Bold Conquest

by Virginia Henley

  Adela left the stench of the hut and ran up to the hall as fast as she could.

  "Lady Alison, you must come quickly! Elfrida's daughter has been in labor for days, and they are resorting to spells in their ignorance. It is like a nightmare in that hut. I hate to go back there, but we must try to help the poor soul."

  When Alison saw the girl lying in a pool of sweat, her waxy pallor indicating that death was standing patiently, waiting until the last possible moment, she took over instantly.

  "Clear this hut!" she ordered. "You too, Elfrida— outside."

  She looked at Morag. "You know better than this, woman, for shame! Go up to the hall with Adela. She will give you clean sheets. And go to my stillroom and fetch me some pennyroyal. You will recognize it by its pale purple color."

  When Alison was entirely alone with the young woman, she examined her and found that the child was coming buttocks first. Gently and slowly, she inched the little body back up the birth canal as far as it would go, turning it into the proper position for delivery. The girl gave a few pathetic screams, but she had screamed for so many hours she was almost beyond it. When the two women returned, Alison issued orders left and right. They lifted the girl onto the clean sheets and mixed the pennyroyal with warm water. It had a hot, aromatic taste which immediately stayed her disposition to vomit. The herb would help expel the child whether dead or alive.

  It was like a miracle. Suddenly two feet were presented, then the buttocks slipped out and finally the shoulders and head were freed with a little help from Alison. She heaved a sigh of relief, as did Adela and Morag standing to one side.

  The young mother had mercifully swooned and would likely recover if there was no hemorrhaging. Alison sat back on her heels. "Women have a thousand things in their lives they just cannot face, but somehow we do. We cope!" The other women silently agreed with her.

  "Send in Elfrida, she will be able to manage now."

  Adela walked slowly back up to the hall. She asked herself if she really wanted another marriage and all it entailed. The answer came back a resounding yes! This was what life was all about.

  When Guy had concluded all the London business and the men were on their way to Berkhamstead, Guy and Lillyth found themselves alone for the first time since they had met. In the privacy of the snug chamber their love blossomed freely. He could not bear for her to be far away from him, and his hands and lips sought her ceaselessly.

  "There is so much in London I want to show you," he had said, but one kiss led to another and another, and they did not leave their chamber for three days. They lived for love; it stayed with them night and day and they cared for nothing else. They would sit for hours, she leaning back against him, he stroking her hair and caressing her. They laughed and often spoke the same words at the same time. They were immersed in each other so much they became as one.

  Their nights held a magical quality and each dreaded the time when their idyll would come to an end. They bathed together, enjoying to the full the warm sensuous feeling of the water upon their nakedness. They shared the same wine cup and tasted the sweet nectar on each other's lips. They lay in bed long hours after the sun was up each day and for one whole day did not bother to dress, and so enjoyed each other to the fullest possible measure.

  One evening after her bath, she sat naked on the edge of the bed, her hair a golden-red cloak. He gazed at her, enthralled. "You are glorious. What is that you are doing?" he asked curiously.

  "Rubbing my body with mint leaves so that I will smell good for you."

  "And taste good," he added.

  "I never thought of that," she giggled.

  "I think of little else," he said, his voice ragged with desire. He lifted her hair behind her shoulders so he could see her naked breasts. She had to bite her lip to stop the moan of desire from reaching his ears. "Don't suppress," he whispered, "l love it when you cry out in the throes of passion. Lord God, you smell and taste so delicious. I like some of your English customs."

  "What do French women smell of?" she murmured.

  "Garlic," he lied.

  "Guy! That is an untruth. I have heard what they say about the French."

  "That we are the world's best lovers? That we have forgotten more bed tricks than other men ever learn?" he whispered suggestively.

  "Such as?" she murmured with breathless anticipation.

