Chapter 9 Chapter nine

While life and death struggled for love, another upheaval was brewing in Jotersburg. Edmer hated being disturbed during dinner, but when he heard Constance's name, he immediately dropped his fork and followed the flirtatious maid.As soon as he entered the room, he immediately slammed the door and climbed on the horizontal bar. He stared at Constance, ignoring the two nervous looking maids. "My sweet Consden, so you are not dead." Edmer raised her chin, although her face was bruised and bruised and concealed her beauty, but she would recover. "These eyes have haunted me for a long time."

He heard a small commotion behind him, turned around and saw two maids trying to sneak away from the horizontal bar, "What are you doing!" He grabbed the arm of Kelati, who was closest to him, "Where are you going?" "Go back to work, sir," replied Blanche tremblingly, "we are your most loyal servants." Edmer pushed Kelati to the ground forcefully, "You think you'll be fine if you bring her? Tell me! Where is she hiding?" Blanche and Kelati looked at each other.They didn't expect this, thinking that getting rid of Frederique Constant could monopolize Jos.They just wanted the old days back, with Joss teasing them and making love to them.

"I—I don't know, sir," stammered Blanche. "You think I'm a fool?" Edmer approached her, "Someone must have hidden her, otherwise I wouldn't know of her existence, and there would be no gossip in the castle." "No, sir, she—" Blanche was so frightened that she couldn't make up a reasonable lie in time. Edmer stopped and looked at Kelati who was lying on the ground, "Who do you want to protect?" He grabbed Blanche's arm and violently twisted her back. "Master, you hurt me!" "If you dare to lie to me, I will not only hurt you."

"Bane in the kitchen hid her," Kelati cried, trying to protect her friend. Edmer let go of Blanche's arm, pausing to think.He knew Bane was a grumpy old man who slept in the kitchen, although he was a thief.He has no privacy, and naturally there is no way to hide himself.Otherwise, there will be gossip in the castle. "Nonsense!" Edmer scolded in a cold voice, and approached her slowly. Kelati crawled on the ground and retreated desperately, "Master!" Her whole body was trembling. "This is the last time you lie." He grabbed her by the waist.She saw him lead her to the window, struggling desperately.Blanche watched dumbfounded as Edmer threw the living Kelati out of the window.The scream of her falling to the third floor almost shook the four walls.Blanche collapsed on the ground with her eyes wide open.

"Tell me," Edmer turned to Blanche, "who hid her?" "Jos." Blanche's voice was as thin as a gnat. Hearing this name, Constance immediately raised her head, "No!" She couldn't stand Joss being betrayed. Edmer smiled, "That little white-faced singer?" He had forgotten about him, it was Joss who took her body away that day. "Where did he sleep to hide her for so long without being noticed?" "The little attic above the stables." Blanche replied dully, keeping her eyes on the window.Not so long ago, Kelati was alive, but now she lay lifeless, lying on her head in pieces.

Edmer nodded with satisfaction, knowing she was telling the truth.He took a step towards her and she immediately threw her back against the door. "No, sir, I've told you the truth," he continued to approach her with a cold smile on his face. "I brought you Frederique Constant, and I am loyal to you." Edmer just liked her fear; it was a testament to his strength.He stood against her, stroking her chin with a fat hand.There were tears in her eyes, tears of fear.He was still smiling when he beat her up. Blanche fell to the ground, covering her face with one hand, one eye was bruised.

"Get out," he laughed loudly, and opened the door, "I'll teach you a little lesson this time, and I won't be so cheap next time." Before the door was fully opened, Blanche had already crawled out.She ran downstairs and out of the manor house.She continued to run across the courtyard, bolting all the way out of town.She ignored the shouts of the guards on the ramparts, knowing only that she wanted to stay away from anything connected with Jetersburg.It wasn't until she was in unbearable pain that she finally stopped.Then she walked on, never looking back. Joss secretly hid four plums under his tights; he knew that Frederique Constant loved fresh fruit.He whistled all the way to the stables and froze at the sight of the ladder leaning against the wall.Lately he has been especially careful to remove the ladder and hide it, and the groom's wife will watch it for him when he is away.Could it be... no, Constance!

