She tugged on Kes’ arm to lead her away.
“Wait!” he shouted. When they turned to him, he looked at the empty place to his right and then at Elia. “Sit her there.”
“I would rather not sit with you, Sir,” Kes said. Every eye at the table fell on her.
Elia drew in a slight gasp.
Perhaps she shouldn’t have spoken so boldly to the lord of the castle. She was in the fifteenth century after all. She felt a little faint at the thought of it. The laces of her dress were constricting her air flow.
She didn’t want to faint in front of him.
The pins in her hair were making her itch. Last night, she’d had the slightest thought that it might not be so absolutely terrible here. She’d changed her mind. She hated it here. She wanted to go home.
She spun on her heal, ready to leave them all sitting there gaping.
“Miss Locksley!” he roared. Everyone in the great hall quieted and turned to look at him, and then at her.
She pivoted around and glared at him. He was on his feet. Two women at the table took hold of a small group of children and ushered them away. “Yes, my lord?”
He walked around to the empty bench and dragged it screeching from under the table. “Sit down.”
She stared into his eyes from across the room. She was going to give him ten seconds to apologize and then she was leaving the hall and going back to her room.
1…2…3…4…5…6…7…8…9…
“Please.”
She scratched her head. Another pin fell to the floor and sounded like a bolt of lightning striking in the quiet hall. She guessed his asking nicely was as close to an apology as she was going to get.
Besides, Elia looked like she was going to pass out. She hadn’t moved. Where was she planning on sitting?
Kes took a step and almost fell into the table. She hoisted up her skirts and made it to the bench. She tried to breathe when she sat. He motioned for Elia to sit beside her.
So, he allowed his maid to sit at his table. Was she sitting in Elia’s seat? At his right? She wanted to fan herself.
“Miss Locksley,” Elia said. “I think you will enjoy today’s—”
“I’m sorry,” Kes managed. “Just give me a moment.” She began untying her laces. If everyone was shocked a minute ago, they were probably choking on their ale as she pulled and tugged her way out of the contraption. Did women really eat with these things on? Her skirts were overly heavy in the warm hall, so she untied them and let them tumble around her on the bench. She knew wearing a kirtle alone wasn’t considered indecent. Plus, she’d stopped caring. She needed air.
“What were you saying, Elia?”
Elia’s blood had drained from her face. The angry earl was smiling.
It didn’t last long, for another scowling man had turned his angry glare on him. “You drove my wife and children away with your temper.”
Nicholas ground his jaw. “Reg, why do you not go after them?”
“I do not find you humorous,” Reg protested.
“That is because I’m not trying to be humorous,” the earl let him know. “I’m trying not to knock out your front teeth.”
Kes turned to glare at him again. “Can we eat in peace?”
“Of course.” Nicholas agreed and turned a fearsome smile on the other man. “Reg, you will stay silent or I will cut out your tongue.”
Reg fumed but he didn’t say another word. Who was Reg? How come Nicholas didn’t mention him or his family last night? He and his family sat at the lord’s table. They must be his relatives. They didn’t seem like friends. She thought he’d said he had no family? She realized he actually hadn’t said all that much last night. Not anything too deep, at least. They ate in silence, which was better than the previous conversation.
“Why are you grouchy this morning?” Kes asked when conversations started up again.