The Marriage Prize (23 page)

murmured.

"Who giveth this woman to be married to this man? "

Eleanor and Simon de Montfort stepped forward. "We do."

She watched, fascinated, as Lord Edward laid the heavy gold

wedding band on the book that the priest held open. Then Sir

Rodger took her left hand and slipped the ring on her finger.

"With this ring I thee wed, with my body I thee honor, and with

al my worldly goods I thee endow."

Rosamond pictured the Viking bathing tub with which she had

just been endowed and felt an urge to laugh.

"Those whom God hath joined together let no man put

asunder," the priest warned. "I pronounce that they be man

and wife together, In the name of the Father, and of the Son,

and of the Holy Ghost. Amen."

The moment it was done, Rosamond felt panic rise up inside

her. They have made me commit the mistake of a lifetime! Her

eyes widened as Sir Rodger dipped his dark head and

brushed her lips with his. It is done and cannot be undone. He

is my husband for better or for worse, but he wil be my

husband in name only! she vowed stubbornly.

The voices of Welsh squires soared like a choir of angels.

Rosamond twisted the heavy ring on her finger. The scent of

burning candles and incense was overwhelming. She watched

Demi bend and gather up

128

her bridal train, then felt de Leyburn's powerful arm steady her

and lead her down the aisle.

The moment they stepped outside the chapel, Rosamond

heard the bel s begin to peal in celebration. A flock of doves,

suddenly startled, rose up in the sky. She lifted her eyes and

fervently wished she too could fly free. Then the newlyweds

were being showered with rice, and amid shouting and

laughter, they made a dash for the shelter and warmth of

Kenilworth's Great Hal .

The gaily decorated hal , which could seat four hundred, was

bursting with celebrants. As wel as the men and women,

ladies and knights, servants and squires who resided at

Kenilworth, there were Earl Simon's Welsh bowmen, Lord

Edward's Gascons, and Harry of Almaine's fighting men from

Cornwal . Young Gilbert de Clare was stil there with his

knights, as were the de Warenne brothers from Surrey with

their own train of fighting men.

As Rosamond looked down from the dais at the sea of faces,

she decided to smile. Any resentment she had would be put

aside and kept strictly private until she was alone with Sir

Rodger. She had far too much pride to al ow anyone to

suspect she was anything but blissful y happy. When Griffin

stepped forward to fil their goblets, Rosamond gave him a

radiant smile that reached to her eyes. She genuinely liked de

Leyburn's squire and had no misgivings about the fair-haired

young Welshman.

Lord Edward raised his hands for silence. "Join me in a toast

to the happy couple. I'm sure I speak for everyone at

Kenilworth today. We wish you great joy—now go forth and

multiply!"

Raucous laughter and foot stomping ensued, until the groom

got to his feet and raised his goblet. "Today I am the luckiest

of men, for I have at last achieved my heart's desire. My wife

is a prize beyond belief; I am honored to be united in wedlock

is a prize beyond belief; I am honored to be united in wedlock

with the noble Marshal family. Ladies and gentlemen, join me

in a toast to my beautiful bride, Lady Rosamond de Leyburn."

Lady de Leyburn, it is even awkward to say, Rosamond

thought silently as everyone in the hal raised a goblet. She

thanked them with a dazzling smile and raised her own goblet.

But instead of acknowledging the groom's chivalrous toast,

she offered one of her own. "I would like

129

to propose a toast to Lady Eleanor and Earl Simon de

Montfort, who have always loved me like a daughter."

Rod suddenly realized that Rosamond had capitulated

because of her deep feelings for the de Montforts. It had little

to do with her feelings for him. His towering pride was

pricked. So, the prize was not yet his after al , he conceded.

He would have to siege the castle and mayhap scale her wal s

before she yielded to him.

