Telepathy of Hearts (23 page)

There was real fear in her heart. The dull
ache of foreboding pained her.
He returned with the lit candle, and his face broke into the most beautiful full-
toothed smile.

He spoke.
“I
am just so pleased to see you. F
or a while I didn
't think I
'd ever see you lash out at me, lose your temper or ever smile at me again.
” And he winked

“You
're not making this easy for me, my Lord.
” Eleanor sighed
.

“That was my intention and it
i
s Husband
…Wife.
”

Eleanor sat on the floor cross-
legged, her ankle outstretched before her. Matheus gently took her swollen foot in his palm and dropped a kiss on to it.

“Goody will chide you.
” Eleanor looked at him as she spoke, laughter in her eyes.

Leaving her ankle, he traced a line with his finger underneath. From her ankle to her calf. She kept his stare and withdrew her leg

Matheus moved to her side. Taking her hands in his, he lifted them to his lips. Brushing her knuckles with his lips as he spoke.
“I feel that you will have to say what you will
…so as I cannot stop you, pray talk.
”

“I. I.
'Tis that I
…please, I may need the Abbess.
”

Opening his mouth
,
Matheus was quietened by Eleanor
's fingers on his lips.
“SShh
…when he
…well when he
…uhmmm, I may not be a maid. You cannot couple me knowing another well
…I. If you still
…the Abbess can
…she can test my maidenhead.
”

Matheus
's face flus
hed scarlet. A nerve by his eye
ticked. His mouth twisted. Eleanor looked at his hands as they formed fists. Tendons on his throat tighten
ed, u
ntil they rose taut and strained
.
She watched him stand.

He walked away and stood with his back to her. Still and stoic, as ever the Lincoln bull.

“I fought him, my Lord. I tried
…I even escaped a while. But my ankle failed and I
…well I am so very sorry
…I
…he had a dagger
…and I well
,
it went black after he fisted my face
…I am so sorry.
”

The silence was deafening. Gingerly Eleanor straightened and stood, careful not to put too much weight on her foot. She turned to look at Matheus. He stood statuesque
—his power presence filled the tent. Opening the tent egress Eleanor made ready to leave.

“Where are you going?
” His voice was strong and direct.

Trying to keep charge of her nerves she whispered,
“To Goody, my Lord
”

“The hell you are.
”

Fear crept in, twisting around her heart like vines of ivy. It pulled tight, taking her breath, forcing her dry mouth to swallow.

The strike of his fist. The taste of Richard
's stale breath
,
still bitter in her mouth. A man half the size of the man who stood before her had dragged and beaten her. What could the Lincoln Bull do to her tiny frame? Her body shivered at the thought. Her lip was quivering.

Spitting his words as if bitter to his tongue, Matheus was at her side.
“I will take you to Goody if you must go.
”

Eleanor winced as he grasped her and pulled her arms to her chest.
“For damnation woman, what is wrong now? Have you pain? I was going to carry you to save your ankle
… I have held you these many hours and now you leap at my touch like a bullfrog and squeal like a suckling pig
…priest
's bones
,
be still!
”

As he swept her up with no gentle grace, Eleanor could feel his muscles tense, his neck tendons taut. He certainly was quite the Bull now. But she feared him less as he seized her than when he stood stoic and cold.

The cold hit her as they left the tent. Shivering, she drew closer to her courier, her body aching from the cruelties it had had to endure.

She looked up at the night sky. It was dressed in deep-
blue velvet and bejewelled with a myriad of twinkling beads. Lacy flakes of snow sparkled in the torchlight almost as if the stars shook and were releasing their precious lustre to fall about them.

The snow falls on us like grain at a wedding. Tis an omen?
Perhaps no. He holds me protectively, his hand sheltering my face. Yet the intimacy of his touch for me has left him.

She was absorbed in her thoughts, and the pain in her body had dulled
, b
ut her heart still ached badly.

“I know we approach Goody or Godwin, as that sound is one a boar rutting would be proud of.
”

Giggling in response to Matheus
's witty quip, Eleanor felt his hold tighten to a squeeze releasing into a caress. And as he did so he whispered,
“I do so like to hear you giggle for truly it is a most wicked sound.
”

Godwin lay on the floor outside Goody
's tent, with only a thin blanket between him and the snow. The big
Celt sang threw his nostrils making a terrible sound. Giving his back a gentle kick, Matheus mused to Eleanor,
“See, not only is the man unholy, the sound he expels is quite ungodly too. Satan would be proud to hear him play
…and I sleep next to that often in battle.
'Tis no wonder my eyes often berate me on opening.
”

Giggling once more, Eleanor held her hand out, making a shell around her ear. Turning her head toward the snores and wheezes that were coming from the tent she replied,
“And my Lord, I sleep next to that.
”

Godwin stirred and grinned at his Master He straightened himself to his full height. Eleanor always found herself surprised at his towering height no matter how many times she saw him. Her eyes widened.

