Quietly, Ranulf went up the worn steps to his room. As he slowly washed and changed into a dark-blue velvet tunic and tabard, he chuckled to himself. What would his Black Guard think if they knew their leader was as nervous as a green boy, all because of an emerald-eyed lioness?
Lyonene stared through the open shutter, needing the blast of cold air to revive her. Her back was to her father, and his news had nearly felled her. Lord Ranulf had agreed to marry her! She could not help a rebellious feeling over the fact that the marriage had been arranged without her knowledge. She thought of her cousin Anna. A page had come and said her father wanted her below stairs. Moments later she had found herself married to a man she’d never seen before.
Lyonene took a deep breath of air and thought that, all in all, she was blessed with a good father. Of course it had been Ranulf who had stipulated that she must agree freely to the marriage. She closed her eyes and leaned fo
rward, the air biting her cheeks. To spend all the days of her life such as the last one! To have him kiss her at any time she desired.
“Daughter, will you give the man your answer?”
“Aye, father, I will marry him,” she said quietly.
William shook his head and silently left the room. He could not grasp the idea that his daughter was to become a countess. He did not see Ranulf until he walked into him.
“She did not agree,” the dark knight stated flatly.
“Nay,” William answered, “she has agreed.” He looked at Ranulf with something akin to horror—the Black Lion was to be his son-in-law. Was not the son supposed to be afraid of the father? “Go to her. I am sure she would care to see you.” Then he shrugged and went down the stairs.
Lyonene did not leave the open window when she heard the door reopen. “Lucy, come here and see this glorious day.” She whirled at Ranulf’s deep voice.
“And what makes this cold, drear day so glorious?” He was very serious.
She felt shy of a sudden, for, after all, he was a stranger to her. Ranulf walked to the carved oak chest that stood against one wall. He lifted her ivory comb and studied the figures on it. “You have spoken to your father and agreed to the … bargain?”
“Aye,” she answered quietly, “but is not a marriage more than just a bargain?” She began to smile, “At least this marriage, for I fear you do not bargain to gain, since you chose a poor baron’s daughter to wife. Would you not want a rich wife with green estates and…”
“Knocked knees, mayhaps?”
Her eyes sparkled. “And how do you know my knees do not knock?”
He did not smile, but the corners of his eyes showed merriment. “That is true, I do not know, so I shall find out. I do not propose to marry a woman with ugly legs.”
She stepped backward from him. “Do not come near me. I will call out.”
“And who will dare to stop the great Black Lion? I shall toss all the men out the window and then I shall still have my way with you.” He leered at her, and she tried to cover her giggles as they escaped her.
He threw an arm about her waist and then sat on the bed with her in his lap. She uselessly tried to pull away from him, but her laughter made her even weaker. Ranulf made half-hearted attempts to lift her skirt. He held both her hands in one of his.
“Now, this ankle is not too crooked.”
“It is not crooked at all!”
“If it is not, then it will not mate with the other, which is most definitely bent.”
“What is this?” Lucy demanded, appearing from nowhere. “I knew I should not leave this girl alone. You unhand my girl and leave this room at once! I will have no such play while I am near.”
“Lucy, we are to be married.”
The old woman may have missed one blink, but otherwise gave no other sign that she heard. “Well, until you are married, you are in my keeping. Now you, young man, unhand her ankle and leave this room. You are not allowed alone with my girl until after the wedding.”
Ranulf set Lyonene from his lap and bent to kiss her.
“No more of that! You have a life together. There be no sense in tiring of one another early.”
Obediently, he started to leave.
Lyonene’s laugh stopped him. “What of your threats now, Lion? Will you not carry them out?” She nodded her head to the open window.
Ranulf looked at Lucy, who ran to close the shutters. He grimaced. “I am not so strong as that. Mayhaps I should fetch my Black Guard.” He paused and frowned. “And the Frisian, and…”