Chapter Nine #2
“Grandfather!” Cynethryn saw Matthew and was waving him over. “Look at me! Look at my pony!”
As Matthew waved to her, William tried to teasingly grab her off the pony. “This is my pony!” he announced. “I am going to ride her into battle!”
Cynethryn screamed, although she was grinning. “You are a very bad man, Willie!”
Matthew started to laugh as he walked up on his daughter, who was watching the spectacle with a grin on her face. “Aye, you are a very bad man, Willie,” Matthew said as he put his arm around Lysabel’s shoulders. “You had better not steal that pony or Trenton might have something to say about it.”
Trenton, standing in the middle of the two ponies to ensure the girls didn’t get into any trouble, waved a dismissive hand at William. “Mayhap I shall buy him his own pony for his birthday,” he said. “If I do, I fully expect him to ride it into battle.”
William laughed. “I would crush it.”
“You think well of yourself, do you?”
“Well enough to know I can outride you, de Russe. You do not frighten me.”
“I should.”
William tossed his head back in gleeful laughter. “Then we must have a contest,” he said. “We shall have games and whoever wins shall have bragging rights. That winner shall be me.”
“A Wellesbourne has never beaten a de Russe in anything. You shall not be the first.”
William’s expressions went from laughter to outraged, a rapid gesture that was too dramatic to be real. “Do I hear a challenge, my foolish lad?” he asked.
Trenton was trying not to laugh. “You hear the truth.”
William stopped chasing the girls and came over to Trenton, seeing that the man was struggling with laughter. He began to laugh, pointing at him.
“You cannot even keep a straight face when you say it,” he said. “I will therefore challenge you to games of my choosing. Will you accept?”
“It depends on the games.”
“Afraid?”
Trenton suddenly took a step in William’s direction, a threatening gesture, and William scattered, still laughing. More laughter arose from Matthew and Lysabel as William made sure to stay out of Trenton’s long arm span.
“He has a healthy respect for you, Trenton,” Matthew said. “But he is fierce in battle; I have seen him.”
“But Trenton is bigger and stronger than little Willie,” Lysabel said, teasing her youngest, pesky brother. “Trenton serves the king, and who does Willie serve?”
Matthew cast her a long look. “He serves me,” he said. “He is part of the Wellesbourne war machine, something that even the king relies on. Trenton is a great knight, no doubt, but do not diminish your brother.”
Lysabel grinned at her father but her gaze moved to Trenton, who had pulled Brencis’ pony to a halt because something on the bridle was loose.
After their night of passion, she found that she only had eyes for the man.
When she saw him this morning as he brought the ponies out for her daughters to ride, her heart began to beat so forcefully that she swore it was going to pound right out of her chest.
She’d slept better in his arms last night than she’d ever slept in her life, and he’d awoken her to gentle kisses, telling her that it was nearly dawn. She wanted to awaken like that every morning for the rest of her life.
Lysabel had returned to her chamber just about the time her daughters were beginning to stir, and when they finally awakened, the first words out of their mouths were those begging for their ponies.
Since Trenton had purchased the ponies, Lysabel sent word to him and asked for the animals to be brought forth.
In truth, Lysabel had expected to see a servant leading out the ponies, not Trenton himself, but she was quite happy to see him as he emerged into the morning pulling two little beasts behind him.
He’d greeted her politely, with no hint of the intense passion they’d shared the night before, but when no one was looking, he’d winked at her.
That wink had been an arrow of delight, straight into her heart, enough to make her head swim.
She winked back.
Even now, as Lysabel stood with her father and brother, she had eyes only for Trenton and it was increasingly difficult for her to focus on the conversation at hand.
“I am not diminishing my brother,” she said belatedly. “I am simply stating that Trenton is older and has had more experience.”
William took exception to that, facing his sister in a defiant gesture reminiscent of his Uncle Luke.
“More experience does not mean he is better than I am,” he said. “In fact, I believe I shall challenge him to a fight. Broadswords, no armor. Man to man. Let us see who shall win!”
Matthew looked at Trenton, who was still fussing with the strap on the bridle. He didn’t reply until he was finished with whatever he was doing and Brencis kicked her pony again to get it moving. As she resumed riding in a circle behind her sister, Trenton turned to William.
“Are you sure you want to do that?” he asked.
William was arrogant. “Do I detect concern? Fear, mayhap?”
