THIRTEEN
Summersgate
SUMMER 965 MC
Lady Jane Goodwin paused at the doorway. Inside the room, her son, James, sat with Lord Godfrey Hammond. They appeared to be deep in discussion as they sipped their wine, in all probability plotting their strategy for betting on the upcoming tournaments. With Jack Marlowe off with the army, the jousting trophy was ready for the taking, with no end of challengers to the prize.
She sighed. James was much like his father had been—full of energy but with a willfulness that bordered on obstinacy. As a young man, he had been the toast of the town, but now that he was in his twenties, his efforts had turned more towards politics.
She had intended to ask Lord Godfrey to dinner, but when she saw the two of them so engaged, something told her the interruption
