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“Excellent,” he said, his voice was buttery smooth. He flipped through some of the photos to show her. “My wife said the knights had come out now, so I’ll be headed up that way shortly to capture them next.”

“Perfect,” Winnie said. “I’ll go up there now myself.”

She left the photographer to his business, then made her way to the booth where his wife, Claire, had set up flower crowns and small bouquets for sale—all items from a flower shop she ran down in London.

The husband and wife had come as a package deal, and Winnie was glad of it, as the line trailing out from the woman’s booth was twice as long as anyone else’s.

“Everything all right, Claire?” Winnie asked as she walked past.

Claire beamed. “More than all right,” she said, her American accent standing out to Winnie after so long being surrounded by so many British ones.

The two had a great deal to chat about over the last couple of days, once they’d discovered they were both from the States, and Winnie had been glad to have found a new friend in someone.

“Liam said you spotted the knights?” Winnie asked next.

“Yes, up by the armory tent,” Claire said.

Winnie nodded her thanks, then made her way toward the historical section of the festival, where exhibits of armor, shields, horse-wear, and other artifacts were put up on display.

Sure enough, as her eyes scanned the area, she found two of the knights chatting with a group gathered around them, one of them posing for a picture with a gaggle of teenage girls, and the other, Matthew, speaking with a family with young children.

Winnie had been relieved when they’d all agreed to walk around the crowds before the tournament, hoping to ramp up the guests’ interest in watching the joust.

By the looks of it, it seemed to be working.

She watched Matthew for a minute, admiring the armor covering every inch of his body, though he held his helmet in his hand.

As he moved from the family, the teenagers, who had been speaking to the other knight, came up to speak with him, saying he looked just like Sir Ulrick from Gelderland, and Winnie couldn’t help but smile. That had been her first impression of Matthew, too.

She admired him for a minute, his shoulders in the armor, his curly hair styled to perfection, the smile on his lips as he posed for photo after photo. How had she, Winnie Knox, been so lucky to have won his favor?

She didn’t know how long she’d been staring until Matthew turned his gaze on her, and her heart leapt.

His eyes remained on her, that same old sultry smirk that had filled her dreams for weeks now filling her mind awake.

The girls asked for another picture, but Matthew rested his gauntleted hand on his heart and spoke with them. “Alas,” he began, “I must bid you all adieu, as I speak with my fair lady boss yonder.”

Winnie grinned. The idea for the knights to speak in such a way had been his, much to everyone’s surprise. Well, everyone’s surprise but Winnie’s, of course.

To her delight, he strode directly toward her, his armor clanking as he passed by others, nodding his head to them before reaching her.

“Greetings, my lady,” he said with as much of a bow as he could manage in his armor.

“Good morning, Sir Matthew,” she said with as much of a restrained smile as she could manage. “You seem to be enjoying yourself.”

“Ah how could a humble knight not, being treated with such love and wonder by everyone around him?”

“Particularly by the ladies?” she asked, raising a teasing brow.

He cleared his throat. “Ah, yes. I do apologize. I fear flattery sneaketh into my brain and muddleth my senses.”

She almost laughed at his words.

“But allow me to make it up to you, my fair Lady Winifred.” Without warning, he knelt down in front of her, taking her hand in both of his and peering up at her. “My mind of late hath been occupied solely by you, my lady.”

“Oh?” she asked, glancing around as people stopped to watch them, thinking it was all part of the act.

Winnie couldn’t even tell if he was in earnest or if he was still in character. Either way, this would hardly help the gossip that was no doubt already abounding between them.