Unending Love (4 page)

She shook her head again. “Nay,” she replied, increasingly
agitated. “He is a knight, but he is a very unaccomplished one. All he wants to
do is sing songs and give recitations to anyone who will listen. I have seen
him get up in front of a room full of people and declare his interest in me. 
It was the most humiliating moment of my life.”

David fought off the urge to grin.  He could see
that Adalind was sincerely distressed.  Moving from his position near the
hearth where he was trying to warm his hands in the cold early morning hour, he
came over to the feasting table where his granddaughters were sitting on a
well-worn bench.  He sat between her and Willow.

“I will not allow anyone to remain if you do not
wish it,” he said quietly. “But I know Baron Wallingford. He is an ally to both
me and your Uncle Christopher.  Before I chase his son away with nary an
explanation, I should at least be hospitable to the man. I do not want it
getting back to the father that I was rude. Can you understand that?”

Adalind was looking at her hands. Miserably, she
nodded and David put his arm around her shoulders, kissing her on the head.

“At least allow me to sup with him tonight and
then I will send the man on his way tomorrow,” he said. “You do not even have
to come to the meal if you do not want to. You can stay to your rooms until he
is gone.”

Adalind’s head shot up, her green eyes full of
gratitude. “Oh,
thank
you, Papa,” she said, hugging him tightly. “Thank
you so much.”

David smiled at her, patting her cheek as he
stood up from the bench. “You and your sister can sup in your chamber tonight,”
he said. “But I should probably go outside and greet the son of an ally. If I
am going to run the man off tomorrow, then I should at least be cordial to him today.”

Adalind breathed a sigh of relief. She was about
to reply when there was a loud knocking at the entry to the keep. In fact, it
was a heavy banging that threatened to knock the door down. Thinking it was
Eynsford in all of his minstrel glory, Adalind made a face but David was
obliged to answer it, especially now that he knew the situation.  He had the
hovering servant lift the heavy iron bolt and shove it out of the way.  The big
door creaked open.

Maddoc was standing in the doorway.  Dressed in
mail, a heavy tunic, heavy gloves, and enormous leather boots, he appeared
every inch the intimidating and warring knight. Maddoc simply had that look
about him, as if a single glance from his bright blue eyes could melt steel. But
today, those eyes were puzzled as he looked to David.

“My lord,” he said, pointing into the bailey. 
“There is a man with an instrument in the bailey who swears he will not leave
this place until he speaks with Lady Adalind.”

David cleared his throat softly, straining to
look around Maddoc’s bulk to see the man he was speaking of.  He could see an
expensive horse, tacked in expensive gear, at the base of the stairs but not
much else.  He put an arm out, pushing Maddoc out of the way to see a very
round and tall man standing at the base of the stairs. 

David had to make a conscious effort to keep
from reacting.  The man was not young by any means, dressed in some kind of red
silk tunic that was so frilly and fine that it looked like a woman’s surcoat. 
He had matching red hose and black boots with a peculiar pointy toe that was
about a foot long.  It was extremely odd.  On his head he wore an elaborate hat
with silk streamers and big peacock feathers sticking out of it, and in his
hand he held what looked to be a heavy and expensive
citole
.  David
could only catch a glimpse of it before the man swung it up against his chest
and began to strum.

“My lord,” he called, rather dramatically,
punctuating his statement with a few chords. “I have come seeking the Lady
Adalind de Aston. Would you be her father, good sir?”

David tried not to let his jaw drop at all of
the ridiculous fanfare. “I am her grandfather,” he replied. “Her father is
dead.  What is it that you want?”

Eynsford smiled brightly, as if he had just
landed upon extremely good fortune, and began to strum away at the guitar-like
instrument that had been imported all the way from Italy.  It was elaborately
carved and painted in shades of red and yellow. His stubby fingers licked the thick
gut strings with flourish.

“Lady, lady, my fair and beautiful maid,

Lady Adalind of virtue, most beautiful flower.

My heart beats for you, my soul to sing,

Be mine, fairest lady, and fulfill my every
desire.”

When he was finished, he looked rather proud of
himself, as if he had just accomplished something rare and great, but David was
having a difficult time controlling himself. It was the worst thing he’d ever
heard, sung off-key in the most terrible voice possible. David was coming to
quickly see what had Adalind so upset, for the man was truly a pathetic example
of an ostensibly normal male.  In fact, he was rather a joke.

David didn’t dare look at Maddoc, who was
standing beside him. If the man even gave a hint of a grin, David would lose
his composure for sure. Struggling with all he possessed not to break out in
laughter, he cleared his throat softly and descended the steps towards the
wayward suitor.

“What is your name?” David asked.

“Eynsford du Lesseps,” the man replied grandly.
“My father is Baron Wallingford.  He has spoken most highly of you and your
brother, my lord. It is a distinct honor to meet you and my father sends word
that it would please him greatly if our two families were united by marriage. 
I have come to ask you for Adalind’s hand in marriage, my lord.”

David was having trouble looking at the big
buffoon with the crooked, toothy grin.
Over my dead body,
he thought.  He
could see that the man needed to be handled gently, especially since he was
invoking his father’s name this early in the conversation. It was a strategic
move. Again, he cleared his throat softly for lack of a better action, thinking
quickly on how to discourage the eager man.  There was truthfully only one
thing to do to end this pursuit before it gained any momentum.  He would make
his own strategic move.

“It would indeed be agreeable to be linked to
your family by marriage,” he began, “but I am afraid that Adalind is already
spoken for.”

The big, toothy grin immediately fell. “
Spoken
for?” Eynsford repeated, shocked. “But… but that cannot be. She is intended for
me.  I have followed her all the way from London and she is intended for
me
.”

