It had started yesterday after Douglas’ dazzling display of chivalry for all to see. As he’d told Mira, he did it so the young women who had been lusting after him would finally leave him alone. He’d done it to save his own skin, but what he didn’t anticipate was how they would turn on Mira. Douglas’ only hope was that he would be left alone, as he had bluntly put it to Isabel, so he could piss in peace. He had staked his claim on Mira and instead of respecting those boundaries, all of that unrequited lust focused on him had turned dark and ugly against Mira.
The feast the previous night was where it had started. At first, Davina was the only one who would speak to Mira, and shetold her what had happened and how the Astoria had reacted to Douglas’ gesture. Helen had joined them at one point and told more tales of Astoria being hysterical that Douglas had chosen Mira and how she had convinced the younger girls that they were not to speak to Mira. Using Astoria’s logic, Mira had seduced Douglas and she was a trollop, and the younger women were convinced that they didn’t want to associate with the trollop. Astoria threatened to tell their families if they did.
Because she shared a chamber with the older girls, Mira had to sleep a few feet away from Astoria that night.
She wished she had the courage to smother her with a pillow.
Rather than sit and sulk, she was angry. Mira was angry with Astoria and the girls, angry with Douglas that he’d pulled her into this. The entire ride into the town, which wasn’t terribly far, he’d ridden at the head of the escort. He’d never looked at her once. But he’d helped her mount her palfrey back at Axminster Castle, and when he smiled at her, she’d turned her nose up at him.
Now, they were heading into the heart of Axminster’s market district. The city had a license to hold a market every fifth day of the month and Mira had been here many times as a result. She was particularly good at bartering for goods, but she suspected Lady Isabel would do it this time. Isabel was on a palfrey of her own, up near the front where Douglas was, while Mira rode at the rear with about ten other soldiers—staying to the rear away from Douglas and the girls who were angry with her.
She didn’t care in the least.
Not much, anyway.
Axminster’s market was set up in an enormous square with dozens and dozens of stalls from farmers, craftsmen, and more. The dust of summer was kicked up once again as the party from the castle headed into the thick of the city. Douglas was directing the escort off to the side, where a big English oak providedshade for the horses, and the carriage had been pulled aside as well. Jonathan and Davyss, who had been riding in the rear near Mira, helped the ladies from the carriage while one of the soldiers helped her dismount.
But she waited.
She wanted to see how Isabel was going to organize the young women before she joined them. Davina kept waving her over, but she wouldn’t go until she saw Douglas heading in her direction. Given that she didn’t want to speak with him at all, she joined Davina and Helen, steering clear of Astoria and her little group. When Isabel joined them, Mira took a step and pretended to twist her ankle. She took on a noticeable limp until Isabel told her to stay with the carriage, which was exactly what she wanted. Watching Isabel and Eric, followed by Davyss and Jonathan, lead the young women away, she waited until they were completely gone before turning for the carriage.
Douglas was standing behind her.
“Oh!” Mira gasped because she’d nearly plowed into him. “You startled me.”
Douglas’ focused lingered on her, those sky-blue eyes appraising. “You and I must speak,” he said quietly. Then he held out a hand to her. “Did you really hurt your ankle? Do you need assistance?”
Mira shook her head firmly. “If I did, I would not take it from you,” she said. “You want to speak? Then let us speak. You have caused a great deal of trouble for me, Douglas de Lohr, and I am not happy about it.”
He sighed. “I know,” he said. “And I am very sorry for that. I had no way of knowing those that profess their undying love for me would turn their jealousy upon you.”
“They have,” she said. “Unintentional or not, I am not going to continue with this farce any longer. I must live with these girls, and if they are ostracizing me, I am useless to Lady Isabel.”
“That is not true.”
“It is,” she snapped. “Douglas, I have nowhere else to go if Lady Isabel decides I am ineffective in my duties because all of the girls are jealous. I cannot go home because of the situation there with my stepfather and stepsister. I have told you about that.”
She was venting on him and he knew it. Contritely, he stood there and took it. “I know,” he said softly. “As I said, I am very sorry.”
That wasn’t good enough for Mira. She threw her arm in the direction of the marketplace, pointing. “Mayhap you are,” she said. “But if you do not have a good plan to get me out of this mess with those girls, then I will take matters into my own hands. I must keep this position or I will be homeless and destitute.”
He shook his head. “You will not be, I promise,” he said quietly. “I will send you to Lioncross and you can serve my mother.”
That threw some water on her fiery temper. “You… youwhat?” she said. “Send me to Lioncross?”
“Aye.”
“But that’s madness.”
“Why?”
“Because I have no ties there,” she said as if he were daft. “You would simply thrust me upon your mother and insist she permit me to serve her? She would tell you to jump in the lake.”
He fought off a smile. “How would you know what she would say?” he said. “You do not know my mother.”
“I know you, and that is all I need to know about anyone in your family,” she said, rolling her eyes and moving away from him. “I amnotgoing to be a burden on your mother, Douglas. You were generous to suggest it, but it will not work. Forget it.”
He watched her as she climbed, agitated, into the carriage. After a moment’s pause, he followed.
