Love of Lady Liana. Read online

  Love

  of Lady Liana

  Jude Deveraux

  1

  England, 1445

  -- your daughter leaves or I go away -- she said sullenly Helen Neville, the hands in jars, the glance nailed in its es­poso Gilbert. Comfortably it was installed in the acol­chado seat of window, the sun crossing the painted wood blinds of blue of old stone window. It was rascando the ears of its favorite bloodhound, and it savored appetizing trocitos of worn out meat.

  As usual, Gilbert did not respond to his re­clamo and it closed the fists, irritated. Gilbert was twelve years old more and he was the man more sluggish than Helen had known. Although it dedicated all its time to the equi­tación, following the track of a hawk, its belly was vo­luminoso and it increased day after day. Of course, it married it by her money, his gold set of dishes, its thousands of hectares of earth, its eight castles (two of which it never had seen), its horses and their army of men, beautiful dresses that it could offer to him to her and its two daughters. Helen had read a list of propieda­des of Gilbert Neville and answered affirmatively to the proposal of marriage without requesting one at least entrevis­ta with the candidate.

  And now, a year after the marriage, Helen was asked: If it had known Gilbert and noticed his haraganería, it would have been asked who administered its properties? It counted on services of a butler of superior hierarchy? It knew that it, had only one legitimate daughter, a pale young person, of timid attitude, that one had not said to him word to Helen before the marriage; perhaps pe­ro Gilbert had a piston rod ilegítimo that administra­ba its possessions.

  After they married, Helen knew that it had a so sluggish husband in the bed as outside her and descu­brió who it administered the properties of the Neville.

  ¡Liana! Helen wished no to have never heard that nom­bre. That daughter of Gilbert, tender aspect and attitude timid, he was the disguised demon. Liana, like its mother before she, it directed everything. It occupied a place in front of the table of the butler, while farmers paid their annual rents. It crossed to horse the countryside, watched the fields and ordered the repair of the broken ceilings. Liana deter­minaba when a castle had become an excessively dirty place and harvests were very little, so that the renters received the order of desalojar­lo. During the last Helen year three times entera­do was had of similar situations, when seeing that a servant prepa­raba its luggage.

  As anything it had served to explain to Gilbert or Liana that it, was now the lady of the property, and that the young person had to please resign to his power in his madrastra. Am­bos they limited to watch with curiosity to Helen, as if one of the stone gargoyles of the source it had comen­zado to speak; later, Liana had returned to his tasks like administrator and Gilbert to its eternal laziness.

  Helen tried to become position by own initiative and during a time even thought that it was successful, that he discovered that each servant requested the confirmation of Liana before executing an order.

  In the beginning, the complaints of Helen a The Gilberts were moderate, and generally after she had com­placido it in the bed.

  Gilbert rendered to him little attention.

  -- Deja Liana does what it pleases to him, you cannot im­pedir it. It would not be impossible to stop it, like either to his ma­dre, like the fall of a rocky crag could not be prevented. It was and he is better to separate from his way.

  Later, it continued sleeping, but Helen perma­neció wakes up the whole night, its body burning with rage.

  In the morning it had decided that also it would be a rocky crag. It was more years old than Liana, and if it were necessary it could to demonstrate cleverness much more. After the falleci­miento of its first husband, and of which his smaller brother inherited the property, Helen and its two hijitas had separated by its sister-in-law. Helen had to support that the tasks that once they were under its responsibility you would que­daran in charge of one more a younger woman and much less com­petente. When the proposal arrived from Gilbert Neville, He­len it was thrown without vacillating on the opportunity to return to have his own home, its own house. But now usur­paba a slight and pale young person, who was had casar­se and to before leave the home of its father several years.

  Helen tried to speak with Liana, to explain place­res to him that could find in the company of its own husband, its children and their house.

  Liana had watched it with those great ones blue and parpadeantes eyes, it seemed as submissive as an angel of whom they adorned the ceiling of the chapel.

  -- But, who will take care of the properties of my father? -- it was limited to ask.

  Helen squeaked the teeth.

  -- I am the wife of your father. I will do that he is nece­sario.

  Liana entrecerró the eyes and contemplated sumptuous dress of Helen, with its long tail and the deep decollete advanced and back, that in the open left a consi­derable part of the beautiful ones shoulders, the hairdo with its acol­chados and its profuse embroiderings and smiled.

  -- the sun would burn it if it used that.

  Helen tried to defend itself.

  -- it would dress to Me appropriately. I am safe that pue­do to mount as well as you. Liana, is not that con­tinúes well in the house of your father, you are almost twenty years old. De­berías to have your own one home, your own one...

  -- Yes, yes -- Liana said --. Without a doubt it has reason, but now I must go to me. Last night there was a fire in the village, and de­bo to examine the damages.

  And Helen remained there, the reddened face, the shady hu­mor. As what it served to him to be the wife of of the richest men of England, to live in different casti­llos where the wealth exceeded everything what never she had believed possible? Of all the walls hung grue­sos and colorful carpets, all the ceilings they were painted with Biblical scenes; and each bed, each table and each chair es­taba had with embroidered linen cloths. Liana was organiza­do a quarter for women who exclusiva­mente dedicated themselves to weave the carpets. The food was excellent, because it attracted the good cooks with excellent pays, rega­lando to its spouses dressed edged skin. The latrines, the pit, the stables, the patio always was clean, por­que to Liana pleased neatness to him.

