“Now,” he said in a low voice, “I realize you have spent the past few years living in fear and poverty and isolation. I am very well aware of that. But that is soon to change and you cannot behave like a frightened child every time you come in contact with someone like Glennie. Was she deliberately rude to you?”
Liselotte shook her head reluctantly. “Nay.”
“Precisely,” Daniel said, moving so he could look her in the face. She had her head lowered and still wouldn’t meet his eye. “She was not unkind to you. In fact, she invited you to her home for sup. It would be very rude of you to decline. Moreover, we can ask her father to send a messenger to my uncle’s home on the Marches. It saves me from having to find someone myself. Furthermore, it is quite possible we can make an ally out of de Royans in your fight against Bramley. Do you understand what I am saying?”
So there was a practical reason for Daniel wanting to accept Lady Glennie’s invitation. Liselotte understood that now, daring to look up at him.
“I understand,” she said. “But… but I have nothing fine to wear. And I do not say this so that you will purchase something for me. I say it because it is the truth and I would be ashamed sitting at her table looking like a pauper.”
Daniel nodded patiently. “I know,” he said. He still had the lavender dress in his hand and he held it up. “I like this one. Let us go inside the seamstress’ stall and you can try it on. She can fit it to you so that you may have something lovely to wear tonight.”
Liselotte looked longingly at the garment; it was stunning, more beautiful than anything she had ever seen. She sighed faintly. “But I cannot pay for it,” she spoke the obvious. “My father may not like the fact that you have purchased clothing for me. It is a very personal gift, my lord. It is unseemly. Do you not see this?”
Daniel was smiling faintly. “I do,” he said. “But I told you that I have no one special to purchase such things for. You would be doing me a favor, really. Please do not deny me the pleasure.”
“But…!”
“Please?”
Liselotte sighed heavily now, frustrated yet understandably excited about the fact that she was about to gain a new dress. God only knew, she couldn’t remember when she had last been given something new. She had been wearing her mother’s cast-offs for so long that old clothing was simply normal for her. Even before Bramley’s persecution, she wore her mother’s cast-offs but at that point in time, they didn’t look so terrible because they had the money and opportunity to mend and adjust them with finer fabrics or threads.
But that was long ago. Now, Daniel was offering her something new and beautiful, and that feminine part of her, the vanity part that she had not been able to indulge, was outweighing the refusal that was on the tip of her tongue. Her father might be angry with her for allowing Daniel to purchase such a thing for her, but as her gaze fell on the lavender garment, she didn’t much care. After a moment, she nodded her head.
“Very well,” she said reluctantly. “If you must.”
Daniel grinned broadly, that impish grin that was so dazzling. “I must.”
“Do I have any say in the matter?”
“None whatsoever.”
He grasped her by the hand and pulled her back towards the stall where the seamstress, a very old woman, came out to meet them. She had been sitting inside with her daughter, watching her customers outside of her stall, and when the big blond knight removed one of the garments she had for sale, the old woman knew she had a paying customer. Now, she was on her feet to greet them.
But she wasn’t the only one who was interested in a sale. Glennie, seeing Daniel and Liselotte as they spoke to the seamstress, came away from her guard and returned to the seamstress’ stall, once again lauding the beauty of the dark blue wool. Daniel agreed with her whole-heartedly and picked up the garment, handing it over to the seamstress for Liselotte to try on as well.
From that point on, it seemed to be all Glennie and Daniel as they sought to dress Liselotte in beautiful clothing. No one could stop either one of them, both of them used to having their way, both of them stubborn. Liselotte simply stood there dumbly while they rolled all over her, unable to stop the tide of goodwill that swamped her. She’d never in her life had anyone care about her, personally, so all of it was something of a new experience.
