Free Delight by Jillian Hunter Page B

terms that the princess must be protected. He made it clear he did not approve of leaving Rowena and Hildegarde alone.
    "I will not let them take one step beyond the drawbridge unescorted, " Douglas promised.
    Frederic left without another word.
    " ' Twill not be easy to entertain that woman, " Frances predicted.
    Douglas sighed. "Do we have a good store of jellies?"
    " Aye, " Frances said in surprise. " Why? "
    " A well-fed woman is easier to entertain, " he said. "Or at least ' tis so in my experience."
     
     
    P ale shafts of morning sunlight penetrated the high windows of the hall and illuminated the heraldic panels on the wall. A fire burned low in the huge hooded fireplace. Douglas felt a stab of anticipation as he watched the tall princess walk across the floor.
    Daylight flattered her classical features, playing up the purity he had begun to believe he must have imagined. It also emphasized the intelligence in her eyes.
    She looked straight at him. Astonished, he realized she was assessing him in the same forthright manner one would assess a horse at market. He wondered if he should show her his teeth and paw the floor with his right foot.
    "You slept well, Your Highness? " he asked dryly as he rose to escort her to the dais for a late breakfast.
    "Yes, thank you. " She sat at the elaborately laid table, studying the damask cloth and china. "And you, my lord?"
    " Never better, " he lied, looking over his shoulder.
    He couldn ' t believe his luck. They were alone. Hildegarde the governess was probably sneaking a bottle of schnapps. The rest of the castle ' s inhabitants were obeying Douglas ' s strict orders to stay out of trouble.
    He frowned. Pirates staying out of trouble was a contradiction in terms. What were the rascals up to?
    Rowena was staring at the assortment of pots and platters on the table. She looked bemused. Douglas realized she was probably waiting for him to serve her. He thought she must be impressed that he had managed to find her favorite foods.
    "Toast and jelly, Your Highness? " he asked. "We have blackcurrant, calf ' s and ox-foot, jelly a la Russe, elderflower, orange, and quince. "
    She was quiet for a moment. " Do you always eat this much toast and jelly, my lord? "
    " Don ' t you? " he asked in surprise.
    "No, " she said. " I hate toast and jelly. Hildegarde likes them though. "
    " What about the coffee and hot chocolate? " he demanded.
    Rowena grinned. " What about them? "
    He grinned back, his large hand hovering over the two polished silver pots on the table. " Which would you prefer? "
    " Chocolate, please. " She studied the hammer- beamed ceiling with an expert ' s eye. "Fifteenth century? "
    Douglas examined the silver pot in his hand. " I wouldn ' t think so. ' Tis in rare good condition if it is."
    Rowena bit her lip. " I meant the castle keep, actually. The ceiling moldings. "
    He gave her an indulgent smile. " I knew that, Your Highness. Yes, 'tis fifteenth century." Or thirteenth or fourteenth. Damned, if he could remember Dunmoral ' s history. He put down the pot, suddenly realizing that danger lurked in the simplest question. He would have to take his own advice to be on guard against his invented background. A simple question about even the latrines could show him to be a liar. Or a lunatic.
    " Do you live in a fifteenth-century castle in Hartzburg? " he asked cautiously.
    Rowena looked suddenly distressed. Douglas wondered if he'd asked something appallingly stupid. Didn't they have castles in Hartzburg? Did they live on caves? Matthew, he was sure, would know such a thing.
    "I have been exiled to the pink summer palace in the forest, " she said quietly. " The castle proper is under siege by rebels."
    "Besieged? By rebels? " Douglas, who didn't have a political bone in his body, was indignant at the thought. " In your homeland? "
    Rowena smiled in gratitude at his genuine display of outrage. "That isn't the worst of it, my lord. "
    "There is more? "
    "The rebels are holding