Читать книгу Warriors In Winter: In the Bleak Midwinter - Michelle Willingham - Страница 10

The castle was filled with candles. Arturo stepped inside the Great Chamber and saw nearly fifty hollowed-out turnips with beeswax candles burning brightly. Greenery and holly were hung throughout the room, and mistletoe sprigs were tucked within the boughs. Lady Genevieve and another woman nearly the same age, were both seated upon the dais, playing a lilting tune upon their harps.

Someone handed him a cup of mead, and he spied a group of people sitting on the floor near a giant of a bard who was telling stories with a small boy on his lap. Adriana stood on the far side of the room, wearing a gown the colour of silver. Although the feast was in her honour, she seemed less nervous around the guests. Liam kept his arm around his bride, and wonder spread over her face at the sight of the festivities.

The gleaming candles cast a spell over the night, transforming it into a hallowed magic. Arturo’s gaze passed over the people, searching for Brianna. When at last he spied her, she stole his breath away. Dressed in green and gold, the gown outlined her curves, while her black hair was crowned with a wreath. Her cheeks were rosy from the warmth of the room, and a smile played upon her mouth as she looked around at the decorated chamber.

The queen passed through the crowd to greet her, and she tucked a sprig of white berries into Brianna’s wreath. The young woman laughed and embraced Isabel, giving Arturo the chance to approach them.

‘I have gifts for both of you,’ he said, bowing before the queen. Isabel drew back and merriment glimmered in her eyes.

‘Something from Navarre?’

He nodded. ‘There is a special wine I’ve brought with me. As well as these.’ Opening the small bag he carried, he showed them the oranges.

Isabel reached for one, fascinated by the fruit. ‘I’ve never tasted one before.’

‘Remove the peel with a knife,’ he advised. ‘You’ll find the fruit sweet and filled with juice.’ The queen thanked him for the gift, and he took one orange back, before handing the remainder to Isabel.

When they were alone, he gave the last orange to Brianna. She held the sphere in her palm, studying it with interest. ‘Am I meant to try this now?’

Arturo took it back. ‘Later, I’ll share it with you.’ He took her hand in his and brought it to his lips. ‘When we’re alone.’

A slight moue of worry creased her lips. ‘Perhaps.’

With their hands joined, she led him through the Great Chamber, introducing him to her extended family. He came to understand that she had five uncles, and all of them were married with sons and daughters of their own. The MacEgan tribe spread throughout southeast Ireland, and three of the five men were married to Norman brides.

As the night continued, they feasted upon beef that had been freshly slaughtered the day before. There were platters of roasted geese and boiled goose eggs, as well as fish, eels, and tart apples. He chose food for Brianna, offering her the best portions. As they ate and drank, he saw her beginning to relax and enjoy herself.

‘Is it always like this?’ he asked.

‘Usually. Last year I didn’t celebrate with them,’ she admitted. ‘I couldn’t bear it.’

‘And now?’

‘It still hurts to be here without Murtagh,’ she said. ‘But it’s easier to bear it with a friend.’

Arturo squeezed her hand, though he didn’t want to be her friend this night. The kiss she’d given him had haunted him all last night and this day. He didn’t know where it would lead, and already he was letting his mind spin off with ideas of bringing her back to Navarre. But he didn’t know if she would want to leave her home and family.

The music ceased after a time, and several couples had left the Great Chamber. From the over-bright faces of the men and women, many had enjoyed the wine he’d sent. The king moved to the centre of the dais and lifted his hand. Several men raised a knee as a gesture of respect, and the crowd drew back, forming a small space in the front of the Chamber.

‘It is time for the competitions,’ Patrick declared. ‘All men wishing to join in, should come forward.’

Arturo sent Brianna a questioning look, and she nodded in encouragement. While he wasn’t certain whether the competitions involved fighting, he felt confident in his abilities. The other MacEgan men joined him, as well as Liam. Turning to the man beside him, he asked, ‘What must we do?’

‘You’ll see,’ Ewan replied.

One by one, the women approached. He saw Brianna and Adriana, as well as Honora and the other wives. Several women began adjusting their skirts, using ribbons to tie them to their ankles. It wasn’t until the first contest began that he realised what was happening. The women were competing for the right to choose a man.

‘What happens if the wrong woman chooses you?’ he asked Ewan, who stood beside him.

‘My wife is the strongest fighter among them,’ Ewan countered. ‘She’d bring down any woman who dared to ask for me.’ Sending him a teasing look, he added, ‘And would you really complain if a beautiful woman asked you to be hers for the night?’

Arturo shrugged in answer, but he wasn’t so certain. Brianna wasn’t nearly as strong as her opponents, and he didn’t know if she was willing to fight for him. Though the MacEgan wives chose their husbands, he saw several unmarried women eyeing him. One winked as she faced off against Adriana. His sister struggled against the woman, trying to fight in a more womanly manner. But when the maiden rolled Adriana to the ground and sat upon her, his sister grasped the woman’s hair and yanked hard, jerking her away. A smile crossed Liam’s face as his bride began fighting with more aggression, until she held the woman pinned to the dirt.

After the fight ended, Adriana moved to Liam, who claimed her in a fierce kiss. The cheers resounding in the Hall showed their approval of his choice of a bride.

Arturo paid little heed to the next fight, for he didn’t know either of the women. But to his startled surprise, the winner of the match came forward and took his hand. A roar of laughter resounded from the men.

The woman was quite young, possibly seventeen, with braided red hair. If she knew that his choice was Brianna, she didn’t seem to care. With mischief in her eyes, she started to lead him away.