David hoped God would forgive his convenient
lie. “She is pledged to another,” he said firmly. “I am sorry you had to come
all this way to discover the news. Please stay as my guest tonight before
returning home. I should like to hear of your father’s health and welfare.”

Eynsford was crushed beyond crushed, hurt beyond
hurt. He looked at David as if the man had just quashed every dream he’d ever
had, now left with nothing.  The naked emotion on his face was without
question.  Rather than respond to David’s invitation, he simply turned away.

“Woe,” he moaned, then threw up his hands and
wailed louder. “Woe, I say! My goddess has slipped through my fingers like…
like sand as it drains through… through… through a shattered chalice with holes
all about it.  My beautiful Adalind belongs to another and I am woeful! It
cannot be!”

“It is.”

“Then I am
ended
!”

It was a comical and dramatic emotion at its
best. David dared to turn around and look at Maddoc, who was still standing at
the top of the steps next to the keep entry, watching Eynsford stomp about with
an impassive expression on his features.  David wished he was so adept at
keeping a straight face.

“Eynsford,” David tried not to giggle as he
spoke to the man. “There is no need to despair. There will be other fine
ladies, I am sure.”

Eynsford suddenly fell to his knees in the muddy
floor of the bailey. “Nay,” he threw up his arms. “No more ladies. There will
be no more ladies for me.
Argh!
When I think of another man touching
Adalind as only I should, I… I…!”

With that, he fell over onto his back, sprawled
out on the ground as he gazed up at the sky.  Then he clumsily clutched his
citole to his chest and began to strum despondently.

“’Painful! Grossly painful and wretched heart,
you pain me stubbornly!

If only I could rip you free, free of the
bondage of a love unreturned! Hateful bastard!’”

He was singing at the top of his lungs and David
wiped a hand over his face because he couldn’t help the smile now.  It was
horrible and dramatic and funny as hell. The man was making a spectacle of
himself, drawing attention from those in the bailey.

“Eynsford, get up,” David commanded softly.
“There is no need to wallow in the dirt. Get up before you make a fool of
yourself, boy.”

Eynsford shook his head, grinding his elaborate
hat into the mud as he moved. “I will stay here forever,” he moaned. “If I
cannot have my beloved Adalind, I will waste away in the dirt of her home so I
will forever be a part of her.”

“Get out of the dirt.”

“At least she will walk over me at times. If I
cannot have all of her, at least I can have her feet.”

David turned away, biting his lip because he
wanted to burst into laughter. He truly did.  He made his way back to the steps
leading into the keep, taking them quickly until he came to Maddoc.  The knight
was still standing at the top of the stairs, watching de Lesseps make an ass
out of himself.

“See if you can get him out of the dirt and into
the great hall,” David muttered. “Let us get this meal over with in a hurry so
I can get the man out of my keep.”

Maddoc’s expression was neutral but the bright
blue eyes were flickering dangerously. “I can get him out now.”

David put a hand on Maddoc’s arm. “No, lad,” he
said. “We must be polite to this jackass because his father is a valuable
ally.  Just… make sure he does not hurt himself in his grief.  God’s Blood, now
I see what Addie was talking about. The man is boorish to say the least.”

“May I at least attempt to get rid of him, my
lord? His behavior is shameful.”

David eyed him. “Not now,” he replied. “Let us see
if he comes to his senses first.  If he is still laying here come nightfall, I
will permit you to do as you must to remove him.”

Maddoc wasn’t pleased with the directive but he
understood somewhat. The situation was delicate. With a lingering glance to the
odd fellow lying on his back and strumming his citole, David disappeared into
the keep.  Maddoc remained at the top of the stairs, however, watching the fool
as men walked around him and dogs sniffed his feet.  He eventually shook his
head with disgust.

So this is what men in love do
?  Although he’d never
been in love before, he hoped he was wrong.  He couldn’t imagine allowing
himself to succumb to such deplorable behavior.  He’d seen ample displays of it
in the past two days.

As Maddoc continued to stand there and observe,
he caught sight of someone beside him. Turning his head, he saw Adalind
standing behind him, using him for a shield as she peered down into the bailey
at Eyndsford.  She was very close, bumped up against him as she tried to hide and
Maddoc found himself studying the shape of her eyes. She had very beautiful
eyes. But Adalind wasn’t looking at him; she was focused on the fool down in
the bailey.

“God’s Beard,” she hissed. “Has he not gone
away? What is he doing?”

Maddoc’s gaze lingered on her sweet face,
appreciating it through new eyes, before returning his focus to the ward.

“He is lamenting your loss, I believe,” he said.

She looked at him. “What did Papa tell him?”

“That you are spoken for.”

“With you again?”

“He was not specific, but it was enough to send
your suitor into fits.”

Adalind’s gaze returned to the idiot with the
citole. After a moment, she shook her head with displeasure.

“I wish he would go away,” she said. “He is
humiliating me just like he did before. All that man does is humiliate me.”

Maddoc looked at her. “How has he humiliated
you?”

Adalind didn’t want to speak of it, just as she
didn’t wish to speak of the series of events that eventually had her fleeing
Court for home. Those were painful memories she didn’t wish to discuss even
though her mother and grandmother had already forced it out of her. But Maddoc
had asked a reasonable question based on her statement so she did him the
courtesy of answering. She sighed heavily.

“I first met Eynsford back in January when the
king had a Masque for the advent of the New Year,” she said quietly. “I was
attending the Lady Margaret, Hubert de Burgh’s wife, and somehow Eynsford saw
me.  He was a guest of the Duke of Norfolk, evidently.   He tried to catch my
attention at first but I ignored him, which turned out to be my mistake.  When
the meal commenced, he came to my table and announced he was deeply in love
with me and would proceed to woo me. It was
simply
[J6]
 
awful.”