sidled closer to Maddie's mare and nuzzled her ear. Banshee's tail switched, and without warning, she pulled back her lips and nipped the huge beast on the neck. It reared up, but Deveryn brought its head down with iron control. Banshee whinnied and Maddie, her eyes bubbling with laughter, tried to suppress a giggle. She snorted.
"Like mistress, like mount, I don't doubt," said Deveryn, and he flashed Maddie a singularly charming smile. "Where are we off to this morning?"
"I," said Maddie, striving in vain to keep her lips straight, "I have it in mind to pay a morning call on the Moncrieffs." She had hoped to inject some ice into her voice, but knew that she had failed miserably. Deveryn's mount, she noted, was eyeing Banshee with covert interest, but that mischievous female had pulled back her lips in readiness to administer a biting setdown to the encroaching brute. Maddie found she could not restrain her laughter.
"Whoa, 'Thelo. Mind your manners and the lady will ignore you." Deveryn cocked a sardonic brow at Maddie. "Like master, like mount," he intoned with a suggestive smile.
"So I noticed," Maddie retorted, but for the life of her, could not keep her expression severe. She gave up the attempt. "Oh, come on, I'll race you to the causeway," and before Deveryn had time to gather his wits, she showed him her heels.
She expected him to best her, and was not well-pleased to find herself the winner of the contest. They dismounted and, finding that they could not easily traverse the wooden footbridge to the village, turned back to walk their mounts along the sands.
It was Deveryn who broke the silence which had fallen between them. "Why so glum? I thought you would be delighted to win our race."
"So I should have, if I had won it fairly. Why did you hold back?"
"To please you, though I can see I have failed in my laudable objective."
"Should I be flattered by such condescension?" asked Maddie crossly.
Deveryn laughed. "Oh Maddie. The more I learn about you, the more I . . . admire you."
"Ah," said Maddie gravely, "it were wiser if you would defer your opinion till you come to know my character better, my lord."
"Then by all means, let us rectify my ignorance. Tell me about yourself!"
"What?" She looked startled.
"I want to know all about you."
"What, for instance?" Her tone was guarded.
"Oh, I don't know. Anything will do. What was the first word you ever uttered as a child?"
"Are you serious?"
"Of course I'm serious. One can deduce a lot about a person's character from such small clues. Well?"
She gave him a glance full of mischief. "Are you sure you want to know?"
"Of course!"
"No."
"I beg your pardon?"
"No. That's the first word that ever passed my lips. My mother told me that it gave me enormous power."
"I can well believe it. It still does."
"What was the first word you ever said?" and she flashed him a quelling frown.
"After that, I don't think you'll believe me."
"What was it?" she encouraged.
"Yes!"
" 'Yes' was the first word you ever said as a child?" She was genuinely amused. "You're making that up."
"Yes," he responded gravely.
"I might have known it!"
"I wonder if our children will be conventional and say the usual 'mama' or 'papa?'"
"Don't!" she said with a note of distress.
For a moment, she was sure that he meant to take her in his arms, but he merely captured her hand and laced his fingers through hers. "What is your first memory as a child?" he asked softly.
"I . . . I don't remember!" She was acutely conscious of the warmth of his hand in hers and regretted the impulse that had made her strip her gloves from her fingers.
"Think about it—your very first memory as a child."
"I remember that my father used to throw me up in the air and catch me," she said quickly.
"Did you like it, or were you terrified?"
"Both."
He turned to face her. "Did he ever let you fall?"
"Of course not." She was angry at herself for the short breathless answer.
"Neither shall I ever let you
"Like mistress, like mount, I don't doubt," said Deveryn, and he flashed Maddie a singularly charming smile. "Where are we off to this morning?"
"I," said Maddie, striving in vain to keep her lips straight, "I have it in mind to pay a morning call on the Moncrieffs." She had hoped to inject some ice into her voice, but knew that she had failed miserably. Deveryn's mount, she noted, was eyeing Banshee with covert interest, but that mischievous female had pulled back her lips in readiness to administer a biting setdown to the encroaching brute. Maddie found she could not restrain her laughter.
"Whoa, 'Thelo. Mind your manners and the lady will ignore you." Deveryn cocked a sardonic brow at Maddie. "Like master, like mount," he intoned with a suggestive smile.
"So I noticed," Maddie retorted, but for the life of her, could not keep her expression severe. She gave up the attempt. "Oh, come on, I'll race you to the causeway," and before Deveryn had time to gather his wits, she showed him her heels.
She expected him to best her, and was not well-pleased to find herself the winner of the contest. They dismounted and, finding that they could not easily traverse the wooden footbridge to the village, turned back to walk their mounts along the sands.
It was Deveryn who broke the silence which had fallen between them. "Why so glum? I thought you would be delighted to win our race."
"So I should have, if I had won it fairly. Why did you hold back?"
"To please you, though I can see I have failed in my laudable objective."
"Should I be flattered by such condescension?" asked Maddie crossly.
Deveryn laughed. "Oh Maddie. The more I learn about you, the more I . . . admire you."
"Ah," said Maddie gravely, "it were wiser if you would defer your opinion till you come to know my character better, my lord."
"Then by all means, let us rectify my ignorance. Tell me about yourself!"
"What?" She looked startled.
"I want to know all about you."
"What, for instance?" Her tone was guarded.
"Oh, I don't know. Anything will do. What was the first word you ever uttered as a child?"
"Are you serious?"
"Of course I'm serious. One can deduce a lot about a person's character from such small clues. Well?"
She gave him a glance full of mischief. "Are you sure you want to know?"
"Of course!"
"No."
"I beg your pardon?"
"No. That's the first word that ever passed my lips. My mother told me that it gave me enormous power."
"I can well believe it. It still does."
"What was the first word you ever said?" and she flashed him a quelling frown.
"After that, I don't think you'll believe me."
"What was it?" she encouraged.
"Yes!"
" 'Yes' was the first word you ever said as a child?" She was genuinely amused. "You're making that up."
"Yes," he responded gravely.
"I might have known it!"
"I wonder if our children will be conventional and say the usual 'mama' or 'papa?'"
"Don't!" she said with a note of distress.
For a moment, she was sure that he meant to take her in his arms, but he merely captured her hand and laced his fingers through hers. "What is your first memory as a child?" he asked softly.
"I . . . I don't remember!" She was acutely conscious of the warmth of his hand in hers and regretted the impulse that had made her strip her gloves from her fingers.
"Think about it—your very first memory as a child."
"I remember that my father used to throw me up in the air and catch me," she said quickly.
"Did you like it, or were you terrified?"
"Both."
He turned to face her. "Did he ever let you fall?"
"Of course not." She was angry at herself for the short breathless answer.
"Neither shall I ever let you
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