Read Online A Knight's Vow by Lindsay Townsend - Free Book Online Page A

is your sister?”
he asked, avoiding the thorny issue of what Sericus was actually doing for the moment.
    “Happy, I think. The spiritual and contemplative life suits
her.” Alyson looked pensive. “I must admit-“
    Please do not say you envy her thought Guillelm, relieved
when she merely went on, “I would dearly like to see her again.”
    “That is easily arranged,” Guillelm said quickly, feeling his
heart steadying in his chest. This was folly; he had to keep a
tight rein on his emotions or this beguiling ragtag of a wench
would wind him like a ribbon round her fingers. “But come,”
he heard himself saying, in direct contradiction to his previous thought, “is there anything I can grant you now-in
thanks for shedding that old-fashioned head rail?”
    “Old-fashioned?” Alyson tried to look affronted and then
laughed. “I suppose to a lord lately returned from exotic lands
it will be. Doubtless you will have seen many ladies in fine
silks. What is silk like?”
    He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her fingers. “Wait
until tomorrow, then you will know,” he promised, thinking
that no silk was as glorious as her hair. Even as it was now, plaited into a single simple braid thicker than his wrist, it was
such a mass of long, fine stuff. “Your favor, my little sweet?”
he prompted, delighted when she teased back, “A present for
me, my lord? Or should that be a forfeit, for stealing my veil?”

    “Your choice,” he said, aware of his men and the farriers
and not caring a jot for any of them. Then Alyson herself
brought them out of this strange, dazzling inner world by
saying carefully, “Could you then introduce me to your
seneschal?” She gnawed at her lower lip. “I would heal the
bad blood between Fulk and myself.”
    She was ever a healer, Guillelm recalled, but her request revealed a new difficulty. “It may be better to wait until sunset,”
he replied, hoping she would let the matter go, but such was not
Alyson’s way any more than it was his.
    “Why?” she asked reasonably, then she caught her breath
as she clearly remembered. “The discipline.”
    “For the grave discourtesy Fulk did to you, yes” Guillelm
felt his jaw clench and told himself again that the task he had
lain on his follower would be punishment enough. “Sericus is
overseeing it for me”
    Alyson’s eyes widened. “What is it?” she whispered.
    “No more than he deserves” Guillelm pointed to the outer
wall of the bailey. “We can go watch, if you wish.”
    She wrinkled her nose at him. “What have you had him do?”
    “It is a common punishment for a knight; I have endured it
myself. Listen! Can you hear galloping?”
    They were both silent, Alyson cupping a hand to her left
ear to block out the closer sounds of chattering voices, hammering and, overhead, a thread of birdsong. She frowned. “I
think I can”
    “Outside Hardspen’s walls, Fulk is practicing in full armor
on his warhorse for the rest of the day. I have told him to keep
at a gallop; if he stops for any reason I will hear of it, and he
will regret it.”

    Alyson gasped. “You have made Sericus your spy?” she
demanded.
    Her tone irritated Guillelm. “Not so he is my guarantor
and a witness. It will do Fulk good to be humbled a little in
front of your game old man. I know Fulk; he will see the justice of it.”
    “But … full armor, all day. That is barbaric!”
    “It is sweaty and hot and cramping, and he will ache abominably for days, but it is still better than the public flogging
Fulk would have given you. It casts no slur on his status and
it exercises his horse.”
    “Even so, it seems harsh,” Alyson demurred. She bent her
head a moment, then raised her face to his. “Please! Will your
knight not have ridden enough by now?”
    It was hard to resist her pleading and Guillelm did not try.
“Very well. We shall go together.” He held out his arm. “Do
you remember how we used to