Love of Lady Liana. Page 2

  Liana was put of foot, the closed fists against the flanks of the body, the simple velvet dress without adornments clearing the floor of mosaics. Helen never per­mitiría to live to him peacefully, it would persecute until the Earth borders to make sure that his hijastra one felt as unfortunate as apparently it was the case of all the ca­sadas women.

  Liana took its mirror from one hand small table put next to the window and contemplated its own image. In spite of all the love poems that some enthusiastic young people had written who wished to marry it, despite the songs that the trashumantes trovadores (that she herself it paid) had intoned did not believe to be beautiful. It was seen too pale, too much blonde, too much... demasia­do innocent to be a beauty. Helen was beautiful, with its penetrating dark eyes that they suggested to all that she it kept secrets, with his intense way to watch hom­bres. Liana sometimes it thought that the reason for which it could so easily control the servants it was his own lack of sexuality. When Helen crossed the patio, men interrupted what they were doing and they watched it, but they took hand to the forehead in attitude of respect towards Lia­na, did not stop to watch it neither others smiled nor were elbowed an a when it happened.

  One approached the window and it watched towards patio. The ayu­dante of the blacksmith joked with a pretty milkmaid and the hands of boy looked for the well formed round body and of the young person.

  Liana separated, because the spectacle him dema­siado seemed painful. She never would be persecuted by a young person. Never it could discover if a young person it wished to persecute it. The servants of his father always would deal it with the res­peto due to their hierarchy and when speaking to him they would call "my lady". The pretendientes would do the greater ones efforts to obtain its hand because it interested to them to seize of the dowry. Little it would have mattered that it was jorobada or had three eyes; even thus they would lavish flowery cumpli­dos to him and they would formulate raised praises to his beauty. Certain time a horseman had sent him a poem about his feet formed well. ¡How, if it had never seen them!

  -- My lady.

  Doncella returned the glance towards his Joice, that was standing in the threshold and that was closest to a friend than Liana had. It counted only ten years more than she, and for that reason same era almost one sister. Her mother had used to Joice in order that she took care of of Liana when this one was as soon as a girl and the own Joice was also little more than one adolescent. The mother had taught to her daughter to ad­ministrar the properties, but when Liana had one pe­sadilla, it was Joice that comforted it and she accompanied in the course of his infantile diseases, teaching things to him that no they were indeed the details of the administration of the properties. Joice it had explained to him how the children were born, and what wished to make the man who it tried to violate it.

  -- My lady -- Joice always said, that it put care in showing respect towards his young pupil. Liana could be allowed to adopt a friendly attitude, but Joice had con­ciencia of the place that it occupied, knew that someday it could be without a ceiling on the head nor food on the table. One did not hurry to formulate advice who could be undesired.

  -- Hay a fight in the kitchen and...

  -- Joice, pleases your husband to you?

  The servant vacillated before answering. whole castle knew what lady Helen demanded and people were convinced of that if Liana left, the properties of Neville would be ruined extreme in six years.

  -- Yes, my lady, pleases to me.

  -- you chose It or you had to accept it?

  -- Lady Neville chose it, I believe that it wanted to please so that I was married with a young man and sa­no to me and I have gotten to love it.

  Liana watched it with attention.

  -- Truely?

  -- Oh, yes, my lady, that happens a slight. -- Joice sin­tió that in this subject stepped on firm land. All muje­res they sheltered fear feelings before matrimo­nio.-- When it happens together to the man the long nights of winter, the love is the frequent consequence.

  Liana separated the glance. It thought: If one it spends the time next to the man. If the codicioso husband does not reject it. Vol­vió the eyes towards its servant.

  -- Joice, I am pretty? I mean, so pretty which a man feels interest by me and not by all this?

  With a gesture of the arm it indicated the bed with the silk canopy, the carpet that covered the North wall, the objects of pla­ta on the dressing table table, the furniture of carved oak.

  -- Oh, yes, my lady -- it answered quickly Joice --. She is very pretty, in fact is beautiful. No man, encum­brado or humble, he could resist. Its hair...

