with an odd quiver. "He escaped this night and I
was frantic with worry for him. How fortunate for me that you have found
him."
Summer tore her eyes away from
Bose long enough to gaze at the fuzzy creature in her grasp. Obviously, the
little beastie belonged to the knight. Without hesitation, she extended her
hands to offer Bose the animal. He eyed her a moment, his black eyes blazing
with warmth, before slowly shaking his head.
"He likes you better, I can
tell," his voice was soft. "Please... you will keep him."
His tone was soothing, his manner
gentle. Summer's brow furrowed and her lovely face washed with a curious
expression, looking to Antony as if the ferret could confirm his master's
directive. Bose continued to stare at her a moment before slowly crouching in
an attempt to make himself appear less threatening. He wanted to be on her
level.
"I did not mean to disturb
your peaceful evening," he said quietly. "I would be honored if you
would allow me to join you."
Summer continued to stare at him,
knowing that he had been carrying on a once-sided conversation until this
point. Sooner or later, he was going to expect a reply. But she did not want to
make a fool of herself, as she wasn’t certain she could reply without
stammering all over herself. It seemed to get worse when she was upset or
nervous. As she pondered her next move, Antony abruptly scampered across her
lap and onto the ground. Mounting Bose's arm, he scurried to his familiar post
atop his master's broad shoulder.
"Ah, my treacherous little
friend, so you think to return to me?" his thick fingers scratched
affectionately at the animal. "For certain, I thought I'd lost you. But it
would seem that you and I had the same ideals to find a certain young
lady."
Summer watched him play with the
pet, blushing furiously when he turned his gaze upon her. Averting her eyes,
her respiration began to come in sharp pants. Say something, you foolish
wench!
"I did not receive a reply
from you earlier, when I asked if you had enjoyed your first melee," he
said, drinking in her exquisite profile and finding that the peculiar quiver in
his voice had spread to his limbs. "Your brother's wife seemed most
anxious to answer for you. Does she do this habitually?"
Summer stared at her hands. Then,
she nodded faintly. "S-She does."
Bose's gaze held even, although
there was no mistaking the stammer in her softly-uttered reply. As an inkling
of suspicion came to mind, a curiosity took hold and his stare grew in
intensity.
"I have heard Lady Genisa
possesses the ability to talk God off his throne," he said casually.
"I see that the rumors were truth."
A faint smile creased Summer's
beautiful lips. "Indeed, my lord," she nearly whispered. "Genisa
is most chatty. And most overb-bearing at times, although she means well."
Then it was true. Bose came to
realize that he had not imagined the catch in her speech. He also knew why the
lady had remained so silent in his presence, why her sister-in-law and father
has answered for her, and why Ian had dragged her away when a conversation was
imminent. It made his heart ache for her, because what they did not know what
that Bose understood such things. God help him, he understood a great deal.
“I see," his baritone was
scarcely audible as he replied belatedly to her statement. "Since she is
not here to answer for you, then I would expect to hear your thoughts personally.
Did you, in fact, enjoy the melee?"
Summer continued to stare at her
hands, the ground, and finally Antony as he scampered down Bose's arm and
clamored up her thigh. Petting the fuzzy creature, he heard her give a faint
sigh before she gave him her full attention.
"Nay," she replied
frankly. "I thought it was a horrible d-display of savagery and male
pride. I never want to see another melee as long as I live."
He met her gaze a long moment,
his lips creased with mirth. Before he could control himself, he was howling
with laughter such as he had never
was frantic with worry for him. How fortunate for me that you have found
him."
Summer tore her eyes away from
Bose long enough to gaze at the fuzzy creature in her grasp. Obviously, the
little beastie belonged to the knight. Without hesitation, she extended her
hands to offer Bose the animal. He eyed her a moment, his black eyes blazing
with warmth, before slowly shaking his head.
"He likes you better, I can
tell," his voice was soft. "Please... you will keep him."
His tone was soothing, his manner
gentle. Summer's brow furrowed and her lovely face washed with a curious
expression, looking to Antony as if the ferret could confirm his master's
directive. Bose continued to stare at her a moment before slowly crouching in
an attempt to make himself appear less threatening. He wanted to be on her
level.
"I did not mean to disturb
your peaceful evening," he said quietly. "I would be honored if you
would allow me to join you."
Summer continued to stare at him,
knowing that he had been carrying on a once-sided conversation until this
point. Sooner or later, he was going to expect a reply. But she did not want to
make a fool of herself, as she wasn’t certain she could reply without
stammering all over herself. It seemed to get worse when she was upset or
nervous. As she pondered her next move, Antony abruptly scampered across her
lap and onto the ground. Mounting Bose's arm, he scurried to his familiar post
atop his master's broad shoulder.
"Ah, my treacherous little
friend, so you think to return to me?" his thick fingers scratched
affectionately at the animal. "For certain, I thought I'd lost you. But it
would seem that you and I had the same ideals to find a certain young
lady."
Summer watched him play with the
pet, blushing furiously when he turned his gaze upon her. Averting her eyes,
her respiration began to come in sharp pants. Say something, you foolish
wench!
"I did not receive a reply
from you earlier, when I asked if you had enjoyed your first melee," he
said, drinking in her exquisite profile and finding that the peculiar quiver in
his voice had spread to his limbs. "Your brother's wife seemed most
anxious to answer for you. Does she do this habitually?"
Summer stared at her hands. Then,
she nodded faintly. "S-She does."
Bose's gaze held even, although
there was no mistaking the stammer in her softly-uttered reply. As an inkling
of suspicion came to mind, a curiosity took hold and his stare grew in
intensity.
"I have heard Lady Genisa
possesses the ability to talk God off his throne," he said casually.
"I see that the rumors were truth."
A faint smile creased Summer's
beautiful lips. "Indeed, my lord," she nearly whispered. "Genisa
is most chatty. And most overb-bearing at times, although she means well."
Then it was true. Bose came to
realize that he had not imagined the catch in her speech. He also knew why the
lady had remained so silent in his presence, why her sister-in-law and father
has answered for her, and why Ian had dragged her away when a conversation was
imminent. It made his heart ache for her, because what they did not know what
that Bose understood such things. God help him, he understood a great deal.
“I see," his baritone was
scarcely audible as he replied belatedly to her statement. "Since she is
not here to answer for you, then I would expect to hear your thoughts personally.
Did you, in fact, enjoy the melee?"
Summer continued to stare at her
hands, the ground, and finally Antony as he scampered down Bose's arm and
clamored up her thigh. Petting the fuzzy creature, he heard her give a faint
sigh before she gave him her full attention.
"Nay," she replied
frankly. "I thought it was a horrible d-display of savagery and male
pride. I never want to see another melee as long as I live."
He met her gaze a long moment,
his lips creased with mirth. Before he could control himself, he was howling
with laughter such as he had never
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