love in her heart?"
Terence grinned more broadly. "From what I know of Sarah, I wouldn't think so." Then, guessing where Acoriondes was leading, he added, "But I might be able to drop by her rooms and find out for certain."
Acoriondes nodded slowly. "I admit that's what I was hoping. But I should warn you that visiting Lady Sarah may be difficult. My understanding is that she has bolted her door against the footmen in the corridor."
"Footmen?"
"Footmen," Acoriondes repeated, his face blank. "There are, I believe, a half-dozen footmen waiting outside her door, each with a large sack filled with rose petals."
"Rose petals," Terence repeated blankly.
"To strew at her feet wherever she walks."
"You're ... you're joking," Terence said, his lips curving in a smile of pure delight as he pictured Sarah striding through Camelot with petal-tossing servants trotting at her side.
Acoriondes sighed. "I fear not," he said.
"Oh, I definitely need to visit with Sarah," Terence said.
"And Squire Terence," Acoriondes said slowly, "I wonder if I might ask a favor of you. My master truly believes that all this confusion will influence Lady Sarah's heart in his favor. If he is mistaken, I should like very much to know that."
Terence nodded. "I'll let you know," he promised.
He didn't even try going to Eileen and Sarah's door but went at once to the back window and dropped in. Eileen was sitting alone by the fire. "Hello, love," Terence said.
"I wouldn't say that word too loudly," Eileen commented. "Sarah's gone of fit just now."
Terence nodded. "And where is the famous Sarah, than whom there is no one faireh?"
"In the bedroom, putting salve on her hands." Terence waited patiently, and after a second Eileen dimpled. "She skinned her knuckles, you see."
"On what?"
"On the teeth and noses of some gentlemen that she found in the corridor."
"Gentlemen who were sprinkling rose petals at her feet?"
"No! Is that what they're up to?" Eileen asked, her control breaking down as she dissolved in laughter.
"Are the footmen all right?" Terence asked.
"They'll live. I pulled Sarah off them after a bit. After all, she didn't really want to hit them; she wants to hit Alexander."
"No, I don't," came Sarah's muffled voice through the bedroom door. "Alexander I want to flay with a dull knife." A moment later she stormed into the room, her hands wrapped in fresh cloths. "What an ass! To think all this foofaraw would make me love him!"
Mindful of his promise to Acoriondes, Terence said, "Then it doesn't?"
Sarah stared at him. "Are you mad? Would a passel of fool minstrels make
you
love someone?"
"I just wanted to be sure," Terence explained. "Maybe I can help get rid of them for you. Wait here."
Twenty minutes later, having told Acoriondes how Sarah felt, Terence watched the first performers leave Camelot. Acoriondes was nothing if not efficient. Without being at all obvious, he had managed to speak privately to every minstrel, mummer, and musician, and within moments of his talking to them, they began packing up to leave. With the performers gone, the crowds dispersed, and an hour later Camelot was back to normal. Terence turned to go tell Sarah it was safe to leave her rooms again, but he was stopped by a quiet voice at his elbow.
"I thank you again, Squire Terence." It was Acoriondes.
"You re welcome."
For a moment Acoriondes didn't speak. Then he said, "Squire Terence?"
"Yes?"
"I would not have you think that my master is a fool. He is not. He has trusted too much in his brother, who in turn has trusted too much in foolish stories, but Alexander is a good man, great of heart. He is the best master I have ever served, and he will be a great emperor when he is older."
Terence nodded, then asked, "And why are you telling all this to a mere squire?"
"I told you that I had learned much about you. While you were away this past week, I have heard many stories about you, and of one thing I am certain. You are not a mere squire."
Terence
Terence grinned more broadly. "From what I know of Sarah, I wouldn't think so." Then, guessing where Acoriondes was leading, he added, "But I might be able to drop by her rooms and find out for certain."
Acoriondes nodded slowly. "I admit that's what I was hoping. But I should warn you that visiting Lady Sarah may be difficult. My understanding is that she has bolted her door against the footmen in the corridor."
"Footmen?"
"Footmen," Acoriondes repeated, his face blank. "There are, I believe, a half-dozen footmen waiting outside her door, each with a large sack filled with rose petals."
"Rose petals," Terence repeated blankly.
"To strew at her feet wherever she walks."
"You're ... you're joking," Terence said, his lips curving in a smile of pure delight as he pictured Sarah striding through Camelot with petal-tossing servants trotting at her side.
Acoriondes sighed. "I fear not," he said.
"Oh, I definitely need to visit with Sarah," Terence said.
"And Squire Terence," Acoriondes said slowly, "I wonder if I might ask a favor of you. My master truly believes that all this confusion will influence Lady Sarah's heart in his favor. If he is mistaken, I should like very much to know that."
Terence nodded. "I'll let you know," he promised.
He didn't even try going to Eileen and Sarah's door but went at once to the back window and dropped in. Eileen was sitting alone by the fire. "Hello, love," Terence said.
"I wouldn't say that word too loudly," Eileen commented. "Sarah's gone of fit just now."
Terence nodded. "And where is the famous Sarah, than whom there is no one faireh?"
"In the bedroom, putting salve on her hands." Terence waited patiently, and after a second Eileen dimpled. "She skinned her knuckles, you see."
"On what?"
"On the teeth and noses of some gentlemen that she found in the corridor."
"Gentlemen who were sprinkling rose petals at her feet?"
"No! Is that what they're up to?" Eileen asked, her control breaking down as she dissolved in laughter.
"Are the footmen all right?" Terence asked.
"They'll live. I pulled Sarah off them after a bit. After all, she didn't really want to hit them; she wants to hit Alexander."
"No, I don't," came Sarah's muffled voice through the bedroom door. "Alexander I want to flay with a dull knife." A moment later she stormed into the room, her hands wrapped in fresh cloths. "What an ass! To think all this foofaraw would make me love him!"
Mindful of his promise to Acoriondes, Terence said, "Then it doesn't?"
Sarah stared at him. "Are you mad? Would a passel of fool minstrels make
you
love someone?"
"I just wanted to be sure," Terence explained. "Maybe I can help get rid of them for you. Wait here."
Twenty minutes later, having told Acoriondes how Sarah felt, Terence watched the first performers leave Camelot. Acoriondes was nothing if not efficient. Without being at all obvious, he had managed to speak privately to every minstrel, mummer, and musician, and within moments of his talking to them, they began packing up to leave. With the performers gone, the crowds dispersed, and an hour later Camelot was back to normal. Terence turned to go tell Sarah it was safe to leave her rooms again, but he was stopped by a quiet voice at his elbow.
"I thank you again, Squire Terence." It was Acoriondes.
"You re welcome."
For a moment Acoriondes didn't speak. Then he said, "Squire Terence?"
"Yes?"
"I would not have you think that my master is a fool. He is not. He has trusted too much in his brother, who in turn has trusted too much in foolish stories, but Alexander is a good man, great of heart. He is the best master I have ever served, and he will be a great emperor when he is older."
Terence nodded, then asked, "And why are you telling all this to a mere squire?"
"I told you that I had learned much about you. While you were away this past week, I have heard many stories about you, and of one thing I am certain. You are not a mere squire."
Terence
Similar Books
