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obtaining my own ends. Once married, I am lost."
"Would marriage be so terrible?"
"Marriage to any of the louts my uncle chose would have been intolerable," Alice said
forcefully. "Not only because I would have been unhappy but because none of them would
have had any patience with my brother. Men who are trained for war tend to be cruel and
unkind to youths who cannot be trained in arms."
"I take your point," Hugh said gently. He realized that her concern for her brother underlaid
most of her decisions.
Alice's mouth tightened. "My father had no use for Benedict after my brother fell from his
pony and injured his leg. He said Benedict could never be trained as a knight and was
therefore quite useless. For the most part he ignored his son after that."
"It is understandable that you do not want to expose Benedict to similar unkindnesses from
another lord."
"Aye. My brother suffered enough from being ignored by our father. I did what I could to
make up for the poor treatment he received but it was not enough. How does one take the
place of a father in a boy's life?"
Hugh thought of Erasmus. "It is not easy, but it can be done."
Alice gave herself a small shake, as though she were mentally casting aside unhappy
memories. "Ah, well, 'tis not your problem. I shall see to Benedict."
"Very well. I shall speak to Sir Ralf at once." Hugh turned to leave the study chamber.
He was vastly pleased with the results of the bargaining. True, he had only succeeded in
coaxing Alice into a vow of betrothal, but a betrothal was near enough to a wedding. Once he
had her under the roof of Scarcliffe Keep he would worry about the details of the
arrangements.
Alice raised an imperious hand to hold his attention. "One moment, Sir Hugh."
He paused and turned back politely. "Aye?"
"I warned you that you must not arouse Sir Ralf's suspicions and thereby induce him to
demand a king's ransom for my hand. We shall need to concoct a reasonable explanation to
explain why you wish to wed me. After all, you have only just met me and I have no dowry
to offer."
"I'll think of something."
She gave him a quizzical look. "But what?"
Hugh stared at her for a moment. It occurred to him that in the morning light, her hair was a
lovely hue. There was a straightforward, clear-eyed perception in her gaze that drew him.
And the curve of her breasts beneath her blue gown was very enticing.
He took a step back toward her. His mouth was suddenly dry and he could feel a distinct
tightening in his loins. " 'Tis obvious that, under the circumstances, there is only one
reasonable explanation why I would ask for your hand."
"And what is that, sir?"
"Passion."
She stared at him as though he had just spoken in some strange, unknown tongue. "Passion?"
"Aye." He took two more steps toward her, closing the gap between them.
Alice's mouth opened and closed. "Nonsense. You will never convince my uncle that a
legendary knight such as yourself would be so… so utterly witless as to get himself betrothed
for such a trivial reason, my lord."
He came to a halt and closed his hands around her delicate shoulders. He was astonished at
how very pleasant it was to touch her. She was fine-boned but sturdy. There was a resilient
feminine strength about her that excited him. She was fiercely alive under his hands. He was
close enough to smell the scent of herbs in her hair.
"You are wrong, madam." His tongue felt thick in his mouth. "Witless passion is obviously
the only force strong enough to make a man overcome good sense and sound reason."
Before she could comprehend his intention, Hugh pulled her against his chest and covered
her mouth with his own.
He acknowledged then, for the first time, that the desire to kiss her had been brewing within
him since he had first seen her in the firelit hall.
She was a creature of shimmering magic . He had never before touched a woman such as this
one.
This was madness. No woman could be allowed to affect
"Would marriage be so terrible?"
"Marriage to any of the louts my uncle chose would have been intolerable," Alice said
forcefully. "Not only because I would have been unhappy but because none of them would
have had any patience with my brother. Men who are trained for war tend to be cruel and
unkind to youths who cannot be trained in arms."
"I take your point," Hugh said gently. He realized that her concern for her brother underlaid
most of her decisions.
Alice's mouth tightened. "My father had no use for Benedict after my brother fell from his
pony and injured his leg. He said Benedict could never be trained as a knight and was
therefore quite useless. For the most part he ignored his son after that."
"It is understandable that you do not want to expose Benedict to similar unkindnesses from
another lord."
"Aye. My brother suffered enough from being ignored by our father. I did what I could to
make up for the poor treatment he received but it was not enough. How does one take the
place of a father in a boy's life?"
Hugh thought of Erasmus. "It is not easy, but it can be done."
Alice gave herself a small shake, as though she were mentally casting aside unhappy
memories. "Ah, well, 'tis not your problem. I shall see to Benedict."
"Very well. I shall speak to Sir Ralf at once." Hugh turned to leave the study chamber.
He was vastly pleased with the results of the bargaining. True, he had only succeeded in
coaxing Alice into a vow of betrothal, but a betrothal was near enough to a wedding. Once he
had her under the roof of Scarcliffe Keep he would worry about the details of the
arrangements.
Alice raised an imperious hand to hold his attention. "One moment, Sir Hugh."
He paused and turned back politely. "Aye?"
"I warned you that you must not arouse Sir Ralf's suspicions and thereby induce him to
demand a king's ransom for my hand. We shall need to concoct a reasonable explanation to
explain why you wish to wed me. After all, you have only just met me and I have no dowry
to offer."
"I'll think of something."
She gave him a quizzical look. "But what?"
Hugh stared at her for a moment. It occurred to him that in the morning light, her hair was a
lovely hue. There was a straightforward, clear-eyed perception in her gaze that drew him.
And the curve of her breasts beneath her blue gown was very enticing.
He took a step back toward her. His mouth was suddenly dry and he could feel a distinct
tightening in his loins. " 'Tis obvious that, under the circumstances, there is only one
reasonable explanation why I would ask for your hand."
"And what is that, sir?"
"Passion."
She stared at him as though he had just spoken in some strange, unknown tongue. "Passion?"
"Aye." He took two more steps toward her, closing the gap between them.
Alice's mouth opened and closed. "Nonsense. You will never convince my uncle that a
legendary knight such as yourself would be so… so utterly witless as to get himself betrothed
for such a trivial reason, my lord."
He came to a halt and closed his hands around her delicate shoulders. He was astonished at
how very pleasant it was to touch her. She was fine-boned but sturdy. There was a resilient
feminine strength about her that excited him. She was fiercely alive under his hands. He was
close enough to smell the scent of herbs in her hair.
"You are wrong, madam." His tongue felt thick in his mouth. "Witless passion is obviously
the only force strong enough to make a man overcome good sense and sound reason."
Before she could comprehend his intention, Hugh pulled her against his chest and covered
her mouth with his own.
He acknowledged then, for the first time, that the desire to kiss her had been brewing within
him since he had first seen her in the firelit hall.
She was a creature of shimmering magic . He had never before touched a woman such as this
one.
This was madness. No woman could be allowed to affect
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