He ran over, and climbed into the small attic in three steps and two steps.Seeing the absence of her smile in the small empty room, he felt cold all over.He knew that it was impossible for Frederique Constant to leave alone.She was too timid, too scared.I don't know when tears blurred his eyes.Where should he go to find her? He wasn't surprised that Edmer was waiting for him at the bottom of the ladder, accompanied by two armed guards. "What did you do to her?" Joss jumped down the last few steps, wrapping his hands around Edmer's neck. Edmer's face turned pale, and his men finally pulled Jos away.Edmer struggled to get up, looked at the torn clothes on his body with disgust, "You have to pay for this with your life."

"You pig, what did you do to her?" Edmer gasped.No one had ever dared to speak to him like that before.He raised his hand and slapped Jos, the ring on his hand scratched the corner of his mouth, "You have to pay the price. Take him to the dungeon." Conston sat lifelessly by the window of Edmer's bedroom.She would never see Joss again, never again would he take her in his arms and tell her that he loved her more than the moon and the stars.The only hope is that he manages to escape.She prayed that Blanche would go and warn Joss.She knew that Blanche liked Joss, and she had often heard her calling him down in the stable.Blanche would be sure to warn Joss that they would be safe together.

Frederique Constant wasn't jealous at all.In fact, she only wanted Joss to be happy, and if he wanted her to die for him, she would be obliged.Anyway, what's the use of keeping this poor life? The commotion and familiar figure in the square below attracted her attention.Two powerful warriors half pushed and half pulled Jos who was still struggling. While she was watching, a warrior punched Jos hard on the collarbone, causing him to fall to the ground.He struggled to get up.Frederique Constant wanted to call him, but she knew that would only increase his danger.But he seemed aware of her, and turned suddenly to look at the window.Consden immediately raised her hand.With tears in her eyes, she saw blood on his chin.

When the guards turned Joss around and pulled him forward, she suddenly knew where they wanted him to go.Heartbeat stopped suddenly.The dungeon was a dreadful contraption; it was a chamber hollowed out of the hard rock in the shape of a jar, into which the prisoner would be sent down on pulleys, and once inside he could neither sit nor stand but half crouched, his back And the neck is always bent.The air there is thin, and prisoners cannot get food and water.No one can last more than a few days in it, only the strongest can manage to last a little longer. Consden watched as the guards tied Joss to a pulley and sent him into the dark room.After the stone cover was closed, she still stared intently for a moment before turning her eyes away.Now there is no hope.Jos will definitely die tomorrow, and if he survives tonight, Edmer will also want to torture him to death. An exquisite set of crystal wine glasses and a decanter stand on the table.She paced blankly, smashed the bottle, picked up a piece, and walked back to the window. It was a pleasant midsummer day.When the crystal shards scratched her wrist, Constance felt almost no pain.Seeing the blood gushing out of her body, her heart felt unusually peaceful, as if she was finally relieved, "Soon," she whispered to herself, "I'll be with you soon, my Jos." Constance cut the other wrist, and then calmly leaned against the window wall, with one hand on her leg and the other holding on to the window sill, drop by drop of her blood turning red on the window sill.A soft wind brushed her hair, and she smiled.She remembered every moment she had spent with Jos, every love word he had ever said to her. Gradually, her thoughts became lazy.It felt as if she was falling asleep.Konstantin closed her eyes, smiled slightly, facing the sun and the breeze, her thoughts were no longer... "Child! Are you okay?" a hoarse voice whispered to Joss. He was so dazed that he could barely hear more than words. "Child!" the voice called again, "answer me!" "Well," Joss struggled to force out his voice. He was answered with a heavy sigh, "He's okay," a woman was saying, "Tie this on you and I'll pull you up." Jos was so upset that he didn't know what happened.The woman's hands guided his body through the bottleneck and into the cool night sky.Air—the first breath in hours