Free Seduced by Grace by Jennifer Blake Page A

upon her face. “He is well-spoken,” she said with care.
    “Is he not? He has held the men enthralled on many a night, reciting some song of Roland or Richard the Lionhearted.”
    “Did he, by chance, compose those about you?”
    David looked away while a hint of color flared in his face. “Mayhap one or two, though only in jest.”
    “Little comedy and much derring-do marked those I heard.”
    “All greatly exaggerated. But have you all you require?” he asked in a firm change of subject. “Your mount is carrying you all right? You’ve no need of another, no need to rest for a few minutes?”
    “We go on quite well.” To abandon the subject of his fame seemed best, as it discomfited him so.
    He glanced at Astrid then back to Marguerite. “Oliver was not being a nuisance? I mean, he shines in female company, but can sometimes be forward.”
    “Not at all,” Marguerite answered. The man was his friend. Nothing Oliver had said was reason to cause a problem between them.
    “Preening ape,” Astrid said at the same time, though under her breath.
    “If he was too encroaching…”
    Marguerite could not prevent a smile. “I would know what to do, I promise you.”
    David gave a hard nod. “You have nothing to fear from his blandishments. He means little by them, you know.”
    “Certainly.” She felt sure what Oliver might mean if a female chanced to be a maidservant or tavern wench was something else again, but that was neither here nor there. What was interesting was the suspicion that she was being warned away from him. It was unnecessary, but David was not to know that.
    He studied her for an instant longer, then began to speak of when and where they would make their next stop, and what they could look forward to as their midday fare. From there, the two of them moved on to the many changes that had taken place at Braesford since he went away, and continued with the health of Madeleine, the girl-child Rand and Isabel had adopted at the behest of the king, as well as their other offspring. They also spoke of the keep where Cate and Ross now lived with the four babes born of their marriage.
    Marguerite answered questions, smiled and told of petty happenings within her family, but her attention wandered. Her gaze rested upon David again and again. He had been a handsome youth, fair of face and form. The years had added weight and height to his frame. The width of his shoulders, with their musculature perfectly defined by the steel mesh draping of his chain mail, made her long to smooth her hands over them. The sensual yet intensely masculine molding of his bottom lip caused a pool of heat in her lower body. His eyes gleamed richly blue, yet gave away nothing of histhoughts. Such a powerful figure he was upon his great destrier, armored in intelligence and tempered resolve, so self-contained it seemed nothing could touch him.
    It was impossible that she had ever thought she knew him. Impossible, too, that he had answered her summons from past friendship alone.
    Yet if that was not the reason he had come to her, what could it possibly be? What?
    In this manner, the miles passed away behind them. And in late evening, as the sky turned violet-blue, rooks called and gloom surrounded them from the deep forest through which they passed, they came at last to the castle where Henry VII intended David should prepare to become a royal prince.

5
    D avid cursed at length and in heartfelt virulence. He could do many things with ease. He was able to defeat most men at swordplay, to unseat an opponent on the jousting field nine times out of ten, send an arrow flying farther than any of his acquaintance and drink all but the most hardheaded under the table. He could keep his own counsel about his private affairs, and discern the motives behind those of his enemies. What he could not do was remember that he must accept the bows of other men while returning mere acknowledgment, take the head of every procession, and initiate all