"Who would dare to refuse an invitation from their Marquis?"
Owain said it lightly, as though it was only a natural thing, but all three women in the small dining room shivered as they heard the slight edge buried in his words. Mary and Anne had both served the Blackwells for most of their lives, and they'd encountered more than one knight or lord who said similar things when they wanted to invite a pretty serving woman back to their chambers at the end of the night.
For Jocelynn, the statement was even heavier, reminding her of just how ruthless Owain could be when asserting his dominance or control over others. Before Bors died, Owain had already been one of the greatest swordsmen of the current generation and the Lothian heir as well. There were very few people he couldn't have his way with, either through physical intimidation and battery or through the pressure exuded by his position.
