Free Suzanne Robinson by Lord of the Dragon Page A

De Valence would be occupied with ceremonies and contests. How could he repay her? The obvious answerhad risen up to smack her in the face—he was going to ask for her favor when he rode into the lists.
    At first she’d rejected the idea, but its logic demanded her consideration. Begging a lady’s favor was the courtly tradition, and she’d seen for herself how well versed in courtly love was Gray de Valence. For a few moments her fancy expanded so that she even contemplated the possibility that, if he was victorious in the jousting, Gray de Valence might choose her as the Queen of Love and Beauty. That unlikely occurrence she rejected, only to return to it in her dreams later.
    She was angry with herself over her dreams. As she gazed out at the river Clare, the memory of them brought added color to her cheeks. Never had she had such dreams. Dreams of dark, seething passion that brought a response from her body when de Valence appeared in them. Was she evil to dream of this man? Surely Satan had made her envision his naked body and how it would feel against her own. Juliana put her palms to her hot cheeks as she recalled the dream. Oh, but what of Yolande? Remorse warred with desire, a new kind of battle for Juliana. Desire won. After all, Yolande couldn’t be in love with a man to whom she’d hardly spoken.
    Alice distracted her by entering the chamber, arms loaded with clothing Juliana was to wear. Earlier this morning, Juliana had earned a long look of consternation when she told Alice she’d changed her mind about her garments.
    Instead of the ordinary wool gown she’d planned to wear, she’d requested one she’d never worn. It was a sleeveless overgown of dark forest-green samite—silk interwoven with silver thread. The side lacing was of silver while the undertunic was of the finest Persian silk of amuch lighter pale green. It clung to her body in a way that hitherto had made her reluctant to wear it, until today.
    Juliana noticed Alice yawning as she helped her bathe and don the fragile undertunic. “You’re weary from nursing that boy, Alice. After you’ve helped me, you must rest.”
    “But I don’t want to miss the tournament, mistress!”
    “Can you stay awake for it?”
    Alice eyed Juliana while she slipped her arms through the slits in the overgown. “I can stay awake to see why you’ve suddenly taken to dressing as you should after vowing never to—”
    “Hold you tongue!” Juliana knew how odd her behavior must appear to Alice. After all, she’d vowed never to bother with fine clothes and courting after Edmund Strange. “I’m going to wear the silver veil and filet.”
    Alice gawked at her, causing Juliana to flush and stamp her foot.
    “Fetch the veil, Alice, and—” She caught her lower lip between her teeth before continuing. “And bring my ivory casket.”
    “Have you taken ill, mistress?”
    Alice was saved from a scolding when Laudine and Yolande burst into the chamber. Her plump and inviting curves clad in crimson damask, Laudine managed to look like an exotic rose from some caliph’s pleasure garden. Her features were dominated by round blue eyes the color of the sky after a spring rain. Her perpetually knowing expression was absent at the moment, banished by sheer excitement. In contrast, Yolande appeared a dancing miniature who hopped from one foot to the other with the force of her gaiety.
    “Here it is, Jule,” Laudine said. “My maid finished it last night.” She tossed a gown onto Juliana’s bed. Yardsof sendal billowed out and fell to the mattress in cascades of white shot with gold and sewn with pearls. “You’re Virtue.”
    Juliana’s hands froze in the midst of settling a transparent veil over her unbound hair. “What?”
    “You’re Virtue.” Yolande set a caul of gold and pearls on top of the gown.
    “What are you two babbling about, Laudine?”
    Yolande cast a glance of dismay at Laudine. “I told you she’d be like this.”
    “The siege. Praise