began to clear his head.His body was numb and stiff, and as soon as his feet touched the ground, he froze his fingers to untie the pulley straps. The groom and his fat wife looked at him lovingly. "My boy," she said, "you must go at once." She helped him walk to the stable. Every time he took a step, Joss became more conscious.He has only recently experienced love, and naturally he has never known what hate is.Walking on the dark ground now, he looked up at Edmer's dark window.He hated Edmer Chottles, he knew that pig was lying with Frederique Constant. After entering the stables, Mrs. Groom said again, "You must run away quickly. My husband will help you out of town. Here—I have prepared a bag of dry food for you. A small amount of food can last for several days." Joss frowned, "I can't go, I can't leave Frederique Constant alone." "I know you won't go without knowing it," the old woman said, turning around and asking Joss to go with her.She lit another candle on the wall and led him into an empty corral.She slowly lifted a cloth over the bales of hay. At first Jos couldn't believe what he saw.He had seen Constance like this before, but at that time he thought she was dead.He knelt beside her and hugged her thin body into his arms, "She's so cold," he said authoritatively, "Get some blankets." The old woman pressed Jos's shoulders, "All the blankets in the world can't warm her anymore, she's dead." "No, she's not dead! She's been like that before—" "Don't torture yourself, the girl is bleeding dry." "Blood?" The old woman lifted the cloth and raised Constance's lifeless wrist, where the blood vessels were exposed.Joss stared blankly for a long time, "Who did it?" "She took her own life. No one forced her." Joss looked at Constance's pale face again, and finally understood that she had really left.He leaned over and kissed her forehead, "It's all about peace now." "Yes," the old woman breathed a sigh of relief. "You have to go quickly." Joss vigorously pushed away the old woman who was holding his hand tightly, and walked resolutely towards the manor house.Passing through the samurai lying horizontally in the hall, he drew out the long sword on the wall, and stepped on soft shoes to go up to the fourth floor without a sound. A guard at the door of Edmer's room was sleeping soundly.Joss didn't hesitate to stab him through the heart; he didn't like to kill and had never taken anyone's life, but he couldn't take any chances, and in his present state he had no chance against a warrior.Edmer's door didn't lock; he felt safe in his own room in his castle.Joss grabbed Edmer's hair calmly and almost without feeling it.Edmer opened his eyes suddenly——when he saw Joss, his eyes widened even more, "No!" These were the last words of Edmer's life.Joss slashed the sword across the throat of the cruel count.Edmer made him sick even when he was dead.He threw the long sword to the side of the bed, turned his head and walked out. Alice couldn't sleep.She hadn't had a good night's sleep in weeks, since the bard had stopped coming to her bed.It was useless for her to threaten him again and again, he always looked at her without saying a word.To be honest, instead, she became very interested in this man who treated her like this.She slipped out of bed, slipped into the hallway under a burqa, and immediately realized something was wrong.The door of Edmer's room was open, and the guard on the door was sitting in a strange posture.She walked cautiously and quietly, and at this moment a man came out and walked straight towards her without turning his eyes. She saw the blood on his body first, then his face.Alice gasped, putting a hand to her throat.She barely recognized him when he stopped in front of her.He was no longer a boy who laughed often, but a man who looked at her sternly and fearlessly.A chill of fear ran up her spine, "Jos." He passed her as if he didn't see her or didn't care to see her.After he left, Alice walked slowly into Edmer's room.She smiled when she saw Edmer's still bleeding body. Alice walked to the window and pressed one hand on the window lattice, where the innocent blood of another person was soaked earlier, "Widow." Widow!Now she has it all—wealth, beauty, and freedom. A month before she had written countless letters, begging to be invited to King Henry's court.When the invitation came, Edmer laughed at her, saying that she refused to spend such money.In fact, when he was in the court, he couldn't