Forbidden Love (5 page)

"This wine has not aged long," she commented after taking a sip. The merchant nodded resignedly, only to be pleasantly gratified when she added, "However, I believe a few more months will see it smooth and dry." Considering the size of the household and the general preference for ale, she decided to buy a modest amount for holidays.

Bags of rice were inspected next This new arrival from the East was being well received in England. It stored easily and was versatile in cooking. The merchant had both white and brown, and Roanna agreed that equal parts of both were most useful

His supply of dried fruits was rather less than she had hoped, but the quality of apricots, raisins, currants, pears, and plums was excellent Considering them essential to the maintenance of health during winter when there were no fresh fruits available, she was ready to buy all he had. But first they had to agree on the worth of the goods she had to trade.

Despite all the upheaval of the last year, Colin's vast sheep herd had produced an outstanding crop of wool. Luxuriously thick with a high oil content that would make for soft, sturdy cloth, it was worthy of gracing the looms of the most discerning weavers.

But the merchant claimed otherwise. "It is well enough, I suppose, to make rough clothing and blankets."

"His lordship does not pamper his peasants with cloth fit for kings," Roanna shot back. "But if you are not interested . .."

"I did not say that!" the merchant interposed quickly. "Perhaps with proper treatment, it could be made acceptable"

"I do not doubt there are many weavers among the Walloons, Hems, and others who could work such magic."

"I might be able to find a buyer," he admitted reluctantly.

"I should think so, considering that the supply of English wool is greatly reduced due to the fighting and the looms of the Low Countries are going begging for lack of it. Now, what will you offer?"

An hour later, the merchant rubbed his face wearily. Seldom could he remember such a long, hard battle with any customer. The Lady Roanna was remorseless. She might trade wool herself, so well did she understand its value.

And when it came to the dried fish that was the estate's other major surplus product she was no less knowledgeable. The barrels of cod, eel, salmon, and haddock that were prized on the continent brought their weight in trade goods.

As the afternoon drew to a close, the merchant had to be content with a fair profit, nothing more. Certain that she had gotten the best possible bargain, Roanna went off to write her letter. That proved far more difficult than the hours of chaffering.

She began with a heartfelt apology for her impulsiveness, which had caused the present predicament, then went on to assure her brother and sister-in-law that she was being looked after so well that they had no reason for the slightest concern. Ending with a plea for their forgiveness, she sent them her love.

Finishing the letter, Roanna left it unsealed. She presumed Colin would want to make sure she had written nothing about the number of men-at-arms in his stronghold or its fortifications, information highly useful to her brother should he be driven to attack.

Going in search of him, she was quickly drawn to the training field, where dozens of men were hard at work refining their fighting skills. In deference to the warm summer day, they had stripped down to their loincloths to wrestle, practice archery and wield the immense battle swords on which their lives all too frequently depended.

The sight of nearly naked men grunting and straining, their powerful muscles and sinews rippling with their exertions, was nothing new to Roanna. She barely noticed them as she stopped at the edge of the field, shading her eyes to look for Colin.

The breath caught in her throat when she spied him. lowering above all the other men, his huge, supremely conditioned body glowed with the healthy sheen of sweat. Not an ounce of fat marred the perfection of his form. Yet he could hardly be called spare. His vast shoulders and chest looked more than capable of crushing any opponent The hard ridge of sculpted muscle along his taut waist gave way to a flat abdomen beneath which the loincloth left no doubt as to the vigor of his masculinity. Long, sinewy legs were covered in the same golden fur that glistened on his chest and arms.

Roanna's brief glimpse of him in her bower had not prepared her for the piercing effect his body had on her. She was helpless to avert her eyes, even when Colin caught sight of her and dropped out of the drill. As he walked swiftly toward her, her mouth went dry and tremors quaked through her.

So caught up was she in trying to control her startling response to him that she did not notice Colin was waging the same battle. His slate gray eyes were narrowed, revealing nothing, as they swept over her.

"Have you finished with the merchant?"

"Uh . . . yes, we're all done. I think you'll be pleased by the bargain ... at least I hope you will be."

Impatient with herself, Roanna struggled to ignore the remarkable sensations curling through her. Standing mis close to him, she could feel the warmth of his bronzed skin and had to fight down the urge to reach out and touch him. Her hand jerked as she offered him the letter.

"I thought you would want to read this before it is sealed."

Colin glanced at the missive without taking it from her. His rugged features softened slightly as he asked, "Have you written something you should not have?"

"No, of course not!"

"Then there is no need for me to read it"

This further proof of his faith in her touched Roanna deeply. She stared up at him, trying to discover what it was about this man that affected her so powerfully. With his mane of coppery hair licked by the fires of the sun, and his quicksilver eyes, he was undeniably handsome. Even without such pleasing features, the lithe grace of his lean, heavily muscled body was enough to attract any woman.

But she had met many men in her nineteen years who were almost as handsome and compelling. Not one had managed to penetrate the wall of her reserve. Colin did so effortlessly.

As she thought about it, Roanna realized there was no great mystery to her feelings. Despite the violent circumstances of their meeting, Colin had shown himself to be a man of both great strength and gentleness. Added to these qualities was an underlying sadness that she did not doubt stemmed from the pain of his people's defeat and his fierce determination to do all he could to help them even in the face of great adversity.