  Liana interrupted the woman with gesture of the hand.

  -- Veamos that subject of the fight in it cooks.

  It could not avoid an accent discouraged in the voice.

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  ¡Six months! -- Helen to its husband shouted -- . ¡Throughout six months that daughter yours was finding defects in men! No seems to him "appropriate". I say to you that if in a month more it has not left here, I will go away with that son who lle­vo in my sine and never I will return.

  Gilbert watched after the window rain that maldi­jo to God fell and, that sent two weeks to him of bad weather and that in addition he had created the women. It observed that Helen complied better in chair with the aid of two servants. According to the way as one complained, it seemed that no mu­jer it had undergone a pregnancy before; but what sor­prendía was its own complacencia before the perspective of another son and the possibility of to have to the aim a man. Pala­bras and the tone of Helen irritated it, but it was arranged to do everything at least what it wanted, until his son was born and was healthy and good.

  -- I will speak to Him -- Gilbert with voice said deaf person, afraid of another scene with its daughter. But now it included/understood that one of the two would have to leave and like Helen he was able to produce children, Liana it had to be the one that moved away.

  A servant found to Liana and the father he reunited with her in one of the rooms of guests to the lot in front of.

  Gilbert cherished the hope of which rain stopped pron­to and he could leave again with his hawks, instead of continuing fighting with that disagreeable subject.

  -- Yes, father? -- Liana asked from door.

  Gilbert watched it and vacillated a little while. it seemed tan­to to his mother, and at all costs it wished to abstain from ofen­der it.

  -- Many men came to visit to us ever since your mother...

  -- My madrastra -- Liana corrected --. Ever since my ma­drastra announced to the world that I was quick for ven­ta and it was a dog in fervor that needed the service of a male. Yes, many men came to see our horses, our gold, our earth, and also, like of pasa­da, to the ugly daughter of Neville.

  Gilbert seated. It requested to the sky that no the women existed. The only admitted female would be the one of the hawk, nor at least it would accept mares or dogs.

  -- Liana -- it said with tired expression -- you are as pretty as your mother and if I am myself forced to support one more a supper in company of men who explain to you minuciosa­mente what remarkable is your beauty I will resign for always to the food. It is possible that tomorrow it orders that they serve to me the table in the stables. At least the horses do not dedi­can themselves to explain to me white what is the skin of my daughter, what ra­diante their eyes, what golden his hair, what sonrosados its lips.

  Liana did not respond with a smile.

  -- Then, I must choose to one of those mentirosos? I am forced to live like the Margaret premium, mien­tras my husband is spent the dowry?

  -- the man with whom Margaret married he was a stupid one, and it had been able to warn. Ca­cería cancelled one stops to entertain itself with the wife of another man.

  -- Then, I must be united with a man that prefie­re the hunting? That is the solution? Perhaps we would have to orga­nizar falconry match, and the one that was owner of the most effective hawk receives to me like prize of its effo
rts. That is much more sensible that all the rest.

  To Gilbert it pleased enough the idea to him, but with sen­satez, one abstained to say it.

  -- Veamos a little, Liana. Some of men who came from visit pleased to me. You say what to me of that William Aye? It is a good looking individual.

  -- All my servants thought the same. Father, that man is a stupid one. I dealed with to speak to him of the ancestry horses that it has in his stables and did not have idea of the subject.

  Gilbert felt made an impression before revelation. A horseman had to know his own horses.

  -- and what you say to me of sir Robert Fitzwaren? Quite intelligent me pare­ció.

  -- Aseguro' to all which he was intelligent. Also that was resolute and strong and brave. In agreement with his pala­bras, has won in all the matches in which it participated.

  -- Nevertheless, I heard that it was disassembled four times the year last in...

  -- Comprendo which you mean. fanfarrones can be fatigosos.

  To Gilbert the glance was illuminated to him.

  -- What you think of lord Stephen, the son of Whiting­ton? You got it a man done and straight for you. He is good looking, rich and healthy and also intelligent. The boy sa­be to handle to a horse and a hawk. -- Gilbert smiled.-- and I believe that something of the women knows. I even saw that it was leyéndo­te something.

