My Noble Knight (26 page)

Their gazes swung to her.

Layne felt an overwhelming sadness. She would have liked to sit in the berfrois and watch the joust. She would have done almost anything to see Griffin joust again.

“He will ask to meet her again,” Frances warned. “He might even command it. Or come to the tent himself.”

“We cannot refuse the invitation and Layne cannot stay here alone,” Colin said. "Not with Osmont here.”

“I can take care of myself,” Layne insisted, placing her hand over the dagger she kept tucked in her belt.

Colin inhaled. “I don’t want you here alone. It’s better if you come with us to the berfrois.”

Layne nodded, but she couldn’t suppress the excitement she felt at the prospect of seeing Griffin joust, nor the unease at having to meet Lord Richard.

Layne sat on the ground, pulling a needle through Michael’s breeches, mending a rip he had received in the seat. He was growing so quickly. He really needed a new pair of breeches. She sighed softly and her shoulders drooped. Why did a pair of blue eyes pop into her mind at the most inconvenient time? Why did the feel of Griffin’s kiss keep her awake at night? It was no use dwelling on it. Even now she found it hard to concentrate on the simple task of mending a tear.

A crash outside the tent made her whirl. “Michael?”

The moment of silence stretched, and she warily climbed to her feet.

Michael poked his head into the tent. “You have a visitor.”

“Visitor?”

One of the blonde beauties who had been accompanying Griffin swept into the tent. She looked at the breeches in her hand.

Layne’s gaze moved from her beautiful almond shaped brown eyes, over her blue velvet dress, to her slippered feet, then back to her eyes.

The woman’s dainty eyebrow lifted as she stared at the clothing in Layne’s hand. “You’ll get better with more practice.”

Layne pulled the clothing behind her back. “Who are you? What do you want?”

“I am Lady Gwen Wolfe. I came to meet you.”

A tremor of apprehension shot through her. “Griffin’s sister?”

“You’ve heard of me!” She clapped her hands together. “And Griffin said he didn’t speak of me.”

“He’s only said gracious things about you.”

“He has?” She narrowed her eyes in disbelief. “Like what?”

Layne hated to lie. The only thing she remembered him saying about his sister was how she manipulated him to get what she wanted. “He said many things, but he never told me how lovely you were.”

Gwen smiled. “Griffin might have said many things, but you are correct in saying he would not have told you I was beautiful. I have yet to hear him call any woman beautiful.”

Layne stood with her hand behind her back as Gwen looked around the tent. “How do you do it? I find it difficult to live in a large castle with two brothers. And yet, you live in a small pavilion with three.”

Layne smiled shyly. “It is a challenge.”

Gwen nodded, and looked directly at her.

Layne dropped her gaze to the ground. The difference between them was palpable. She could never be like Gwen. No matter how hard she tried, no matter how much Griffin wanted her to be. No matter how much she wanted to be. “Is there a reason you’ve come to my tent?”

“Griffin seems fond of you and I was intrigued.”

Layne’s heart squeezed in her chest. “Griffin wants nothing to do with me. I don’t conform to his vision of how woman are supposed to act... and look.”

“He told you this?”

“He made it clear.” He was embarrassed of her. He could never introduce her to his family.

“Hmmm.” Gwen picked up a lock of her hair and gently brushed it over her shoulder. “Sometimes my brother can be a cad.” She placed her hand on her shoulder. “You are very beautiful, in a unique way. I think Griffin has seen this. I think he knows. But everything pales in comparison to winning his precious joust. He pushes whatever he views as a distraction aside.” Gwen looked into her eyes, a mischievous grin formed on her lips. “Don’t you agree?”

“He has to stay focused. He has many strong knights left to defeat.”

Gwen’s grin shifted to sympathy. “You care for him.”

Layne dropped her gaze, not wanting Gwen to see the agony in her eyes. She more than cared for him. She loved him.

“Oh, my dear,” Gwen whispered. Then she hooked her arm through Layne’s. “Don’t you fear. He will notice you again. I will make sure.” She smiled at Layne. “We are going to be friends, I can tell. Good friends.”

G
riffin had been grateful that
Layne had not shown up to his joust. It was for her own protection, he told himself. Without the distraction of her presence, he had easily won the joust. Her brothers had been there, watching with Richard who was furious at the slight. Prince Edward had calmed him.

Griffin had not spoken to Gwen. He hoped she had reached Layne and made her his offer. She must have accepted. That must have been why Layne was not at the joust.

Now, he looked out over the Great Hall at the throng of knights. Most were now out of the competition. Richard was still in, a fact that he found no end to boasting about.

Griffin took a bite of his venison. Tomorrow, Richard jousted against Ethan. He wondered where his old friend had gotten. He hadn’t seen him since he crossed him and offered coin to the Fletchers. A thought crossed his mind. Perhaps he had seduced Layne. Perhaps… Griffin grit his teeth and forced the thought away. He ripped into his venison, taking a healthy bite.

And what of the saboteur? Had there really ever been one? Had he made up the cut in his stirrup leather to justify Layne unhorsing him? And the cut in his cinch. Had they really been cut? No. Layne had noticed both, also. He found himself scanning the hall, looking for her.

“Well done, brother.”

Griffin looked up to find Gwen taking a seat at his side. “Thank you for speaking to her.” Gwen smiled that annoying secretive smile that drove Griffin mad. He leaned close to her. “You did have one of your ladies speak to Layne, didn’t you?”

“Well, actually, no.”

“No?”

