Excerpt from:
The Brat, by Lynsay Sands

Why you should buy a copy of your very own:
Sands' books are sweet, funny, and pleasantly free of buttheaded male main characters. I can't tell you how rare that is.

In this scene...
Our hero, Balan is doing his best to make idle chit-chat with our heroine, Murie. Unfortunately, he is really, really bad at idle chit-chat.


"Finally Murie said, 'Emilie says you and Reginald are friends?'

'Aye.'

She waited for him to expound on that, but he didn't. Frowning, she asked, 'Have you known him long?'

'Aye.'

Again she waited for him to expound, and again he didn't. Murie bit her lip. He wasn't being very helpful. 'Emilie says you have gone to battle for the king?'

'Aye.'

'In France?' she prodded.

'Aye.'

'Crecy? Calais?' she asked through gritted teeth.

'Aye.'

Murie finally turned to him with irritation. 'Do you actually speak, my lord? If so, I would consider it rather kind of you to help out with this conversation, rather than leaving me to carry it on my own.'

'Aye. I speak,' he answered. Then he fell silent."

© Lynsay Sands, 2007

Labels: Lynsay Sands, Snippet