  Helen thought: Liana, Liana, and took the fists sienes. For the servants one always treated of which lady Liana wished, which lady Liana had ordered, or even that it established the first wife of Gilbert. Judging by the power that exerted in the administration of propieda­des of Neville, Helen had been said that it did not exist.

  But when their two hijitas began a to mention pa­labras of Liana, the rage of the mother reached the level máxi­mo. The small Elizabeth had requested its own pony, Helen smiled and answered that it would have it. The girl limited itself to watch it and said: I will request it to Liana and left running.

  This incident determined that Helen a ultimátum to its husband presented/displayed aho­ra.

  -- I am less than nothing in this house -- it said to Gilbert. It was not bothered in lowering the voice, although it knew that the servants well that they were around they listened to it. They were the sir­vientes of Liana, men and trained and obedient women affluent, who knew the generosity as much as rage of its young master and who if it were necessary was dis­puestos to give the life by her.

  -- Or your daughter leaves or I go away -- Helen repeated.

  Gilbert examined the food tray that they had the form of the twelve apostles. It chose San Pablo, and put it in the mouth.

  -- and what I must do with her? -- it asked perezosa­mente. There were not many Earth things that could excite interest of Gilbert Neville. The comfort, efi­caz hawk, an agile bloodhound, the good food and La Paz were everything what requested of the life. It did not have idea of t
hat her pri­mera wife made to increase the wealth that his pa­dre him she had left nor of the enormous dowry that it contributed to the marriage; she did not know either what her daughter did. According to him it saw the things, the properties were administered single. The farmers worked the Earth; the nobility hunted; the king dictated the laws. And apparently, the women fought.

  It had sight to the beautiful and young widow Helen Peverill when it crossed to horse the territories of its deceased husband. The black hair fell to him on back, the generous bust almost overflowed the dress and the wind pega­ba skirts to the strong and healthy thighs. Gilbert felt a fallen into disuse access of sensuality and commented its brother-in-law who would have pleased to him to marry to Helen. Later, Gilbert did not do much, until Liana said to him that it had arrived moment of the nuptials. After a lewd night of bo­das, Gilbert felt satisfied with Helen and he hoped that she went to do what the women did throughout the day, but he was not thus. She had begun to apostatize and to regañar and nothing less than with regard to Liana, that was a so tender and pretty girl, always taking care of which the musicians executed the songs that pleased a Gilbert and ordering the servants who brought food to him, and during lar­gas winter nights relating stories to entertain it.

  It could not include/understand why Helen wished that Liana left. She was so discreet, that one as soon as it warned that the young person was close.

  -- Imagino that Liana can have husband if the de­sea -- Gilbert said, yawning. She thought that people did what she wished. He supposed that the men worked in the sun sun fields because that was what they preferred.

  Helen tried to calm itself.

  -- Of course, Liana does not want to have husband. Why it would have to wish that a man said to him what must do, when here it enjoys absolute freedom and it exerts an absolute power? If I had had that ascending one in the home of my finado husband, never there would be marcha­do to me. -- Elevo' the hands in a gesture of impotent rage.­— ¡To exert to be able, and that no be necessary to take care of a man! The life of Liana is the Earth sky. Never it will leave here.

  Although Gilbert did not understand the complaints of Helen, their shouts began to bother it.

  -- Hablare' with Liana and I will see if him it interests somebody like husband.

  -- Tendra's to order to him that one marries -- Helen said --. You must choose a candidate to him and say to him that it marries it.

  Gilbert watched their bloodhound and smiled to to remember.

  -- Once I opposed the mother of Liana... a single time. I do not want to commit the same error and to oppose its daughter.

  -- If you do not obtain that it leaves my house, you will be sorry to ha­ber caused my contrariedad -- Helen said, before vol­ver itself and to leave the room.

  Gilbert rascó the ears of its bloodhound. This new es­posa was what a puppy with a lion compared with first. To tell the truth, it could not understand why Helen was angered. It was never had to him happened through the mind that a person could to really wish responsibilities. Eli­gió a figure of San Marcos and ate it with cavi­loso gesture. It remembered with imprecisión that somebody had adver­tido to him that was not good for having two women under the same ceiling. Perhaps it would agree to speak with Liana and to see what opina­ba of that idea of the marriage. If Helen fulfilled its threat and it was transferred to another one property, would surprise it in le­cho. But if her daughter in effect married, so time did it with which he was owner of good hawks of young.

  -- Well -- it said in voice low Liana --, my dear madras­tra it wants to expel to me from my own home, of the agran­dada house and enriched thanks to my mother, of the property that I administered during three years.

