better follow, 'else Lady
Arissa's charms are not the only delicacy he will attempt to sample."
Richmond
did not reply. After a moment, he meandered in their direction.
***
After
an hour with Tad, Arissa was ready to scream. Not only was he a conceited arse,
but he was boorish and dull. All he seemed capable of was commenting on was
himself, his training, and the fortune he would inherit. Arissa sat and
listened, yawning. She wished she had stayed with Richmond.
The
nooning hour came to bear and guests and peasants alike were treated to a
sumptuous fare. Roast rabbit, gamecock, venison, and pork were displayed on
open flame. Half of the men forewent the trenchers and ate the meat directly
off the spit. Since the main dining tables were being used to display the
mounds of carefully prepared food, guests collected all they could carry and
wandered about in search of a quiet eating place.
Arissa
saw the meal as her opportunity to be rid of Tad, but he saw it as a chance to
share a trencher with a beautiful lady. Several times she attempted to excuse
herself, but he would merely grab hold of her arm and laugh.
She
stood by impatiently as he ordered one of his manservants to bring them a plate
of food, turning away deliberately when his gaze raked over her in a suggestive
manner. She was growing to hate him more and more by the second.
The
servant brought a trencher overfilled with meat and bread. Tad ordered Arissa
to sit underneath a bulky-stoned lancet window as he cut the meat with his
dagger.
"Truly,
Sir Tad, I am not hungry," she said for the tenth time. "You may
enjoy your food alone."
"I
do not wish to enjoy it alone, I wish to enjoy it with you," he said, his
mouth full. He sawed on another piece of pork and held it out for her.
"Here, beautiful lady. 'Tis most delightful."
She
turned away from him without a word. He shoved the meat into his own mouth
instead. "What's the matter? Are you not enjoying yourself?"
She'd
had her fill of manners and protocol. She simply wanted to be away from him, no
matter what it took. Polite requests had gone ignored. It was time to delve
into serious insults.
"Nay,
I am not," she said frankly, fixing him with a hard gaze. "I was
polite to you this morn when I offered to escort you. You, however, have
managed to keep me to yourself far longer than I would have hoped for. In
short, sirrah, I have other guests to attend to. You certainly are not the only
one."
He
looked genuinely surprised. "I had no idea you felt so, my lady. I thought
we were getting along quite well."
She
stood up, brushing at her surcoat primly. "Mayhap in your own mind, my
lord. As for me, I must be on my way. Good day to you."
"Arissa!"
he suddenly leapt up, blocking her exit. "Have I offended you somehow?
Your manner is most perplexing."
She
rolled her eyes. "My manner is the result of your boorish conversation.
One more word from your mouth regarding the overall coinage invested in your
wardrobe and I shall surely scream. Now, if you will please excuse me."
He
reached out and grabbed her arm, a most unfriendly gesture. His tone had
changed as well. "Foolish wench. Do you not know courting talk when you
hear it?"
Her
mouth opened in surprise. "Courting talk? 'Tis you who are the fool, Sir
Tad. Did you not hear my father tell you that I am pledged to the church?"
"I
heard him. The man is an idiot."
Arissa
was outraged. "How dare you speak of my father that way!"
His
grip tightened and, suddenly, Arissa was pulled up against his cold, armored
chest. "He’s a fool to allow a woman of your beauty to be wasted in
servitude to a God we cannot see. You, darling, were made for a man's
pleasure."
Somewhere,
Arissa heard a faint chime, like the wind toying with bells hung on a string.
Next she realized, a very large broadsword was pressed against Tad's face. She
could see her own reflection in the brilliant steel.
"I
will give you less than a second to release Lady Arissa or you forfeit
Arissa's charms are not the only delicacy he will attempt to sample."
Richmond
did not reply. After a moment, he meandered in their direction.
***
After
an hour with Tad, Arissa was ready to scream. Not only was he a conceited arse,
but he was boorish and dull. All he seemed capable of was commenting on was
himself, his training, and the fortune he would inherit. Arissa sat and
listened, yawning. She wished she had stayed with Richmond.
The
nooning hour came to bear and guests and peasants alike were treated to a
sumptuous fare. Roast rabbit, gamecock, venison, and pork were displayed on
open flame. Half of the men forewent the trenchers and ate the meat directly
off the spit. Since the main dining tables were being used to display the
mounds of carefully prepared food, guests collected all they could carry and
wandered about in search of a quiet eating place.
Arissa
saw the meal as her opportunity to be rid of Tad, but he saw it as a chance to
share a trencher with a beautiful lady. Several times she attempted to excuse
herself, but he would merely grab hold of her arm and laugh.
She
stood by impatiently as he ordered one of his manservants to bring them a plate
of food, turning away deliberately when his gaze raked over her in a suggestive
manner. She was growing to hate him more and more by the second.
The
servant brought a trencher overfilled with meat and bread. Tad ordered Arissa
to sit underneath a bulky-stoned lancet window as he cut the meat with his
dagger.
"Truly,
Sir Tad, I am not hungry," she said for the tenth time. "You may
enjoy your food alone."
"I
do not wish to enjoy it alone, I wish to enjoy it with you," he said, his
mouth full. He sawed on another piece of pork and held it out for her.
"Here, beautiful lady. 'Tis most delightful."
She
turned away from him without a word. He shoved the meat into his own mouth
instead. "What's the matter? Are you not enjoying yourself?"
She'd
had her fill of manners and protocol. She simply wanted to be away from him, no
matter what it took. Polite requests had gone ignored. It was time to delve
into serious insults.
"Nay,
I am not," she said frankly, fixing him with a hard gaze. "I was
polite to you this morn when I offered to escort you. You, however, have
managed to keep me to yourself far longer than I would have hoped for. In
short, sirrah, I have other guests to attend to. You certainly are not the only
one."
He
looked genuinely surprised. "I had no idea you felt so, my lady. I thought
we were getting along quite well."
She
stood up, brushing at her surcoat primly. "Mayhap in your own mind, my
lord. As for me, I must be on my way. Good day to you."
"Arissa!"
he suddenly leapt up, blocking her exit. "Have I offended you somehow?
Your manner is most perplexing."
She
rolled her eyes. "My manner is the result of your boorish conversation.
One more word from your mouth regarding the overall coinage invested in your
wardrobe and I shall surely scream. Now, if you will please excuse me."
He
reached out and grabbed her arm, a most unfriendly gesture. His tone had
changed as well. "Foolish wench. Do you not know courting talk when you
hear it?"
Her
mouth opened in surprise. "Courting talk? 'Tis you who are the fool, Sir
Tad. Did you not hear my father tell you that I am pledged to the church?"
"I
heard him. The man is an idiot."
Arissa
was outraged. "How dare you speak of my father that way!"
His
grip tightened and, suddenly, Arissa was pulled up against his cold, armored
chest. "He’s a fool to allow a woman of your beauty to be wasted in
servitude to a God we cannot see. You, darling, were made for a man's
pleasure."
Somewhere,
Arissa heard a faint chime, like the wind toying with bells hung on a string.
Next she realized, a very large broadsword was pressed against Tad's face. She
could see her own reflection in the brilliant steel.
"I
will give you less than a second to release Lady Arissa or you forfeit
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