Telepathy of Hearts (10 page)

But Matheus was quite wrong. As Lady Bruce listened to the women swoon about her future son-
in-
law, her heart was not quite back to an even beat. Smiling to herself, she pondered.

If it would mean that that man was my punisher, then as God
's my witness, I would agree to anything.

She too,
watched as the other noble ladies did while Matheus strode away.
Covering the ground with such pace and beauty
,
you could liken him to the Master of the Horse
's best stallion. Strong, dark and a body of muscle that ran hot with the fieriest of blood.

And just like the other ladies, Lady Bruce bemoaned the fact that those lon
g shanks would be upon Eleanor
—pinning her groin
—
in a matter of weeks.
The green snake of jealousy slithered through her like the abomination it was.

Amber and apricot hues painted the morning canvas, the sky still and the dawn newly broken. The radiant winter sun hung low, kissing the horizon in a blaze of white light, dar
k
ening only briefly as a cloud of starlings greeted the day. With their beautiful ballet, the birds
performed to a silent audience.

As the men rode on through the forest they were soon on open land. Snow had covered the tracks of the last day
's journeymen. It was as if their hooves were the first to travel such a well-
worn path

Matheus had been riding for several hours by daybreak. This was the last day of his journey, and although saddle-
hardened, his disposition was more melancholic than just tired. The hour was early yet already he found himself tired of conversation. There was neither jest in his manner, nor humour in his voice.

His men knew their knight well. They were brothers in battle, sharing both success and sorrow.
They had c
elebrated with him when he married and watched over him through his grief. Anyone of them would take an arrow to protect him. No words were needed, no souls would be bared. They knew why he found it hard to make merry whilst on the road to collect his
new
bride.

Their matches had mostly been for love, lust, even sometimes just the need of a soft touch of a gentle hand u
p
on their skin. Their women wept when they soldiered. Warmed their beds and hearts when they returned. Yet they knew their knight had lost that woman to the cursed and e
v
er-
present danger of childbirth. Now he would marry a maid who had to be beaten to agree.

“Godwin,
see here,
”
Richard Sline
jested,
“
he looks like he rides to the sheriff to be arrested rather than the collection of his bride.
”

Matheus
interrupted
as
Richard
exchang
ed banter with Godwin,
Master of Arms.
“I am fearing her right hook. I still have the bruise
;
a strike like that can make a man mighty fearful.
Perhaps when I rally to bed her, I will ask the squire to prey dress me in my harness of armour to prepare me for battle.
” He
smiled
as he spoke and his men responded by laughing, glad to see their Master
's mood much improved. They offered lewd suggestions on how a passionate maid could be controlled and claimed.

Matheus
hadn
't initially
wanted Eleanor
's hand and he knew she felt likewise.
It does not help that the maid is royal frit of me.
Priest bones for this day. I long to be as my men, free to bed and wed whom I choose.

This was no happy occasion.
I am no lover coming to whisk my betrothed off to couple with her as she desires me to.

He had never taken a woman against her will. With the weight of the King
's decree and the nation
's safety upon his shoulders, he
prayed that he would never have to
as he
rode toward the infamous walls of Lancaster
Castle
.

“There is some right to this wrong,
” he muttered as his horse brought him closer to his intended. Eleanor was co
m
ing as Matheus
's bride with a modest dowry
, which meant naught to him
. He was a wealthy man with vast estates. His family
had prospered well during the
Cousins
'
War
,
partly because Matheus
's father, a Lancastrian Earl, had married the daughter of a Yorkist. It had caused great upset at the time. But the financial benefits had been huge. The family was always able to strike a dea
l with their red or white rose
cousins
no matter what royal nates graced the throne of En
g
land at the time.

However, the wars had been costly for Eleanor
's f
a
ther
—the old Earl. Matheus would not add to his burden. Stealing his daughter from him was gift enough. He had waved the dowry for just a few acres of French land the Old Earl had won in a game of knuckles and thought quite us
e
less. Matheus thought differently; his decision to wave a dowry for it had been viewed by both
k
ing and
c
ourt at best as the generosity of a soft man or at worst the trifle of a fool.

