the foot of the hill, holding each other's fingers.
'I'm the last to know, I suppose," he said, twining his fingers with hers and loosing a disturbing frisson in her belly.
Rozenn frowned. 'Actually, I told you first, but--'
'Rose, I wasn't sure you meant it."
She shrugged. 'Well, I do mean it, Ben. I will have supper with you, but please release me so that I may speak to Ketill."
He shook his head. 'You can't..."
Hackles rising, she glared at him. 'Can't?'
A gentle fingertip touched the side of her face; again her belly tightened. His mouth edged up at one corner. 'Careful, little flower, your dimples have gone into hiding. All I meant was that you can't go that way, not by ship.'
She tipped her head back to look at him. 'Why ever not? Osgood told me their trade route takes them north. It skirts the coast of the Duchy till it reaches the Narrow Sea.'
'Yes, Rose, and England is on the other side of the Narrow Sea."
'So?'
'Rose, you are terrified of water. A few moments ago you looked very ill at ease. I see why." Ben gestured beyond the docks towards the Laita. 'You've never so much as put a toe in the river and now you are contemplating a sea voyage--'
'I'll be on board Ketill's ship, I won't be swimming! Ben, this is the best way, given I can't travel on land. Ketill will look after me.'
Ben was shaking his head, and his dark hair fell into his eyes. 'I know you. You are likely be sick the entire way. No, there's nothing for it, you'll have to go overland.' He looked thoughtful. 'Even then there will be the Narrow Sea to navigate, but if we embark from one of the northern ports and land at Bosham, say, in Wessex--yes, that would be about right, a shorter crossing. I will have to make enquiries, but the less time you spend at sea with your fear of water, the better. You should have let me teach you to swim. Rose, but that can't be helped. Yes, we'll go by land, to one of the northern ports--'
'We? ' Puzzled. Rose stared at him. Ben hardly seemed himself this afternoon. There was such a light in his eyes, such a determined light, as he attempted to take charge of her plans. Where had her frivolous lute-player gone?
Ben cleared his throat. 'Yes, we.' And then, abruptly, he was back to his old gallant, superficial self as he bowed over her hand and raised it to his lips. 'Rose, you are my lady fair. Surely you did not believe I would let you embark on such a dangerous enterprise on your own? If you are set on joining Adam in England, then I shall be your escort.'
'But, Ben, I can't ride, remember?'
'No matter, I'll teach you."
'Ivona can't ride either."
His lips curved, 'I will teach her too.'
'And what about horses?'
'We'll hire them."
'Won't that be expensive?' Knights and squires and ladies rode horses, noblemen rode horses, not ordinary girls like her. It was true that Rose was going to marry a knight, but the thought of riding right through Brittany was more than a little daunting. However, if Ben were to accompany her...
He gave her a smile that had melted sterner hearts than hers. 'Little flower, I have money, I told you.' His brown eyes danced, 'It seems I was not the only one who was not listening the night I came back. If you don't have enough to stand the hire fees, I have."
She snorted. Was it likely that Ben would have saved his money, even if he'd earned it? Rozenn threw a glance at Ketill, who was standing where they had left him, watching them. 'Ben...' Her voice trailed off.
Dear Lord, he knew her too well. The thought of the voyage had been troubling her, and the thought of making the journey with an old friend like Ben was tempting indeed, even if it meant she would have to learn to ride. Earnestly, she looked at him. 'You would travel with me?'
He shrugged, 'I have long had a yearning to travel to England, to play in London or Winchester.'
'Truly, Ben? You would be my escort? The whole way?'
He swept her one of his extravagant bows, 'I am, as I have told you a thousand times, yours
'I'm the last to know, I suppose," he said, twining his fingers with hers and loosing a disturbing frisson in her belly.
Rozenn frowned. 'Actually, I told you first, but--'
'Rose, I wasn't sure you meant it."
She shrugged. 'Well, I do mean it, Ben. I will have supper with you, but please release me so that I may speak to Ketill."
He shook his head. 'You can't..."
Hackles rising, she glared at him. 'Can't?'
A gentle fingertip touched the side of her face; again her belly tightened. His mouth edged up at one corner. 'Careful, little flower, your dimples have gone into hiding. All I meant was that you can't go that way, not by ship.'
She tipped her head back to look at him. 'Why ever not? Osgood told me their trade route takes them north. It skirts the coast of the Duchy till it reaches the Narrow Sea.'
'Yes, Rose, and England is on the other side of the Narrow Sea."
'So?'
'Rose, you are terrified of water. A few moments ago you looked very ill at ease. I see why." Ben gestured beyond the docks towards the Laita. 'You've never so much as put a toe in the river and now you are contemplating a sea voyage--'
'I'll be on board Ketill's ship, I won't be swimming! Ben, this is the best way, given I can't travel on land. Ketill will look after me.'
Ben was shaking his head, and his dark hair fell into his eyes. 'I know you. You are likely be sick the entire way. No, there's nothing for it, you'll have to go overland.' He looked thoughtful. 'Even then there will be the Narrow Sea to navigate, but if we embark from one of the northern ports and land at Bosham, say, in Wessex--yes, that would be about right, a shorter crossing. I will have to make enquiries, but the less time you spend at sea with your fear of water, the better. You should have let me teach you to swim. Rose, but that can't be helped. Yes, we'll go by land, to one of the northern ports--'
'We? ' Puzzled. Rose stared at him. Ben hardly seemed himself this afternoon. There was such a light in his eyes, such a determined light, as he attempted to take charge of her plans. Where had her frivolous lute-player gone?
Ben cleared his throat. 'Yes, we.' And then, abruptly, he was back to his old gallant, superficial self as he bowed over her hand and raised it to his lips. 'Rose, you are my lady fair. Surely you did not believe I would let you embark on such a dangerous enterprise on your own? If you are set on joining Adam in England, then I shall be your escort.'
'But, Ben, I can't ride, remember?'
'No matter, I'll teach you."
'Ivona can't ride either."
His lips curved, 'I will teach her too.'
'And what about horses?'
'We'll hire them."
'Won't that be expensive?' Knights and squires and ladies rode horses, noblemen rode horses, not ordinary girls like her. It was true that Rose was going to marry a knight, but the thought of riding right through Brittany was more than a little daunting. However, if Ben were to accompany her...
He gave her a smile that had melted sterner hearts than hers. 'Little flower, I have money, I told you.' His brown eyes danced, 'It seems I was not the only one who was not listening the night I came back. If you don't have enough to stand the hire fees, I have."
She snorted. Was it likely that Ben would have saved his money, even if he'd earned it? Rozenn threw a glance at Ketill, who was standing where they had left him, watching them. 'Ben...' Her voice trailed off.
Dear Lord, he knew her too well. The thought of the voyage had been troubling her, and the thought of making the journey with an old friend like Ben was tempting indeed, even if it meant she would have to learn to ride. Earnestly, she looked at him. 'You would travel with me?'
He shrugged, 'I have long had a yearning to travel to England, to play in London or Winchester.'
'Truly, Ben? You would be my escort? The whole way?'
He swept her one of his extravagant bows, 'I am, as I have told you a thousand times, yours
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