Free Stuart, Elizabeth by Bride of the Lion Page B

before, never even thought of doing with the men of
her acquaintance. But with this man she found it easy, exhilarating. "Very
well, my lord. I'll return command of your castle in the morning."
    "My castle?"
    The
mocking inflection wasn't lost on Jocelyn. "Certainly. Belavoir has always
been yours. Even when you were dead." She thought of that midnight scene
in Belavoir's chapel, "Especially when you were dead."
    Sir
Geoffrey laughed outright. In the light of the bonfires, de Langley's golden
eyes glimmered with amusement. "Are you by any chance hinting, madam, that
the legend might exceed the man?"
    Jocelyn
remembered his arrogance of the morning. "When you come to know me, my
lord, you will discover that I never hint."
    "Now
why does that not surprise me?" he said, turning away.
    With
a curious sense of satisfaction, Jocelyn began organizing the confusion around
her. Soon men were disembowelling and cutting up the singed carcasses while
women hauled the livers, kidneys, and sweetbreads off to the kitchens.
    The
meat was portioned up and readied to be salted and smoked for huge hams and the
all-important bacon. The intestines were cleaned to make sausage skins, the
bladders readied to hold the abundant and necessary lard, the hooves scaled and
saved for gelatin. Even some of the long, stiff hair was saved for sewing the
leather the hides would provide.
    And
through it all, Jocelyn was aware of Belavoir's lord, moving among his people,
lending a hand with a heavy carcass here, a boiling caldron there, snatching up
a child who was wandering too near one of the roaring bonfires.
    His
men were helping as well, those who weren't standing guard duty. Even his
knights were taking Jocelyn's orders and doing all these unknightly tasks
without a murmur, tasks Jocelyn couldn't imagine her brother or any of his
wellborn companions doing.
    She
hesitated beside one of the fires, holding her cold-numbed fingers out to the
flames. The work was proceeding smoothly, but there was still a great deal to
do, and more swine would be coming in the morning. She had already sent a group
of servants up to the hall for a few hours' sleep.
    She
moved toward a pile of straw and sat down, taking her first rest in hours.
Oblivious to the noise and confusion, several children were sleeping wrapped
snugly in blankets, half-buried in the straw.
    Jocelyn
smiled, her eyes wandering over the children, then lifting to seek out the
tall, powerful figure moving among the fires. Her fear of Robert de Langley had
eased. He wasn't a man to be trifled with, and his temper was near as legendary
as his fighting skills. Still, she had seen enough of him to think he would be
fair in his dealings with her and Adelise, to know he wasn't the type for
wanton cruelty.
    "M'lady?"
    Jocelyn
turned. One of the kitchen women was moving toward her. "M'lady, I've cut
my hand, I fear. Such a clumsy creature I be sometimes."
    Jocelyn
rose to her feet, taking the woman's bleeding hand. "Nothing serious,
Margaret. Find Maude and tell her I said to dress this for you."
    She
studied the woman's wrinkled, weary face. Margaret was a good worker but she
was getting on in years. "While you're there, lie down and get some sleep.
Someone will wake you when it's time to come back."
    The
woman nodded. "Thank you, lady. I do be all-powerful weary."
    As
the woman moved away, Jocelyn glanced around for someone to take her place. Her
eye fell on Alys, the tanner's daughter. The attractive young woman was
pretending to work, but it was obvious she was more interested in flirting with
a nearby knight.
    "Alys,
we've need of you here," Jocelyn called.
    The
young woman pretended not to hear.
    "Alys...
over here!"
    The
woman flashed her an impatient look, but didn't budge. The knight wisely moved
away.
    "Alys,
now!" Jocelyn snapped.
    At
that, the young woman turned. She sauntered toward Jocelyn, sultry eyes
narrowed, full lips curved in a derisive half-smile. "D'ye still think
t'be giving us orders here? And