  In opinion of Gilbert, the knowledge of the reading was an unnecessary load for a person.

  Liana remembered the brown hair of lord Stephen, its glad blue eyes, the ability with laúd, the way of to control a brioso horse and how it had read to him fragmen­tos of Plato. It was charmer with all those that co­nocían it and in the house people adored it. It had said to Lia­na not only that it was beautifully and certainly, in a runner dark it had embraced it and it kissed it until to her the breath was cut to him and later it murmured: It would please llevar­te to me with me to the bed.

  Lord Stephen was perfect. Impeccable. Nevertheless, there was something... Perhaps the way to watch the aligned gold glasses on the rim of the chimney in the lot or the mi­rada one it lasts that it nailed in diamond necklace of Helen. There was in him something that did not inspire confidence to him but Liana could not say what was. It was not possible to affirm that he was bad that he it interested in the wealth of the Neville; but Liana would have wished to see a little more of sensuality in its eyes, a more alive desire by its person and not by its wealth.

  -- Well? -- Gilbert insisted --. You can to indicate some de­fecto of the Stephen young person?

  -- In fact, nothing -- Liana said --. ...

  -- Magnificent, then the problem is solved. In­formaré to Helen and she can begin to organize the wedding. Thus it will feel pleased.

  Gilbert separated of Liana and she he seated on ca­ma; the body weighed to him as if it was done of lead. Concluded subject, would have to marry with lord Stephen Whitington. To happen rest of its life with a man whom not yet knew and that would exert a power absolute so­bre she. It could strike it, jail it, reduce it to mise­ria and it would do all that with a perfect and legal right.

  -- My lady -- Joice said from door --, mayordo­mo requests to see it.

  Liana returned the eyes towards the servant and during a mo­mento it blinked without seeing.

  -- My lady?

  -- Ensilla my horse -- Liana said and it thought: Damn he is the butler. It longed for a good cavalcade, with caba­llo moving brioso under its body. Perhaps if it made bas­tante exercise it could to forget what it hoped to him.

  Rogan, greater of which it reduced of Pere­grine family, squat itself and contemplated the castle that ele­vaba in the horizon. Their dark eyes were loaded of thoughts and fear. It had preferred to confront a combat that what it waited for it today.

  -- Postergar the thing will not obtain that be easier -- it said his Severn brother behind.

  Both they were high and of wide backs, like pa­dre. But Rogan had inherited of him a red tuft en­tre dark hair and however Severn, that had na­cido of another mother, tapeworm more delicate face characteristics and the grained gold hair. This last one also impacien­taba with more facility and now was anxious before the inmo­vilidad of its older brother.

  -- It will not be as Jeanne -- she argued Severn and behind the twenty horsemen stopped to move and contuvie­ron breathing. Severn even stopped to breathe a mo­mento, afraid of having itself exceeded.

  Rogan heard its brother but it did not express the senti­miento that crossed when listening the name of Jeanne. It did not fear to war; it did not fear to face anima­les; either to the death, but idea of the marriage in­ducía to vacillate.

  Down a depth ran stream and Rogan the cold water in its body almost could sen­tir. It was gotten up and one approached his horse.

  -- Regresare' -- it said to its brother.

  — ¡A little while! -- Severn reproached to him, grasping the reins --. We will have to remain here and to wait for while you you decide if you have or value sufficient not to vi­sitar to a youngster?

  Rogan was not bothered in responding and in change watched at its brother with hardness.

  Severn loosen the rein. Sometimes, this one it thought that Ro­gan with those eyes could demolish stone walls. Although it had passed the whole life with this older brother, Se­vern felt that it knew very little of him; Rogan was not a man who revealed much of himself. In its youth, when that dog of Jeanne had betrayed it of a so public way, Rogan had itself locked up in itself and the ten years passed from that occasion nobody was podi­do to penetrate its external armor of hardness.

