Lord Liar Part 27

"Just having a little fun, my fine lord. But now Margot is ready for a lover with some... finesse, eh? I could come up to your chamber and show you how we celebrate a holiday in Normandy, yes?"

Aldyth watched as Ranulf raked Margot with a single, scathing glance.

"No. Begone, wench, or I'll show you how we treat trollops desecrating a holy day in England! And as for you pimply young lechers, you're disgusting the horses.

Get you back to the hail and I might forget to tell the duke how you've disgraced his livery"-- One of the pages who hadn't yet enjoyed Margot's charms was too drunk to know caution.

"Hey, you can't tell us what to do!" He charged the Norman lord like a young bull. In spite of his grip on Aldyth, Ranulf easily sidestepped the head-down charge. Almost negligently, he raised a fist and knocked the youth out flat as he ran by. Still holding on to Aldyth, he faced the rest.

"Anyone else?" No one seemed inclined to face the challenge and, following Margot's example, gathered up cloaks and cups and began to disperse.

Ranulf kept his grip on Aldyth's neckline and pushed her out into the bailey.

"My lord, let me explain! I was trying to get away. I had taken them a bottle because Fat Louis was angry at me and I thought he was going to beat me up, but I didn't bargain for them inviting Margot and iusisting I have a go at her.

Lord Ranulf, where are you taking me? " she asked, for they were headed for the gatehouse, not the tower in which Ranulf's chamber was located.

"Keep your mouth shut, Edward," came the grim voice attached to the hand that held an iron grip about the neck of her tunic.

Whatever did he plan to do with her? Was he so sickened by her knack for getting into trouble that he would put her outside the castle gates tonight?

As the captain of the guards listened to Ranulf's request to be let out into the city, she saw Urse loom up out of the darkness, carrying her hooded cloak.

"I see you found him, my lord."

Perhaps she could enlist the giant squire's sympathy. "Urse! He means to put me out! Please don't let him, not on Christmas Eye!"

"Stop your babbling, Edward. I'm not putting you out," Ranulf said, loosing her at last.

"Yes, it's Christmas Eve, and, not finding you abed, I came looking for you, thinking you might like to celebrate properly--certainly in a more fitting fashion than what I found you do' rag The rising portcullis made a loud croaking in the cold, frosty air.

"Urse, do you know what I found my page doing?" Ranulf asked conversationally as they strolled across the drawbridge and into the dark streets of Rouen.

The Breton shook his s.h.a.ggy head.

"He was guzzling wine in the barn with the other pages, while each of them took turns between the legs of one of the palace wh.o.r.es."

"Urse, it's not like he says!" Aldyth protested, hearing the squire's gasp of disbelief.

"I agreed to drink with them, no more, and I didn't even drink that much! It was horrible, each of them going at her right in the next stall, with any who wanted to watch peeping through the cracks" -- She broke off, giving an elaborate shudder.

"They were saying I had to try her, since I'd never had a woman. Believe me, Urse, my lord Ranulf, I only wanted to get out of there without them discovering" -- "That you're a girl!" There was something odd about Urse's voice, and she looked up to see his huge shoulders shaking, not from horror but an effort to suppress laughter.

"And they didn't know you lack the proper equipmentl" He gave up the struggle and let loose a hearty belly laugh.

"I.

can just picture it, my lord, . can you? Our Aldyth trying to pretend she's but a shy colt when really she's a filly. Oh, wait until I tell Vivienne.

She went to bed early, but she'll wake when I return. "

She glared at Urse. It had been horrible, not funny. And the thought of him telling Lady Vivienne of her humiliating experience added to her shame.

Aldyth then looked at Ranulf, only to find him fighting a grin, too.

"I don't see a single thing humorous about it," she grumbled.

"You men are all alike--coa.r.s.e, disgusting creatures.

And you, my lord," she said, rounding on Ranulf as he ran a hand down his bearded chin. She could see the amus.e.m.e.nt dancing in his dark eyes, as much as he strove to conceal it.

"What right had you to call that misguided girl a name? You, who've bedded the finest trollops of the English court--yes, and of Normandy, too, in the last few days--though I do not suppose they call them such a common name when they service the n.o.bility. I've heard you come to bed in the wee hours of the night, reeking of wine and expensive scent."

He saw the hurt glistening, along with tears, in Aldyth's eyes and longed to pull her into his arms and comfort her.

Oh, if only you knew the truth, little one. If only you knew how I sat up drinking with Robert and his hangers-on simply to keep myself out of your bed. And yes, l admit it--I went to one of the court harlots the other evening, because ill hadn't I don't think I could have kept myself from lifting you into my bed and kissing you awake before I made you mine. But once there I found I wasn't interested in the painted, perfumed courtesan, lovely and available as she was. I left her a silver mark or two and went back to my chamber.

There I listened to you sighing in your sleep and wished I could let you know how much I wanted you--but I knew 'twould only frighten you, my sweet Aldyth.

"Well, where are we going, if I might be allowed to ask?" he heard Aldyth say as they continued to walk along in silence.

"Are you taking me to the dock to put me on a boat, or did you just think it was a fine, clear night for a walk?"

"We're going to midnight ma.s.s at one of the smaller cathedrals in Rouen, my grumpy Aldyth," he told her.

"Oh, there'll be high ma.s.s at court in the morning, with the Bishop of Rouen in gorgeous state, but I thought it might mean more to celebrate our Lord's birth with the ordinary folk," he said with a gesture pointing out his own garments, which were sober and plain compared to his usual peac.o.c.k style.

'"Tis Christmas Eve, Aldyth. Can you forget your grievance against me for a few hours? Shall we cry peace?"

Eyes wary and still suspiciously bright, she nodded. As they neared their destination, they came upon several groups of men dressed like shepherds who were singing. These men were led by others playing on pipes and viols.

"G.o.d sirs, now hark ye!

From far lands come we, For it is Nol! "

Moments later, they reached the church.

"This is the oldest cathedral in Rouen.

"Twas built by Saint Vitricius in the fourth century," he told Aldyth as they entered. Inside, the darkness of midnight was dispelled by blazing torches along the walls and countless candelabra on the high altar, and the scent of incense mixed with more earthy smells. All around them the humbler folk of Rouen hastened in to worship as the bells began to toll above them.

As their eyes became accustomed to the light, they saw a manger upon the altar and in it a sleeping baby whose mother was no doubt the white-veiled, blue-robed woman who knelt beside it, acting the role of Mary. But Ranulf noticed that Aldyth's eyes shone at the sight of the animals sharing the altar and the s.p.a.ce in front of it, several heifers, a pair of oxen and a donkey, as well as lambs held by more "shepherds."

"The people believe the animals warm the baby Jesus with their breath,"

Ranulf whispered to Aldyth, and was rewarded by her smile.

"They also believe that in olden times, the animals spoke Latin and do so again at midnight on Christmas Eve if no people are around." Afterward, bells tolled all over the city, and they walked back to the palace. Instead of returning to Ranulf's apartments, though, he asked permission of the captain for them to climb the stairs and go out onto the parapet. He felt Aldyth eye him curiously as they went out in the moonlit, windswept wall walk, followed by Urse. "I know you're more than ready for your pallet, Aldyth, but there's a sight I thought you might enjoy first." Laying a hand gently on her shoulder to redirect her attention, he pointed across the darkened capital and out onto the dis- rant hills.

He saw her gasp of surprise as she caught sight of the distant bonfires.

"The country folk build them to welcome the Christ Child," he said simply.

She turned a moon-kissed, glowing face to him. "" Tis a wondrous sight, my lord. Thank you. "