Chapter Three
It had started out like any other normal day.
The sun was shining in the great expanse of blue sky overhead and the gulls were riding the drafts overhead, having flown in from the sea.
Puffy white clouds darted across the sky, pushed around by the breeze that often settled in over the river and blew the boats around.
Even the temperature was moderate on this fine spring day, which meant that she could wear her new surcoat, the one that had been made for her by the finest seamstress in London.
It was quite a feather in her cap to wear a garment made by the skilled hands of Madam Claret, a Parisian dressmaker who had a booming business catering to the vain women of London.
Her plan today was to see and be seen as she made her way to the spice merchant over on the street of the merchants.
The merchant in question had all manner of ingredients, spices and otherwise, from all over the known world.
It was always such a treat to visit him because he would have edibles for his customers so they could taste the quality of his product.
She looked forward to a slice of dried apple with a turmeric and cardamom coating, or a piece of apricot that had been sprinkled with cinnamon and nutmeg.
He even had the rarest of the rare, a seasoning that was white like salt but was quite sweet.
In fact, they called it sweet salt, and he sprinkled that on pieces of lemon or quince for his customers.
The spice merchant was a smart man and allowed his clientele to taste his wares because he had more business than he could handle.
She wanted to make it over there before he closed.
In truth, Katiana de Edington had wanted to go to the spice merchant early in the morning before all the rest of the customers rushed the place, but her aunt moved slowly in the morning, slowly enough that Katiana had been dressed and waiting for four hours before her aunt decided she wasn’t going to accompany her after all.
She encouraged Katiana to go alone and select the spices herself, good training for a young woman who had yet to find a husband.
With Aunt Ethyl, the subject of the day—and every day—was trying to attract a husband for her beautiful niece.
Why Ethyl should think herself a good teacher when she’d been a spinster her entire life was a mystery, but she didn’t wish for her niece to suffer the same fate, and at Katiana’s age, she was considered beyond a desirable marriageable age.
Still, Ethyl was determined to see her married.
Katiana suspected that was also why her aunt agreed to pay for Madam Claret’s expensive new garment, so that she would appear wealthy and properly dressed to any unmarried man who might see her out and about in London today.
Not that she minded, because the silk surcoat was absolutely stunning.
It was the color of a topaz, which brought out the bronze color of her eyes, and embroidered with golden bees all around the neckline and edges.
With her dark blonde hair braided and arranged, she made quite a sight on the street outside of her aunt’s London townhome on Coleman Street on the north side of London, just inside the city walls.
For her journey to the street of the merchants, she’d chosen a small brown palfrey from her aunt’s stable to complement the color of her surcoat.
It was an older animal, a little lively because it hadn’t been ridden in a while, but Katiana considered herself a fine horsewoman and didn’t see an issue with the fact.
But therein lay her mistake.
The little palfrey was excited. The grooms saddled it up and put tassels on the reins, dressing up the little beast as was often done when ladies traveled.
They presented him to Katiana, who was delighted with the ribbons and tassels, and she mounted the horse with ease.
But the moment she gave the horse a small kick to get him moving, the beast caught sight of the ribbons and tassels blowing in the breeze, and became startled.
After that, everything passed in a blur.
Katiana held on for dear life as the horse bolted from the courtyard behind the manse, darting through the gates, which happened to be open to the street.
As she tried to rein the animal in, it continued to be frightened by the tassels in its line of sight and sprinted down the street, out of control.
And took Katiana right along with it.
Katiana was trying desperately to stop the animal, who was running and bucking, knocking into people and smacking into wagons that were in the way.
Women were screaming and men were ducking aside as she struggled with the horse, who was running at top speed to get away from the ribbons and tassels that haunted it.
The beast ran down Coleman Street, where her aunt’s home was located, and then headed west on Catte Street.
Katiana knew there was a city gate at the end of Catte, and she hoped to get the horse out onto the open road, where it could simply wear itself out, but the horse seemed to have other ideas.
Down the alleyways they went.