throw the maid out of the window as he pleased in his own castle.Now she can enter the court freely. There'll be Gavin there too!Yes, she arranged it too.The redhead bitch has had him for too long.Gavin was hers once, always.If she could get rid of his wife completely, he would be all hers.He will not refuse to give her a golden clothes.No, Gavin would refuse her nothing.Didn't she always have what she wanted?Now she wanted Gavin Montgomery again, and she was bound to have it. Someone moving below caught her attention.Jos was walking up the stone steps of the city wall with his lute and a large cloth bag slung across his back. "You've done me a great favor," she said softly, "and now I'll pay you back." She didn't call the guards, but just stood there planning her future when she was free.Joss helped her a lot, not only wealth and power, but Gavin most importantly. The unbearable heat in the tent made Gavin unable to sleep. He simply got up and dressed, while looking at Judith who was sleeping peacefully, with a loving smile on his face.They had been making love most of the night, and now she was exhausted.But he doesn't.Not only not tired, but full of energy.Love Judith seems to be able to ignite the fire of his life, release all the pressure, so that he has no scruples and is alive and well. He took a velvet cloak from the chest and pulled back the sheets to wrap her up.She immediately snuggled up to him like a child, and he carried her out of the tent, nodded to the night watchman, and walked towards the forest.He bowed his head and kissed her red lips. "Gavin?" "Yes, Gavin." She buried him on his shoulder and smiled without opening her eyes, "Where are you taking me?" He smiled and hugged her tighter, "Do you care?" She smiled more happily, her eyes were still closed, "I don't care at all." He laughed, and the laughter rumbled in his chest.He didn't let her go until he reached the stream, and she gradually woke up.The cool night air, the sound of gurgling water, and the sweet fragrance of grass make the dream more beautiful and real.Gavin sat down beside her, never touching her. "You said you broke a vow. What kind of vow was that?" He waited nervously for her answer.They never spoke of what had happened at Demery Castle again, but Gavin wanted to know what had happened to her, and asked her to deny what he knew.If she really loved Mori, why did she kill him?If she did fall into someone else's arms, wouldn't it be Gavin's fault too?He knew that the oath she had broken was the one she had sworn in front of the priest and hundreds of witnesses. The darkness hid Judith's blushes.She didn't know what Gavin was thinking, but she only remembered that she threw herself into his arms the night before he went to the battlefield. "I'm a monster and can eat people, so you can't tell me?" He said, "Tell me about it, and I won't ask you anything in the future." This is her secret, but he really rarely asks her.Maybe it was the full moon, maybe it was the cool night, she couldn't bear to refuse him, "I made an oath to you on the wedding day...and I broke the oath." He nodded: that's exactly what he was afraid of. "When I went to find you that night, I knew I was going to break my oath." She continued, "But why did he say that we didn't sleep together. We will arrange things between us, so why should he talk." "Judith, what are you talking about?" She looked at him in surprise, "Didn't you ask me about breaking the oath?" She could see that he still didn't understand, "That day in the garden when I saw you and—" She stopped abruptly, turning her face away.The memory is vivid, and the pain is still deep. Gavin stared at her, giggling as the memory slowly came to him. Judith turned to him displeased, "Are you laughing at me?" "That's right. That kind of oath is ignorant! You were a virgin when you took the oath, but once you know it, you can't leave me." She glared at him angrily, got up, "You are boring and bad. I confessed to you, but you laughed at me!" She turned her head and walked back with her chest up. Gavin grinned maliciously, and grabbed the hem of her cloak with all his strength to snatch it away. Judith gasped, trying to cover herself, "Do you want to go back to the camp now?" Satisfied, he rolled up his cloak and put it behind his head. Judith glared at him angrily, lying on the grass, not even looking at her.snort!He thought he won? Gavin lay motionless, waiting for her to come at any moment and