His blue eyes glittered at her. “I have competed in many tournaments and have yet to be badly injured in one. In fact, I have won more times than I have lost. But I have never had anyone in the lists cheering for me as you will. The thought of it makes me very proud.”
She did not have the courage to ask him not to compete. To do so would be to display doubt in his abilities as a knight. She turned around and faced forward.
“As you will make me proud, I am sure.”
His lips were suddenly on her ear, kissing her softly. In spite of the fact that his metal helm was knocking her softly in the head, Alixandrea closed his eyes blissfully as his lips moved across her lobe.
“I will not compete if it will upset you,” he whispered. “I only want to make you happy. I could not bear it if you were miserable.”
She put her arm up, encircling his neck as his lips moved to her jaw. His warm mouth was sensual, warm, inviting.
“I will not be miserable, Matt,” she murmured. “But I would be lying if I said that I am not concerned for your safety.”
“Matt!” Mark was hailing him from the opposite side of the carriage. He reined his big red charger around so that he could gain a look at his brother. “The Street of Jewelers is coming up on the left. I shall take the men on to the Tower.”
Matthew moved his mouth from his wife’s neck, being careful not to shout in her ear as he replied. “Leave me a contingent of ten and take the rest.”
“Can I come, too?”
They had almost forgotten about Caroline, sitting quiet and lonely in the carriage. Both Matthew and Alixandrea looked over and smiled at her.
“Of course, darling,” Alixandrea said. “In fact, perhaps Mark will join us.”
Caroline shook her head even as Matthew called out the invitation to his brother. Mark did not reply directly, but he muttered orders to John, who, along with Luke, continued on to the Tower as Mark, Matthew, Alixandrea, Caroline and ten men at arms lingered behind.
The Street of the Jewelers wasn’t a particularly large place. It was, in fact, rather small. Situated in the heart of an avenue surrounded by plaster and thatched-roof row houses, it was full of people and stalls. Some merchants seemed to work out of their shops, but still others had lean-to’s up against the walls. And, oddly enough, it did not smell. The dirt avenue was swept and relatively clean.
Matthew lowered Alixandrea gently to the ground. As she stood there and gaped at the bustling site, he dismounted behind her and handed the reins over to the nearest man-at-arms. Over to their left, Mark dismounted his steed, rather testily, and opened the carriage door for his wife. That was as far as he went to help her. She had to climb out of the cab herself.
If Matthew noticed his brother’s behavior, he did not let on. He took his wife’s elbow and began to guide her towards the stalls.
“Now,” he said. “What will it be? A gold ring? A silver ring?”
Alixandrea was so excited that she could barely contain it. “I am not sure. I will have to see some examples and make a selection.”
The first shop they came to was a dim, crowded place that smelled of odd incense. An old man with a strange cap on his head was there to show them his selection of fine jewelry. Therewere red stones, white stones, green stones, and stones that had many colors in them. Matthew and Alixandrea inspected the rows of fine rings in his carrying case.
“Here is a gold band,” Matthew had to remove his gauntlet so that he could pick up the jewelry. “It is rather nice.”
She glanced at it. “Too plain.”
He lifted his eyebrows and put it back. As he was sifting through some of the others, she held up a silver ring set with several diamonds. It was a slender, pretty band and she slid it easily on her slender, pretty finger.
“This one,” she announced, holding it up for all to see.
Matthew looked at it; it was a lovely, glittery ring. “Are you sure? There are many other shops. Perhaps we should look some more before making a decision.”
She shook her head. “Nay,” she said. “I like this one.”
He wasn’t going to argue with her. If she liked it, she liked it. “Do you want to look at anything else? Necklaces, perhaps?”
She took her eyes off the wedding ring long enough to glance at the other items the old man had. She veered off course and ended up back at the rings. Matthew watched her pluck a thick silver band from the collection. She looked up at him.
“Do you like it?” she asked timidly.
He lifted an eyebrow. “It is too big for you.”
“I meant for you.”