Trenton grinned at the cocky knight. “You detect joy, dear Willie,” he said. “Name the time and place. I shall be there.”
William was back to smiling. “Now, I say,” he demanded. “Go and get your sword. We shall do this now.”
“Will,” Matthew called him off, shaking his head. “Not today. Let us ride ponies today and nothing more.”
Trenton held up a hand to Matthew. “It is no trouble, my lord,” he said. “But you had better bring forth the swaddling, for when I am done with your son, you will need it to wipe up his tears.”
Matthew started laughing; he wasn’t going to get into the middle of this.
“Willie, you are utterly ridiculous,” he said.
“I do not care what you and Trenton do, but there had better not be any blood. And if anyone cuts anything off, I will not be held responsible for what your mother does. Her wrath shall be swift.”
Trenton looked at William. “The rules are established, then.”
“The first man who falls to the ground loses.”
“Agreed.”
As William flashed him that broad grin and ran off to collect his weapon, Matthew broke away from Lysabel and made his way to Trenton, who was watching Cynethryn as the girl bounced by on her sweaty pony.
“Do not underestimate William,” he muttered. “He has a hammer for a right hand and he is very fast. He is also crafty and will look for any opportunity to trip you.”
Trenton cast him a long glance. “I promise I will not hurt him, my lord,” he said. “But I do intend to teach him a lesson.”
“If you do, then you will have succeeded where I have failed.”
Trenton simply smiled at the man, his dark eyes glimmering with mirth. Shaking his head at the impetuousness of young men, Matthew turned to the girls, still riding their ponies.
“Ladies, your ponies are tired,” he said. “There has been enough riding this morning. We must now tend them and let them rest.”
The girls pulled their ponies to a halt. It was Brencis who was the most disappointed. “Can we ride later?” she asked anxiously.
Matthew nodded. “You can,” he said. “Get off, now. We shall take the ponies back to the stable and brush them and feed them. Having an animal also means you have a responsibility to take great care of them.”
Cynethryn slid off her pony but Matthew had to help Brencis down. With the disappointed girls leading their ponies, Matthew took them back towards the stables, leaving Trenton and Lysabel watching after them. After a few moments of watching them walk away, Trenton turned to Lysabel.
“It seems as if we have been abandoned,” he said.
Lysabel didn’t move. She just stood there, smiling at him, unsure what to say.
The last time they were alone, sexual things had happened, so she tried not to stand too close to him, afraid the attraction between them would drag them into one another’s arms for all to see.
Already, the pull between them was very strong, like a tempest.
It was difficult to resist.
“It does seem that way,” she agreed. “Thank you for bringing out the ponies earlier. When I sent word to you, I did not mean that you should bring them out. I simply meant to ask you if you could have a servant bring them forth.”
He wiped off his hands, brushing them off of dust and pony hair, as he started to walk in her direction.
“It was my pleasure to bring them out,” he said. “I knew I would get to see you if I did.”
Her smile grew, now with pinkened cheeks at his compliment. “And so you did.”
He eyed her. “I do not regret last night,” he said, lowering his voice. “Know that I will look in earnest for the next such opportunity.”
Now, she was flushing a bright red. “Mayhap we can meet in that little chamber again tonight,” she said quietly. “I suppose I could find my way there if you can.”
“Indeed, I can. I have decided that you should be touched, and touched often.”
She giggled, feeling silly and giddy at his flirtation. “Really, Trenton,” she scolded softly. “How bold.”
“How true.”
She looked at him. “I never knew you had such thoughts.”
He fought off a grin. “There is much you do not know about me,” he said. “I will take any opportunity to tell you. And show you. Therefore, do not be alarmed if you are walking in a dark corridor and someone reaches out to grab you. It will be me.”
She snorted. “And if it is not?”
“Then I will kill him. Have I not already demonstrated that?”
The smile faded from her face as the mood grew suddenly serious. “You have.”
He folded his enormous arms across his chest, his gaze lingering on her. “Then you know I mean what I say,” he said. “No man shall ever raise a hand to you again, Lysabel, and no man shall ever touch you again but me. Do you believe me?”
She cocked her head, a curious gesture. “When you say that no man shall ever raise a hand to me again, I do,” she said. “But what you say about no man ever touching me again but you… Trenton, that sounds as if you wish to court me.”