Lord Liar Part 34

Henry said suddenly, with a meaningful glance at the slumbering woman.

"No ... I mean yes! That is to say, my prince, I do not know," Ranulf replied uneasily.

"Perhaps you have been frequenting the king's court for too long?"

probed Henry with an ironic smile.

"I know my royal brother has no use for women himself, and perhaps you-"

"There are some vices Rufus has that I do not," interrupted Ranulf stiffly.

"Easy, Ranulf! I do not mean to offend you," Henry said. '"Tis just that you seem rather distracted, and I thought mayhap" -- "You thought wrong, my lord," he heard himself snap. "Ah, pray forgive my sharpness. I ... I am in love with someone else and..." Ranulf's voice trailed off as he wondered how to finish his sentence. He could not say, And she is afraid of men and is posing as my page until her former betrothed can be dealt with.

"You have a sweetheart back in England?" Henry was amused now.

"I had no idea, Ranulf, forgive me. So the fiery darts of Cupid have pierced the heart of the notorious Lord Ranulf, eh? Who is she--someone you must love in secret? The wife of a powerful lord? No? By the rood, can you mean you have fallen prey to some innocent damoiselle?" He laughed heartily.

"Ah, that's rich, my friend Ranulf!"

Ranulf was far from amused, but letting Henry think it was a lady back in England made Aldyth's secret safer.

"Well, I will press you no more about Desiderata, then. I have no current mistress myself. Mayhap I will rekindle the flame with Desi for a night or two--strictly to divert her from you, you understand? Am I not a good friend as well as your liege?" he asked with another chuckle. Ranulf tried to direct Henry back to political subjects, the causes that had convinced Ranulf that Henry would be a much better, fairer king for England--his proposed legal reforms, his philosophy about the relations.h.i.+p between the Crown and the Church, for example. But Henry was feeling playful now and would not be led.

"Since you have shared the revelation that you are already smitten and do not care to celebrate the New Year in Desiderata's bed, how shall we pa.s.s the days?" he mused. "There remain but two days of the old year... Ah! I have it! I suppose you did not think of getting your sweetheart a New Year's gift before you left England? You purchased naught for her in Rouen?"

"I ... no..." Actually, Ranulf had thought about the fact that he had no gift for Aldyth and regretted the lack. He had fantasized about the s.h.i.+mmering jewels he would love to adorn her with, but he told himself it was folly. She would accept naught from him, even if he had anything to give her. "If the morrow is fair, we shall ride into Barfleur. There is a Jew who has a goldsmith's shop there--amazing for such a small town, but I have promised him he may go to England if and when I am king, and he has promised me the support of his brethren.

"And don't worry about Desi," the prince said smugly. "I'll purchase some s.h.i.+ny bauble that will distract her."

Chapter Sixteen

Tryas she might, Aldyth could not understand him. The very thing that should have made Ranulf happy--the availability of an attractive woman of easy virtue--had made him crosser than ever, she mused on her pallet while Ranuff was dining with the prince and Desiderata.

Why was Ranulf acting so oddly? He had left the table in the courtesan's company on that first night in Prince Henry's castle. Why had he returned to his chamber so soon? He could hardly have had time to be intimate with Desiderata, even if they had dispensed with all the civilized preludes!

At the time, Aldyth had felt her heart had won a reprieve--but it was only that. He had just been postponing the inevitable, probably because he was too tired from the journey to woo the lady with his usual style. Doubtless they had already arranged an a.s.signation on the morrow, though.

After Aldyth made that a.s.sumption, it had been especially galling that she should be the one ordered to go and fetch Lady Desiderata this morning.

Resentfully she had visualized a hunting lodge or other such building where Henry would leave Ranulf and Desiderata alone together.

Aldyth's stomach had churned and her heart had ached the entire morning as she wandered from the bedchamber to the hall to the parapet and back to the hall again, oblivious to the castle's bright holiday decorations.

The threesome had come back in good spirits, but Aldyth could not detect any special closeness between Ranulf and Desiderata. Did that only mean they were more used to these games of pa.s.sion, more skilled at dissembling? But why should Ranulf bother to hide his feelings? He had already indicated Aldyth was not worldly enough for him.

Then he had all but forbidden Desiderata to help him bathe. Aldyth was mystified by his behavior. Surely a bath was an enjoyable setting for a seduction, and yet Ranulf had acted as skittish as an elderly monk confronted by a succubus!

Could he possibly have thought he was too sweaty and dirty from the ride for a lady of Desiderata's daintiness?

Aldyth was too cynical to believe the courtesan was any more fastidious than she was coy. And then he had been so testy about ordering her out of the room, as well. She had seen the raised eyebrows of Prince Henry and Desiderata and the look they had exchanged. They were wondering if he was indifferent to women.

What a laughable thought! Aldyth had been at Winchester long enough to have heard that Ranulf was accounted a legendary lover by the ladies of the court.

And she hadn't imagined that kiss in the barn at Kingsclere, or his reaction to that impulsive victory kiss outside the tavern in Honfieur. That had been the Ranulf--pa.s.sionate, fiery, certainly not made of the stuff of a successful celibate. What of the times she had looked up to find him gazing at her, only to have him quickly look away? There had begn an expression she could not read slipping from him features, but when he looked back, that urbane, languid mask was again in place.

