Lord Liar Part 24

"Loose me, my lord--immediately," she commanded, and with a ragged breath, he complied.

"Coward," he breathed.

"You mistake me, my lord," she protested.

"I kissed you because I was happy that we all escaped unscathed, 'tis all..."

The dark, fathomless depths of his eyes became shuttered, and he looked away from her, a muscle twitching in his temple. She whirled around, hot with embarra.s.sment. What an idiot! One should not poke a sleeping leopard if one fears seeing it leap.

He chuckled suddenly, and she turned back, indignant that he would be laughing at her for reacting like a frightened abbess, but then she saw that she was not the source of his amus.e.m.e.nt but rather Urse and Lady Vivienne, who stood a little way off, wrapped in a pa.s.sionate embrace. As Aldyth watched, they raised their heads and stood gazing at each other in adoration.

"I should have guessed," he called.

"My felicitations, my lady! It seems you have captured my squire's heart!"

Urse looked stunned.

"How could you guess when I had not, my lord?

How could I imagine such a winsome lady could care for a one-eyed monster such as I? " " You,re no monster, merely a giant," Lady Vivienne informed him, " and I don't just care for you, I love you, you big oaf! " Then she seemed to remember Ranulf.

"But what of our arrangement, my lord? I would not" -- "I make no doubt we can find a Norman priest somewhere," Ranulf said easily.

"Perhaps we will need to continue the pretense of your being my leman while we are at the ducal court, but when others are not present..." His voice trailed off and he winked at them.

"I do not see why you two should continue to deny to each other what is now common knowledge among us."

"Oh, thank you, Ranulf," Lady Vivienne cried, and left her giant's arms long enough to give Ranulf a kiss on the cheek.

"You are the n.o.blest of men."

The Norman woman, who had gone back to Urse, didn't see the rueful look Ranulf leveled at Aldyth after both heard Lady V'rvienne's high opinion of him. Aldyth saw it, though, and had to fight the urge to giggle. In the s.p.a.ce of a few moments, two women had kissed Ranulf, neither of whom would do more.

It wasn't amusing, though. She was sure now that Lady Vivienne didn't long for Ranulf's love or he for Lady Vivienne's. But Aldyth nevertheless realized that didn't mean he could feel love for her--not a true love, which endured longer than it would take a skilled lover such as Ranulf to lure a vulnerable maiden into his bed. Lady Vivienne saw Ranulf through idealistic eyes, Aldyth thought.

In her own week at court, though, she had learned Lord Ranulf was known for his appreciation of women--many women. He would never confine his attentions to one daughter of a poor English castellan, and he would give his heart to no one.

Ranulf cleared his throat.

"Perhaps we had better get on the road, you lovebirds. I won't feel secure until I've put on my hauberk."

"Yes, but wait--I heard something," Urse murmured, though he didn't seem apprehensive. With a gesture he indicated they were to follow him to the rear of the public house.

They were in luck. There were six horses tied up at posts there, still saddled and bridled. They could only belong to the ruffians.

"I thought I smelled horses. Here's our mounts, my lord, ladies,"

Urse said with a grin.

"They're not much to look at, but now we won't have to hire horses of our own. There's even two left over to be packhorses. I'd say the ruffians owe us that much, wouldn't you?"

The rest agreed. The horses were a rawboned, unhandsome lot, but they were already saddled and immediately available. It was a G.o.dsend.

Mounting quickly, they trotted down to the dock, Ranulf and Urse whooping gleefully. Ranulf seemed to take disappointments in seduction in his stride, Aldyth thought sourly.

After a quick stop to load their belongings from the trunk onto the designated packhorses and for Ranulf to don his hauberk, they galloped down the road that led east out of Honfieur toward Rouen.

They stopped that night at Tancarville, on the other side of the curving river Seine. Here they found an inn, thankfully one free of ruffians this time, and bespoke supper. Then Ranulf gave the host silver coins for three rooms.

With Urse and Lady Vivienne intent on each other, Aldyth gave Ranulf a questioning glance.

"One chamber is for my lovesick squire and his ladylove, who obviously cannot wait to be alone with each other," he explained to her.

"One is for my page, Edward, who I have told mine host has a cold and would keep me awake all night with his sniffling and coughing, and the other is for myself. Does that satisfy you, my innocent " Edward'? "

"Perfectly, my lord," she said with unwonted primness. "Indeed, you are too good."

Chapter Twelve

In the morning, the four left the inn to follow the serpentine Seine deeply into the heart of Normandy. The rain that had led the way south from Portchester in England had been replaced by a chill December sun.

Of the four of them, only Urse and Lady Vivienne seemed oblivious to the discomforts of the road. Even when their eyes were not upon each other--which was very seldom-- Lady Vivienne radiated a serene contentment, while Urse bore a silly smile utterly at odds with his fierce appearance.

Aldyth rejoiced for them, for Lady Vivienne had been very good to her and Surely deserved some happiness and a man to help protect her babes. Aldyth had come to appreciate Urse's merry wit and rock-solid dependability, too.

If fate was kind, they would not have to wait long before they could openly live as man and wife.

Their happiness made Aldyth glad, true enough, but she was also conscious of an aching yearning as she gazed at the lovers, so intent on each other as they rode along. If only Ranulf would look at her that way. If only true love made Ranulf so solicitous of her comfort that he held his hands cupped for her to mount, and so inflamed with desire for her that the looks exchanged between them could set tinder afire.

Aldyth resigned herself to the knowledge that she would never enter such a state of paradise. She must have dreamed that moment of fiery sweetness when she had first touched her lips to his outside the tavern. Ever since she had halted that kiss, Ranulf had been remote--kind, considerate, but treating her just as he would if she actually were his page.

Ranulf would not suffer, though, because she was not willing to be just another partner in bed sport with him. She had seen how women looked at him at court. Handsome devil that he was, Ranulf would never lack for a woman whenever the opportunity for dalliance presented itself. And eventually he would marry some great Norman lady who would bring him lands and increased power.

The journey to Rouen on the ruffians' sorry nags took a day and a half. By the time they neared the capital city of Normandy, Aldyth was sure she would rather walk than ride for the -emainder of her life. Her thighs were rubbed raw by the poor quality saddle, and her head ached from the cob's ragged trot. She thought longingly of her smooth-gaited palfrey, Robin, back at Sherborne.

She was not the only one disconteat. Ranulf knew he was being morose and curt with her, though he let her believe his ill temper was due to his stubborn bay's penchant for sudden starts and bucking.

"Don't worry, we shall be trading these skinny plodding beasts for more suitable ones before we arrive at the ducal palace in Rouen," he a.s.sured Aldyth.

"Oh, I hope so," she sighed, rubbing her hose-clad knees during a stop.

His mouth went dry as he watched her and he had to look away lest he reveal his feelings. Saints, the innocent girl truly seemed to have no idea how she tempted him, how her presence had become a source of aching torment for him!

It was becoming harder and harder to remember to main133 tain his languid, drawling manner with her, particularly since he wanted to take her into his arms and kiss her until both of them were breathless!

But because of her experience with the Englishman, such an action would only frighten her, he reminded himself. He must maintain his disguise, must not let her know how he truly felt.

He made one of his elegant gestures and said,

"After all, if we were seen upon such creatures masquerading as horseflesh, 'twould certainly be damaging to my cousequence."