beg him to return her clothes.Hearing the commotion in the bushes, he smiled confidently.He would never dare to go back to camp naked.After a long silence, he heard the regular movement of leaves, as if... He immediately jumped up and followed the sound, "There is nothing wrong with you!" He stood in front of his wife with a big laugh.She was wearing an airtight cloak covered by leaves, and she triumphantly raised her head and smiled at him. Gavin put his hands on his hips, "When will I beat you?" "I'm afraid it will never be possible." Judith said triumphantly. Gavin giggled maliciously, then stretched out his hands and tore the fragile leaf clothes, "You really think so?" He hugged her by the waist, her naked curves shone silver against the moonlight.He grabbed her with both hands and tossed her into the air, laughing amidst her terrified gasps, "Don't you understand the truth that a good wife never argues with her husband?" He sarcastically put her on a branch and sat, Her knees were level with his eyes, "You look so cute." He smiled and looked at her face, seeing the fear in her eyes froze immediately. "Judith," he said softly, "I forgot you were afraid. Forgive me." He had to tear her hands away from the tree trunk with such force that her knuckles were white.Even if she let go, he still had to drag her down the tree, scratching her delicate buttocks, "Judith, forgive me." He whispered as she clung to him tightly. He took her back to the stream, wrapped her in his cloak, and hugged her tightly across his lap.He couldn't stand his own stupidity.How could he forget such an important thing?He lifted her chin and kissed her tenderly. Suddenly her kiss became passionate, "Hold me tight." She choked out hopelessly, "Don't leave me." He was startled by the urgency in her voice, "No, baby, I'll never leave you." She had always been a passionate woman, and now in the midst of the frenzy, she was more aggressive than ever, wrapping her lips around his and kissing his neck all the way. "Judith," he murmured, "sweet sweet Judith." The cloak slipped to reveal her full breasts, which towered proudly at him.Gavin's head started to spin. "Why are you still wearing clothes?" Her hands couldn't wait to slip into his clothes.Gavin didn't even want to leave her for a moment to undress.He quickly stripped off all his clothes; he hadn't been wearing any underwear just now.Judith pushed him to lie down, leaning over him.He lay motionless and could barely breathe, "It looks like you are the one who is scared." She smiled happily. "I'm afraid, do you want to fuck me as you like?" Her little hand moved on his body, enjoying the touch of his skin, and then moved down more and more.He gasped, his eyes turned into dark pools, "Do as you like," he said hoarsely, "Just don't take your hand away." She giggled happily, feeling waves of strong heat surge through her body.She has him under control.But the next moment she touched his strength, she knew that he was still much stronger than her.Desire burnt out her ideas.She crawled on top of him, leaning forward against him, looking for his mouth.Gavin lay quietly under her without moving, but soon he couldn't help himself anymore.He took her swinging hips and guided her - faster, stronger, his agitation matched hers.Then they burst into each other's arms at the same time. "Wake up, little bastard," Gavin smiled, and slapped Judith's bare buttocks. "People in the camp will come out to find us when they wake up." "Let them find it," Judith muttered, pulling the cloak tighter around herself. Gavin looked down at her, her body huddled between his legs.He had never experienced a night like last night.Who is his wife?Whore and whore?A person who sees the wind and turns the rudder without determination?Or is she as pure, kind and virtuous as his brother said?Whoever she is, she's a devil when it comes to sex. "Shall I ask your maid to come here and change your clothes? No doubt Joan will have an opinion." Thinking of Joan's self-satisfaction, Judith suddenly became fully awake.She sat up and looked at the stream, took a deep breath of the fresh morning air, yawned, stretched, and pulled off her cloak to expose her plump and attractive breasts. "For God's sake!" cried Gavin, "cover yourself, or we'll never get to London to see King Henry." She smiled at him provocatively, "Maybe I'd rather stay here. The court can't be half as fun as here." "I admit," Gavin wrapped her in a cloak and put