solar.”
“Yes, but only f or one night,” she said. “I think I’d like it for my entire stay.”
“I can’t do that. My father stays here when he comes to visit.”
“Then I can’t keep my mouth shut either.”
“I don’t need to make deals with a … a woman. If I say you’ll stay silent, then you will, and I don’t need to give you anything in exchange.”
“I’m already working for free,” she told him. “So the way I see it, you don’t really have much to bargain with.”
“Fine, take the solar the entire time. But your uncle will need to find a new place to sleep if my father will be in the other chamber.”
“He can stay here with me.” She looked around and nodded her head. “The room is certainly large enough.”
“I ’d better not hear a word from you nor from your uncle or any of the workers while my father is in residence about you coming up with the castle’s new defense plan.”
“Of course not, my lord. Now, if you’d be kind enough to get a page to move my things in here at once, I am tired and think I’ll retire early.” She purposely stretched and yawned and plopped down on the bed.
“Get your things yourself,” he growled, and leaned over the bed, trapping her between his arms on both sides of her. “And don’t think for a moment that if I decide to take my bed back, that I won’t do it. With or without you in it.”
Amethyst could feel his breath on her face he was so close to her. Their noses were almost touching and she half expected him to kiss her again. Actually, she found herself wanting him to at least try. But to her dismay, he stood abruptly and quit the room, slamming the door behind him.
She smiled and lay back on the bed with her arms behind her head, thinking that things were turning out better than she’d expected. Now, she only hoped she’d be able to keep her mouth closed about having been the one to come up with the new plans when his father arrived. And keeping quiet was not something at which she excelled.
Chapter 5
Marcus awoke with a start, the loud noise of the straight trumpet blaring in his ear next to him. He looked around, trying to get his bearings, realizing he had fallen asleep at his dais in the great hall with a tankard of ale in his hand.
“What’s all the noise about?” he growled, taking hold of the straight trumpet from the herald at his side and pulling it from his mouth before he could blow it again. “And what the hell time is it?” He looked around and realized it must be early, as the great hall was still covered with sleeping bodies atop the benches and on the floor, mostly near the fire.
“I am announcing your visitor, Earl,” said the herald.
“A visitor?” asked Marcus. “At this godforsaken hour?”
Then the door to the great hall burst open and he could see that the sun was just starting to rise, as it was daybreak.
“Marcus, where the hell are you?” He recognized that voice, even in his sleep, and quickly slammed the tankard of ale in his hand atop the table and jumped to his feet, almost knocking over the chair in the process.
“Father?” He looked over to the door, and sur e enough, in marched Earl Gilbert Montclair as well as his entire entourage.
“Why the hell weren’t you at the gate to greet me?” the man grow led. “This is no way for a man of my position to be treated.” He marched across the room, straight for Marcus at the dais, with his squire rushing forward to pull out the chair for him.
“I had no idea you’d be here so early, father,” said Marcus, straightening his tunic, wishing now that he hadn’t fallen asleep in the great hall , as it was most embarrassing.
Gilbert pushed as ide a servant as he approached Marcus, causing him to take a step backward. Then he removed his cloak, held it out next to him, and dropped it. His squire rushed forward to catch it before it hit the ground. “I’ll take this chair,” he said, settling himself into Marcus’s
“Yes, but only f or one night,” she said. “I think I’d like it for my entire stay.”
“I can’t do that. My father stays here when he comes to visit.”
“Then I can’t keep my mouth shut either.”
“I don’t need to make deals with a … a woman. If I say you’ll stay silent, then you will, and I don’t need to give you anything in exchange.”
“I’m already working for free,” she told him. “So the way I see it, you don’t really have much to bargain with.”
“Fine, take the solar the entire time. But your uncle will need to find a new place to sleep if my father will be in the other chamber.”
“He can stay here with me.” She looked around and nodded her head. “The room is certainly large enough.”
“I ’d better not hear a word from you nor from your uncle or any of the workers while my father is in residence about you coming up with the castle’s new defense plan.”
“Of course not, my lord. Now, if you’d be kind enough to get a page to move my things in here at once, I am tired and think I’ll retire early.” She purposely stretched and yawned and plopped down on the bed.
“Get your things yourself,” he growled, and leaned over the bed, trapping her between his arms on both sides of her. “And don’t think for a moment that if I decide to take my bed back, that I won’t do it. With or without you in it.”
Amethyst could feel his breath on her face he was so close to her. Their noses were almost touching and she half expected him to kiss her again. Actually, she found herself wanting him to at least try. But to her dismay, he stood abruptly and quit the room, slamming the door behind him.
She smiled and lay back on the bed with her arms behind her head, thinking that things were turning out better than she’d expected. Now, she only hoped she’d be able to keep her mouth closed about having been the one to come up with the new plans when his father arrived. And keeping quiet was not something at which she excelled.
Chapter 5
Marcus awoke with a start, the loud noise of the straight trumpet blaring in his ear next to him. He looked around, trying to get his bearings, realizing he had fallen asleep at his dais in the great hall with a tankard of ale in his hand.
“What’s all the noise about?” he growled, taking hold of the straight trumpet from the herald at his side and pulling it from his mouth before he could blow it again. “And what the hell time is it?” He looked around and realized it must be early, as the great hall was still covered with sleeping bodies atop the benches and on the floor, mostly near the fire.
“I am announcing your visitor, Earl,” said the herald.
“A visitor?” asked Marcus. “At this godforsaken hour?”
Then the door to the great hall burst open and he could see that the sun was just starting to rise, as it was daybreak.
“Marcus, where the hell are you?” He recognized that voice, even in his sleep, and quickly slammed the tankard of ale in his hand atop the table and jumped to his feet, almost knocking over the chair in the process.
“Father?” He looked over to the door, and sur e enough, in marched Earl Gilbert Montclair as well as his entire entourage.
“Why the hell weren’t you at the gate to greet me?” the man grow led. “This is no way for a man of my position to be treated.” He marched across the room, straight for Marcus at the dais, with his squire rushing forward to pull out the chair for him.
“I had no idea you’d be here so early, father,” said Marcus, straightening his tunic, wishing now that he hadn’t fallen asleep in the great hall , as it was most embarrassing.
Gilbert pushed as ide a servant as he approached Marcus, causing him to take a step backward. Then he removed his cloak, held it out next to him, and dropped it. His squire rushed forward to catch it before it hit the ground. “I’ll take this chair,” he said, settling himself into Marcus’s
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