never truly expected to. Indeed, she wondered if she was dreaming as
she gazed into sharp black eyes, gentle and warm as they blazed upon her.
"You are serious?"
"Never more so."
A well-arched blond brow rose.
"You are... you are not embarrassed by my speech? You do not f-find it
repulsive or discomforting?"
"Not at all. In fact, I am
used to it."
" Used to it? What on
earth do you mean b-by that?"
He continued to stare at her. In
fact, he'd done nothing but stare at her since the moment they had met.
"Because my mother spoke as you do."
Summer gazed at him as if she did
not fully understand his words. Then, as reality settled, her jaw popped open.
"Your mother ?"
He nodded and turned away to
regain his seat underneath the massive oak tree. Without hesitation, Summer
followed and deposited herself next to his outstretched legs. He crossed his
ankles, smiling at her awed expression.
"You find that
surprising?" he asked. "Surely you did not believe yourself to be the
only individual who has ever suffered from such an affliction?"
She blinked in thought; in faith,
she'd never considered such a concept and after a moment, she shrugged.
"Sometimes I feel as if I am," she said softly. "B-but, I
suppose, now that I think on it, it would be selfish of me to consider that God
saved this imperfection for me alone."
He laughed softly, displaying a
row of even white teeth. The right side of his mouth was far more pliable than
the left, the cheek moving stiffly, and even within the dim illumination of the
moonlight Summer could see three fierce scars, in parallel succession, gracing
his chiseled cheekbone and disappearing into his hairline. She found herself
wondering what animal could have caused such scars.
"I would hardly call it an
imperfection where it pertains to you, my lady," he said, his laughter
fading as he interrupted her train of thought. "For certain, I have never
seen such magnificence."
With a shy smile and a fierce
mottle of red flooding her cheeks, Summer forgot all about his lopsided grin
and lowered her gaze, staring to her lap and listening to his soft chuckle,
casting him another coy glance when he continued to snort. As Antony once again
moved from her grasp and onto his master's massive legs, she realized she was
growing quite comfortable with the presence of the beast's gentle master.
"Is your mother still
living, my lord?" she asked, attempting to divert the focus from her
reddened face.
"Nay, she is not," he
replied, without sorrow. "My mother passed away several years ago. And
yours?"
"She died shortly after my
b-birth," Summer answered, also without sorrow. "My father tells me I
resemble her a great deal."
"Then she was a beautiful
woman," Bose said sincerely.
Summer nodded in agreement to his
assertion of her mother's grace, coming to feel comfortable enough that she
could look the man in the face without averting her gaze shyly or uncertainly.
Above their heads, the owl hooted again and Antony paused in his busy
inspection of Bose's leg, looking into the darkened branches of the tree.
Summer watched the ferret and Bose watched Summer.
"He is most threatened by
the owl," she said. "Mayhap we should return him home."
"'Twill be my pleasure to
escort you safely back to Chaldon," Bose replied, then paused a moment to
eye her strangely beneath the silver moon. "Tell me, my lady; was there a
reason why you were loitering about the knights' camp this eve? Considering how
protective your family is, I can hardly imagine they let you wander about the
encampment alone."
So much for her fading blush. Her
cheeks ignited with color again and Summer lowered her gaze yet again, toying with
the grass beneath her hand. She did not want to tell him why she was here,
running from her family.
"I shall answer your
question, my lord, if you will answer m-mine," the golden orbs came up
from the grass, ensnaring him within their power. "Why did you wish to
speak with me after the melee?"
"To ask for your
she gazed into sharp black eyes, gentle and warm as they blazed upon her.
"You are serious?"
"Never more so."
A well-arched blond brow rose.
"You are... you are not embarrassed by my speech? You do not f-find it
repulsive or discomforting?"
"Not at all. In fact, I am
used to it."
" Used to it? What on
earth do you mean b-by that?"
He continued to stare at her. In
fact, he'd done nothing but stare at her since the moment they had met.
"Because my mother spoke as you do."
Summer gazed at him as if she did
not fully understand his words. Then, as reality settled, her jaw popped open.
"Your mother ?"
He nodded and turned away to
regain his seat underneath the massive oak tree. Without hesitation, Summer
followed and deposited herself next to his outstretched legs. He crossed his
ankles, smiling at her awed expression.
"You find that
surprising?" he asked. "Surely you did not believe yourself to be the
only individual who has ever suffered from such an affliction?"
She blinked in thought; in faith,
she'd never considered such a concept and after a moment, she shrugged.
"Sometimes I feel as if I am," she said softly. "B-but, I
suppose, now that I think on it, it would be selfish of me to consider that God
saved this imperfection for me alone."
He laughed softly, displaying a
row of even white teeth. The right side of his mouth was far more pliable than
the left, the cheek moving stiffly, and even within the dim illumination of the
moonlight Summer could see three fierce scars, in parallel succession, gracing
his chiseled cheekbone and disappearing into his hairline. She found herself
wondering what animal could have caused such scars.
"I would hardly call it an
imperfection where it pertains to you, my lady," he said, his laughter
fading as he interrupted her train of thought. "For certain, I have never
seen such magnificence."
With a shy smile and a fierce
mottle of red flooding her cheeks, Summer forgot all about his lopsided grin
and lowered her gaze, staring to her lap and listening to his soft chuckle,
casting him another coy glance when he continued to snort. As Antony once again
moved from her grasp and onto his master's massive legs, she realized she was
growing quite comfortable with the presence of the beast's gentle master.
"Is your mother still
living, my lord?" she asked, attempting to divert the focus from her
reddened face.
"Nay, she is not," he
replied, without sorrow. "My mother passed away several years ago. And
yours?"
"She died shortly after my
b-birth," Summer answered, also without sorrow. "My father tells me I
resemble her a great deal."
"Then she was a beautiful
woman," Bose said sincerely.
Summer nodded in agreement to his
assertion of her mother's grace, coming to feel comfortable enough that she
could look the man in the face without averting her gaze shyly or uncertainly.
Above their heads, the owl hooted again and Antony paused in his busy
inspection of Bose's leg, looking into the darkened branches of the tree.
Summer watched the ferret and Bose watched Summer.
"He is most threatened by
the owl," she said. "Mayhap we should return him home."
"'Twill be my pleasure to
escort you safely back to Chaldon," Bose replied, then paused a moment to
eye her strangely beneath the silver moon. "Tell me, my lady; was there a
reason why you were loitering about the knights' camp this eve? Considering how
protective your family is, I can hardly imagine they let you wander about the
encampment alone."
So much for her fading blush. Her
cheeks ignited with color again and Summer lowered her gaze yet again, toying with
the grass beneath her hand. She did not want to tell him why she was here,
running from her family.
"I shall answer your
question, my lord, if you will answer m-mine," the golden orbs came up
from the grass, ensnaring him within their power. "Why did you wish to
speak with me after the melee?"
"To ask for your
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