the keep admiring both the flowers and the diamond pin. I had to admit that my anticipation of the next month was growing.
When I reached the far side of the keep and the entryway that led down into the kitchen, I stopped short. There by the door stood a ragged group of beggar children waiting patiently while Sir Derrick handed out slices of bread and Cook ladled soup into their tin cups. At the sight of me, the children gasped and elbowed one another, until finally one of the youth remembered to kneel, as was the custom. Once the older children began to pay their respect to me, the littlest ones followed suit.
“Children.” I smiled and started toward them, recognizing many of their faces. They were from among the poorest of the poor in my land, many having parents who had died or fallen prey to the Plague.
Some of the children supported younger siblings. Others were homeless.
I mingled among them, touching a cheek here or patting a head there, bestowing a smile upon each one. As I did, my back warmed under Sir Derrick’s watchful eyes as he followed my every move.
When I finally turned from the children to face Cook, my gaze collided with Sir Derrick’s. Although he didn’t offer a smile, there was something in his expression that said he was pleased with my kindness to the little ones.
I didn’t say anything to him, but I hoped he could read my approval for his own kindness. Rather I spoke to Cook. “I thought they would be given extra this morning out of the plenty from the Midsummer’s Eve feast.”
“’Twere all given away last eve, my lady,” Cook replied. “Every last crumb from every last plate.”
“I thought you would save some for the children. You have in the past.” I didn’t mean to rebuke my faithful cook, who always went above and beyond to oblige my grand plans for feeding the masses, but I couldn’t keep the disappointment from my tone.
Cook glanced sideways at Sir Derrick and then lowered his voice. “We didn’t have as much left as we usually do, my lady.” He turned to check on a great kettle of soup.
“I see.” I certainly couldn’t begrudge my honored guests and their servants the feasting they deserved. But I could only imagine how disappointed the children were this noon to come for their usual bread and soup, expecting to also receive out of the bounty of the leftovers from last evening’s feast only to be sent away without any extra.
Sir Derrick gave a thick slice of bread to an urchin with a bare head and feet, whose face was thin and dirty. Then he paused in his work. “My lady, let the children have the food that was intended for my noon meal.”
The wafting scent of onion and garlic rose from the steaming pot as Cook stirred the floating chunks of carrots and turnips and bits of wild goose. My stomach growled in response. After a morning working in the castle gardens, my appetite was hearty. But I was sure it couldn’t compare to the appetite Sir Derrick had gained on his hunting expedition earlier.