Page 10 of The Sword and the Damsel

Lady Alais nodded and looked off into the distance, blinking back a tear he sensed was real, this time. “He died in a shipwreck a few years back.”

“I’m so sorry for your loss.”Wonderful. Now he’d gone and upset her more.

She shook herself and plastered on a smile. “Can I take Socorro now?”

“I’d rather wait until we’re at the beach.”Or never. That would be fine too.Why was he doing this?

She sighed and headed over to Snow as Victor mounted Socorro. They rode back to the road and found Dora on Bella looking distressed and pacing back and forth beside the road.

“Where did you go, my lady? I couldn’t see which way you went. You know I’m too old for galloping. It isn’t nice leaving an old lady alone on the open road like this. Brigands might accost me.”

Lady Alais bowed her head repentantly. “I’m sorry, Dora. Truly, I am. I was being thoughtless and inconsiderate. Fortunately, Sir Victor found me and brought me back. We’re going to the beach now. I promise we’ll stay in sight.”

Dora looked at her for a long moment with narrowed eyes. Then Dora’s eyes flicked to Victor, and the corner of her mouth quirked into the ghost of a grin. “To the beach it is, my lady.”

Victor wasn’t sure he liked that look. Dora seemed altogether too perceptive for an old lady who could barely sit a horse.

They rode down a narrow dirt path to an empty stretch of beach just south of Winchelsea. Lady Alais helped Dora settle down on a blanket while Victor adjusted the stirrups so that they could ride each other’s horses.

“Don’t worry, Dora,” Alais said. “We won’t go farther than that rock down there. You’ll be able to see us the whole time.”

Dora looked on with an unnerving twinkle in her eye as Victor cupped his hands to help Lady Alais mount Socorro. She stepped up and leaned into him as she swung herself up onto Socorro’s back. The tantalizing shape of her lovely leg beneath her skirt pressed against his chest, and her exquisite posterior was level with his face. A tiny moan escaped him.

“Did I hurt you?” she asked, settling herself on Socorro’s broad back.

He could have sworn Dora chuckled, but when he looked back, she was gazing at a seagull, all innocence.

“It’s nothing, my lady.” He hurried to mount Snow, hoping to hide his distress. “Are you ready?”

Lady Alais smiled, and without warning set off down the beach, looking like she was floating on Socorro’s back. Hewatched their rhythmic motion as they pounded through the sand, hair and mane streaming in the wind. By God, she was glorious.

Remembering himself, he tore after her, pushing Snow to her limit and still falling far short of catching up. Lady Alais whooped in unladylike glee as she flew past the rock that marked their finish line. His heart threatened to pound out of his chest at the sight of her in her natural state, all artifice fallen by the wayside.

“I won, I won,” she yelled and brought his horse to a halt.

“Not a fair race,” he objected, sidling up beside her.

“He’s magnificent. I think I’m in love.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Don’t listen to her, Socorro. She’ll break your heart.”

Thank heavens he had more sense than his horse, or she would surely break his as well.

“I would never do that to a sweet boy like you,” she said, stroking Socorro’s neck.

“Race you back,” he said, taking advantage of her momentary inattention to get a head start. Needing some distance to compose himself, he pelted back down the beach as fast as the little palfrey would carry him. Lady Alais was neck and neck by the time he passed the blanket where Dora was sitting, despite his early lead. Poor Snow was lathered in sweat and breathing heavily.

Victor dismounted. “I think I’d better give Snow a rest, but if you want to keep galloping around on my war horse like a madwoman, I won’t stop you.”

He sat down cautiously with Dora and watched as Alais tore back and forth along the beach, hooting like an Amazon warrior. The sight was enthralling. He couldn’t pull his gaze away. It was a bad idea to gape at her like this, but rational thoughthad abandoned him. The sight of her, free and wild, tugged at something in his battle-hardened heart.

“I like you,” Dora said, patting his hand. “She needs someone who can keep up with her, someone strong and fierce. Lord knows I’m not up to the task.”

Victor laughed. “Is anyone? My horse perhaps…”

“I think you’ll do fine. But be careful. I’ve watched more than one man dash himself to pieces trying to win her. Gilbert got farther than most, but he would have failed in the end even if he wasn’t unsuitable. He couldn’t match her spirit and passion.”

“I assure you I have no designs beyond keeping her safe.” He had a job to do, and he had no intention of dashing himself to pieces for anyone’s entertainment, least of all a spoiled, spirited young woman like Lady Alais. Besides which, it was his chivalric duty to keep all men away, including himself.

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