A Lily on the Heath 4 Read Online Free

the vigorous steps of the fast-paced estampie , she couldn’t help but smile broadly. Dancing thus was nearly as enjoyable as watching Hecate take flight, then dart down after her prey, ending with the satisfying sensation of the agile bird settling back onto her leather-covered fist.
    Judith glanced at the high table as she danced past, aware that her veil had slipped down and several of her braids were loosening and swirling about her shoulders and elbows. The king and queen were watching the dancers, and so was Lord Warwick. She caught his eye and with a breathless laugh, she stamped her foot hard in time to the music and spun into the next step. Ignoring the stinging vibration from slippered foot meeting solid stone, she dipped and hopped and continued in the circle as the music went on and on.
    As she circled around, stamping and hopping and twirling, Judith couldn’t help but feel the attention from the high table settling heavily, implacably upon her.
     
     
    ~*~
    The last bloody thing Malcolm wanted or expected was to be seated next to the king during dinner, but a benefit of that dubious honor was the excellent view of the Great Hall. Another benefit was being served first, and with the most choice of courses and best vintages of wine.
    When Mal realized he was quite hungry and that the quality of the food far surpassed anything he’d eaten in months—yet another reason to obtain a wife—he ceased his inward grumbling about having to make conversation with Henry. More oft than not in his experience such conversations ended expensively—either by virtue of costly services such as men-at-arms being committed, time pledged, or fines and taxes levied as the result of a careless tongue boasting about a particularly good harvest or imported goods.  
    And there was always the danger of Henry deciding one’s estate would be an excellent place to stay while journeying through his kingdom—making that the most expensive prospect of all. Mal had known lords who’d emptied their coffers to the last coin to pay for an extended royal visit, and he didn’t want to be one of them. Particularly since he’d just spent the last three years attempting to refill his own after five summers of drought. However, Henry had hardly been in England for two years, and seemed to be intent on his problems in France, so it was likely he wouldn’t be traveling to the north any time soon. Thus Mal settled in to enjoy his meal and allowed the king to complain about the upstart French vassals in Aquitaine that continued to challenge his authority.
    It was partway through the second course of stewed quail that Malcolm noticed the vivacious young woman seated three rows away from the dais. She seemed to be greatly enjoying herself, conversing with ladies and men alike, laughing, jesting, gesturing. Everyone seemed to want to speak to her. It wasn’t until she turned and a bit of red-gold hair slipped from beneath her veil that he felt a stab of recognition.
    Surely it wasn’t Lady Judith. Mal shook his head mentally and sopped up the last bit of gravy with a crust of bread. The falconer in the meadow had merely put him in mind of her earlier today, and that, combined with the color of this woman’s hair—albeit a color he’d never witnessed   on anyone other than Lady Judith—made him see a resemblance where there was none.
    But he found himself unable to keep from studying her in the same way a dog couldn’t cease from gnawing on a flea bite. When the music started and she came near the dais to dance with her friends, Mal saw her face clearly for the first time as she stomped and twirled about.  
    It was Judith. How could he have doubted it? The woman was as she had ever been—surrounded by a crowd, talking and motioning energetically. Just watching her lithe, graceful figure made Mal twitchy and irritated. Apparently the years had done naught to relax her tongue or settle her boisterous spirit. Even the death of her betrothed at