to fill the tub with. She was too overcome to properly thank them for their consideration. Where in the world had the tub come from? Surely an army did not travel with such conveniences.
“With Prince Michel’s compliments,” the young squire informed her with a gallant bow, then seeing she was beyond a reasonable response, turned to follow the grinning soldiers from the tent with a wide smile curving his own lips.
Elena was too delighted with the prospect of a real bath to regret too much the realization that Michel must have witnessed her humiliation after all. As she stripped out of her clothes for a second time in the middle of the day, she decided a little embarrassment was not too high a price to pay for the precious gift she’d been given. She let out a little moan of pleasure when she stepped into the steaming water and then dipped her head beneath it to scrub her hair free of the dried mud from the stream and luxuriated in the warm water until it grew as cold as the surrounding air.
Chapter Eight
Michel had been deep in conversation with Amele and the messenger who just returned from the city with information about the king’s funeral arrangements when he spotted Elena emerging from the shadow of the trees and hurry in the direction of her tent. His lips curved at the realization she somehow managed to fall into the stream and was doing her best to pretend she hadn’t. The two soldiers trailing her were obviously vastly amused by her condition and Michel found his own lips curving in response. It was hard to reconcile her bedraggled state with the passionate woman he’d held in his embrace not so many minutes earlier.
Shaking his head, he recognized Elena had a disconcerting habit of shifting back and forth between the child he vowed to her uncle he would protect and the desirable, beautiful woman who was only just beginning to emerge from the innocence of childhood. He was a bit disgusted with himself when he was forced to acknowledge he was drawn to her on both levels. Watching her return, he was surprised when her eyes didn’t scan the camp in search of him as was her usual habit.
Perhaps she was embarrassed by the intimacies they shared. If a few kisses were all it took to relieve him of her clinging presence, he decided he should have availed himself of the strategy sooner and saved himself the inconvenience of waking up before dawn for an unpleasant appointment with the icy stream.
As he watched her pass through the opening of her tent, he hoped it was embarrassment only and not fear that kept her from his side. He would not wish to be equated in her mind with Baron Raulf. After all, young, innocent maids were wont to dramatize every little thing and turn them around in their silly heads until they became the victims of fire-breathing dragons or randy knights who took advantage of their innocence to steal a few kisses.
“So we are agreed, Prince Michel?”
At the sound of his name, Michel drew his attention away from the source of his annoying distraction and back to the matter at hand. “Agreed on what?”
Michel was aware of Amele’s quickly suppressed smile at his inattention, but his old friend refrained from commenting on it and simply repeated the conclusions they reached while his focus was occupied elsewhere.
“King Barnabas will lie in state so the citizens of the city will have an opportunity to pay their respects. You mentioned Lady Elena wished to bid her uncle a final farewell,” Amele reminded him of their earlier exchange before Elena’s appearance drew his attention away from their conversation.
“Yes. I believe it’s time for us to make our presence felt,” Michel remarked. At Amele’s speculative look, Michel added with a grin, “In the most peaceful and respectful manner, of course. What better way to accomplish both objectives than by accompanying Lady Elena on her visit to the castle to pay her respects, and at the same
“With Prince Michel’s compliments,” the young squire informed her with a gallant bow, then seeing she was beyond a reasonable response, turned to follow the grinning soldiers from the tent with a wide smile curving his own lips.
Elena was too delighted with the prospect of a real bath to regret too much the realization that Michel must have witnessed her humiliation after all. As she stripped out of her clothes for a second time in the middle of the day, she decided a little embarrassment was not too high a price to pay for the precious gift she’d been given. She let out a little moan of pleasure when she stepped into the steaming water and then dipped her head beneath it to scrub her hair free of the dried mud from the stream and luxuriated in the warm water until it grew as cold as the surrounding air.
Chapter Eight
Michel had been deep in conversation with Amele and the messenger who just returned from the city with information about the king’s funeral arrangements when he spotted Elena emerging from the shadow of the trees and hurry in the direction of her tent. His lips curved at the realization she somehow managed to fall into the stream and was doing her best to pretend she hadn’t. The two soldiers trailing her were obviously vastly amused by her condition and Michel found his own lips curving in response. It was hard to reconcile her bedraggled state with the passionate woman he’d held in his embrace not so many minutes earlier.
Shaking his head, he recognized Elena had a disconcerting habit of shifting back and forth between the child he vowed to her uncle he would protect and the desirable, beautiful woman who was only just beginning to emerge from the innocence of childhood. He was a bit disgusted with himself when he was forced to acknowledge he was drawn to her on both levels. Watching her return, he was surprised when her eyes didn’t scan the camp in search of him as was her usual habit.
Perhaps she was embarrassed by the intimacies they shared. If a few kisses were all it took to relieve him of her clinging presence, he decided he should have availed himself of the strategy sooner and saved himself the inconvenience of waking up before dawn for an unpleasant appointment with the icy stream.
As he watched her pass through the opening of her tent, he hoped it was embarrassment only and not fear that kept her from his side. He would not wish to be equated in her mind with Baron Raulf. After all, young, innocent maids were wont to dramatize every little thing and turn them around in their silly heads until they became the victims of fire-breathing dragons or randy knights who took advantage of their innocence to steal a few kisses.
“So we are agreed, Prince Michel?”
At the sound of his name, Michel drew his attention away from the source of his annoying distraction and back to the matter at hand. “Agreed on what?”
Michel was aware of Amele’s quickly suppressed smile at his inattention, but his old friend refrained from commenting on it and simply repeated the conclusions they reached while his focus was occupied elsewhere.
“King Barnabas will lie in state so the citizens of the city will have an opportunity to pay their respects. You mentioned Lady Elena wished to bid her uncle a final farewell,” Amele reminded him of their earlier exchange before Elena’s appearance drew his attention away from their conversation.
“Yes. I believe it’s time for us to make our presence felt,” Michel remarked. At Amele’s speculative look, Michel added with a grin, “In the most peaceful and respectful manner, of course. What better way to accomplish both objectives than by accompanying Lady Elena on her visit to the castle to pay her respects, and at the same
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