  He pushed her back onto the bed and turned her over onto her stomach, straddling her. His fingertips began their featherlike touching at her shoulder blades. He stroked her back so lightly, so teasingly, she shuddered with anticipation. His fingertips stroked the backs of her legs and came up to her buttocks. He traced the soft little creases beneath the cheeks of her bottom, then turned her over to begin the featherlike caresses over her breasts. "This is called patte-d'araignee, designed to drive you crazy, but right now I am the one who is mad with desire." He began to kiss her, but he did it differently than he had ever done it before. He gave her French kisses, the long, melting ones, where the tongue caresses the mouth of the beloved. She became so aroused she experienced five or six distinct pulsations between her thighs, without him even entering her.

  "Ooh," she said, surprised at her body's response to his kisses.

  "Maraichinage," he explained.

  "Why do these things sound so wicked and sensual when you say them in French?"

  "Ah, cherie, there is more."

  "No, no. Please Guy, it is too much, I cannot take any more."

  He laughed in his throat. "l have only just begun," he promised.

  They sang and laughed and whispered love poems, their voices roughened with desire, until their souls as well as their bodies were joined. On the fourth day they walked miles around London, sampling the food from the street vendors, sailing upon the great river and laughing at all the funny people they encountered. Guy bought her trinkets and ribbons and anything that caught her fancy. Lillyth gave Guy a medallion inscribed, "To my beloved, my most beloved husband." An urgency came upon them to return to their haven, and as Lillyth stood looking pensively through the window, wishing they could go on like this forever, Guy came up behind her and clasped his hands beneath her breasts. She could feel the heat of his body through the thin material of her underdress. The mere touch of his hands aroused her. He undressed her, and pressed kisses upon every part of her body. She lay full upon him and teased him with her breasts and thighs, and when he would have rolled over to bring her beneath him, she shook her head and straddled and mounted him for the most glorious ride of her life.

  On the fifth day, Guy's men returned, and they all enjoyed themselves on their last day in London. Guy had been invited back to William's court, so on the last evening he dressed in his best, told Lillyth not to wait up for him, and took himself off. The court was crowded and he recognized many friends and acquaintances. The main topic being discussed was William's return to Normandy. Robert de Mortain was to remain in residence at Berkhamstead, and William's other brother, Bishop Odo, was to remain in London and act as head of state until William's return, probably before Christmastime.

  Guy pledged his fealty to Odo and promised to fight whenever he was needed against uprisings of the Saxons or attack from foreign sources. He found it hard to extract himself from the company. Eleven o'clock stretched to midnight, and it was well past one when Guy left for the inn with too much French wine under his belt. He lost his way twice, and before his faltering footsteps found their way back to the inn it was three in the morning. Lillyth had been beside herself with worry, and when she saw the condition he was in she was naturally angry.

  "Where have you been?" she shouted.

  "At court,' he answered shortly.

  "You have been carousing, and William does not allow that at his court! You have been off with a whore somewhere. You absolutely reek of wine. If you think you are going to share my bed, you may think again, sir!" she asserted.

  "Where will I go?" he asked plaintively.

  "You can go next door
with your men," she said, and forcefully pushed him from the room and locked the door behind him. After a while she thought forlornly, He has probably gone back to her. I should never have told him to leave. She ran to the door, unlocked it and peeped outside into the dim hallway. There he stood, swaying slightly, in exactly the same spot she had left him. Relief swept over her. "Oh, for heaven's sake, come in here," she scolded. She guided him to the bed, laid him down and removed his boots and cloak. She got into bed and was determined to show him how angry she was, but before she could think of a remark that would cut deeply enough, her ears were assaulted by a loud snore. She opened her mouth in exasperation when her sense of the ridiculous got the better of her and she started to laugh. She rolled back and forth, hugging her knees, until the tears rolled down her cheeks.

