so.”
“Yes, well, men are easily distracted by
shiny baubles. But the good ones know true gold when they see it.
Now come on.” She hooked her arm through Madeline’s and whisked her
off up the stairs.
Madeline glanced over her shoulder at the
castle door one last time feeling like anything but true gold.
Lydia watched the two women at the top of the
stairs out of the corner of her eye as Jack had a word with the
page about her horse. If what she had heard was right the one in
black and silver was the Countess of Derby. Jack had smiled up to
her as if they were friends.
She turned her back to Jack as if to look
around the courtyard then snuck the folded letter out of her
pocket. It had been tucked in Jack’s belt. He hadn’t noticed when
she relieved him of it. She flicked open the seal and scanned the
letter. Most of it was ridiculous drivel about love and devotion.
She narrowed her eyes. It was signed ‘Madeline’.
So, Jack had a sweetheart. It must be that
mouse of a woman who had been at the top of the stairs with the
countess. The woman had turned colors when she saw him. She skimmed
through the letter again, looking for anything that could give her
a leg up. Jack didn’t know that his sweetheart was at the castle
but he would soon. She had to act fast.
“Oy! That’s all taken care of now.” Jack’s
voice startled her into refolding the letter and shoving it back in
her pocket.
She turned to him with a broad smile. “You’re
too kind to me, my lord.” She lowered her lashes and bit her
lip.
His eyes shot straight to her mouth. Perfect.
Sweetheart or not, Lord John was game.
“Right.” He cleared his throat, fighting not
to be tempted. “Let’s figure out what to do with you.”
“Let me stay with you, my lord.” She surged
forward and grabbed his arm, leaning into him chest first. “You
have been so kind to me and I came here to serve you.”
“Uh, I… um, I don’t think it’s lords that
have ladies-in-waiting?” He flinched away but she kept hold of him,
pretending to be unaware of how close she was.
“But there are so many things I can do for
you, my lord.” If he was this uncomfortable now she could bag him
in no time, Madeline or no Madeline.
He shifted in place, staring at her arm and
then around the courtyard as if looking for help. She turned
pleading eyes up to him. “Oy, first things first. Let’s see about
getting’ you a room in one of the inns out-”
“Oh no, my lord!” she gasped and hugged his
arm close, painting her face with terror. He raised an eyebrow at
her. “I’m scared.”
“Scared?” He broke into a wide grin. She’d
played her cards wrong. “What for?”
She thought fast. “Those outlaws in the
forest. They … they did terrible things to me. What if they come
looking for me?”
His smile vanished to a hard scowl as he
looked out through the gate at the city. Yes, she’d guessed right.
There was no love lost between Lord John and Ethan. She could use
that.
“I guess we got room in the castle,” Jack
sighed. “I’ll set you up nice there.” He’d made some sort of
decision and started for the steps leading up to the front door.
She hung on his arm so he was forced to escort her like a lady
instead of shooing her off like a servant. It was a step in the
right direction. “Oy!” he brightened, “There’s this banquet thing
tonight. Wanna come?”
“Me?”
“Only, it’s the sort of thing that nobs go
to. But if we dress you up no one would know the difference,
right?”
“I supposed not,” she beamed back at him. Her
luck was endless today.
“We’ll do it then.”
At this rate she would have everything she’d
ever wanted in no time.
Chapter Four
Jack stood outside of the room that had been
given to Lydia scratching his ginger head and rocking on the balls
of his feet. “Just one more minute!” he heard her muffled voice
call from inside.
“Right! Take your time!” he answered. He blew
out a breath.
“Yes, well, men are easily distracted by
shiny baubles. But the good ones know true gold when they see it.
Now come on.” She hooked her arm through Madeline’s and whisked her
off up the stairs.
Madeline glanced over her shoulder at the
castle door one last time feeling like anything but true gold.
Lydia watched the two women at the top of the
stairs out of the corner of her eye as Jack had a word with the
page about her horse. If what she had heard was right the one in
black and silver was the Countess of Derby. Jack had smiled up to
her as if they were friends.
She turned her back to Jack as if to look
around the courtyard then snuck the folded letter out of her
pocket. It had been tucked in Jack’s belt. He hadn’t noticed when
she relieved him of it. She flicked open the seal and scanned the
letter. Most of it was ridiculous drivel about love and devotion.
She narrowed her eyes. It was signed ‘Madeline’.
So, Jack had a sweetheart. It must be that
mouse of a woman who had been at the top of the stairs with the
countess. The woman had turned colors when she saw him. She skimmed
through the letter again, looking for anything that could give her
a leg up. Jack didn’t know that his sweetheart was at the castle
but he would soon. She had to act fast.
“Oy! That’s all taken care of now.” Jack’s
voice startled her into refolding the letter and shoving it back in
her pocket.
She turned to him with a broad smile. “You’re
too kind to me, my lord.” She lowered her lashes and bit her
lip.
His eyes shot straight to her mouth. Perfect.
Sweetheart or not, Lord John was game.
“Right.” He cleared his throat, fighting not
to be tempted. “Let’s figure out what to do with you.”
“Let me stay with you, my lord.” She surged
forward and grabbed his arm, leaning into him chest first. “You
have been so kind to me and I came here to serve you.”
“Uh, I… um, I don’t think it’s lords that
have ladies-in-waiting?” He flinched away but she kept hold of him,
pretending to be unaware of how close she was.
“But there are so many things I can do for
you, my lord.” If he was this uncomfortable now she could bag him
in no time, Madeline or no Madeline.
He shifted in place, staring at her arm and
then around the courtyard as if looking for help. She turned
pleading eyes up to him. “Oy, first things first. Let’s see about
getting’ you a room in one of the inns out-”
“Oh no, my lord!” she gasped and hugged his
arm close, painting her face with terror. He raised an eyebrow at
her. “I’m scared.”
“Scared?” He broke into a wide grin. She’d
played her cards wrong. “What for?”
She thought fast. “Those outlaws in the
forest. They … they did terrible things to me. What if they come
looking for me?”
His smile vanished to a hard scowl as he
looked out through the gate at the city. Yes, she’d guessed right.
There was no love lost between Lord John and Ethan. She could use
that.
“I guess we got room in the castle,” Jack
sighed. “I’ll set you up nice there.” He’d made some sort of
decision and started for the steps leading up to the front door.
She hung on his arm so he was forced to escort her like a lady
instead of shooing her off like a servant. It was a step in the
right direction. “Oy!” he brightened, “There’s this banquet thing
tonight. Wanna come?”
“Me?”
“Only, it’s the sort of thing that nobs go
to. But if we dress you up no one would know the difference,
right?”
“I supposed not,” she beamed back at him. Her
luck was endless today.
“We’ll do it then.”
At this rate she would have everything she’d
ever wanted in no time.
Chapter Four
Jack stood outside of the room that had been
given to Lydia scratching his ginger head and rocking on the balls
of his feet. “Just one more minute!” he heard her muffled voice
call from inside.
“Right! Take your time!” he answered. He blew
out a breath.
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