The Marriage Prize (39 page)

opened it to find Princess Eleanora. Nan curtsied and invited

her in.

"Rosamond, I am so very sorry about your cousin Richard,"

she said, her soft brown eyes brimming with tears of

compassion.

Rosamond was glad to see Eleanora; the princess would

distract her from her morbid thoughts.

"It makes me realize how short life can be, and that we should

not waste precious time being angry with those we love, over

imagined hurts." Eleanora hesitated, then continued shyly. "I think I should go to Edward—we have been apart far too

long."

"No!" Rosamond's thoughts darted about like mercury,

searching for an answer. She could not let Eleanora find

Edward consoling Alyce de Clare, or their relationship would

be damaged beyond repair. "Edward should come to you,

Eleanora! He should do the wooing. Because he is a prince,

women throw themselves at him. You must be different; you

are a princess and a lady. If you act a little aloof, he wil lose

his heart to you al the faster."

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"Rosamond, you are so wise about men."

Dear Lord, if only that were true, Rosamond thought. / know so

little about my own husband, I cannot even tel him I carry his

child! "Go back to your own apartment and I wil go up,

pretending to seek out Rodger, who is with Edward at the

moment. I wil suggest to your husband that if he comes to you,

you might be in a mood to forgive him." She saw that

Eleanora's eyes lit up at her suggestion.

Owen stood guard outside the prince's chambers, but he

admitted Rosamond into the anteroom. When she knocked on

the inner door, it was opened by her own husband, who

frowned at her intrusion. She gathered her courage and

brushed past him to join Edward and Alyce de Clare, who

were conversing intimately.

Rosamond took a deep breath and plunged in. "Forgive me,

Lord Edward, but I must speak with you concerning your wife."

"Wives think they own their 'usbands, but they do not." Alyce gave Rosamond a pitying look.

"Is Eleanora al right?" Edward asked quickly.

"That is up to you, my lord."

"I wil bid you good night, Alyce. Rodger, please escort the

countess to the chambers you have prepared for her," Edward

said in a firm tone that showed he would brook no refusal.

Alyce's fists clenched and her lips thinned, yet she had more

sense than to argue with Edward, who was al -powerful. But

she vowed to pay back the Marshal bitch for this untimely

interruption. She moved across the room and tucked her arm

into Rodger's in a most familiar fashion. "Darling Rod, you

always manage to take care of al my needs, chéri, and I shal

do the same for you, no?"

Rosamond turned her back upon her husband as he ushered

Alyce from the royal apartment.

"He isn't her lover, Rosamond," Edward said quietly.

"No, my lord, you are. Rodger didn't tel me," she added

quickly. "I heard you together one night at Kenilworth."

Edward's Plantagenet-blue eyes glittered. "Who else knows?"

"Eleanora knows, for Alyce took great delight in tel ing her!"

"Splendor of God, no wonder she shuts her door to me! Why

would that black-haired bitch do such a thing?"

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"Jealousy, of course. She is envious of Eleanora's beauty and

innocence. Alyce flaunts you like a trophy because she fears

her hold is slipping now that your virginal bride resides at

Windsor."

"I knew that Eleanora had suspicions, but I had no idea she

had been told outright!"

"I have assured Eleanora that it is a lie. I told her that Alyce is Rodger's mistress, not yours. Most people believe they are

lovers."

"Does Eleanora believe it?"

"It is up to you to make her believe it. She knows that when

you were married as children, it was for political reasons. She

does not believe that you love her; you wil have to convince

her otherwise, Edward. Go to her now before it is too late!"

Once Rosamond left him, Edward paced the chamber

thinking over what she had said. He was a decisive man who

never dithered over the choices he made, and went

immediately to the adjoining door that led to Eleanora's

chambers. He knocked politely and waited to be admitted,

though patience was not one of his virtues. He was extremely

pleased that Eleanora opened the door herself. It was as if

she had been waiting for him.

"Come in, Edward," she said, trying to hide her

breathlessness.

"Eleanora ... Nora, I won't ask why you closed your door to me,

I wil only tel you how happy I am that you have final y opened

it." He took possession of her smal hand and raised it

gal antly to his lips. "I don't like us living separately. I don't want locked doors between us," sweetheart."

Eleanora blushed at the endearment, and Edward saw how

lovely it made her look. "You are beautiful tonight, my Nora."

"Thank you, it is the peach-colored gown."

"It is not the gown, my sweet, it is your glorious hair and your

exquisite face that are beautiful." Gently he tried to draw her

into his arms, and felt her slight resistance.

"My women wil see us," she said breathlessly.

Edward laughed. "They wil have to get used to it."

"I wil have to get used to it; we must get to know each other."

"Intimately," he agreed, drawing her into a possessive

embrace in spite of her resistance. He bent his head to

capture her lips and found 227

her mouth so softly inviting, it made him reel. "Nora, I want you to spend the night with me ... it is time our marriage was

consummated."

"Edward, I... I don't feel married."

"My darling, that is because we haven't shared a bed."

"We were married for political reasons, not for love," she said wistful y.

"Nora, I do love you. When I came to Windsor and discovered

you here, I fel in love the moment I laid eyes on you. You have

my heart... al of my heart." More than anything in the world,

Edward wanted to please his beloved and make her happy.

"When you were ten, we were wed for political reasons, but

now that you are sixteen I want you for very different reasons."

Suddenly an idea occurred to him, and decisively Edward

knew he would act on it. "Let's get married again . . . tonight...

let me cal the priest!"

"Oh, Edward, that is so romantic."

"You make me feel romantic; Nora, my love, wil you marry

me?"

