much?"
Her mind and body were too full of the newness of tingling sensations to be aware of his tone. "I have kissed no man before. My maids told me it was pleasant, but it is more than pleasant."
He stared, knowing an honest answer when he heard one. "Let's return now and pray for an early sunset."
Judith turned her reddened cheeks away from him and followed his lead.
They walked back toward the castle slowly, neither of them speaking.
Gavin seemed to be absorbed in the erecting of yet another tent. If he had not held his wife's hand so tightly, she would have thought he'd forgotten her.
With his head turned away, he did not see Robert Revedoune waiting for them. But Judith did. And she recognized the rage in his eyes and braced herself.
"You little slut!" Robert hissed. "You are panting after him like a bitch in heat. I'll not have all of England laughing at me!" He raised his hand and brought the back of it across Judith's face.
It took Gavin a moment to react. He would not have imagined a father striking his daughter. When he did react, he plunged his fist into his father-in-law's face until the older man sprawled on the ground in a complete daze.
Judith glanced at her husband. His eyes were black, his jaw flexed to granite.
"Don't you dare touch her again," Gavin ordered in a low, deadly voice.
"What is mine I keep—and care for." He stepped toward Revedoune again.
"Please, no," Judith said and grabbed her husband's arm. "I am unhurt, and you have repaid him for what was only a little slap."
Gavin did not move. Robert Revedoune's eyes went from his daughter to his son-in-law. He knew better than to speak. Slowly he got up and walked away.
Judith pulled on her husband's sleeve. "Don't let him ruin the day. He knows nothing except his fists." Her mind was whirling. The few men she had known would have thought it a father's right to strike his daughter.
Maybe Gavin thought only of her as property, but something in the way he had spoken made Judith feel protected, loved almost.
"Here, let me look at you," Gavin said, his voice showing that he was working hard at controlling his temper.
He ran his fingertips over her lips as he felt for any bruised places or broken skin. She studied the darkness of his jaw where his whiskers lay just below the cleanly shaven skin. His touch made her knees weak. She lifted her hand and placed one fingertip on the cleft in his chin. He stopped his exploration and looked into her eyes. They stared at each other silently for a long moment.
"We must return," he said very sadly. He took her arm and led her back to the castle.
They had been gone longer than they realized. The food had been cleared away, the trestle tables dismantled and stacked against the wall.
The musicians were tuning their instruments as they got ready to play for the dancing.
"Gavin," someone called, "you'll have her all your life. You shouldn't hoard her now."
Judith clung to Gavin's arm, but she was quickly pulled away into a circle of energetic dancers. As she was pushed and pulled through the quick, vigorous steps, she tried to keep her eyes on her husband. She did not want to let him out of her sight.
A man's chuckle made her look up. "Little sister," Raine said, "you should give the rest of us a glance once in a while."
Judith smiled at him just before a strong arm whirled her about, feet off the floor. When she returned to Raine's side, she said, "How can I ignore such handsome men as my brothers-in-law?"
"Well said, but if your eyes don't lie, my brother is the only one to put the light of the stars in those bits of gold."
Again someone whirled Judith away, and as she was lifted in the man's arm, she saw Gavin as he grinned down at a pretty little woman in a purple and green taffeta gown. Judith watched as the woman touched the velvet across Gavin's chest.
"Where's your smile?" Raine asked when she came back to him. He turned and look at his brother.
"Do you think she's pretty?" Judith
Her mind and body were too full of the newness of tingling sensations to be aware of his tone. "I have kissed no man before. My maids told me it was pleasant, but it is more than pleasant."
He stared, knowing an honest answer when he heard one. "Let's return now and pray for an early sunset."
Judith turned her reddened cheeks away from him and followed his lead.
They walked back toward the castle slowly, neither of them speaking.
Gavin seemed to be absorbed in the erecting of yet another tent. If he had not held his wife's hand so tightly, she would have thought he'd forgotten her.
With his head turned away, he did not see Robert Revedoune waiting for them. But Judith did. And she recognized the rage in his eyes and braced herself.
"You little slut!" Robert hissed. "You are panting after him like a bitch in heat. I'll not have all of England laughing at me!" He raised his hand and brought the back of it across Judith's face.
It took Gavin a moment to react. He would not have imagined a father striking his daughter. When he did react, he plunged his fist into his father-in-law's face until the older man sprawled on the ground in a complete daze.
Judith glanced at her husband. His eyes were black, his jaw flexed to granite.
"Don't you dare touch her again," Gavin ordered in a low, deadly voice.
"What is mine I keep—and care for." He stepped toward Revedoune again.
"Please, no," Judith said and grabbed her husband's arm. "I am unhurt, and you have repaid him for what was only a little slap."
Gavin did not move. Robert Revedoune's eyes went from his daughter to his son-in-law. He knew better than to speak. Slowly he got up and walked away.
Judith pulled on her husband's sleeve. "Don't let him ruin the day. He knows nothing except his fists." Her mind was whirling. The few men she had known would have thought it a father's right to strike his daughter.
Maybe Gavin thought only of her as property, but something in the way he had spoken made Judith feel protected, loved almost.
"Here, let me look at you," Gavin said, his voice showing that he was working hard at controlling his temper.
He ran his fingertips over her lips as he felt for any bruised places or broken skin. She studied the darkness of his jaw where his whiskers lay just below the cleanly shaven skin. His touch made her knees weak. She lifted her hand and placed one fingertip on the cleft in his chin. He stopped his exploration and looked into her eyes. They stared at each other silently for a long moment.
"We must return," he said very sadly. He took her arm and led her back to the castle.
They had been gone longer than they realized. The food had been cleared away, the trestle tables dismantled and stacked against the wall.
The musicians were tuning their instruments as they got ready to play for the dancing.
"Gavin," someone called, "you'll have her all your life. You shouldn't hoard her now."
Judith clung to Gavin's arm, but she was quickly pulled away into a circle of energetic dancers. As she was pushed and pulled through the quick, vigorous steps, she tried to keep her eyes on her husband. She did not want to let him out of her sight.
A man's chuckle made her look up. "Little sister," Raine said, "you should give the rest of us a glance once in a while."
Judith smiled at him just before a strong arm whirled her about, feet off the floor. When she returned to Raine's side, she said, "How can I ignore such handsome men as my brothers-in-law?"
"Well said, but if your eyes don't lie, my brother is the only one to put the light of the stars in those bits of gold."
Again someone whirled Judith away, and as she was lifted in the man's arm, she saw Gavin as he grinned down at a pretty little woman in a purple and green taffeta gown. Judith watched as the woman touched the velvet across Gavin's chest.
"Where's your smile?" Raine asked when she came back to him. He turned and look at his brother.
"Do you think she's pretty?" Judith
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