her in his arms with a loving smile, "Go back. Miles and Ryan are leaving today. I want to say a few words to them." They were all silent on the way back to camp.Judith snuggled into Gavin's arms lovingly, praying that the days to come would be like this.He can be gentle and friendly when he wants to.Dear God, let us have no more arguments, she prayed. An hour later, Judith walked between Ryan and Miles, happily holding the arms of each of them. She had no idea what she would pose between two big men who were less than their shoulder height. Funny picture. "I'll miss you both." She took their hands. "It's nice to have all the family around, although my mother rarely leaves John Barside." "Do I smell vinegar?" Ryan laughed. "Yeah," Miles said, "Isn't it enough to have us?" "It seems enough to have Gavin alone." Ren teased. Judith smiled happily, her cheeks flushed, "Is there anything a brother does that other brothers don't know?" "Very little," Ryan looked over her head at Miles, "Of course there is a question about where our youngest went last night." "With Joan," Judith blurted out without thinking. There was a smile dancing in Ren's eyes, while Miles was still unpredictable. "I...know because Joan mentions him so often," she stammered. Ren's dimples sank deeper, "Don't let Miles scare you, he's actually curious about what the woman said about him." Judith smiled. "I'll tell you next time we meet. Maybe I can encourage you to visit us earlier than scheduled." "Well said!" Ryan laughed, "We really have to go on our way. The court will not welcome us if we don't pay, and I can't afford such a large amount of extra expenses." "He's rich," Miles said. "Don't let him fool you." "Neither of you can fool me. Thank you both for your company and concern, and thank you for listening to my whining." "We can finally kiss this little beauty, shouldn't we cry too?" Miles asked solemnly. "You're right this time, youngest." Ryan lifted Judith up and kissed her hard on both cheeks. Miles took her over and laughed at his brother, "You really don't know how to take advantage of the opportunity." He held Judith into his arms and kissed her very unbrotherly on the mouth. "You forgot who you are, Miles." A voice reprimanded coldly, Judith pushed her uncle away, and saw Gavin staring at them stormily. Ryan and Miles looked at each other.This was the first time Gavin showed real jealousy openly, "Put her down before he draws his sword and kills you." Miles held Judith in his arms again for a moment, staring down at her, "Maybe she's worth it." He gently put her down on the ground. "See you soon," Lane told Gavin. "Maybe we can get together at Christmas. I can't wait to meet the Miss Scotland that Steve is going to 'marry'." Gavin wrapped his arms around Judith's shoulders possessively, and pulled her to his side, "See you at Christmas," he said, watching his two younger brothers get on their horses and leave. "You're not really angry, are you?" "No," sighed Gavin, "but I don't like seeing any man touch you—even if he's my own brother." Judith took a deep breath. "If they come for Christmas, the baby will be born by then." Boy, Gavin thought.Not 'my boy' or 'our boy', just 'kid' and he didn't like to think about that kid, "Come on, we should go." Judith secretly swallowed her tears and followed him obediently.Should she tell him that the child could only be his?Should she beg him to listen to her explanation and believe her?She could tell him the days, tell her how long he was pregnant, but Gavin had hinted that she might have slept with De Mori during the wedding.She returned to the tent sadly, and directed the maids to pack their bags. They stopped and camped before it was dark.They were in no rush to get to London, and Gavin would rather have more fun traveling.He gradually likes to be close to his wife.They often chatted all over the world like friends.Gavin found himself sharing childhood secrets with her, telling her how terrified he was when his father died so suddenly. At this time, he was sitting at the table with a ledger spread out in front of him.Keeping accounts and auditing accounts is a trivial and annoying thing, but his steward is sick in bed, and he can't trust his samurai's stupid head, so he is the only one who is troubled.Taking a sip of coffee, he looked at his wife bored.She was sitting on a low stool at the entrance of the tent, with a ball of blue wool on her lap, and her hands were busy fighting with