Chapter 12 #2
“Raven Blake!” snapped Lark, turning around and putting her hands on her hips. “You are a lady, and lucky enough to be gettin’ married to a titled man. Dinna ruin this for yerself with yer bad attitude.”
“I’m known for my bad attitude, so why change now? And for your information, I truly wish I could ruin it for myself.” She slid to the side of the bed and put her feet on the floor.
“Ye need to spend time with yer potential husbands for the next few weeks and get to ken them.”
Raven shuddered. “Don’t refer to them as my potential husbands. I don’t like that.”
“Well, it’s true. Ye’re goin’ to have to marry one of them, so get to ken them now.”
“I don’t want to get to know them.” She stood up and started to dress. “None of them will be to my liking, so why bother?”
“Dinna say that,” scolded Lark, hurrying over and helping her dress. “There has got to be a man who is to yer likin’ somewhere.”
“There is.” Raven smiled and looked up at the ceiling in thought, and then pulled the gown over her head. “Jonathon Armstrong is to my liking.” Since her head was covered, her voice was muffled as she spoke.
“I couldna hear ye, Cousin. Ye sounded like ye said Jonathon is who ye like.”
“I did,” she said, sticking her head out of the top of the gown. “Lark, I think I am starting to have feelings for the man. I like spending time with him, and I also enjoy being with his family.”
“Nay,” said Lark, shaking her head. Her eyes became wider. “That is wrong. It canna be. Ye canna fall for him, Raven. Ye need to find a nobleman instead. It is important.”
“I want Jonathon. I don’t want any of those stuffy nobles.”
“Ye’re about to marry one of those stuffy men, in case ye’ve forgotten.”
“I’m not giving up hope yet, Lark. I need to find a way to learn the joust quickly because that will be my saving grace.”
“That is ridiculous. Ye’re a lady, and ladies dinna joust. Besides, it takes too long to learn and get any good at any new sport. Also, unless ye’ve forgotten, ye have no one to train ye anymore.”
A knock at the door took their attention.
“My lady, I am here to escort you to the great hall,” came Jonathon’s voice from the other side. Even though he’d been reprimanded more than once for coming up to her room, he still did it. She liked his determination and was glad he was here.
“It’s Jonathon!” Raven hurriedly ran to the dressing table and pulled a boar’s-bristle brush through her hair. Lark finished dressing quickly. “Just a minute,” Raven called out in a sing-song voice. “Lark, are you done dressing?” asked Raven. “If so, open the door, please.”
“Me? Ye canna open the door yerself?”
“I don’t want to seem too anxious to see him.”
“Och, ye are mad, Cousin.” Lark went over and pulled open the door.
“Good morning, Lady Lark,” Raven heard Jonathon from the corridor. She purposely took her time, not wanting to seem eager.
“Good mornin’, Jonathon,” said Lark with a smile.
“Lady Raven, we must hurry.” Jonathon stuck his head into the room, but was careful not to cross the line by stepping even one foot inside the bedchamber.
“Hurry?” she asked, strolling over to the door. “I don’t see why. I have nothing planned for the day.”
“If we’re going to get in a practice session before the next meal, we’ll have to leave as soon as we break the fast.”
“Practice? Leave?” Her heart sped up. “What do you mean?”
“I mean–” He looked both ways and then leaned forward, speaking in a low voice. “I mean, I’m going to continue training you in the joust after all.”
“Really?” She blinked several times in succession, not sure she’d heard him correctly. “What made you change your mind?”
“Let’s just say I’m not good at rejecting persuasion,” he answered with a sigh. “Now, are you ready to go? We’ll need to get back here early enough so I will have time to work on your armor later. I’m the only one at the castle smithy now, so I might have other jobs to tend to as well.”
“Nay, I’m not ready yet.” A smile slowly pursed up the corners of her mouth.
She looked over at Lark and then back to Jonathon.