The animal wanted to head into the heart of London, it seemed, but Katiana pulled on the reins with all her might, directing it west, toward Ludgate.
That would take them out of the city walls and on the road toward Westminster, but it couldn’t be helped.
It was better than letting the horse head into crowded London and possibly kill someone, herself included.
She had no desire to meet her maker on the back of a frightened steed.
She was finally able to direct the horse through Ludgate, blowing past the gate guards and shouting her apologies.
On they went.
The horse didn’t seem to be losing any energy.
Katiana finally stopped pulling at him because they were on a road that wasn’t heavily traveled, between the city gates of London and Westminster Palace, so she let him have his head.
Oddly, it seemed to calm him down a little, and his pace slowed, but not enough.
Once they neared the more heavily populated area of Westminster, she began tugging on the reins again, and that seemed to panic him.
There were people up ahead, and she screamed at them to get out of her way, including a knight on a warhorse.
He was off to her left, but suddenly, he turned his horse around so it was facing the direction her steed was running in, and as she charged past, he spurred his horse alongside her and grabbed the reins.
The knight did the trick. With his strength and control, he managed to bring her palfrey to a stop across the street from Westminster Abbey. The towering spires and enormous rosette set above the northern door framed the head of the knight as she pushed her hair from her face and gazed up at him.
“Thank you, my lord,” she said, breathless. “Had you not stopped him, we would be in Cornwall by now. I do not know what came over him. He has never been like this.”
The knight didn’t say anything. He dismounted his own steed, holding on to both horses firmly but standing next to Katiana’s palfrey. He was so tall that he was eye level with her as she sat there, trying to regain her composure.
“I know you,” he suddenly rumbled from behind the lowered faceplate. Then he quickly flipped up the plate. “Forgive me, my lady. That was quite inappropriate for me to say. But… I think I know you.”
Katiana found herself peering at the man. She could only see his eyes and part of his nose. When her brow furrowed in concentration as she tried to recollect where she’d seen those golden eyes, he abruptly removed the helm, and she found herself looking into features that were vaguely familiar.
“I feel as if I have seen you before, also,” she said. “What is your name?”
“Titus de Wolfe, my lady.”
Katiana’s eyes widened dramatically. “Titus!” she gasped. “It is you! I can hardly believe my eyes. But you are so… so tall!”
He grinned because she was clearly excited about seeing him again. “You have me at a disadvantage, my lady,” he said. “A thousand apologies, but I must ask your name. I fear that my memory has failed me.”
Katiana could see that he didn’t recognize her, at least not to the point where he could recall her name.
Not that she’d known his name, either, so she wasn’t innocent in this situation, but she hadn’t seen Titus de Wolfe in twenty years.
Ever since her brother had been sent home from Roxburgh Castle for offending William de Wolfe, and, shortly thereafter, Katiana’s father recalled her home as well.
And that was the last she’d seen of her young knight in shining armor.
Until now.
God’s Bones, but he’d grown tall. His father was a giant, and Titus had been tall even as a boy, but nothing like he was now.
The man had to be six and a half feet tall.
He was broadly built across the shoulders, big in the arms and chest, and he had big, muscular legs as well.
But the face… She’d never forget that face, not if she lived to be a thousand years old.
Titus was quite handsome with his square jaw, full lips, and golden eyes.
They leaned more on the side of green, but they were a spectacular shade of gold in certain light.
She’d never seen such a beautiful man in her entire life.
God, it was good to see him again.
“I am not surprised that you cannot recall my name,” she said quietly. “You saved me, once, from my bully of a brother. At Roxburgh Castle, many years ago. Your grandfather made you my protector after that. Now do you remember me?”
It was Titus’ turn to become wide-eyed. “De Edington’s sister?” he said, putting a hand out to indicate the height of a small girl. “Katia?”
She laughed softly. “Katiana,” he said. “But you may call me Katia if you wish. My brother did, though no one seems to any longer. A childhood nickname that is lost to time.”