Matheus was neither. His thirst for knowledge was i
m
mense and eclectic. From the world of nature to the structure of battle plans, he would talk with scholars for hours and read what few books were written with great zeal, in need of the refreshment that only education could bring him.

The acres in the dowry were thick with good French yew trees. The English yew produced poor quality weapons and bows. The French wood was much finer. It seasoned better and made weapons that could win wars. He had seen too many of his men die because of poor English bows. This would be his gift to his men, bettering their chances of su
r
vival.

“It might not suit all, Richard,
” Matheus had said when questioned on his decision regarding Eleanor
's dowry.
“There will be less whores for you to lay with, Sline for more men will return from battle to warm their wives
' beds and feed their kins
' bellies, not fill the ground producing a feast for the worms.
”

W
ho was Matheus doing this for
—h
is
k
ing, his men or himself?

My King commands and I do his bidding. My men to s
e
cure good bows and perhaps save their lives. For me b
e
cause want it or no, she is fair and she doth bewitch me so.
Oh my Eleanor of Lancaster, you torment m
e and tangle my heart strings
. Wolf or woman
…sure to be
a
witch.

Struggling with the feelings and emotions she stirred in him, he was hopeful that when he saw her there to greet him, his passion would be pacified a little by her presence.

With his colours displayed before him, Matheus rode i
n
to the court yard. The banners of Lincoln gold and green pennons streamed about him. Accompanied by Richard Sline, Godwin, his best man at arms, and some twenty mounted soldiers, it was a sight of wealth and grandeur
—not only to tell his bride her betrothed believed her a precious enough jewel to celebrate his good fortune with pomp and ceremony, but to protect her as they escorted her home.

Matheus
's brow pinched. Eleanor was not there to greet him. There was a touch of desperation in his face, his eyes as if storm clouds, a mix of blue and grey, threatening fury as they searched the courtyard.

Matheus dismounted. Seeing Lady Bruce, he strode to her, covering the ground nearly as quickly as his mount, S
i
mon, would.

Lady Bruce was flustered. She was garbled in her speech. Appearing nervous and becoming flushed as she spoke to him.
“The Lady is quite queer about you, Matheus,
” Richard commented.

“I warned her off Eleanor. I don
't see it as right to threaten a lady. But after the sight of her birched I had to do what was best for my betrothed
's protection
.
Mother Bear, well let
's say she is mighty frit of me,
” Matheus replied with a tone of achievement

There was a booming laugh from Godwin as he called to his knight.
“Tha
t i
s not a woman frit. You have it wrong, sire. For that is a woman wanting
…quite undone and you are the undoer.
”

The soldiers laughed heartily. Matheus was a very pop
u
lar master and dearly
be
loved by his men. They enjoyed great banter and were soon joined by Richard who continued to chide his friend. Making a mooing sound and continuing to speak he said,
“Tis the effect of The Bull of Lincoln. Not only do young heifers bay for him
…but barren Kye bay for this bull too.
”

Matheus shook his head at his men and told them to stand down. Taking the arm of Lady Bruce, he walked her out of earshot. His men reacted by hitting their sword hilts against the pommels of their saddles. Hollering and baying with crudest of comments.

“
Pay no mind to them, Lady Bruce, they see their wives little and become lewd because of it. But mean nothing by it.
” Under his hand he could feel Lady Bruce was
trembling to his touch. Fearing her frightened he reassured her, his manner and tone belaying his true emotion. He kept it calm and controlled.
“
Please do not tremble so my Lady. If my b
e
trothed is safe than I shall be gracious with you.
”

Lady Bruce smiled. But in truth it was obvious to ever
y
one else there that she would like him less gracious. His men were quite right
—she was undone by him totally.

“I
'm waiting. Where is Eleanor? It is custom, is it not, to greet your future husband when he calls to collect her to bring her to wife? It is fair to say I did not think she would bring me the customary sweetmeats and offer to bathe me. But to hide in her chambers is disrespectful. I am in front of my men for love of God. How can I command their respect if my future wife disrespects me so? Do I have to search for her?
”

Lady Bruce looked up at Matheus. He was quite co
n
cerned about her.