But it was an educational experience as well. Living alone and isolated, and far away from the ever-changing tides of fashion of the world, Liselotte learned much about garments on that day – the types of fabrics as well as the type of dress. The lovely lavender dress, she came to learn, was a type of garment known as a cottehardie, simply a one-piece garment with long sleeves, tin buttons down the front, snug bodice, and full skirt. Once she put it on, it was absolutely stunning on her long torso and full breasts. It was also a bit indecent the way it clung to her, but she was in love with it from the beginning. It was soft and warm and beautiful… she felt beautiful.
She’d never felt beautiful in her life.
Daniel must have thought she was beautiful, too – his expression softened into great appreciation when he saw her in the lavender and he immediately told the seamstress that he would buy it. Liselotte was flattered by his expression, perhaps even embarrassed by it, and she averted her gaze shyly because he was looking at her so intensely. She thought that the selection of the lavender dress might be the end of it, of his determination to buy her clothing, but it wasn’t. Daniel and Glennie handed over several more garments for Liselotte to try on and Glennie even helped her to put them on.
The next thing Liselotte donned was the dark blue wool, a type of garment known as a houppelande, which meant it had a voluminous skirt, big sleeves that were wide open at the end, and buttoned up all the way to the neck. It was heavy, and meant to be worn over dresses like the cottehardie, and absolutely gorgeous. But the cavalcade of clothing didn’t stop there; it was seemingly endless. Glennie had discovered a simple outerdress, a lesser version of the cottehardie, in a dark shade of yellow that she loved, and forced Liselotte to put it on which at this point was not a difficult thing to do. Liselotte was beyond protesting any longer as she, too, was caught up in the frenzy of fashion.
The dark yellow wool was stunning, and it was also warm and durable, which made it an excellent dress for every day. Charging through the shop with the grace of a rutting bull, Glennie also found a fur-lined cloak made from undyed wool that was very heavy and warm, and quite elegant. When Liselotte put it on over the dark yellow, it was a striking combination.
But even more than outerwear, innerwear needed attention, too. Having seen what Liselotte was wearing under her worn clothing, Glennie discreetly collected several shifts and some warm hose, handing them to Daniel without even telling Liselotte that she had given them to him. In fact, she didn’t even mention to Daniel why she had selected the under things but when he saw what they were, he seemed to know why. Liselotte had absolutely nothing and Glennie was simply seeing to her needs.
It was a kind gesture, Daniel thought, which was starting to sway him away from any bitterness he might have felt toward Glennie because of her brother’s actions the previous year. She seemed to be genuinely kind, a very compassionate woman, as Daniel’s niece had once told him. In truth, Glennie only wanted to help and Liselotte seemed to need help, so it was a natural action on Glennie’s part.
As Daniel watched the two women interact, he thought that Glennie seemed somewhat lonely, and very enthusiastic for a new friend, which was touching. Daniel was coming to wonder if Glennie, the pampered and wealthy lady, was just as lonely as Liselotte was in her poor isolation. Perhaps both ladies were so lonely that this trip to town, for the both of them, had been quite fortuitous. Daniel found himself hoping so, for Liselotte’s sake.
But Glennie wasn’t so discreet about her loneliness as Liselotte was. She was obvious about wanting to make a friend while Liselotte really had no idea what that even entailed – what being a friend really meant – because she had never h
ad one. As Daniel began bartering a price with the seamstress for the lot of dresses, Liselotte tried on two more gowns, both forced upon her by Glennie. One was a woolen outerdress, red in color, which was lined with linen, and another was a big houppelande that was a medium shade of blue with gold embroidery around the cuffs of the sleeves. It was very lovely and very well made.
At that point, Liselotte was overwhelmed with what was going on, overcome by her first shopping excursion. She’d stopped being hesitant about it long ago and, now, it all seemed a bit surreal to her. The garments were beautiful, warm, and well-made, and she felt like a princess as she tried on fine gown after fine gown, looking at her image in a big polished bronze mirror that the seamstress had leaning against the wall.
