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“’Tis also a game of strategy and wits, which gives ye more than an equal chance at victory.”

Och, he is good.Flattering her looks was too obvious a ploy, but commenting on her intelligence certainly got her attention.

They reached for her queen at the same time and his fingertips brushed across her hand. A teasing smile curved his lips, causing a pair of dimples to appear in his cheeks. Davina swiftly lowered her gaze.I willnae be charmed by him!

“Lady Davina, ye are still here!” Lileas cried out excitedly from across the great hall, then she broke into a run.

A long-haired hound trotted beside her, so large it towered over the child. For a moment Davina feared the animal would knock her to the ground, but despite its formidable size, it seemed inherently gentle, allowing Lileas to lead the way.

“This is Prince,” Lileas explained. “He’s my dog.”

Hearing his name, Prince immediately began wagging his tail, swishing it across the stone floor. He had thick fur of varying shades of white and gray and expressive brown eyes.

“He is a very fine animal, indeed,” Davina remarked. “Hello, Prince.”

She closed her fist and held out her hand, appreciating the dog’s friendly manner. It sniffed her knuckles, then lowered its head to sniff at her skirt. Apparently deciding that he liked what he smelled, Prince promptly sat beside her, leaned heavily against her leg, and placed his head in her lap.

Lileas burst into giggles. “He likes ye!”

“He’s usually slow to take to strangers, but he’s made his opinion clear. I always said that Prince was a highly intelligent dog,” Malcolm added, humor in his tone.

“I’m sure he just smells the remains of the noon meal on my fingers,” Davina insisted, though she was secretly pleased at the dog’s affection. ’Twas a welcome relief knowing the animal wanted nothing more from her than a friendly pet.

Davina obligingly rubbed the dog behind his ears. He snuggled closer and began making a rumbling noise deep in his belly, reminding her of a purring cat.

“Do ye have a dog?” Lileas asked.

“Nay, not a special fellow like Prince. At Armstrong Castle, the hunting dogs are kept in the kennels, though when the weather is bitterly cold they are allowed in the great hall. But they must stay in the corner and not bother anyone.”

Lileas scrunched her nose. “That’s mean. I would cry and cry if Prince couldn’t sleep in my bed.”

“Goodness, that great beastie sleeps with ye? Ye must have a very big bed.” Davina laughed.

“Grandma says Prince smells, so Papa gives him a bath. But he doesn’t like it and tries to run away.”

Davina smiled, imagining a damp Malcolm chasing after the energetic dog. “Who doesn’t like the bath—Prince or Papa?”

“Both!” Malcolm interjected. “My mother nearly fainted the first time she found Prince in Lileas’s bed, but Lileas believes the dog protects her, so I persuaded my mother to allow it.”

“Ah, there appears to be much that Lileas is allowed,” Davina remarked.

“Aye, she’s a spoiled little hellion and it’s all my fault,” Malcolm replied cheerfully.

“Prince is just like Guinefort. He’s a saint dog.” Lileas threw her arms around Prince’s middle and hugged him tightly.

Davina wrinkled her brow. “I’ve heard the tale of Guinefort. He was the noble dog who guarded his master’s child, killing a snake that tried to bite the babe as it lay sleeping in its cradle.”

“Aye,” Malcolm said. “Though when the nurse who had left the child alone returned, all she saw was the dog’s bloodied mouth and head. She feared the dog had killed the child and screamed long and loud. The child’s mother heard the screams, rushed in, saw the bloody dog, thought the same, and she too began screaming.

“When the master came, he also believed the dog had killed the child, so he drew his sword and slayed Guinefort. ’Twas only after he approached the cradle and found the child unharmed did he realize his tragic mistake. And when he discovered the snake torn to pieces by the dog’s bites, he knew that Guinefort had in fact saved the babe.”

“Guinefort went right to heaven, didn’t he, Papa,” Lileas stated confidently.

“He did, sweetheart.”

“I’m glad.” Lileas hugged the dog again.

Davina gave Prince a final pet on the head, then put her hand in her lap. The dog immediately began nudging her fingers with his cold, wet nose, demanding more attention. Davina smiled and complied, scratching him roughly behind the ears.