“I am not young!” she declared. “I shall be sixteen at the end of April.”
“Will you? Then we must consider the possibility of a match between us quickly before you grow much too old for me,” he teased her.
“Oh, you do have a sense of humor!” Philippa cried. “I was so afraid you would be an old sobersides, my lord. I am certainly relieved that you are not.”
The earl of Witton laughed aloud. “Lord Cambridge promised me that you would never bore me, Philippa, and from this brief encounter today I can certainly see that he did not prevaricate. So now we have met, and we have spoken together. Shall we continue on, or would you prefer not?”
“I must wed, and you must wed,” she told him. “If you be willing, my lord, then I am content that you court me. But might we wait just a little while before any formal betrothal is settled between you and my family?”
“Of course,” he agreed. “But I shall ask the queen’s permission to take you to visit my home in Oxfordshire, Philippa. I will want Lord Cambridge and your sister to come as well. And you will want to see Melville, the property that is now yours, I am sure.” He raised the hand he had been holding all this while to his lips, and kissed it again. “Now,” he told her, “you may have the return of your pretty fingers.”
And she blushed again, not looking at the hand. “Will you remain in London long, sir?”
“Just long enough to speak with the queen, Philippa, and then I will want to return to Brierewode to see that it is prepared to show at its best when you come to visit me,” he told her. “The winter is coming to an end now, but it would be best to travel before the roads become waterlogged. Brierewode is beautiful even in the late winter.”
“If we agree upon a match, my lord, I should not want to be married until after the court visits France in early summer. I have never been to France, and while I am certain that our king and queen are the brightest stars in the firmament, I should like to be able to tell our children that I have also seen the king and queen of France.”
“If we agree, then of course you may serve your mistress a final time in France, but I will come with you, Philippa. You are young, and despite your veneer of sophistication you are an innocent. I do not want you eaten up by a handsome French courtier. They are sly, the French. I will come with you, and protect you from harm.”
“I do not need to be protected, my lord. I am quite capable of fending for myself,” Philippa declared indignantly.
“Have you ever met a Frenchman?” he asked her.
“Well, no,” she admitted. “I have not, but they cannot be any more crafty than an English courtier, I am certain.”
“They are far craftier, and will have your gown off you before you are even aware of what is in their mind. French courtiers, both male and female, are the masters of seduction. I cannot have the future countess of Witton’s reputation compromised in any way, Philippa. You must trust to my experience in these things.”
“You will make me look the fool,” she cried unhappily.
“What then, do you seek to be seduced? For if you do, I will be most happy to oblige you,” the earl of Witton said, his gray eyes narrowing dangerously.
Philippa shrank back from him. “Oh no, my lord! I simply do not wish to appear the baby. I promise you I will be most careful.”
“Aye, you will, for I shall be by your side, my lass, and all will know that you are to be my wife, that none attempt to tamper with your virtue,” Crispin St. Claire told her.
“As if I should allow such a thing!” Philippa said sharply. “Do you assume that, having been a part of the court for three years, I have allowed myself to be compromised, my lord? Fie, and shame!”
“Can you tell me that you have never kissed any of the young men at court?” he demanded of her.
“Of course n ...” Philippa stopped in midsentence. Sir Roger Mildmay. But how could she explain that to the earl of Witton? “I was not kissed until last spring,” she finally said. “I had saved myself for Giles, and then he rejected me. Cecily said I should at least have been kissed at my age, and so I allowed a friend that privilege.”
“You acted from anger then,” he said quietly. “You must learn never to allow your emotions to dictate your actions, Philippa. Such behavior could lead to a fatal mistake, I fear. Who was the gentleman in question?”
“Sir, I do not kiss and tell! It was only Sir Roger,” she exclaimed. “And ’twas just kissing. He took no other liberties. He is a friend. But Cecily said he was her first kiss, and he is considered the best kisser at court.”
The earl of Witton didn’t know whether to laugh, or scold her. The queen was obviously not in complete control of her maids, although given her difficulties, poor lady, it was a wonder there were not more scandals. “Before we wed, if we wed, you will cease your experimentation in kissing. If you wish to be kissed, I shall kiss you.”
“I don’t know why,” Philippa pouted. “What harm is there in innocent kissing?”
“Your reticence but arouses my curiosity, and I cannot help but wonder why you would deny me,” he told her.
“Because you will make a fool of me. You can’t call out this man for the simple act of a few kisses last year before you and I even met,” Philippa said.
“Call him out?” The earl was astounded. “Why would I call him out?”
“Do you not think my behavior has dishonored you, and you wish to restore your family’s honor?” she asked him naively.
“Nay, Philippa, I do not wish to call out a young man for offering to console a disappointed girl with a few kisses before I even met this girl. I am sorry if you misunderstood me.”
