The knight retracted his sword somewhat but not all of the way. He was eyeing Mathias critically. The lady didn’t seem harassed or injured, but the man sitting behind her was very big and very menacing looking. The sword remained at the ready.
“What do you mean?” he demanded. “Your father is frantic, Lady Cathlina. What goes on here?”
“Beauson de Velt, put your sword away,” Cathlina commanded. “I rode into town on an errand and this man politely offered to escort me home. I am perfectly fine and everything is well. Put the swordaway.”
Beauson eyed the young lady. He was more confused now than he was when he rode up. “What errand?” he asked, genuinely perplexed. The sword lowered. “What do you mean?”
Cathlina sighed impatiently. “I mean that this man saved Abechail and me yesterday from certain harm,” she said,gesturing at Mathias. “I went on an errand this morning to thank him. He is quite trustworthy, I assure you.”
Beauson wasn’t convinced. “Why did you not tell me or Dunstan so that we could escort you into town?”
She didn’t want to tell them the truth; it was that she hadn’t wanted anyone to stop her from going. She backed off somewhat, frowning.
“If I had wanted anyone to escort me, I would have asked,” she said. “Now, go over there somewhere. I will gather my horse and join you in a moment.”
Beauson eyed her a moment before eyeing Mathias. “I cannot leave you, my lady,” he replied. “I have orders from your father to bring you home.”
“You are not leaving me alone,” Cathlina said testily, slithering off of Mathias’ horse as he held her arm to gently ease her to the ground. “I have asked you to move away so that I may thank my escort and gather my horse. I do not wish to do this with you hovering over me like a hung dog.Go,Beauson. That is a command.”
Beauson sighed heavily, looking to Dunstan, who was the bigger yet less bright of the pair. Dunstan shrugged and was already moving away, snapping to the men-at-arms as he went. They were all shuffling back down the road in a group except for Beauson; he remained. He seemed to be very interested in Mathias.
“Who are you?” he asked.
Mathias opened his mouth but Cathlina cut him off. “I told you to move away,” she said, pointing an imperious finger to the group already down the road. “You will not ask his name. It is none of your business and if you do not move away, I will tell my father you were most disobedient and… andverynaughty. Do you understand me?”
Beauson cleared his throat loudly, an unhappy gesture, and reined his horse sharply back, going to gather with the group that was now lingering about thirty or forty feet down the road. As the wind whipped and the rain began to pick up, Cathlina gathered the reins of her palfrey and made sure Beauson was out of earshot before facing Mathias.
He was still mounted on his horse, looking down at her with an expression between utter pleasure and utter longing. Cathlina could read emotions on his features and her heart began to beat strongly in her chest. She was feeling so many things that it was difficult to voice them but she was coming to realize that she was more than likely not the only one sad at their parting. Though Mathias had always been very polite and very kind, he’d never given her any indication that he might be romantically interested in her. Until now; she could see it on his face.
“Thank you for everything you have done,” she said softly, sincerely. “You saved me and my sister yesterday and I will always be grateful.”
He smiled faintly, feeling a tremendous pull. Those big brown eyes were sucking him in, swirling him in the maelstrom of her beauty until he was dizzy with it. He truly couldn’t stomach the thought of never seeing her again but he knew to carry on any relationship with her would have been extraordinarily unwise. She was a de Lara. Still, it was hard to resist a pull he’d never felt before and a lady he very much wanted to know. Torn, confused, his disappointment was palpable.
“You are more than welcome,” he said quietly. “If you should ever need saving again, please do not hesitate to send word to me.”
Her grin broadened. “Are you my savior, then? Do you plan to make a career out of it?”
He laughed, leaning forward on his saddle so he could be closer to her, however small the gesture. “I would do it quite happily, but I hope you will never again need saving. To save you means that you will be in some manner of danger, and that I could not abide. I would not ever wish that for you.”
She gazed at him seriously, her smile fading. “What will you do now, Mathias?”
“What do you mean?”
“Will you return to shoeing chargers for the tournament? Or will you mayhap travel to Italy again someday and relive the days of your youth?”
He shrugged. “If I go, it will not be alone,” he said, a twinkle in his eye. “Mayhap I will take you along so I have someone to talk to. Sebastian can be such a bore and all he wants to do is chase women.”
She laughed. “I will not chase women, I promise,” she said, sobering. Her brown eyes glimmered at him. “If you go again, I do hope you will consider taking me. It would be a lovely thing to travel with you, I am sure.”
The conversation was coming to a close, Mathias could feel it. They were floating along on sweet, dreamy words, bordering on flirting, and he was scrambling for things to say, feeling a desperation he’d never felt before. He didn’t want the moment to end.
“Do you have plans for any more trips into town?” he asked. “If you do, mayhap you will do me the honor of another visit some time.”
Cathlina could feel the desperation, too. She didn’t want to leave him but she knew he had to return. She could feel the stares of her father’s knights on her back, heated and questioning.
“Father has made mention of coming to see the tournament that will take place in a couple of days,” she said. “We will be in town then and mayhap I will see you at that time.”
Mathias’ thoughts were running wild.We will be coming to see the tournament. He began to think all manner of foolish things at that moment. In fact, he could hardly contain himself. Reaching down, he took her hand and kissed it softly.