As the toasts progressed, the couple was presented with

many wedding presents. Some were costly, like the

magnificent set of mono-grammed silver plate from Lord

Edward Plantagenet; others were exquisite, like the bril iant

tapestries from the de Montforts, and a pair of silver chalices

mounted with rubies from the Demoisel e. Richard of

Gloucester had sent them a silk Oriental carpet brought back

from the last Crusade, and Harry of Almaine gifted them with a

ful set of Cornish pewter for their dining hal .

After the gifts came the banquet, with one course fol owing

another until even the staunchest trenchermen were replete.

During the entire meal, Rosamond was aware of her

husband's possessive eyes upon her. Today his face had a

hungry look, as if he were ready to devour her, and it did

nothing to quiet her inner turmoil. She did not know which she

dreaded most, the bedding ceremony, or the inevitable

conflict that would fol ow when they were alone. With resolution

she put both out of her mind, recklessly drained her goblet of

wine, and smiled.

The musicians arrived, but before the trestle tables were

moved back for the dancing, Lord Edward strode to the front

of the dais and summoned young Henry de Montfort. A hush

fel over the celebrants as the tal , dark youth attended the

prince. Edward Plantagenet drew his sword from its jeweled

sheath. "Kneel." When Henry went down on one knee, Edward

touched the blade to each shoulder. "Henry de Montfort, I

hereby bestow knighthood upon you for loyal and brave

service. Rise, Sir Henry." When Edward presented Henry with

the golden spurs, the hal resounded with cheers.

Rosamond watched the ceremony, feeling admiration for

Edward. When the prince returned to his seat beside the

bride, she said, "How generous of you to honor the de

Montforts in this way."

"It was Rod's suggestion," Edward murmured.

130

When she bestowed a look of surprise upon him, Rod felt a

pang of guilt. The knighting had not been done from

generosity; it was politic, done with calculation for a further

fetch. His guilt vanished when he saw how happy and proud

Eleanor and Simon were.

The day was a triumph for the de Montforts. Their firstborn son

had been knighted by Prince Edward Plantagenet, and their

lovely ward had made a good marriage with Sir Rodger de

Leyburn, a royal steward who stood high in the prince's favor.

Simon took Eleanor's smal hand in his and looked down at

her tenderly. "Does this not bring back memories of our own

wedding, my love?"

Eleanor glanced up at Simon with a teasing light in her eyes.

"Indeed it does not. We were wed secretly, in the middle of the

night, because you had pursued me relentlessly and seduced

me shameful y!"

Simon took her hand and placed it on his muscular thigh. "And

like a little wanton, you responded to every enticement."

"As I recal , my lord, we spent our wedding night apart."

Simon grinned down at her. "I shal make it up to you tonight."

Eleanor squeezed his thigh. "Arrogant Frenchman!"

He bent and whispered in her ear, "See? You cannot keep

your hands from me."

Eleanor laughed up into his dark eyes. " 'Tis the wine; you

know it makes me insatiable."

Simon winked at her and summoned a page to refil her

goblet.

It was late afternoon when the dancing final y got under way.

The bride and groom did the honors of the first dance, but

then Rosamond was claimed by Lord Edward, Earl Simon,

Harry of Almaine, and Gilbert de Clare in such quick

succession, it made her light-headed. Or was the wine to

blame?

And then she found herself swept away by the powerful arms

of a dark knight with green eyes. "Sir Rickard, I thought you

were my husband!" she gasped.

"You flatter me, Lady Rosamond. I envy him both his youth and

his lovely bride."

She blushed warmly and lowered her lashes, unaware that her

husband's green eyes watched every gesture, every sigh,

every shy smile she

131

bestowed upon the Irish knight. She only became aware of de

Leyburn when she found him beside her. As Sir Rickard

surrendered her to her husband, Rosamond's pulse beat a

rapid tattoo and her breath caught in her throat. The words

she had thrown at him came rushing back to her: You wil

never have my heart; I lost it long ago to Sir Rickard, as you

wel know!

