Page 28 of Lion and the Lamb: Easter

Lionel turned around to see his daughter and Drew standing there, having overheard every word he said.

“Now, Winifred, it’s time you marry,” he told her.

“I will not marry an old man with six children,” screamed Winifred, getting the attention of everyone in the room. “Father, I refuse to this betrothal. When I marry, I will choose my own husband, and I’ll marry for love, not alliance.”

“Winifred, where is this coming from?” asked Lionel.

“Lady Rachael agrees with me, she told me so. Right, Lady Rachael?” she asked.

“Well, I didn’t actually say that. I don’t think,” said Rachael, becoming very nervous.

“She is young, Son,” said his mother.

“Perhaps this could wait,” added his sister, rubbing her belly.

“Lionel, can we talk about this with Winifred in private?” whispered Rachael. “Everyone is listening, and I think this is a family matter.”

“It sounds to me that you two already talked about it, not bothering to fill me in.”

“We were just having girl talk,” said Rachael.

“Well, there will be no more girl talk,” he told her, becoming angry that they’d spoken about this behind his back. “There is nothing more to say,” snapped Lionel, feeling like all the women were ganging up on him and he didn’t like it. “I have made a decision and it is in the best interest of my daughter. There will be no discussion. My decision is final.”

“You don’t care about me,” cried Winifred, tears streaming from her eyes. “Well, I won’t marry this man. You can’t make me.”

“Hush, or I’ll send you to your chamber with no supper,” warned Lionel. This wasn’t at all how things were supposed to play out. “You will marry who I say and when I say, and you have no choice about it.”

“I hate you!” screamed Winifred, rushing past him. Then she stopped in her tracks and turned back with tears in her eyes to look at Rachael. “You lied to me. You didn’t help me. I will never trust you again.”

“Go to your chamber, Winifred,” commanded Lionel. “I don’t want to see or hear from you again until tomorrow morning when you will meet with your newly betrothed first thing in the morning in the courtyard.”

“Don’t worry, you won’t have to hear or see me ever again.” Winifred ran out of the room, crying.

“Fred,” called Rachael, starting to run after her, but Lionel put his hand on her arm.

“Don’t call her that. I don’t like it.”

“I’m sorry,” said Rachael.

“Part of being my wife means that you will support me, in whatever decision I make.”

“Yes, but you are being unreasonable,” she told him. “Winifred doesn’t want to marry the man, and she shouldn’t have to.”

“She is my daughter, and you will not tell me what to do.”

“Your daughter?” she asked. “I’ve been trying hard to be her stepmother, but I can see you’ll never consider me so.”

Lionel didn’t respond to that. He just stormed out of the room, wanting to get away from all these women, and go somewhere where he could think in peace.

“I cannot believe this,”Rachael said to Lionel’s mother and sister once Lionel had left the room. “Why is he acting this way?”

“I don’t want to see poor Winifred married off to Lord Guildersleeve’s son either,” said Aldith, “but you need to understand, dear, that my son is doing what he has to.”

“What does that mean?” asked Rachael.

“Lion is stressed all the time lately,” said Lily, pulling a thread through her stitching. “He’s afraid that if he doesn’t do something to make alliances fast, we’re going to be attacked by some of the neighboring lords. After all, too many shipments have gone missing. He has been giving them our supplies to try to satisfy them, but now we are getting low on items and are in danger of not having what we need.”

“I didn’t know that,” said Rachael.