âYou are sure of all this? Staying in the solar and tending merely to household business will win my husbandâs heart?â
âI am sure of it, my lady. Now, will you try on this new gown?â
Â
For three months Liana tried on new gowns. She ordered furs, Italian brocades, jewels. She set every woman who could hold a needle to embroidering. Not only did she order her own wardrobe, but she had a splendid set of clothing made for Lord Rogan. The only time her father took any notice of the proceedings was to remark that the bridegroom should dress himself. Liana took no notice of him.
When she wasnât with Helen working on her new wardrobe, Liana was supervising the packing of her dowry. All the Neville wealth that was not in land was in portable goods. Gold plates and ewers were packed in straw and put into wagons, as were precious glass vessels. She took tapestries, linens, pieces of carved-oak furniture, candles, feather pillows and mattresses. There were carts full of rich fabrics, furs, a fat iron-bound chest full of jewels and another of silver groats.
âYou will need everything,â Helen said. âThose men have not one comfort in their lives.â
Liana smiled at that because perhaps the comfort she brought would help her husband love her.
Helen saw Lianaâs lovesick smile and groaned, but she didnât try to talk to Liana again, as sheâd seen how impossible it was to attempt to reason with her. Helen just helped to denude the Neville castle of its riches, and she gave Liana no more advice.
The wedding was to be a small one, as the Nevilles were not favorites among the aristocracy and royalty of the land, for Gilbertâs father had purchased his earldom from the king only a few years before he died. There were still many people who could remember when the Nevilles were merely rich, ruthless merchants charging five times what they paid for an item. Liana was glad for the excuse to save the expense of an enormous wedding celebration so sheâd have more to take with her to the Peregrine castle.
Liana didnât sleep much the night before her wedding. She kept going over in her mind the things she had learned about pleasing a husband, and she kept trying to visualize her new life. She tried to imagine lying in bed with the handsome Lord Rogan. She thought about his touching her and caressing her and saying tender words to her. She had decided not to be âmarried in her hair,â but to wear a jeweled headdress because she knew her long flaxen hair was her best feature and she wanted to share it with him and him alone on their wedding night. She imagined long walks together, as they laughed and held hands. She imagined sitting before the fire on a cold winter evening and reading aloud to him, or playing a game of draughts. Perhaps theyâd play for kisses.
She smiled in the darkness at the thought of what he would say when he discovered heâd married the woman by the pool. Of course that woman had been a shrew, but Roganâs wife would be the demure, quiet, loving Lady Liana. She imagined his gratitude when she changed those dirty, rough clothes of his for fine silks and wools. She closed her eyes for a moment and imagined how incredibly handsome he would be dressed in dark velvet, green perhaps, with a jeweled chain extending from one broad shoulder to the other.
She would introduce him to the pleasures of bathing with rose-scented oil in the tub. Perhaps afterward heâd rub oil into her skin, even between her toes, she thought with a sigh of heavenly pleasure. She imagined lying on a clean, soft featherbed and laughing together over their first meetingâhow childish theyâd been not to have known at first sight that they were the love of each otherâs lives.
Just before dawn she dozed off, a smile on her lips, only to be awakened moments later by an unearthly clatter in the courtyard below. By the sound of the shouts of men and
âI am sure of it, my lady. Now, will you try on this new gown?â
Â
For three months Liana tried on new gowns. She ordered furs, Italian brocades, jewels. She set every woman who could hold a needle to embroidering. Not only did she order her own wardrobe, but she had a splendid set of clothing made for Lord Rogan. The only time her father took any notice of the proceedings was to remark that the bridegroom should dress himself. Liana took no notice of him.
When she wasnât with Helen working on her new wardrobe, Liana was supervising the packing of her dowry. All the Neville wealth that was not in land was in portable goods. Gold plates and ewers were packed in straw and put into wagons, as were precious glass vessels. She took tapestries, linens, pieces of carved-oak furniture, candles, feather pillows and mattresses. There were carts full of rich fabrics, furs, a fat iron-bound chest full of jewels and another of silver groats.
âYou will need everything,â Helen said. âThose men have not one comfort in their lives.â
Liana smiled at that because perhaps the comfort she brought would help her husband love her.
Helen saw Lianaâs lovesick smile and groaned, but she didnât try to talk to Liana again, as sheâd seen how impossible it was to attempt to reason with her. Helen just helped to denude the Neville castle of its riches, and she gave Liana no more advice.
The wedding was to be a small one, as the Nevilles were not favorites among the aristocracy and royalty of the land, for Gilbertâs father had purchased his earldom from the king only a few years before he died. There were still many people who could remember when the Nevilles were merely rich, ruthless merchants charging five times what they paid for an item. Liana was glad for the excuse to save the expense of an enormous wedding celebration so sheâd have more to take with her to the Peregrine castle.
Liana didnât sleep much the night before her wedding. She kept going over in her mind the things she had learned about pleasing a husband, and she kept trying to visualize her new life. She tried to imagine lying in bed with the handsome Lord Rogan. She thought about his touching her and caressing her and saying tender words to her. She had decided not to be âmarried in her hair,â but to wear a jeweled headdress because she knew her long flaxen hair was her best feature and she wanted to share it with him and him alone on their wedding night. She imagined long walks together, as they laughed and held hands. She imagined sitting before the fire on a cold winter evening and reading aloud to him, or playing a game of draughts. Perhaps theyâd play for kisses.
She smiled in the darkness at the thought of what he would say when he discovered heâd married the woman by the pool. Of course that woman had been a shrew, but Roganâs wife would be the demure, quiet, loving Lady Liana. She imagined his gratitude when she changed those dirty, rough clothes of his for fine silks and wools. She closed her eyes for a moment and imagined how incredibly handsome he would be dressed in dark velvet, green perhaps, with a jeweled chain extending from one broad shoulder to the other.
She would introduce him to the pleasures of bathing with rose-scented oil in the tub. Perhaps afterward heâd rub oil into her skin, even between her toes, she thought with a sigh of heavenly pleasure. She imagined lying on a clean, soft featherbed and laughing together over their first meetingâhow childish theyâd been not to have known at first sight that they were the love of each otherâs lives.
Just before dawn she dozed off, a smile on her lips, only to be awakened moments later by an unearthly clatter in the courtyard below. By the sound of the shouts of men and
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