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.“You’ll cure her of this lunacy, of course.”Raymond said, “ ’Tis a woman’s decision.”“A woman’s decision?” Geoffroi seemed honestly scandalized.“When a fire from within could destroy a castle’s ability to repulse attackers?”Raymond swallowed his trepidation.“Not all can remain as it was during your youth.”“I see what it is.You’re soft on the woman.” Geoffroi bent his lips into a dictatorial smile.“Let me give you some advice.It never pays to be soft on a woman.”Raymond looked at his mother.She formed the other half of the iron tongs that pinched him, gripped him, threw him in the fires of hell, for money or prestige.“I’ll remember that.”Unconvinced of his son’s sincerity, Geoffroi leaned into the attack.“If you were a real man, you’d settle this matter right now.”The battle cry of manipulative fathers caught Raymond unprepared.He rose to his feet, primed to satisfy the masculine challenge even if he had to crush Juliana’s pride to rubble.Only a small, eager voice saved him.“Lord Raymond,” squeaked Ella, “may we sit in your lap?”He looked down at the two skinny, smiling children.Ella was blissfully unaware of the fire raging in him, and even Margery underestimated the danger.She watched him with grave eyes, waiting to see if he would accept the invitation to join her inner circle, not realizing she’d picked a moment of raging male ego to extend the invitation.Juliana knew.“I yield!” she proclaimed.“The kitchen shall be as my lord commands.Only don’t…” She clasped her hands in supplication.“My lord Raymond, I beg you, don’t…”He understood her plea.Don’t hurt the children, she wanted to say, but she didn’t want to suggest such violence within their hearing and destroy that newly forged trust between Raymond and the girls.With a smile that showed all his teeth, he reseated himself and patted his knees.“Sit,” he invited.When the girls had settled themselves, and he’d wrapped an arm around each one of them, he said to Geoffroi, “You see? A simple matter, easily settled.Lady Juliana will do as I command—and I command the kitchen remain where it is.” He ignored the huffs of indignation emanating from his father and asked Juliana, “If that is what you desire?”Confused and overwhelmingly thankful, Juliana agreed, “Oh…aye.”For all that it was almost justified, her gratitude and the accompanying distrust it betrayed irked him.Tucking her short cloak tighter around her shoulders, Isabel stepped into the breach.“Raymond, you know we only want the best for you.Now that we’re here, we’ll begin negotiations on your wedding contract and perhaps plan the day you can say your vows.’Twill be a lengthy process, of course.”“The wedding date is set,” Raymond said, the muscles of his neck straining as he tried to muffle his frustration.His mother picked at her needlework.“For next spring, I presume?”“Much might happen by spring,” he answered.“Aye.” Geoffroi sheathed his toothpick with the flourish most men reserved for a sword.“Much.”The air hung heavy, and the unpremeditated words flew from Raymond’s mouth.“We wed on the morning of Twelfth Night.”“Twelfth Night?” Ella cried.“Only a fortnight away!” Margery said approvingly.“What a Christmas this will be.” Ella’s eyes shone, and the two girls giggled together.Juliana said not a word, but the hand bar thumped and the shuttle flew.Perhaps she hadn’t heard—he could only pray that was the truth.“Mon petit”—his mother drawled, and he hated it when she assumed that superior tone—“you were always so impetuous.Surely your bride doesn’t wish to marry so soon.”Juliana didn’t lift her head from the cream-colored wool stretched before her, but a hectic color rose up her neck and burned in her cheeks.“According to the king’s command, we should have been wed a year ago last spring.So whenever we wed, ’twill be late.”Some of the tightness in Raymond’s chest eased.Regardless of what she would say later, for tonight she supported him.“Ah.” His mother nodded, understanding.“So many girls long for the moment when they may unite with a great family and raise themselves to a higher station.Raymond has come to you, and your dreams are fulfilled.”“Mother.”Wrath exploded from Raymond, but Juliana waved him to silence.“It is my assessment that I am raising Raymond’s station, since he comes quite without coin or land.”Raymond winced.A good parry, he acknowledged, but she hadn’t pierced the thick armor that surrounded his parents.Only his pride had been wounded.In a battle between his parents and Juliana, he suspected, his pride might be fatally overcome.“You want both an honored family name and title and riches?” Isabel tittered.“Greedy little thing, aren’t you?”“Not at all.His honored name and title are of no use to me.His only use is as a warrior, and for that he might as well be an itinerant knight.”Geoffroi smiled patronizingly.“My child, perhaps you don’t understand.Raymond is the king’s cousin.”“The king has many cousins,” Juliana retorted, repeating what Raymond had told her.“He’s the king’s favorite cousin.They ride together.They hunt together.Henry asks his advice on state matters and personal matters.” Geoffroi walked to his son, threw his arm around him, and hugged him with the enthusiasm he displayed only for his most useful treasures.“Raymond is one of the most influential men of the court.”Geoffroi’s patronizing tone visibly shook Juliana’s composure.She sought Raymond’s eyes, asked for the truth without words.Sheepish, he shrugged and spread out his hands, palms up.“The king’s dearest cousin?” Juliana said slowly, and Raymond’s parents began reciting the greatest doings in the kingdom in a light, chatty tone that made them all the more corporeal.“He’s Queen Eleanor’s cousin, too.” Isabel lifted one eyebrow.“Didn’t you know?”She’d been ordering a great lord to build her wall? Numbed by embarrassment, Juliana shook her head.“Eleanor of Aquitaine is a great woman, a powerful woman, a true statesman.” Isabel clasped her hands to her slight bosom.“Making a damn fuss about Henry’s newest mistress, though,” Geoffroi said.“Henry’s gotten Eleanor with child again.What else could she desire?”Raymond interposed, “War—if Henry doesn’t show her some respect.”“War?” Geoffroi chuckled.“War? How could a woman hope to win against Henry, lord of half of France and all England?”“She has sons.”“They’re young,” Geoffroi argued.“They will grow.” Raymond throttled the worst of his animosity.“The young king is twelve.He’s vain and argumentative, and he hates his father.Richard is nine, and promises to be as great a warrior as Henry.He’s Eleanor’s favorite, and he hates his father.There’s Geoffrey, who is eight.He’s too intelligent to accept Henry’s constant neglect, so he hates his father [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]