Unending Love (18 page)

Adalind and Willow were thrilled at the
competition, and Adalind had dressed carefully in her new garment.  It was a
glorious surcoat that, once secured upon her shapely frame, gave her the
appearance of a goddess.  She was luscious and curvy, something that did not go
unnoticed by nearly every man in attendance.  Maddoc felt rather like a dog
guarding his bone as he escorted her to the makeshift field to the north side
of Shadoxhurst where the guests were gathering for the first event.  He was so
proud he could burst, a sensation he’d never known in his life.   It was alien
and somewhat disorienting but wholly wonderful as he walked with Adalind on his
arm.  It was pride in something other than himself.

In fact, Adalind was so radiant and lovely that
the gossip was flying fast and furious, and it flew straight to Victoria du
Bose’s ears.  Young, lovely, silly, giggly and petty, Victoria’s reaction was
not entirely unexpected.  When she was supposed to be the center of attention,
it ended up being Adalind de Aston, and when Adalind made an appearance at the
field and greeted Victoria for the first time, the claws were out.

“Victoria,” Adalind said as she took the woman’s
hands and kissed her cheek. “It is so good to see you again. How lovely you
look.”

 Victoria was indeed a pretty girl with brown
eyes and long blond hair.  She smiled thinly at Adalind. “And I see the rumors
of your beauty were not exaggerated,” she said, her gaze riveted to Adalind and
all but ignoring Willow. “I have heard nothing but tales of your beauty since I
have returned home. I must say, now that I see you, I understand the rumors.”

Adalind could immediately sense an insult.  It
wasn’t so much in the words but the way the woman spoke, the condescending tone
in her voice.  Her smile faded into a grimace.

“Whatever do you mean?” she asked.

Victoria shrugged, her gaze trailing down
Adalind’s stunning figure. “You are very beautiful, Adalind,” she said. “Surely
you know that.”

“You are quite beautiful, also,” Adalind
replied, having difficulty with her temper. “Surely you know
that
.”

Victoria laughed rudely.  “’Tis not I who has
every man’s attention today,” she said, her tone growing nasty. “They are all
looking at you in that rather revealing coat, but I am sure you planned it that
way.  How dare you turn all attention to you.”

Adalind was flabbergasted at the attitude. “I
have done no such thing,” she said hotly. “Why do you say such terrible things
to me? I thought we were friends, Victoria.”

Victoria turned her nose up. “We were until you
tried to outshine me at my party.”

Adalind’s outrage cooled.  The same thing had
had happened at Winchester was happening here and she could hardly believe it.
She was stunned.

“It was never my intent to outshine you,” she
said, lowering her voice. “It was my intent to wish you a blessed celebration but
I see that I am wasting my breath.  I had no idea that your years at Lewes had
taught you that blatant envy is good manners and that offending someone who has
done nothing to deserve it makes you a fine hostess.  Since it seems that the
only conversation you wish to have is one full of insults, I will wish you a
good day and be done with it.”

With that she strolled away, leaving Willow
sputtering at the turn in conversation. But Adalind kept walking, heading
towards the edge of the makeshift lists where she could see Maddoc and Gerid as
they prepared for the upcoming contest. She marched right up to Maddoc and by
the time he looked up from fixing one of the straps on his breastplate, he was
faced with a teary-eyed lady.

“I want to go home,” Adalind hissed, wiping
furiously at her eyes. “I do not want to be here. Will you please take me
home?”

He was very concerned. “What has happened?” he
asked gently, his hands comfortingly holding her arms. “Why do you weep?”

Adalind was trying to speak without sobbing but
it was difficult. “Victoria is upset because she feels that I have dressed
provocatively and now all men are looking at me when they should be looking at
her,” she sniffled. “She was rude and insulting, and I do not want to be here
any longer. I want to go home.”

Maddoc grunted softly with both disbelief and
sympathy, looking over her shoulder to see Willow and Lady Victoria in the
distance.  It looked to him as if the conversation was growing heated.

