know a Wilmont trained pup can best a cur of any other breed with ease!”
Edwin’s eyes narrowed. “Wood practice swords or steel blades?”
“Wood. I should hate to perchance injure an old man with a sharp blade.”
“Fetch your gambeson.”
Edwin grumbled all the way to the keep. Stephen kept his peace, enjoying the man’s discomfort. Dammit all, but he liked Edwin—his rival, the man supposed to be his enemy. At some time in the past week the two of them had reached an accord, which boded ill for his quest for Carolyn. Had Edwin lost sight of the prize? Doubtless not.
Stephen’s only thought when suggesting a bout in the practice yard had been to work off his irritation over seeing the girls shunned. Mayhap, in the process, he’d best remind Edwin that their truce was only temporary. Only one man could win William’s contest, and Stephen had no intention of losing.
Once inside the great hall, Edwin stomped up the stairs to fetch his gambeson. Though he knew he shouldn’t, Stephen lagged behind—to look for Marian.
Girlish giggles from behind the draperies surrounding William’s bed gave him her location. Drawn by the irresistible temptation to catch another glimpse of her, Stephen maneuvered around to where he could see the open curtained side of the bed from a bit of a distance.
Marian perched on the foot of the bed, smiling at her girls who talked to William with waving hands and exaggerated gestures, saying something about a race.
’Twas Marian’s smile which held him enthralled. Her eyes sparkled, her face lit with joy so profound it near took his breath away.
Her girls were her world, her joys and sorrows. In that moment he knew that if Marian had nothing else—not even a repaired roof—her life would be complete so long as she had her daughters.
“Someday,” Carolyn said softly, startling him. He’d been so intent on Marian he hadn’t heard Carolyn come alongside. She looked longingly at the girls. “Father so wants grandchildren.”
Carolyn was William’s only hope for grandchildren, the continuing of his family, heirs to all he’d built. If his delight in his nieces was any indication, the old man would be in heaven with grandchildren.
Stephen’s children. His own heirs, too. But he was thinking too far ahead. First he must marry Carolyn, which was not yet a certainty. Still, the thought of having his own wee ones to hold and watch grow wasn’t quite so unnerving anymore.
“Twin boys, perhaps?” Stephen chided her.
“Boys would be nice, but I have not the patience fortwo so close in age as Marian’s. One at a time will do me fine.”
Carolyn grasped him by the elbow and tugged. He resented being led away, though his feet moved.
She waved him toward a bench. “I know we are not allowed to discuss the particulars of the contest, however, I do not think it against Father’s dictates to ask if you and Edwin are nearly finished with your inspection.”
Stephen ignored the bench, preferring to lean against the trestle table, reluctant to discuss any details of the contest. Besides, he hadn’t much time. Edwin would be down soon, gambeson donned and looking for a fight.
“I should think another fortnight ought to be sufficient.”
“Another two weeks? Why so long?”
“Your list was long, and we have not yet visited the other two holdings.”
Carolyn pouted. “Certes, one would think ’twould take the two of you less time to do the inspection as it did me to make out the list to begin with! Can you not hurry this contest along?”
The request came out in a whine that grated on Stephen’s nerves. He dismissed the irritating appeal as understandable impatience on Carolyn’s part.
“Would you have me do less than a thorough inspection, and possibly miss some vital point, causing me to lose?”
Her sigh conveyed annoyance. “Nay, but I do not wish to die an old woman before ’tis completed, either. Mayhap, I could ask Father to remove a few items from the
Edwin’s eyes narrowed. “Wood practice swords or steel blades?”
“Wood. I should hate to perchance injure an old man with a sharp blade.”
“Fetch your gambeson.”
Edwin grumbled all the way to the keep. Stephen kept his peace, enjoying the man’s discomfort. Dammit all, but he liked Edwin—his rival, the man supposed to be his enemy. At some time in the past week the two of them had reached an accord, which boded ill for his quest for Carolyn. Had Edwin lost sight of the prize? Doubtless not.
Stephen’s only thought when suggesting a bout in the practice yard had been to work off his irritation over seeing the girls shunned. Mayhap, in the process, he’d best remind Edwin that their truce was only temporary. Only one man could win William’s contest, and Stephen had no intention of losing.
Once inside the great hall, Edwin stomped up the stairs to fetch his gambeson. Though he knew he shouldn’t, Stephen lagged behind—to look for Marian.
Girlish giggles from behind the draperies surrounding William’s bed gave him her location. Drawn by the irresistible temptation to catch another glimpse of her, Stephen maneuvered around to where he could see the open curtained side of the bed from a bit of a distance.
Marian perched on the foot of the bed, smiling at her girls who talked to William with waving hands and exaggerated gestures, saying something about a race.
’Twas Marian’s smile which held him enthralled. Her eyes sparkled, her face lit with joy so profound it near took his breath away.
Her girls were her world, her joys and sorrows. In that moment he knew that if Marian had nothing else—not even a repaired roof—her life would be complete so long as she had her daughters.
“Someday,” Carolyn said softly, startling him. He’d been so intent on Marian he hadn’t heard Carolyn come alongside. She looked longingly at the girls. “Father so wants grandchildren.”
Carolyn was William’s only hope for grandchildren, the continuing of his family, heirs to all he’d built. If his delight in his nieces was any indication, the old man would be in heaven with grandchildren.
Stephen’s children. His own heirs, too. But he was thinking too far ahead. First he must marry Carolyn, which was not yet a certainty. Still, the thought of having his own wee ones to hold and watch grow wasn’t quite so unnerving anymore.
“Twin boys, perhaps?” Stephen chided her.
“Boys would be nice, but I have not the patience fortwo so close in age as Marian’s. One at a time will do me fine.”
Carolyn grasped him by the elbow and tugged. He resented being led away, though his feet moved.
She waved him toward a bench. “I know we are not allowed to discuss the particulars of the contest, however, I do not think it against Father’s dictates to ask if you and Edwin are nearly finished with your inspection.”
Stephen ignored the bench, preferring to lean against the trestle table, reluctant to discuss any details of the contest. Besides, he hadn’t much time. Edwin would be down soon, gambeson donned and looking for a fight.
“I should think another fortnight ought to be sufficient.”
“Another two weeks? Why so long?”
“Your list was long, and we have not yet visited the other two holdings.”
Carolyn pouted. “Certes, one would think ’twould take the two of you less time to do the inspection as it did me to make out the list to begin with! Can you not hurry this contest along?”
The request came out in a whine that grated on Stephen’s nerves. He dismissed the irritating appeal as understandable impatience on Carolyn’s part.
“Would you have me do less than a thorough inspection, and possibly miss some vital point, causing me to lose?”
Her sigh conveyed annoyance. “Nay, but I do not wish to die an old woman before ’tis completed, either. Mayhap, I could ask Father to remove a few items from the
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