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she had a horse handy in her room at the time, Brinna thought wryly. She blinked suddenly as a thought came to her. Mayhap the girl had prepared her. Managing a grimace of disappointment, she turned to face Royce and the stable boy.
    “What a lovely surprise, and it would have made a nice change too,” she said, careful to enunciate clearly as Joanhad taught her. “But as Sabrina is too ill to accompany us, and it isn’t proper for a lady to be alone with a man who isn’t her husband, well …” She paused to add a dramatic little sigh before finishing with, “I fear the ride shall have to be put off until Sabrina can accompany us.”
    “Aye, you are right, of course.” Frowning thoughtfully, Royce turned to pace several steps away, and Brinna was just beginning to relax when he suddenly snapped his fingers and whirled back. “My man can accompany us.”
    “What?” she cried in alarm.
    “My man Cedric can accompany us. He will make a fine chaperone. Unsaddle Lady Sabrina’s mount, lad, and prepare Cedric’s instead,” he instructed as Brinna’s eyes widened in horror.
    “Oh, but—” she began, panic stealing any sensible argument she might have come up with. She was left gaping after him as he strode out of the stables determinedly.
    “Bloody hell,” she breathed as he disappeared, then turned back to eye the mount that would be hers as the stable boy led Sabrina’s horse off. Joan’s mare didn’t look any happier at this turn of events than she felt. The beast was eyeing her rather suspiciously, and Brinna couldn’t help thinking the horse knew that she wasn’t Joan and was wondering what had become of the girl. Brinna was so sure of what the look in the beast’s eyes meant that she shifted uncomfortably and murmured, “I haven’t harmed ’er. Yer lady’s alive and well.” Noting that the horse didn’t look particularly convinced, Brinna frowned. “It’s true. ’Sides, this is all her doin’. She—”
    “Who are you talking to?”
    Brinna gave a start at that question, and glanced over her shoulder to find that Royce had returned and now towered over her shoulder. He was big. Very big. Why, she imagined if they stood in the sun side by side, hewould cast a fine patch of shade for her to stand in. “My mare,” she murmured absently, trying to judge how much wider he was. Probably twice as wide as she, she decided a bit breathlessly, not noticing the way he shook his head before sharing an amused glance with the older man who now accompanied him.
    “This is my man Cedric. You may remember him from the mistletoe hunt?”
    “Oh, aye. Greetings, my lord,” Brinna murmured, and recalling her lessons on greeting people, started to sweep into a graceful curtsy that Lord Thurleah halted by catching her elbow. “He is a knight, not a lord,” Thurleah explained gently, and Brinna felt herself flush.
    “Oh, well.” She hesitated, unsure how to greet the man now, then merely nodded and offered a smile, which was gently returned.
    “Here you are, m’lord. I returned the lady’s horse to its stall and prepared Sir Cedric’s.” The stable lad led the new horse forward to join the other two.
    “Ah. Very good. Fast work, boy.” Giving him an approving nod, Royce turned Brinna toward the door and led her out of the stables, offering her a smile as he went. Swallowing, Brinna managed a weak smile in return, but her attention was on the three horses Sir Cedric was now leading out behind them.
    “I …” Brinna began faintly as he brought the horses to a halt beside them, but whatever she would have said died in her throat and she nearly bit her tongue off as Royce suddenly turned, caught her at the waist, and lifted her up onto the animal that was Lady Joan’s. Once he had set her down on the sidesaddle, he paused to eye her solemnly, his eyebrows rising slightly.
    “Are you all right, Lady Joan? You have gone white as a clean linen.”
    “Fine,” Brinna squeaked.
    “You are not