position propped against the handrail. His lips drew Rozenn's gaze, and, as she looked, they twitched upwards. Colouring, she met his glance, gave her head a slight shake, and made to step past him. Had he been talking about her? She must be mistaken--why would Ben have been talking to Denez about her?
Ben put out a hand. 'Want to earn a couple of deniers, Rozenn? Mikaela?"
'How so?'
'I propose a race--swimming versus running.'
Rozenn gave Ben a level look. She couldn't swim-- all her life she had been terrified of water--but Ben swam like a fish. He was pointing to where the jetty in the marshes was sited, lost in the tall reeds on the east bank.
'I reckon I can swim to the jetty and back in the time it takes Jerome here to run to and from St Michael's in Hauteville."
Captain Denez snorted. 'You take us for fools, Silvester, but we know you of old. You'd cheat, and since we can't exactly see the jetty from here, what's to say you never actually reach it?"
'Me? Cheat?" Ben puffed out his chest and affected to look affronted, but Rozenn knew he was no such thing. He was teasing Count Remond's troopers, enjoying it almost as much as they were. 'As if I would...' He winked at Mikaela. who flushed prettily and gave a little trill of a laugh. 'But in case you are worried. I have an idea. One of your men can run round to the marshes and wait for me on the jetty. Jafrez, be my witness?"
Denez rubbed his chin. 'You have to actually touch the jetty, mind."
Mikaela stirred. 'I set some eel traps by the jetty," she said thoughtfully.
Ben gave Mikaela a soft smile. 'You wouldn't want to check them, would you, cherie? Then you could be my witness since these disbelieving oafs won't accept my word. They will accept yours, won't you, Denez?"
'Aye.'
'I thought we were going to the fish market." Rozenn put in, her voice sounding more disgruntled than she had intended.
Mikaela shrugged. 'Eel counts as fish, you know that. If we've caught some, I could smoke them or make a pie.' To Rozenn's dismay, Mikaela slanted Ben just the sort of look that Rozenn would have expected Lady Alis FitzHubert to give him. It startled her coming from her friend.
She tamped down a flare of anger. It was one thing for Ben to flirt with Lady Alis who ought to know better, but quite another to flirt with Mikaela. He should not encourage her in this way. Mikaela was very young and she might not realise that Ben's smiles were just another of the tools of his trade, they did not necessarily mean anything. She hoped Mikaela was not taken in.
Mikaela was smiling happily up at him. 'We'll go-- we'll witness you reach the jetty, won't we, Rozenn?'
Brown, thick-lashed eyes looked her way. He cocked a brow at her. 'Rozenn?'
'Oh, yes. I suppose so.'
Ben laid his hand on his heart. 'My thanks, mesdames. And if you'd care to lay a wager of your own...'
'Certainly not!' Rozenn said tartly. 'We can't afford to be throwing hard-earned money around.'
'Your money's not at any risk.' Ben's smile was confident. 'I'll reach the jetty and be back before Jerome even makes it to St Michael's, never mind returns. And, I must say, talking of witnesses, how do I know I can trust Jerome to run all that way without cheating? He might turn back early and who would know? Fair's fair, I demand a witness too. Any volunteers?'
One of the guards stepped forwards. 'I'll go."
'Good man."
Mikaela walked boldly up to Ben and put her hand on his. 'I'll be wanting a kiss for my pains," she said.
Denez whooped. Rozenn looked heavenwards.
Ben sent Mikaela a slow grin. 'It will be my pleasure, cherie, my pleasure."
'When's the wager taking place?'
'As soon as you and Rozenn reach that jetty?"
Eyes alight with laughter, Mikaela grabbed Rozenn's arm. 'We're on our way.'
'My thanks. We should be able to see you standing on the jetty, but just in case we cannot, wave your veils when you get there. That can be our starting signal--agreed, Jerome?'
'Agreed.'
Mikaela turned Rozenn back
Ben put out a hand. 'Want to earn a couple of deniers, Rozenn? Mikaela?"
'How so?'
'I propose a race--swimming versus running.'
Rozenn gave Ben a level look. She couldn't swim-- all her life she had been terrified of water--but Ben swam like a fish. He was pointing to where the jetty in the marshes was sited, lost in the tall reeds on the east bank.
'I reckon I can swim to the jetty and back in the time it takes Jerome here to run to and from St Michael's in Hauteville."
Captain Denez snorted. 'You take us for fools, Silvester, but we know you of old. You'd cheat, and since we can't exactly see the jetty from here, what's to say you never actually reach it?"
'Me? Cheat?" Ben puffed out his chest and affected to look affronted, but Rozenn knew he was no such thing. He was teasing Count Remond's troopers, enjoying it almost as much as they were. 'As if I would...' He winked at Mikaela. who flushed prettily and gave a little trill of a laugh. 'But in case you are worried. I have an idea. One of your men can run round to the marshes and wait for me on the jetty. Jafrez, be my witness?"
Denez rubbed his chin. 'You have to actually touch the jetty, mind."
Mikaela stirred. 'I set some eel traps by the jetty," she said thoughtfully.
Ben gave Mikaela a soft smile. 'You wouldn't want to check them, would you, cherie? Then you could be my witness since these disbelieving oafs won't accept my word. They will accept yours, won't you, Denez?"
'Aye.'
'I thought we were going to the fish market." Rozenn put in, her voice sounding more disgruntled than she had intended.
Mikaela shrugged. 'Eel counts as fish, you know that. If we've caught some, I could smoke them or make a pie.' To Rozenn's dismay, Mikaela slanted Ben just the sort of look that Rozenn would have expected Lady Alis FitzHubert to give him. It startled her coming from her friend.
She tamped down a flare of anger. It was one thing for Ben to flirt with Lady Alis who ought to know better, but quite another to flirt with Mikaela. He should not encourage her in this way. Mikaela was very young and she might not realise that Ben's smiles were just another of the tools of his trade, they did not necessarily mean anything. She hoped Mikaela was not taken in.
Mikaela was smiling happily up at him. 'We'll go-- we'll witness you reach the jetty, won't we, Rozenn?'
Brown, thick-lashed eyes looked her way. He cocked a brow at her. 'Rozenn?'
'Oh, yes. I suppose so.'
Ben laid his hand on his heart. 'My thanks, mesdames. And if you'd care to lay a wager of your own...'
'Certainly not!' Rozenn said tartly. 'We can't afford to be throwing hard-earned money around.'
'Your money's not at any risk.' Ben's smile was confident. 'I'll reach the jetty and be back before Jerome even makes it to St Michael's, never mind returns. And, I must say, talking of witnesses, how do I know I can trust Jerome to run all that way without cheating? He might turn back early and who would know? Fair's fair, I demand a witness too. Any volunteers?'
One of the guards stepped forwards. 'I'll go."
'Good man."
Mikaela walked boldly up to Ben and put her hand on his. 'I'll be wanting a kiss for my pains," she said.
Denez whooped. Rozenn looked heavenwards.
Ben sent Mikaela a slow grin. 'It will be my pleasure, cherie, my pleasure."
'When's the wager taking place?'
'As soon as you and Rozenn reach that jetty?"
Eyes alight with laughter, Mikaela grabbed Rozenn's arm. 'We're on our way.'
'My thanks. We should be able to see you standing on the jetty, but just in case we cannot, wave your veils when you get there. That can be our starting signal--agreed, Jerome?'
'Agreed.'
Mikaela turned Rozenn back
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