Free The Black Lyon by Jude Deveraux

three weeks' wait stretched before them. M elite sighed. To her daughter it would be an eternity, but to herself there didn't seem to be enough time for all that had to be done.
    First of all, there were clothes to be made. Although there was not a big enough dowry for Lyonene to make a difference to an earl, M elite planned to dress her daughter as befitted a countess. She set out to look for William, for only he had the key to the storeroom that held most of the portable wealth of Lorancourt.
    William complained somewhat, but he finally agreed with his wife that .Lyonene must be clothed properly. Jewels and furs, satins, silks, velvets and fine wools were brought from the dark, cool room. Lyonene gasped at the beauty of the stuffs, afraid to cut them and chance ruining the materials.
    For three weeks, Gressy, M eg, Lucy, M elite and Lyonene sewed. They outlined tiny lions with green silk thread along the border of one tunic, filled the space with lamb's wool and covered it to make padded animals. Each lion was bordered with tiny seed pearls.
    Her wedding gown was given special attention. It was a tunic of saffron samite silk, very tight, and its sleeves were fastened with a row of tiny buttons from wrist to elbow. The sideless surcoat of tawny velvet was cut away drastically to reveal the generous curves of Lyo-nene's breasts and hips. The wedding mantle was of green brocade from Sicily. Pale-green phoenix with tails ready to burst into flame were woven onto a darker green background, and the entire cloak and hood were lined in rabbit fur that had been dyed a Hard shade of green.
    Lyonene wished fervently that she had gotten her betrothed's measurements for a tabard to make as a wedding gift, but she finally settled on two gold cups. She did not notice her father's white face as he arranged for a goldsmith to come to Lorancourt to hammer two of his four precious gold plates into stemmed, jewel-encrusted goblets. To Lyonene, it was reassuring to hear the man and his apprentice hammering for hours each day as they formed the gold sheets around iron balls to make the shape of the cups.
    She knew that as the cups took shape, the time came closer for her wedding day.
    Each night she fell into bed exhausted, as M elite had planned, but always there was the sweet vision of Ranulf before she slept.

    There were things she began to remember that had not bothered her when they were together. She thought often of his earldom, of the court of King Edward, where Ranulf would be a frequent visitor. She began to question his reasons for marrying her, and as the day approached she found herself jumping at every little noise and crying often. Gressy's added stories of the horrors of the Black Lion did not help her growing anxiety.
    * * *
    Geoffrey grimaced. If his besotted brother asked once more if Lady Lyonene were not beautiful, he would use his estoc and calmly slip the blade between the man's ribs. They had ridden hard to reach London in one night, and Geoffrey looked forward to a soft bed, with maybe a barmaid to keep him warm. .
    Ranulf did not like London with its open sewer trenches along the streets and all the scavenging pigs that roamed about eating the slops. The streets were narrow, and no air reached the riders between the three-and four-story buildings. The inn where they had spent the night was only fairly clean.
    He rode along the street of the goldsmiths until he found the sign he wanted. Only three of the Black Guard had accompanied him, the other four tending to Geoffrey, who refused to leave his bed and his plump barmaid so early in the morning.
    53
    Alone, Ranulf entered the cramped little shop. A small, dark man came forward.
    "I would purchase a gift, a bride gift, and I would have your finest work."
    "All my work is my finest. What is your desire?"
    Both men stared at one another, both unsmiling but understanding the other.
    "I would have a belt, a very special belt. It is to be of your purest gold and your finest