Authors: Kathryn Le Veque
"It wasn't easy," Bose
admitted, adjusting his broadsword as the squire secured it loosely. "She
has the most amazing golden eyes. And she possesses a surprisingly droll sense
of humor."
Morgan watched his liege,
elaborating on last eve's encounter far more than he had all morning. Knowing
that by the sheer tone in Bose's voice, the man was smitten. “And, naturally,
she enchanted you."
"Naturally," Bose
agreed, although it was done without a hint of remorse or emotion. "I
would've had to have been a corpse not to have responded to her charms."
"Did you kiss her?"
Tate could hardly refrain from asking.
Bose cocked an eyebrow, a
restrained scowl crossing his rugged features. "Aye, Tate, I kissed her
and ravaged her and left her for rubbish," when Morgan laughed softly at
the sarcastic reply, Bose shook his head at Tate's foolish question and moved
to claim his helm. "God's Beard, you've got me bedding the woman already
and we've only just met."
But Tate was undeterred by his
lord's irritable response. "Were it me, I most definitely would have
bedded her by now."
Bose grasped his helm in one hand.
"That is the difference between us, my friend. I have more respect for a
woman than you do."
Tate shrugged as if in agreement.
The joust was rapidly approaching and Bose had been selected in the draw as the
first combatant against none other than Breck Kerry. Knowing the man needed his
concentration for the coming event, Tate stopped his questions. There would be
time enough later to pester Bose with his curiosity.
Farl, Adgar and Artur were
already outside, making sure the mounts were properly prepared. As the three
men inside the tent exited the shelter, Farl appeared in the opening and nearly
ran Bose down in his haste. Bushy red mustache twitching, his faded green eyes
focused intently on his liege.
"You have a visitor, my
lord," he said with more excitement than he had exhibited in a long while.
"A
lady
visitor."
Bose's usually emotionless face
slackened. "What lady?"
Farl’s weathered eyes crinkled
with mirth. “A certain young lady with a ferret that looks remarkably like
Antony.”
Bose was out of the tent before
he could draw another breath, ignorant of the equally-eager entourage behind
him. Rounding the corner of the black and white shelter, the young woman and
her brother came into view and at that moment Bose was reminded of the crowd
gathered in his shadow; he swore he heard a collective sigh of appreciation go
up. Momentarily distracted from her radiant presence, he turned to scowl
fiercely at the collection of loyal knights.
"Away, vultures," he
growled. "I would speak to the lady alone."
Farl turned to obey, plowing into
Tate and nearly taking the man to the ground. Grasping hold of the bewitched
young knight, he pulled him along as he made haste away from Bose, leaving
Morgan to casually vacate his liege's company. After casting the lady a lingering
glance, the older knight wandered away and Bose drew in a deep breath for
strength and composure, turning once again in the direction of the lady.
God's Beard, she was more
beautiful that he had remembered. Approaching as casually as he could manage,
he was well aware when Adgar abruptly moved past him, discreetly dispersing the
squires and servants who had collected in a crowd to stare at the magnificent
lady. Only Artur remained, speaking with Stephan as Summer's golden gazed fixed
upon the approaching warrior.
Bose acted as if Stephan was
invisible as he came to a halt before Summer. "My lady," he said as
smoothly as he could. "I did not expect to see you again so soon. To what
do I owe the honor of your visit?"
Summer met his smile, her gaze
oddly hesitant. She tore her eyes away from Bose's sharp black orbs, looking to
her brother to silently beg the man's departure. Bose, too, looked to Stephan,
not surprised to note his hostile expression.
"Stephan," he greeted
steadily. "I see that you are prepared for the joust. The fourth round, is
it?"
Stephan had no intention of
replying until Summer's beseeching gaze coerced him into a strained response.
"Aye."
Bose nodded faintly in
acknowledgement, unoffended by the man's lack of manners. If the situation were
reversed and it had been Stephan du Bonne disrespecting Bose's wishes by
pursuing his young, beautiful sister, Bose would not have been quite so
composed. Deadly would have been closer to the mark.
Therefore, in lieu of meeting
Stephan's challenging gaze since he honestly could not fault the man his
outrage, he returned his attention to Stephan's exquisite sister. The twinkle reappeared
in his eye as he once again drank in the sight of her loveliness.
"Is there a reason for your
visit, my lady?" he asked pleasantly. "Or did you come to distract me
from the day's event?"
The familiar blush returned to
her cheeks, far more radiant under the early morning sun than it had been
beneath the cold gray moon.
"I came to speak with you,
my lord," she said quietly. "Stephan was gracious enough to escort me
even though he is extremely b-busy with preparation for this morn's
joust."
It was a hint for Stephan to
leave her alone with the massive knight, but her brother refused to heed the
roundabout request. His eyes still riveted to Bose, there was no mistaking the
tension in his voice as he spoke.
"Summer, I have a need to
speak with Sir Bose before you commence with your conversation," he said
evenly. "Please leave us alone for a moment."
With great hesitance, Summer cast
her brother a long glance before quietly excusing herself, moving several feet
away. Artur, seeing his opportunity arise, made sure Stephan maintained his
focus on Bose before discreetly moving toward the lady. Bose’s focus was on
Summer’s brother.
"You wanted to speak with me,
Stephan?" Bose braced himself.
Stephan did not hold back.
"I have been led to understand that you disobeyed my request that you
leave my sister unmolested," his voice was as cold as ice, biting and hard
and severe. "Fair enough. I cannot fault you a true desire to pursue the
object of your interest. What I say now, I say not because your rebellious
actions have offended me. I say it because my sister's welfare is my utmost
concern."
Bose nodded his head. “Continue.”
