Page 16 of A Knight To Call My Own
“But of course,” Rolf said, taking her hand. He held it gently afore leaning forward to brush his lips across her skin.
She gave a slight shiver. ’Twas not, however, from the gentleness of Rolf’s display of affection, but in response to the blazing hot glare from Ian afore he stepped into the stirrup and lifted himself up onto his white, ivory-maned horse. ’Twas as if he knew of the ploy she played. Yet to her, ’twas not a game of chance, but her future that was at stake.
Lynet had not realized her eyes continued to linger on Ian ’til she felt her arm drop as Rolf let go of her fingertips. Her attention once more on her captain, she saw a fleeting look of sadness within his eyes afore he masked the emotions in a cocky grin of self-confidence.
“I look forward to claiming several dances this eve after I win my matches, my lady,” he declared, and, with a jaunty salute, he kicked his horse into motion, setting off for the tournament.
Lynet watched Rolf go with a soft smile that quickly turned into a frown when a voice came within her hearing, closer than she anticipated. She turned to see Ian take the very place that Rolf had occupied but an instant afore.
“Have you no favor to bestow upon your future husband, my dear Lady Lynet?” Ian’s voice all but mocked her.
“Aye…I just gave him one,” she replied with a saucy flip of her hair. Hazel eyes met blue whilst she attempted to catch her breath. How could one man leave her so lacking for air from just the briefest of glances?
Ian looked her up and down with an appreciative gaze then gifted her with his own handsomely roguish grin that had her heart beating frantically, once again. “Nay, you did not. But, ’tis of no consequence. You shall soon learn that attempts to make me jealous will not work on me.”
“I did no such thing,” she said, aghast he had read her so openly.
“Aye, you did, but those are the games children play, and seldom do they achieve what the heart of an adult desires.”
“What do you know of what my heart desires?” She drew the wrap closer together to attempt to hide her trembling hands. Surely, even he could hear the rapid betrayal of her beating heart, as it all but cried out for the man afore her, much to her dismay.
Ian brought his horse closer to the stairway. “Mayhap, I should show you yet again as I did last eve?” he whispered huskily, sending a wave of desire coursing through her.
“I think not,” she retorted hotly as a blush began to creep up her cheeks.Damn the man’s soul to hell.
“Another time, perchance, since I must needs go and begin winning my bride,” Ian proclaimed.
With a tug on the reins, he, too, began to make his way from her. Confusion suddenly consumed her ’til worry that he might be severely injured came to the forefront of her mind. “Ian…wait,” she called out. Surprised she summoned him to return to her, Ian quickly turned his mount in her direction.
Lynet watched in maidenly delight when Ian maneuvered his steed to stand afore her. With a click of his spurs, the animal put one of its legs forward and bowed his head afore rising. Ian hardly looked like a Scottish laird this day, as he was once more garbed as a knight of the realm. He had always been handsome to her eyes, but he was even more so, now that she had the opportunity to see him through the eyes of a grown woman ready to fall in love. Ian raised his hand over his chest and gave his own short bow, as well as could be managed with the weight of his armor. “My lady,” he said afore once more returning abreast of the stairs. “I am your most humble servant.”
She bit her lip with indecision for just an instant afore whipping the shawl from her shoulders and tying it on Ian’s arm. “This does not mean I favor you above others,” she declared, trying to find some way to justify her actions that two different men would be wearing a small token of her affection.
“If you say so,” Ian said, smiling afore he took her hand in his and laid a gentle kiss upon her fingertips.
Afore she could give him a sharp retort of any kind, he left her there alone, stumbling for words to say to him inside her head. Knowing she, too, must needs make her way to the field, she proceeded no farther than down the few stairs afore another prevented her from following after the two men who wanted to claim her heart. She stared at the young lord in her path, trying to hide the contempt she felt for this particular individual.
“You have erred greatly to give your favor to anyone other than myself, let alone that you gave out two,” Broderick of Lorn sneered at her with a curled lip. His distaste of what she had done was clearly plastered on his handsome face, and she knew a life with this particular man would be spent catering to his every whim.
Lynet lifted her head defiantly. “You are not my husband, nor master, that I must needs answer to you,” she spat out, not caring who heard her words that barely contained her fury.
Broderick’s nostrils flared whilst he clenched and unclenched his fists. He then did the unexpected by blatantly staring at her body, as though he were undressing her right there in the courtyard with his eyes. “Mayhap, not yet…but you will be mine by the tourney’s end.”
Lynet’s limbs quaked beneath her gown as he left her. In those brief, few instances she looked upon Broderick, she witnessed an evil side to the intimidating man that she did not ever want to witness again.
Trying her best to compose herself, she came to realize she was clutching at the stone winged dragon upon the railing of the stairs. The mouth snarled forever open, and if the etched eyes could condemn her for giving her favor to two different men, then the demon was doing just that. She wagged her finger at the carved beast, as if it had spoken aloud her own foolish thoughts.
“Do not look at me like that,” she sneered afore picking up the edge of her gown to run and find her place amongst the crowd. Each step told her she needed to pick one knight alone to cheer for. With her decision once more made, she choked on her choice and took her place next to her sister to gaze at the combatants for her hand. The sooner Rolf won, the sooner this fiasco would be over!
~***~
Rolf had not thought the hideous emotion of jealousy would ever consume him. Yet whilst he watched the young woman of no more than a score of years dance her way across the Great Hall, jealous he was. He was not the only victor this day, and ’twould take yet unto a full two se’nnight’s afore he could be proclaimed the victor. He was soconfident he would win Lynet’s hand at the end of the games that he gave no further thought he could not also win her heart.
He fingered the edge of the ribbon she had lovingly made for him whilst he continued to gaze upon Lynet and her current partner. He had witnessed her moment of astonishment that he had chosen to wear her token this eve when they came to sup, although, how she could think that he would not, mayhap, told him more than he cared to admit, even unto himself. But don it he would, for she had given it to him, and he would pray ’twould remain intact, given the number of knights who attempted to tear it from his arm.
He diverted his attention from the fair maid long enough to witness Kenna’s sad look whilst she watched him. ’Twas almost an open confession that could have been shouted from the rafters, for her silent look told him what he already knew within his heart, if he cared to but look deep enough. He refused to acknowledge he would lose this chance to have Lynet as his wife, no matter that Ian MacGillivray had the same deep commitment.
Rolf ignored the warning signs around him with a heavy sigh and once more looked upon Lynet and Ian as they danced in perfect accord. The young woman may have tried to remain indifferent to her partner, but Rolf easily saw behind her ruse. Each time she knew Ian no longer watched her, her eyes sparkled with happiness, like the jewels brightly shining around her throat.