The combination of power and vulnerability was overwhelming. Roanna found herself longing to offer him both comfort and surrender. Having no true conception of her beauty or of the gentle strength of her nature, which was in every way a feminine match to Colin's own, she could only pray he might return some small measure of her interest

In fact she had no idea of the longings she set off in her captor. Remembering all too clearly the perfection of her unclothed body, he was now confronted by the knowledge that his desire for her went far beyond the physical. She spoke to every level of his being, and he was almost helpless to contain his response.

Forcing himself to remember the constraints of honor, Colin withdrew to find some hard, draining exercise followed by a dip in a pond fed by icy mountain streams. But not before inviting Roanna to share the evening meal with him in the great hall.

Dazed by the sheer impact of his nearness, she did not at first notice the serving girls on the edge of the field who had watched the entire exchange. Only when they laughed softly did she look up, straight into their knowing, slightly mocking eyes. Ladies, one murmured to the rest, were not so different after all.

Roanna's back straightened. She met their gaze calmly. Her head was high, her lovely features composed. She said nothing, but no words were needed.

After a moment, the serving girls looked away. Unspoken was the admission that there were indeed great differences between themselves and the proud, confident lady they confronted. The bond of their common womanhood did not erase the fact that only one of her station could fully understand and share their lord's arduous, demanding life.

When she returned to her bower, Roanna found fresh clothes laid out and hot water for a bath. She lay in the tub for a long time daydreaming, until her toes and fingers began to wrinkle and she was reminded of the passing hour. Rising, she toweled herself dry before vigorously brushing her hair until it shone like polished gold.

The lavender tunic she donned fit perfectly, as did the violet surcoat. A gasp broke from her as she realized the tunic sleeves and neckline were embroidered with pearls. No serving woman alone could have decided to bring her such opulent garments. They must be by Colin's instructions. Had he considered that she might feel a little out of place among his people and sent her the garments to give her confidence?

Telling herself not to read more into the gesture than was meant, she finished her preparations hurriedly.

There was no mirror in the room, so she could not see how the glowing colors of the garments complemented her coloring or how even their loose fit did not disguise the perfection of her body.

The hall was already crowded when she arrived. Men and women milled about, exchanging greetings and the gossip of the day as they waited for their lord. Following local custom, they would occupy separate tables with each group free to discuss its own pursuits.

Roanna presumed she was to sit with the other woman, but as soon as Colin arrived he indicated otherwise. Taking her arm lightly, he led her to the high table he shared with his most trusted retainers.

The large, burly warriors eyed her cautiously. It had been a long time since they had had a lady in their midst Their lord's manner toward her was all that was needed to keep them on their best behavior. But in fact, Roanna was hardly aware of their presence. All her senses were absorbed by the man seated beside her.

His hair glowed like flames in the light of torches surrounding the hall. A clean, fresh smell mingled with his manly scent He was dressed more formally than she had yet seen him. Above the buckskin trousers that emphasized the sinewy muscles of his thighs, he wore a shirt of finely spun wool dyed hunter's green. Across his massive chest, an intricately carved gold chain proclaimed his status as a warrior chieftain. Roanna's gaze was drawn irresistibly to the mythical beast in the center of the chain, whose challenging stare at once taunted and coaxed her.

"I trust you are hungry, my lady," Colin said softly as he studied her no less intently.

"What? Oh, yes . . ."

"I thought you would be after working so hard today."

"But I didn't. . . That is, it wasn't especially difficult"

"The bargain you wrested from the merchant says otherwise. Thanks to you, we have all we need and more for a comfortable winter."

Modestly, Roanna tried to convince him that it was the exceptional quality of the estate's produce that had won the bargain. But Colin would have none of it He insisted the credit was all her own and showed his appreciation by serving her himself when the platters of food were brought round.

She possessed a healthy appetite, but his idea of what she could eat far surpassed her own. She had to dissuade him from piling her trencher of bread with all manner of poultry, fish, ham, and vegetables. The wine he kept pouring into her goblet proved as good as what she hoped her new purchase would become, and she enjoyed it thoroughly.

The talk throughout supper was of estate matters. Colin gently drew her into the conversation as he and his retainers talked of the need to winnow the livestock before winter, secure the peasants' huts against the storms that were bound to come, and dam the nearby river lest it flood again.

When she proved knowledgeable about all these matters, the men began for the first time to speak to her directly. Several asked questions about the Norman way of handling such tasks, but there was nothing in their manner to suggest they thought the conqueror's approaches might be better than theirs.

On the contrary, Roanna found in them the same deeply rooted pride her sister-in-law always showed, an inherent confidence that made it possible for them to accept the ways of others when they proved more successful without losing any of their own dignity.

Ruefully, she considered the immense task King William had set himself when he decided to absorb these people into his sphere of power. Though the Conquest appeared to be going all in favor of the invader, she suspected it was the native English who would eventually triumph.

Certainly much would have to change before both races accepted each other, but it seemed likely that when the dust settled it would be the Normans who adapted more than those they claimed to have vanquished.

Still there was a tacit acknowledgment on the part of Colin and his men that in certain areas the Normans were more advanced. As Roanna listened, it became clear that the Algerson thegns and the higher ranking housecarls who held responsibility directly from Colin were training to fight from horseback in the manner that had so savagely defeated them at Hastings.

The Anglo-Saxons traditionally used horses only to travel, not for combat They were unprepared for the cavalry charge of William and his knights, which turned the tide of battle and assured the success of the invasion. Next time they went against Normans, Colin and his men would be prepared to fight just as effectively.