that you would find it necessary to prove yourself against another
knight, my lord," Alice said, disgruntled. "I rather assumed that you were above such things."
"It would be wise for you to refrain from making too many assumptions about me, Alice."
Alice's mouth went dry. She contented herself with a glare. "Very well, my lord. Henceforth,
I shall assume nothing."
"Be assured that I will explain the matter of Sir Vincent to you at some other time." Hugh
stretched out his hand. "At the moment, I am in a hurry. Your favor, if you please."
"This is really too much." Alice glanced down at her clothing. "I suppose you may take the
ribbon that trims my sleeve, if you feel that it is absolutely necessary."
"It is."
"Do try not to soil it, will you? Good ribbon costs money."
"If it is ruined, I shall buy you another. I can afford it."
Alice felt herself grow warm beneath his mocking gaze. They both knew that a new ribbon
would be as nothing to him.
"Very well." Alice undid the ribbon from her sleeve.
"Thank you." Hugh reached down to take the strip of green cloth. "You may watch the jousts
from beneath the yellow and white tent on the far side of the field. That is where the other
ladies will sit."
"I do not intend to watch the jousts, sir," Alice said heatedly. "I, for one, have better things to
do."
"Better things?"
"Aye, my lord. I am going to search for Gilbert. There is no point in both of us wasting the
afternoon."
Hugh's mailed fist closed very tightly around the green ribbon. "Do not trouble yourself about
the troubadour, Alice. He will be found soon enough. In the meantime, you will watch the
jousts in the company of the other spectators."
Without waiting for a response, Hugh gave the big war-horse an invisible signal. The beast
swung about with astonishing agility and set off eagerly in the direction of the jousting field.
His great hooves sent a tremor through the ground.
"But, Sir Hugh, I just told you that I do not wish to watch the jousts—" Alice broke off in
disgust when she realized she was speaking to the war-stallion's retreating hindquarters.
For the first time she experienced some qualms about the bargain she had made with Hugh. It
was obvious that her new business associate did not fully comprehend the true meaning of
what it meant to be equal partners.
Chapter 6
The rosy-cheeked pie-seller handed Alice a crusty pastry stuffed with minced, honeyed
chicken. "Aye, there be a number of troubadours about. Don't think I noticed one wearing a
yellow and orange tunic, though." The woman took Alice's coin and popped it into her belt
pouch. "Now, then, will there be anythin' else, m'lady?"
"Nay."
The pie-seller brushed crumbs from her hands and turned to deal with the next customer. "
'Ere, me good lad, what'll ye have? I've got excellent fruit pies and tasty lamb, too. Take yer
choice."
Alice eyed her pie with distaste as she walked away from the stall. It was the fourth one she
had bought in the last hour. She was not at all certain that she could manage to eat it.
She had thought to conduct her search for Gilbert in a systematic fashion but the task was
proving difficult. Thus far she had covered only a third of the fairgrounds. Finding one
particular troubadour in this crowded place was a slow process.
She had attempted to start several casual conversations at various stalls and tents but she had
soon discovered that no one was willing to waste time in idle chatter. Having ascertained that
peddlers, pie-sellers, and merchants were far more prone to indulge her carefully worded
questions if they thought that she was going to spend good coin, Alice had reluctantly begun
to do just that. To her dismay, she had already gone through most of the contents of her purse
and had learned nothing. Along the way she had been obliged to consume three pies and two
mugs of cider.
She hesitated at the end of a row of brightly striped peddlers' tents, wondering what to do
with
knight, my lord," Alice said, disgruntled. "I rather assumed that you were above such things."
"It would be wise for you to refrain from making too many assumptions about me, Alice."
Alice's mouth went dry. She contented herself with a glare. "Very well, my lord. Henceforth,
I shall assume nothing."
"Be assured that I will explain the matter of Sir Vincent to you at some other time." Hugh
stretched out his hand. "At the moment, I am in a hurry. Your favor, if you please."
"This is really too much." Alice glanced down at her clothing. "I suppose you may take the
ribbon that trims my sleeve, if you feel that it is absolutely necessary."
"It is."
"Do try not to soil it, will you? Good ribbon costs money."
"If it is ruined, I shall buy you another. I can afford it."
Alice felt herself grow warm beneath his mocking gaze. They both knew that a new ribbon
would be as nothing to him.
"Very well." Alice undid the ribbon from her sleeve.
"Thank you." Hugh reached down to take the strip of green cloth. "You may watch the jousts
from beneath the yellow and white tent on the far side of the field. That is where the other
ladies will sit."
"I do not intend to watch the jousts, sir," Alice said heatedly. "I, for one, have better things to
do."
"Better things?"
"Aye, my lord. I am going to search for Gilbert. There is no point in both of us wasting the
afternoon."
Hugh's mailed fist closed very tightly around the green ribbon. "Do not trouble yourself about
the troubadour, Alice. He will be found soon enough. In the meantime, you will watch the
jousts in the company of the other spectators."
Without waiting for a response, Hugh gave the big war-horse an invisible signal. The beast
swung about with astonishing agility and set off eagerly in the direction of the jousting field.
His great hooves sent a tremor through the ground.
"But, Sir Hugh, I just told you that I do not wish to watch the jousts—" Alice broke off in
disgust when she realized she was speaking to the war-stallion's retreating hindquarters.
For the first time she experienced some qualms about the bargain she had made with Hugh. It
was obvious that her new business associate did not fully comprehend the true meaning of
what it meant to be equal partners.
Chapter 6
The rosy-cheeked pie-seller handed Alice a crusty pastry stuffed with minced, honeyed
chicken. "Aye, there be a number of troubadours about. Don't think I noticed one wearing a
yellow and orange tunic, though." The woman took Alice's coin and popped it into her belt
pouch. "Now, then, will there be anythin' else, m'lady?"
"Nay."
The pie-seller brushed crumbs from her hands and turned to deal with the next customer. "
'Ere, me good lad, what'll ye have? I've got excellent fruit pies and tasty lamb, too. Take yer
choice."
Alice eyed her pie with distaste as she walked away from the stall. It was the fourth one she
had bought in the last hour. She was not at all certain that she could manage to eat it.
She had thought to conduct her search for Gilbert in a systematic fashion but the task was
proving difficult. Thus far she had covered only a third of the fairgrounds. Finding one
particular troubadour in this crowded place was a slow process.
She had attempted to start several casual conversations at various stalls and tents but she had
soon discovered that no one was willing to waste time in idle chatter. Having ascertained that
peddlers, pie-sellers, and merchants were far more prone to indulge her carefully worded
questions if they thought that she was going to spend good coin, Alice had reluctantly begun
to do just that. To her dismay, she had already gone through most of the contents of her purse
and had learned nothing. Along the way she had been obliged to consume three pies and two
mugs of cider.
She hesitated at the end of a row of brightly striped peddlers' tents, wondering what to do
with
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