The Unconventional Maiden. June Francis

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СКАЧАТЬ seem strange to you, but he trusted me. I refused at first, for I did not wish to be burdened with finding you a spouse but he persisted.’

      ‘But I do not wish to marry,’ blurted out Beth.

      ‘So your father told me and frankly I do not believe it,’ said Gawain with a shake of the head. ‘Especially now your reason no longer exists.’

      An angry sparkle lit her eyes. ‘You are mistaken. I presume he will have left his business to me, so there is naught preventing me from taking control of it when I return to London. I will be able to support myself financially, so I have no need of a husband.’

      ‘Impossible,’ he stated, coming to halt outside his tent. ‘It was your father’s wish that you marry and you will do so. Nothing you say will persuade me otherwise. Now inside before you attract even more attention to yourself than you have already done.’ He untied the flap and drew it back and ushered her inside.

      ‘I—I will not s-stay here with you! I will not marry you!’ She flung the words at him, making a bolt for the tent entrance, wondering whether Sir Gawain had designs on her himself and if he wished to have complete control over her, having killed her brother and her father?

      Gawain seized hold of her and swung her against him. ‘Where did you get that crazy notion from? I already have a wife, so do not be thinking me responsible for your father’s death in order to get my hands on his business through you.’

      Beth was stunned. ‘A wife! You have a wife? Where is she? Is she here with you?’

      A flush darkened his cheeks because he knew that he was going to have to lie to her. ‘It really is none of your business, but, if you must know, she is tending an elderly sick aunt back home in England.’

      ‘I—I see,’ said Beth, wondering why she was having difficulty visualising him as another woman’s husband. After all, he was handsome and strong, extremely attractive and possessed land and money. ‘May I sit down?’ she asked abruptly, her knees giving way.

      He seized her arm and pulled forwards a stool. ‘Naturally you are upset by the thought of having to obey a man who is almost a complete stranger to you, but it was your father’s wish.’

      She clenched her fists. ‘It was wrong of Father to make arrangements for my future without discussing it with me. Why could he not treat me as he would have Jonathan?’

      ‘I am sure you know the answer to that,’ said Gawain, pouring wine from a barrel into a pitcher. ‘You are not stupid.’

      ‘Aye, because I am a daughter and not a son,’ she said bitterly.

      ‘Perhaps he also knew you well enough to know that you would argue with him if he told you the truth.’

      She jerked up her head and glared at him. ‘As I will argue with you. Do not think I will fall in with your desire to get me out of the way. I will not marry and become some man’s possession, having no say in my own business.’

      He said calmly, ‘We do not need to discuss this now. Will you take a cup of wine, Mistress Llewellyn, and some bread and cheese? It is all I can offer you at the moment.’

      The calmness of his manner frustrated her because she so wanted to vent her hurt and anger on someone. ‘You said earlier that you came to the notice of the king. Why do you not eat at Henry’s table?’ she muttered.

      ‘If you must know, I’ve had a surfeit of rich food since I’ve been here. Besides, those who fawn around the king these days are not to my liking. When I was at court it was because I had trained as one of the king’s Gentlemen of the Spears, his élite mounted bodyguard.’

      ‘Then what were you doing wrestling half-naked if you held such a position?’ she asked.

      ‘I used to wrestle with Henry but now I cannot.’ He glowered at her.

      ‘Why not? Because you would defeat him and the king is not a man to suffer defeat lightly?’ she surprised him by saying.

      Gawain shrugged. ‘I wouldn’t admit that, but the truth is that whilst fighting here in France a few years ago, my shoulder was dislocated. Now the joint has a habit of coming out of its socket when put unduly under stress and the pain can be debilitating. It does not happen often, but enough to embarrass me in front of my king and peers. Besides, I could no longer be relied on to defend the king if he were in danger, so I had to beg leave to resign from my position.’

      ‘That must have been very upsetting for you,’ said Beth, struggling with conflicting emotions. ‘You must miss the life of a warrior.’

      ‘Hardly that of a real warrior,’ he said stiffly. ‘Although life at court could be amusing, as well as exciting. As it is, Henry summons me to play board games or dice with him. He is an inveterate gambler and I have some skill.’

      ‘That is why are you here now? He invited you to play with him?’

      Gawain nodded. ‘And there is no need for you to tell me that I should not be performing at the lists or wrestling with my disability. I have a wife to tell me that,’ he added harshly.

      ‘Is that the real reason why she is not here?’ asked Beth. ‘Because of your male pride being hurt? That is foolish.’

      He handed a cup of wine to her. ‘How well you understand me, Mistress Llewellyn,’ he said sardonically.

      ‘By St George, you took a risk,’ she said, taking a sip of wine.

      Their eyes met. ‘You would say that pride comes before a fall, but I say a man needs his pride,’ said Gawain.

      ‘He could have flattened you,’ said Beth. ‘But I admit I found it admirable that you were able to throw that Breton wrestler.’

      He shrugged and winced, determined not to show the pleasure her remark gave him. ‘Shall we change the subject?’

      She nodded, curious to know more about him. ‘Tell me about your wife. Have you children?’

      Gawain gazed into her attractive little face that was alight with interest. He imagined how her expression would change if he told the truth—that Mary had deserted him, taking their daughters with her. It would perhaps give Beth more reason to be against marriage. Of course, he could have told her how he had spent weeks searching for them, believing that his wife’s wits were deranged after the loss of their son, fearing for the girls’ safety and that of their mother. This had been after Mary’s father’s death when Gawain had taken on new responsibilities. Then he had struck lucky or so he had thought, only to discover that Mary had made a cuckold of him and when he had rode to the place where she had been observed, it was too late. She had vanished again. Then the king had summoned him to court and he’d had no choice but to abandon his search.

      ‘I have two daughters: Lydia, who has seen seven summers, and Tabitha, who is three years old.’ He found it too painful still to mention the loss of his son to her, but added swiftly, ‘More recently I’ve been sorting out my father-in-law’s affairs. He died a year ago and left it to me to rescue his ailing boat-building yard. I have hopes that in a few years it will be prosperous again.’

      Beth frowned. ‘You have enough matters of your own to sort out as it is without being bothered with mine. Why do you not allow me to handle my own affairs?’

      Gawain СКАЧАТЬ