William tried his hardest to suppress a scowl as he and Roland were once again forced to wait while Kate and Christiana looked over the wares available for purchase at a weaver's booth. Momentarily relived when they were at last able to move on, he was once again frustrated when Kate and Christiana stopped at a woodcarver's stand; William could not fathom why they were so keen on browsing a table filled mostly with children's toys. Both ladies turned and shot him annoyed glares - could they read his thoughts? - but at spotting the amused eye-roll Roland gave him, Will realised it was more likely they had heard his impatient sighs or seen him fidgeting. He stared off into space, unsuccessfully trying to control his actions, but was pleased when Kate put her arm on his and practically dragged him off behind Roland and Christiana's departing figures.
"Stop squirming like a little boy; we've not much else to do today other than wander about so we might as well make it last."
Will stared down at her dumbly, for she had said naught to him since earlier that morning. He cleared his throat slightly before he replied. "And how can you be sure of that, my lady. Roland and I may have a very pressing pub brawl to attend, and we would not wish to be late."
Kate smirked at him, as they easily slipped back into the playful banter to which they were accustomed. "I could readily believe that, my lord, if it were not for the fact that our companions seem to have abandoned us here."
Snapping his head up, Will looked around at the throngs of unfamiliar people. "Where have they gone off to? I cannot see them through this mob!"
"Here, lift me up a bit, so I can spot them properly." Kate lifted her arms to his shoulders, and William grasped her waist gently and picked her up.
Kate was silent, and William looked up to see her craning her neck in an effort to spot their friends. "Do you see them?"
"No, I fear I'm not quite high enough." Will set her down, but rather than letting her loose changed his grip so he held her legs instead. Kate squealed as he once again raised her up to sit upon his shoulder.
"Is that a better view?" he called up to her with a saucy grin upon his face. Seeing her blush crimson, Will could feel his own cheeks growing warm. He felt rather certain that this was not due to any strain on his body caused by lifting her delicate frame up, but rather resulted from her nearness to him
"So long as you don't drop me and break my neck… Wait, I can see them! They're headed just over that way!" Pointing to a curve in the street, she looked down upon him. "I believe, my lord, that we have been ditched so that the dear newlyweds could sneak off for a bit of privacy."
Will reluctantly lowered her to the ground, but allowed his hands to rest upon her waist for longer than they needed to. "I am inclined to agree. But shall we ourselves take advantage of this rare opportunity? I have found myself, over these past days, wishing to seek you out for conversation."
Dropping her gaze from his, Kate looked down at where William's thumbs were now lightly stroking the sides of her waist. She hesitantly returned her eyes to his, and seemed to be visibly taken aback, though she made no effort to push him away. Rather, she brought her hands up to gently grasp his arms at the elbows. When she spoke, her voice was low and a bit hoarse: "I had noticed your attentions, Will, and I also suppose we should have a bit of a chat."
A sort of unspoken agreement passed between them and William's face broke out into an enormous grin; Kate smiled shyly back at him in return, though her eyes returned to the cobblestones. Will spun and slid his arm firmly around Kate's slim waist. He looked down at her, nestled as securely against him as propriety would allow, and said, "So, my lady, shall we continue our journey?"
***
The pair fell back into a companionable silence as they slowly made their way through the crowd that now massed in the town square. After stopping off a baker's cart to buy a few loaves of bread for that evening, they strolled through the displays set up by the travelling armourers who normally followed the tournament circuit. Will struggled to keep his face expressionless when he saw how other blacksmiths had tried to copy Kate's designs for their own armour - lighter plating had very much become a fad since William's victory at the World Championships last year. Kate did not comment on their products, but Will fancied that he could see the slightest prideful smile on her fair face. The temptation to break into her cool façade eventually overwhelmed William, and he tightened his hold on her and leaned over to whisper directly into her ear.
"None of their offerings hold a candle to the amour you have made for me."
Kate looked up at him with wide eyes, then blushed at the complement. "That's hardly true, William. These are some of the best blacksmiths in all Europe; they've managed to improve upon what I had done."