Rosamond expected a rebuke or at least a taunting remark,

but Rodger made none. His eyes and his touch, however,

were completely possessive. "Don't look at me like that," she whispered icily.

"As if I'd like to bed you? But I would, chérie."

The teasing words he'd said the first time they'd met

heightened the sexual tension between them. Her eyes

flashed. "You are a devil, de Leyburn!"

" 'Tis said the new fashion of wearing trains attracts devils;

they like to ride on ladies' tails."

Rosamond flung her hair back over her shoulders in a gesture

of defiance, then picked up her train and gave it a sharp

shake. "I am a match for any devil."

His mouth twitched with amusement, and he responded to her

chal enge. "As for these trailing sleeves—" Rod slipped his

hands inside her wide sleeves, then, sliding his palms up her

arms until he cupped her naked shoulders, he drew her close

and kissed her.

Those about them who saw what the groom was up to

laughed and applauded his boldness.

Rosamond shivered. His touch made her hot one moment, icy

the next. She had told him that she feared nothing, least of al

him, but now she admitted to herself that she was afraid of

him. As Nan had once suggested, perhaps he had been

tolerant with her because they were unwed, and he would treat

a wife very differently. His friends thought him the best natured

man of their acquaintance, yet beneath the polished surface,

Rosamond had always sensed unplumbed depths that hid

who-knew-what dark secrets.

As if the kiss were a signal, Rod's bachelor friends, led by

Lord Edward, surrounded the newlywed couple and plucked

the groom away from his bride. Rosamond, refusing to let

panic sink its fangs into her,

132

turned blindly toward the Demoisel e and Lady Eleanor. It was

the first time that Demi had been al owed to attend a bedding,

and Rosamond saw that she was flushed with excitement. The

ladies spirited the bride from the Great Hal with much

laughter and whispering, and escorted her to the nuptial

chamber in the Clinton Tower.

The raucous male laughter from the adjoining room prompted

the ladies to divest Rosamond of her wedding finery as

quickly as possible. Nan took charge of the elegant gown

while the other ladies removed Rosamond's petticoat, shift,

and hose. Swiftly, Lady Eleanor scooped up the white silk

bedrobe, embroidered with golden lovers' knots, and

managed to slide Rosamond's bare arms into its sleeves just

as the group of rowdy young men burst into the room.

as the group of rowdy young men burst into the room.

Singing a bawdy ditty, the groom's companions pushed him,

stark naked, into the bridal chamber. The ladies screamed,

pretending to be shocked, but proved they were not by looking

their fil at the bridegroom's virile body. To preserve her

modesty, and quel the rising panic she felt, Rosamond turned

her back upon the men, and Lady Eleanor al owed the silk

robe to slide down the bride's spine, then swept aside

Rosamond's golden hair, revealing her creamy back and

buttocks to show that she went to her husband unblemished.

Rod immediately stepped to Rosamond's side and lifted Lady

Eleanor's hand from his bride's hair, and like a curtain it

swung back to cloak her naked flesh. He flashed a smile at

the countess, but it held an unmistakable message that

Rosamond was inviolate.

As Demi picked up the silk bedrobe and helped Rosamond to

slip it back on, Edward and Harry filched the bride's ribbons to

wear on their sleeves. Rod made no protest, but jerked his

head toward the door in an unsubtle suggestion. Amid

grumbling that they hadn't seen the couple abed, Edward

rounded up his gentlemen to usher them out. The prince knew

it would soon be his turn for a bedding and decided not to

al ow matters to deteriorate from bawdiness to lewdness.

Eleanor turned down the covers on the bridal bed, then kissed

Rosamond. Impulsively, Demi clasped her arms about her

friend and anxiously whispered, "Wil you be al right?"

Rosamond's throat was so tight, she could only murmur a brief

Rosamond's throat was so tight, she could only murmur a brief

133

"Yes," but she managed a dazzling smile to ease Demi's

anxiety. When the last celebrant departed, Rod threw the bolt