‘Choose another man, cariño,’ he told her.

‘You don’t have a choice.’ She wrapped her arms around his neck and said, ‘I claim a kiss as my reward.’

Baffled, Arturo looked back at the other men. They were laughing at him, offering no help at all. Brianna had disappeared from the crowd, and he didn’t know where she’d gone.

The others were waiting for him, and the maiden had her lips puckered, waiting for the kiss. Arturo cupped her face, lifting it up. All were watching him, and when he pressed a kiss upon the maiden’s forehead, she challenged, ‘Is that how the men kiss in your country?’

‘You didn’t say where the kiss was supposed to be,’ he pointed out, and she sent him a furious glare. He hadn’t really intended to embarrass her, but she’d taken away Brianna’s opportunity.

A young girl cleared her throat, interrupting them. ‘My sister Brianna went home,’ the girl informed him, ‘but do not fear. I put a charm in her wreath that will make her love you.’

There was seriousness in her face, and Arturo bent down. ‘I thank you for your assistance.’ At the girl’s warm smile, he found himself amused by her belief in magic.

‘You are the one for her,’ the girl promised. ‘I know it, for it was in the bones I cast.’

In answer, Arturo lifted her hand to kiss it. ‘Then I should go after her, shouldn’t I?’

The young girl’s eyes widened, and she hurried back to her parents. Arturo moved through the crowd and after searching the inner bailey and the castle grounds, he found her walking amid the snow.

‘Brianna,’ he called out.

She stopped, but didn’t turn around. Gripping the long sleeves of her gown against the cold, she stood in place until he reached her side.

‘Why did you leave?’

She didn’t answer at first, and when he saw her shudder from the cold, he drew his arm around her. It encouraged him that she didn’t pull away. ‘Not out of jealousy,’ she said. ‘You’ve the right to choose any woman you please.’

‘And if I’ve already chosen?’ He slid his arm around her waist.

The words hung between them, and she gave no answer for a long time. ‘If it’s a new wife you’re wanting, you should choose one of them. Someone who will add joy to your life.’ She stepped away from his arms, walking slowly toward one of the other homes.

He didn’t like the direction of this conversation. It sounded as if she’d already given up. ‘And you felt nothing at all when you kissed me yesterday?’

She let out a heavy breath. With a hand, she tucked a strand of hair behind one ear, beneath the wreath of greenery. ‘I did. And that’s what bothers me.’

He wanted to go to her, but she had to make this decision on her own. Instead, he held back, watching over her. Amid the drifting snowflakes, there came the cry of an infant. Nothing at all unusual, but the sound stilled him. He heard the sounds of a mother soothing the child, and regret tightened within him.

Had Cristina lived, he might have held a son or daughter of his own. He might have taken the child upon his shoulders, soothing its cries.

Brianna turned and seemed to read his thoughts. The infant continued to fuss, and she glanced toward the sound. ‘Are you all right?’

His expression tightened, but he nodded. From a fold of his cloak, he held out the orange to her. ‘Take it, and go home, Brianna.’

But she made no move toward the fruit. She drew closer, studying him. ‘You said your wife died in childbirth.’

The edge of grief closed upon him, the cries of the infant grinding against his memories. ‘She did.’

‘Was it a son or a daughter?’ She moved closer, and if she knew what her questions were doing to him, she made no effort to stop.

‘I never knew.’ He shook his head, for the babe had died inside her. Often he wondered if he’d made the right decision not to let the healer cut into Cristina. They’d known that the babe was already dead, and he’d not wanted to desecrate his wife’s body.

Brianna caught his wrist and held it. Whether she was offering her sympathy or something more, he couldn’t tell. ‘Why do you ask me these questions, Brianna?’

She lifted her shoulders in a shrug. ‘I’m trying to understand you.’

He took her face between his hands. ‘I grieved for them until it nearly destroyed me.’

The sorrow in her eyes mirrored what he’d felt over the past few years. Even so, her hands came to rest upon his chest in silent understanding.

‘I know what you have suffered,’ he continued. ‘And if you wish it, I would try to ease your pain. For however long I remain in Ireland.’

She stared at him, the indecision etched upon her face. ‘I know what you want from me, Arturo. But I can’t change what I feel inside.’

His hands came to rest upon hers. ‘Do you want me to stay?’

For a time, she didn’t answer. The intensity in his eyes allured her, making her want to set aside the past and begin anew. Already she knew the taste of his kiss and the soft swirl of desire that reached into her heart, offering a night to forget.

Even so, her courage faltered.

‘If you stay, I would be using you to forget my grief,’ she confessed. ‘You don’t deserve that. You should be with a woman who can give you the love I can’t. There’s nothing left within me.’

‘Belleza, are you afraid of me touching you?’

‘I’m afraid of the way I feel in your arms.’ She sensed that he would take her to a place where her mind would have no voice, where she would forget everything except the devastating pleasures of her body.

He lifted her hands to his mouth, and she felt the warmth of his breath upon her fingertips. ‘Then I’ll take you home.’

A wisp of regret slipped beneath her defences. This man confused her, offering her glimpses of a life she wanted. But she didn’t know if she had the courage to reach for it.

With their hands joined, he led her back to her hut while snowflakes spun upon the wind, coating her lashes and hair. In the darkness, they walked in silence until they reached her home. Arturo raised her hand to his mouth in farewell and turned to go.

‘Wait.’ Her voice came out in the smallest whisper. She reached out and touched his shoulder, so very frightened of what she was about to do. ‘The orange,’ she reminded him.