Richmond nodded, once. Tad took a step back, although his arrogance was not entirely shaken. “I thought…. that is to say, I grew up on stories of your valor. I thought you would have been dead by now.”
“Not hardly,” Richmond’s voice was a growl. Lord de Rydal began tugging on Tad’s arm and the young knight was wise enough to heed the call. But not before he cast a long glance at Arissa.
“My lady, I hope you will save me a dance this eve. I shall look forward to it.”
Arissa gave him a lop-sided smile, her only response. She would have liked nothing better than to have outright refused the request, but it would not do for the hostess to insult one of her guests. As the crowd around them began to disband, Richmond clasped her tender white hand in a huge mailed fist.
“Come along, my lady,” he said firmly.
“Where?” Arissa gathered her skirt, glancing at her father’s questioning gaze.
Richmond continued to lead her away. “I have a few duties to attend to. You may accompany me.”
“Duties? Where?”
He slanted her a gaze. “Away from the Tad de Rydals of this world. If you greet any more guests, your hand will surely fall off from sheer overuse.”
She passed another glance at her father, who did not protest Richmond’s removal in the least. Instead, he had turned back to his visitors. Strange, Arissa thought, how her father never questioned Richmond’s actions, even when in direct conflict with his own desires.
Her father had wished for her to greet her guests. Richmond had decided she’d had enough welcoming for the day and was determined to take her with him as he went about his duties. Of course, she would rather be with Richmond, but she found it odd that her father had not uttered a word of protest when the knight swept her away.
She skipped after Richmond, aware of his hand tightly about her own. It began to occur to her than even while she was growing up, Richmond’s word was law when it came to her well-being and upbringing. Where Regine or Bartholomew were concerned, her father had always had the final say in their lives. But never with her; it had always been Richmond.
’Twas curious that the puzzlement over Richmond’s authority should happen to cross her mind at that moment. Gazing up at his glorious profile, she couldn’t imagine why her father would allow his friend to take charge of her life in such a fashion.
Certainly, the truth of the matter would never have occurred to her in a million years.
CHAPTER FOUR
The day ofthe gala festivities had become a glorious example of pleasant winter weather. The sun was shining on the cold, dead earth in a vain attempt to deceive life from the frozen turf. As the guests finished arriving and the peasants began to wander into the fortress from the neighboring village bearing the same name, the gay mood saturated man and beast alike.
Penelope, Daniel, Emma and Regine had joined Richmond and Arissa as they perused the happening of events. As one experiences at a faire, there were a myriad of games and entertainment going on to enthrall and captivate the guests arrived in Arissa’s honor. And none more enthralled than Arissa herself.
Jugglers from the village were entertaining children by tossing apples about in a crazy manner. One man held a huge arch over his head laced with bells, shaking out a beat as he walked amongst the crowd. A few of the peasant women, with permission from Lady Maude, had set up make-shift tables upon which they sold beautifully sewn handkerchiefs and other sundry items.
A group of young peasant boys brought cages full of cocks and had set up a passable arena in which to pit one rooster against the other. Richmond passed a glance at the group of enterprising young lads as they took bets for their cockfights. Regine wanted to watch but he grabbed her by the shoulders, steering the errant young girl back to her sister. He fought off a grin when she cast him a baleful, sneering glance.
The wrestling matches for the men had commenced a half-hour before. The finer nobles and knights did not actually participate in the sport, but left the brutal competition to the men-at-arms and peasants who spent long hours training for the event. It was an exacting sport, pitting the largest and strongest of men against each other in a battle to the finish.
It was also the loudest game by far as Richmond and his group passed within range. Richmond recognized some of his own men yelling encouragement to their favorite contender, vaguely wishing he could be a part of it. He greatly enjoyed a good sport, as William had been eager to point out. But he enjoyed Arissa far more than a male-dominated game; he glanced down at her, smiling at her saucer-round eyes as she observed the excitement.
Ever-protective of his charge, especially in light of the rowdy spectacle, he proceeded to direct Arissa and an enthusiastic Regine clear of the wrestling. Even as he diverted the senses of his fair young wards, Daniel had no qualms about taking Penelope to view the event. Emma, tantalized with the thrill of seeing naked, sweaty men, casually trailed after Penelope and Daniel.
“Emma’s going!” Regine raged. “Why can’t I watch?”
Richmond lifted an eyebrow. “Emma is a lady of sixteen. You, my dear lass, are still too young to view such displays of flesh.”
Regine kicked at the dirt, pouting and angry. “I am not too young, Richmond le Bec. I have seen more…. well, I have seen more than Arissa. And she’s eighteen!”
Richmond put his hands on his hips. “I know what you have seen, you naughty little wench, and I shall hear no more about it. Behave yourself.”
Regine crossed her arms defiantly, turning up her nose at him and glancing to her sister. She knew how to ease Richmond’s unbending stance. It had never been a secret.
“Riss,” she said softly, moving toward her sister. A slip of a feigned sob escaped her lips. “He’s being ever so cruel. Tell him that I only wish to observe, that I won’t stand too close. Please?”
Arissa’s gaze went from her baby sister to Richmond. He closed his eyes against her beseeching gaze and turned away.
“Richmond…,” she ventured quietly.