But Will would not permit her indifference, feigned or not. He raised a hand to her cheek and lifted her chin until Kate's dark eyes once again met his own. "Don't jest, now. I'm quite sure you're over the moon about it. Bit funny really - you've gone from hammering horseshoes to designing the posh new armour styles."
Kate had already been shaking with suppressed giggles, but at this statement Kate lost complete control and Will laughed along with her. Fearing that she would fall flat over from lack of oxygen, William pulled her toward him and Kate responded by hiding her face in his chest. Many of their fellow shoppers, including more than a few knights and their ladies, sent the couple curious stares as they tried to figure out what was so amusing. Will ignored them and instead rested his chin atop her soft hair while waiting for Kate to regain control of her laughter. He felt her try and pull away after a few minutes, and William allowed Kate to lift her head but kept hold of her.
"You know, I do believe you may be correct after all, Sir William," she said, her face merry. "Just imagine how well-off I could be right now if I hadn't somehow gotten stuck playing mother to you lot. Why, by now I could have arranged myself a nice marriage to a wealthy man, retired from my forge, and spent my remaining years living in luxury."
William recognised her teasing tone, and did not take offence. "Is that so?" he inquired, schooling his features to look hurt by her words. Loosening his grip ever so slightly, he pulled her toward the relative privacy of an alley corner. "So sorry to destroy your made-up role here, but I've certainly never thought of you as anything akin to a mother." Kate raised an eyebrow at this, and Will added hastily, "At least not my mother." Gathering her close once again, he grinned as Kate lifted her hands from where they had been resting on his arms up to twine about his neck.
She locked her eyes with his, then opened her mouth to speak. "William…."
But that was all the more she could say. Seizing the opportunity he had been seeking all day, Will swooped in and captured her lips with his own. He saw her eyes widen slightly before they closed with a flutter, and William himself became lost in the sweetness of the kiss. Eventually, the need for breath overcame them both, and when William pulled back and rested his forehead against hers, he was surprised to notice that they had moved even deeper in the shadows without realising it. After a few moments spent catching his breath, Will started to speak, only to have Kate stop him by placing her hand against his mouth.
"I suppose it's time we got back - it's well past mid-day and the others will be curious where we've gotten off to." Will nodded his consent, and slid his hand up her arm to remove her fingers from his mouth. Clasping her hand in his, he kissed her palm briefly before leading the way out of the alley and back to the maisonette.
"Stop squirming like a little boy; we've not much else to do today other than wander about so we might as well make it last."
Will stared down at her dumbly, for she had said naught to him since earlier that morning. He cleared his throat slightly before he replied. "And how can you be sure of that, my lady. Roland and I may have a very pressing pub brawl to attend, and we would not wish to be late."
Kate smirked at him, as they easily slipped back into the playful banter to which they were accustomed. "I could readily believe that, my lord, if it were not for the fact that our companions seem to have abandoned us here."
Snapping his head up, Will looked around at the throngs of unfamiliar people. "Where have they gone off to? I cannot see them through this mob!"
"Here, lift me up a bit, so I can spot them properly." Kate lifted her arms to his shoulders, and William grasped her waist gently and picked her up.
Kate was silent, and William looked up to see her craning her neck in an effort to spot their friends. "Do you see them?"
"No, I fear I'm not quite high enough." Will set her down, but rather than letting her loose changed his grip so he held her legs instead. Kate squealed as he once again raised her up to sit upon his shoulder.
"Is that a better view?" he called up to her with a saucy grin upon his face. Seeing her blush crimson, Will could feel his own cheeks growing warm. He felt rather certain that this was not due to any strain on his body caused by lifting her delicate frame up, but rather resulted from her nearness to him
"So long as you don't drop me and break my neck… Wait, I can see them! They're headed just over that way!" Pointing to a curve in the street, she looked down upon him. "I believe, my lord, that we have been ditched so that the dear newlyweds could sneak off for a bit of privacy."
Will reluctantly lowered her to the ground, but allowed his hands to rest upon her waist for longer than they needed to. "I am inclined to agree. But shall we ourselves take advantage of this rare opportunity? I have found myself, over these past days, wishing to seek you out for conversation."
