To Defy a King by Elizabeth Chadwick Read Free Book Online Page A

Slightly over a year had passed since her betrothal and life had settled back into its usual rhythm. Mostly she forgot that she was betrothed at all. She was making items to go into her marriage chest, embroidered pillows, sheets and coverlets, fine table napery and the like, but while they were frequent reminders of her future, they were also part of an everyday background. She kept her ring in her coffer and only wore it on special days. Talk of her marriage was like a fairytale about someone else.
    She kept Hugh Bigod in her prayers, but it was a routine thing to do. She did not know him well enough to have him colour her thoughts and had not seen him since the betrothal because he had either been about his father's business or following the court.

    Will shook his head at her and the dog, but crouched and held out his hand to be sniffed and then licked. He produced a crust from his pouch that he had been saving for his horse. The tail wagged with enthusiasm, and the bread, although taken with the utmost politeness and delicacy, vanished in a gulp.

    'Father Walter says we should call him Tripes.' Mahelt dropped a towel over the dog's back and rubbed him energetically. 'He says it's Latin for three legs.'

    'And it's English for guts.' Will grinned. 'Tell you what, I'll make him a collar and leash out of Equus's tail hair. Would you like that?'

    Mahelt cocked her head at him. 'So you think we should keep him too?'

    He gave a nonchalant shrug. 'Of course not, but you'll do it anyway; I know how stubborn you are.'

    Mahelt left off drying the dog to give him a fierce hug. There were times when she thought him unbearably arrogant, opinionated and so sure of his masculine prerogative that she wanted to throttle him. But there were times like this too, when he exposed his kinder side and made her laugh. Besides, he was her big brother and she loved him.

    'I can't wait for Papa to come home so I can show him,' she said. 'Do you think you'll have time to make his collar by then?'

    'Perhaps,' Will said. 'It depends what happens in Portsmouth.'

    Mahelt shaded her eyes against the sun the better to see his expression.
    'What do you mean?'

    'The King wants to cross the Narrow Sea and invade Normandy. The barons don't want him to become involved in a campaign until he has an heir. A lot of them are saying too that it's no concern of theirs what happens outside of England. Our father thinks the army will not sail at all.'

    Mahelt felt envious that her brother was a party to the political discussions that she, as a girl, was denied access to. Her brain was just as good as his -
    probably more so, because she couldn't fight her way physically out of situations but had to rely on her wits. Her mother was always involved in discussions pertaining to their lands, but her mother was a countess in her own right and her father respected that and gave her due credit. A daughter, unfortunately, did not have the same privilege. 'Does Papa want to go?' she asked.

    'He can't because of his oath to Philip of France. If he does, he'll be foresworn and lose Longueville and Orbec for certain.'

    'Won't he be in trouble with King John if he doesn't go?'

    Will picked up a stone and aimed it at a fern growing out of a crack in the mortar of the castle wall. 'Probably, but that's nothing new for anyone.
    There's hardly a baron manages to keep the King's favour these days. He takes money from us and pays his mercenaries to do his bidding in our stead.
    The Bigods are in favour, but that's because of William Longespee's influence, and because Roger of Norfolk doesn't put those hats of his on top of his battlements. ' He slung another stone hard after the first. 'Just think, in the way of kinship ties, John will almost be your brother by marriage.'

    Mahelt sniffed. 'Yours too,' she retorted, 'because you are mine by blood.'

    Will curled his lip at her, and then nodded at Tripes. 'Is he supposed to be doing that?'

    Mahelt whipped round and shouted