Page 28 of Sweet Mead for Lady Martine

“For heaven’s sake, go over and talk to him,” Sage whispered in her ear.

“Yes,” agreed Josefina from her other side. “This is your chance to spend time with the man you fancy.”

“I don’t know,” Martine answered, feeling very sad. “I’m no longer sure I even like him,” David’s presence at the castle had her feeling very confused right now. Why had he even showed up here today after telling her he had work to do? He made it sound as if to accept the invitation was nothing more than a bother.

“What do you mean you might no longer like him?” asked Josefina. “When did this come about?”

“David told me something yesterday that changed everything.”

“What are you talking about?” asked Sage. The two women leaned in closer to hear her since she wasn’t speaking very loudly, not wanting anyone to eavesdrop.

“Explain,” said Josefina directly.

“David said that what we shared meant nothing at all to him. He also said that he didn’t want to see me ever again.”

“Nay! That can’t be true,” said Sage in shock. “If so he wouldn’t be here now, would he?”

Martine was curious about the real reason why David had come to the castle after all. She also wondered if mayhap he almost didn’t come since he hadn’t arrived here with the rest of his family. Still, she decided she wasn’t going ask him. Nay, she didn’t want to talk to him at all.

The minstrels started playing music, and the tables below the salt were cleared and moved, making room for people to dance.

“Now is your big chance, Martine,” said Josefina. “Go and ask him to dance.”

“What? Are you crazy?” Martine’s heart sped up just hearing the suggestion. “I can’t do that.”

“Why not?” asked Sage. “Just because he is from below the salt?”

“It wouldn’t be proper,” Martine told them, glancing down the table at the other nobles. “I just can’t.”

“Do what you will or won’t, but I am going to dance with my husband.” Josefina got up and walked to the other side of the dais, taking Gar’s hand. Rook joined his wife, Rose. Raven went to dance with her husband, Jonathon.

“I miss Robin,” said Sage, seeming lonely. “I wish he were here to dance with me right now.”

“I’ll stay with you so you won’t be by yourself.” Martine had just turned around to pick up her wine when she saw the piercing eyes of David staring up at her from the foot of the dais table. Since he was on the ground level and she was on a raised platform, she looked down at him just like the nobles always did to commoners.

“Lady Martine,” said David, pushing back a lock of hair. “I wondered if I could speak with you, please.”

“Well, I don’t know,” she answered, trying to sound nonchalant, wanting to make him sweat. She toyed with him and she didn’t care. Slowly, Martine picked up her goblet, taking a sip of wine. She had to hold back her smile when she saw David nervously shifting his weight from one foot to the other and wringing his hands together. Putting down her goblet, she decided to grant his request, but didn’t have the chance to let him know. Lord Gar walked up to the front of the dais with another knight.

“Lady Martine, this is Sir Emery,” said Gar with a nod to the other man.

“What?” she asked, not wanting to be interrupted. “Hello, Sir Emery. It’s nice to meet you,” she said with a nod, doing so only because it was the way she was expected to act.

“I’d like this dance, my lady, if I could,” said Emery. He wasn’t all that good looking and was also quite a bit older than Martine. She didn’t want to dance with him, she wanted to continue speaking with David.

Her eyes flashed back to David. He did a half bow to the men and backed up, heading for the door.

It took all of her resolve not to call out to him and ask him to stay. She wanted to speak with David, even though earlier she wanted him to go to hell. For some reason, she couldn’t stay mad at him. He had wanted to say something to her but now she’d never find out what it was because she had to dance with a knight she didn’t know and certainly didn’t like.

“Of course, Sir Emery,” she said with a sigh, doing what was proper. Even if David had stayed instead of leaving, she couldn’t reject a nobleman to be with a commoner. It just wasn’t done.

Sadly, she walked down from the dais, taking Sir Emery’s hand and heading to the center of the room to dance. All she wished, more than anything, was that it was David’s hand she held right now.

David stood in the corridor out of sight, watching as Martine took the nobleman’s hand and began to dance. Her movements were so fluid. She held such grace and poise. Her years of training to be a lady showed. This was who she was and who she needed to be. Now he knew that he had no right even showing his face at the castle in the first place and only wished he had stayed back at the tavern. It was guilt eating at him that made him come here today. He had seen how his words had hurt Lady Martine and he wanted to apologize.

He sadly turned and left the great hall, realizing now it was never going to happen. David felt awkward being at the castle. He never wanted to come here because it felt so foreign to him. But in his heart he realized that Martine didn’t deserve the lie he’d told her. He had made it sound as if their intimate time together meant nothing to him, when it really meant the world and more. He had only told her that to make her dislike him, and now he could see that it had worked.

He did care for Martine, but she would only be risking everything to be with him. He didn’t want that for her. She deserved so much more. She deserved the life of a lady with wealth and respect and things that he could never give her. Their kisses were special to him, but now, she’d never know his true feelings. Because of his own doings, the relationship between them was truly over. David could never step foot in such an elegant place as the castle ever again.