Telepathy of Hearts (27 page)

She sang in Latin as if it was her native tongue.

Godwin stepped back in.
“My Lady, I did not believe in angels until this day
…But your God must delight in that sound, for if anything is the sound of holy faith, that is.
”

Smiling with her eyes, acknowledging his praise, Eleanor continued to sing.

In dulci jubilo

In praesepio;

Matris in gremio,

Alpha es et O!

O Jesu parvule,

O puer optime;

O princeps gloriae.

Trahe me post te.

O patris caritas!

O Nati lenitas!

Per nostra crimina

Coelorum gaudia,

Qualis gloria!

Ubi sunt gaudia

Nova cantica

In Regis curia.

Her prayer complete, her voice quietened and with the big
Celt at her side, Eleanor left the chapel. Once again her head turned and she stilled.
“Must be my nerves upon my imminent nuptials that make me fair skittish, Master Godwin
,
for I fear that I was being watched.
” Shaking her head, she refused to listen to the steps her subconscious was sure she heard behind her.

* * * *

There was joy in Goody
's voice. She had made the main room festive as the dark chambers allowed in the short time Eleanor had been at prayer. In a nod to Godwin, there was holly, ivy and mistletoe festooning the eves. The spread of sweetmeats was so inviting, mouths watered in anticipation. Just as the three settled to their
Christmas supper there was a knock to the door.

Pike stood, pup in hand alongside Lady Bruce. Squealing with delight, Eleanor threw her arms around all three of them saying,
“Mother Bear, Sir
Pike oh and my dear Gelert, pray join us.
” Gelert was soon in her arms. Much to Godwin
's disapproval the pup, taking the opportunity presented by his Mistress, was eating off her pewter plate, enjoying a fair portion of cockatrice.

“What pray is it? It looks like a beast of Satan, head of a pig, nates of a bird,
” Eleanor commented as Gelert was making fast work of the beast
's feet.

Lady Bruce animated at length about the work involved in its preparation and how Matheus had ungratefully banned its presence from the forthcoming bridal feast.

The group separated. The men and Goody played knuckles after their feast. Whilst Lady Bruce sat with her stepdaughter.

“I am not your mother
'tis true and I have birched your nates until they doth blister. But daughter you are as wilful as the She-
Wolves you descend from, and I worried that it would be your undoing.
”

Touching with feather-
light finger tips the bruise that blackened Eleanor
's face, she continued,
“And brave, so very brave
…he marked you. This wound I fear is nothing, child. For
'tis that your soul still bleeds a little that pulls on me
…I will send
Pike to get some ash to cover it so it will not show so in the morn.
”

The sound of the villagers celebrating both the season and the upcoming nuptials could be heard clearly. Looking out, Godwin was thrilled.

A fire had been built upon the moor and surrounded by the village folk it would burn all night. Song would be sung, toasting Eleanor and the fertility of her womb. Flagons of Bride Ale would be refilled through the night. A gift from their Lord and master. In his honour, tales would be told and spells would be cast.

“Old ways
…they burn a fertility fire. It is magnificent and towers high as a manhood and hot like
…
”

Eleanor blushed and Lady Bruce chided him before he could continue.
“
Pray your silence, Master Godwin. Old ways or no, this is not the place for a maid to hear these charms cast about her belly.
” Her gaze flashing with rage, she fixed a stare on him that would run shivers through a priest.

“Sing for us
,
my babe, sing for good old Goody.
” Goody giggled, her voice slurrin
g slightly from the flow of
ale.

Gelert, curled up in his mistress
's lap, was fast asleep, his legs twitching on occasion as he chased an imaginary rabbit back to its hole. She stroked her little charge, reassuring him of her presence, and started to sing. Once more
,
Lincoln
Castle heard the sound of an angel as the exquisite voice of Eleanor of Lancaster, niece to the King, sang.

St Stephan
's Day dawned and Matheus was woken by the sound of song.

