to keep some hot water for yourself. You know what th ey say: cleanliness is next to G odliness.” He narrowed his eyes and she realised with a sickening jolt that maybe it wasn’t wise to poke a stick at the tiger. “You don’t need to carry water upstairs, down here will do,” offered Grace in an attempt to recover some ground. “Just find me a tub and I’ll happily splash in it.” His grin widened and she marvelled at her own capacity for digging a hole and jumping in headfirst.
Miles glanced at Edmund who was paying far too much attention, his eyes flicking from one to the other as he followed the conversation.
“An in teresting thought, Mademoiselle, however I would venture your chamber to be a more appropriate venue. He turned back to the boy. “Did you hear that, Edmund? We offend this fine lady with our stink.” His smirk widened as Grace reddened awkwardly. That hole was getting deeper.
“That isn’t what I said. I simply meant we’d all feel refreshed and fragrant after our long journey.”
“And fragrant skin is naturally more appealing?” The amusement was clear now as he cocked his head and led her on, a lamb to the slaughter.
“Well, yes , of course.”
“Yes, I would agree, Mademoiselle. When I lower my head, skim my lips across a woman’s flesh and breathe the scent of freshly washed, pink and glowing skin, fragrance definitely encourages a...positive response.”
She gaped at him, prepared to fling herself headlong into the bottomless pit she’d created. The arrogant twitch of his scarred brow saved her just in time and pulled her back from the abyss.
“So, as I was saying, yes, you stink and you’ve as much cha nce of a positive response as you have of securing a ransom.”
Miles sat back with a snort of laughter, and Grace rinsed her grubby hands in the warm water and tried to ignore him.
“You think I won’t secure a ransom?” he asked.
“I know you won’t.”
“And why are you so certain?”
“Because, I’m not who you think I am.”
“Indeed.” He sobered and studied her across the table. “Perhaps we should have a wager.”
“Perhaps we shouldn’t.”
“Afraid you’ll lose?”
Grace looked up at him then, and fixed him with narrowed eyes. “No, afraid you’ll cheat.”
He spread his arms wide, gave a self-depreciating shrug “I’m a knight of the realm, you can trust me.”
“If you’re so chivalrous, why didn’t you take me straight home when I asked?”
“I didn’t say I was chivalrous. I said I was trustworthy. If I say that I’ll do something, then you can wager your life I will.”
“And what are you going to do with me?”
He smiled and she caught the hint of something as it flashed in his eyes.
“Sell you to the highest bidder of course. I reckon you’ll be worth a purse or two, fragrant or not. But in the meantime” he raised a cup in her direction, “I forget my manners, would you care for a little mead?” he asked. “It’s been maturing during my absence. It may be a little strong for your tender palate.”
Grace took the proffered wooden cup and against her better judgement, took a sip. It was strong and she was not much of a drinker but there was challenge in Miles’ eye so she took another larger swallow and passed the mug back.
“Did you rest well?” he asked, as if he knew she had not. Grace wondered if he’d come to her room while she’d relived her nightmare.
“Not really,” Grace replied truthfully, “I was dreaming of another place.” She dried her hands on the square of cloth and helped herself to the food on the table filling her plate with as much as she could take without appearing greedy. The meat was identifiable only as a fowl of some sort, possibly pigeon by its size and there were a number on the platter. She glanced at Edmund who had taken a whole bird and followed suit. The nausea which had plagued her had finally lifted and it left her with a painful, empty stomach which she needed to
Miles glanced at Edmund who was paying far too much attention, his eyes flicking from one to the other as he followed the conversation.
“An in teresting thought, Mademoiselle, however I would venture your chamber to be a more appropriate venue. He turned back to the boy. “Did you hear that, Edmund? We offend this fine lady with our stink.” His smirk widened as Grace reddened awkwardly. That hole was getting deeper.
“That isn’t what I said. I simply meant we’d all feel refreshed and fragrant after our long journey.”
“And fragrant skin is naturally more appealing?” The amusement was clear now as he cocked his head and led her on, a lamb to the slaughter.
“Well, yes , of course.”
“Yes, I would agree, Mademoiselle. When I lower my head, skim my lips across a woman’s flesh and breathe the scent of freshly washed, pink and glowing skin, fragrance definitely encourages a...positive response.”
She gaped at him, prepared to fling herself headlong into the bottomless pit she’d created. The arrogant twitch of his scarred brow saved her just in time and pulled her back from the abyss.
“So, as I was saying, yes, you stink and you’ve as much cha nce of a positive response as you have of securing a ransom.”
Miles sat back with a snort of laughter, and Grace rinsed her grubby hands in the warm water and tried to ignore him.
“You think I won’t secure a ransom?” he asked.
“I know you won’t.”
“And why are you so certain?”
“Because, I’m not who you think I am.”
“Indeed.” He sobered and studied her across the table. “Perhaps we should have a wager.”
“Perhaps we shouldn’t.”
“Afraid you’ll lose?”
Grace looked up at him then, and fixed him with narrowed eyes. “No, afraid you’ll cheat.”
He spread his arms wide, gave a self-depreciating shrug “I’m a knight of the realm, you can trust me.”
“If you’re so chivalrous, why didn’t you take me straight home when I asked?”
“I didn’t say I was chivalrous. I said I was trustworthy. If I say that I’ll do something, then you can wager your life I will.”
“And what are you going to do with me?”
He smiled and she caught the hint of something as it flashed in his eyes.
“Sell you to the highest bidder of course. I reckon you’ll be worth a purse or two, fragrant or not. But in the meantime” he raised a cup in her direction, “I forget my manners, would you care for a little mead?” he asked. “It’s been maturing during my absence. It may be a little strong for your tender palate.”
Grace took the proffered wooden cup and against her better judgement, took a sip. It was strong and she was not much of a drinker but there was challenge in Miles’ eye so she took another larger swallow and passed the mug back.
“Did you rest well?” he asked, as if he knew she had not. Grace wondered if he’d come to her room while she’d relived her nightmare.
“Not really,” Grace replied truthfully, “I was dreaming of another place.” She dried her hands on the square of cloth and helped herself to the food on the table filling her plate with as much as she could take without appearing greedy. The meat was identifiable only as a fowl of some sort, possibly pigeon by its size and there were a number on the platter. She glanced at Edmund who had taken a whole bird and followed suit. The nausea which had plagued her had finally lifted and it left her with a painful, empty stomach which she needed to
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