Page 13 (1/2)

I

“Father, are you e!” Bernard of Derkland frowned and finished off his tankard of ale, wishing his father would leave off grousing at him If they’d only have one conversation where theup suitable wives…!

“Aye, but if one judges by her enerous dowry she brings ” Lord Harold turned to look out over the rows of diners eating in the great hall of Wyckford Heath They were guests at the week-long celebration of the wedding of the Lord of Wyckford’s youngest daughter “What of Theresa, daughter of Lord Enderman?”

Bernard gaped Was not his parent supposed to have some care for him? “Father, would you have that horse-faced shrew in your wedding bed? An’ she hasn’t a brides’ portion big enough to oat in heat ” He druh trestle table

His father chuckled and traced the outline of his er “Mayhaps you speak the truth on that Even the dogs slink ahen she walks thither ” He chuckled again and bit off a chunk of roasted venison frohtfully for a ether as if deep in thought Aapart as a new idea lit his face “Mathilda, Lady Cretton, has a generous bride’s price an’ she is not hard on the eyes What say you that, Bernard? I’ll speak to her father on the morrow ”

“Only if you would like to find your firstborn son dead of ues say that she helped her first two husbands to an early grave I’d as lief not be the third ” He stood, stepping backward over the long bench that lined the trestle table at which they ate “Father, I know that ’tis important that I wed, but I should prefer to choose a bride of”

“An’ choose her you shall, if you make a decision anon ’Tis past time you wed, and if you do not make your choice, I will make one for you ” Harold’s countenance took on a firreement from his son

In truth, Bernard knew that the tier brother Dirick haring off with the new king in Aquitaine, and theirthe robes of a sihed heavily upon him At one score and seven, Bernard had no excuses to offer Duty beckoned

“Aye, Father I’ll begin to attend to it during our stay here ”

With a curt nod, he strode off, out of the hall, pushing past the throngs of people and stepping around the begging hounds He took long, hard steps that bespoke of his height and solid build, and as he left the noise of the hall behind hieway

If ’tweren’t dark, and he weren’t in unfamiliar territory, Bernard would mount his stallion and ride to clear his head As ’twas, he could only visit the stables and talk to his favorite horse, Rock, and save the ride for daylight

At ti heir to the vast lands of Derkland weighed so heavily upon him that he wished for the freedom of his brother Dirick, who could travel and live his life as he wished But then that weight would lessen as he recalled that his own brother had naught to bring to a beautiful lady whoht wish to wed, and that his prospects would not be near as numerous as Bernard’s own

And he did love Derkland, Bernard reflected as he slipped into the stables, with all of her rolling green hills and thick forests, tiny thatched huts and fat woolly sheep But most of all, he loved the soft brown noses of the fierce destriers that Derkland bred—the heavy, sta hooves that made even his bulk seem insubstantial, and their smart, shrewd eyes There were none better than those from his father’s stables, and none better than his own Rock, the grey-brown steed that rode and kicked and fought as solidly as its namesake

The anientle as aBernard shared soed carrots and an apple core he’d sneaked fro Rock’s velvety nose with affection

A soft cry from the depths of the stables reached his keen ears, even over the whuffling and staht to investigate, then halted ’Twas likely only awenches that adorned Wyckford Heath Hall The piles of hay in a stable arm and soft, if a bit prickly to the one on the bottoood place as any to find privacy with Wyckford Castle being filled to the rafters by wedding-goers