Read Online The Saxon Bride (The Norman Conquest Series) by Ashley York - Free Book Online
Authors: Ashley York
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John felt as if he would explode. Where was Arthur? He would like to throttle the man. No, what he wanted was to throttle his wife. Well, maybe not actually throttle.
"My wife does not seem happy with me."
"I wonder why. Did you actually accuse her of entertaining a lover?"
"Not in so many words. I think she has to be made to understand."
"Certainly." Peter leaned against the low wooden stall. "I actually enjoy making Jeanette ‘understand’. She does, too."
"Is that all you ever think about?"
"Yes… I would have to say, yes."
John settled down on the bale of hay at the end of the aisle. Leaning his head back against the wall, he closed his eyes and sighed wearily."You are exasperating."
"Are you sure it's me who is exasperating you?"
Opening one eye, he did his best to shoot daggers at his friend. "Why are you still here?"
"I want to know what happened when you spoke with the lovely Rowena."
Picking up the thick rope that lay discarded across the bale, John flicked the darkened ends aimlessly, contemplating his answer. "Nothing happened."
"Did you try to make anything happen?"
Irritated, John looked up at Peter. "Just to cover what is none of your concern, I felt since I had called her both a liar and an adulteress within a very short amount of time, I probably should not be forcing myself on her."
Peter's jaw dropped, adding to John's misery. "Tell me you did not."
"Oh, yes, I did."
"So you changed your mind about wanting to bed her? About consummating the marriage?"
The rope end disintegrated between his fingers as he rubbed the twines apart. "No, Peter, I did not change my mind. I am just failing miserably at the task at hand."
He pulled the remainder of the long rope loose from behind the hay and held the end closer to his nose. He sniffed.
"What is that?" Peter asked.
"I'd say this rope has been tampered with and yet…" holding it stretched so his friend could see that the rope had been knotted into a horse's lead…"it was made to look as if it was sound. Tell me what happened earlier with the horses."
"I did not arrive until the beasts had been settled. Apparently, Mark's horse had broken loose and was causing havoc. A young boy had been trampled but he is expected to live."
The silence in the stall was interrupted by cows munching and the occasional braying of the donkey. John rubbed the blackened ash from the rope between his fingers.
"It was deliberate," Peter finally said.
"So it would appear , but why?" John's body was exhausted but his mind raced.
"To increase the resentment toward us?"
"At the very least to make us appear shallow and uncaring. Where is the boy who was injured?"
"He is one of the stable hands here. His father is the village cooper."
"Did anyone visit the lad?"
Peter nodded, searching his memory. "Mark went to see the boy. He brought him food."
"I will see him myself on the morrow. If our horse has injured him, we will make amends. If, however, someone intentionally caused the incident, we will find the guilty party."
King William had given John until the spring to win over the loyalty of the villagers. Incidents like these only made his task that much more difficult. He needed to show that he had the Saxon's best interest at heart, and that the Normans and Saxons could live in peace together. Convincing Rowena of this would be a step in the right direction. How could he win her? Admittedly, he wanted her to be his wife in truth.
"Have you the names of the local men?" John asked.
"Word has been sent, and they are expecting your arrival."
"Perhaps it would be worth my time to see to my work before my pleasure."
"Would we be leaving tomorrow then?"
"It would probably be best if we did."
Peter stood a little straighter, all duty. "I will see that the men are ready, my lord."
Alone in the barn, John realized what a mess he had made of everything. Raised by a cruel peasant couple, he never did anything right according to them. A smack upside the head was his
"My wife does not seem happy with me."
"I wonder why. Did you actually accuse her of entertaining a lover?"
"Not in so many words. I think she has to be made to understand."
"Certainly." Peter leaned against the low wooden stall. "I actually enjoy making Jeanette ‘understand’. She does, too."
"Is that all you ever think about?"
"Yes… I would have to say, yes."
John settled down on the bale of hay at the end of the aisle. Leaning his head back against the wall, he closed his eyes and sighed wearily."You are exasperating."
"Are you sure it's me who is exasperating you?"
Opening one eye, he did his best to shoot daggers at his friend. "Why are you still here?"
"I want to know what happened when you spoke with the lovely Rowena."
Picking up the thick rope that lay discarded across the bale, John flicked the darkened ends aimlessly, contemplating his answer. "Nothing happened."
"Did you try to make anything happen?"
Irritated, John looked up at Peter. "Just to cover what is none of your concern, I felt since I had called her both a liar and an adulteress within a very short amount of time, I probably should not be forcing myself on her."
Peter's jaw dropped, adding to John's misery. "Tell me you did not."
"Oh, yes, I did."
"So you changed your mind about wanting to bed her? About consummating the marriage?"
The rope end disintegrated between his fingers as he rubbed the twines apart. "No, Peter, I did not change my mind. I am just failing miserably at the task at hand."
He pulled the remainder of the long rope loose from behind the hay and held the end closer to his nose. He sniffed.
"What is that?" Peter asked.
"I'd say this rope has been tampered with and yet…" holding it stretched so his friend could see that the rope had been knotted into a horse's lead…"it was made to look as if it was sound. Tell me what happened earlier with the horses."
"I did not arrive until the beasts had been settled. Apparently, Mark's horse had broken loose and was causing havoc. A young boy had been trampled but he is expected to live."
The silence in the stall was interrupted by cows munching and the occasional braying of the donkey. John rubbed the blackened ash from the rope between his fingers.
"It was deliberate," Peter finally said.
"So it would appear , but why?" John's body was exhausted but his mind raced.
"To increase the resentment toward us?"
"At the very least to make us appear shallow and uncaring. Where is the boy who was injured?"
"He is one of the stable hands here. His father is the village cooper."
"Did anyone visit the lad?"
Peter nodded, searching his memory. "Mark went to see the boy. He brought him food."
"I will see him myself on the morrow. If our horse has injured him, we will make amends. If, however, someone intentionally caused the incident, we will find the guilty party."
King William had given John until the spring to win over the loyalty of the villagers. Incidents like these only made his task that much more difficult. He needed to show that he had the Saxon's best interest at heart, and that the Normans and Saxons could live in peace together. Convincing Rowena of this would be a step in the right direction. How could he win her? Admittedly, he wanted her to be his wife in truth.
"Have you the names of the local men?" John asked.
"Word has been sent, and they are expecting your arrival."
"Perhaps it would be worth my time to see to my work before my pleasure."
"Would we be leaving tomorrow then?"
"It would probably be best if we did."
Peter stood a little straighter, all duty. "I will see that the men are ready, my lord."
Alone in the barn, John realized what a mess he had made of everything. Raised by a cruel peasant couple, he never did anything right according to them. A smack upside the head was his
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