He never even saw the arms she held out to him.
Chapter Ten
On the day that the trials were to begin, hundreds, perhaps thousands, of hopeful men stood outside the castle walls. A tall platform was built for the king to stand on so that all the suitors could hear. And from this platform, the king explained what was to happen. There would be three trials in all, in order that the man who would win the princess be thoroughly tested. The first test was to find and bring back a ring of bronze. This ring lay at the bottom of a deep and chilly lake. And in this lake there lived a giant serpent. . . .
—from LAUGHING JACK
Melisande awoke to a solitary bed. Suchlike must’ve let Mouse into the room during the night, for the dog was curled in a tight Vlisball at the foot of her bed. She lay for a moment, staring at the silk canopy overhead, sorting through her emotions. Their lovemaking last night had been wonderful—or at least she had thought so. Had Jasper left afterward because he was repulsed by her boldness? Or because it was simply a physical act for him and therefore he felt no need to stay and lay with her? Wasn’t that what she wanted in the first place? To share with Vale the physical part of marriage without engaging her unnaturally intense emotions? Melisande blew out a frustrated breath. She didn’t know anymore what she wanted, it seemed.
At the foot of the bed, Mouse uncurled himself and stretched, rump in the air. Then he padded softly toward her and nudged her hand.
“And what do you think, Sir Mouse?” Melisande inquired as she stroked his soft ears. “Has he quite tamed you?”
Mouse shook himself all over, then jumped from the bed and trotted to the door. He made his purpose known by scratching at the wood with a paw.
Melisande sighed and flung back the covers. “Very well, then. I suppose I won’t answer my questions lying abed anyway.”
She rang for Suchlike, and while she waited for the maid, she washed with the pitcher of rather chilly water on the dresser. Then, with the maid’s help, she dressed quickly and was soon pattering down the stairs with Mouse. She handed over the dog’s care to Sprat before making her way to the breakfast room, bracing herself to see Vale.
But the breakfast room was empty. Melisande hovered on the threshold for a moment before entering. The table had been cleared and cleaned, of course, but a few leftover crumbs made the case for her husband already having come and gone. She bit her lip. Why hadn’t he waited?
“Shall I bring some chocolate, my lady?” Sprat asked from behind her. He’d returned with Mouse.
“Yes, please,” she murmured automatically. Then she whirled, startling the footman. “No. Have the carriage brought ’round instead, will you?”
Sprat looked confused. “Yes, my lady.”
“And tell Suchlike to meet me in the hall.”
The footman bowed and left the room. Melisande went to the sideboard where a selection of buns and meats were already laid out. She wrapped several buns in a cloth and headed to the hall, Mouse at her heels.
Suchlike was already waiting in the hallway. She looked up as Melisande entered. “Are we going somewhere, my lady?”
“I thought a walk in the park would be nice,” Melisande said briskly. She glanced at Mouse, sitting sedately by her feet. He gazed back at her innocently. “Sprat, I believe we will need Mouse’s leash as well.”
The footman hurried back to the kitchens to fetch the leash, and soon dog and women were in the carriage, headed west toward Hyde Park.
“It’s a lovely day, isn’t it, my lady?” Suchlike commented. “Blue sky and sunshine. ’Course, Mr. Pynch says we should enjoy it while we can, because soon it’ll rain.” The maid’s brows lowered. “He’s always predicting bad weather, Mr. Pynch is.”
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Melisande looked at her maid, amused. “A dour sort, is he?”
“Dour?”
“Dark and scowling.”
“Oh.” The maid’s brow cleared. “Well, he is dark, but not so much scowling as always looking down his nose at people, if you know what I mean.”
“Ah.” Melisande nodded. “A superior sort, then.”
“Aye, my lady, that’s it exactly,” Suchlike exclaimed. “He acts like other people aren’t quite as bright as he. Or just because a person is younger than him, she might not know as much.”
Suchlike brooded for a bit on the superior valet. Melisande watched her with interest. Suchlike was usually a very cheerful sort of girl. She had never seen her in a glum frame of mind—and over a bald valet a dozen years her senior at that.
“Here’s Hyde Park, my lady,” Suchlike said.
Melisande glanced up and saw they’d entered the park. It was early still, and the park was not yet crowded with the fashionable carriages that would later parade. Right now, there were only a few riders, a carriage or two, and several figures strolling in the distance.
The carriage rolled to a stop. The door opened and a footman peered in. “Is this spot good, my lady?”
They were near a small duck pond. Melisande nodded. “Very nice. Tell the coachman to wait here while we stroll.”
“Yes, my lady.” The footman helped Melisande down first and then Suchlike. Mouse scampered to the ground and immediately lifted his leg against a bush.
Melisande cleared her throat. “Shall we make for the duck pond?”
“Wherever you’d like to go, my lady.” Suchlike fell into step several paces behind Melisande.
She sighed. It was most proper for the lady’s maid to follow her instead of walking by her side, but it did preclude any kind of intimate conversation. But the day was indeed fine, and she set out determinedly. Why wait at home for a husband who had a life of his own? No, she would enjoy the day, enjoy this walk, and not think about Vale and why he’d not waited to have breakfast with her.
However, Melisande found that it was somewhat hard to achieve a serene state of mind whilst out walking Mouse. The terrier strained against the leash, his sturdy legs digging into the ground as if he fought for each footstep. Indeed, he strained so mightily against the loop of leather that he was half strangling himself.
“What do you think you’re doing, you silly, silly animal?” Melisande muttered as the dog choked and coughed dramatically. “If you simply stopped pulling, you’d be fine.”
Mouse didn’t even turn at the sound of her voice, intent on his struggle with the braided leather lead.
Melisande sighed. The portion of the park they were walking in was nearly deserted. In fact, the only people in sight were a woman and two children by the duck pon [y tk td, still ahead. And Mouse had always loved children. She bent and slipped the loop off Mouse’s head.