Telepathy of Hearts (8 page)

Eleanor replied calmly,
“Will you upend me across your knee my Lord, if I don
't tell you? Threatening to punish me as a child for disobeying your word.
”

The tear that wended its way down her cheek betrayed her impassive expression. Letting go of her hand. Matheus lent forward and raised his. Eleanor gasped and brought her hand to her face, cowering and she let out a sharp scream.

“For the love of God, woman, what do you think I am? I have told you I won
't strike you.
Please Eleanor, do not fear me. I was going to wipe your tears.
” Matheus raked his r
a
ven hair. He opened his mouth to speak. Shaking his head, he raised his hand instead and said,
“My lady
,
I will take my leave of you as my presence offends you so. I will see you as our Grace the King has decreed to take you to my home the week before our nuptials. And Eleanor, no man or woman will beat you
again
. You are betrothed to me. I will not have it.
”

Smiling, Eleanor leant forward inviting his touch. His hand hesitantly brushed her face. She did not flinch. She let him softly stroke the back of his hand gently down her cheek, spreading his thumb to catch her tears. Eleanor a
c
cepting the gift for what it was, an intimacy of kindness that encouraged his affection, and nuzzled his hand delicately back.

“My future bride will not be marked ever again. If an
y
one dare say you are to be whipped, warn them
…if they strike you it is as if they strike me
…I am the Lincoln Bull and mighty vengeful.
”

“You missed a great night of whoring and ale
,
Matheus
…wooo
h,
how did you get that lip
? Fighting were you?
I suppose fighting may be as much fun as whoring. Not that anything is better than Matilda, her breasts
,
oh for
sure,
they are
—
”

Interrupting, Matheus raised his hand and looking at his friend, he chuckled.
“Enough
,
Richard, we all know Mati
l
da
's charms of which there are undoubtedly many.
” His smile changed to an embarrassed grimace. He was unco
m
fortable. It was not easy for a man
,
let alone a knight to say he had been set upon by a woman. Not just any woman, his betrothed. He sighed.
“My lip was Eleanor
's doing.
”

“
Passionate little filly is she?
” Richard smirked.

“Not quite
…it was not a love nibble, she bit me. Then she slapped me with as much force as the master of arms.
”

“Jesus, a match for Godwin
, eh?
” Richard exclaimed, laughing loudly. Holding his stomach as his belly ached with the thought of Matheus
's favourite nephew and knight of the King. The Earl, the Bull of Lincoln
,
beaten by a mere wo
m
an and an untried maid at that.

“And what did you do
, Matheus? O
ffer to hold her purse?
” Tears were rolling down Richard
's che
eks.
“
Please, pray this is jest.
I cannot believe that a weak and feeble maiden has bit you, the Bull, and not only bit you Matheus. She has struck you who are six foot four and a tower of muscle.
Priest
's bones, for this is hilarious.
”

Matheus sighed.
“Not that it is your business, Sline. I upended her of course and laid her across my knee. I told her I would not be struck.
Preparing her for some well-
needed discipline I lifted her skirts and
…well
… Nothing prepared me for what I saw.
”

Richard grinned in response. His lips lingered upon his words.
“As Eve in Eden naked under her skirts and smock?
” He
ventured,
lick
ing
his lips in anticipation of the descri
p
tion.

“No need to excite yourself. What I saw was a disgrace. For some evil bastard had whipped her nates as if she was a beast.
”

Richard was as shocked as Matheus
.
H
is jaw dropped
and his eyes narrowed. His face twisted as if pained. Matheus knew that reaction. It was from a man in love with a woman he had no right to.

It was part of feudal life for a woman to be chastised and viewed so. In fact, a woman may think her husband weak if he did not chastise her for her misdemeanours. Wi
l
liam the
Conquero
r himself had set the example, s
triking the butt of his troublesome fianc
é and smacking Matilda
's bare behind in front of his soldiers.

