Chapter Twenty #4
“Of course,” she called in return, accepting the surcoat that Devlin handed her. “A moment, please. I was resting.”
“At your leisure, my lady,” de Noble replied.
She knew he didn’t mean it. He wasn’t a patient man in the least. In a panic, she threw on the surcoat and had Devlin fasten her up the back.
The bed was a mess and her shift was still on the floor; she’d dressed without it.
As Devlin finished dressing, Emllyn pulled on her slippers and straightened her hair as she headed for the door.
She eyed Devlin as the man came up behind her, to be positioned behind the door should she open it.
Taking a deep breath, she struggled for calm.
“Are you alone, my lord?” she asked politely.
“I am, my lady.”
“Then you know it is not proper for me to open my door to you without a chaperone or an escort to stand with me,” she said firmly. “What did you wish to speak to me of?”
De Noble went from sounding polite to sounding frustrated.
“I came to ask you if you would grace us with your presence at sup tonight,” he said.
“We are having a rather large meal in honor of our English prisoners. De Ferrer and his men went hunting this morning and killed a three point buck. I know that you usually take your meals in your room, but I am asking if you will attend us as a special favor.”
Emllyn leaned up against the door, her hand on the iron bolt. She was very thankful that Eefha had locked the door once Devlin had entered the chamber.
“Aye,” she said. “I would be happy to attend.”
De Noble’s tone went back to a pleasant cast. “Thank you, my lady,” he said. “We are most honored. May… may I escort you to the meal?”
Emllyn turned to look at Devlin, who looked mightily displeased. After a moment, however, he reluctantly nodded. Emllyn looked at him with great disappointment but obeyed.
“You may,” she said, making a face at Devlin as she did so. “I will be ready at the appropriate time.”
“Thank you, my lady.”
They could hear the man’s footfalls fade away. Emllyn looked at Devlin with disgust. “I do not want to touch the man,” she said petulantly. “Why did you tell me to allow him to escort me to the meal?”
Devlin was patient with her, rather amused at her tantrum.
“Because it will keep his mind off of me and any thoughts of attraction between you and I,” he said.
“A spurned suitor is not what you want tonight. You want a man who is not suspicious and therefore will more than likely let his guard down, allowing you more freedom of movement.”
She paused over by the wardrobe, fumbling with the stays on her dress. “You mean more freedom when I flee the keep tomorrow morning?”
“Exactly. Mayhap he will not be watching you so closely, making it easier for you to get away.”
It made sense. Pacified, Emllyn opened up the wardrobe to a gallery of borrowed dresses from Elyse; the woman had so many clothes that to loan several to Emllyn had been no hardship at all. Consequently, she had inherited a beautiful new wardrobe.
Devlin watched her as she began to rummage through the clothing, pulling out belts and surcoats and girdles. He had all of his clothes on but not his shoes. As he finished pulling on his worn peasant boots, Emllyn turned around holding up a pink satin surcoat in front of her.
“What do you think?” she asked. “Would you like to help me dress?”
He grinned as he went over to her, putting his hands on her shoulders and kissing her on the forehead.
“If I have anything to do with touching your body, even if it is to fasten a surcoat, the garment will more than likely come off than stay on,” he said, releasing her. “Surprise me with what you wear. I would have my breath taken away when I see you.”
It was a sweet thing to say and Emllyn smiled dreamily at him. “Are you leaving now?”
He nodded. “It is probably for the best,” he said. “I should not stay here any longer than I have. I will go find Victor and the others, and then see you at sup tonight.”
Emllyn curtsied deeply for him. “I am looking forward to it, my lord.”
Devlin’s response was to wrap her up in a crushing embrace and kiss her until she gasped.
It was such a sweet kiss, one of great longing and passion.
When he finally released her, it was with a wink.
Then, he quietly opened the door, checked the dim corridor outside to make sure it was clear, before silently slipping into the shadows.
Eefha rose from her seat by the door and dutifully shut the door behind him.
Heart swelling with love and adoration for the massive Irish knight, Emllyn went about dressing with great eagerness.
Tonight, she would have the opportunity to look beautiful for him as she never had.
Up until today, the man had only seen her in dirt and rags and borrowed clothing that did not fit her.
Tonight, she would change all of that. The man had already fallen in love with her beauty; now, she would show him what it was like to shine.
His unconditional love had made it possible.
She would make it an evening worth remembering.