"So that furious part? Is it directed at me?"

"No, it is directed at me, for not giving you a chance to explain. One rule that I teach al of my soldiers is to listen. I was not listening."

"I was not talking. I pretty much lied by omission."

He stroked his chin, the relief coursing through him almost making him weak. "Is that the extent of your exorbitant perfidy, Countess?"

She took a moment, wagging her forefingers to and fro. "Yep, I believe that's about it."

"And are you contrite?" he asked, unable to keep the smile from his face.

"I cannot tel you how much. You are not the only one who has thought of little else."

"Then this king has decided to absolve you. It shal never occur again, am I right?"

She curtsied. "My most dire wish, sir, is that it actual y begins to occur."

"You wil al ow me to teach you how to undress me?"

"I have always been a big proponent of higher education."

He grinned, picked her up and twirled her around. "I am so in love with you, Isabel."

He set her down, dumbfounded that those words had escaped his lips. The shock on her face told him they were very premature. "I am sorry. I know not from where that came. Perhaps an abundance of exuberance."

"Perhaps from the heart?" she whispered.

"But those were not words you were prepared to hear."

"It doesn't make them any less special. In fact, more so, as they were not planned. You spoke what you were thinking."

He shook his head. "I had no right. And I know 'tis a sentiment you perhaps are not prepared to return."

"Then again," she said, running a finger from his temple to chin, "perhaps it is."

"If 'tis, may I hear the words from your lovely lips?"

"I am fal ing in love with you, Arthur. It seems an untenable situation, but the heart wants what it wants, right?"

"It does."

She offered him an impish grin. "Last nonvirgin to the castle has to be served al of the eel."

He watched for a moment as she lifted her skirts and then took off running.

Grinning, bursting with happiness and gratitude to the gods or to fate, he took off after her. Not very fast, however, for he was wel aware of her aversion to eel.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.

THE evening meal began as a somber affair. Apparently al were worried about the health of their queen. But Arthur stood tal and announced she was quite on the way to recovery, and the mood lightened. Even Lancelot had arrived, which sort of stunned Isabel. She thought for certain the poor little puppy would be attempting to sneak into Gwen's heavily guarded quarters or be off plotting revenge against mushrooms worldwide.

As her platter was placed before her, she realized that she'd been served a ton of vegetables and duck and not one ounce of eel.

She looked over at Arthur, and his plate was piled high with the vile stuff. He grinned and winked at her, then whispered to a server. That platter of eel was replaced with a bowl of what looked to be some kind of stew.

She ducked her head and smiled, digging in to her veggies. Oh, yes, like it or not, she had fal en fast and hard. She was so in love with Arthur it almost hurt.

Arthur spoke into James's ear, who then spoke into Tom's ear, who then spoke into Isabel's ear. "He says that the bet did not include actual y having to eat the eel. Does this make sense?"

She nearly had wine flying out of her nose and mouth. She caught herself and tried to pul it al together. Then she whispered into Tom's ear, "Relay to King Arthur that this is a thing cal ed a loophole. And he is lucky to be given reprieve this time."

Tom relayed the message to James, who said, loudly, "A goose pole?"

"A loophole," Tom said to James. "A loophole! You know, when a person attempts to get away with something. By using sneaky tactics! Jeesh.

And the countess has decided to give the king reprieve on this one."

Again, Isabel and Arthur's eyes met, and neither were able to contain it. They both fel into gales of laughter. Isabel covered her face with her napkin, hoping when she lowered it, everyone would have magical y disappeared. No such luck.

But, instead, Arthur stood. "Sirs, the Countess Isabel and I must needs discuss possible goose poles in our potential treaties at the meeting.

Please stay and enjoy the sweets."

He came around to her chair. "My apologies, Countess, I did not discuss whether you would prefer to stay for the sweets."

"Oh, no, King Arthur," she said, standing. "I am quite anxious to explore the possible repercussions of these goose poles."

ALL decorum they attempted to maintain dropped the moment they entered the solarium, two rooms away. And then Arthur took her hand and led her back out to the gardens, both final y al owing their laughter to let loose.

Isabel had to hold her tummy. "Oh, Arthur, we were so bad."

