Read Online Three French Hens by Lynsay Sands - Free Book Online Page A

anything else alone with Lord Thurleah. His man is not a suitable chaperone.” Then she slid out of the room, pulling the door closed with a snap.

Chapter 4
    “I think you are improving.”
    “Oh, aye.” Brinna laughed dryly as she clutched at the hands Royce held at her waist to steady her as they skimmed along on the lake’s frozen surface on the narrow-edged bones he had insisted she try. Royce called them skates, and claimed that what they were doing was skating. It was something he had picked up while on his travels in the Nordic countries. Brinna called it foolish, for a body was sure to fall and break something trying to balance on the sharp edge of the bones that he had strapped to her soft leather boots and his own.
    He had been trying for days to convince her to try skating. Ever since the afternoon they had gone for the ride. The day Sabrina had felt under the weather. But it wasn’t until today that she had given in and agreed, and that was only because she had wanted to please him. She caught herself doing that more and more often these days; doing things to try to please him. It was worrisome when she thought about it, so she tried not to.
    “Nay, he is right, you are improving,” Sabrina called. Having overheard his comment and Brinna’s answer as they had skated past where she stood on the edge of the frozen lake, Sabrina had called out the words cheerfully. “At least you have stopped screaming.”
    Brinna laughed good-naturedly at the taunt. Sabrinahad relaxed somewhat during the past several days. She had recovered quickly from her illness and returned to her chore as chaperone the morning after the ride. But she had taken a different approach on her return. She still accompanied Brinna everywhere, but no longer bothered to try to keep her from talking to everyone, Royce included. She had also stopped forcing herself between the two of them when they walked about or sat for a bit. Brinna supposed she had decided it wasn’t worth the trouble when they had already spent a day together without her interference.
    “You are starting to shiver,” Royce murmured by her ear. “We have been out here quite a while. Mayhap we should head back to the castle to warm up.”
    “Aye,” Brinna agreed as he steered them both back toward Sabrina. “Mayhap we should. ’Tis almost time to sup anyway.”
    Sabrina seemed to greet the decision to return with relief. She herself had refused to be persuaded to try the “sharp bones” as she called them, so she had stood on the side, watching Brinna’s antics instead. While it had been amusing, her lack of activity meant that she was a bit chill and so was eager to return to the warmth of the castle. She waited a bit impatiently as they removed the bones from their feet, then accompanied them back to the castle, teasing “Lady Joan” gently about her ineptitude on the ice.
    As it turned out, it was later than any of them had realized, and the others were already seated at table when Brinna, Royce, and Sabrina entered. They were laughing over Brinna’s less-than-stellar performance on skates that afternoon, but fell silent as they realized that they were late. Not that most people noticed their entrance—the great hall was abuzz with excited chatter and laughter—but Lady Menton spotted them arriving.
    Casting apologetic glances toward their hostess, thethree of them hurried to the nearest spot with an opening and managed to squeeze themselves in. It meant they ended up seated among the knights and villeins at the low tables, but such things couldn’t be helped—besides, the high table seemed quite full even without them.
    “It looks like a celebratory feast,” Brinna murmured as the kitchen doors opened and six women filed out, each bearing a tray holding a succulent roast goose on it.
    “Aye,” Sabrina agreed with surprise. “I don’t recall Lady Menton saying anything this morning about—”
    Brinna glanced at the brunette sharply when her