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Authors: Jude Deveraux
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asked.
Raine controlled himself from laughing aloud. "Ugly! She is a little brown mouse of a woman, and Gavin would not have her." Since everyone else already has, he thought to himself. "Ah," he sighed. "Let's leave here and get some cider." He grabbed her arm and led her to the opposite side of the room from Gavin.
Judith stood quietly in Raine's shadow and watched as Gavin led the brown-haired woman onto the dance floor. Each time he touched the woman, a swift feeling of pain shot through Judith's breast. Raine was absorbed in some talk with another man. She put her cup down and walked slowly through the shadows at the edges of the hall and made her way outside.
Behind the manor house lay a small walled garden. All her life, when she needed to be alone, Judith had gone to this garden. The image of Gavin holding the woman in his arms was branded in fire before her eyes. Yet why should she care? She had known him not even a full day. Why should it matter if he touched someone else?
She sat down on a stone bench, hidden from the rest of the garden.
Could she be jealous? She had never experienced the emotion in her life but all she knew was that she did not want her husband either looking at or touching other women.
"I thought I would find you here."
Judith glanced up at her mother, then down again.
Helen quickly sat beside her daughter. "Is something wrong? Has he been unkind to you?"
"Gavin?" Judith asked slowly, liking the sound of the name. "No. He is more than kind."
Helen did not like what she saw on Judith's face. Her own had once been like that. She grabbed her daughter's shoulders although the movement hurt her half-healed arm. "You must listen to me! I have put off talking to you for too long. Each day I hoped something would happen to prevent this marriage, but nothing did. I will tell you something that you must hear. Never, never must you trust a man."
Judith wanted to defend her husband. "But Gavin is an honorable man," she said stubbornly.
Helen dropped her hands to her lap. "Ah yes, they are honorable to each other—to their men, to their horses, even; but to a man a woman means less than his horse. A woman is more easily replaced, less valuable. A man who would not lie to the lowliest serf would think nothing of creating the biggest tales to his wife. What does he lose? What is a woman?"
"No," Judith said. "I cannot believe all men are like that."
"Then you will have a long and unhappy life as I have had. If I had learned this at your age, my life would have been different. I believed myself to be in love with your father. I even told him so. He laughed at me.
Do you know what it does to a woman to give her heart to a man and have him laugh at it?"
"But men do love women—" Judith began. She could not believe what her mother said.
"They love women, but only the one whose bed they occupy—and when they tire of her, they love another. There is only one time when a wife has any control over her husband, and that is when she is new to him and the bed magic is upon him. Then he will 'love' you and you can control him."
Judith stood, her back to her mother. "All men cannot be as you say.
Gavin is…" She could not finish.
Helen, alarmed, went to her daughter and stood before her. "Don't tell me you think you are in love with him. Oh Judith, my sweet Judith, have you lived in this house for seventeen years and learned nothing, seen nothing? Your father was the same way once. Although you may not believe it, I was once beautiful and he was pleased with me. This is why I say these things to you. Do you think I want to tell my only child this? I prepared you for the church, to spare you. Please listen to my words. You must establish yourself with him from the first; then he will listen to you.
Never show him your fear. When a woman reveals that, it makes the man feel strong. If you make demands from the first, he may listen to you—but soon it will be too late. There will be other women
Raine controlled himself from laughing aloud. "Ugly! She is a little brown mouse of a woman, and Gavin would not have her." Since everyone else already has, he thought to himself. "Ah," he sighed. "Let's leave here and get some cider." He grabbed her arm and led her to the opposite side of the room from Gavin.
Judith stood quietly in Raine's shadow and watched as Gavin led the brown-haired woman onto the dance floor. Each time he touched the woman, a swift feeling of pain shot through Judith's breast. Raine was absorbed in some talk with another man. She put her cup down and walked slowly through the shadows at the edges of the hall and made her way outside.
Behind the manor house lay a small walled garden. All her life, when she needed to be alone, Judith had gone to this garden. The image of Gavin holding the woman in his arms was branded in fire before her eyes. Yet why should she care? She had known him not even a full day. Why should it matter if he touched someone else?
She sat down on a stone bench, hidden from the rest of the garden.
Could she be jealous? She had never experienced the emotion in her life but all she knew was that she did not want her husband either looking at or touching other women.
"I thought I would find you here."
Judith glanced up at her mother, then down again.
Helen quickly sat beside her daughter. "Is something wrong? Has he been unkind to you?"
"Gavin?" Judith asked slowly, liking the sound of the name. "No. He is more than kind."
Helen did not like what she saw on Judith's face. Her own had once been like that. She grabbed her daughter's shoulders although the movement hurt her half-healed arm. "You must listen to me! I have put off talking to you for too long. Each day I hoped something would happen to prevent this marriage, but nothing did. I will tell you something that you must hear. Never, never must you trust a man."
Judith wanted to defend her husband. "But Gavin is an honorable man," she said stubbornly.
Helen dropped her hands to her lap. "Ah yes, they are honorable to each other—to their men, to their horses, even; but to a man a woman means less than his horse. A woman is more easily replaced, less valuable. A man who would not lie to the lowliest serf would think nothing of creating the biggest tales to his wife. What does he lose? What is a woman?"
"No," Judith said. "I cannot believe all men are like that."
"Then you will have a long and unhappy life as I have had. If I had learned this at your age, my life would have been different. I believed myself to be in love with your father. I even told him so. He laughed at me.
Do you know what it does to a woman to give her heart to a man and have him laugh at it?"
"But men do love women—" Judith began. She could not believe what her mother said.
"They love women, but only the one whose bed they occupy—and when they tire of her, they love another. There is only one time when a wife has any control over her husband, and that is when she is new to him and the bed magic is upon him. Then he will 'love' you and you can control him."
Judith stood, her back to her mother. "All men cannot be as you say.
Gavin is…" She could not finish.
Helen, alarmed, went to her daughter and stood before her. "Don't tell me you think you are in love with him. Oh Judith, my sweet Judith, have you lived in this house for seventeen years and learned nothing, seen nothing? Your father was the same way once. Although you may not believe it, I was once beautiful and he was pleased with me. This is why I say these things to you. Do you think I want to tell my only child this? I prepared you for the church, to spare you. Please listen to my words. You must establish yourself with him from the first; then he will listen to you.
Never show him your fear. When a woman reveals that, it makes the man feel strong. If you make demands from the first, he may listen to you—but soon it will be too late. There will be other women
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