The marriage had been arranged between William and Matilda
's father. Like Eleanor
,
she initially refused, knowing him to be a bastard at birth and below her noble standing. He humiliated her until she agreed to their marriage. It was said the strength of his arm persuaded her that he would be a fine husband.

So it was not that Eleanor had been given the birch
—that was commonplace
to encourage a maid to submit
—i
t was the extent
of the damage
. It was troublesome to Matheus that Eleanor had endured such a savage beating purely to force her agreement to marry him.

He had always been a knight. Honour and chivalry were to his soul as his
flesh and
blood
were
to his bone
—
part of him.

She may not have remembered him. But he remembered her. Wooden apprentice
's sword in hand as a boy knight, he had defended her against Gelert, the King
's wolfhound.

Once seen, her eyes were never forgotten. They had been wide but remained tearless as she had stood upon the throne that day eight years ago.

She
'd sat at her uncle, the King
's knee but a day before. He knew her instantly. Those eyes glittered green and amber. Wide and frightened, they had looked across the room to him. He had walked from the throne room as a prisoner, E
l
eanor already his gaoler.

There was a magic about Eleanor. Matheus knew it.
I am drawn to her as if she enchants my very soul. Richard Sline felt it too.
Perhaps every man who ever looks upon her is bewitched.

Whatever sorcery that stirred in her was more compe
l
ling than the physical strength of mere man. He was feeling the powerful alchemy of jealousy, passion, and possessiv
e
ness hot in his veins. His body quickened just at the thought of her.

Priest
's bones, I am a fool for my heart aches for her something wicked.

Long gone was the b
oy with his sword of wood. H
e was a man
now;
his
scabbard sheathed a sharper blade.
It was fashioned from steel
and wielded by
a more skilled hand
that had yet found its match
. If he knew the person who had marked h
er so, he would itch to use it.

With the flush of temper cooling he turned to Richard.
Patting him on the back he said, laughing,
“To further shame me, as if biting my lip and slapping my face was not enough, the bloody miss told me that as I covered
her, I would never claim her a
s her soul belonged to her drowned beloved.
”

Richard Sline sprayed his ale, the jettison of fluid lea
v
ing his laughing mouth and dampening Matheus
's gilet.
“Oh my sweet Lord
,
did I hear you right?
” Richard grinn
ed
wic
k
edly
.
“My dear friend Matheus
,
who beds women for sport
,
is being put truly in his place by, of all things, a virgin maid
.
He bellowed with deep heartfelt laughter
as he spoke.
“I am sure you told me she was too weak a maiden for your tastes, but it seems the Bull is no match for this young heifer.
” Richard Sline could hardly continue to speak as he laughed so heartily.
“Mounting that filly will be quite the event. For a wilder pony you will never have ridden I
'm sure.
Cover her, get her to bed to birth an heir and return to the whores. She is a daughter of the
She-
Wolves
, and after all, those women have always been trouble.
”

Matheus cared not.
Answering Richard, he always had his sermon prepared.
“She is undoubtedly so. But Richard
,
you know me. I enjoy a challenge. I will often climb to the highest bows of the apple tree. The sun has shone on that fruit longer, and the reward for my efforts
is
so much swee
t
er.
”

For just a moment he closed his eyes, recalling the feel of her trembling in his arms, the scent and feel of her hair. The soft curve of her body
—her dimples as she scorned him. Rosy cheeks and blushed lips
…
and those eyes.

Yes, there is no doubt in my mind she is a fruit
well
worth climbing to the highest bow
to pick
.

Matheus tried to put some control on his passion. He could see Richard looking at him quizzically. He slapped Richard on the back.

Once again Sline spilled his ale. Shaking his head and protesting.
“For the love of God man
,
am I not to enjoy a flagon of this goodly ale?
”

“
Come, the King has requested we play knuckle bones with him.
”

As they walked to the Great Hall, Matheus caught sight of his betrothed once more. Eleanor at her window reading a
B
ible. She held the book in her hands
,
close to her heart.