  -- Esperaremos -- Severn said, separating and giving pa­so to Rogan.

  When Rogan left, one of horsemen who were near Severn gruñó.

  -- Sometimes, a woman changes to a man -- she said.

  -- it is not the case of my brother -- it hurried to respond Severn --. The woman does not exist who has sufficient force in order to change it. -- Its voice trasuntaba pride. The al­rededor world of them could to become of a day for another one, but Rogan knew what wished and how to obtain it -- What a woman modifies my brother? -- it asked iróni­camente.

  The men smiled before impossibility of se­mejante idea.

  Rogan descended the slope from the hill and later during awhile throughout the stream. He was not safe of which it wished to do; it only longed for to delay momen­to in which it had to approach heiress of the Ne­ville. It repelled to him what a man had to do by di­nero. When one found out that the heiress was for sale, so to speak, speaks said to Severn that went to look for it and that it brought it with its covered carts of movable wealth and the titles of some of the properties of the father. Or better still, that returned only with gold and documents, and it left back to woman. Severn responded to him that a as rich man as Gilbert Neville only it would accept to the greater one of Peregrine, the man who lle­garía to being Duke hardly Peregrine eliminated the Howard of the Earth face.

  As usual, the body of Rogan endure­ció of hatred, which used to happen to him when it thought about the Howard, that they were the cause of all the bad one that had su­frido Peregrine during three generations. They were the reason for which it now had to marry to one herede­ra solterona, the cause of which now was not in favor in his ho­gar -- in authentic of Peregrine, the residence that the Howard had robbed. Him they usurped its primogenitura, its home and even its wife.

  And Rogan said that the marriage with this herede­ra could approach it a step more the recovery of which it belonged to him by own right.

  There was a clear one between the trees and stream formed a curve and there a beautiful pool surrounded by stones was seen. Obeying to an impulse, Rogan it disassembled, and co­menzó to undress of the clothes, undressing until the ta­parrabos assured to the waist. It entered the water frost and began to swim with all the intensity and the rapidity of which it was able. What needed was a hunting intense and prolonged to spend accumulated energy in its body; but swimming could be a resource equally effective.


  It swam almost one hour and it left the pool, jadeando because of the effort. One lay down on a smooth piece of pas­to green, to the light of the sun and soon one fell asleep.

  It slept so deeply that it did not hear contained exclamación of the woman who approached the pool in bus­ca of water. It did not notice either that the young person backed down towards the protection of the trees and it observed it.

  Liana rode spurring energetically its mount and thus was able to be distanced of the horseman of its father, who it tried to maintain the step. The men of Gilbert ate instead of to train, and she knew the footpaths the best region than her companion; it was easy to escape of them. When it could move away went to the pool that it found to the north of the castle. There she would be single and be able to think about his imminent marriage.

  It was still to certain distance of place when it saw between the trees a red species of spot. There it had al­guien. Liana cursed its luck and cursed its triviality, that induced it to separate of his companion. It stopped its horse, it tied a tree and it advanced in silence towards suspend.

  The red one corresponded to the dress of wife of a farmer who lived in the town and had three small fields more there of the walls. Liana saw that the woman es­taba of foot, absolutely immovable and so engrossed in which it watched that it did not hear that it came near. Moved by the curiosity, this one began to advance in silence.

  — ¡My lady! -- the young person exclaimed --. I... I came to look for a little water.

  Its nervousness accentuated the curiosity of Liana

  -- What you were watching?

  -- Nothing important, I must go to me, my children need to me.

  -- Ibas far from the pool with jarro empty? - Liana it happened next to the woman, it watched between the shrubs and inmediata­mente it saw what it had attracted the attention the farmer. Laid down on the grass, illuminated by the sun, there was a man of splendid aspect: stop, of wide backs, narrow waist, the muscular body, with a face of strong chin and moustaches dark and the long and ne­gros hair that dismissed red reflections the light to pave. Liana examined it from the feet to the head, the eyes enlarged by the interest while it observed the skin color of honey of the naked body. No tapeworm devises of which a man could be so beautiful.