Matheus is a tall man over six foot. But Godwin is huge. It
's rare sight to see a man of seven feet; no wonder the children think him a real life giant.

Opening the tent, Godwin stepped in and held the flap open, coughing loudly to alert the nursemaid to their presence. Startled by the intrusion, Goody let out an enormous fart.

Matheus
's shoulders heaved as he tried to stifle his laughter, to such an extent that he could hardly keep Eleanor in his arms. It was not helped by the fact that Godwin winked at Eleanor. Both now had a fit of the giggles, shaking with the effort of controlling their laughter.

Godwin was the first to speak.
“My dear Mistress, seems you have a case of the vapours.
” Snorting he continued,
“
'Tis cook
's stew
;
it is a noxious brew.
”

The assembled group could not look at each other for fear they would all break out in uncontrollable laughter. Matheus put Eleanor down.
Controlling himself, he addressed Goody.
“Mistress I have brought my wife back. She says she would rather your arms this night than mine.
”

Eleanor looked at him open-
mouthed. Shaking her head, she mumbled,
“That is not what I said.
” The mood changed from the jovial banter of friends. Once more Eleanor saw the Bull of Lincoln, direct, focused and stoic. She longed for the little knight and his wooden sword.

“
'Tis no wonder my babe wants the arms of a woman to comfort her. There is little in the arms of a man but the promise of emptiness.
” She went to put her arms around her Eleanor as she spoke.

“Seems Mistress Goody still hasn
't quite thawed to you, Sire,
” Godwin jested.

Matheus smirked a side grin saying,
“Yes, seems like the September sun whose warmth is short-
lived.
”

“Oh and Sire, why do you make him sleep so?
” Goody was pointing at Godwin as she spoke. Her face twisted and her brow furrowed.
“You shelter your horses better. He may be a hairy, godless
Celt, but
'tis not right
he be
out
there
like a beast in the snow. I offered my floor
,
but he refused it.
”

Eleanor
's eyebrows rose.

Your floor, Goody? Well, well!

Looking from one to the other, Godwin was enjoying the sport of their exchange.
“
'Tis a poison dwarf versus a grumpy giant,
” he whispered to Eleanor.

His eyes flashing, Matheus clenched his teeth. Breathing out slowly he replied,
“Godwin how best well are ye treated? Who bids you sleep on the floor under the stars?
”

Putting his hands up to Goody, the big
Celt replied,
“Me
,
Sire,
'tis my way. I need not roof nor bed to sleep so. What
's more, dear Mistress, I prefer it and truth be told, I tell no lie. I am treated fair well,
'tis a kind and just knight we soldier for.
”

Leaving the tent, the men were called back by Eleanor.
“
Pray leave Mace with me, my Lord. He is a comfort to me for he has slept at my feet often since we journeyed.
”

Opening her mouth to speak, Goody was interrupted by Matheus
's raised hand.
“Mace befell an injury whilst I hunted, I am afraid. Godwin put him out for he was suffering.
Please don
't cry
…for he chases rabbits and hares a plenty up in the clouds.
”

Rushing out of her mouth, her thoughts became words before she could stop them.
“My Lord you treat me as a child. Yet I am old enough to be wife, lover, and mother. I am not that fragile. You doth think I break so because the news I hear is not sweet. I break so for I want always to feel the wet grass beneath my feet. To sing in the sunset whilst as I whisper to the trees.
”

Scratching his head, Godwin smirked.

Rolling his eyes, Matheus replied,
“
'Tis not only the snoring of a boar that keeps me up at camp, my dear Lady thinks we ride an hour
's sleep. Keep your wet grass beneath your feet, sing to your sunset. But sleep well on them because we ride at dawn. The walls of Lincoln cannot come quick enough for me.
”

Godwin put a hand to his Master
's shoulder as they left the tent. The wink of one widowed man to another was a comfort. And the
Celt offered a little advice, laughing as he spoke.
“Ha,
s
he is a she-
wolf
—that is what brought her through her beating. I would fair love to be scorned by a wench now. I do miss it
when
they get all hissy and sour. Their eyes do flash and the bust flushes scarlet. Is lovely bedding them then
…all angry, they wriggle and scowl at your attentions
…until you undo them and make them fair sweet
.
A woman without a smar
t mouth on her
'tis no pleasure.
'
T
is like having cook
's stew; it gives men the vapours.
”