Here Be Dragons - 1 by Sharon Penman (best inspirational books txt) 📕

the hangings." make$They met in John's command tent within the hour. Hugh d nan had not aged well in the twelve years since Mirebeau His h ^ beard were the shade of sea salt, his skin as splotched and sun-b ^ ^ as well-worn leather, and his eyes putJohn in mind of his favorit^^ egrine falcon. But he came forward without apparent hesitation v and said, "I thank Your Grace for seeing me. I think it time we talk HI"I offered to talk in March, as I recall. You said you'd sooner b bread with the Devil... or words to that effect.""I was in the wrong," Hugh said stonily. "I seek your pardon, seek peace between us."So did John. He needed the powerful de Lusignan clan to make good his conquest of Poitou. But he took his time, let Hugh suffer the suspense until he finally nodded, said, "So it shall be, then."Hugh's eyes glittered. "I shall give you faithful service, my liege. Now . . .what of my uncle and cousins?"John smiled coolly. "I'd planned to hang them, Hugh," he said pleasantly. "But if you can talk them into surrendering, I'll pardon them ... as proof of the friendship I now bear you."Hugh sighed audibly. "Again, I thank Your Grace."John signaled for wine. His ploy had worked even better than he'd expected;Hugh's uncle had proven to be irresistible bait. He'd bought a truce with the lives of Geoffrey de Lusignan and his sons, a truce for today. But what of tomorrow? What was to keep Hugh from disavowing his oath once his kinsmen were safe? He needed more, needed some way to bind the de Lusignans to him, to entwine his fortunes inextricably with theirs. And after careful consideration, he thought he knew how to do just that."There has been bad blood between us for far too long, Hugh. Let s pledge a new beginning, bury our grievances here and now.Hugh's smile was sour. "Is that not what we are doing?""I mean what I say, Hugh. But words are hollow. So I'll give ?" living proof of my good faithmy daughter.""Jesu!" Hugh sat back, staring at him. "Are you serious?""Very serious. Isabelle and I have a daughter; you have a son. better way to heal old hurts than to cleanse them in a bond of blo°enU.There was no need to say more. This time Hugh's smile was g^ ine, even reached his eyes. He held his wine cup aloft.10 ding," he said. "And to new beginnings."

425growing bored Rising, she glanced about the chamber ^ABELLE ^ parthenay forJohn to accept oaths of homage from the TheV s and to secure their precarious peace within the sanctity of je Lusig^ morning Hugh de Lusignan's grown son and namesake niarriag^etrothed to John and Isabelle's young daughter Joanna1 ttle bride-to-be, still two months shy of her fourth birthday, mprehension of the ceremony that linked her life to Hugh de aruj she was now playing contentedly in a corner with a newLU? oss the chamber, Hugh de Lusignan and John were exchanging1 barbed courtesies, while Eleanor was in animated conversation h Ralph deLusignan and Hugh's son Isabella could not help notic-the changes four months at John's court had wrought in Eleanor Sh d shed much of her shyness, she was even flirting a little with Hugh's handsome sonWhen she caught John's eye, Isabelle blew him a playful kiss, and then moved toward the door Wandering out into the gardens, she nicked a bouquet of white violets, settled herself upon a turf seat in the shadow of a flowering peach tree She felt no surprise when, after a few moments, she saw the younger deLusignan coming toward her, she'd noticed the way his eyes followed her when he thought no one else was watching"May I join you7""Why not7" Isabelle reached for her flowers, cleared a space on the turf seat"How did you get away from Eleanor7 She's rather taken with you, you know When you're there, she loses that air of martyred melancholy, becomes almost vivacious "He grinned "How sharp your claws, Madame1 A man who was the ^am sort might begin to wonder why "To Isabelle's surprise, she was not affronted Mayhap it was his smile, she decided, it was disarming, boyishly endearing, appealmgly at ^nance with the knowing blue eyes She wondered how old he was thirty-three, thirty-four7'hinkf6 'aU8hed and/ at hls questioning look, said lightly, "I was just n ng that if fate had been different, I'd have been your stepmother1"m h Uj>h 'aughed, too "You'd have been wasted on my father " Tak-^r Ihand m his own "Just as you've been wasted on John " awayat 'Sdangerous talk," Isabelle said coolly But she did not pull'humb 'v111?He turned ner hand over' tracked her life-line with his ^°w is it th* rC S° V6ry beautlfu1'far more beautiful than I remembered at John has not locked you away from the world7 I'd have

426H427thought he'd sequester you behind the highest walls, veil you l,ke , Sar^dl0eTened her mouth to say John trusted her, that she'd never given him cause for jealousy. Instead she heard herself say softly, ^ that what you'd do if I were your woman.Hugh."Tf you were my woman ... ne eenucu, « o ueQmoment the game-plying was forgotten. Isabelle was accustomed ,0Turt flotations. She was both flattered and amused that men mvanaH, ound her so desirable, but it was never more than a harmless divers^he never forgot where the boundary lines were drawn, had never beer, empTed to cross over. She was shaken now by what was happen**wufHugh de Lusignan, shaken to realize that she was respondmg toThis man*, smile, to his ^J^^^^ browned fingers caressing her own, ana men jc f°rC1 dabrnesaey oThts might think this a rather peculiar conversation fe-^^^^^^^^^^'^r^t^"I'm afraid the mother is already spoken for, Hughshe^nurmuMtaking refuge in flippancy, while ^£«jdi out, *°£of his mouth with her fingers^ She fought the u gePtightly clasped in her lap,