An Uncertain Choice

James was waiting by the doors, wringing his large hands. “I think Abbot Francis Michael was right. The duke has brought other knights with him and they’re all dressed for battle. What if he’s come to attack you and take over your lands?”


“Don’t be silly, James.” I straightened the crown of roses one last time and then smoothed a hand down the front of my gown. “I’m sure the duke comes in peace.”

“I think we should wait to receive them until the abbot returns,” he whispered, his gaze darting to the shadows as though he wanted nothing more than to hide there. “I’ve sent a messenger for him so he’s aware the guests are here.”

“After a weary day of riding, we cannot keep them waiting. I shall receive them now.” I nodded at the doors, the signal for James to open them, precede me, and announce my presence. He hesitated only a moment longer before bowing and obeying. The doors squealed on their hinges as he swung them wide, making it obvious they had not been opened enough in recent years.

The fading evening sunlight poured into the hallway, beaming down on me. With Trudy’s final fussing over my train, I glided forward, passing through the doors onto the wide, open balcony at the top of the front steps. The gleam of silver armor, the glint of weapons, the clanking of metal, and the stomping of horses greeted me. The knights were covered from head to toe in protective gear yet sat straight and tall on their steeds. They were followed by a small army: squires and groomsmen on horses behind them, along with servants on baggage carts.

A hush fell over the crowded courtyard, and every gaze turned to me. What if the abbot had been right about their intention? Had I rushed into a dangerous situation?

The peace I’d had only a moment ago fled, making me wish I could follow it back into the dark comfort of the keep. But I held still and forced the greeting required of me. “I am Lady Rosemarie Montfort, and I welcome you to Ashby.”

The lead knight slid from his mount and tugged off his helmet and padded cap to reveal silver hair and the kind, regal face of the Duke of Rivenshire.

“Your Grace.” I curtsied and bowed my head in deference. As a younger brother of the High King, the duke was my superior even if he’d been a family friend.

“Rosemarie?” His voice held surprise. He moved toward the bottom step, taking me in from the crown of roses on my head to the dainty slippers on my feet. A smile hovered over his lips.

“Yes, your Grace.” I curtsied again, trying to quell the nervousness that sprang to life. What would he think of me after so many years?

“Of course I expected you to have matured since the last time I saw you,” he said. “And rumors of your beauty had reached us even to the far borders of the kingdom.”

I could feel a heated blush moving into my cheeks.

“But I was not prepared for exactly how grown up and lovely you truly are.”

“You are much too kind.” I’d never paid attention to the whispers surrounding my beauty. I’d always believed the poor beggar children who admired me couldn’t help it compared to the squalor of their lives. I’d never believed I was extraordinary, only that it was hard not to shine in such darkness.

The duke’s smile widened, and he started up the stone steps. When he stopped before me, he reached for my hand and kissed it tenderly, his eyes crinkling at the corners and his face showing many more lines than it had the last time I’d seen him.

“And how are you, dear one?” he asked softly.

With his last words, I couldn’t keep from envisioning the last time I’d seen the duke, the day after my parents’ funeral. We’d stood in this exact spot saying our good-byes. Although he’d invited me to live with his wife in Rivenshire, I hadn’t been able to leave Ashby and all the memories of my parents. My heart constricted with sudden longing — ?and sadness — ?for my father and mother, their love and companionship, and all that I’d lost when they’d died.

If only . . .

The moment the discontent whispered through me, I squelched it. There was no sense brooding about what could have been. I couldn’t change anything now. I needed to accept my fate with the positive attitude I’d worked so hard to cultivate.

“I have fared well these past years,” I said, through the ache in my throat. “And I’m delighted that of all the places to visit in the country, you’ve chosen to come to Ashby so directly. Surely after so long an absence, you and your knights are anxious to return to your estates.”

For the briefest of moments, I allowed myself a peek at the retinue of soldiers the duke had in his service. Three knights were mounted directly behind the duke’s steed, set apart from the others — ?obviously his most trusted men. I skimmed over two of them, but at the sight of the emblem of the fire-?breathing dragon on the third, I stopped.

The slit in the man’s visor was too narrow to see his eyes, but he gave me the barest of nods. And that was all it took to know that he acknowledged our earlier encounter.