Chapter Four
The combination of music, food, and mead were enough to fill Marion’s senses to the brim. But they were nothing compared to the man who confidently swayed her body to the delightful string and pipe music surrounding them.
His eyes were the deepest shade of blue, the like of which she had never seen before.
Having left the great hall what seemed like mere moments ago, Marion was startled by the deep voice that called to her in the garden.
Her startle turned to something else once she spied the blue eyes behind the mask.
Head to foot in black, she recognized the black rider almost immediately, though she did not know his name until he introduced himself.
Her black rider and the queen’s recommendation were one and the same, Alexander Campbell, Earl of Argyll. Not that the title mattered to her.
Truth be told, she wasn’t sure much mattered to her while in his arms. She could feel thick muscle beneath his shirt as he moved them around the floor.
His chest curved beneath his tunic, and she had to confess to herself she’d never taken such notice in a man before.
But this man had caught her attention fully and completely.
Her body hummed from his proximity, and though they were in a hall full of people, she could only see him, those eyes of his that seemed to look into her very soul.
She was more alert now, she was certain, than at any other time in her life.
He, all of him, captivated her and held her breathless for more of his piercing stare, his sensuous mouth, and his oh so delicious scent that was doing all sorts of new things to her insides.
“Now it is you who looks deep in thought, my lady.”
Was she losing her wits or was there a slight emphasis on “my”? “I am well, my lord. I am enjoying the music and this dance.”
“As am I,” he said and leaned down a little closer to her. “I do hope you intend to stay for the remainder of the masque.”
“I should hope to stay, aye, but that will be up to my parents to decide at what time we shall depart.”
“And where is it you will go when you leave here?”
“We will return to our summer home here in Linlithgow. ’Tis not far from here. My father wished to be close to the palace in order to attend the king’s events if invited.”
“I suspect there will be more invitations extended to your father, Lady Marion.”
That was an odd thing to say. “Why would you say that, my lord?”
He smiled. “I meant only that you stand out among your peers, Lady Marion. I anticipate your parents will want to be sure you are introduced to the king’s court sufficiently in order to secure a future for you.”
There it was. The disappointment in that every person here had an agenda, including this seemingly perfect man who had imprinted on her heart for a few mere moments.
Thankfully, the dance ended. Marion curtseyed before the earl. “I thank you for the dance, my lord. It was a pleasure to meet you.” With that, she walked away from him before he could respond.
As she approached her parents who were still speaking with the royal couple, an arm encircled hers and to her surprise, Lady Cora Fraser, a lass close to her age, and someone Marion would not trust as far as she could throw her, was fawning over her dress and hair.
“I told my mama earlier I wanted to wear my hair down tonight like Lady Marion does, but she would not let me. She said it is wanton and wicked to make such a display of oneself.”
Marion looked up to the tall bird fastened to the top of Cora’s head with feathers seeming to shoot out of the poor creature.
Display of oneself, indeed. Cora always had a way of complimenting and insulting a person in the same breath.
Marion would have disentangled herself were she not in the presence of the king and queen.
As far as anyone else present was concerned, she couldn’t care less what they thought of her or her hair.
“You might think you are better than the rest of us, Marion, but you are not. And you had better forget about the earl as well. Two fathers already approached him this afternoon and began negotiations, and from what I am told, he is the worst sort of womanizer,” she said in a smug tone.
“I hear he is even worse than Lord Ross and merely wants to marry a woman to produce heirs and that he has declared he will never love anyone.”
Marion had lost most of her patience by now. “Well then, it is a good thing I am not interested in the earl.” As she said this, she withdrew her arm from Cora and moved to sit with the queen who had now moved back to the raised dais and was motioning for Marion to sit with her.
“You look troubled, my friend. Why are you not dancing with the earl?”
Marion did not want to lie to the queen, but she also did not want to be pressured into spending time with someone who played the same games everyone else in the hall played.
Was there no one present who was genuine?
Maybe she was naive like her younger sister kept saying.
Maybe this is how the world was, and she had better find a way to get used to it and accept her fate.
