Page 50 of Historical Hotties
“She is correct, you know,” she said quietly. “She is the only friend I have.”
Cassius shook his head. “She isnotcorrect.”
“What do you mean?”
He smiled. “You have me.”
Dacia laughed softly. “You are not exactly a ladylike companion,” she said. “I cannot speak to you of silly or frivolous things that would only interest a woman.”
“You have not yet tried.”
She cocked her head. “Is that so?” she said. “Then at the feast tonight, I shall make sure to talk about the most frivolous of frivolity and see how long you can stand it.”
His grin broadened. “I look forward to it, my lady.”
Dacia’s smile faded. “Would it be too forward for me to ask you to address me as Dacia?”
He shook his head. “Nay,” he said. “In fact, I was hoping that you would give me permission, although I have used your name informally once or twice.”
“I hardly noticed,” Dacia said, feeling lighter of heart than she had in her entire life. Something wonderful was happening to her that she could hardly begin to describe. “I would be honored if you called me Dacia.”
“And I would be honored if you called me Cassius. Or Cass. I’ll answer to anything you call me, Dacia.”
It was enough to return the blush to her cheeks. “Thank you,” she said. “Then I shall see you tonight?”
“Of course you will.”
Dacia smiled bashfully, heading back into her chamber as Cassius stood there and watched her go. He’d never noticed how gracefully she moved. In fact, there was nothing about her that wasn’t graceful, beautiful, and bright.
More and more, he was coming to see that.
And strength… he’d never seen such a strong woman. It had taken great strength to stand up to her abusive cousin. That impressed him perhaps more than anything else– shy, suppressed Dacia of Doncaster had great inner strength.
But it never occurred to him that he’d helped bring it out.
The evening’s feast couldn’t come soon enough as far as he was concerned.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“Iwas toldthat Amata arrived today,” Doncaster said. “Where is she? She usually eats with Dacia, but I at least expect her to greet me when she arrives. I’ve not yet seen her.”
The evening’s meal was well under way, the hall crowded with eating, drinking soldiers and massive fires in both hearths that were spitting smoke and sparks into the room. At the dais, the duke was seated with Cassius, Rhori, and Bose along with Darian and one of his junior knights, a young man from a fine family named Sir Everard Allington.
The duke was addressing Fulco, his majordomo, who was hovering nervously at the man’s right elbow. A pale man with stringy brown hair, he always seemed to have the look of a frightened rabbit.
He very much wanted to please his lord.
“Lady Amata has retreated to the chamber we usually reserve for her father and refuses to come out, your grace,” he said. “She says that she is ill.”
The duke looked at him curiously. “Ill?” he said. “Is Dacia tending to her?”
“Not that I am aware of, your grace.”
“Why not?”
“Because Lady Dacia is in her chamber and says she will come out when she is ready, your grace,” he said.
“And they are not together?”