a pair of stick needles.As he watched, she created more and more chaos.The cute little face frowned intently, the tip of her tongue sticking out between her lips, and even the tip of her nose was sweating from anxiety.He glanced at the ledgers again and realized that she was trying to please him by trying to knit.Didn't he often complain that he doesn't like her meddling in the affairs of the castle? Gavin barely burst out laughing as she snorted disdainfully about the wool and muttered a long line under her breath.He tried to hold himself together, scowling, "Judith, maybe you can come and do me a favor. Would you mind putting that thing aside for now?" he asked with all the self-control he had.When she tossed the needle and thread casually as if she was fleeing, and jumped up, he tried hard not to laugh. Gavin pointed to the ledger, "We spent too much on this trip, but I don't see anything wrong." Judith fetched the ledger, at least she was good at it.She slid her fingers across each column, her eyes moved back and forth, and suddenly stopped, "The bread also costs five marks! Who opened his mouth like a lion?" "I don't know," Gavin replied matter-of-factly. "I just eat that stuff, I don't bake it." "You're eating gold nuggets! I'm going to settle with that guy. Why didn't you show it to me sooner?" "My lord, because I thought I could handle it myself." Pity the world for being a man who thinks so. She glared at him, "I'll go get that guy out!" She turned around and left. "Don't you take your needle and thread with you? Maybe you can't find enough to keep you busy." Judith looked back and saw that he was making fun of her.She smiled sweetly back at him, grabbed the ball of wool and threw it at him unexpectedly, "Maybe it's you who needs to be busy." She glanced at the account book again, and then rushed out of the tent. Gavin fell into the chair and played with the wool for a while.As soon as she left, the tent seemed extremely empty.He walked to the tent door and leaned against the camp post, looking at her.She never screamed at the servants, but she was better at making them work harder than he was.She took care of the food, the laundry, the pitching and camping... everything, and she did it with ease.Seeing her relaxed appearance, no one would guess that she has the ability to handle six things at the same time. She finally finished talking to the guy pushing the van.The middle-aged man with short stature shook his head all the way away, Gavin was amused when he saw it.He knew well what was in the baker's heart.Didn't he have many times when he was clearly right, but somehow felt that he had lost the argument?Judith is the best at playing with words, she can talk so much that people forget what she stands for. Gavin watched her move around the camp.She stopped to taste the porridge in the pot, and chatted with Gavin's entourage as they polished their armor.The boy nodded and smiled at her, and Gavin knew there were going to be small changes, all for the better.He had never lived comfortably, or traveled, so effortlessly.He remembered the many times when he stepped out of the tent in the morning and stepped on horse manure.Now he doubted that Judith would let that filth land, his camp was the cleanest he'd ever seen. Sensing his gaze, Judith put down the chicken she was examining and smiled back at him.Gavin felt a tightness in his chest, what was his tightness about her?Does he still care that she is pregnant with someone else's child?All he knew was that he wanted her. Without thinking about it, he walked over and grabbed her arm, "Follow me in." "But I have to—" "You would rather stay outside?" He raised his eyebrows slightly. She smiled caringly, "No, not at all." They make love freely, enjoying each other's bodies to the point of unbearable passion.Gavin just loves having sex with Judith.There are always so many tricks, teaching him to be insatiable.She always seems to be changing.Quiet and sexy one moment, proactive the next.Sometimes she would laugh and howl.And after a while, he was used as an experiment in a serious manner.But no matter how she changed or played tricks, he just loved her.Just the thought of touching her would make him aroused. At this time, he held her tightly in his arms, and buried his nose in her hair.She squirmed in his arms, as if there was a way to get closer to him; in fact, it was impossible.He kissed the top of her head sleepily, and fell asleep peacefully. "You're