Twenty-four
"Youstill have not told him?" Vedette cried in surprise, and she gaped at herdaughter, who was sprawled on Drogo's bed looking an odd mixture of sullen andforlorn. "You have let him go to William to seek lands when you hold morethan enough to please him?"
Eadasighed. For the first time since she had found her again, she was not reallypleased to see the woman she still thought of as her mother. She did not wantto talk about Drogo or her lands or why she continued to keep her inheritance asecret. She had resigned herself to accept what fate would give her, and hermother was intruding upon the sense of sad but calm acceptance.
"Itold you why I will not tell Drogo about the land," she said, as she satup and smoothed her gown.
"Yes,and I agreed with you when you told me, butnot now. Child, William isbesieged by Saxons who fought with him and by ones who have surrendered. Tosecure a place for themselves under his rule they are fighting to bind theirbloodlines to that of a Norman noble. Do you know what that means?"
"Ofcourse—marriage. I have heard the talk." Eada wished she did not sound sosulky, for it weakened her claim that she was ready and willing to accept whatfate offered her.
"Andyet you send your man off to William, possibly to be handed a wife with hisgift of land?"
"Hedoes not need to accept the lands or the wife who comes with them."
"Oh?Is he to refuse all for love of you?"
Thereis no need to sound so scornful," Eada snapped, scrambling off the bedonly to pace the room.
"Suchfoolishness deserves scorn. He is a knight, Eada. If he is to have any life atall, he must have land. This is not a matter of simple greed. It is far moreintricate a choice he must make."
"But,if he loves me—"
"Ifhe loves you, and I believe he does even if he does not realize it, he willstill choose the lands even if he must marry some other woman to gain them.Eada, he has spent his whole life reaching for this bounty. It is what bloodand breeding demand. It is all he could have had if he had just been bornfirst. You should have told him that you have the land he seeks."
Eadabegan to think that she had made a very big mistake. There was so much truth towhat Vedette said that it was hard to ignore or deny. Drogo was wellborn,probably holding as good a lineage as the man he now called king. He could notmake simple choices. There were also other people he had to consider, oneswhose futures depended upon the choices he made. Men had sworn their swords tohim. Unspoken had been the agreement that Drogo would do all he could to betterhis position in life, thus improving theirs. She was being selfish in thinkingthat he could ignore all of those obligations to be with her. She was thinkingonly of herself. Drogo could not and would not do that. She cursed.
Vedette'seyes widened. "I think you have ridden too long with the army."
Ignoringthe reprimand, Eada pulled her bag out from beneath the wide, rope-strung bedand threw it on top. She walked to the chest at the foot of the bed, opened it,and removed her few possessions. Frowning, Vedette moved closer as Eada tossedher clothes onto the bed and then into her bag.
"Whatare you doing?" demanded Vedette.
"Packing."Eada scowled when Vedette grabbed a gown she was stuffing into her bag, butafter a brief, silent tug-of-war, she managed to wrest it free and pack it.
"Youare going to run away."
"Iam going to free Drogo of what is now an inconvenient obligation—me."
"Ihave always thought that you had more wit than was good for any woman to have,yet all sense has fled you now. Where can you go?"
"Tomy lands. Old Edith's cottage can be made most comfortable."
"Williamis claiming all Saxon lands. He may wish to give yours to some Normanknight."
"Thenhe will give me to the knight, too, will he not?"
"Youwould marry another man?"
Eadatied her bag shut with only a few quick, angry movements. "You have justtold me that I have sent the man I want into the arms of another woman, so whatdoes it matter?"
"Butyou told me that Old Edith said Drogo was your mate."
"Themate of my heart and my soul. She did not say that we would be man andwife." Eada sat down on the bed and gave Vedette a sad smile. "Irealize that I was asking something of Drogo that he could not do, no matterhow much he might wish to. He is not a man alone. He cannot simply follow hisheart and cast all else to the four winds. You were right. I was being foolish,foolish and very blind. I did not look beyond my own needs and wants."
Vedettepatted Eada on the shoulder. "It is good that you see that now, but thatdoes not mean that you must leave."
"Wouldyou have me stay and become Drogo's whore?"
