Lord Liar Part 18

"Because I think you have an image of Lord Ranulf in your mind as a wicked, dissolute man, lost to all that is good, especially between a man and the one lady who is destined to be his. But that is not the truth of it, Aldyth.

"Tis merely what he wants the world to " What are you saying, my lady? "

Aldyth asked, mystified.

Lady Vivienne reached out and grasped Aldyth's hand. "I am not that woman, Aldyth. In fact, my heart belongs to another. But I know the right woman exists for Ranulf-somewhere." And she squeezed Aldyth's hand.

Her mind awhirl, Aldyth was about to probe more deeply into Lady Vivienne's words when the door opened.

She started, fearing that Ranulf had cut short his supper with the king in order to demand an explanation from her, but it was only Urse.

Lady Vivienne rose to meet him, a smile of greeting on her face, and suddenly Aldyth knew who it was that owned the Norman woman's heart--Lord Ranulf's squire. Did the giant Breton know?

Could any man fail to notice the love s.h.i.+ning from Lady Vivienne's eyes as she gazed at him? "Lady Vivienne, well met," he said in his jovial, husky voice.

"And who is this young pup?" he added, indicating Aldyth.

Lady Vivienne explained briefly while Aldyth squirmed in embarra.s.sment.

"And as for why she is dressed like a lad, Urse, you will have to await my 1ord's return for the full explanation. There is no need for the poor girl to have to g'me it twice."

Lord l. ,ar "I wouldn't miss such a tale as this for all the coin in the treasury," said Urse, settling himself on a nearby stool with a goblet of wine.

"But I must say, Lady Aldyth, you make a very fetching lad." Then he turned back to Lady Vivienne, and the two bantered on about this and that while the hour candle burned low in its socket.

It was more than two hours before the clink of Ranulf's spurs woke Aldyth from her doze.

"All right, Aldyth. I left as soon as I could escape his grace, who would have a game of tables from me first," he announced, looming over her like a vision from h.e.l.l, handsome as Lucifer, and as dangerous.

"Warin said you were afraid. Afraid of what? Of marriage, you spoiled, pampered wench? Of a husband's control? By the saints, I believe you need those things sorely."

"I am not afraid of marriagel" she retorted, indignant at his heetoring tone.

"I fled Sherborne because I discovered the man I was to marry was a monster--worse than you!" He had the nerve to laugh at her.

"Worse than me? Hard to believe a man could he covered with more sins than I am, my innocent Aldyth. Come now, how could he be worse than me?"

"I learned Tumid had a mistress, and" -- "A mistress? What of it? I have a mistress," he said, in- dim ting Lady Vivienne.

"So do most men with red blood running in their veins, despite what pious priests say." Aldyth reali? xl that now was not the time to admit she knew the truth about Ranulf and Lady Vivienne.

"My lord, he not only had a mistress, but he had every intention of continuing to bed her after the ceremony. And he struck me when I dared to protest--aye, and would have raped me, too, right there in the chapel, on the eve of our weddingi So I fled."

He stared at her, all amus.e.m.e.nt vanished from his dark, cynical features. A long finger traced the outline of the fading bruises on her cheek, as if he'd just realized what they were.

"You could not go to your father? Or to G.o.drio?"

"No, my lord," she told him.

"I felt I could not."

"And yet you did not come to me, either." Behind him, the candle flickered, lighting the angular planes of his face. She answered softly, though Urse and Lady Vivienne were conversing together.

"How could I, Ranulf, the way matters were left between us?"

He seemed suddenly thoughtful, his thumbs perched on his wide leather belt.

"How indeed," he murmured.

'"Twould he like fleeing from one monster to another. Well, there's only one answer for it--you must seek sanctuary in a convent."

"No, never!" she cried.

"I'll not do it! You cannot make me, Ranulf!

I'll only run away again! "

"Easy, easy, my pa.s.sionate little one," he said, coming to run his hands down her arms, gentling her like a fractious falcon.

"I meant only temporarily, while I meet with your father and the bishop and secure an annul meat of your betrothal-" "I won't go to any convent to be ordered about by an abbess and her sour old sisters in religion! How do I know I'd ever be released from the betrothal? The next thing I'd know, Turold might show up at the abbey and force me to go with him--and no nuns would be able to nay say him!" He studied her for a long moment.

"Very well, no convent for you while I get you free of this tangle, Aldyth, but what about staying with my lady mother at Kingselere? She would" -- She shook her head.

"Turold is not to be trusted, my lord. I am afraid of what he might do if he knew where I was.

Please, my lord, might I not stay here, disguised as your page? " She had not known she was going to ask such a thing until the words had tumbled from her lips.

He stared at her.

"My page? Certainly not! I already have a page--your brother, you foolish girl! And if you despised me since that day in the stables, why would you want to stay in my very household?"

Aldyth didn't know the reason herself. She only knew that something had changed since Lady Vivienne had confided in her that she was not Lord Ranulf's leman and that Lord Ranulf was not the devil he pretended to be.

She only knew she had no desire to continue hiding in the chapel royal, dusting reliquaries and writing out writs in the scriptorium, if she could be near Ranulf.

"Oh, please, my lord! Let me stay, I beg of you] I appeal to your chivalry!"

she cried, flinging herself at his feet.

"You forget, Aldyth, I haven't any chivalry," he said, looking down at her.

"I believe you once called me a 'braying Norman a.s.s'? You were closer to the truth then, I be- His face was set in hard, sardonic lines. There was no evidence that she had reached his heart, and she began to weep in earnest.

"Oh, please, my lord, I am so afraid! Please let me stayI I'll be no trouble! I'll do anything you ask of me!"

%4Nothing? " he inquired with an ironic lift of one brow ashe cupped her chin.

"Oh, for pity's sake, my lord! Give her yea or nay, but do not torment her,"

Lady Vivienne interrupted in an ex asper ated tone.

Aldyth ignored her.