Summer granted his diversion exactly the attention it deserved. “When needs must, he is ever eloquent. Much like you, it appears.” Her smile was as much a baring of teeth. “Though I do not think my father spills untruth in his eloquence. Will you tell me, Your Grace, why? To my shame I did not know you in the darkness and the night, yet you permitted me to compound my mistake by giving me a lie. Arteys, was it not?”
With effort, she held her voice low, but her spine was straight and her eyes flashed green anger in the light. “Perhaps I am too lowly to merit your honest attentions.”
“Well…” How to reason this, when he couldn’t reason it to himself even? “Lady Summer, Lady Rainault, I promise you that if your person would be of lower rank in my eyes you were not to have had my escort last night.”
“Would the lady believe me if I said I know not the reason?” He asked. “As far as I remember, people bow deep when they see me. There is no way to tell friends from foes, all of them want something from me. Men want rank and money, women want pleasure, and both want power. They stick like leeches to the skin sucking the blood.”
“So when you had no sign of recognising I had not thought about it. Honestly, my Lady, I thought I shall see for once if one ever want me for me and not for my kin, or my wealth. If that is sensible.”
That he answered at all took her aback. That his answer was so … honest broke her heart. Her anger slid away like the child’s thing it was, replaced by deep sympathy. Making no effort to hide how much his words touched her, she replied, “My anger is justly returned on me. You have the right of it. Please, do not be offended when I say, I would indeed have pleasure of you if I might. Even in Kent we know of the great mind of Gloucester, and I would come to know that mind better.”
This time the curtsey she offered was near deep enough to be offered to the King himself, and she laid one hand over her heart.