  When they arrived back at Godstone, the building had gone ahead in leaps and bounds. Spring was in the air, and the work to be done now that the season was approaching necessitated that Guy be away from the hall from dawn to dusk. While Guy had been away in London, the man they had extracted from the St. Denys fief had been recovering from open lash wounds which covered his back. His wife and her family were very grateful to Guy for all he had done for them and vowed that he would never run away, so Guy felt secure in the extra lands he hoped to plant. He decided to put in a crop of hops for the brewing of ale. An idea had come to him to export barrels of ale to France in exchange for wine. He liked the atmosphere of the brew-house with its roaring log fire built under the huge copper kettle.- The wooden fermenters gave off their aromatic vapors, and these mingled with the sharp smell from the kettle, and the mellow aroma that came from the cooling pans. He believed a good brew of beer began with good clear water, which they had in abundance in Godstone. Handmade casks were already in production by the coopers.

  Guy also had a plan to teach all the peasants proficiency with the bow and arrow. He overcame his knights' reluctance at the idea. They firmly believed in a code of chivalry that did not permit the lowborn to bear arms of any nature. He had argued that the peasants would be able to hunt and provide food for themselves, and, further, they would be prepared to help if defense was needed. One by one the knights came around to his mode of thinking. André was able to carry a full workload and walked with a barely perceptible limp. He, along with Aedward, took the running of Oxstead from Guy's shoulders, and Guy was most pleased with the way his brother was maturing and taking on added responsibility.

  Now that Emma could hide her pregnancy no longer, Lillyth decided to take a hand in the matter. She sent a note to Esmé asking that he attend her. He answered the summons immediately, hoping he could be of special service to the lady of the hall and gain her husband's special thanks.

  "Ah, Esmé, Edyth and I will be riding over to Oxstead this morning. We will need an escort we can rely upon. Would you do me the honor, sir?"

  "The honor is mine, my lady, it will be a privilege to serve you." He bowed low.

  "Thank you. I am sure we will be ready to leave by the time you have had the horses saddled."

  "I will saddle them myself, to ensure it is done properly, madame."

  When he had gone, Lillyth called, "Edyth, where are you? I have come to brighten your day! We will ride over to visit Andre at Oxstead, and to kill two birds with one stone, I will see if I cannot plant a few seeds in the fertile mind of our most charming Esme."

  Edyth was thrilled. André had almost declared himself on two occasions before Guy had sent him up to Oxstead. She had missed him desperately and hoped he had been affected the same way. She would be devastated if he discovered one of the women of Oxstead more to his taste.

  During the ride Lillyth chatted with Edyth and politely included Esmé in the conversation. Lillyth's talk was all of her husband and his plans. She turned to Esmé. "My husband will be most pleased when Andre and Edyth are married. Oxstead is a large undertaking and Guy feels strongly that married men are much more responsible."

  Edyth opened her mouth in surprise, so Lillyth quickly closed one eye in a conspiratorial wink before she could say anything. She said to Edyth, "A hall is to be built at Sevenoaks for when Nicholas takes over there. Guy realizes his brother is very young, that is why he will choose a married man to be Nicholas's second-in-command." She turned and smiled at Esmé. "A wife is almost a necessity; do you not think so, sir?"

  "Ah yes, no doubt our commander's ideas on wedded life have undergone considerable changes since he was lucky enough to win such a lovely bride."

  "Guy believes a man who hasn't courage to marry lacks courage in most other things," she said sweetly. She changed the subject swiftly. "Edyth, remind me to check on the linen supply at Oxstead. If there are not enough sheets, we must set the women to weaving some. Guy is teaching the peasants so many new skills, I think it would be a splendid idea to teach the peasant women fine weaving and stitchery. You never know when you will uncover an artistic talent like Lady Emma's."

  Esmé fell silent and a crease of concentration appeared between his eyes. The corners of Lillyth's lips lifted as she saw that the seeds she was trying to plant had fallen upon fertile ground.

  Guy fell into bed exhausted. However, he was never too tired to reach out loving arms for Lillyth. Tonight as he brushed her breasts, she winced.

  "What is it, love?"

  "My breasts are sore. Funny, I don't remember bumping into anything."

  "Mm, you were sick this morning, n'est-ce pas? Sweetheart, I think perhaps you are enceinte."

  She sat up quickly. "Oh, Guy, do you think so?"