"Yes, Edward, yes, yes!"

Lord Edward dispatched Owen for the priest, and since they

were already legal y married, he decided that witnesses were

unnecessary. The royal couple exchanged vows in Edward's

chambers with a myriad of lighted candles upon the mantel of

the fireplace, as if it were an altar. When the words had been

said, Edward unfastened the golden rose badge from his

doublet, which was his emblem, and pinned it to Eleanora's

gown. "This rose comes with my heart," he pledged solemnly.

"I wil cherish it always, my husband," Eleanora whispered.

The priest, who had hastily donned his cassock over his

nightrobe, departed along with Owen, who returned to the

anteroom to stand guard against those who might intrude.

Edward took his bride's hand. "Make a wish, and we'l blow

out the candles together." When the last one nickered out, he

drew her into his bedchamber, which was lit by the fire and

one large square candle on an iron stand. Stil in possession

of her hand, he sat down on the high bed, opened his long,

muscled thighs, and gently drew her between them. He

cupped her face with reverence and touched her lips with his.

He kissed her a hundred times, sweet kisses, soft kisses,

tender kisses, long,

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melting kisses, and short, quick, teasing kisses that made the

corners of her mouth rise, then he kissed those too.

His knowing fingers reached behind her to unfasten her gown,

then slowly he inched it down to bare her shoulders. His lips

touched her throat, then caressed her col arbone and her soft

shoulders. Edward smiled as he lowered her gown to reveal

her extremely modest undergarments. With gentle hands, he

removed the gown and then her shift and petticoats. Eleanora

hid her face against his chest, but he placed his fingers

beneath her chin and made her meet his eyes, so that she

could see him worship her.

The soft, round globes of her breasts were perfection. They

were ful and lush with dark aureoles, and fil ed his huge

palms. When he kissed them, her swift, indrawn breath told

him that it thril ed her. Edward's fingertips traced her rib cage,

then circled her navel, as he marveled at the femininity of her

lovely curved body. He wondered how he had ever found Alyce

de Clare's thinness attractive, and knew with a certainty he

never would again.

Dozens of dark spiral curls covered her mons, and he could

not keep his fingers from them. Her shyness delighted him,

and he touched her over and over again in intimate places,

just to watch the blushes come and go in her cheeks. Then he

tasted her everywhere and watched her lashes sweep down

onto her cheeks in shy disbelief. When he began to remove

his own garments, however, he saw that she lifted her lashes

and stared at him in fascination.

He had been six foot four when he was fourteen. Now,

however, he was broad as wel as tal , and Eleanora's eyes

shone with admiration as she gazed at his wide shoulders

and heavily muscled chest covered by golden hair. She was

fascinated by the contrast in their coloring, as a naked

Edward once again drew her body to touch his. He was fair-

skinned and his torso was gilded by body hair. Eleanora's

skin was dusky and shone like satin. She made no protest

when he lifted her to the bed and lay down beside her.

She felt both bold and shy as she reached out to touch his

golden beard, then trace the outline of his beautiful mouth with

her fingertips. She laughed when he playful y pretended to bite

her fingers, and

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happiness wel ed up inside her. Was this golden god, who

would someday be king, real y her husband? Indeed he is, she

told herself, for he has wed me twice over!

Edward was completely enthral ed by his adorable bride. Her

innocence was the most precious gift he had ever received.

Her beauty, her speech, her laughter, her daintiness, and her

fragrance fascinated him. In fact, he was enchanted by

everything about her. Edward made a silent vow to cherish

her, to be faithful to her, and to protect her with his life. He

could not wait to give her his child. She was everything a

mother should be: sweet, gentle, kind, loving, and intel igent.

She must be a gift from the gods! he thought.

When he began to arouse her, he touched her as if she were

made of delicate porcelain. He had never felt so

tenderhearted in al his life. Suddenly, Edward was al the

things he had never been before: patient, gentle, tender, and

above al , selfless. He was such a large man that he knew he

would cause her pain when he tore her hymen, but he

promised himself he would make up for it with the loving he

would lavish upon her.

And love her he did. Al night long.

Twenty-one

One by one, young men of influence in the country began to

visit Edward at Windsor. The first to arrive was Warren de

Bassingbourne, fol owed by the Marcher barons, Mortimer

and Clifford. When, fol owing the burial of his brother, Harry of

Almaine returned to command his men, Rodger de Leyburn

knew that if their ranks swel ed further, it would be noticed by

the opposition.

"More men are committing to our cause every day, Edward.

You must choose a location farther afield than Windsor, where

we can mobilize in secret."

"Aye, I've been thinking on it. Since it was the warlord who

taught me al that I know of military strategy, I shal take a page

from Simon's book and gather my army at Oxford, as he

always does."

Rod nodded. "Al roads lead from Oxford; it is a good choice

in my opinion. We must not wait too long; at some point we

must stop recruiting and take armed action."

"I know, my friend. Speed and fury win the day, but Mortimer

says that Hay and Montgomery wil be here shortly. Send a

messenger to intercept them and have them wait at Oxford."

"I'l send Griffin; he rode in last night on Rosamond's palfrey,

Nimbus. Poor devil, I half expected him to be wearing a gown,

since I left him at Kenilworth naked!"

"Rod, you were there not long ago, do you think we could take

Kenilworth Castle?" Edward wanted to hear the honest truth.

"No, because it's surrounded by water and only accessible

over the causeway. I doubt we could take it without a long

siege, and we don't have time to waste in sieges, but if we are

determined enough, I think we might be able to take

Northampton."

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Edward turned his attention upon his royal cousin, Harry of

Almaine. "Do you think there is any chance of talking your