“Well, I’m not and I won’t live looking over my shoulder.”
“You don’t have to, Angelet. I’m going to watch over your shoulder whether you like it or not. Now tell me what possessed you to wander away from camp just now.”
She pointed toward the summit. “I think Bethany is up ahead. I saw her leave the camp and I was suspicious. I followed her, or what sounded like her. And now you’ve slowed me down…”
“I saw Laurence leave the camp,” Rafe said, relaxing. “Heading this way too. Then I saw you go on the same trail and I followed.”
“So Laurence may go where he likes, but I can’t.”
“Precisely.” Then his eyes sparkled. “So what you’re saying is that you saw Bethany walk away from camp shortly after I saw Laurence…you may want to be less adamant about locating your maid just at the moment.”
“You mean they’re together….oh.” She broke off abruptly. “Well. If that’s what they’re up to, then I wouldn’t really want to interrupt… that is…”
“Why don’t we head back to camp, my lady?” Rafe suggested.
“Yes.” She looked around, then noticed something. “Wait!”
Rafe instantly had his hand on his sword. “What?”
“Nothing to slay, sir knight. Look!” She pointed toward the eastern horizon, where the first sliver of the moon was emerging over the horizon. “I want to watch the moon rise. Please. We can linger that long, can’t we?”
* * * *
Rafe knew he should say no, but the idea of telling her that she wasn’t allowed to watch a moonrise just seemed cruel. Who knew how many more moonrises would be available to her?
“All right, then. Only a little while. Wouldn’t want anyone to get the wrong idea,” he added under his breath.
Angelet didn’t even register his comment. Her gaze was locked on the moon, a sort of rapture in her expression that was almost pagan.
And completely beautiful.
Her beauty had nothing to do with her outward appearance, either. The hem of her gown was stained with dirt. Dirt was an inevitable part of travel, but he was a little surprised that Angelet was so tolerant of it, until he remembered that she had never been expected to show herself off at Dryton. For many women of her class, appearance was the only consideration. A woman could spend hours a day making herself ready to be shown off for her lord or some other event. Angelet had been ignored for so long that she didn’t follow those practices, despite her arresting natural beauty.
Angelet could have been a very useful tool in Otto’s political arsenal. How strange for the man to overlook her…there must be a reason. Angelet’s affliction wasn’t explanation enough, since it was only occasional and didn’t reduce her prettiness by one bit.
He must have been staring at her like an oaf, for she gave him a quizzical look. “What?”
“The moon suits you. That’s all.” It was true. She was a creature of the moon, with her silver blond hair and fey eyes.
“You’re teasing me, but there’s no court to impress.”
“Angelet, you’re the only one I’m interested in impressing at the moment.”
She looked a little uncertain. “I am?”
“Don’t tell me you forgot about my offer.”
By the way she bit her lip, she definitely remembered.
He walked up to her, standing right in front of her. “What have you been thinking about, then?”
She put one hand on his chest, keeping him a few inches away from where he wanted to be. “I’m thinking about the moonrise. You’re blocking my view.”
He shifted fractionally to the right, still in front of her but letting her look beyond him. “Pardon. I’ll try not to do that again. You enjoy your view… and I’ll enjoy mine.”
“Rafe, is this quite—”
He bent to lay a kiss on her neck, just under her jawline, and was rewarded with a little intake of breath.
