Autumn Lord by Susan Sizemore

threatened,
    insulted, beaten up, and now told she was the great Lord Simon's chattel. Well, she wasn't going to buy
    into it. Lord Simon might be dictator of the world, but it wasn't her world. She wasn't going to play by his
    rules.
    She turned back to tell him so just as his girlfriend walked out of the room. Instead of confronting
    Simon, all Diane could do was watch Alys go, and stand there in frustrated silence. While she tried to get
    her voice to work she noticed that the long train of the other woman's dress swished a trail in the straw
    scattered on the floor. Like snail slime, she thought.
    At least Alys could walk out. And speak her mind.
    Diane was suddenly devastated by the knowledge that she was tired, hurt, and had absolutely
    nowhere she could go. She would have sunk wearily back into the chair and cried like a baby, but
    Jacques appropriated the seat before she could move. She looked around desperately, ready to hide
    herself in the nearest dim corner.
    Simon caught the girl as she swayed forward. She looked at him in surprise as she came into his arms,
    as though she hadn't noticed that she was about to faint. He resisted the urge to cup her cheek and tell
    her everything was going to be all right. He did help her into his chair before he turned to Jacques.
    "About time you got her to bed."
    Jacques felt a glow of pleasure at Simon's words. It seemed that magic was at work between his
    friend and the girl from the future. He knew neither of them were aware of it yet, though their gazes and
    responses kept playing off each other. This magic had felt right from the beginning. He had known it
    would work, of course. He just hadn't expected Simon to come out of his grim shell so soon. Yet, here
    he was treating Diane with the sort of tenderness Jacques hadn't seen in him since Felice was a child.
    Of course, Jacques had hopes that Simon would look on Diane as more than a daughter, and
    certainly more than that vixen Alys. What he needed was someone to love, not someone to bed. He
    needed someone to teach him that he was not at all the cynical, dried husk of a man he thought he was.
    No doubt Simon had something wonderful to teach Diane as well, or the magic would not be at work
    between them. Jacques wondered at what the future would bring to his friend and his newfound lady.
    Ah, well, this wasn't the time to discuss it. Thinking of Felice reminded Jacques of why he'd come to
    Simon's chamber in the first place.
    He held up the message he'd decoded. "I'll put Diane to bed as soon as we discuss this."
    Simon spared one more glance for the storyteller before he gave his attention to Jacques. He
    supposed it could do no harm if the girl heard his secrets. It wasn't as if she was likely to repeat anything
    she heard. The geis was a cruel trick of fate, but until, and if, it was broken, it had advantages as well.
    Besides, she'd probably be asleep within the next few minutes.
    He stretched tired muscles. "I'm for bed soon, myself. Yet, from the worried look on your face, old
    friend, it's doubtful I'll find sleep easy after I've heard the latest news. So, what treachery are they up to
    now?"
    Jacques folded his hands on his stomach. "There was nothing very new about Denis in the message I
    deciphered. I learned from our spy that he burned your last letter."
    "I suspected he would."
    "And he still follows like a puppy in the train of Henry Plantagenet."
    "And young Henry and his brothers are still bent on claiming their birthrights a little too early."
    "Alas, yes."
    "That family will destroy both of ours, and many others before they're done."
    Jacques sighed at the truth of Simon's words. "As to new developments, Vivienne is said to be trying
    to call up a demon to come to the rebels' aid." He gave a low laugh. "There's a bishop riding with the
    rebels who swears he'll burn the witch if she succeeds."
    "Young Henry would prefer to have the demon and the crown, I imagine." Simon wasn't sure whether
    to laugh or to be