Liselotte had never seen her reflection before other than in a pool of water. Therefore, the image of her in the bronze mirror was quite astonishing. She could see the shape of her face clearly and even the shape of her eyes and nose, even if she couldn’t see the color of her eyes. But that didn’t matter; for the first time, she was getting a good look at herself and scrutinizing her features even more than she was scrutinizing the clothing. Was it truly possible that she was attractive, a comely sort, when she was in proper clothing?
She thought that Daniel seemed to think so because he couldn’t seem to take his eyes off of her. Liselotte could feel his gaze, weighty and full of interest, and when she would turn around to look at him, he would simply smile. One time, he even winked. She thought it was quite bold of him and turned away, quickly, before he could see her smile.
She was most definitely smiling.
It was a game they played as she tried on dress after dress. As Daniel and Liselotte subtly flirted, Glennie continued her mission through the seamstress’ stall and came across combs and pins, part of the seamstress’ inventory because she was a provider of all things for a fine lady’s dress. Therefore, after Liselotte put on the exquisite red outerdress that complemented the bronze color of her hair, Glennie pulled her new friend’s hair out of the existing braid and proceeded to comb Liselotte’s hair, dividing it into three sections. She then braided each section and pinned it up at the nape of the neck in a rather big elaborate bun.
There was a lot of brushing, pulling, and poking going at the back of her head, but Liselotte kept her mouth shut. Truth was, she had never been fussed over before and was curious to see the outcome. By the time Glennie was finished, Liselotte’s hair was magnificently dressed, pinned to her scalp with iron pins and a big tin butterfly comb as adornment. It was quite stunning and Liselotte caught sight of herself in the bronze mirror again, this time as a properly dressed young lady. She didn’t look anything like the woman she knew with the old much-mended clothing. She looked like a beautiful refined woman, most deserved of her long and royal Saxon heritage.
She looked like a queen.
The tears started to come.
Daniel, still in intense negotiations with the seamstress, caught sight of Liselotte in the red wool, with her hair so exquisitely braided. The sight literally took his breath away; she was so regal and beautiful with her long neck and long limbs. He simply stared at her for a moment, his heart doing strange things in his chest. He’d never felt so entranced in his life over a woman, like he couldn’t take his eyes from her. It was an odd sensation but not an unpleasant one.
At that moment, something changed for him.
It was a definitive moment as he realized he wasn’t going to easily leave this woman once he’d saved her from Bramley. That was the first thing that popped into his mind – leaving her after he’d subdued the lord who had been persecuting her. Somehow, someway, he was feeling more than he should have for that lovely, poverty-stricken woman and that both frightened and intrigued him. He wasn’t sure how it was possible that he was feeling something odd, something… warm. Aye, it was definitely warm.
The bachelor’s soul, that hard and stalwart thing, began to show cracks.
But before he could ponder that event, he noticed that Liselotte was weeping. He left the seamstress mulling over his last offer and went to her as she stood in front of the mirror, wiping her eyes. He even looked at Glennie, who was standing behind Liselotte with a smile on her face. When he gave her an expression that silently asked why Liselotte was weeping, Glennie merely shrugged. It was clear Glennie had no grasp on the moods of the woman she was trying very hard to be friends with.
“Liselotte?” he asked softly. “What’s the matter?”
Liselotte was looking at herself in the mirror, the tears falling faster than she could wipe them away.
“There is nothing wrong,” she said hoarsely. “I… I have simply never seen myself like this before.”
Daniel smiled, standing next to her and looking at their reflection in the big bronze mirror. As tall as Liselotte was, and she was tall for a woman, Daniel was a head taller than she was, filling up the mirror with his soaring height and enormous shoulders. As he watched her struggle with her first glimpse of just how beautiful she was, he spoke softly.
“When I was young, I remember hearing a tale of a Saxon princess who was the fairest woman in all the land,” he said quietly. “It was said that men would come across the sea, lured by her beauty, to bring her something precious, hoping to win her heart. Men would bring gold, or silver, or diamonds and rubies, all of it meant to show the princess just how rich they were and hoping to lure her interest. But then one man came and he was not rich. He brought her a simple box and when she opened it, there was a lock of his hair inside. It was the only thing of value he had to give. It was enough because she immediately fell in love with him and they lived happily forever after.”
