luxury.
And it was all made the more wondrous by the presence of Lady Elizabeth. He drank of her, too, forgetting to keep his distance as he'd intended. She was bright and quick, and he liked the way her eyes glittered when he made some jest. Her hair was again woven away from her face, and the sleek darkness glinted red and gold in the flickering flame of torches on the walls. She wore a simple tunic, belted low about her hips, and no jewels at all.
He thought she did not need them. Next to her, Isobel seemed overdone, her hair threaded with jeweled velvet, a heavy collar harnessing her throat, gold on her wrists and fingers. Her gown was laced tight to display her body boldly. She flirted with him, but Thomas lightly, deftly played her—he'd had no small acquaintance with women who saw him as deliciously forbidden yet made a game of it in front of jealous husbands.
He thought Lady Elizabeth had not noticed until she leaned close. "Well done, sir."
He grinned.
Pushing away the trencher before her, she leaned on the table. "You promised to play chess with me."
He'd hoped she had forgotten. "That I did."
"Robert, fetch the board, if you please. And clear us a space."
The boy huffed, but did as he was bid.
"He is old to yet be with you," Thomas commented as she began to put the pieces of the game on the board. "Has he not been sent out to be fostered?"
She lifted one shoulder. "It should be done, but the cursed plague has made a mockery of all life's plans."
"It has." He studied how she arranged the carved figures, scrambling madly through his memory for the rules. He knew only that it mocked battle, with foot soldiers and strategies. "I fear I have forgotten much, my lady. You will have to teach me all anew."
"'Tis very simple," she said. "I must keep my king—" she pointed to the tallest figure, "safe and healthy. He is limited in his movements, so I have built a castle to protect him, and stationed knights and guards around him. His greatest ally is his queen." She pointed to a long-haired figure beside the king, "for she has great powers and much wisdom, and she will lay down her life for him if need be."
"All women should be so noble."
She smiled. "You see who commands this kingdom. 'Tis not the poor, impotent king."
"Ah, so there is the secret of your love for the game."
"Aye." Quickly, she illustrated the way each figure could move, whether back or forward, straight or crooked.
Thomas absorbed it carefully, beginning to see how the strategy might work. It would be well not to waste the small soldiers, who formed a wall to protect the king, but then how could he release his other warriors, particularly that powerful queen?
"So serious a gaze, sir!"
Jolted from his study of the board, Thomas looked up. For one small moment, less time than the space of a breath, he was dazzled once more by all she was, so clean and high born and beautiful, and a knot formed in his gut, part fear, but much more desire.
It was the desire that lent him strength. He smiled lazily. "Twould wound my pride most mortally if I were trounced by a female. And I do vow your eyes are bewitchment enough to muddy the wits of a far more adept knight than I."
He was only flirting lightly, forgetting himself, but her reaction was swift and surprising. A faint wash of color rose from her breasts to her brow. Her gaze skittered to his lips and back to his eyes, and even over the length of his arm before flying off to some fascination on the bare floor.
A blush. He inclined his head, puzzled more than a little. He would expect it of a maid, but not so lovely a widow, who'd like as not been wooed by the finest lords in all of England. If they were fool enough to overlook her beauty, her rich fief alone would tempt them.
He bent his head closer. His gaze lit on a loose wisp of long dark hair that fell across the pearles-cent flesh of her shoulder. "That is a pretty blush, my lady. Would it deepen if I whispered—"
Her chin came up
And it was all made the more wondrous by the presence of Lady Elizabeth. He drank of her, too, forgetting to keep his distance as he'd intended. She was bright and quick, and he liked the way her eyes glittered when he made some jest. Her hair was again woven away from her face, and the sleek darkness glinted red and gold in the flickering flame of torches on the walls. She wore a simple tunic, belted low about her hips, and no jewels at all.
He thought she did not need them. Next to her, Isobel seemed overdone, her hair threaded with jeweled velvet, a heavy collar harnessing her throat, gold on her wrists and fingers. Her gown was laced tight to display her body boldly. She flirted with him, but Thomas lightly, deftly played her—he'd had no small acquaintance with women who saw him as deliciously forbidden yet made a game of it in front of jealous husbands.
He thought Lady Elizabeth had not noticed until she leaned close. "Well done, sir."
He grinned.
Pushing away the trencher before her, she leaned on the table. "You promised to play chess with me."
He'd hoped she had forgotten. "That I did."
"Robert, fetch the board, if you please. And clear us a space."
The boy huffed, but did as he was bid.
"He is old to yet be with you," Thomas commented as she began to put the pieces of the game on the board. "Has he not been sent out to be fostered?"
She lifted one shoulder. "It should be done, but the cursed plague has made a mockery of all life's plans."
"It has." He studied how she arranged the carved figures, scrambling madly through his memory for the rules. He knew only that it mocked battle, with foot soldiers and strategies. "I fear I have forgotten much, my lady. You will have to teach me all anew."
"'Tis very simple," she said. "I must keep my king—" she pointed to the tallest figure, "safe and healthy. He is limited in his movements, so I have built a castle to protect him, and stationed knights and guards around him. His greatest ally is his queen." She pointed to a long-haired figure beside the king, "for she has great powers and much wisdom, and she will lay down her life for him if need be."
"All women should be so noble."
She smiled. "You see who commands this kingdom. 'Tis not the poor, impotent king."
"Ah, so there is the secret of your love for the game."
"Aye." Quickly, she illustrated the way each figure could move, whether back or forward, straight or crooked.
Thomas absorbed it carefully, beginning to see how the strategy might work. It would be well not to waste the small soldiers, who formed a wall to protect the king, but then how could he release his other warriors, particularly that powerful queen?
"So serious a gaze, sir!"
Jolted from his study of the board, Thomas looked up. For one small moment, less time than the space of a breath, he was dazzled once more by all she was, so clean and high born and beautiful, and a knot formed in his gut, part fear, but much more desire.
It was the desire that lent him strength. He smiled lazily. "Twould wound my pride most mortally if I were trounced by a female. And I do vow your eyes are bewitchment enough to muddy the wits of a far more adept knight than I."
He was only flirting lightly, forgetting himself, but her reaction was swift and surprising. A faint wash of color rose from her breasts to her brow. Her gaze skittered to his lips and back to his eyes, and even over the length of his arm before flying off to some fascination on the bare floor.
A blush. He inclined his head, puzzled more than a little. He would expect it of a maid, but not so lovely a widow, who'd like as not been wooed by the finest lords in all of England. If they were fool enough to overlook her beauty, her rich fief alone would tempt them.
He bent his head closer. His gaze lit on a loose wisp of long dark hair that fell across the pearles-cent flesh of her shoulder. "That is a pretty blush, my lady. Would it deepen if I whispered—"
Her chin came up
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