Ranulf's behavior regarding the bath had been strange, but he had gone to take supper with the prince and Desiderata hours ago. Probably he and the courtesan had left Henry's company after a while and were even now carnally entwined on Desiderata's bed.

Surely there was no worse torment than imagining the man she loved making love to another woman.

Lady Vivienne had said, I know the right woman exists for Ranulf somewhere .

You have an image of him as wicked, dissolute, lost to all that is good between a man and the one lady who is destined to be his. But that is not the truth of it, Aldyth . The words sounded unreal now. Ranulf's kindness to her had made the Norman lady idealistic about him, decided Aldyth. But Lady Vivienne had been wrong when she had hinted that Aldyth was that one "right lady" for Lord Ranulf of Kingsclere.

Earlier this evening Aldyth had stolen a look at herself in Ranuff's piece of s'tlvered gla.s.s. Her hair had grown out but little. Her eyes looked enormous in the pale, wan face. How could a girl who looked like a peasant boy hope to compete with the charms of a woman such as Lady Desiderata?

Once Aldyth had decided to be realistic, she would have given anything to be able to return home to Sherborne im'mtely.

Surely Turold had resigned himself to his loss and she would be safe.

Perhaps he had even decided to marry Maud and make an honest woman of her.

please let Ranulf be summoned home soon! She end the torment of being with him while knowing for her.

Aldyth's stomach had churned and her heart had ached the entire morning as she wandered from the bedchamber to the hall to the parapet and back to the hall again, oblivious to the castle's bright holiday decorations.

The threesome had come back in good spirits, but Aldyth could not detect any special closeness between Ranulf and Desiderata. Did that only mean they were more used to these games of pa.s.sion, more skilled at dissembling? But why should Ranulf bother to hide his feelings? He had already indicated Aldyth was not worldly enough for him.

Then he had all but forbidden Desiderata to help him bathe. Aldyth was mystified by his behavior. Surely a bath was an enjoyable setting for a seduction, and yet Ranulf had acted as skittish as an elderly monk confronted by a succubus!

Could he possibly have thought he was too sweaty and dirty from the ride for a lady of Desiderata's daintiness?

Aldyth was too cynical to believe the courtesan was any more fastidious than she was coy. And then he had been so testy about ordering her out of the room, as well. She had seen the raised eyebrows of Prince Henry and Desiderata and the look they had exchanged. They were wondering if he was indifferent to women.

What a laughable thought! Aldyth had been at Winchester long enough to have heard that Ranulf was accounted a legendary lover by the ladies of the court.

And she hadn't imagined that kiss in the barn at Kingsclere, or his reaction to that impulsive victory kiss outside the tavern in Honfieur. That had been the real Ranulf--pa.s.sionate, fiery, certainly not made of the stuff of a successful celibate. What of the times she had looked up to find him gazing at her, only to have him quickly look away? There had been an expression she could not read slipping from his features, but when he looked back, that urbane, languid mask was again in place.

Ranulf's behavior regarding the bath had been strange, but he had gone to take supper with the prince and Desiderata hours ago. Probably he and the courtesan had left Henry's company after a while and were even now carnally entwined on Desiderata's bed.

Surely there was no worse torment than imagining the man she loved making love to another woman.

Lady Vivienne had said, I know the right woman exists for Ranulf somewhere .

You have an image of him as wicked, dissolute, lost to all that is good between a man and the one lady who is destined to be his. But that is not the truth of it, Aldyth . The words sounded unreal now. Ranulf's kindness to her had made the Norman lady idealistic about him, decided Aldyth. But Lady Xqvienne had been wrong when she had hinted that Aldyth was that one "right lady" for Lord Ranulf of Kingsclere.

Earlier this evening Aldyth had stolen a look at herself in Ranuff's piece of silvered gla.s.s. Her hair had grown out but little. Her eyes looked enormous in the pale, wan face. How could a girl who looked like a peasant boy hope to compete with the charms of a woman such as Lady Desiderata? Once Aldyth had decided to be realistic, she would have given anything to be able to return home to Sherborne immediately.

Surely Turold had resigned himself to his loss and she would be safe.

Perhaps he had even decided to marry Maud and make an honest woman of her.

J6su, please let Ranulf be summoned home soon! She longed to end the torment of being with him while knowing 1 was not for her.

And then all at once she heard the creak of the door opening as he entered the chamber. Now that it was so late, she had not expected him to return tonight, but here he was. Pulling the blanket up about her, she feigned sleep, but the flickering hour candle allowed her to study him covertly as he moved about the room. What had happened while he was gone? Had he bedded the courtesan? If so, what could have made him want to leave her bed before dawn? As he drew closer, pulling off his tunic, she could smell wine but no trace of the costly scent Lady Desiderata WOre.

She gave up the agonizing questions for the secret pleas- um of studying the masculine beauty of his body. As he pulled off his sherte and the woolen tunic below, she was treated to the sight of the candlelight dancing off the planes of his chest and shoulders. A small amount of curly hair narrowed to an arrow that pointed down past the flat belly.