Stephan's voice was reduced to a
threatening whisper. "I know nothing about you. But what I have heard
through rumor and hearsay I must say I find exceptionally disturbing. Although
I do not pass judgment on you, I must trust my instincts where my sister is concerned.
You will stay away from her, as I have asked, or I shall take steps to ensure
she no longer has any further contact with you. Do you understand?"
Even though Stephan had not
defined the rumors, he did not have to; Bose knew what he was speaking of. It
was difficult to maintain his composure as he met Stephan's unfriendly gaze.
"Is that why you came?” he
asked quietly. “To threaten me with violence if I do not sever all contact with
your sister?"
"I came to demand you stay
away from her."
"And what of your father?
Surely he has supreme say in all matters regarding the lady."
"My father agrees with me,
which is why I have been chosen to deliver the message, warrior to warrior.
Mayhap you will understand the message more clearly."
"I understand perfectly. But
you, sir, do not."
Stephan frowned. "And what
does that mean?"
Bose regarded the man a long
moment, his black eyes glimmering with sorrow and fury. "You profess not
to judge me based on rumor but by your actions, you have done precisely
that," turning away, he immediately focused on Summer, blushing profusely
as Artur attempted to carry on a one-sided conversation. "Your sister
wishes to speak with me. If there is to be any true cleaving of this infantile
relationship, then I would hear it from her alone. Good day to you, my
lord."
Stephan let him go, somewhat
off-guard by his accusation of bias but realizing the man to be correct. With a
lingering glance to the backside of the massive knight, he moved a respectable
distance away as conversation commenced between Bose and his sister. Once de
Moray heard the same message from Summer's lips, surely the man would have no
choice but to comply.
Bose knew Stephan to be watching
him as he approached Summer, chasing Artur away with a good-natured insult. As
the old man fled, Bose refocused his attention on Summer with a sinking heart;
in light of his dialogue with Stephan, he knew the general theme of the
impending conversation.
"What is it you wished to
say to me, my lady?" he asked pleasantly.
Summer's beautiful face was
upturned, her golden eyes boring in to him as the gentle morning light caressed
each feature with warmth. "I would ask you what Stephan said f-first."
Bose's expression did not change,
although he paused a brief moment to collect his thoughts. "He has asked
that I stay away from you. Do you wish this as well?"
Do you wish this as well?
His sorrowful words echoed in Summer’s
mind and she took a deep breath, glancing to her stiff brother perched upon the
distant rise. Her gaze lingered on the man a before returning her focus to Bose.
"Would you walk with me, my
lord?" she asked softly, heading in the direction of the Grandfather's
oak.
Without hesitation, Bose
complied, feeling the least bit like an eager squire trailing after a
beautiful, unreachable lady. God's Beard, he'd walk all the way to London if
she asked him to. He'd do anything she asked of him.
The grass was soft and moist
beneath their feet as they strolled in silence toward the massive oak tree.
Bose kept his gaze ahead, catching a steady glimpse of her persimmon-colored
gown from the corner of his eye. As they proceeded to walk and Bose continued
to ponder her beauty, he was jolted from his thoughts when her gentle voice
filled the air between them.
"I have been told to
retrieve my f-favor," she said, not looking at him. "And I have been
f-further told to return Antony to your care."
Bose was prepared for her
statement. "I see. Were you given a reason for these actions?"
Beneath the great sprawling tree,
Summer came to a halt and turned to face him. “Stephan has relayed a most
disturbing bit of information and I know of no other way to approach the
subject than to plainly ask you," taking a deep breath, she fixed him in
the eye. "Please forgive my cruel question, my lord, b-but I find I must
know the truth."
His gaze lingered on her a
moment, trying not to appear unnerved. Crossing his arms, he forced himself to
maintain an emotionless facade. "Ask then, my lady. I shall answer
truthfully."
Gazing into his scarred, rugged
face, Summer felt brutal and foolish at the same time. After her brother has
informed her of de Moray's villainous reputation, she had spent the better part
of the morning coming to grips with the information. Although her heart
strongly refuted the lies, her mind was convinced that Stephan was merely
protecting her best interests.
“Please do not think me
heartless, my lord," she whispered, almost pleadingly. "I certainly
do not mean to be."
A faint smile tugged at his lips;
for certain, he could see that she was extremely upset by the entire
circumstance. "How can I think you heartless if I do not know the
question?"
With a heavy sigh, Summer lowered
her gaze. "M-My b-brother s-said... h-he said…."
Her stuttering grew particularly
bad. "Slow yourself, lady," his tone softened. "Slow down and
take a deep breath. There is no need to be nervous."
Swallowing hard, Summer's
expression was painful. "I-I am n-not, truly. I-It's just that S-Stephan's
words upset me so."
"What words, love?"
All twitching, agitation and
disquiet came to a halt. Summer’s wide-eyed gaze came to rest on Bose's
piercing black orbs and, for a moment, she forgot how to breathe.
He had
called her love
. The world around her could have exploded to cinder and
still, she would be riveted to Bose's wonderful face. Nothing else seemed to be
more important than the emotions she was experiencing at this very moment.
“That you killed your wife."
"I did not kill my
wife."
Summer's mouth worked as if she
attempting to speak, but no words came forth for the moment. "But... she
is dead?"
"She is. A result of
childbirth and nothing more."
The truth. Clean, clear, and
concise. Four years of rumors dashed in one swift motion. Summer stared at him,
wanting so desperately to believe him.
"But what of the rumors?”
she wanted to know. “Stephan indicated your mother-in-law to be the source of
the hearsay.”
Bose's gaze was steady. "The
woman blames me for my wife's death, insisting that the son I planted killed
her with his size. Angry that I chose to divert my grief by joining the tournament
circuit, my mother-in-law spread the rumors in hopes of ruining my chances of
being accepted as a true contender."