“It is all a bit overwhelming, Your Majesty,” she said, using the proper address considering they were within earshot of others at the moment. And she hadn’t lied. She was overwhelmed, just not for the reason she would let the queen think.
“Then we shall sit here together and watch the games ensue.”
Marion was grateful for her friend’s good sense.
She didn’t probe her any further, and as they sat in silence, Marion was able to watch scenes unfolding before her, connections between lord and lady with their hopeful parents standing by the sidelines whispering to one another.
A moment ago, she was among that ever moving crowd and she wondered who had been whispering about her.
Her eyes scanned the hall until they landed on the earl in a dance with another hopeful young lady. She watched as he moved with her around the dance floor like they had. While the lady stared only at him, Marion was convinced his head turned her way whenever possible.
She noticed her father moving toward her wearing a small frown. “Are you unwell, daughter?” he asked after bowing to the queen.
“Aye, ’tis been a long day, is all.” It had been a long day, and she wanted nothing more than to get out of these clothes and crawl into her warm bed and sleep.
“I couldn’t agree more. Your mother and I are ready to leave if you are.”
“Would you mind terribly if we did leave soon, Your Majesty?”
The queen placed her hand on Marion’s. “I have been far too demanding on you this day. In truth, I have enjoyed every moment we have spent together. Will you please return on the morrow for the remainder of the games?”
How on earth could she say no to that? “Aye, Your Majesty. It would be my honor to return tomorrow and share in the games with you.”
With that, she stood and took her father’s arm to collect her mother who was speaking with Lady Fraser. Marion groaned inwardly, for she could imagine the stories she would have to endure on the carriage ride home.
Together they bade their hosts farewell and promised to return early the next day. Keeping to the side of the hall, they passed by those still enjoying the music and Marion was careful not to scan the crowd for the earl.
But she didn’t have to.
“Lady Marion, are you leaving?”
The sound of his voice made her belly flutter. She stopped and turned to him. “Aye, my lord. ’Tis been a long day.”
“And do you plan to return tomorrow for the games?”
“Aye, my lord, we plan to attend,” she said, noticing other couples turning in their direction as if to attempt to overhear.
“Are you aware of the tradition of a lady offering a favor to their preferred participant?”
Did he mean like the scarf the queen had tied to one of the player’s spears?
“Aye, I am aware.”
He smiled then, showing white perfect teeth. “Good. I shall see you on the morrow then.”
He then turned on his heel and walked away from her in the direction of the royal couple.
Did that mean he wanted her to tie a scarf to his spear? She had no idea and had no one to ask. Of one thing she was very certain. As much as she needed it, sleep would evade her this night in place of images of a black knight with deep blue eyes to torment her.
*
“Am I dreaming it or do you wear a smile?” the king asked Alexander as he approached the dais and sat beside him.
“I do not know what you mean, Your Majesty,” Alexander said with a grin.
He could have kicked himself after she walked away from him. But if he was going to invest any of his interest in this lass, he had to know if she was different from the rest of them and not just because he wanted to bed her every which way he could think of to pleasure her.
He was not proud of himself for asking another lass to dance whose name he did not remember.
But he had to confess, he did not quite know what to do with himself after she left him standing there.
When the other lass approached him, he was grateful for the opportunity, though it was not fair to her for he had no interest in anyone other than Lady Marion.
A small part of him liked that she watched him the entire dance, and he hoped it was because she wished she was his partner.
He would see her again on the morrow. Would she bring a favor for him? Would she bring one for another? The thought didn’t sit well with him, making him shift slightly in his seat.
“You are very distracted at the moment,” the king said. “Have you heard a word I’ve been saying about tomorrow’s games?”
“My apologies, Your Majesty. I am a little distracted. I am looking forward to the games tomorrow.”
“I was talking about the order of procession prior to the games. I wish to have you ride out first.”
“Me, Your Majesty?”
“Aye, you. You are the strongest participant and so should take the lead in the procession.”
“If that is your wish, I will happily comply.”