Read Online The Lioness and Her Knight by Gerald Morris - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Gerald Morris
Ads: Link
around her offering timid and barely audible words of consolation. There were a few manservants standing over Sir Esclados's body, and two of them were taking off their dead master's armor one piece at a time, but even they were distracted by Lady Laudine's display of inconsolable sorrow.
Clearly, the first thing to do was to get Lady Laudine away from the body, and Luneta felt a stir of frustration that none of the attendants had had the wit to remove her from the bloody corpse. "Come, my lady," Luneta said firmly, nearly shouting so as to be heard above Lady Laudine's wails, "you should leave this room now.
Luneta's voice caught Lady Laudine's attention, and her eyes focused on Luneta. "Oh, Luneta! He's dead! He's dead!"
"I can see that," Luneta said firmly, although she was carefully not looking at the form on the bed behind her, "and I'm very sorry, but staying here won't bring him back. Come with me and let Sir Esclados's servants attend to him."
"No, no, he wouldn't want me to leave!"
Luneta started to retort that she doubted that Sir Esclados cared one way or the other now, but she caught herself in time and replied instead, "I am sure that he would want you to take care of yourself, too. My lady, it is very sad, and of course you must grieve, but let me take you away from here."
Luneta kept her voice firm and even and practical, and her tone as much as her words seemed to calm Lady Laudine. She looked forlornly up into Luneta's face and said, "Oh, Luneta, you're just like your mother."
"I most certainly am not!" Luneta exclaimed angrily.
"Have you no
feeling?
" Lady Laudine asked forlornly. "I've lost my love, my heart, my being this day!"
Luneta could only stare, quite dumbfounded. Was that really what she felt for the surly Sir Esclados? Fortunately, Rhience, who had come in behind Luneta, chose that moment to speak. "We understand, my lady. But you must respect his wishes in death as well as in life." Lady Laudine burst into another gust of sobs at the word "death," but Rhience continued. "Would you have disturbed Sir Esclados's privacy when he was alive?" Lady Laudine's eyes widened, and Rhience pursued his advantage. "Then you should allow him time alone now, don't you think? Come away now."
With Luneta at one hand and Rhience at the other, Lady Laudine slowly rose from her chair and took a step toward the door. Then she stopped. Luneta held her breath, but then one of the footmen, a thick middle-aged man that Luneta had seen at dinner, stepped between Lady Laudine and the body and said, "I am sure that they are right, my lady. You may trust us to care for your lord, and if we need you, you may be sure that we will call."
Lady Laudine nodded. "Thank you, Rufus. I will leave you now."
Luneta looked over her shoulder at the servant, Rufus, and they mouthed "Thank you" to each other at the same moment. Then she and Rhience had Lady Laudine out of the room and into the fresh air of the courtyard.
For nearly three hours Luneta and Rhience followed the restless Lady Laudine, who seemed, once she had been dislodged from the chair beside her husband, to be unable to stop anywhere for longer than a few minutes. She wept at the least provocation, and since every chair that her husband had ever sat in seemed to qualify as provocation, she cried nearly without stopping. At last, she appeared to have exhausted both her strength and her supply of tears, and the two were able to conduct her to her own room. Rhience waited in the hall while Luneta took Lady Laudine in and bundled her, fully clothed, under the covers of her bed. Luneta couldn't help wondering if Ywain was still in the room, but she obviously couldn't call to him.
Lady Laudine was asleep in seconds. Luneta stood and watched for a moment, then whispered, "Ywain? Come out into the hall. We'll get you out of here."
But no one came. She and Rhience stood in the corridor for an hour, waiting for Ywain to appear and talking in low tones about ways to
Clearly, the first thing to do was to get Lady Laudine away from the body, and Luneta felt a stir of frustration that none of the attendants had had the wit to remove her from the bloody corpse. "Come, my lady," Luneta said firmly, nearly shouting so as to be heard above Lady Laudine's wails, "you should leave this room now.
Luneta's voice caught Lady Laudine's attention, and her eyes focused on Luneta. "Oh, Luneta! He's dead! He's dead!"
"I can see that," Luneta said firmly, although she was carefully not looking at the form on the bed behind her, "and I'm very sorry, but staying here won't bring him back. Come with me and let Sir Esclados's servants attend to him."
"No, no, he wouldn't want me to leave!"
Luneta started to retort that she doubted that Sir Esclados cared one way or the other now, but she caught herself in time and replied instead, "I am sure that he would want you to take care of yourself, too. My lady, it is very sad, and of course you must grieve, but let me take you away from here."
Luneta kept her voice firm and even and practical, and her tone as much as her words seemed to calm Lady Laudine. She looked forlornly up into Luneta's face and said, "Oh, Luneta, you're just like your mother."
"I most certainly am not!" Luneta exclaimed angrily.
"Have you no
feeling?
" Lady Laudine asked forlornly. "I've lost my love, my heart, my being this day!"
Luneta could only stare, quite dumbfounded. Was that really what she felt for the surly Sir Esclados? Fortunately, Rhience, who had come in behind Luneta, chose that moment to speak. "We understand, my lady. But you must respect his wishes in death as well as in life." Lady Laudine burst into another gust of sobs at the word "death," but Rhience continued. "Would you have disturbed Sir Esclados's privacy when he was alive?" Lady Laudine's eyes widened, and Rhience pursued his advantage. "Then you should allow him time alone now, don't you think? Come away now."
With Luneta at one hand and Rhience at the other, Lady Laudine slowly rose from her chair and took a step toward the door. Then she stopped. Luneta held her breath, but then one of the footmen, a thick middle-aged man that Luneta had seen at dinner, stepped between Lady Laudine and the body and said, "I am sure that they are right, my lady. You may trust us to care for your lord, and if we need you, you may be sure that we will call."
Lady Laudine nodded. "Thank you, Rufus. I will leave you now."
Luneta looked over her shoulder at the servant, Rufus, and they mouthed "Thank you" to each other at the same moment. Then she and Rhience had Lady Laudine out of the room and into the fresh air of the courtyard.
For nearly three hours Luneta and Rhience followed the restless Lady Laudine, who seemed, once she had been dislodged from the chair beside her husband, to be unable to stop anywhere for longer than a few minutes. She wept at the least provocation, and since every chair that her husband had ever sat in seemed to qualify as provocation, she cried nearly without stopping. At last, she appeared to have exhausted both her strength and her supply of tears, and the two were able to conduct her to her own room. Rhience waited in the hall while Luneta took Lady Laudine in and bundled her, fully clothed, under the covers of her bed. Luneta couldn't help wondering if Ywain was still in the room, but she obviously couldn't call to him.
Lady Laudine was asleep in seconds. Luneta stood and watched for a moment, then whispered, "Ywain? Come out into the hall. We'll get you out of here."
But no one came. She and Rhience stood in the corridor for an hour, waiting for Ywain to appear and talking in low tones about ways to
Similar Books
