Leonie blushed, unable to finish in Wilda’s presence. With a nod, she bid the maid leave them. When they were alone, Rolfe pressed her. “Did you do something last night to warrant—”
“Nothing to warrant gifts.” She cut him off indignantly. “Why would you think so?”
“I did not think so. In fact, I meant to ask you about last night.” He seemed a good deal less sure of himself. “I cannot seem to recall…I have no memory of leaving Westminster Hall, except a vague one of finding you at the bottom of the stairs here.”
When she made no reply, he said, “Shall I assume I made an ass of myself?”
Leonie grinned. “If you are looked at strangely today, it is because you woke half the castle last night.”
“And you, Leonie?” he said softly. “I would not like to think I offended you in any way.”
Taken aback, she said, “You said much, but you did not offend me.” Then she ventured, “Do you have no memory atall?”
“Pieces, dearling,” he replied, looking at her thoughtfully. “But I am not sure if what Idoremember was a dream or…did I carry you in here?”
Slowly, Leonie nodded, and then Rolfe’s whole manner changed. He chuckled, and his eyes gleamed with masculine pride.
“That will teach me to drink so much.” He grinned. “I waited for an eternity for you to let me make love to you again, and when you finally did, I could remember only half of it.”
Leonie could feel the heat rushing to her cheeks again. She was beginning to think he said those things just to make her blush, for it happened much too often. Would she ever get used to his bluntness?
“The gifts, my lord,” Leonie reminded him.
“So it is ‘my lord’ again?”
Leonie lowered her gaze.
Rolfe sighed. “These are for you as well.” He handed her the two boxes. As the question leaped into her eyes again, he warned defensively, “Do not make the mistake of asking why I give these to you. It is a man’s right to spend his money where he will.”
“From Henry’s stores too?”
The boxes themselves were beautiful. The long one was carved redwood, the smaller one silver, decorated with smooth enamels. She was almost afraid to see what they contained.
“I ordered those last week from the goldsmith here in London. I hope you will be pleased.”
He did not wait to see if she would be, but turned to leave.
“I do thank you, my—”
Leonie caught herself before adding ‘lord,’ but not soon enough. Rolfe turned around at the door, his expression inscrutable.
“When you can finally bring yourself to use my name freely, then I think you will love me. I will wait for that day.”
After he was gone she stared at the closed door, her confusion complete. Why did he so badly want her love? He had Amelia’s. Was that not enough? Oh, such thoughts would only make her angry again, so she shook them off.
Such generosity! Inside the long box were two exquisite girdles. One was five feet of interlocking gold disks, each with a tiny flower engraved on its shiny round surface. The other was made of gold chains that hung in several lengths, connecting every three inches with a large ruby. There was a larger ruby to clasp thebelt together. When she wore the girdle, the chains would flow all the way to her feet.
Inside the silver box were hundreds of precious stones, already in intricate gold settings. They could easily be sewn onto the clothes Leonie would make from the magnificent materials. She was holding a fortune in her hands.
She was stunned, awestruck, and thrilled. But even so, she found herself wondering if he had been equally generous with Amelia.
Chapter 33
WEARING her best bliaut of soft blue silk over a darker blue chemise, Leonie’s confidence was nonetheless very low when Rolfe escorted her into the great hall at Westminster. Only the new girdle fit in with all the glitter of court dress.
She was taken into the presence of Princess Alice and her ladies and left there, as it was too early for her presentation to the king. Leonie did not know Princess Alice, Henry’s reputed mistress, but she had met Queen Eleanor on one of her childhood visits to Court. It was said that Eleanor had instigated the rebellion of Henry’s sons. Whether or not that was so, he had confined her to Winchester Castle. The fact that the queen was more or less imprisoned while Henry’s mistress was by his side reminded Leonie too much of her situation with Rolfe and Amelia, and her spirits sank.
She was disappointed not to see the queen. A beautiful woman, with dark brown eyes and ivory skin, it was no wonder she had been wife to two kings. Her marriage to King Louis of France had been dissolved on grounds of their being related. But they were only fourth cousins, and the dissolution had been effected so that she could marry Henry.
