Her first impulse was to turn heel on such a rude scrutiny, but she still hoped to speak further with her father. And, somehow, she was curious about this tall man, though his frank, roving gaze unsettled her.
He wore rich browns to match his hair, but his raiment did not look as fussy or costly as she was used to seeing at the grand and glorious court of Francois. He had a rugged face with high cheekbones and not the chiseled features of a Francois or Rene de Brosse. His brows were raven dark and rakish; his jaw square and strong; his nose was well-formed enough, although it appeared he had broken it at least once, probably in some brawl or joust, she thought. She hated to admit it, but the man stood with an angular grace of easy stance and masculine charm. His mouth, which quirked up in apparent amusement or pleasure at her emboldened stare, was wry and somehow very interesting. Then he grinned brazenly and she looked away to feel the color mount to her breasts, pushed up above the neckline of mauve silk and seed pearls, to her neck, her cheeks.
“Tell the fool to see to it in the anteroom before the gendarmes form up,” came her father’s exasperated words into her consciousness. “’Sblood, I shall see to it myself!”
He spun and was gone in a swirl of jade green cloak, the distraught messenger trailing after him. Mary was embarrassed to find herself standing only four feet from the staring, tall man with no one in shouting distance in the whole, vast, purple-bedecked hall.
“What good fortune,” came the man’s low voice in an English accent.
“I beg your pardon, sir,” she returned as icily as possible and stood her ground as he took a presumptuous step forward.
“That the Lord Ambassador leaves me here as escort to his so lovely daughter, Mary Bullen.”
He said her name somehow differently, and it intrigued her. “He hardly left you as escort, sir.” She hesitated, not wanting to leave despite his rank impudence. “I must return to my duties.”
He fell in easily beside her as she walked slowly along the edge of the velvet runway. “Please allow me to introduce myself, Lady Mary. I am here on my first visit to France, and my French is rough at best. It pleases me to find so charming a lady with whom I can converse in my own tongue. The French women seem to flit about a great deal, but I prefer a fair and honest English maid anytime.”
How did we get on this tack so suddenly, Mary wondered, keeping her eyes lowered. His huge feet almost brushed the hems of her skirts as they walked.
“You have become shy, Mary Bullen. But a moment ago I was certain your fiery glance could match my own.”
She lifted her head jerkily to face him and met those deep brown probing eyes again. He seemed young, yet somehow worldly.
“Are you someone’s English secretary, sir,” she parried, hoping the point of her barb would sting.
But he just gave a shouted laugh, and she desperately hoped that the other girls and her father could not see them or hear his rudeness.
“I am a ward and often companion to our great King Henry, Mary, whom we all serve even when we are safely esconced in the cloistered court of Queen Claude.” His teeth shone very white when he smiled. It suddenly annoyed her that he could have sun color on his face in December when most Englishmen were silken pale.
“Indeed, sir, I meant not to offend, I...”
“But you did mean to offend, golden Mary. Touche!” He chuckled again at her, and she disliked him more than ever. How dare he gibe at her and read her thoughts. She had taken quite enough of his ill-timed wit, King Henry’s courtier or not.
“Your clear blue eyes give you away, Mary,” he was saying, apparently with all seriousness as she turned in a rustle of mauve brocade.
She did not look back even when his last words floated to her alert ears. “William Stafford at your service always, Mademoiselle Mary Bullen.”
It annoyed her that the impromptu interview had unsettled her so, and especially that William Stafford had seen her father dash off as though he cared not at all for his daughter. Still, her father had complimented her appearance, and she knew he felt proud that she was a part of this important international occasion.