Telepathy of Hearts (19 page)

It was not only the castle walls that had the touch of Midas. Eleanor bloomed. Her flaxen hair had a glow and her skin the luminosity of pearl
s
. Imagining quite what it would feel like to touch and taste her at that moment
;
Matheus
's mind was letting his hands and tongue wander all over her
.
Following the curve of her spine with a slight caress. Opening her mouth with his tongue as he demanded hers. Running his fingers through her hair as he held her hips down beneath him.

“Quite a sight
, is
she
not
?
” Lady Bruce interrupted his enjoyment

“Rope her horse well, my Lord. Trust me, there is danger in Richard Sline. Why do you think I birched her so if she escaped me? Better the bite of my birch than the stench of him on her lips.
”

Lady Bruce looked at Matheus in a way that made him shiver.

Dear God, saints protect us, she is a witch

“He will come for her. As a Yorkist, he can smell the throne.
”

Matheus nodded. He was fully aware of what Richard now intended. It is funny how the desire and greed for the
Crown of England could change a man.
“My cousins are welcome to it, if it means danger to Eleanor. I will spill my blood gladly to protect her, even from the King himself if I need to.
”

“Must you rope my Arthur up to Simon as if I was a feeble maid?
” Eleanor was pouting. It was taking little to inflame the heat in Matheus
' blood for her, and her pout was just about undoing him.

“I
've told you it is as for your protection as much as the desire I have to rein you in
…no pun intended, and anyway, I bloody well hope you
are
a maid. Feeble I can cope with.
”

He was grinning from ear to ear and even as she sulked Eleanor had to stifle a giggle.

He was playing with her. Matheus knew women. A knight
's nights were often cold sleeping on the field, finding little peace as battle fever darkened their dreams. The arms of a woman and the touch of soft skin was relief to their trauma. So they battled hard and whored well, picking up tips on how to handle the fair sex along the way.

Matheus knew well that Eleanor, regardless of her wildness, and her bravery in speech, had known little of men. Engaged to a boy. So he courted her as a man and flirted with her mercilessly. His face was gentled and his manner kind. Turning toward her he winked.
“If you are a good girl I may even jump up behind you and let you sit upon my lap. I think you enjoyed it last time.
”

Eleanor could hardly speak for giggling.
“
Pray, I am only a feeble maid, my Lord, but I think you may have left your dagger in your hose as there was something a little sharp and hard. Your lap was far from comfortable.
”

I love you
,
Eleanor.
Priest
'
s bones, I would love to tell you so. When you giggle, I love you even more.

“
Pray Lady
,
you are quite mistaken, for there is nothing little about my dagger. I am no boy. I do not wield a wooden sword. I am a knight with a lengthy lance.
”

The pair laughed so much they became unsteady on their mounts as the stable lad interrupted.
“
'Tis true
,
my Lady. My Lord
's lance is quite enormous.
'Tis long and a little thicker than Master Godwin
's. I know this coz I wax
'em, see.
”

Godwin hit him with his sword hilt. Trying not to let the boy see his grin, he told him
“Do not discuss the length of my lance again or I shall take you back to the wild country. You
will
make a good sacrifice.
”

Eleanor turned to Matheus and asked.
“Where on earth is the wild country
,
husband?
”

“
Pay de Galles, Wales. Godwin is a
Celt. Nasty pagan folks, who slit their kins
' throats and sink them in bogs. But brave and
—oh my Lord you called me husband.
” Turning to Eleanor he was beaming.
“Dear Lady, you called me husband.
”

Blushing the colour of her scarlet cloak, Eleanor dropped her head.
“I thought you would like it
. I
…mm
…
i
f you
don
—
”

“No, please
,
I do
…I so do
like it
. Eleanor, I mean wife, yes, yes I do.
” Matheus looked like the boy with a wooden sword at that moment.
His hair flopped into his face and he grinned as if he had just been crowned king of all Britannia.

Priests
' bones.
H
is heart beat out such a rhythm it felt like it alone could play the quadrille. He was desperate to dismount and kiss her. He was desperate to claim her.
I cannot wait for our nuptials. Dear Lord, I pray the time passes quickly.
Perhaps the King knew us better. Who
else
would have
decreed
such a pairing
—a
she-
wolf
and a bull?