“Your dress is lovely and I would be the first
person to make you wear something different if I thought it was even remotely
provocative,” he said softly. “Do not let her jealousy hurt you so.”

She frowned deeply and the tears surged. “You
cannot say that to me,” she hissed. “I spent five years dealing with petty
jealousies and this is the last place I expected to find them again. You have
no idea what it was like.”

She was starting to get agitated so he hastened to
soothe her. “You are correct; I do not,” he said, collecting her hand and
turning to Gerid. “Lady Adalind and I are going for a walk. I will return
shortly.”

Gerid wasn’t oblivious to their conversation,
nor to what had been transpiring between them in general.  In fact, it was
becoming common knowledge at Canterbury now because de Lohr wasn’t making any
attempt to hide it.  Moreover, du Bois had disappeared for several days and
dark rumors were about as to the reasons for his absence.  He had fled with the
four visiting warriors in the middle of the night and had returned days later,
exhausted and filthy.  Some said that de Lohr had sent him on a mission of
vengeance involving Adalind, but no one knew for certain.  Whatever the reason,
things were different with du Bois now.  The man had changed.

Maddoc took Adalind away from the temporary
field, holding her elbow as they strolled past people who were heading for the
spectacle.  A few competing knights passed them by, looking at the heavily
armored Maddoc curiously as he headed in the opposite direction.  But he
ignored the stares, instead, focused on Adalind as they walked through the very
green and very wet grass.  Her fine slippers were getting wet but he couldn’t
pick her up because his armor was in the way.  When they came to an old, rotted
stump near the giant curtain wall, he lifted her up on to it to get her out of
the wet.

“Now,” he said, looking her in the eye. “I have
also heard the gossip this morning, men speaking in hushed tones about you.  All
I have heard is how you are a treat for the eyes but nothing more. Whatever
Victoria brought up to hurt your feelings was fed by petty jealousy and I
understand you are weary of such things. However, we cannot simply make it
stop. People have a tendency to be cruel when faced with something as bright
and shining as you because they feel inadequate.  No one can compete with you,
sweetheart. You must understand this so you will not be dissolved to tears
every time it happens.  Take it as a compliment, understand your worth, and do
not let it disturb you. Will you at least try?”

He was so wise and rational.  Adalind had
stopped crying by the time he finished, her red-rimmed eyes now gleaming with
something he’d never seen before. There was joy and adoration and appreciation
in the green depths.

“You are right,” she said softly. “I should not
let words bother me so.  I suppose I am very sensitive to them because at
Winchester, words were usually accompanied by some manner of humiliating
action.”

He shook his head firmly. “No longer,” he said
softly, moving towards her and taking her hands in his big mailed gloves. “No
one will touch you again, I swear it.  Man or woman, I will punish them. Do you
believe me?”

“Of course I do.”

“Then you will no longer be upset by incidents
such as this.  Know that none of it matters because you have my complete
attention and adoration.  Nothing can hurt you ever again.”

She sighed dreamily, a smile coming to her lips.
“Do you know I have waited my entire life to hear those words from you?”

He grinned in return.  Then, he kissed her
hands, sweetly, but that wasn’t good enough so he kissed her mouth as well. 
Standing on the stump, she was nearly at eye level with him and it didn’t take
long before her arms went around his neck and he wrapped his big arms around
her body.   It was as much a spectacle as either one of them had ever made, but
they didn’t care; lost in a heated kiss, scents and sensations and tastes
consumed them.

“Maddoc!”

The shout disrupted what was a decidedly heated
kiss and Maddoc’s head snapped around to see David approaching. The man did not
look pleased.

“Maddoc, let her go,” he snapped quietly,
complete with separating hand gestures. “You know better than to take advantage
of her in public.”

“I am to blame, Papa,” Adalind leapt to Maddoc’s
defense as he lifted her off the stump and put her on her feet. “I made him
kiss me. I told him I would never speak to him again if he did not.”