Dropping her gaze from his, Kate looked down at where William's thumbs were now lightly stroking the sides of her waist. She hesitantly returned her eyes to his, and seemed to be visibly taken aback, though she made no effort to push him away. Rather, she brought her hands up to gently grasp his arms at the elbows. When she spoke, her voice was low and a bit hoarse: "I had noticed your attentions, Will, and I also suppose we should have a bit of a chat."
A sort of unspoken agreement passed between them and William's face broke out into an enormous grin; Kate smiled shyly back at him in return, though her eyes returned to the cobblestones. Will spun and slid his arm firmly around Kate's slim waist. He looked down at her, nestled as securely against him as propriety would allow, and said, "So, my lady, shall we continue our journey?"
***
The pair fell back into a companionable silence as they slowly made their way through the crowd that now massed in the town square. After stopping off a baker's cart to buy a few loaves of bread for that evening, they strolled through the displays set up by the travelling armourers who normally followed the tournament circuit. Will struggled to keep his face expressionless when he saw how other blacksmiths had tried to copy Kate's designs for their own armour - lighter plating had very much become a fad since William's victory at the World Championships last year. Kate did not comment on their products, but Will fancied that he could see the slightest prideful smile on her fair face. The temptation to break into her cool façade eventually overwhelmed William, and he tightened his hold on her and leaned over to whisper directly into her ear.
"None of their offerings hold a candle to the amour you have made for me."
Kate looked up at him with wide eyes, then blushed at the complement. "That's hardly true, William. These are some of the best blacksmiths in all Europe; they've managed to improve upon what I had done."
But Will would not permit her indifference, feigned or not. He raised a hand to her cheek and lifted her chin until Kate's dark eyes once again met his own. "Don't jest, now. I'm quite sure you're over the moon about it. Bit funny really - you've gone from hammering horseshoes to designing the posh new armour styles."
Kate had already been shaking with suppressed giggles, but at this statement Kate lost complete control and Will laughed along with her. Fearing that she would fall flat over from lack of oxygen, William pulled her toward him and Kate responded by hiding her face in his chest. Many of their fellow shoppers, including more than a few knights and their ladies, sent the couple curious stares as they tried to figure out what was so amusing. Will ignored them and instead rested his chin atop her soft hair while waiting for Kate to regain control of her laughter. He felt her try and pull away after a few minutes, and William allowed Kate to lift her head but kept hold of her.
"You know, I do believe you may be correct after all, Sir William," she said, her face merry. "Just imagine how well-off I could be right now if I hadn't somehow gotten stuck playing mother to you lot. Why, by now I could have arranged myself a nice marriage to a wealthy man, retired from my forge, and spent my remaining years living in luxury."
William recognised her teasing tone, and did not take offence. "Is that so?" he inquired, schooling his features to look hurt by her words. Loosening his grip ever so slightly, he pulled her toward the relative privacy of an alley corner. "So sorry to destroy your made-up role here, but I've certainly never thought of you as anything akin to a mother." Kate raised an eyebrow at this, and Will added hastily, "At least not my mother." Gathering her close once again, he grinned as Kate lifted her hands from where they had been resting on his arms up to twine about his neck.
She locked her eyes with his, then opened her mouth to speak. "William…."
But that was all the more she could say. Seizing the opportunity he had been seeking all day, Will swooped in and captured her lips with his own. He saw her eyes widen slightly before they closed with a flutter, and William himself became lost in the sweetness of the kiss. Eventually, the need for breath overcame them both, and when William pulled back and rested his forehead against hers, he was surprised to notice that they had moved even deeper in the shadows without realising it. After a few moments spent catching his breath, Will started to speak, only to have Kate stop him by placing her hand against his mouth.
"I suppose it's time we got back - it's well past mid-day and the others will be curious where we've gotten off to." Will nodded his consent, and slid his hand up her arm to remove her fingers from his mouth. Clasping her hand in his, he kissed her palm briefly before leading the way out of the alley and back to the maisonette.