The Maiden and Her Knight by Margaret Moore

Author:Margaret Moore
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: HarperCollins US
Published: 2001-08-21T04:00:00+00:00

As the evening wore on, Connor began to fear Isabelle and Edmond were never going to go to bed without Allis telling them to. Even Lord Oswald’s weary assertion that it was time to retire had little consequence. Auberan lingered, too, yet he eventually departed, so that at last, only Connor, Isabelle, Edmond and those soldiers who slept there remained in the hall.

When Edmond’s head was nearly lying on the chessboard and he could hardly speak for yawning, Connor decided that, guest or not, he had no choice but to take command. “Lordling, go to bed, or you will fall off your horse and break your neck tomorrow.”

Edmond raised his sleepy eyes. “One more move and I shall have you.”

“One more move and you will fall into my clever trap. The game is over, and it is time for you to go to sleep.”

“Everybody always orders me about,” Edmond complained, rubbing his eyes.

“If you are to be a squire, you had best get used to that. Being a squire is like being a servant, only with better food. Now off to bed.”

Reluctantly, Edmond finally stood and went toward the stairs leading to his bedchamber.

Now only Isabelle remained, seated near the hearth and doing her embroidery. The question was, how could he get Isabelle to her room without leaving the hall himself?

She moved her embroidery stand to the side of her chair and rose. “Is the game so truly decided? If not, I will take Edmond’s place and finish the match.”

“The hour grows late, my lady.”

“But not so very late. After all, Edmond is but twelve years old, and I am nearly sixteen. Many ladies of my age are already married, so I should not be bundled off to bed like a child.”

She was right, so all he could do was shrug and say, “The game is perhaps not as decided as I led Edmond to believe. If you would care to take his place, you are welcome.”

She smiled and sat opposite him.

If she was going to be there, he might as well try to discover what had happened that afternoon. “Tell me, Lady Isabelle, why was Sir Auberan so sour at the evening meal?”

Isabelle chewed her lip as she studied the board. “He was annoyed with Allis.”

“So I gathered. Why?”

“She said she wished he would leave Montclair.”

“To his face?” he asked incredulously.

“No, to me, but he overheard. He was very angry and she was very upset.” She raised her eyes to look at him. “Allis cares too much what people think of her. She has always been that way, but it’s been worse since Mama died. She expects Edmond and me to be perfect, too.”

He recognized that grudging tone of voice, for he had used it himself when Caradoc criticized him. Now, as he listened, he heard the childish petulance and regretted that he had spoken so to his brother, who had been right to question the cost of what Connor had desired.

As for Allis, she was not wrong to be wary of the criticism of society.

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