Page 22 of May Queen: May Day

“Where did you hear that?” Ricard knew it had to be Nash with his loose tongue. His brothers probably realized his squire had a secret and offered him coin or alcohol to get him to talk. He saw Nash coming his way with Flora and they seemed to be having a deep conversation.

“It doesn’t matter,” said Lang. “If you were half the man you wanted everyone to believe you were, you’d be able to keep her in bed instead of her trying to sneak away from you every time you turn around.”

“That’s not true,” said Ricard, seeing a rumor about him already forming.

“I heard you were too afraid to even touch her,” chuckled Dayton.

“Our brother is a milksop after all,” said Lang glaring at him. “He gets a beautiful woman in bed and doesn’t even know what to do with her.”

“Perhaps we’ll have to tell him, little brother,” said Dayton, making both of them laugh at Ricard.

Ricard didn’t like the way things were going and figured he needed to do something quickly to shut his brothers up. If he didn’t, he would, once again, be the brunt of idle gossip and jests.

“My lord, we’re here,” said Nash as he approached with Flora.

Ricard reached out and pulled Flora into his arms, pressing his mouth against hers in a deep, long, passionate kiss. It was all for show, but he figured this would be the end of any rumors saying he didn’t know what to do with a woman.

He released her and looked back over at his brothers. “Who doesn’t know what to do with a woman?” he asked, feeling satisfied that he’d shut them up and proved the rumors false.

Both of his brothers were silent, not saying a word. They were, however, looking at something else behind him. When he turned, wondering what held their interest, he saw Flora with her hands on her hips and a scowl on her face. She took him by surprise, reaching out and slapping him across the cheek so hard that it sent him off balance. He certainly wasn’t expecting that reaction!

“Ow!” He stumbled backward, tripping over his squire’s foot, falling on his rump on the ground.

“We’re going to have to give him a lesson in wooing women,” Dayton told Lang as they chuckled and turned their horses, heading out over the drawbridge.

“My lord, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to trip you. Are you all right?” Nash reached out and grabbed his arm, meaning to pull him to his feet.

“Get out of here and saddle our horses,” spat Ricard, pushing Nash away and getting up. He saw his soldiers on the battlements, as well as the servants, the kennelgroom, and the blacksmith all watching him. A group of alewives at the well huddled together and whispered behind their hands.

“Mama, Lord Ricard got hit by a girl,” shouted a child before the woman pulled her little boy away and disappeared into the shadows.

Infuriated, Ricard took a hold of Flora’s arm and dragged her along with him to the stables.

Flora didn’t wantto slap Ricard, but had to do it to save her reputation. When she saw everyone watching them with open mouths, she knew this wouldn’t fare well for her. If word got back to her cousin, Gretta, that she was kissing the girl’s formerly betrothed as if she were a strumpet, her uncle would return here immediately. He’d probably change their story and betroth Gretta to Ricard again and send Flora off to a nunnery. In doing so, he would stop her from spilling his secret that he’d attended a Beltane festival in the past. She was surprised her uncle hadn’t thought of sending her to a convent by now.

Flora wouldn’t have had a problem with leaving here because, until now, she hadn’t had much of an attraction to Sir Ricard. Her thoughts had been on her goal to find her father only. But after sleeping in the same bed with her betrothed, so close to him that she had felt the heat from his nearly naked body, she had been feeling attracted to him after all.

His kiss in the middle of the courtyard both surprised and delighted her. His lips were soft and inviting. His kiss was powerful and exciting! She had gotten lost in the moment and didn’t want it to stop. Ricard’s intimate kiss and the way his hands felt on her shoulders as he pulled her closer caused a delectable shiver to sweep through her. Now, her head was spinning and she wondered what it would feel like to be his wife and have him take her to his bed each night. She wanted and needed to know!

“Why did you do that?” he growled, pulling her into the stable, away from watching eyes.

“Why? Mayhap the real question here is why did you kiss me so passionately in front of everyone?”

“I did it . . . I did it because . . . because I wanted to. Didn’t you like it? The kiss, I mean. Was there something wrong with it?” He seemed flustered and she liked that her actions could cause him this much discomfort. His actions said one thing, but his words said another. It was apparent that he wanted her approval of his kiss. She chuckled inwardly. That proved to her that he not only cared what others thought about him but, mayhap, he cared what she thought as well. If that was true, then mayhap he held an attraction to her. The proof would be in his following actions. That is, if he reprimanded her for her inappropriate behavior or not.

“Nay, I rather liked the kiss,” she admitted smugly, raising her chin and looking into his eyes as she spoke. “What I didn’t care for was that you did it in front of everyone. That is not the proper way for nobles to act – betrothed or not.”

“I suppose you’re right. But noblewomen shouldn’t be slapping knights in the courtyard either.”

She shrugged. “I guess not. I’m sorry.”

He looked the other way when he answered. “Me, too. Well, no sense wasting time. Let’s be on our way to post the wedding banns on the door to the church and also in the village.”

“I’m ready,” she said, lowering her head and smiling. He wasn’t going to punish her after all. Excitement filled her being. This man liked her. She liked him, too. She saw vulnerability in him that most knights would never show. Some men even beat their wives and thought nothing of it. Ricard was different, because there was a part of him that was caring and even gentle. After seeing the way he’d flung a dagger, she had no doubt he was a strong warrior and could protect her. But she also saw something within him that told her he would never hurt those he loved.

He couldn’t actually love her, and neither did she love him. After all, they’d only just met, and she had already gotten off on the wrong foot with him. She wanted to know more about not only her father, but Ricard, too.

He guided her to her horse with a gentle hand at the small of her back, making her feel cherished. Perhaps all men weren’t obnoxious curs after all. Mayhap she should go through with this marriage, because now she was thinking it wouldn’t be that bad.