The boy swung at him, and Julian easily blocked it.
“Ya aren’t tryin’,” Julian stated with a twisted grimace and a thick accent. “I’m a skamelar! Defend the country against me! Attack!”
“I don’t want ta hurt ya,” Adam said softly, shyly.
Julian grinned. He really liked the child. “I promise a stick will not hurt me.”
Adam puffed out his lower lip in concentration and swung the stick.
Julian easily knocked the strike aside.
Baldwin watched near the tent with his arms crossed and a grimace on his face.
The boy lunged, pushing the stick forward, and Julian caught it beneath his arm. “Ya got me!” he gasped and fell to his knees. “Ya are the champion.” He dropped into the grass on his back, mock dead.
“I won!” Adam exclaimed, lifting his arms in the air triumphantly.
Julian peeked out at the child through slitted eyes, unable to keep the smile from his lips. He immediately noticed the hooded woman standing beside Baldwin. He sucked in a breath and shot to his feet as amazement rushed through his body. He approached her, uncertain if she was a hallucination.
He didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t believe it. The woman from the market! Where had she come from? He thought he might never see her again. And here she was.
A golden curl escaped the confines of the dark hood. He desired to see her face unhindered, unsheltered by the darkness.
Adam stepped before her and dropped to a knee, presenting the stick to her. “I pledge my eternal devotion ta ya, m’lady.”
Good Lord! That was whatheshould have done. Julian smiled at the boy and patted his brown head. He looked back at the woman. “Grand idea,” was all he could muster.
“I saw how you defended the kingdom. Well done, Sir Knight,” she said to Adam. “You have saved us all.”
Her voice sent delicious tremors through his body.
The boy looked up at her from his kneeling position and smiled. He climbed to his feet and turned to Julian. “Sir Julian has been teaching me how to sword fight.”
“He should be practicing for the joust,” Baldwin grumbled.
Adam jumped up and down with excitement, proclaiming, “Sir Julian will win! I know it!”
Julian couldn’t take his eyes from the woman. He was afraid if he did, she would disappear again. “Practice is over. Head home before your mother worries.”
“Practice hasn’t even begun,” Baldwin mumbled.
Adam frowned fiercely but tossed his stick aside. He took two steps toward the road before turning to address Julian. “Can I come back tomorrow?”
Julian smiled and nodded.
“Are you listening to anything I say?” Baldwin demanded.
“Always,” Julian responded. But he wasn’t. She was taking up all his concentration. He could see her smooth jaw from the darkness and desired to see more. He wasn’t going to lose her this time.
Suddenly, the boy rushed back and threw his arms around Julian’s legs in a tight embrace.
Julian straightened in surprise and then relaxed with a tender grin as he stroked the boy’s hair. Adam whirled and sprinted away with a whoop.
“It looks like you have a fan,” she said.
Julian stared at her. A thousand questions crossed his mind.Who are you? Where did you go? How did you find me?
She swiveled her head to glance at her friend, Sarah.Sarah.He knew her friend’s name. She had told him at the market. And then suddenly, he seemed to come to his senses. He bowed slightly. “Forgive my lack of manners. I am Sir Julian of Helmsley.”
