Rhiannon by Roberta Gellis

Author:Roberta Gellis
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ellora's Cave Publishing Inc.
Published: 2014-01-02T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fifteen

For the moment, it was enough for Simon that Rhiannon had sworn to be faithful. It would not take long, he was sure, before her mother and father convinced her— without saying a word on the subject, perhaps—that she should marry him. It was possible she would hold out until she got with child, but then she would yield. She would not want any question to be raised about her child’s right to the father’s possessions, now that she knew the English law.

Sitting upright as he was, the wind caught him. He shivered and started to lie down, but Rhiannon shook her head and sat up also. “Get dressed,” she said, handing him his shirt and tunic. “I am sorry to be so unromantic, Simon, but, forgive me, dear heart, I am hungry.”

He sprang to his feet, laughing, then pulled her up and embraced her. “There are no sweeter words you could have said to me than those. There is a time for love words and they are food for the soul then, but when the belly calls it is a rare woman who has the courage to say so. I am hungry also. Your mother said something about eating, but at that time I had only a hunger to see you.”

“And now that that is satisfied, the other calls more strongly.”

Simon yanked his tunic down to look at her, but she was grinning like an imp. There had been no spite or blame in the remark, only a confirmation that she felt the same way. They finished dressing hastily and Simon hoisted his armor to his shoulder. It was a devil of a load, he grumbled, but Rhiannon only said heartlessly that he was lucky their way home led downhill, and it was not her fault he was such an idiot as to rush up the hill fully armed. This drew some sharp reminders from Simon about times when Rhiannon had not been very foresighted, so they arrived at the hall sparring with words and laughing as merrily as on Simon’s first visit.

Kicva said only that those who came late to dinner could eat cold meat, standing. However, she would have kissed Simon’s feet for making her daughter’s entry into womanhood a warm blessing, had she been that kind of person. There was nothing in Rhiannon’s railing words to betray her, but something in her voice and the glow of her eyes was proof enough to her mother, who knew her so well. Simon’s look was more transparent. The line of his mouth, the sated droop of his eyelids… Kicva laughed as he bowed and made a formal apology for being late to dinner. He looked like Math after a night out.

“Well, I will forgive you,” Kicva said in reply to Simon’s excuses, and she signaled a servant who brought forward a small table. Others carried in ready-laden trays and drew up chairs. Then in answer to Rhiannon’s raised brows she said, “I am not abating my severity

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