A Knight in Central Park(54)
As Alexandra pulled the tin plates from her bag, she spotted the bow and arrow attached to the saddle. Smoothing her fingers over the tip of the bow, she pulled it from its sheath, examining the craftsmanship. She made the bow herself, and she was well pleased with its accuracy. Plucking an arrow from the leather pouch, she held it firmly in place and pulled back on the bowstring, feeling its tautness as she aimed for the trunk of an oak. She fired, releasing the string with one swift movement of her fingers. The thin birch shaft sailed through the air, hitting squarely her intended target. Smiling, she retrieved the shaft and placed her weapon aside. After rubbing down the horses and readying a simple meal that she left wrapped within the saddlebag, she set off for the lake.
Finding a seat on the grassy edge, half hidden behind a patch of shrubs, Alexandra spotted Sir Joe as he broke through the surface and shook water from his hair. How dreadful it would be to lose her heart to a man who was determined to leave her, she thought. Perhaps if she remembered his flaws ’twould help her to keep a tight rein on any affection she felt for him. She plucked a wildflower from its roots and held it to her nose, breathing in its scent as she realized she couldn’t stop herself from feeling whatever her heart felt. If she lost her heart to Sir Joe, she decided firmly, then so be it. She could fair handle a broken heart. She’d done it before when her mother had died, then again when her father failed to return home.
Feeling much improved, she leaned forward and peeked through the shrubbery to see if she could spot him. Her gaze roamed over the smooth expanse of water. He was nowhere to be seen. Her stomach lurched with worry that he might have drowned. She shot to her feet, shielding her eyes from the sun’s rays as she scanned the lake.
“If you’re going to sit there and spy on me, you might as well join me.”
Startled, Alexandra laid a hand to her chest, squinting into the sun until she spotted him in the shallow waters, his head and shoulders rising until she could see a feathering of dark hair across a well-defined chest. Her cheeks heated as if she’d only just met the man. “I-I only came to tell you that I have prepared a bite to eat and th-that we should be setting off.” Sweet Mother of God, she thought, as her eyes roamed over him. He was built like a master builder, not like a professor.
“You can’t miss out on a swim first,” he called out. “Not on a day like this.”
She shook her head. “I shan’t get my clothes wet.”
“Alexandra, is something wrong?”
She shook her head again.
“Then why are you hiding over there in the bushes?”
She chewed on her lip.
“It’s about last night, isn’t it?” He swept his hair back, his muscles tightening as he did so. “You’ve been quiet all day. Why don’t you say whatever is on your mind and get it off your chest.”
“Such odd expressions people have garnered over the years.”
He laughed. “Join me, Alexandra. The water’s not getting any warmer.”
She glanced at the water, at Sir Joe, then at the flower crushed in her grasp. She threw the blossom to the ground. “Be adventurous,” she whispered. Her mother used to say a woman needed to be adventurous. She pulled her tunic over her head, delighted by the shivers coursing up her arms and down her spine. She felt rebellious and wild as she tossed her garments to a shrub and ran to a mulberry tree closer to the edge of the water. Although her chemise still provided some cover, she felt as naked as the day she was born.
Sir Joe watched her, his eyes sparkling. It filled her with joy to see him appearing so at ease.
“Come on!” he called, “I’m counting to five and then I’m coming after you.”
She found herself panicking and then giggling like a simpleton as he yelled, “One...two...three...”
Without another thought, she ran down the slope of grass blanketed with dandelions, squeezed her eyes shut, and jumped in. The shocking coldness of the water made her gasp. She scrambled into deeper waters so as to cover herself before he said, “five“.
He swam toward her, making the water ripple, then popped up next to her and shook water from his hair. He gave her a fleeting kiss on the lips, then looked toward the horizon and said, “Have you ever seen anything so beautiful?”
Following his gaze, she took in the blue sky blotted with frothy white clouds.
“I’m beginning to feel as if I’ve been living in a cave for most of my life.”
She smiled in understanding. “There,” she said, pointing to a large billowing cloud hovering above. “’Tis a lion cloud, see its sharp teeth? I believe the beast is roaring.”