* * * *

Two days into their journey there was great jubilation that there were to be baths and a decent meal
at journey
's end
. The party made camp at Sir
Peveril
's castle at Bolsover that night. The ladies were given a chamber, and the men slept in the keep.

Sir
Peveril
's family were somewhat like Matheus
'. They too were originally knights of William the
Conqueror and trying to keep out o
f the
Cousin
's squabbles, b
ut willing to enter the field of battle when the safety of the kingdom called them.

Sir
Peveril had been equipped with the knowledge that Eleanor was a target for kidnap
ping
. Ensuring his fortress was even more secure, he had stationed more guards and some of his serfs slept on the grounds, ready to alert their lord to any disturbance.

Moatless, Bolsover castle
's defenses were not as protective as
those at
Lancaster nor
at
his home in Lincoln. This troubled Matheus. His own home had two moats and was arguably the most well-
founded castle in the country. How
was
he to keep Eleanor safe in Bolsover
?
He was comforted in the knowledge that when she moved, he could feel the tether pull just as his heart strings did.
It
unsettled him, and he felt the bramble belt of concern tighten around his guts.

In the woods when they had made camp, he roped Eleanor to him and let Goody wrap her protective arms
around her.

Matheus lay at the foot of his wife
's bed, dagger in hand. He slept little and was muttering when he did.
“It will take more than a wooden sword to keep her safe.
”

A strong hand on his shoulder interrupted his thoughts. Godwin
's face was a comfort. The threat of her kidnap
ping
swelled in his belly, and there were few people who understood the weight of concern that crushed his chest.

“Go and pray to your God, Sire. I will watch over your Lady. If it helps, I will string some ravens.
”

“Thank you, Godwin. I would court Satan himself if it would help. We live in difficult times. Look, she sleeps quite unaware of our troubles.
”

Godwin put a hand on his Master
's hand.
“Have faith in your own ability. As for the sleep of the innocent, you wouldn
't have it any other way.
'Tis responsibility enough for her to birth a child
—sorry Sire, I
—
”

Matheus raised his hand and smiled.
“I know you meant nothing by it.
” He was glad to be relieved of his duty to pray to his Lord. He left Eleanor in Godwin
's safety and left the chambers. As he walked to the chapel,
the castle was still, cold. T
allow torches lit his way and only the sound of his heavy boots on flag disturbed the peace. A frown broke Matheus
's face. The stoic man named the Bull felt the sting of tears well. Fighting them back, he would not allow himself the luxury. Holding his crucifix tight, he made quiet prayer.

The chapel was large with a vaulted ceiling painted in bright hues of red, green, blue and amber. The castle had been part of the old monastery and was decorated accordingly.
Carvings of saints who silently watched him and gargoyles tormented in hell appealed to him with the same silent eyes. The sense of stillness washed over him as he bowed at the altar.

The Madonna held her child in the mural behind it. Her son grown as the Son of God, an effigy in gold
—
wearing his crown of thorns and nailed to a crucifix bejewelled with rubies
—
he towered over the altar.
Candles burned around his feet. And as if weeping, tears of tallow had fallen and set on the cloth.

Taking three candles, he lit them each in turn. Speaking Latin, he addressed the altar. Matheus lit one for his dead wife Elizabeth. One for the child, his son, who died as she did as she tried to deliver him. The last was a candle of protection for Eleanor.

Kneeling at the altar with his beads in hand, he prayed. For the second time that night a hand was placed on his shoulder.

“We are in the house of God, do not draw your sword Matheus.
” Richard Sline stood over him.

Why did I not bring Godwin with me? He would care not to murder in the Lord
's house.

Matheus rose and the two knights stood eye to eye.

“You know why I chose God
's House. I did not fancy my chances against your skilled blade
, and
I
am
mighty relieved that savage, walking mountain is not with you.
”

Matheus kept Richard
's stare. His hand was trembling with temper. His face had paled from the initial flush of rage. His blood was draining to his limbs. His body was preparing to fight.

Richard was also trembling. But his were the vibrations of fear. He was almost whispering as he continued.
“I dare say he would have slit my throat on the altar steps and stuck my carcass in a bog somewhere. This is my point, friend. You are a fighter, a knight. That is what you do best.