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"It seems much too early for a lady to be about her business, whatever that ht

"Aye," she replied "But ’tis the quietest part of the day, and I wished to see about Hickory’s foreleg"

It was starting to get lighter, and the dark grey shadows began to take on muted colors and details as they stood in the stable Dirick could see that Maris’s hair was uncovered, hanging in a fat braid over one shoulder He felt a strange intihwimples, it was obvious that in Merle’s household they were standard ware, for both ladies had worn theht He couldn’t tell what color Maris’s braid was, though, and for soht?" Dirick asked pointedly "Is that also a quiet tio about her business?"

She had cocked her head like a falcon, as if trying to read the secondin his words "Aye, there are tiht"

"And what is it that brings the Lady of Langumont to walk the streets--alone--in the darkness?" He held her gaze steadily in the dimness, deter on her own in the village in the hed "Ah, Sir Dirick, are you so protective of o to Papa with your evil suspicions? But of course you do not wish your betrothed to be seen wandering the streets at night--at the least, if you do not know the reason why" Her hand cahtly on his arm as she became serious "Do you not fear for my reputation, Sir Dirick I but ca, difficult day of birthing her sons I fear I was not in the best of tempers when you bore down on me"

The dawn broke over Dirick so that he almost missed the detail one of her coies for rin, then, as his ht up with his brain, he repeated incredulously, "Betrothed?"

Maris had returned to stroking Hickory’s nose, turning her back to him as if to hide her expression "Aye, sir, ’tis not a secret that you are here to speak on my hand ’Tis--"

"How came you by such a notion?" Dirick exclaie contract only the day after hter was, to the least, e on hisa wife, nor any wish to be saddled with one woman when God had put so many beautiful ones on His earth "My lady, ’tis not at all the purpose of ive me," Maris broke in, relief and ht you were the man to which Papa means to betrothe me"

"Your papa did say you are not yet betrothed," he told her, regaining his faculties Now he recalled Lord Merle’s missive from the day before, and the imminent arrival of the betrothal candidate ’Twas an honest mistake on the lady’s part

"Nay, I a my person bartered over," Maris replied tartly She looked up at him, and he was surprised to be able to reen in her eyes now, in the dawning light "Papa has stopped urging " Her face fell, and she returned to stroking Hickory’s velvet nose, "Because I have not made a decision, he has chosen ht opinions Most ood majority of them wed, and before him stood a wo she had not found aand was unlikely to do so It was unnatural

Maris interrupted his thoughts "What, then, do you here at Langumont if not to look me over, check ed to neither srimace at her words, which made the whole process sound callous "As your father said last evening, I a to work for a lord such as your father"

"Aye?" she asked, an odd tone in her voice "It seee of Henry’s court for one co Louis keeps many eyes on the court of the man who stole his wife," Dirick replied smoothly

"Such beautiful horseflesh you have for an itinerant knight," she said

Dirick looked at her, certain that the innocence in her voice was feigned, but unwilling to believe that she could be suspicious of him What did a woman know of horseflesh? He decided to divert her attention "Aye, I have an eye for good horseflesh…a other pleasures"

Maris flushed and turned away "Did you partake of such pleasures last night?" she threw back without looking at hile" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>