Joy, health, love, and peace be all here in this place

By your leave, we will sing concerning our king

Our king is well dressed, in the silks of the best

In ribbons so rare, no king can compare

We have travelled many miles, over hedges and stiles

In search of our king, unto you we bring

Old
Christmas is past, twelve tide is the last

And we bid you adieu, great joy to the new

Outside the castle, the villagers had gathered and were singing to their king, blessing him with the wren song, eager to awaken both their King and their Lord.

Not waiting for his squire to come and dress him, Matheus sprang from his bed and dressed himself, pulling his strides and boots on.
Picking up the purses of alms money his squire had prepared for him, gillet and cloak in hand, he ran down the stairs from his solar and out to the courtyard. As he looked across the snow-
covered mound, the fertility fires were but glowing embers

Matheus strode out to greet his folk and to receive their blessings. This he had done every St Stephan
's day when home from battle since a child. His figure straight and strong, with an air of male pride and his shoulders broad and his chest puffed, he said,
“For today I wed
…I wed today, do you hear?
”

The gathered throng cheered their Master. Matheus was dearly loved, as his father before him. He was a gentle and kind lord, never taking from those who had least to give and ever protective of those who had most to lose. In time of war and argument he gave shelter, safeguarding his charges walled in secure under his heavy protection. In times of peace he would share in their good fortune and celebrate as one of them.
Upo
n Elizabeth
's passing, serfs, villagers and servants alike walked miles to pay vigil to her, many sleeping outside the
Cathedral until her burial day.

The spread of happiness broke in a smile across his face. And his presence was greeted by a lewd coupling verse.

Knight Sir Knight I am a Maid and a very good Maid,

And sixteen years of age am I,

And fain would I part with my Maiden-
head,

If any good follow would with me lye

But none to me ever yet proffer
'
d such love,

As to lye by my side, and give me a shove

With his dil doul, a dil doul. dil doul, doul

O happy were I

Matheus laughed at their suggestive rhyme. Shaking his head and grinning at the offers to help him.

“
Lay his lady.
”

“
Sire, is the bull a little out of practice?
”

He shared the alms money amongst the poor and needy. The women touched him with mistletoe.

“
Church men they doth ban it.
'Tis the luck of the Green Man and the Yule goddess Sire. Twill bring life to your wife
's belly.
”

A small hand nervously pulled on his gillet. Turning to see who touched him, Matheus was greeted by the round face of a small boy. The toddler had a shock of ginger hair and his cheeks were made rosy by the crispness of the morn. Blue eyes large and wide in wonderment stared up at him. The boy
's two sisters pushed him forward a little, urging him to their Lord. In his hand, the boy held a purse of dried flowers and herbs. In the quietest of whispers urged by his sisters he stuttered.

“A
…b-
b-
b-
bouquet for the b-
b-
b-
b-
bride, My Lord.
”

He dropped to a crouch so he met the child
's height with his, and his smile
about his face
was soft
indeed.
Matheus rubbed the boy
's head, accepted the purses, and replied,
“For this is lovely, quite the best favour my wife has received. My Lady Eleanor will be delighted with this lovely gift. From her I say to thee
,
thank ye.
”

The women folk looked on with their doe eyes and open mouths, not quite sure whether they desired him more for the sheer beauty of masculinity that their eyes feasted on. Or the way their hearts thumped in their chests as his voice soothed kindness with the children. They chattered about him, their faces flushed and their emotions tickled.

“Fair God, it makes a woman
's womb tighten to see him.
”

“Dear God in
H
eaven, imagine his hands upon ye then.
”

He left the gathering, grinning from ear to ear as he listened to the good cheer of the gathered crowd as he strode back into the East Gate. And, as always, completely unaware of the voracious gazes that watched him walk away and the hearts he had just left broken.

There had only been a flurry of snow in the night. The castle looked dusted. As if it was a baker
's hearth loaf sprinkled with flour. New straw dressed the flag floors, and Lady Bruce
's holly decorations hung through to the main hall. The smell of the oak yule now mixed with the heady scent of yule wassail and its ingredient of apples and spice.

Whoa
.
They are mixing a fine and potent brew. The bryd ealu will be the undoing of many a knight tonight and much too many a lady
's misfortunes.