Mayhap all hope wasn’t lost after all. She grabbed Jonathon by the shoulders, reaching up and kissing him on the mouth, and then let go just as fast. “Now, I’m ready,” she told him, feeling as if Jonathon was the only man she could trust.
“Again,” called out Jonathon, watching and cringing as Raven attacked the quintain, and in return got knocked on her ass. He ran over to help her to her feet. “Are you all right, my lady?” he asked, reaching down and pulling her up to a standing position.
“I-I’m fine.” She blew a puff of air from her mouth, lifting the stray strand of hair hanging in her eyes.
It had been three days now, and still the girl wasn’t getting any better at the quintain. She had mastered the rings, but was just too slow, not to mention she also had trouble holding the lance steady. If he didn’t do something soon, she was going to really get hurt.
“Jonathon, please just call me Raven when we’re not around the nobles,” she told him with a smile.
Her silver eyes lit up and she shyly looked up at him.
He wasn’t sure what was happening here. Ever since he said he’d train her again, she seemed to change dramatically.
Instead of her reminding him to use her title, now she was telling him to drop it.
And instead of glaring at him menacingly, she was actually acting shy, if he wasn’t mistaken.
Or mayhap was it flirting? He couldn’t be sure.
“I think that’s enough for today, my lady.”
“Raven. Call me Raven. Please.”
He wanted to, but just couldn’t bring himself to do it. It went against everything he’d ever learned about how to behave around nobles and how to address and talk to them.
“Lady Raven, I’m sorry but I cannot do that.” She looked sorely disappointed that he’d used her title.
“I’m not good at the joust, am I?” she asked. “Be honest with me.”
Damn, he was hoping she wasn’t going to ask him that question. He didn’t want to lie to her, but neither did he want to hurt her with the truth.
“Well, like I said, it takes time to learn the sport. You can’t expect to master it so quickly. Plus, remember, it is a sport created for men, not women, so you are at a disadvantage.”
“I think we should keep practicing,” she decided for them. “I need to be good at it and time is running out.”
Jonathon had to stop this nonsense. He figured the only way to do it was to make her think she was good at it even though she wasn’t. It was a deceitful thing to do and he hated himself for even considering it, but he had no choice. Mayhap then she’d stop pushing so hard.
He had an idea, but it would take time to prepare. For now, he needed to get her back to the castle. His work was piling up at the castle forge, now that he’d sent Avery and Gerold to help his father.
“I need time to work on your armor,” he told her.
“Oh. All right,” she said, lowering her head, looking so sad that it about broke his heart.
He reached out and lifted her chin with two fingers.
Her eyes met his, causing his heart to skip a beat.
God’s teeth, this woman was alluring, even dressed in men’s clothes with her hair tousled and with dirt on her face.
He brushed back her loose strands of hair and proceeded to use his thumb to rub the dirt from her cheek.
“I’m sure by tomorrow after you’ve rested, you will be able to beat that blasted quintain with your eyes closed.”
“Really? Do you really think so?” She looked up to him with all the hope in the world in her gaze. He didn’t believe she was ever going to be able to make a clean pass at the quintain, but he didn’t have the heart to tell her.
“Time will tell.”
“Mayhap I should try just one more time before we go then.”
“Nay,” he told her. “Not today.”
“But I really think–”
Not knowing any other way to distract her or to shut her up, Jonathon reached down and gently kissed her on the lips.
It worked. She was suddenly silent. He only meant to kiss her quickly and then walk away.
But when her hands came up to his shoulders and her mouth hungrily claimed his again, he got lost in the moment.
His arms wrapped around her and he pulled her close.
The kiss deepened and he suddenly forgot they were standing out back of his father’s shop in town.
Someone cleared their throat, causing Jonathon to snap back to his senses. He quickly released the girl and stepped away. Thankfully, it was only his brother Avery.
“Lady Raven, why don’t you go inside and wash up and change back into your gown,” said Jonathon. “Then we’ll head back to the castle.”
