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wouldn’t fight to protect his lands. Since I know little of holding a sword, I found myself escorted off his lands and told never to return.”
    Anger welled up inside her. How dare anyone treat their brother that way! She had expected better than that from Michael de Montgomerie. “That onerous beast!”
    “My thoughts were a great deal harsher than that, but ’twas along the same lines.” Kit leaned back as a page appeared and reached for his goblet to fill it with wine.
    Rowena waited while the page poured their cups. Once the boy left, she renewed her conversation. “What did you do?”
    Kit took a sip of wine, then set the cup back on the table. “I did the only thing I knew how to, I started singing for my supper.”
    That sounded wonderful to her. Oh but to be a man who could do such…
    Propping his arm on the table, Kit leaned his cheek against his fist and gave a bitter laugh. “However, I fear my talents were lacking, and I was practically starving to death. I never knew how many ears were so discriminating until my belly depended upon it.”
    She patted his arm in sympathy. “You don’t look like you’re starving now.”
    “I’m not, thanks to Stryder. I was playing in an inn down in Canterbury when several knights took issue with one of the serving women. I was trying to defend her, but with five of them and one of me, I was making a rather poor showing of it. As they were getting ready to thrash me soundly, Stryder intervened. He didn’t even know who I was until after he’d sent them packing.”
    His words surprised her. From what she’d heard of the earl, she would have thought he’d be one of the men leading the thrashing.
    Kit brushed his fingers over his chin. “Though it’d been more than a decade since we had last seen each other, Stryder recognized me and said that he had been looking for me for quite some time. Apparently, he’d been to Michael’s and had learned of my banished status.”
    His gaze turned distant. “I still can’t believe how angry he was on my behalf. I thought he might actually kill Michael over it.” He offered her a timid smile. “Once I told him how I came to be in Canterbury, he insisted I join his household.”
    That was something she didn’t find surprising. “As a knight, no doubt.”
    “Nay, as his brother. He told me he has strength aplenty to protect his lands, ’tis family he lacks.”
    How odd. Again, it wasn’t something she would expect from a man of the earl’s reputation.
    Not that it mattered. She was irritated with Kit at the moment. No wonder he had looked so despondent the last time she had seen him. “Why did you not come to me? You know I would have—”
    “I would never have imposed myself on your graciousness,” he said, interrupting her. “I am a man, Rowena. Not a child needing shelter. Besides, I doubt your uncle would have cared for my presence. Even now he watches us like a lion guarding his cub.”
    Rowena glanced past her shoulder to see that Lord Lionel had finally returned to the hall and was indeedwatching them from his corner on the far right.
    Smiling, she waved at the man who had raised her since the death of her own father.
    His face softened, until he looked to Kit and his sternness returned even sharper than before. She let out a tired breath at that. Her poor uncle was so afraid that she was going to elope with one of the troubadours she knew.
    Unfortunately, she didn’t want to marry any man. Even though Queen Eleanor often touted the pleasures that could be found in marriage, she saw enough of the queen’s sadness over her husband’s infidelities to know what heartbreak marriage held.
    And Rowena had no desire to be made miserable by anything.
    “I can tell he doesn’t care for me.”
    “Oh, Kit, don’t take it personally. He cares not for any man who sits too near me.”
    He scooted himself two inches further away.
    Rowena laughed.
    A servant placed a bread trencher down for them. Kit served Rowena