Free Elaine Barbieri by the Rose, the Shield Page A

And she had overheard him confide to his friend, Franchot Champlain, that he needed to wait two days in order to keep his word to the one who so intrigued him. He had all but growled as he had said that he wanted his new conquest to be willing…very willing.
    Hyacinthe had felt the heat of that comment, and jealousy had sprung to life inside her. Guilbert—as the baron had allowed her to call him during passionate moments—appeared more eager than he had ever been before when contemplating a conquest; yet it was unusual for him to wait for his needs to be met.
    She could testify to that.
    Her full lips twitched at that thought. Dark-haired, with dark eyes, bold features, and a voluptuous figure, she was as well aware of her attributes as she was of her shortcomings. Hyacinthe had worked in the de Silva house hold since early childhood. She had known Guilbert most of her life, and had loved him as long as she could remember. She had submitted to his sexual overtures with gratitude and delight when she reached puberty at twelve years of age and caught his eye. Then twenty, he had been handsome, well educated and wealthy, and he had seemed so far above her that she had been honored by his touch. In her inexperience, she had truly believed he loved her. As the years passed, he treated her to extended sexual interludes each time he arrived home from one of his sojourns. She had enjoyed his growing intimate expertise, convinced that it simply reflected his maturity. Thrilled and titillated beyond mea sure, she had told herself that he was not just returning home. He was returning
to her
.
    She had since learned the hard way that she could never have made a greater error.
    Word of Guilbert’s sexual escapades with both willing and unwilling maids became legend as the years passed and he became a knight in William’s service. She had realized then that in order to keep his interest, she needed to acquire as much expertise as he and had set about to obtain it any way she could. After countless intimate encounters with men whose faces she could not even recall, she had emerged a versatile bedmate—a woman who had learned limitless ways to enthrall a man. Now she shared her knowledge with only one man.
    Hyacinthe had been delirious with joy when Guilbert returned to her more voracious than ever after each military venture. She had prided herself in being a constant challenge to his lust, but she had been totally unprepared when he announced after William was crowned that he was leaving Normandy to claim the new home that William had awarded him for his service.
    She had been stunned when he so blatantly intended to leave her behind.
    Unable to believe he could do it, Hyacinthe had approached him and pleaded her cause. She had told him of her love, and had been startled when he had laughed in her face before stating coldly that he would not be in need of a resident whore in his new home. She had watched him ride away with the blessings of his parents, who had then turned on her angrily and chastised her for believing that she had provided Guilbert with anything more than temporary satisfaction.
    Yet she had not been able to forget him.
    Months later, she had packed up her few belongings and traveled to Guilbert’s keep in England. She remembered his surprise when he saw her in his kitchen. She recalled the lust that had glowed in his eyes as she had flaunted herself in front of him. Hyacinthe had gone to his isolated quarters in the keep that same evening, and had prided herself in providing him with unforgettable sexual gratification that had lasted long into the next day.
    She had suffered through his many peccadilloes in the years since. When Guilbert brought unwilling young women to his quarters to deflower them, or whenhe spent amorous days and nights with local women who willingly offered their favors, she had told herself that he would return to her in the end. She had borne the ridicule of the kitchen help because she knew