When he entered, he found his chambermaids and manservants were preparing him a bath.
“Ohh
…whoa
… this place stinks like a whore
's purse,
” Godwin exclaimed, his nose wrinkling as the scent of camomile and rosemary invaded his nostrils.

Slapping his master of arms on the back, Matheus enquired after Eleanor.
“Godwin, good to see you. How fa
re
s my wife this morn?
”

“The ladies are with her now. They banished me as they are bathing her and dressing her hair. What is it with you nobles that you have these tubs in your rooms when there is a lake no walk away?
” Godwin
's eyes twinkled with mirth.
“Anyway they say wicked things about her coupling.
Poor child is as white as the Bishop
's cassock. Lady De
'Keatle told her that after you claimed her Elizabeth could not rise from your bed for a week.
”

Matheus
's eyes narrowed and his lips pursed to a line.

Putting a hand on his Master
's shoulder Godwin spoke.
“Do not fret too much, my Lord,
'tis the way of it. Women do talk so. Goody is with her. Oh
,
and Lady Bruce.
”

“
Priest
's bones
…Mother Bear and her birch
…hellfire and damnation
!
”
Anger crept through Matheus
' veins. As sure as ivy twines around a tree, the temper he felt tickled his emotions and gripped his heart, squeezing just enough to make him cognizant of its unease.
'
T
will be a miracle if she doesn
't need dragging to the cathedral. Is no wonder she frets so after dealing with Sline. She is most timid and now
—Jesus! Women! They are cruel to
their own sex most especially.
Godwin, pray give her this.
” He removed his signet ring from his little finger.
“It is St
Crispin. It was my mother
's
,
tell her
…no just give her the ring. Oh
,
and Godwin
,
thank you.
”

Imagining what was going on in her chambers just fuelled his temper.
She will be sore afraid before she even gets between the sheets.

Matheus could not help it as his mind wandered off her distress and onto her body. That day at the lake he had rare seen such charms. The curve of her belly, and the width of her thigh. Her skin so radiant.

Dear God,
I long to touch and taste her. Ripe and ready, I can only imagine what a delight she will be. How would that bell-
like voice sound as I seduced her? And the sigh of her undoing, priest
's
bones.

His heart ached with recognition and his groin throbbed in agreement. Expelling a sigh of licentious desire, he stepped into his bath.

The obvious state of his arousal was not missed by the maids, their delighted faces displaying their approval.

In response to their giggles he replied,
“
'Tis my wedding day after all. A man should be excited, and anyway, the body is only a vessel that houses the soul, ladies.
”

The maids became quite bold with their Master and teased him.
“Forgive me,
my Lord but some men look
…well,
more sturdy excited than others.
” Giggles broke out as they continued their jest.
“Oh and some vessels are just
…so much nicer.
”

Closing his eyes and letting the water wash over his body, and thoughts of Eleanor wash over his mind, he relaxed. Listening to the lewd comments from the maids lifted his mood and rallied his spirits. He particularly enjoyed his squire being berated by them when he tried to hush their bawdy comments.

“Hush, Squire John, or we will set upon you and strip your hose, having a look at little John Thomas as we do so, ha, ha, haa.
”

Not more than two hours later he was shaved and dressed in fur-
trimmed green.
As he rode with his Majesty
to
Lincoln
Cathedral
, t
he King had a smile upon his face nearly as broad as Matheus
's
.

“This is a good day, nephew. You are much loved and Eleanor
's dear mother was adored. This will be a great union, bringing peace to our nation and security to the crown.
”

Coloured banners adorned the route. The music of lute and drum
,
loud and jubilant
,
sounded from every street corner. The cathedral bells rang out, making a strong commanding sound on such a still morn. They announced their sovereign rode through town and that their Master was to be married.

The crowds that wished them good luck were already enjoying the Bryd ealu. Some were quite drunk, slurring their song and dancing as if quite mad. But it was a joyous occasion so nobody cared; in fact, the frivolity and foolery was most encouraged.