KIND
EYES AND A LION’S HEART
CHAPTER
FOUR
PART
FOUR
A short time
later, Viola sat in a window seat in the hall.
She was working on some embroidery and Lady Sylvia had joined her. Sylvia also had sewing on her lap, although
that was where it stayed.
“Of course you can be calm and sew,” Sylvia said, keeping her voice low so the
servants spreading rosemary and fleabane on the newly laid rushes wouldn’t
hear. “You’ll be betrothed to Lord Barengar soon.”
“I’m sure you’ll be married soon
enough,” Viola replied. “That squire of
Sir Melvin’s likes you.”
“Him?
He’s only a steward’s son.”
“He may make something of
himself. Didn’t I hear that the Welshman
who nearly won the tournament was a common foot soldier once?”
“So they say, but how often does a man
rise in rank as he has?”
“Viola!”
They both looked down the hall to see
Lady Anne striding toward them, her expression as fierce as if she was about to
declare war. “What is it, Aunt?” Viola
said after quickly putting away her sewing and getting to her feet. “Is something wrong?”
“I want to talk to you. Alone,” she emphasized, glaring at Sylvia as
if she’d done her some kind of personal injury.
The young woman dropped her needlework and didn’t even pause to pick it
up before she hurried away.
“Leave that for later,” her aunt
ordered the maidservants with the herbs.
They hurried away, too, so the hall was empty.
“What is it?” Viola repeated, fearing
her aunt had somehow guessed…something.
“I want you to keep away from Lord
Barengar!”
Viola couldn’t have been more
astonished if her aunt had announced her betrothal to the king. “I-I beg your pardon?”
“Stay away from that young scoundrel!”
“But…why?”
“Because I don’t want him encouraged
to stay,” her aunt retorted. “His family
is too important to insult, or I’d send the rogue packing right this
minute. Since I can’t, you’ll stay in
your chamber tonight. We’ll say you’re
ill.”
“I
thought you wanted a betrothal.”
“Not
after what that ninny of a cousin of his said to me in the rose garden
today. He was trying to make Lord
Barengar sound like a paragon, but that Melvin is so stupid, he revealed
something quite different, things that makes it clear no relative of mine
should be married to that man, or allied with that family.
“Now gather up your sewing and get to
your room. The sooner I start telling
people you’re ill, the better!”
“Yes, Aunt,” Viola humbly replied.
Whatever
her aunt believed about Melvin, Viola was sure he wasn’t stupid. It was far more likely that Melvin had
purposefully saved her from an unhappy marriage.
She
must and would find a way to thank him.
Chapter Five starts on June 29.
This work is protected by copyright. See sidebar for notice.
Note: This novella is PG13. With the exception of GWYNETH AND THE THIEF
and THE WASTREL, my books are usually steamier.
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