He grinned, the light from the lanterns making his eyes gleam. "Yes, but it felt so wonderful."

"We should return to the table, having resolved our disagreement over goose poles."

He laughed again. "We shal announce our mutual understanding when we break fast in the morn."

"Are we for it or against it?" she asked.

"I assume we must define what 'it' is."

Isabel almost lost it. "I guess we must."

Arthur stopped grinning, then pul ed her close. "I am so happy when I am with you, Isabel. You make me feel like I can soar. From the moment we parted this afternoon, I felt lacking, your presence so missing from me."

Isabel sucked in a breath because she couldn't have said it better. It was a busy afternoon, yet empty. Without Arthur there, it just wasn't the same.

She nodded. "Yes, Arthur, I miss you when you aren't there as wel ."

"You fil a need inside me. I cannot describe it. I know not what our solution is that wil make us al happy, I only know this: I do not believe happiness is available to me without you in my life."

"We wil figure it al out, Arthur. Somehow, someway, I believe that Gwen and Lance, and you and I wil end up happy. Let us trust fate again on this one."

There was a knock from inside the solarium, and they quickly stepped apart. James stood there, his eyes lowered, shuffling his humongous feet.

Arthur picked up a pebble from the rock garden and tossed it at the door. When James looked up, startled, Arthur motioned him out.

"What is it, James?"

"I have a message for the countess," he said, with a smal bow in her direction.

"What is it, James?" Isabel asked.

"Mary, miss Mary, the one who-"

Isabel smiled. "I know who she is, James. She is my trusted friend."

"She, wel , she asked me to tel you that she has come down with a bit of a headache, and that she wil be unavailable for the rest of the evening.

She sends her sincere apologies and hopes that you"-he coughed-"are able to turn down your own bed furs this night. She is most sorry, Countess."

Right. Isabel would bet that Mary had never taken a sick day or night in her life. But it was so sweet that she almost cried. "Please, James, convey my sincere hope that her head feels better in the morning."

He looked up and nodded. "Oh, yes, she wil be ... I mean, she hopes to be better by morning light."

"If there's anything I can do? Shal I visit her?"

"No, no, I believe she is already abed."

"Wel , then, James, I suggest that if she is stil awake that she sips a bit of tea, with a dol op of honey and perhaps just a drop or two of sweet mead."

"I wil most certainly offer such." He went almost as red as Mary's hair. "I mean, I wil have her mate bring it to her, should she wish."

"Thank you. Please give her my best."

"I wil ."

"And James?"

"Yes, mum?"

"Tel her thank you."

"I wil . And I believe she wil already know you would say such, Countess."

"Of course she wil . She and I are pinky-finger friends."

James's chuckles fol owed him back into the castle. "Pinky-finger friends," he said. "I have had a good laugh over that one."

Arthur looked at her, his puzzlement al over his face.

"Want an interpretation?" Isabel asked.

"If that means that you wil explain what just occurred, then indeed, I most definitely need an interpretation."

"Quick or detailed version?"

"The one that I wil understand."

"Okay, here's my take. James left the dinner table and went to see Mary. Mary assessed the situation and created an excuse she could give me, wanting me to know that she would not be breezing into my chamber this evening to assist me in preparing for bed."

"Because?"

"To give me complete privacy."

"To what purpose? Did she expect a man to visit you, Isabel? Are you expecting a visitor? Who is he?"

Okay, Viviane, I'm really stunned. Are all these men quite so dumb?

He's a man newly smitten, and he is so taken his recent history has left him shaken.

His denseness, Viviane, is leaving me mute.

Oh, come on, Isabel, it really is cute.

Viviane was right. Isabel knew that al of the emotional scars could not possibly have completely healed by now. Maybe that was part of her role.

To help heal him.

She looked up at him and raised her hands to attempt to smooth the distress. The muscles in his jaw were clenching, his eyes begging for answers.

"Arthur-"

"Tel me true, Isabel."

"Listen to me. Mary has become my trusted friend. She knows me better than anyone here."

"Yes?"

"Who do you think she was clearing the way for? Who do you think she felt I would want to spend time with privately?"

"Every man here would want to be with you. I could not even begin to count-"