"He was the King of England," she reminded him.
"Oh yes, of course," Zach responded vaguely. "And this place was named after his third wife?"
"Well, actually it was named before she became his wife," Elyse informed him matter-of-factly.
"Really?"
There was the faintest hint of disdain in that maddeningly low voice, that was almost familiar as it slipped over her senses.
"I suppose there's a reason it was named Jane's Folly."
Elyse glanced at him, so close behind her that his body wrapped around hers.
"Henry was determined to have a son and when his previous wives had not produced one, he'd gotten rid of them. Jane was his third wife. It's said that he courted her here in secret while he was still married to the second Queen."
"Didn't he have six wives?" Zach mused, trying to remember what he could about the English royalty. Tobias had seen to it that he had a rudimentary education in such things.
Elyse frowned. "Yes. And I suppose someone like you would approve of such things." She bit at her lower lip, unable to understand what caused her to be so outspoken with a man she hardly knew.
He chose to ignore her comment.
"Did he ever get it right?" he asked.
"Get what right?" Elyse turned to face him. She immediately realized her mistake. She had thought him dangerous the night of the ball. It was still there, only more intensely so.
"Did he ever get the son he wanted, or did he merely wear out six wives?"
"You are beyond a doubt the most arrogant, insufferably rude man I've ever met. Yes, but she died shortly afterward."
"Ah, I see, and left poor Henry to take three more wives. I wonder why he didn't just set up a harem. He'd have had his son in much shorter time, perhaps two or three. And English history might have been different."
"What did you call it?"
"A harem." Zach guided the stallion over fallen limbs toward the trail. "The chieftains of the desert tribes have harems. They choose women and make them their concubines. They can claim as many women as they can provide for. That way a man increases his chances of producing many sons." He watched her out of the corner of his eye. "Of course, there are several very pleasant advantages to such a system," he added, forcing back a smile.
"I see!" If he was trying to shock her, he'd succeeded. Color spread across her cheeks as pain throbbed in her head.
"You really are the most maddening man. For someone who claims to be of the nobility, you have no manners. You're—"
"I think we've been over that already." He cut her off and urged his horse onto the main trail.
"Please stop!" Elyse breathed out angrily. "I want to get down."
"Not yet." Zach urged the stallion on at a gentle pace.
"I want to get down! Now!" she demanded, twisting around in the saddle and practically slipping over the side of the horse. His hands gently prevented her falling.
"And take your hands off me!"
Zach inhaled the windblown freshness of her hair as it gently blew against his cheek. "I can't do that. You see," he began to explain, "if I let go..." And for emphasis he did-just-that.
Without his arms about her, she fell backward from the saddle. She grabbed at his riding jacket.
A smile appeared on his lips as his arms closed once more around her. "At any rate, it's not safe for you to be out here alone."
"Not safe!" She turned to looked up at him. "And I suppose riding with you is safe?"
Her coolness at their first meeting returned. It was like an invisible barrier.
