Page 61

He tried to look grim. “I do not know. Does it involve me?”

“Nay.” she cried, then tugged on his arm. “Come and watch.”

He allowed her to lead him over to where Jemma sat on the grass by the stream. She let go of him for a moment to lean over her cousin and whisper something into her ear. Jemma’s eyes went wide, with fear William thought, but she nodded quickly.

As Jemma rose and walked away, William dared to grasp Jordan’s arm and pull her to him. “What is going on?”

Jordan put her hand over his. She was smiling broadly.

“Watch.” She did not remove her hand. Instead, her fingers curled around his own, warm and soft.

William would have much rather watched her, but instead he did as she asked and watched Jemma as she appeared to be heading for Paris.

Paris saw her approach and immediately the battle lines were drawn.

Jemma looked up at him with great reluctance. “Sir Paris, I have lost a bet and I must pay.”

Paris cocked his eyebrow warily. “What do I have to do with it?”

“I must pay my bet… with ye.”

He scowled. “And how are you to pay? What sort of evil spell are you to cast on me? Or, perchance, is there something else involved like your fist to my mouth? Hell, why am I involved at all?”

Jemma shot a nasty look back to Jordan before continuing. She crooked her finger at Paris. “Come here. Lean down.”

“Absolutely not.”

“Please?”

He was about to refuse again when she begged again, with more conviction. Knowing full well he should not comply and knowing further that he was going to regret it, he bent down and was completely astounded when she planted a big, wet kiss right on his mouth.

The knights and soldiers who saw it exploded with laughter, including William. Paris jumped away like he had been struck while Jemma simply put her hand over her mouth as if she were going to be sick. She quickly made her way back to Jordan over the hoots of the men and scowled viciously at her cousin.

“I have probably caught the pox from him,” she sputtered.

Jordan was laughing so hard she could not answer. She laughed harder when Jemma shoved her whole face in the stream as if to wash away Paris’ residue.

Suddenly, Paris was beside Jordan. “What was that all about?” he gasped.

Jordan put a hand on his arm, still chortling. “Oh, Sir Paris, dunna act as if ye have been kissed by a goat. ’Twas a beautiful young lady that has just favored ye.”

Paris had to continue the bluster or everyone would know that he had enjoyed the kiss. It had been such a nice surprise that he was fighting off a blush.

“No knight likes to be…favored in front of his men,” Paris snorted. “Isn’t that true, William?”

William was smiling broadly. “I do not know that for a fact, Paris,” he said. “You looked as if you enjoyed it.”

“Had she kissed you, there would have been hell to pay,” Paris pointed out, then looked at Jemma as she knelt by the water. “Try that again, banshee, and I shall take a strap to you.”

Jemma stood up, shaking the water from her hands. “Ye dunna have to worry about that,” she said. “I told ye that I had to pay off a wager and I swear on Saint Mary that I shall never agree to that payoff again.”

Paris looked at Jordan. “You put her up to this, didn’t you? You are the one who taught Kieran how to curse in Gaelic and now he tortures Deinwald with it.” He was pretending to be outraged but she could see that he was not. “What kind of bet was it?”

Jordan did not want to get into that subject. Mayhap she could bluff her way out of explaining what arrogant declaration had led up to this kiss.

“A lady’s bet, Sir Paris,” she said coyly, lowering her lashes at him. “Nothing at all ye would be interested in. Isna it time to leave yet?”

“Yes, it is, and I would be very interested to know what kind of wager it was, too,” William said from the other side of her.