Remembrance Read online

  “Callie,” he said, stepping in front of her, a smile of anticipation on his face. When she saw what he had for her, she was going to melt with gratitude.

  “What do you want?” she asked coldly.

  “I have something for you.” From inside his shirt he withdrew the little monkey, holding it in his hands as it blinked against the light.

  “Oooooh,” Callie said, and reached for the animal, her face softening, just as he’d hoped it would.

  “Talis! We have been looking everywhere for you.” “Where have you been?” “You must escort us through the fair.” “We want to see everything and only you can show us.”

  At the sound of the women behind him, Talis acted instinctively, shoving the monkey back inside his shirt, hiding the animal from the women.

  “And I have been looking for you,” he said, turning, trying to smile at the five women, all gorgeously dressed, all looking up at him with expectant eyes. Why did they have to come now? he thought. Three minutes later and Callie would have been his. “I will take you in—” he began then turned back to Callie, only to discover that she wasn’t there. Already, she had taken Frobisher’s arm and was walking away.

  For a moment, Talis’s head spun, not understanding what was going on. What did Callie want from him? What was wrong with her?

  It was then that he began to understand some words he’d heard in the last few days: coward and fight. Will had said that Callie didn’t think Talis loved her and Talis had laughed at him. “Have you ever told her you love her?” Will had asked. “Women always want words.”

  “Of course I have,” Talis had said, but he hadn’t been able to meet Will’s eyes. Well, so what if he hadn’t actually said the words? Callie knew how he felt. He let her know every day how he felt, didn’t he? He allowed her to…

  What was it Will had said? “Women want more than to feed you and tell you how handsome you are. In all of Callie’s stories, a man slays a dragon to win his lady fair. The man works to win the woman he loves.”

  At that moment, Talis looked at the phalanx of women coming toward him, and their glittering silk dresses seemed to be the scales of some magnificent dragon; their jewels were its eyes; the excited faces of the women were the fire coming from the dragon’s mouth. And Allen Frobisher was the keeper of the dragon.

  “Callie!” Talis called, running toward her—and the women picked up their skirts and ran after him. They had indeed been searching for him all day and now that they’d found him, they weren’t going to allow him out of their sight.

  “Callie, Callie!” Talis shouted again until she halted, an expression of disgust on her face.

  Talis stopped in front of her and he was very aware of the women behind him, the insolent Frobisher in front of him, and in his peripheral vision, he could see Philip and James approaching. He did not, not, want to make a fool of himself in front of all these people. He didn’t want them laughing at him. He wanted to be a knight of great honor, someone looked up to by everyone, someone—

  “What could you want with me?” Callie said, her voice dripping venom. “You have so many others waiting for you.”

  “Callie, I…” He swallowed. Then he took a deep breath. “I love you.”

  Heaven help him, but he was so nervous that the last words came out so loud he halted about fifty bystanders. And of course the women, Frobisher, Philip, and James, were riveted to the spot.

  “Talis!” Callie said, her eyes wide. “People are staring.” She was trying to let him know that this was something private, not something others should hear. They had always been careful to keep their feelings from others—at least they thought they did.

  To his astonishment, Talis could feel sweat on his brow. He usually loved a crowd watching him; he was a natural exhibitionist and loved an audience. But pouring his most intimate feelings out for everyone to hear was not something he relished doing.

  “I love you,” he said again and this time it was easier.

  Callie blushed. “I am glad,” she said softly. “We will talk of this later. Now you had better leave. There are people waiting for you.” She nodded toward the women behind him, then started to leave with Allen.

  “No!” Talis said, making Callie look back at him. “I don’t want you to go with him. I want you with me.”

  One of the women stepped forward and put her hand on Talis’s arm. She was Lady Frances, a cousin to the Hadley family and quite beautiful. Lady Alida had secretly promised her marriage to this delicious young man, so she could not allow him to continue talking like this. “You must come with me, Talis,” she said firmly.

  “Yes, you must go with her,” Callie said, starting to turn away.

  For just an instant, Talis hesitated and Callie saw that hesitation. And in that flash Talis knew what it would mean to lose Callie. What did he care if these people heard what he felt in his heart? Heard that he loved her? What was anyone or anything without Callie?

  “Callie,” Talis said. “My love, my only love, the love of my life. I love you. Do you not care at least a little for me?”

  Callie was sure that even the soles of her feet were blushing. She’d wanted Talis to tell her that he loved her, wanted him to let those spiteful women know that he cared for her, but she did not want to be embarrassed in front of the whole village. “Please, Talis,” she said, turning back toward him.

  But he wasn’t there. It was a second before she realized that he was walking on his knees toward her, his hands clasped to his heart. When she looked at him, he put his hands out beseechingly to her. She was so stunned she couldn’t speak.

  “Callie, my own true love, tell me you love me too or I shall die here and now.”

  “Really, Talis!” said Lady Frances, who, unknown to Talis, thought she was his bride-to-be. “You are making a fool of yourself.”

  “If to be in love is to be a fool then I am the most foolish of men. I will die a fool. Callie, please, you must tell me you love me.”

  Callie wanted the earth to swallow her up. To say they had gained an audience was an understatement. People were deserting the paid performers to watch this gorgeous young man make an ass of himself.

  “Yes, yes, I love you,” Callie said quickly and quietly. “Now get up from there and behave yourself.”

  Actually, now that Talis had started this masquerade, he was finding that he rather liked it. Every man near them—and there were more by the second—had a look that said, I’ve been where you are. And the women were looking at him as though he really were the slayer of the dragon.

  Talis grabbed the muddy hem of Callie’s skirt and raised it to his lips. “My beautiful Callasandra, I am not worthy to kiss this sacred garment.”

  “Then don’t!” Callie said, snatching her skirt out of his hands.

  “Talis!” Lady Frances snapped. “This is not proper behavior for a young knight.”

  “How can I act any other way if my heart is bursting with love? I can feel nothing but this pain in my heart because my lady love has not said she will forgive me. I fear, dear, ah, onlookers, that I have neglected her sorely. I have, oh please, will you forgive me, I have been enticed away from her by the radiant beauty of other women.”

  “Can’t blame him there,” a man muttered, then yelped as his wife twisted his ear.

  “Talis, please,” Callie hissed at him. “Get up from there.”

  “Not until you say that you forgive me.”

  “Yes, of course I’ll forgive you,” she said hastily. “Just get up!”

  “I must have your love and your forgiveness. I must—” At that he slammed his clasped hands into his chest and the poor monkey, who had been gratefully sleeping, let out a squeal and tried to claw his way out of Talis’s shirt. Too bad he tried to dig through the skin side instead of the fabric side.

  With a yelp of pain, Talis drew the angry little fellow out and offered him to Callie. He made this offer with great show, bowing his head, holding the monkey in his hands, Talis still on his kne