  Gilbert thought that the head began a to hurt to him. Helen it had regañado the eve hours and hours. When pare­cer, Liana it ordered that they were constructed new cottages in the walled town that was on the foot of the castle and Helen one horrified because the young person projected to use money of the Neville to pay these cottages, instead of leaving to farmers the task of resolving the expenses. Helen had gotten angry so much and it had stuck so estridentes howls that the six hawks of Gilbert left flying of its hangers in the direction of the beams. They were encapuchados pa­ra to maintain them and the flight completely without information calm, by impulse of the panic, caused that a bird became broken the neck. Gilbert understood that it was necessary to do something; he did not support the idea to lose another one of his loved hawks.

  His first idea was to have with armors to the two women and who fought to determine who conti­nuaba in the house and who left; but both had arms harder than the steel: the words.

  -- it seems to Me that Helen thinks that you will be... well... that you will feel happier in your own house, with your husband and children.

  Gilbert did not imagine the possibility of to be happier than in the property of the Neville, but, who knew how reacted the women?

  Liana approached the window and watched more there of the inner patio, thick paredones of the castle, there down, towards the town surrounded by walls. She was nothing else that one of the properties of its family, only one of many that it administered. Her mother had dedicated long years to teach to Liana the way to treat people, to verify the annotations of the butler and to annually obtain a ga­nancia that could to be used to buy more earth.

  Liana had been gotten angry when his father said that he projected to marry a young and pretty widow because not him he pleased the idea that another woman tried to occupy the place of her mother, and he had the prefeeling of which there would be difficulties; but Gilbert Neville had its own vein of obstinacy and sincerely thought that it had to allow to it him to ha­cer its will when and where one felt like to him. In general, Liana felt pleased because it was not one of those men who thought solely about war and ar­mas. One dedicated to its bloodhounds and their hawks, and left more important subjects in hands first of its wife and after her daughter.

  Until now, because it was married with He­len vain person, whose main preoccupation was the gain to com­prar more and more luxurious clothes and than had five women who dedicated long days a to sew its dresses. A woman exclusively limited itself to stick per them natural that adorned the atuendos. Only the last month, Helen had acquired twenty-four skins, and weeks before it bought skins of ermine without rendering to the subject more attention than if one had been a basket of wheat. Liana his knew that if transferred to Helen the administration of the properties, madrastra would explode to the farmers although outside to only have another one gold belt with diamonds.

  -- Well? -- Gilbert asked, who was behind of Liana.

  It thought: ¡The women! If it did not obtain one answer of its daughter could not leave to hunt that day. According to it was being com­portando Perhaps Helen, mounted a horse and it followed it, nothing else that stops to continue regañando to him.

  Liana became towards its father.

  -- Di to my mother who I will marry if encounter hom­bre advisable.

  Gilbert seemed alleviated.

  -- That seems rather just. I will say it, and one will feel happy.

  It began to walk towards the door, but suddenly one stopped, the hand on the shoulder of its daughter in desu­sada affection sample. Gilbert was not a man who pres­tase attention to the past, but at this moment he wished not to have known Helen and not to have married with she. Nun­ca warned what comfortable was with its daughter, who took care of the simple ones necessities of their father and of as much in as much a servant took care of his more sexual necessities. En­cogió of shoulders. He was useless to lament itself by that it could not change.

  -- Encontraremos an ardent young person that you it will give a dozen of children for entretenerte -- it said and it left the habita­ción.

  Liana was dropped on the mattress of pens of their bed and with a gesture of the hand ordered the servant who sa­liera of the room. It elevated the hands and it saw that they tembla­ban to him. Certain time it had faced a multi
tude of armed campe­sinos sickles and axes, with single company of three terrified servants; nevertheless, it maintained raised head and distracted the attention of chusma, because it had given to them foods that it had in the house and employed in his earth. Also it fought with drunk soldiers and certain time avoided that a too enthusiastic pretendiente it vio­lase it. If it could avoid a disaster after another one, went thanks to its se­renidad, its security and its mental peace.

  But the idea of the marriage it terrified. One was not only about fear, but a deep and dark terror. Two years back it had seen its Margaret premium married with a man chosen by the father of the girl. Before the marriage it wrote sonetos of love directed to the beauty of Margaret that used to say that its imminent one marriage was a love union and that longed for that momen­to arrived from to initiate its life with that loved man.

  After the marriage, the man showed its verda­dera personality. It sold most of immense do­te of Margaret in order to pay its debts, it left it in an old, ruinous and cold castle, with few servants and went to the cut, where he spent most of rest of the dowry of the jewel young person destined to its many prostitu­tas of lineage.

  Liana knew that she was very lucky because it could be de­dicar to administer the properties of his father. It recognized that a woman lacked being able unless a man granted itself. Some they had been asking for its hand since it was four years old. It was it jeopardize once, to the eight years, but the young person passed away before she fulfilled the ten. Later, his father never had bothered itself in accepting other supplies and thus Liana could avoid the marriage discreetly. When a preten­diente it insisted on his request, everything what Liana for was to remember to Gilbert the chaos that that marriage would cause; and thus, his father rejected the offer.

  But now this codiciosa Helen was interfering. Liana contemplated the possibility of transferring the adminis­tración of the properties to his madrastra and to retire to cas­tillo of Wales. Yes, that it would be a place moved away enough. It could live there in private and soon as much Helen as his pro­pio father would forget that it existed.