London Bridge.”
“Let us go back,” Owen said, turning his horse. “A man can only take so much abuse and keep his sense of humor.”
“Fine.” Jamie guided his horse around a tree stump to reach higher ground for the return ride.
“Come, Jamie, who would believe the queen would have me anyway?” Owen complained. “I am her lowly clerk of the wardrobe—and
a Welshman besides.”
“Linnet says anyone who sees the way the queen looks at you will suspect you’ve shared her bed.”
“Linnet says this; Linnet says that,” Owen said, sounding cheerful again. “Tell me, why have you not found another woman to
take your mind off that one?”
“Not another word about Linnet.”
“I was speaking about other women,” Owen said. “There are others about, you know. Dozens of them, right here at Windsor.”
Why had he not found another woman? Of course, he had thought about doing so. His cock was up so often, he could not help
but think of finding a better way to relieve it than with his hand.
In sooth, it would be an easy matter to acquire an occasional bedmate. More than one pretty woman had signaled an interest.
But with Linnet here, he simply could not see them. All other women were lost in her shine.
It was hard going for their horses slogging through the wet underbrush, but the rain diminished on their return. Just as they
neared the castle gate, the sun broke through the clouds.
“I believe I see the very lady you did not wish to speak about.”
Jamie barely heard Owen. His attention was fixed on Linnet, who stood outside the gate, the wind flapping her cloak, watching
their approach.
“What has happened?” Jamie asked her as soon as he dismounted. “Is something amiss?”
“All is well at the castle,” Linnet answered. “I was anxious to see you.”
Jamie’s heart did a flip in his chest. Linnet was anxious to see him. More, she was admitting it. Before he could think what
to say to her, she turned to Owen, who had also dismounted.
“Owen, I’ve come to ask if you will take me to London with you,” she said, crushing Jamie’s burst of pleasure like an ant
beneath her heel. “I expect you have purchases you need to make for the queen’s wardrobe.”
Owen furrowed his brows. “I was not planning on it, but I suppose you are right.”
“We should go soon.” Linnet put her arm through Owen’s and began walking him through the open gate. “The queen will want new
gowns for all the feasts during Christmas Court. You can have no notion how many are required, and…”
Jamie followed, leading both horses like a damned groom. What was Owen up to, walking so close to Linnet and leaning down
to her like that? She was not one of those women who spoke in a feathery whisper. Owencould hear her well enough without crowding her like that.
“As it happens,” Jamie called up to them, “I have business to attend to in London as well.”
And that damned Owen laughed.
Chapter Eleven
“D o you think it all right that we left the queen and Owen on their own?” Linnet asked, not for the first time.
“I do,” Jamie said, because there was no point in her fretting about it now that they were in London.
Linnet planted a hand on her hip and scanned the crowded hall at Westminster Palace with a murderous look on her face. “I
should have found Owen and strangled him when he failed to meet us at the dock.”
Jamie exchanged a glance with her brother, Francois.
“Lucky for Owen he is a full day’s ride away,” Francois said in an undertone.
“In fairness to Owen,” Jamie ventured to say, “it was the queen who sent a servant to tell us she could not spare Owen.”
“Along with Owen’s shopping list,” Linnet huffed. “As if I have time to do Owen’s errands for him.”
“But you love to buy and sell fine fabrics,” Francois said. “That is what you do.”
Linnet shrugged, showing no sign of being mollified. She did have unerring good taste. She looked
“Let us go back,” Owen said, turning his horse. “A man can only take so much abuse and keep his sense of humor.”
“Fine.” Jamie guided his horse around a tree stump to reach higher ground for the return ride.
“Come, Jamie, who would believe the queen would have me anyway?” Owen complained. “I am her lowly clerk of the wardrobe—and
a Welshman besides.”
“Linnet says anyone who sees the way the queen looks at you will suspect you’ve shared her bed.”
“Linnet says this; Linnet says that,” Owen said, sounding cheerful again. “Tell me, why have you not found another woman to
take your mind off that one?”
“Not another word about Linnet.”
“I was speaking about other women,” Owen said. “There are others about, you know. Dozens of them, right here at Windsor.”
Why had he not found another woman? Of course, he had thought about doing so. His cock was up so often, he could not help
but think of finding a better way to relieve it than with his hand.
In sooth, it would be an easy matter to acquire an occasional bedmate. More than one pretty woman had signaled an interest.
But with Linnet here, he simply could not see them. All other women were lost in her shine.
It was hard going for their horses slogging through the wet underbrush, but the rain diminished on their return. Just as they
neared the castle gate, the sun broke through the clouds.
“I believe I see the very lady you did not wish to speak about.”
Jamie barely heard Owen. His attention was fixed on Linnet, who stood outside the gate, the wind flapping her cloak, watching
their approach.
“What has happened?” Jamie asked her as soon as he dismounted. “Is something amiss?”
“All is well at the castle,” Linnet answered. “I was anxious to see you.”
Jamie’s heart did a flip in his chest. Linnet was anxious to see him. More, she was admitting it. Before he could think what
to say to her, she turned to Owen, who had also dismounted.
“Owen, I’ve come to ask if you will take me to London with you,” she said, crushing Jamie’s burst of pleasure like an ant
beneath her heel. “I expect you have purchases you need to make for the queen’s wardrobe.”
Owen furrowed his brows. “I was not planning on it, but I suppose you are right.”
“We should go soon.” Linnet put her arm through Owen’s and began walking him through the open gate. “The queen will want new
gowns for all the feasts during Christmas Court. You can have no notion how many are required, and…”
Jamie followed, leading both horses like a damned groom. What was Owen up to, walking so close to Linnet and leaning down
to her like that? She was not one of those women who spoke in a feathery whisper. Owencould hear her well enough without crowding her like that.
“As it happens,” Jamie called up to them, “I have business to attend to in London as well.”
And that damned Owen laughed.
Chapter Eleven
“D o you think it all right that we left the queen and Owen on their own?” Linnet asked, not for the first time.
“I do,” Jamie said, because there was no point in her fretting about it now that they were in London.
Linnet planted a hand on her hip and scanned the crowded hall at Westminster Palace with a murderous look on her face. “I
should have found Owen and strangled him when he failed to meet us at the dock.”
Jamie exchanged a glance with her brother, Francois.
“Lucky for Owen he is a full day’s ride away,” Francois said in an undertone.
“In fairness to Owen,” Jamie ventured to say, “it was the queen who sent a servant to tell us she could not spare Owen.”
“Along with Owen’s shopping list,” Linnet huffed. “As if I have time to do Owen’s errands for him.”
“But you love to buy and sell fine fabrics,” Francois said. “That is what you do.”
Linnet shrugged, showing no sign of being mollified. She did have unerring good taste. She looked
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