retrieve her hand.
“You speak a great deal of nonsense, captain,” Robert said.
At his approach, Luigi straightened, loosening his hold on her fingers.
Juliana carefully removed her hand from the Saracen’s grasp and hid her fingers in her skirt, where she rubbed his touch from her skin.
“Do you not believe in the old legends, baron?”
“I believe the old legends are just that. Airy tales invented by minstrels and jongleurs to entertain. For amusement, I often sang such at King Edward’s court. You do Lady Juliana’s eyes injustice by using so poor a comparison as ancient legend.”
Juliana felt her lips twitch in surprise as she resisted the impulse to drop her jaw. Who knew that gruff Robert Clarwyn could act the courtier and sing ballads?
“And to what would you compare the lady’s eyes? Or have you no poetry in you with which to show a lady your admiration?”
Ignoring the Saracen, Robert turned to Juliana. He placed his fingers under her chin and lifted her gaze to his. One calloused digit stroked the delicate flesh beneath her jaw.
Her skin shivered and burned where he touched her, but she could not look away.
“I would say,” Robert continued, “that because her eyes are as blue as the Madonna’s robe, I find my only hope of heaven in her glance.”
Her smile fled, and her heart raced after it. “Oh my.”
“Very good.” Luigi sneered. “You have caused the lady to lose her smile.”
“Aye, I have.” He grinned broadly. His fingers lifted, and he turned away.
She placed her hand against the spot where Robert’s touch had lingered.
“Did the brutish knight hurt your delicate skin,
mi amore
?”
“What? No.” She dropped her hand. “Not at all, sir.”
“Then you liked what he said? That pompous comparison to the Virgin’s robe?”
“Yes. No.” She had liked what Robert said very much, too much. And therein lay a problem. She could not cleave to both her Beguine beliefs and a man. Juliana took a deep breath, quelled her confusion, and rebuilt her equilibrium. “That is, I did not dislike it. You are both very skilled at flattery.”
• • •
That night after the evening meal, Robert watched from the bow as the sailors gathered in the center of the ship. Juliana and her fellow Beguines stood on the upper deck. One man took out a mandolin and began to strum a tune. Another sailor found a reed pipe; a third produced some drums. Several other men sang quietly until one of the crew approached the Beguines.
Whatever the man said, the ladies followed him to the middle of the deck.
The music swelled and grew faster. Gretle joined a short fellow in a rapid jig. Soon several crewmen danced to a lively tune, the activity spreading throughout the deck.
Robert noticed Luigi give instructions to a sailor at the ship’s wheel, then head for the dancing. The jostle of shifting people separated Robert from Juliana, and he found himself hurrying to her side, arriving there at the same moment as Luigi.
“
Bellissima
, may I have this dance?”
“Milady, would you care to dance?” Robert bowed.
Juliana looked up at him, pleading in those heaven-blue eyes.
He held out his hand.
She shook her head. “I really must honor our host before I dance with a friend.”
He watched her walk into the crowd with Luigi. Robert felt elated and crushed. She thought of him as a friend. That was a good thing, an indication that she trusted him. Then why did he feel so sad?
He considered the question until a rousing cheer broke over his ears. Raising his head, he saw Luigi toss Juliana into the air and catch her. ’Twas most unseemly.
Robert could not be bothered with feelings now. He had to be certain Luigi behaved himself, so he pushed to the front of the group. Berthild and Gretle had joined the dance with a couple of the sailors. Luigi could not try anything untoward with so many people looking on. Still, Robert fixed his gaze on the captain’s hands throughout the song.
At the end,
“You speak a great deal of nonsense, captain,” Robert said.
At his approach, Luigi straightened, loosening his hold on her fingers.
Juliana carefully removed her hand from the Saracen’s grasp and hid her fingers in her skirt, where she rubbed his touch from her skin.
“Do you not believe in the old legends, baron?”
“I believe the old legends are just that. Airy tales invented by minstrels and jongleurs to entertain. For amusement, I often sang such at King Edward’s court. You do Lady Juliana’s eyes injustice by using so poor a comparison as ancient legend.”
Juliana felt her lips twitch in surprise as she resisted the impulse to drop her jaw. Who knew that gruff Robert Clarwyn could act the courtier and sing ballads?
“And to what would you compare the lady’s eyes? Or have you no poetry in you with which to show a lady your admiration?”
Ignoring the Saracen, Robert turned to Juliana. He placed his fingers under her chin and lifted her gaze to his. One calloused digit stroked the delicate flesh beneath her jaw.
Her skin shivered and burned where he touched her, but she could not look away.
“I would say,” Robert continued, “that because her eyes are as blue as the Madonna’s robe, I find my only hope of heaven in her glance.”
Her smile fled, and her heart raced after it. “Oh my.”
“Very good.” Luigi sneered. “You have caused the lady to lose her smile.”
“Aye, I have.” He grinned broadly. His fingers lifted, and he turned away.
She placed her hand against the spot where Robert’s touch had lingered.
“Did the brutish knight hurt your delicate skin,
mi amore
?”
“What? No.” She dropped her hand. “Not at all, sir.”
“Then you liked what he said? That pompous comparison to the Virgin’s robe?”
“Yes. No.” She had liked what Robert said very much, too much. And therein lay a problem. She could not cleave to both her Beguine beliefs and a man. Juliana took a deep breath, quelled her confusion, and rebuilt her equilibrium. “That is, I did not dislike it. You are both very skilled at flattery.”
• • •
That night after the evening meal, Robert watched from the bow as the sailors gathered in the center of the ship. Juliana and her fellow Beguines stood on the upper deck. One man took out a mandolin and began to strum a tune. Another sailor found a reed pipe; a third produced some drums. Several other men sang quietly until one of the crew approached the Beguines.
Whatever the man said, the ladies followed him to the middle of the deck.
The music swelled and grew faster. Gretle joined a short fellow in a rapid jig. Soon several crewmen danced to a lively tune, the activity spreading throughout the deck.
Robert noticed Luigi give instructions to a sailor at the ship’s wheel, then head for the dancing. The jostle of shifting people separated Robert from Juliana, and he found himself hurrying to her side, arriving there at the same moment as Luigi.
“
Bellissima
, may I have this dance?”
“Milady, would you care to dance?” Robert bowed.
Juliana looked up at him, pleading in those heaven-blue eyes.
He held out his hand.
She shook her head. “I really must honor our host before I dance with a friend.”
He watched her walk into the crowd with Luigi. Robert felt elated and crushed. She thought of him as a friend. That was a good thing, an indication that she trusted him. Then why did he feel so sad?
He considered the question until a rousing cheer broke over his ears. Raising his head, he saw Luigi toss Juliana into the air and catch her. ’Twas most unseemly.
Robert could not be bothered with feelings now. He had to be certain Luigi behaved himself, so he pushed to the front of the group. Berthild and Gretle had joined the dance with a couple of the sailors. Luigi could not try anything untoward with so many people looking on. Still, Robert fixed his gaze on the captain’s hands throughout the song.
At the end,
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