David scowled at her, letting her know just what
he thought of her foolish explanation.  “Next time, I throw a bucket of water
on you both,” he grumbled, pointing in the direction of the
event
[J34]
 
field. “Go, Maddoc. I will escort Adalind to the
field.”

Adalind clung to Maddoc’s arm. “Nay, Papa,” she
said. “I want to walk with Maddoc, not my aged though still-handsome
grandfather. I am sure you understand how humiliating it would be for me.”

David was trying not to grin because she was
being rather charming with him, trying to soften him. “You little snippit,” he
rumbled. “Do as I say or I shall swat your behind. Let him go so he can go
compete. They are about to start.”

Her eyebrows flew up and she let go of Maddoc,
giving him a shove towards the field for good measure. “Hurry, then,” she told
him. “Do not so much as show your face to me again if you do not beat every one
of those fools. I will accept nothing less than complete domination and
victory.”

Maddoc grinned lazily as she continued to push.
“For you, my lady, I will smite my foes and lay their heads at your feet.”

She stopped pushing and made a distasteful face.
“Seems a little severe to me, but if you must.” She winked at him as she took
David’s arm. “Go, my beautiful boy.  I will watch you with great pride.”

His grin turned real and he bowed gallantly as
he turned for the field. “I shall endeavor not to shame you.”

“See that you do not.”

He laughed softly as he headed off for the event
area at a slow jog.  Mail jingled and creaked as Adalind and David watched him
go.  When he was well out of earshot, Adalind sighed happily, gaze lingering on
him, before turning to David.

“Would you really throw water on me?” she asked.

He cocked an eyebrow as she wrapped her hands
around his forearm rather manipulatively.

“Well,” he said reluctantly, “perhaps not you,
but definitely him.  He knows better than to make such a spectacle.”

“But we are in love. Why can we not shout it to
the world?”

“Has he told you he loves you?”

She shook her head. “He said he adored me. I can
live on that for the rest of my life.”

David couldn’t help the chuckle as they headed
towards the field and sounds of the coming event.  Women in love were odd
creatures, indeed.

***

The first event of the day was a mêlée, a
competition where two teams of opposing knights would face off against each
other until the last man standing.  Instead of swords they had clubs, and once
a man was down he was not allowed to get up again.  Any blow was fair,
including those to the face and groin, so after the event marshals explained
the rules, they tossed a yellow flag into the air and when it hit the ground,
the men went at each other to the roar of the crowd.

Since David was the highest ranking nobleman in
attendance, it was his team against Ridge du Bose’s team, and David was in
command of his team.  When the flag fell, Maddoc charged forward with the club
poised over his left shoulder, as his left hand was his dominate hand, and
began swinging it in several calculated strikes.  Men fell at his feet in rapid
succession as the spectators cheered. 

Standing at the edge of the field since the very
small lists were for Victoria and her family, Adalind and Willow were cheering
like mad.   Every time Maddoc would fell a man, Adalind screamed his name.  
The pair of them jumped up and down eagerly, causing Christina and Emilie to
laugh at their enthusiasm.  Watching them was more fun than watching what was
happening on the field.  But that all changed when David went down only a few
minutes into the fight.  Then, the mood decidedly dampened.

For an elderly man, David was still very spry
and very skilled, but with his reflexes diminished from age, he was no real match
for the younger and stronger knights.  When he went down, Maddoc beat his way
through a couple of men to make it to his side, slinging David over his big
shoulder and fighting his way to the edge of the field to get him out of the
line of fire.  Emilie and Christina were waiting for him and took David gently
as Maddoc carefully unloaded the man.  But as he did so, he was hit from behind
by a pair of fairly large knights, causing him to lurch forward and plow a big
shoulder into Adalind.  As she fell to her bum, Maddoc furiously turned to the
pair that had attacked him and plowed into them with his fists.