She felt extremely warm all of a sudden and longed toleave the dais. But she stayed, not wanting to humiliate her brother anyfurther by causing another scene. He had been subtly insulted by Guy and LordEdward; she could see that now. But for what purpose she could not guess.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, my lady," shemurmured, feigning a sweet and gracious tone.
"And I you, dear girl," Lady Eleanor saidwarmly. "I hope that in the future we will have a chance to get to knoweach other better."
"I would have liked that, my lady," Leilacontinued smoothly, her heart beating hard against her breast, "but I don'tthink it will be possible given the circumstances."
"What circumstances?" Guy queried, a frownappearing on his brow.
"Why, I will be leaving for Damascus at the end ofthe month, my lord deWarenne. My brother and I spokethis afternoon, and it has all been arranged."
Her revelation was greeted by a soft gasp from Eleanorand dead silence from Guy and Edward, who met each other's eyes.
At last it was done, Leila thought. Now that Guy knewshe would be returning home, her long ordeal with him was finally over. Therewould be no more talk of weddings.
She hazarded another glance at Guy. His face was hard,his gaze even harder as it fell upon her, and she quickly looked away.Strangely, now that she had won she did not feel triumphant as she had imaginedshe would. She just felt weary and curiously unsettled, her victory like ashesin her mouth.
"If you'll excuse us," Guy said, taking herarm again, more tightly this time. He spoke over her head as if she were anaughty child. "I'll escort the lady back to her table."
"Yes, of course, my lord," Edward replied, asubdued Eleanor granting them no more than a slight nod before she turned awaywith a troubled expression on her face.
"You're hurting my arm!" Leila hissed as hehustled her from the dais and down the stairs, her gaze darting around theraucous hall. The second course was being passed around with much fanfare amongthe guests, distracting most of them from recognizing her discomfort.
"Are you always so rude to people who show youkindness?" Guy hissed back angrily. "A queen offering you herfriendship, no less!"
"It was not my intention to be rude. I was onlyspeaking the truth!"
"You are blind to the truth, Leila. You won't knowit until it slaps you hard across theface,and maybeeven then you won't admit it. For an intelligent woman, you are playing thefool remarkably well!"
She wanted to retort, but they were nearing her brother'stable. From Roger's hard glare she imagined he hadn't taken his eyes from hersince Lord Edward had led her away. Maude looked none too happy, either. Therewasa coldnessin her eyes that chilled Leila to thebone. Strangely, it was not so much directed at Guy as at her. But why wouldthat be?
"Take care, my love," came Guy's crypticwarning just before they reached the table. "You tread within a pit ofvipers. If you allow yourself to be bitten, even I may not be able to save you,though I pray to God we're both spared such agony. Just remember what I toldyou in Canterbury." Then he raised his voice, addressing Roger. "MylordGervais, it seems your sister has charmed thecourt."
"So I see," Roger said, his gaze movingslowly from Leila's flushed face to Guy's. "So I see."
"My lady. Enjoy the feast."
Leila watched as Guy strode away, only turning her headwhen Roger touched her arm.
"Stay away from him, Leila. Suffice it to say heis my greatest enemy. That makes him yours as well."
A shiver raced up her spine at his harsh voice, but sheanswered him steadily, "I fully intend to, my lord."
Chapter 18
It did not prove difficult to avoid Guy the next day.Leila scarcely saw him.
During the lengthy coronation ceremony she was seatedin the back of the congested abbey with her brother and his wife, their poorlocation barely affording her a view of the glittering pomp and circumstancetaking place in front of the distant altar, let alone a glimpse of Guy. Notthat she was looking for him. She wasn't.
By chance she did spy him later in the long train ofsumptuously dressed nobles, ladies, and knights who filed out of the cathedralafter the newly crowned King Edward and Queen Eleanor. Guy stood a good headtaller than anyone else around him and looked devastatingly handsome in a tunicof forest green and gold. She quickly feigned interest in the stained glasswindows to her right until he hadpassed,her cheekshot and her heart fluttering because she sensed he had seen her, too.
The feasting and revelry that followed the coronationwas on a much grander scale than the feast of the night before, and with twiceas many guests crammed into the great hall. She noted at once that Guy was notseated on the raised dais, but there were so many people still milling aboutwhen their party found a table that she had no clue as to where he might be.She tried to give him little thought after that, which for some reason provedvirtually impossible.
She was astounded at the inscribed menu placed in thecenter of the table promising hundreds of oxen, cows, sheep, and pigs, sixteenfat boars, and thousands of capons and other poultry. But even more surprisingwas the aqueduct that had been erected overnight down the middle of the halland poured forth both red and white wine for everyone to drink. The guestsgathered around like greedy pigs at a trough, draining their goblets as quicklyas they could fill them.
As the coronation feast progressed there was such aconstant swirl of bustling servants, jesters on painted hobby horses, jugglers,acrobats, players reciting poems, harpers, and minstrels that the room soonspun around Leila in a wild kaleidoscope of color, sound, and motion. She beganto feel overwhelmingly dizzy. Perhaps it was because the food was too rich, thewine too sweet, or the hall too warm. Smoking torches and acrid smelling candleswere ablaze everywhere, despite the beautiful autumn afternoon outside.
"You look pale, Leila," came her brother'svoice through the melee, sounding like a dull echo in her head. "Issomething wrong?"
