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

and then a shadow fell between turned, saw her husband standing several feet away."John!" Isabelle was on her feet before she could reahze m have done better to remain sitting. Hugh's ^^^1, five; he, too, sprang up, backed away from sabell-^garsmust her poise first, summoned a dazzling smile. John, love, you be burning, for we were just talking about you^ Ws ^To her relief, John returned her smile. She movedI hastty linked her arm through his. "I remember you tellmg W*^ us to call you Johnny-cat. Now I can d*«d"$ I J£ tfkM too as quietly as any cat could, made no sound at all! She suddenlyJch and too fast, but she could not help herse^e^flyand panicked at the prospect of silence, and she ^"ered on ^ ]oh aimlessly for several moments, while Hugh shi ted ^'^ Hu? listened with an indulgent smile. After an'"terminable ,, mumbled an excuse, made a swift departure. Only the garden with John, didIsabelle begin to relax. IsabeUe8 "So you were talking about me? What were you.vq**^ }^ "Oh . . . nothing out of the ordinary, love. We talKe the betrothal, and" Isabelle cried out as John grasped her wnst, jerke her roughly toward him. , John had been neither surprised nor perturbed when he saw tt g^

abusive husbands, wondering; how ^ could be so lacking in pride. But she had never been hurt betore,^ never been subjected to violence of any kind. Now she wep sou lessly, flinching as he stepped toward her. "Why are you so a"SrYalways flirt with me; it means nothing. You know that, John, have minded before.""Mayhap I should have." , , taIsabelle forgot her pain in a sudden surge of fear. ' My <-oo j, *hat are you saying? Surely you do not think I've been *rtWIsabelle forgot her pain in a sudden surge ot tear, my " *hat are you saying? Surely you do not think I've been unfartW* you? Never, John, neverIswear on our children's very lives! Youmust believe me!""">" ore you saying.' burely you do not thin* i vc - you? Never, John, neverIswear on our children's very lives! Youmust believe me!" ?wh"Must I? Why? Why should you not have betrayed me, too?Y °uld YOU be any different from the others?" ,,. , i,I. *T iiy ; T » 11 y &IIUU1Q yUU HUlllM*"- --- Jn°"ld you be any different from the others?" ,j^ Isabelle was terrified. "I WOuld never betray you, never. John, ear it. I'd have to be an utter fool to take such a risk!"SJe saw his mouth twist, and realized she'd blundered ftjwas n0t *hat he wanted to hear. He was turning away, and she stumbled to

426thought he'd sequester you behind the highest walls, veil you like a Saracen woman."Isabelle opened her mouth to say John trusted her, that she'd never given him cause for jealousy. Instead she heard herself say softly, "js that what you'd do if I were your woman, Hugh?""If you were my woman . . ."he echoed, and for an unguarded moment the game-playing was forgotten. Isabelle was accustomed to court flirtations. She was both flattered and amused that men invariably found her so desirable, but it was never more than a harmless diversionshe never forgot where the boundary lines were drawn, had never been tempted to cross over. She was shaken now by what was happening with Hugh de Lusignan, shaken to realize that she was responding to this man's smile, to his touch. She looked down at the lean, sunbrowned fingers caressing her own, and then jerked her hand from his, forced a brittle smile."I daresay others might think this a rather peculiar conversation for a woman to be having with her daughter's betrothed!"He did not return her smile. "I'll settle for the daughter if I must," he said softly, "but I'd rather have the mother."When their eyes met again, Isabelle found she could not look away. "I'm afraid the mother is already spoken for, Hugh," she murmured, taking refuge in flippancy, while longing to reach out, to trace the curve of his mouth with her fingers. She fought the urge, kept her hands tightly clasped in her lap, and then a shadow fell between them, and she turned, saw her husband standing several feet away."John!" Isabelle was on her feet before she could realize that she'd have done better to remain sitting. Hugh's reaction was just as instinctive; he, too, sprang up, backed away from Isabelle. Isabelle recovered her poise first, summoned a dazzling smile. "John, love, your ears must be burning, for we were just talking about you!"To her relief, John returned her smile. She moved hastily to his side, linked her arm through his. "I remember you telling me your sister used to call youJohnny-cat. Now I can understand why; you approached us as quietly as any cat could, made no sound at all!" She was talking too much and too fast, but she could not help herself. She was suddenly panicked at the prospect of silence, and she chattered on brightly and aimlessly for several moments, while Hugh shifted uneasily, and John listened with an indulgent smile. After an interminable time, Hugi1 mumbled an excuse, made a swift departure. Only then, alone in the garden with John, did Isabelle begin to relax."So you were talking about me? What were you saying, Isabelle-"Oh . . . nothing out of the ordinary, love. We talked about Joanna.

427the betrothal, and" Isabelle cried out as John grasped her wrist, jerked ker roughly toward him.John had been neither surprised nor perturbed when he saw Hugh je Lusignan rise, follow Isabelle out into the gardens. He was gratified, not threatened, by the awareness that other men desired his wife, that they envied him so. It was not jealousy or unease that had motivated him to join them, but rather a sense of prideful possession; he enjoyed claiming Isabelle as his