The Lords of Arden by Helen Burton Read Free Book Online

the light bones. Don't you
want to kiss me, My Lord?’ The other hand, about his waist, strayed to caress
his bruised rump, massaging the sore places with an insistency which sent fire
through his body and he grabbed her, two-handed, his lips finding her mouth at
last, his body hard against hers, his arousal in little doubt.
     She put him away from her, her palms flat
against the breast of his cote. ‘My Lord, you grow too ardent, I must go.’
     ‘Please, not yet. Tell me your name.’
     ‘It doesn't matter and there's someone
above.’ She took his face between her hands and kissed him gently. ‘Sweet
dreams, My Lord.’ And she slipped from his side to descend the spiral again as
Harry of Derby almost cannoned into them. He raised an eyebrow comically at
Beauchamp's flushed face:
     ‘You're a dark horse, young Tom; starlit
trysts at your age!’
     ‘Harry, follow her, you know everyone, I
must have her name.’
    Derby had every intention of tracking the girl down but not to discover her name;
he already knew it. He had seen enough to recognise her; his intentions were
other. He patted Beauchamp on the shoulder in elder-brotherly fashion and sped
down the spiral and across the court after the gliding dark shadow.
     She stopped short at his step and turned
to face him. ‘Such haste, Lord Harry?’
     ‘What game are you playing, My Lady; he's
a child. You have a husband still young and fiery enough to satisfy most women,
and one who would not appreciate night time gallivantings with schoolboys.’
     She smiled at him. ‘Your concern is
natural and laudable. Put your mind at rest, we shall be gone by tomorrow; my
stint as Isabella's handmaiden ended tonight. I shall be happy to ride north,
to get the stench of the town out of my nostrils and the wind through my hair;
your little protégé is quite safe from my evil machinations.’
     ‘Then was that fair, to tantalise and
tease. If you were my wife, lady…’ he began severely.
     ‘If I were that, Harry, we should have
better things to do than stand at loggerheads on such a summer night. It was
not meant cruelly, merely to restore a battered amour-propre; you saw this
afternoon?’
     ‘Thomas asks for all he gets, he's an intractable
little devil, but Edward has struck up a friendship with him and Edward will
need friends. Very well, I will concede it kindly meant though you have fuelled
a fire with your witchery. Do you happen to have a penchant for schoolboys or
might you perform a similar service for the House of Lancaster?’ His long
fingers were firm upon her shoulders; his silver fair hair brushed her cheek. She
ducked away from his kiss, laughing, and fled into the state apartments. Derby took himself to bed, mildly rattled. He could not sleep.

 
Chapter Three
     
December - 1329
     
    The barge which glided smoothly into
Westminster Stairs was hung about with the White Wolf's arms and clustered with
men in his familiar canary yellow livery. Edward and Philippa were at Westminster and the entire court was moving house to join them.
     Thomas Beauchamp, leaving Windsor, warmly clad against the winter wind, a thick frieze cloak over a fine blue woollen
tunic, had been ordered back to change.
     ‘The robes you wore for Amiens, your best
finery!’ roared his guardian as the boy stalked away from the landing stage. ‘There
is to be a state banquet tonight; try not to disgrace us!’
     Beauchamp had re-appeared in scarlet and
gold, a circlet on his dark head studded with balas rubies. ‘My Lord, this is
too fine. Should I eclipse your lordship?’ he enquired in sugared tones.
     ‘Get in; we've delayed long enough
waiting for you. The men will not be best pleased to pull against the tide.’ Mortimer
tossed him a leather purse and the boy weighed it from palm to palm.
     ‘My Lord?’
     ‘Largesse, Thomas. Let the people get to
know you.’
     ‘I'd rather they remembered my deeds than
my ability to shy silver pennies. What's the function