“I spoke to her.”

Griffin watched as she took a mug from a servant woman. She was up to something. When the servant passed, he asked, “Did she accept my offer?”

Gwen sighed. “We both found your offer... insulting.”

Griffin scowled and growled, “Gwen. What did you do?”

Gwen’s gaze swung over the crowd as she sipped the ale.

A prickling of unease and dread danced over his shoulders and up his neck. “Gwen.”

“I thought of another proposition for her.”

“What did you do, Gwen?” Griffin grumbled.

Gwen smiled as her gaze locked on something in the back of the room.

Trepidation and anger ran through Griffin. He should have known better than to ask Gwen for anything, much less something so important to him. He wanted to grab his sister and shake her until she told him where Layne was. “What did you do?”

Gwen lifted her chin. “I turned her into a woman. Just like you wanted.”

Griffin followed her gaze. Standing in the large double doorway, he immediately spotted Ethan. He had stopped to speak with another man. On his arm was a woman. Her dark hair was braided and hung down her back. She wore a simple maroon gown made of velvet that hugged her figure. Even at this distance, Griffin felt something stir inside of him. His breath caught in his throat.

It was only when she laughed at something the man said that he was certain.

Layne.

Gwen grabbed his arm. “Do sit down. You are making a spectacle of yourself.”

Griffin was surprised to find himself standing. He quickly sat.

“She is to dine with us. Richard was so upset that he couldn’t meet her that I helped make her
presentable
. Just so you wouldn’t be embarrassed of her.”

Her words were like little daggers slicing at him. But he could not take his gaze from Layne as she turned to Ethan and spoke with him. A dark rage rose inside of Griffin. He swiped at his cup and drained it. “What about Farindale?”

“Ethan is a family friend. He will dine with us, also.” Gwen waved her hand dismissingly. “As will her brothers.”

For the first time, Griffin noticed her brothers behind her, trailing her in. He slouched in his seat.

Gwen leaned over to him. “Now who is not presentable?”

Griffin clenched his lips and looked away from his deceitful sister.

Ethan led Layne up the center aisle. Griffin’s gaze swung to them and locked on the way Ethan’s hand held hers, the way every other knight in the room turned to regard her. The way that damned velvet caressed her curves.

“It’s remarkable, isn’t it?” Gwen asked. “The transformation. Why, I believe even Father would be pleased.”

The Layne who moved up the aisle was respectable and conformed to his every idea of a proper woman. This Layne was the one that society dictated she be. But this wasn’t his Layne. His Layne was the one that exploded with joy when he splintered the quintain. His Layne was the one who wore breeches and let her hair curl down her back in rebellious, unkempt waves. God’s blood. He wanted her. He wanted his Layne. But he feared she would never have him; she would only remember the oaf who had insulted and humiliated her. A lump rose in his throat.

Ethan and Layne stopped before the table.

“Ahhh!” Richard said, rising. “Is this the lady I’ve heard so much about?”

Colin moved forward. “Lord Richard, may I present my sister?”

Richard pulled the chair beside him away from the table. “Come, my dear. Sit here, beside me.”

Griffin stared down at his venison, all appetite gone. He picked at the meat as Layne moved around the table.

“You Fletchers, take a seat at the table. Ethan, you are welcome, also.”

Gwen smiled as Layne rounded the table to take the empty seat between she and Richard.

Gwen elbowed him. She leaned close to him to whisper, “Do greet her. Who is the embarrassment now?”

Griffin grit his teeth and rose. He flung the chair back in his anger at what Gwen had said and it almost struck Layne. She stopped as the chair came to a rest, blocking her path. She turned her gaze to him. He froze, caught in the beacon of her beautiful eyes. All of Griffin’s anger dissipated, draining from his body beneath her stare. He floundered. Did he remove the chair from her path? Did he take her hand and kiss it? All he really wanted to do was kiss her lips. His scowl deepened and he bowed his head. “Layne.”

Gwen shook her head. “You’re a cur,” she whispered and pulled the chair aside so Layne could pass.

“Thank you,” Layne said to Gwen. She glanced at Griffin. “It’s good to see you, Sir Griffin.”

He did not miss the formality of her words and the distance that her tone put between them. He watched her move past him and regret suddenly assailed him. She was a remarkable woman. How could he have known she would be so… so… damned beautiful?

She sat and he couldn’t take his gaze from her.

Gwen reached out and pulled at his hand.

He realized he was the only one standing. He glanced around and his stare locked on the door in the back of the Great Hall. He should flee. This could not turn out well. He sat heavily.

Colin took the seat beside him.

Griffin greeted him with a nod.

“I’m delighted to finally make your acquaintance!” Richard said to Layne. “My brother has told me many things about you.”

“I hope they were not all bad.”

That dagger in Griffin’s heart twisted.

“Not at all!” Richard exclaimed. “He piqued my interest.” Richard leaned closer to Layne. “Is it true you unhorsed him?”

God’s blood! Griffin thought, raising the mug of ale to his lips and draining it. Will my humiliation never end?

“I did, but I believe I caught him unawares.”

Griffin froze with his head tilted back, the mug to his lips.

“I think my eyes gave me away and Sir Griffin is chivalrous enough to take a fall for a lady.”

She was giving him a way out. She was actually making him appear gallant! He shook his head as he lowered the mug.

“That is not what I heard,” Richard grumbled.

“But it is the truth!” Layne explained. “No one else was on the field of honor. Only Griffin and I know the truth. I could never have beaten him.”