William of Litchfield would give him aid in that matter, he was sure. William kept a roving eye on many comely women, despite being married himself, continually assessing the goods at the market, as he was wont to say. Of course, William did more than assess the goods at the market, but sampled them freely—and bragged about his conquests, as well. Hugh folded his arms and stared out the small leaded glass window. But his own wife-to-be must be beyond reproach in matters of the bedchamber, he swore to himself. She would be a virgin to him and remain a virgin to all but him. He would find himself hard-pressed not to exact revenge, should she ever prove untrustworthy. Before he even considered wedding anyone again, he would naturally not only send messengers out to learn any information about her, but he would also have her watched—and watched well. Trust! He spat on the floor.
Anyone who trusted others was a fool. That was why he knew he would vanquish Eleanor. She, too, must be a fool to trust Osbert—or any other members of her household. Hugh knew more of the dark side of human nature than he cared to, and he had steeled himself to deal with it to protect himself and his interests. This Eleanor was not going to prove to be an obstruction in his search for the poachers, he vowed, or for anything else.
Hugh washed his face and hands in a bowl of water that a servant brought him, drying them on a towel. He changed his surcoat, leaving the one he had ridden in for a servant to brush the dust from, and left the solar, the knights at the door bowing low. Reaching the bailey, he found his knights engaged in a tossing game, and he joined the raucous laughter and the betting of silver coins, losing himself for a time in the camaraderie.
Sometime later, a hubbub arose, the sounds of horses whinnying, dogs barking, and men calling to each other. Hugh and his men turned to see Eleanor, Osbert, and the rest of their company return to the castle bailey, entering under the portcullis at the far end. He tightened his mouth.
“I am off,” he announced to his men. “I shall be in the Great Hall with the Lady Eleanor and shall see you at the next meal.”
“Aye, sir,” one of his household knights, Robert, answered. “I fear for her,” he jested. “She knows not what she shall encounter.” He grinned, and some of the knights chuckled. They all bowed to Hugh and then turned to continue their game.
Hugh strode into the Great Hall, ignoring the knights and servants bowing to him, took a seat in front of the massive hearth, and waited for Eleanor. No doubt she would go to her solar to primp and wash off the dust from the road before she came to meet with him, hoping to postpone her eventual dressing-down, he thought, shaking his head. He leaned his head back upon the carved chair back and closed his eyes for a few moments.
“The Lady Eleanor!” A voice broke into his reverie. His eyes snapped open to see Eleanor, her cloak still muddy, her face flushed, and tendrils of hair escaping from her hood, walking quickly into the Great Hall, while the knight who announced her entrance bowed to her.
Hugh stood up, knowing his height and frame served him well as intimidation. He stared at her impassively as she made her approach.
By God’s mercy, Eleanor thought, staring at Hugh as she came closer. He was a huge giant of a man, even larger than he had looked in the forest. She felt her muscles tense and drew a deep breath. His eyes—those eyes—she could not look at them or she would be lost. They seemed to look right through her, into her thoughts and very soul. She caught her lower lip and tried to steady herself. He was quite possibly the most ruggedly handsome man she had ever seen—strong jaw, straight nose, and lips that had a sensual curve to the lower lip, despite the fact that he obviously had tightened his mouth. How was she going to find the strength for this meeting? He looked to be the flesh and blood embodiment of every bit of the talk she had heard of him, and what she had surmised from reading his letter to her—a harsh, imposing man. Eleanor swallowed hard.
Zounds! Hugh mused. She was lovelier than he first thought. She had green eyes complemented by luxurious brown hair that tumbled over her shoulders as she loosed her hood. Her cheeks were rosy, no doubt from the brisk air, and she had a small, upturned nose. Her slender figure was not completely hidden by her cloak. ‘Twas a pity that she was such a little fool into the bargain and unworthy of his respect. He would make this meeting brief, make his point, take over the investigation, distrain Osbert, and be rid of her inept management. With any luck, he would not have to deal with her again. William would marry her off to some ancient, far-off earl or even to France for his own alliances, and Hugh would be rid of any further annoyances she would cause.
“Welcome to Strathcombe, Lord Hugh,” Eleanor said. Her heart pounded under her surcoat so hard she was sure he could hear it. She brushed a lock of hair from her forehead as a servant stepped up behind her to take her cloak. She forced a tight smile and sat in her accustomed chair, waving the servants off to one side.
Hugh approached her and took her hand. It was surprisingly small and
