Lord Liar Part 32

"She does not know your voice as she does mine," Henry explained.

"I.

trained her myself. Her name is Valkyrie, for I imported her from Norway.

Hmm," he said, looking back at the door of the hall, " what can be keeping Desiderata? I told her to meet us here. "

"The lady is accompanying us? How--how pleasant a prospect," Ranulf said, hoping his voice did not betray the lack of enthusiasm that he was still having trouble understanding himself. Lady Desiderata had left the hall with him last night and had lost little time in inviting him up to her solar.

She had wine mulling on the brazier there, she said, which would surely help him sleep.

In the old days he would have gone without a moment's hesitation. He knew she had hopes his sleeping would be done in her arms. He was astonished to hear his own voice telling her he feared he was too weary to be good company and perhaps it would be best if he went to his own chamber. He did not add "alone." He did not have to.

What was wrong with him? he had wondered last night, and he wondered it still. Surely a woman such as Desiderata, who would expect nothing of him but some pleasant hours in her bed and then a few silver marks when he departed, was the ideal solution for the frustrated pangs of desire that he felt whenever he looked at Aldyth. Desiderata Would be an entertaining, exciting bed partner. As much as her lush curves promised heaven, however, he could not bring himself to follow her to her room. When he thought of doing so he felt. nothing.

"Yes, I thought she would enjoy coming along," Prince Henry was saying.

"She was certainly entranced by you."

There seemed to be some veiled inquiry in the prince's tone. "I cannot think why I should have impressed her,"

Ranulf replied dryly.

"I fear I was dull as a stick last night after supper. Fatigued after our journey up the coast, I suppose."

"I told her that must be it," Henry replied, confirming Ranulf's suspicion that Desiderata had reported that he had not accepted her invitation last night.

"The poor girl was questioning her charms when I spoke to her this morning."

Ranulf suppressed a surge of irritation. It was one thing to be offered a bed mate, another to be made to feel guilty because he had not taken advantage of what was offered. Doubtless Henry pressed the lady on him with the best of intentions, however, and it would be churlish to act ungrateful.

He could not epect his liege to understand that he did not know his own heart fight now. When Henry had last seen him, he would have cheerfully taken a comely, willing woman to bed within an hour of meeting her. But that was before Aldyth had come into his life again.

"I will make certain the lady knows that the lack was in myself last even and not in her," he replied carefully.

"My lord? You did not wake me this morning, and I awoke to find you gone,"

said a voice at his right knee, and Ranulf was surprised to look down and find Aldyth standing there.

"Ah, 'tis my sleepy page!" Ranulf said with forced joviality, while he studied the reproachful face staring up at his.

"Think naught of it, lad, I knew you were tired. I fended for myself, as you see."

Henry could not see her because his horse was on the left side of Ranulf's, so she evidently felt it was safe to give him a saucy look.

"My lord is too kind. You go a-hawking?"

"Yes," he said with a nod at the falcon resting regally on the prince's wrist.

"You may do, uh, as you wish while I am gone, Edward. Perhaps you could select something for me to wear this even."

"Yes, Lord Ranulf." She looked wistful.

"Have an enjoyable time, my lords."

Aldyth had turned on her heel and was about to leave when the prince called,

"Oh, boy! Edward, isn't it?"

"Yes, my lord?"

"Go see if you can find Lady Desiderata. She was to join us here long ago.

If she is not in the hall you will find her chamber at the top of the west tower. Hurry along, hOWl We're eager to be off."

"Yes, my lord." Aldyth bowed to Prince Henry, but the look she shot Ranulf before leaving to do as Henry bid was stormy as the winter sea.

"Possessive little lad, isn't he?" Henry commented, quirking a brow at Ranulf.

"He doesn't like it that you dressed without his aid, does he?"

"Yes, he's inclined to forget his place unless I've beaten him recently,"

Ranulf said, making his voice careless.

"He's become rather spoiled during our Norman travels--fancies himself more important than he ought because I left my other page in England and took him.

And now that Urse has gone home, he's become completely intolerable. I shall have to knock him down a peg or two."

Henry nodded.

"Very wise to nip that sort of mischief in the bud. A page who's gotten above himself will make a surly squire and an unreliable knight. Now, back to Desi" -- "Desi?"

"My nickname for the Lady Desiderata. I thought you should know my castle is something of a haven for comely young widows disinclined to the convent or damoiselles of little dowry who've been unlucky enough to bear b.a.s.t.a.r.ds and be cast out by their families. Desiderata, however, belongs to neither of those categories. I happened to save her from a forced marriage to an ugly old goat of a knight who had seized her when she had unwisely run away from her father's keep.

In grat.i.tude, she gave herself to me, and I've kept her by me ever since.

No, she and I are no longer lovers," he said, answering the unspoken concern in Ranulf's eyes.

"You know I like constant variety in women--but we are friends.

She will please you, Ranulf, not only because you're a fine, handsome fellow but because she wants to please me. "

Ranulf couldn't help but be a little repelled by Henry's casual admission that he kept a collection of women, much like a sultan among the infidels, and that Desiderata had mixed motives for her actions toward himlf.

"I would take advantage of no woman because she owes you the roof over her head."

"Nonsense. Desiderata would be the first to scoff at that notion. She was no virgin when I took her. She's well cared for here and allowed to give her talent in the bedchamber free rein.

She's a born courtesan, Ranulf. Sooner or later she would have hung horns on any man who wed her. She merely didn't desire the ugly old knight who hadn't even tried to charm her before trying to rape her. He, uh, won't be imposing himself on any other beauteous ladies," Henry added with a grin.

"Don't be such a monk, Ranulf. Take her and enjoy her!"

Fortunately, Ranulf was saved from the necessity of a reply by the appearance of the lady in question.

Desiderata made a deliberate entrance, calling,