Welcome to the final installment of Medieval Monday…for this round, at least!  My excerpt has been hopping all over the place, but now at the last, it has found its way home.  Hope you enjoy the snippet.

            Hugh turned back to his brother.  “Laugh all you want.  I shan’t see our guest abused.”

            Robert’s eyes widened.  “Oh, is that it?  You’re worried he’ll seduce her?”

            “Not worried.  But not at ease either.”

            “Relax.  Lady Ardyth is a sensible woman, and unless things have changed since my last visit, Ranulf cares more for his music than for those who admire his…er, chin.  I must say, his skill with the rebec is exceptional.  William and I encountered the instrument on several occasions in the Holy Land, though ʼtwas always played upright on the lap.  Ranulf is as good as any musician we heard there…perhaps better.”

            “I don’t doubt it.”

            “But you do doubt his intentions toward—”

            “Forget it, Robert.”

            The knight looked over his shoulder, trading glances with their mother.

            “I saw that,” Hugh admonished them.

            Lady Seacrest gave him a smile that appeared innocent on the surface, yet highly suspicious.  “Cannot a mother and son exchange looks of amusement?”

            Hugh frowned.  They shared more than amusement.  ʼTwas solidarity he sensed between them.  And if his steadfast mother and mischievous brother agreed on something, it meant only one thing:  trouble.

And there you have it:  the end of the excerpt but the beginning of an adventure my hero couldn’t have fathomed before the heroine waltzed into his life.  Here’s a little more about story:

PhD student Ardyth Nightshade has renounced men and pursues her twentieth-century career with single-minded focus. When fate whisks her to medieval England, she meets her match in a man whose passions mirror her own. Can she sacrifice ambition for a love she never sought?

Hugh, Lord Seacrest confounds all who know him. He refuses to marry without a meeting of minds and hearts, and no lady has even approached his ideal…until Ardyth. But she’s an odd one, with unique skills, shocking habits, and total conviction she needs no man. She also harbors secrets, and in the midst of rumors, plots, and murder, trust is fragile.

A woman outside of her time. A man ahead of his. They must take a leap of faith to forge a bond that will shape history.

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Wishing you a beautiful Monday!  🙂