“All right,” she said, suddenly looking shy again. When her tongue shot out to touch her lips, it about drove him wild. She turned and ran back to the shop, leaving Jonathon and Avery standing there alone.
“You are playing with fire, Brother,” said Avery. “What if someone saw you kiss her? Someone besides me?”
“Well, they didn’t, so don’t worry about it.”
He turned and walked over to the quintain with Avery on his heels.
“Still, I don’t think it’s a good idea to be falling in love with a girl you can never have.”
Jonathon stopped in his tracks and turned around. “Who said I love her, or have any feelings at all for the wench?”
“Well, don’t you?”
Jonathon could no longer deny it. Avery would see right through it if he said no, so he didn’t even bother to try.
“Aye, I can’t help it. I do,” said Jonathon with a sigh, looking back over to see Raven talking to his sister Estrilda as they entered the house.
The girls were laughing and seemed so relaxed.
After Jonathon told his family in secret that Lord Rook approved of this, they knew nothing bad would happen to them, and accepted Raven being here trying to joust once again.
It almost felt as if Raven truly belonged here, but he knew she was only lowering herself to come here in the first place. “She is intoxicating, Avery. I don’t know what’s the matter with me, but the more I remind myself that nothing can ever happen between us, the more I want it to.”
“I agree, she is a real looker,” said Avery with a nod. “But you need to stop getting all besotted around her and remember she is a titled lady who is about to be married to a nobleman. Do yourself a favor, Brother. Forget all about her right now.”
“That’s rather hard to do when we’re together most of the day, every day.”
“Then at least get her to drop the idea that she is ever going to be able to joust.”
“I did, but her brother told me I had to continue with the training to distract her.”
“She’s going to get hurt and you’ll be to blame.”
“You’re right,” Jonathon agreed. “I feel as if she won’t drop the silly notion until she actually thinks she’s any good at it.”
“Then she’s never going to drop it. I know she is great with other weapons, but come on,” said Avery shaking his head. “She can barely hold the lance steady. She will never be quick enough, either. She’s a girl, for God’s sake. No one can expect a woman to be as strong or as skilled as a man.”
“Mayhap not, but I do have an idea of how to stop her. I mean—how to make her think she is doing well with the joust, even though she is not.”
“That makes no sense. What are you saying?”
“I’m saying, I have a job for you.”
“I have enough work to do as it is.” Avery frowned, not liking what he heard.
“Nay, this is different. I want you to tighten up the quintain so it doesn’t swivel as easily. That will give her the extra moment or two to make it past the swivel-arm before the sandbag swings around and knocks her on her ass again.”
“That might work,” said Avery with a nod, looking over at the quintain.
“One more thing.”
“What’s that?”
“I need you to replace the metal collars on the lances with the lightest steel you can find. Mayhap you can hollow out the poles a little or sand them down to help make them lighter.”
“I could, but don’t you think she’ll notice?” asked Avery.
“Not if she’s wearing a helm, she won’t.”
“You made the helm for her armor already? That was fast.”
“Nay, I didn’t. I’ll have her wear one made for a man. That will block her view a little. Hopefully, she’ll be too distracted to notice any differences with the training equipment.”
“Now you are starting to sound like her brother and father, wanting to distract Lady Raven from what’s really going on. Is it right to do that?”
“It is, since now I can understand her brother’s and father’s concern. Lady Raven is the kind of woman who needs to be distracted. If not, she’ll get hurt, not to mention drive everyone crazy. She’ll also scare away any potential husband as well.”
“It seems to me you’d like it if she scared away any possible husbands-to-be.”
“Mayhap I would, but what difference does it make?” asked Jonathon, looking back toward the house.
“Lady Raven and I are from two different worlds. Worlds that can never combine. She’ll marry a noble because that is what’s expected of her.
I will watch and not say a word, because that is what is expected of me. ”
Just admitting this aloud felt like a blade being twisted into Jonathon’s heart. There wasn’t a thing he could do about it, because a noble didn’t belong with a commoner, and that was never going to change in his lifetime.