“Stop it,” William said harshly and set her aside.
“But he will kill you!”
“You should have thought of that ere you acted with your usual childish impetuosity.”
He turned away from her then and walked to the center of the court. Ranulf nodded to Eric to restrain the lady should it be necessary and went to join him. There was a short wait while Sir William’s squire went to fetch his helmet so he would be as fully armored as Ranulf, but once it was donned, Ranulf drew his sword and attacked.
The hope was strong that for once he had a worthy opponent, and William Lionel did acquit himself well at first. His movements were swift, his instincts good, his blade or shield blocking every swing. But that was all he was able to do. As usual, Ranulf’s offensive gave no opportunity for counterattack. His powerful blows continued nonstop until Lionel was brought to his knees by sheer exhaustion, unable to raise his shield even once more.
He bowed his head, awaiting the death blow, too done in to overmuch care. He heard Ranulf sheathe his sword instead and looked up with surprise. The giant was grinning, his breathing labored only the slightest degree. William shook his head in bemusement and chagrin.
“It does you no merit to enjoy this win, when the lady’s fate hung in the balance.”
Ranulf laughed at the man’s misconception. “I have done naught to turn your belly, sirrah. The lady’s fate was set whether you fought for her or not.”
“Then why did you accept my challenge?”
“I needed the exercise. With my usual partner bedfast thanks to the lady’s treachery, ’twill be long ere I have someone capable of standing against me. But you do not ask after her fate. Did you love her so little?”
“I love her not at all. She might be comely, but she is a spoiled, vain child and much too willful for my liking.”
“Did you know she wanted you?”
“Aye, but I never encouraged her. Far from it. I did all I could to show her I was not interested, including begging leave to depart her service. She would not believe me.”
“Then why stand her champion?”
“She might be a spoiled little bitch and foolish in the extreme, but I am still her man until she releases me.”
Ranulf bit back another chuckle at the rancor in those words. “Very commendable. I can use a man of such convictions in my own service, are you willing. But as for the lady’s fate, Sir William, you need have no further concern. She will be wed to my own man who will assure she makes no more mischief. She may not like it, but she will learn loyalty to her overlord even if her bottom must suffer in the teaching.”
“A lesson she should have had long ago,” William snorted in full agreement.
Ranulf turned away then, tossing his helmet to Kenric. His eyes happened to light on the widow, who was too far away to have heard what was said of her. She was pale, anxious, and fair trembling with fear now that her champion had failed to acquit her through combat. But as he approached to tell her of his decision, he watched her change with her first clear sight of his face. Her expression softened, her body relaxed, her eyes turned sensual in appraisal, and he could almost hear the wheels turning in her mind. He had seen that look too often to mistake it, the look of a woman about to seduce a man to get what she wanted.
“Do not even think it, lady,” he growled at her and turned about again.
She could wait until Searle was recovered enough to come here and tell her her fate. She could stew with worry in confinement until then, which was far less than she deserved for the lives she had cost. Had her mischief not led to other discoveries, he would not be even that lenient.
Chapter Thirty-five
“He comes, my lady.”
Reina did not need to hear more. She ran from her chamber and down the stairs, across the hall, down more stairs and still more, reaching the bailey just as Ranulf dismounted. With no thought to the war-horse whose reins he still held, she charged forward and threw her arms about Ranulf’s neck.
Hearing him swear most foully was the first indication she should not have been so impulsive. Feeling his whole body jerked by the reins was the second. And then she heard the horse as it geared up to do what it did best, stomp anyone foolish enough to run toward it, including its master. Reina gave a small gasp and let go to scurry out of the way.
Ranulf was furious by the time he finally got the animal under control. But one look at Reina’s ashen face, reminding him of Louise de Burgh’s fear of him, and he tucked his anger away to draw from at another time. He walked to his wife and picked her up.
“That was a fool thing to do, lady,” he said simply.
“I know. Stupid and thoughtless and it will not happen again.”
“Good,” he replied, still quietly. “Now do you tell me why you did such a stupid, thoughtless thing.”
Her eyes lowered shyly, while her hands hesitantly touched his shoulders, slowly slipped around them, until she was again clinging tightly to his neck. “I was worried,” she whispered by his ear. “When the men returned with prisoners and said where you had gone and why, I became afraid. I remembered William Lionel, and he is no small man. I was afeard you would fight him and might be hurt.”
The shaking, she discovered after a moment, was laughter. It very effectively dashed her concern and replaced it with chagrin. So, too, did the tight squeeze she got before she was set back on her feet.
