for her, should he realise that she had no maidenhead to offer him, were surely too horrible to contemplate. If the priest found out she had lost her virtue...
Anxiety crawled across her skin. Lord Collins had already bedded many maidens. Could she fool him? Would he be able to sense that she was missing the membrane of resistance that was her maidenhead? Mayhap she should have waited until after her wedding night to go forth with her plan? Nay. There would have been no opportunity to proceed once she was at the Collins’ keep. None of her faithful servants would have been there to assist her.
Again she sent a prayer heavenward that she had been successful. ’Twas too early to tell. Her courses were not due for another sennight.
Now, standing next to Lord Collins, her slim hand cramping from the tight hold of his sweaty palm, Lisette willed herself to be calm—to merely exist, not to think or to feel. She forced herself to stand rooted to the spot when all that was in her screamed at her to break free and run as far away as possible. ’Twas better that she accepted this man as her husband than have sweet Genevieve betrothed to him.
The priest cleared his throat and began the ceremony. “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here in the sight of God to join together this man and this woman in Holy Matrimony; which is an honourable estate, instituted of God in Paradise and into which holy estate these two persons present come now to be joined.”
Honourable estate ! There was nothing honourable about this union, Lisette scoffed inwardly. She was barely able to maintain the detachment she’d strived so hard to achieve. There was nothing honourable about Lord Collins either, if Ysabel’s suspicions were correct.
The sound of horses’ hooves drawing near hovered at the edge of her subconscious mind. Somewhere among the onlookers, a child cried and another coughed. She paid the sounds no heed. With firm resolve she willed her mind away from the scene around her and sought internal peace. She must maintain an air of detachment, adopt an expression of indifference rather than allowing her features to show her distaste for the man who was to be her husband. She must give him no hint as to her resistance, for ’twould serve no purpose and may only incur his wrath. He must believe she came to him willingly. ’Twas imperative that he believe she was devoted to him. If she swelled with child, he must be convinced the child was his. She must not show any discontent that might make him suspect she had taken a lover.
“Therefore,” the priest droned, “if any man can show any just cause why they may not lawfully be joined together, by God’s Law, or the Laws of the Realm; let him now speak, or else hereafter forever hold his peace.”
“I present just cause.”
There was a collective gasp from the crowd at the confidently delivered words. Indeed, Lisette heard her own sharp intake of breath.
Lord Collins stiffened beside her and dropped her hand. “What is the meaning of this outrage?”
“Identify yourself,” the priest commanded.
Lisette turned. The crowd parted just as though Moses was parting the red sea.
A knight in a full suit of armour sat astride a mighty black destrier and walked his mount forward toward the people standing at the back of the crowd. As he lifted his arm in signal, a half a dozen more knights rode forth surrounding the crowd.
The horses she’d heard!
People grew restless. Fearful.
“What is your business here?” Collins challenged the leader of the knights, but Lisette was close enough to observe the uncertainty in his features. “Who are you and from where do you hail?”
The knight swung down in a smooth, lithe action from his steed and removed his helmet.
There were some exclamations and sounds of feminine approval from the assembly.
Lisette’s heart jumped in her chest then seemed to do a series of acrobatic tumbles as she looked at him. A finer man she’d never seen. Even
Anxiety crawled across her skin. Lord Collins had already bedded many maidens. Could she fool him? Would he be able to sense that she was missing the membrane of resistance that was her maidenhead? Mayhap she should have waited until after her wedding night to go forth with her plan? Nay. There would have been no opportunity to proceed once she was at the Collins’ keep. None of her faithful servants would have been there to assist her.
Again she sent a prayer heavenward that she had been successful. ’Twas too early to tell. Her courses were not due for another sennight.
Now, standing next to Lord Collins, her slim hand cramping from the tight hold of his sweaty palm, Lisette willed herself to be calm—to merely exist, not to think or to feel. She forced herself to stand rooted to the spot when all that was in her screamed at her to break free and run as far away as possible. ’Twas better that she accepted this man as her husband than have sweet Genevieve betrothed to him.
The priest cleared his throat and began the ceremony. “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here in the sight of God to join together this man and this woman in Holy Matrimony; which is an honourable estate, instituted of God in Paradise and into which holy estate these two persons present come now to be joined.”
Honourable estate ! There was nothing honourable about this union, Lisette scoffed inwardly. She was barely able to maintain the detachment she’d strived so hard to achieve. There was nothing honourable about Lord Collins either, if Ysabel’s suspicions were correct.
The sound of horses’ hooves drawing near hovered at the edge of her subconscious mind. Somewhere among the onlookers, a child cried and another coughed. She paid the sounds no heed. With firm resolve she willed her mind away from the scene around her and sought internal peace. She must maintain an air of detachment, adopt an expression of indifference rather than allowing her features to show her distaste for the man who was to be her husband. She must give him no hint as to her resistance, for ’twould serve no purpose and may only incur his wrath. He must believe she came to him willingly. ’Twas imperative that he believe she was devoted to him. If she swelled with child, he must be convinced the child was his. She must not show any discontent that might make him suspect she had taken a lover.
“Therefore,” the priest droned, “if any man can show any just cause why they may not lawfully be joined together, by God’s Law, or the Laws of the Realm; let him now speak, or else hereafter forever hold his peace.”
“I present just cause.”
There was a collective gasp from the crowd at the confidently delivered words. Indeed, Lisette heard her own sharp intake of breath.
Lord Collins stiffened beside her and dropped her hand. “What is the meaning of this outrage?”
“Identify yourself,” the priest commanded.
Lisette turned. The crowd parted just as though Moses was parting the red sea.
A knight in a full suit of armour sat astride a mighty black destrier and walked his mount forward toward the people standing at the back of the crowd. As he lifted his arm in signal, a half a dozen more knights rode forth surrounding the crowd.
The horses she’d heard!
People grew restless. Fearful.
“What is your business here?” Collins challenged the leader of the knights, but Lisette was close enough to observe the uncertainty in his features. “Who are you and from where do you hail?”
The knight swung down in a smooth, lithe action from his steed and removed his helmet.
There were some exclamations and sounds of feminine approval from the assembly.
Lisette’s heart jumped in her chest then seemed to do a series of acrobatic tumbles as she looked at him. A finer man she’d never seen. Even
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