The Black Lyon

babe by your headstrong movements. So, Amicia told you she could not resist me after even the first look at me.”
    “I do not understand it now, either. I vow I am a fool to want such as you. You are a vile creature.”
    He kissed her forehead. “You are a liar and I shall see your sins confessed when we are home. Lyonene, now, here in this dark place, I will tell you something, but I say it once and once only. Hereafter I will deny it was ever said.”
    She moved her head back on his arm to look at him. Ranulf’s honor was so strong that for him to say he might ever even consider a lie made her look at him in astonishment.
    He ignored her. “There are times when I boast to you of my beauty, but it is only because you look at me so. I will tell you that you fair drool at the sight of me. Do not protest, for I know I look at you in a like manner. But what you see in me is not seen by other women. They think me too dark or ungraceful in my form.”
    “What you say is not true! What of the women at court? I had to fight them from you.”
    “Think you they would be so interested in me if I were not so rich? It is Dacre who is the ideal of beauty.”
    “Dacre! Why, he is as the underbelly of a fish. His eyes and hair have no color, and he is so thin he casts little shadow, even.”
    “You seem to have spent overlong studying him.”
    She ignored him and ran the back of her fingers along the unshaved whiskers on his cheek. “And when he has three days’ growth of a beard, from a distance he looks to be a girl; you can tell no difference. Know you that in certain lights your beard shows almost blue?”
    He kissed her fingers and smiled at her. “It is good to know you feel so, but it does not change what I try to say to you. I wish, by this confession, to prevent what happened from occurring twice. Although you made a fool of yourself over me on the first day I saw you, other women do not.”
    “You lie again! I have never made a fool of myself over you.”
    “True, you have ever been calm near me, except mayhaps when you lusted after me when you bathed me, or threw yourself into my arms when I but showed you the longbow, or when…”
    “I acted no differently than I had with a hundred men. There! I have repaid you. Nay, I do lie, so do not glare at me more. And what of you? Do you marry all the women you meet after one day?”
    Ranulf pulled her back to his shoulder. “I see I accomplished little. You are stubborn and will not heed my words. But listen well and remember this: You need never fear another woman languishing about for me after a few brief meetings.”
    “Then you say she could after a few longer meetings?” Ranulf shrugged. “It has been known to happen. I am a most skillful lover.”
    “You are…”
    He kissed her and stopped her words.
    “I will not argue with you. Try only to remember my words when another woman, cleverer than you, seeks my gold.”
    “I cannot remember that I am to believe anyone thinks you ugly. Know you that your eyes have flecks of gold in them?” She felt him laugh against her.
    “I concede. I am the most handsome of men and shall never deny it again.”
    “Ranulf,” she began timidly. “If you say you are not as I see you, am I also different from the way you see me? You have said you think me beautiful.”
    Ranulf laughed again. “Alas, it is not so. I fear I heard of your beauty for three years before I ventured to Lorancourt. I vow I was no little curious about this girl who caused grown men to speak in whispered tones.”
    “This is true?”
    “Aye, but I will not say more or repeat it. You are too vain now, although I do not see how you can be when you are so fat you near push me from the bed.”
    “It is you who has made me fat. If you were slim and not such a great hulk of a man, I am sure I would not be burdened with a child half the size of that great horse of yours. So do not complain to me of discomfort, for it is my skin which is near to bursting with him.”
    Ranulf hugged her to him. “If I did not love you so well, you would be a bother to me with your sharp tongue.” He felt her body stiffen against him. Puzzled, he asked, “What have I said that causes this?”
    “You said that you loved me,” she whispered.
    “Certainly. I have said it often enough. Why should it cause you to pull away from me?”
    “You have never said it.”
    He pulled her chin up. “Do you cry again? I understand this not at all. There has never been a day