Page 70 of An Ill-Made Match

“Oh?” She looked skeptical.

He set his own goblet down. “Have you ever once heard me boast of Bev’s success in the melee?” She shook her head.

“Yet that is where his strengths lie. He’s very tactical.”

“Why do you not compliment him on it then?” asked Eden, looking bewildered.

Roland snorted. “Like hells I would! As his friend, it is my duty to point out his woeful ability in the jousting and mock him about it at every turn.”

“That seems rather… churlish,” Eden responded hesitantly.

He could see she was using her words carefully, and he had an inkling she was going to say ‘childish’ before hurriedly changing it. Appreciating the fact she was trying to avoid conflict for once, he shrugged. “It’s different for men. Female friendships are more…” he struggled, having never considered the nature of female relationships before.

“Nurturing?” suggested Eden helpfully.

Roland wasn’t sure if that was right. He didn’t think Eden’s polite friendships were anything like as close as his ‘brother-in-arms’ style kinship with Bev and Attley.

“They are,” Eden insisted. “I make sure to always encourage my friends in their endeavors.”

“Mmm,” he made a non-committal noise. He was sure that was true enough, but he still didn’t believe she let anyone get close enough to be considered a true friend. He lifted his drink again and looked at her over the top of it. The strangest thought drifted into his head, that he wanted to be that close to her. Which was fucking ridiculous. Why would he want to be friends with his own wife? To disguise his confusion, he drained his cup.

“I’ve been thinking about my friend Gunnilde Payne,” she was saying. “I am not convinced that her feelings are deeply engaged with Arthur Conway. After all, there are probably not that many matrimonial prospects in Tranton Vale.”

Roland managed to dredge Gunnilde Payne from the recesses of his memory, but Arthur Conway meant frankly nothing to him. He assumed an expression he hoped showed the appropriate husbandly interest. “No?” he said clearing his throat.

“For my part I think she could do a lot better than be connected by marriage to the Conways. I wonder if anyone suitable could be introduced to her when they come to Court.” She frowned as though considering a thorny problem. “How does a woman stimulate a man’s interest?” she asked impulsively.

Roland who had extended his own hand to refill his goblet, froze. “What?”

“I said, how does a woman capture a man’s attention? So that he notices her as a woman, I mean,” she explained, seeing his thunderstruck expression. “Or are you not allowed to tell me? Is it breaking some kind of male confidence?”

“Why are you asking?” Almost, he felt like he was swimming against the tide in this conversation.

“Gunnilde Payne,” she said as though explaining something blatantly obvious. “She comes to court next month. I was wondering if perhaps one of your friends might...?”

His brow cleared and he let out a short laugh. “You’re wasting your time there,” he said on confident ground once more.

“Nonsense,” Eden told him briskly. “I’m quite sure these things can be cultivated. I mean,” she hesitated a moment. “You only have to look at us.”

Roland again felt completely floored by her conversation. “What the devil do you mean by that?” he demanded.

“I meant no criticism,” she responded lightly though she blushed faintly. “I only meant that I would never have been the bride of your choice, that is all. And yet, in spite of that you… Well, you do not shun my presence in your… life,” she said, and he knew full well she had been going to say ‘bed’, but then decided it was too indelicate.

Roland was very quiet. He opened his mouth as if to speak and then closed it again without uttering a word. Gods, why was this so hard? “It’s not something you can just conjure from thin air,” he said with an odd tone to his voice that even he could hear. Eden looked set to argue the point. “And before you say I never noticed you as a woman, let me set you straight. I did.”

Eden sighed. “I know you’re trying to be gallant…” He snorted. “But we both know that is not true, and I’m not remotely offended by the fact.”

“Eden,” said Roland firmly. “We both know I don’t have a gallant bone in my body!”

“Naturally you do not wish to put me out of humor with you,” she stated mildly. “But I would truly prefer there to be nothing but honest dealing between us.”

“Honest dealing?” he repeated. “Are you sure about that?” After all, perhaps honesty would be the best policy. He couldn’t carry on tip-toeing around her like this!

“Quite,” Eden told him. “I believe it is for the best.”

“Very well then, but don’t say I didn’t warn you,” said Roland and she eyed him with surprise. “I always noticed you, Eden,” he said simply. “Even when I thought you a shrill-tongued, stuck up harpy. I wondered what you’d feel like underneath me.”

Eden gasped. “But that’s… absurd.” She stared at him uncertainly. “You did not.”