  They smiled into each other's eyes, almost too happy for words. He pulled her down beside him and slipped his hand over her belly.

  "Are you afraid, ma petite?"

  "Only a little. It is a gift you have given me, which I will give back to you. I know you want a son more than anything in the world."

  "First, I want you, then I want a son," he corrected. "Je t'aime, je t'adore," he whispered.

  She lay against his heart, filled with the wonder of it all.

  By the end of March, Godstone had produced more goods which could be traded, and Guy thought it a good idea to travel to the coast in William's train as William returned to Normandy, so that he could send the goods back to France. He had cloth, bales of wool, kegs of English ale, furs and animal pelts. He extracted a promise from Lillyth that she would not follow him as she had before. He also urged her to divulge her condition to her mother. She had wanted to keep the child a secret between them for a little while longer but agreed to share the knowledge with Lady Alison to make Guy feel less apprehensive about leaving her.

  By the beginning of April, spring was definitely in the air. The woods were filled with violets and the birds were busy building their nests and selecting their mates. When Guy returned from the coast, he found their chamber filled with daffodils and the windows open to the pale sunshine.

  Rolf told him that St. Denys had paid a visit in his absence. With his own eyes he had seen the man who had formerly belonged to him working quite willingly at the plowing without any urgings from an overseer with a whip.

  "He did not look happy. I don't trust him. He will never let you plant those fields if he can prevent you," Rolf warned,

  "We will see," said Guy noncommittally.

  "The peasants' lessons in archery have been going well. Quite a few show a remarkable skill; it comes almost naturally to them."

  Guy nodded his approval. "I would like to have a look," he said, so the two men went off in the direction of the butts.

  The herds had all been put out to pasture and their winter quarters cleaned out thoroughly. The manure stood in piles ready to be spread on the fields. But the month of April was marred by what appeared to be an accident. Gerrard, one of Guy's knights, was found dead in the woods with an arrow in his back. After he was buried, Guy called his men together for a conference. Some argued that it was deliberate murder on the part of the Saxons and that they should never have been allowed bows in t
he first place. Others conceded that it could well have been a genuine accident, but in their opinion all archery for the peasants should be suspended until the culprit was discovered. Guy questioned every man in Godstone, but could get no explanation, no satisfactory answer to what had happened. He was reluctant to lay blame where he felt it did not rightfully belong. He went about silently preoccupied for days, coming up with an idea and later rejecting it. The peasants had been fearful since the body had been discovered. The heavy hand of justice, or more likely injustice, was bound to fall, and they waited with great apprehension.

  It came to him in a flash and the more he thought about it, the more convinced Guy was that he had hit upon the truth. He sought out Rolf and questioned him closely.

  "When St. Denys was over here nosing about did he learn of our peasants bearing arms?"

  "Well, not that I know of, but he was here a while before I was aware of it," Rolf answered.

  "Is it conceivable?" Guy pressed.

  "Now that I think about it, I do not see how he could have been unaware of it. The men were practicing and they walk about with their bows quite openly. They do not try to conceal them. What do you suspect?"

  "I don't suspect, I know! St. Denys killed Gerrard as sure as I am standing here. He has been looking for an opportunity to turn me against my Saxons. He wants to foment trouble here at Godstone. The question is, what am I going to do about it?" he pondered.

  "I warned you he would not give up those fields so easily but, by God, when a Norman stoops so low that he will kill another Norman, he doesn't deserve to live."

  Guy informed the peasants without delay that he had discovered the murderer and that they were all totally exonerated. He assured them that they would still be allowed to bear arms, and they heaved a collective sigh and agreed among themselves that Montgomery was the kind of lord they were lucky to have. Rumor was rife in Godstone, and it was not long before everyone knew the culprit was St. Denys. Two nights later, Guy's problem of what to do about his neighbor was solved for him. St. Denys was found drowned in the river that ran between their properties. There was no mark upon his body. Guy planted the fields and cast his eye on the rest of St. Denys's land. Before the summer was over he intended that the knights, as well as the land, would be his. He was a true Norman conqueror.