they’re connected in some way to the other situation we’re pursuing.”
“The thought crossed my mind as well.” Royce kept his voice low. “Did Lady Alyna mention to you the message she sent here before I went to fetch her?”
“Nay. We didn’t receive a message from her.”
“That’s what I told her. I don’t know what could’ve come of it.” He held open the door for his lord. Edward stood on the other side as though on the verge of leaving.
“My lord, Sir Royce,” Edward greeted them as they entered the keep. His gaze lingered on Royce. “I see you’ve come back empty-handed, eh?” He laughed. “They outsmarted you , Royce?”
Royce turned to look at Lord Blackwell, wondering if his lord was thinking the same thing he was. More than once, the thieves had information that could’ve only come from within the walls of the keep. Someone privy to their whereabouts and their plans had to be sharing details. Could Edward be that someone?
Lord Blackwell looked at him blankly for a moment, then a dawning awareness spread over his expression, and he raised a brow in question.
Royce shrugged in response. He turned to Edward, wishing he could place his fist in the younger man’s face rather than respond to his comment. “We weren’t able to catch them.”
Edward laughed again.
Royce found it to be a most annoying sound.
“I thought you would have the situation well in hand by now.” Edward’s smirk loosened the tight hold Royce held on his temper.
As Royce opened his mouth to respond to the insult, Lord Blackwell spoke.
“I fail to see what amuses you about the situation, Edward. Perhaps you’d like to give us your opinion on how best to proceed.”
Clearly taken aback at the request, Edward’s eyes opened wide. “Well, my lord, I would certainly be willing to give my advice.” There was a long moment of silence as the wheels seemed to turn in Edward’s mind. “Mayhap at the evening meal I could share some of my thoughts on the matter.”
“That would be most generous of you, Edward. I look forward to it.” Lord Blackwell nodded in dismissal at the younger knight. “Until then.”
Edward bowed and left the keep, clearly disgruntled that his barbs at Royce had been redirected.
Royce smiled at his departing back. “Will he be suddenly ill prior to the meal?”
Lord Blackwell chuckled and placed his hand on Royce’s shoulder. “Would you care to place a small wager on it?”
***
Alyna watched Royce follow her grandfather into the keep, noting his impossibly broad shoulders, how his light brown hair was streaked by the sun.
And drew a deep breath to slow her pounding heart.
She rubbed the underside of her chin on Nicholas’s soft hair in an effort to erase the sensation Royce had caused with the briefest touch.
Sir Edward came out of the keep, and she realized how very different the two men made her feel. Why was it that Royce drew her, whereas both Lord Tegmont and Edward repelled her? All three men were handsome and strong. Each cut a fine figure and was powerful in his own way. But there, the similarities ended.
She knew not what attracted her to Royce, only that her heart beat quicker when he was near. She was drawn to him in a way she’d never before experienced.
Sir Edward’s attempts to undermine Royce upon their arrival played through her mind. Should she tell Royce what the knight had said? Would Royce believe her? Obviously, he had some confidence in Sir Edward or he wouldn’t have left her in his care for the remainder of her journey.
Well, ’twas not for her to judge if Royce believed her or not. She’d tell him at the first opportunity and let him decide for himself what he believed. If that presented her with a chance to speak alone with him, it was merely an added benefit.
Nicholas wiggled in her arms. “Let’s go play, Mama.”
“Certainly not. You scared me when you ran off. You need to listen better.”
“Mama.” There was a distinct
“The thought crossed my mind as well.” Royce kept his voice low. “Did Lady Alyna mention to you the message she sent here before I went to fetch her?”
“Nay. We didn’t receive a message from her.”
“That’s what I told her. I don’t know what could’ve come of it.” He held open the door for his lord. Edward stood on the other side as though on the verge of leaving.
“My lord, Sir Royce,” Edward greeted them as they entered the keep. His gaze lingered on Royce. “I see you’ve come back empty-handed, eh?” He laughed. “They outsmarted you , Royce?”
Royce turned to look at Lord Blackwell, wondering if his lord was thinking the same thing he was. More than once, the thieves had information that could’ve only come from within the walls of the keep. Someone privy to their whereabouts and their plans had to be sharing details. Could Edward be that someone?
Lord Blackwell looked at him blankly for a moment, then a dawning awareness spread over his expression, and he raised a brow in question.
Royce shrugged in response. He turned to Edward, wishing he could place his fist in the younger man’s face rather than respond to his comment. “We weren’t able to catch them.”
Edward laughed again.
Royce found it to be a most annoying sound.
“I thought you would have the situation well in hand by now.” Edward’s smirk loosened the tight hold Royce held on his temper.
As Royce opened his mouth to respond to the insult, Lord Blackwell spoke.
“I fail to see what amuses you about the situation, Edward. Perhaps you’d like to give us your opinion on how best to proceed.”
Clearly taken aback at the request, Edward’s eyes opened wide. “Well, my lord, I would certainly be willing to give my advice.” There was a long moment of silence as the wheels seemed to turn in Edward’s mind. “Mayhap at the evening meal I could share some of my thoughts on the matter.”
“That would be most generous of you, Edward. I look forward to it.” Lord Blackwell nodded in dismissal at the younger knight. “Until then.”
Edward bowed and left the keep, clearly disgruntled that his barbs at Royce had been redirected.
Royce smiled at his departing back. “Will he be suddenly ill prior to the meal?”
Lord Blackwell chuckled and placed his hand on Royce’s shoulder. “Would you care to place a small wager on it?”
***
Alyna watched Royce follow her grandfather into the keep, noting his impossibly broad shoulders, how his light brown hair was streaked by the sun.
And drew a deep breath to slow her pounding heart.
She rubbed the underside of her chin on Nicholas’s soft hair in an effort to erase the sensation Royce had caused with the briefest touch.
Sir Edward came out of the keep, and she realized how very different the two men made her feel. Why was it that Royce drew her, whereas both Lord Tegmont and Edward repelled her? All three men were handsome and strong. Each cut a fine figure and was powerful in his own way. But there, the similarities ended.
She knew not what attracted her to Royce, only that her heart beat quicker when he was near. She was drawn to him in a way she’d never before experienced.
Sir Edward’s attempts to undermine Royce upon their arrival played through her mind. Should she tell Royce what the knight had said? Would Royce believe her? Obviously, he had some confidence in Sir Edward or he wouldn’t have left her in his care for the remainder of her journey.
Well, ’twas not for her to judge if Royce believed her or not. She’d tell him at the first opportunity and let him decide for himself what he believed. If that presented her with a chance to speak alone with him, it was merely an added benefit.
Nicholas wiggled in her arms. “Let’s go play, Mama.”
“Certainly not. You scared me when you ran off. You need to listen better.”
“Mama.” There was a distinct
Similar Books
