The attic was vast, dark, and crammed full of various items. It took a quarter hour before they spotted a suit of armour.
“Well, what do you think?” Clara asked, holding a candle up to the empty soldier. She wore a blue day dress with white lace around its sleeves. Her hair was different today, more plaits and fewer curls.
“It looks fine to me,” Luke said with a shrug. It seemed to be intact. He wasn’t really sure what else mattered.
Clara gave it a thorough examination. “Yes, I agree.” She lifted open the visor. “What shall we name it?”
Luke scoffed. “Must it have a name?” He found naming inanimate objects silly.
Clara ignored his question. “Leopold,” she said without hesitation. “He certainly looks like a Leopold.”
“It looks like a hunk of metal,” Luke mumbled.
“This is my home, so I shall make the introductions,” she took a step back, and turned to Luke. “Lord Maxwell, I would like you to meet-”
“Clara, this is ridiculous!” Naming it was one thing, addressing it was another entirely.
Clara faced the armour again, “I apologize, Leopold, he is not typically this ill-mannered.”
“Stop talking to it!” Luke pressed, but he could not help laughing as he did. The situation was just far too strange.She is crazy, he thought,and I am crazy for enjoying it.
“There you go,” she gestured to the laughing baron, but still spoke to the empty suit. “You see, he is actually quite friendly once you get to know him.”
Luke rolled his eyes. They would be here all day if he did not comply. “Very well. Hurry and finish your introductions. I would like to speak to actual living creatures today.”
“Well, I seriously doubt that,” Clara teased, though she was not wrong. She straightened up to her full height, holding her neck with a ballroom elegance that was sure to crack even the strongest of men. “Lord Maxwell let me introduce Leopold. Leopold, Lord Maxwell.”
Luke bowed deeply. “A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Sir Leopold.” When he straightened up, he found Clara beaming at him. Her cheeks were perfectly rosy and her smile flawlessly white. “Are you pleased now, Lady Clara?” He intended for the question to come out sarcastically, but something about her smile distracted him, and instead, his words rang far too serious. As if he longed to please her. As if her happiness was his top priority. As if he desperately wished for her acceptance.
Thankfully, Clara didn’t seem to notice. “Well,” she tipped her head, “I do not believe a lord would actually bow to a knight. A light head dip, perhaps.”
Luke threw his hands up in the air. “That is it! I am leaving!” Thankfully, the sarcasm found its way to the sentence this time.
Clara laughed. “Oh Luke.” She clutched his arm. “Don’t go!”
Her voice was light with laughter, but something inside Luke pounded against a dark corner of his heart.It’s Clara, he reminded himself,John’s little annoying sister, Clara. Why, she is practically your sister!But the dark secret poked somewhere deep in his chest, tormenting him with a knowledge he just couldn’t seem to grasp. He had to get away from her. “Your father is expecting me,” the words came out more sternly than he intended.
Once again, Clara was unaffected. “I doubt he and John are back from their ride yet.” She released his arm. “And we need to find another set.” She gestured to the knight. “I usually see them in pairs.”
While his brain warned him against the danger of spending more time with Lady Clara, his heart yearned for her company. He could not force himself to leave, but instead said in an annoyed tone, “Oh yes, Leopold must have a friend.” Her laughter kept him going. “What shall we call him? Lancelot?”
“Too generic,” Clara replied. “Tell me about some of the knights in your book, perhaps one of their stories will inspire me.”
No one had ever asked him to share about his knowledge of knights, though truth be told, not many people knew about it. So as they continued their search, Luke shared the stories of King Arthur, Joan of Arc, Godfrey the Crusader, and Richard the Lionheart. Clara listened intently, asking many questions and showing a genuine interest. He was in the middle of telling the tale of Bertrand the Eagle when they spotted the second set. Clara examined the suit much like she had the first.
“Well?” Luke asked. “What name have you chosen?”
“Joan.”
“Hmmm,” Luke replied, “so our Leopold has a female companion.”
Clara put her hands on her hips. “Is there something wrong with that?” she asked sassily.
“No,” Luke responded quickly, “I only wanted to ensure it was proper. Will we need a third suit to act as chaperone?”Why are you encouraging her?His brain questioned, but he couldn’t seem to stop.
“Are you questioning the integrity of Joan of Arc?” There was great disbelief in her voice.
“Never,” Luke responded with feeling, “it is that Leopold fellow.”