By this time, Liselotte’s tears were mostly gone and she turned to Daniel. “I have not heard that tale,” she said. “What was the princess’ name?”
He looked at her. They were standing very close to one another and it was difficult for him to focus on her question. There was something innate within him that simply wanted to kiss her sweet lush lips. Normally, he would have given in to that impulse, but for some reason he didn’t. It seemed to him that if he did, it might forever damage the relationship building between them.
For the first time in his life, he didn’t want to ruin anything that had to do with a woman.
With Liselotte.
“Ostara,” he said softly. “And the simple man she fell in love with was Wuldor who, as it turned out, was really a great warrior in disguise. He commanded a powerful army.”
Liselotte smiled faintly. “That is a sweet story,” she said. “But why tell me of it?”
Daniel looked back in the mirror, now seeing the profile of her face as she looked up at him. Even her profile was exquisite. It was a struggle to resist the urge to pull her into his arms.
“Because you are the princess,” he admitted. “It matters not what you wear, my lady. What matters is what lies beneath. You are the locket of hair in that plain box; what lies inside the plain clothing is the most valuable thing in the world. Someday you will present yourself, just as you are, to the right man and he will be yours forever.”
With that, he walked away, leaving Liselotte standing there in awe, mulling over the kindest words anyone had ever spoken to her. More and more she was becoming enamored with Daniel and for very good reason; he could make her feel as if she were the most beautiful and important person in the world.
She’d never known anyone like him.
“He is enchanted by you,” Glennie whispered over her shoulder. “Can you not tell?”
Liselotte turned to Glennie in shock. “Nay, he is not,” she insisted, feeling embarrassed. “I… I do not even really know him. I have only just met him. He was of service to our family and continues to be so. It is nothing more than that.”
It was the truth, although she didn’t elaborate on how, exactly, they had met. Something like that was far too shameful to divulge to someone she did not know. But Glennie didn’t seem to care for the details. Her gaze
lingered on Daniel as the man stood over the seamstress yet again.
“He is quite handsome,” she said, appraising him. “And he is a de Lohr. Do you know much about the House of de Lohr?”
Liselotte shook her head. “I admit that I do not.”
Glennie began to fuss with the red dress, speaking as she did so. “They are one of the greatest houses in all of England,” she said. “If I understand Daniel’s position in the family correctly, his father is David de Lohr, whose brother is Christopher de Lohr. Christopher de Lohr was the greatest knight in England during the reign of Richard the Lionheart. Daniel is a very important man. And you say you have only just met him?”
Liselotte nodded. “As I said, he has been of service to us.”
Glennie’s gaze moved to Daniel once again. “My father should like to meet him,” she said, sounding rather seductive. “Is he married?”
“Nay.”
Glennie grinned. “Good.”
Liselotte wasn’t sure what Glennie meant by that but she knew, instinctively, that she didn’t like it. She’d never experienced jealousy in her life and had no idea it was that particular emotion currently filling her veins. All she knew was that she wanted to throttle Glennie for looking at Daniel so… so hungrily. She wasn’t happy about it in the least.
As Glennie bent over to see how much the bottom of the dress needed to be hemmed, Liselotte focused on keeping her irritation with the woman in check. Glennie was trying so hard to be kind that it wouldn’t do for Liselotte to try to gouge the woman’s eyes out in punishment for the way she was looking at Daniel. Not that Liselotte blamed her, of course; he was certainly something spectacular to see.
Coyly, she thought she might take another look at him, too. As she turned to glance at him as he stood over near the entryway to the stall, she caught sight of men and horses on the avenue beyond the window.
Familiar horses and familiar men immediately had her attention, and it took Liselotte a split-second to realize whom, exactly, she was seeing. Panic gripped her and she rushed away from the bronze mirror towards Daniel, her heart in her throat.
The de Lohr Dynasty Page 168