in love with him," Joan said the next morning as she brushed her hair. "You... how do you know?" Joan didn't answer. "Isn't a woman supposed to love her husband?" "If he loves her too, you'd better be careful not to get too deep, or you'll be heartbroken if he doesn't reciprocate." "He hardly ever left my sight," Judith defended. "That's true, but what about after you enter the palace? Then you won't be able to be alone with Lord Gavin. There are many of the most beautiful women in England in the palace, and men will never be able to resist that temptation." "Stop talking!" Judith ordered, "Come and brush my hair." "Yes, ma'am," Joan mocked. As she marched all day, she was thinking about Joan's words.Is she really in love with her husband?He had witnessed him embracing another woman, and he was angry because he didn't respect her.But now thinking of seeing him with other women, it feels like a sharp weapon piercing my heart. "Judith, are you okay?" Gavin asked with concern, riding beside her. "Uh... no." "What happened?" "I'm worried about King Henry's court. Are there many... pretty women there?" Gavin looked at Steve who was riding on the other side of her, "What do you think? Are the women in the palace cute?" Steve gave his sister-in-law a deadpan look, "I'm sure you'll want your own." He turned his horse and headed back to his men. Judith turned to Gavin. "I didn't mean to offend him." "You didn't. Steve didn't say a word, but I knew he was worried about the marriage that was about to happen. I don't blame him. That girl hated the English and it was bound to make life difficult for him." Judith nodded and said nothing.It was only when she stopped for supper that she took the opportunity to slip away for a moment.She found a field of raspberries just outside the camp, and happily rolled up her skirt to pick them. "You shouldn't have slipped here alone." She gasped, "Steve, you scared the hell out of me!" "If I were the enemy, you'd be dead by now—or held for ransom." "Steve, are you always this gloomy? Or are you just worried about the Scottish heiress?" Steve took a long breath, "Am I really that transparent?" "Not to me, but you can't escape Gavin's eyes. Come and sit for a while. Do you think we could be selfish for a second and eat all these raspberries? Have you seen your Scottish heiress?" "No," he said, taking a raspberry still warm in the sun, and popping it into his mouth, "she's not mine yet. You know what? Her father abdicated before he died to make her the great landowner of the McAllens." ?” "A woman inheriting everything?" Judith's eyes became distant. "Yes." He said disgustedly. 她迅速恢复正常，“那你不知道她长得什么样子喽？” “嗯，不过我敢说她一定又矮又小，黑巴巴的，干得像个松毬果。” “她年纪大吗？” “也许她很年轻，肥得像个松毬果。” 茱蒂丝被他那世界末日般的神态逗得笑不可止，“你们四个兄弟都截然不同。盖文脾气急躁火爆——一会儿冷冰冰的，一会儿又火山爆发。雷恩爱笑，爱捉弄人；迈尔斯则——” 史蒂夫对她笑了，“不必跟我解释迈尔斯了。那家伙野心勃勃，准备到处播种增加英格兰的人口。” “你呢？你排行老二，对我来说最难了解。” 史蒂夫别开脸，“我成长的过程并不容易。迈尔斯和雷恩有彼此为伴，盖文忙着为堡中事务忧心，而我……” “你便孤独一人。” 史蒂夫骇然抬首望向她，“你对我下了魔咒！片刻之间我告诉你的事比告诉任何人的都多。” “如果你那个女继承人对你不好，记得通知我，我去替你挖了她的眼睛。” “只希望她还有眼睛可以让你挖。” 他们笑作一团。 “咱们快点把这些吃掉，否则就得被瓜分了。如果我没弄错的话，老大哥来了。” “我哪次找到你时是没有男人陪你的？”盖文黑着脸对他们大皱其眉。 “除了挑剔外，你还有没有别的话可以跟我打招呼？”她还以颜色。 史蒂大笑着哼了声，“我还是赶快溜吧。”他倾身亲吻茱蒂丝的额头，“如果需要帮忙的话，小嫂子，我也能找到另一对眼珠子。” 盖文抓住他弟弟的手臂，“她也收服了你吗？” 史蒂夫回头看一眼他的嫂子，她的嘴唇还沾着覆盆子的红汁，“是的。如果你不想要她……” 盖文嫌恨地瞪他一眼，“雷恩已经问过了。” 史蒂夫一路大笑着离去。 “你为什么要离开营区？”盖文在她身旁坐下，由她腿上拿了一大把覆盆子。 “我们明天就到伦敦了，是不是？” “嗯，你该不会是伯国王和皇后吧？” “没有，我不是怕他们。” “那你怕谁？” “宫……宫里的女人。” “你在吃醋吗？”盖文笑了。 "I have no idea." “有你在我怎么还有时间管别的女人？你把我累惨了，害我好几次差点就掉下马背。” 她没陪他一起笑，“我怕的只有一个女人，她曾经离开过我们，不要让她——” 盖文的面容变硬了，“不要提她，我一直善待你，没追究在戴莫里堡中发生的事，而你却反过来探索我的灵魂。” “她是你的灵魂吗？” 盖文凝神打量她，过去数夜的激情记忆在脑中浮现，“不要问我，”他轻声说道，“我唯一敢确定的是——我的灵魂不属于我自己。” 进了伦敦，茱蒂丝头一样注意到的就是脏乱、奢侈、浪费。她的恐惧大概全显现在脸上，因为盖文和史蒂夫都在笑她，一进入威契斯特城，脏乱和噪音便锐减。盖文将她举下马背，她便立即转身去指挥载家具和行李的马车。 “别管了，”盖文说，“亨利王一定已听说我们到了，他不会高兴等你整顿他的城堡的。” “我的衣服干净吗？会不会太绉？”那天早上茱蒂丝刻意挑选出最好的黄天鹅绒衣服，把自己打扮得像洋娃娃似的清新可爱。 “你完美极了。跟我来吧，让亨利王看看你。” 想到就要晋见英格兰王，茱蒂丝拚命控制一颗乱跳的心。她不知该作何种心理准备，起码平凡的大厅就头一个出她意料之外。男男女女分坐各处，玩棋或者其他游戏。有三个女人围坐在一个弹奏弦琴的英俊男子脚边。她怎也看不出有谁像亨利王。 当盖文在一个相貌平凡，有对蓝色小眼睛和一头稀疏白发的中年人面前停步时，茱蒂丝吃了一惊。她迅速恢复正常，屈膝行澧，亨利王执起她的手。 “到亮处来让我看看你。我听了许多赞扬你美丽的说词。嗯，你和我听说的一样美。贝丝，到这里来。来见茱蒂丝夫人，盖文的新娘。” 茱蒂丝转身看见一漂亮的中年妇人站在她身后。她曾意外亨利王是国王，但这女人毫无疑问是皇后。她容貌端庄高雅，眉目间带有威仪，但是她也仁慈、友善。 “陛下。”茱蒂丝讯道，曲膝行礼。 伊丽莎白伸出她的手，“女伯爵，很高兴你们能来小住，我是不是说错话了？” 茱蒂丝对这妇人的敏感笑了，“从来没有人叫我'女伯爵'过，乍听起来有点不习惯。实在是我父亲才过世不久。” “唔，那是次不幸事件吧？那个男人付出代价了吗？” “他死了。”茱蒂丝肯定地说，清楚记得长剑没人华特背椎的感觉。 “来，你长途旅行一定累了。” “不，我不累。” 伊丽莎白好玩地笑了，“那也许你愿意到我房间去喝点酒？” “是的，陛下，我愿意。” “不介意我们失陪，亨利？” 茱蒂丝猝然发觉她一直背向国王，赶忙转回身，两颊绯红一片。 “别管我，孩子。”亨利和蔼地说，“贝丝一定会拉你帮忙筹备我们大儿子亚瑟的婚礼。” 茱蒂丝微笑着曲膝行礼后，跟随皇后拾级而上。