The Velvet Promise (Montgomery/Taggert 2)

She rose and took his arm. “Come, we must talk.”

Moments later, Gavin shook his head in disbelief. “And to think I believed John Bassett to be a sensible man!”

“He’s in love. Men and women do unusual things when they’re in love.”

Gavin looked at her eyes, the gold especially brilliant in the sunlight. “I’m well aware of that.”

“Why didn’t you tell me she was a widow?” Judith asked quietly.

“Who?” he asked, honestly puzzled.

“Alice! Who else?”

He shrugged. “I didn’t think to tell you.” He smiled. “I find I have other thoughts when you are near me.”

“Are you trying to change the subject?”

He grabbed Judith by the shoulders, lifting her from the ground. “Damn you! It’s not I who am obsessed with the woman, but you. If I cannot reason with you, I’ll try to shake some sense into you. Would you like to be shaken in public?”

He shook his head in wonder when she smiled at him sweetly. “I would rather attend the hunt. Perhaps you could help me mount my horse?”

He stared at her a moment, then set her down. He would never understand women.

The hunt was exhilarating to Judith, the little tiercel hawk on a perch on her saddle. Her hawk brought down three cranes, and she was well pleased with the day’s hunting.

Gavin wasn’t as lucky. He was barely in his saddle when he received a whispered message from a maid. Stephen wished to meet with him on some private matter when they were two miles outside the castle walls. His brother asked that he tell no one about the meeting—even his wife. Gavin was puzzled by the message as it didn’t sound like Stephen. He left the hunting party while Judith was engrossed in the flight of her tiercel, cursing his brother under his breath for taking him away from such a lovely sight.

Gavin didn’t ride directly to the place indicated but tied his horse some distance away and approached cautiously, sword drawn.

“Gavin!” Alice said, her hand to her breast. “You gave me a terrible fright.”

“Where is Stephen?” Gavin asked, still looking about the place warily.

“Gavin, please put your sword away. You frighten me!” Alice smiled, but her eyes didn’t look fearful.

“You have called me, and not Stephen?”

“Yes, it was the only way I knew to get you here.” She lowered her eyes. “I thought you wouldn’t come for me alone.”

Gavin sheathed his sword. It was a quiet and secluded place, much like the one where she used to meet him.

“Ah, so you think of that time also. Come, sit by me. We have a lot to talk about.”

He stared at her and without wanting to he began to compare her to Judith. Alice was pretty, yes, but her little mouth with its closed-lip smile seemed ungenerous—stingy, almost. Her blue eyes rather reminded him of ice rather than sapphires. And the red, orange and green she wore seemed gaudy instead of brilliant, as he used to think of her clothes.

“Have things changed so much that you sit so far away from me?”

“Yes, they have.” Gavin didn’t see the brief frown that crossed her pale brow.

“Are you still angry with me? I’ve told you over and over that I was married against my will to Edmund. But now that I am a widow we—”

“Alice,” he interrupted, “please don’t talk of that again.” He had to tell her, and he dreaded hurting her. She was so soft and delicate, so unable to take the pain of life. “I will not leave Judith, neither through annulment nor divorce nor any other unnatural means.”

“I…don’t understand. There is a chance for us now.”

He put his hand over hers in her lap. “No, there is not.”

“Gavin! What are you saying?”