Read Online The Iron Knight (The De Russe Legacy Book 3) by Kathryn Le Veque - Free Book Online
Authors: Kathryn Le Veque
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your job?” he teased. “It is my understanding that a mother’s only job is to teach her daughter how to catch a husband. Was I misinformed? Because if you have schooled your daughter in catching something, you have failed miserably because she cannot even catch the ferret.”
He was jesting with her but Sophina didn’t say anything. Hesitantly, fearing that she might not have understood the jest, Lucien turned around to look at her only to see that she was giving him such a hateful expression that he broke down into laughter. Because he was laughing, she broke into laughter as well.
So much for scowling at him.
“That was a dastardly comment, my lord,” Sophina said. “I am not sure I can forgive you.”
“Even if I say please?”
“Mayhap. But it is questionable.”
Lucien’s gaze lingered on her a moment before turning around to watch the road. Truth was, he was having a hard time keeping his focus off of Sophina and each time he looked at her was better than the time before. That giddy heart in his chest was thumping a mile a minute. But further thoughts of the beautiful woman riding Storm were cleaved as Emmaline captured the elusive ferret. Triumphant, she walked back in their direction, cradling the animal in her arms. Seeing the girl with her pet, hugging it, suddenly reminded Lucien of his own daughter.
He found himself wishing he had a daughter as sweet and sociable as Emmaline. Instead, God had seen fit to gift him with something much, much different. If only Susanna had been born with a sweet disposition, but she hadn’t. She was a demanding and terrible child, far from her sweet and noble mother, and he struggled against the depression that thought provoked. Here he was, enjoying an unexpectedly splendid afternoon and he didn’t want morose thoughts to spoil it.
Those morose moods occupied too much of his time as it was.
“Then I will ask your forgiveness once again for my dastardly comment,” he said, fighting off thoughts of Susanna. “For, clearly, you have raised your daughter well. Surely you know I was jesting with you.”
Sophina softened. “Of course I knew,” she said. “I did not think you were serious. I hope you did not think I was serious, either.”
Lucien shook his head. “Never.”
The mood was warm and light between them as Emmaline came to walk beside the horse now that she had her pet in her arms. She scratched the animal’s head affectionately.
“Your castle looks very big from afar, my lord,” Emmaline said. “Is it truly so large?”
Lucien could see it off in the distance, the big walls built of gray stone gleaming in the late afternoon sunlight. “It is big enough for my needs,” he said. “Because I am a garrison for the crown, I have about two thousand troops stationed at the castle. You will see once you go inside. The castle is, essentially, a military fortress for the region.”
Emmaline thought on that; things like crown troops and sheriffs and even the rebellions that had been sweeping the country weren’t really part of her world, so she was very curious about such things.
“And your family?” she asked. “Do they live with you even though it is a military fortress?”
Now Sophina was very interested in where the conversation was going. In the two hours they had casually conversed, she’d not yet had the nerve to ask him of his wife, if he even had one. It really wasn’t her business so the event of Emmaline’s unexpected question had her listening with great eagerness. Perhaps she couldn’t get away with asking such a question, but innocent Emmaline certainly could. Lucien was immediate with his answer.
“My son is fostering,” he said. “He has seen seventeen summers and he serves his master at Kenilworth Castle. My daughter, however, does live with me at Spelthorne. She is ten years of age. I would like for you to meet her.”
Emmaline nodded. “I would be honored, my lord,” she said. “Does she have pets,
He was jesting with her but Sophina didn’t say anything. Hesitantly, fearing that she might not have understood the jest, Lucien turned around to look at her only to see that she was giving him such a hateful expression that he broke down into laughter. Because he was laughing, she broke into laughter as well.
So much for scowling at him.
“That was a dastardly comment, my lord,” Sophina said. “I am not sure I can forgive you.”
“Even if I say please?”
“Mayhap. But it is questionable.”
Lucien’s gaze lingered on her a moment before turning around to watch the road. Truth was, he was having a hard time keeping his focus off of Sophina and each time he looked at her was better than the time before. That giddy heart in his chest was thumping a mile a minute. But further thoughts of the beautiful woman riding Storm were cleaved as Emmaline captured the elusive ferret. Triumphant, she walked back in their direction, cradling the animal in her arms. Seeing the girl with her pet, hugging it, suddenly reminded Lucien of his own daughter.
He found himself wishing he had a daughter as sweet and sociable as Emmaline. Instead, God had seen fit to gift him with something much, much different. If only Susanna had been born with a sweet disposition, but she hadn’t. She was a demanding and terrible child, far from her sweet and noble mother, and he struggled against the depression that thought provoked. Here he was, enjoying an unexpectedly splendid afternoon and he didn’t want morose thoughts to spoil it.
Those morose moods occupied too much of his time as it was.
“Then I will ask your forgiveness once again for my dastardly comment,” he said, fighting off thoughts of Susanna. “For, clearly, you have raised your daughter well. Surely you know I was jesting with you.”
Sophina softened. “Of course I knew,” she said. “I did not think you were serious. I hope you did not think I was serious, either.”
Lucien shook his head. “Never.”
The mood was warm and light between them as Emmaline came to walk beside the horse now that she had her pet in her arms. She scratched the animal’s head affectionately.
“Your castle looks very big from afar, my lord,” Emmaline said. “Is it truly so large?”
Lucien could see it off in the distance, the big walls built of gray stone gleaming in the late afternoon sunlight. “It is big enough for my needs,” he said. “Because I am a garrison for the crown, I have about two thousand troops stationed at the castle. You will see once you go inside. The castle is, essentially, a military fortress for the region.”
Emmaline thought on that; things like crown troops and sheriffs and even the rebellions that had been sweeping the country weren’t really part of her world, so she was very curious about such things.
“And your family?” she asked. “Do they live with you even though it is a military fortress?”
Now Sophina was very interested in where the conversation was going. In the two hours they had casually conversed, she’d not yet had the nerve to ask him of his wife, if he even had one. It really wasn’t her business so the event of Emmaline’s unexpected question had her listening with great eagerness. Perhaps she couldn’t get away with asking such a question, but innocent Emmaline certainly could. Lucien was immediate with his answer.
“My son is fostering,” he said. “He has seen seventeen summers and he serves his master at Kenilworth Castle. My daughter, however, does live with me at Spelthorne. She is ten years of age. I would like for you to meet her.”
Emmaline nodded. “I would be honored, my lord,” she said. “Does she have pets,
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