Not sure how to respond, Jacqueline nodded and did her best to keep her eyes on her food. Sitting so close to Terric, having her thigh and hip plastered to his, was doing funny things to her insides. Her heart began to beat erratically, while her stomach felt so jumpy her food was sitting like an uncomfortable lump. The scent of sandalwood and man was something she found she could not ignore. For the first time in her life she felt a longing a woman had for a man. The kind of longing that would only be satisfied in the arms of that man. Much to her shame, Jacqueline found it hard not to stare at Terric's handsome face.
Oblivious to how she was reacting to his presence, Terric continued to make idle conversation. "You did well in the list today, Sir William. Though only able to unseat two of your opponents, you made a fair profit."
Taking a sip of wine, Jacqueline tried to still her rapidly beating heart. "I am not here to make a profit. I compete because I enjoy the sport."
"Well some of us do not have such luxury. This is my livelihood."
Meeting Sir Terric's eyes, Jacqueline noticed a touch of regret in their violet depths. She could imagine it not being an easy life. Having to depend on how well you did in a tournament determining how well you lived. "I did not know you had to be here."
Terric laughed. He could see the younger man was feeling a small amount of pity for him. "It is not that bad of a life. There is always lots of good food to eat, well most of the time. And the ladies can be very accommodating when they wish to grant you their favors."
As if to prove the truth of his words, a lady, who Jacqueline very much doubted was such a thing, came and plunked herself down onto Terric's lap. Much to her disgust, he did nothing to remove the woman.
Terric smiled up at the woman warmly. "My Lady Rose. I see you managed to escape your husband yet again."
The woman laughed at his words gaily. "Not at all hard to do, especially when he is so far gone in drink. You know I would take you over him any day."
"Your words bring joy to my heart, my lady."
Turning to Beth, who sat on her other side, Jacqueline rolled her eyes at Sir Terric's words. Beth quietly chuckled. Since the couple seemed to be more involved in each other than those around them, she continued to make Beth laugh. She batted her eyelashes, much in the same manner as Lady Rose had been doing to Terric. Getting into her role playing, Jacqueline added some of her own faces, making Beth laugh all the more. Placing the back of her hand to her forehead, she sighed deeply, pretending to feel faint.
"I hope I have entertained you enough this evening."
Feeling her face turn a bright shade of red, Jacqueline turned to look at Terric. The Lady Rose was nowhere to be seen. And from the look upon his face, he had been watching her antics for some time.
"I do apologize, Sir Terric. It was not my intent to make jest of you."
Terric tried his best to keep a straight face, but could not stop the smile that turned into a full fledged laugh. At the sound of his laughter both women added their own to his.
Bringing himself back under control, Terric clapped Jacqueline on the shoulder. In reaction to his touch she stiffened. It felt very much like being touched by fire. All the laughter left her as she stared into his eyes. Her mouth went suddenly dry, and her breath caught in her throat. She had thought only silly headed girls acted so foolishly around a man they found appealing. But Jacqueline could not tear her gaze from his face. Peering at his firm lips, she unconsciously licked her own.
Shifting uncomfortably on the bench, Terric was the first to break the spell. He quickly snatched back his hand and cleared his throat. "Apology accepted, Sir William."
Lifting his goblet to his lips, Terric drained it in one large gulp. He felt slightly unnerved by what had just passed between himself and the younger knight. When he had touched William, it felt similar to touching a burning log. He knew he was not alone in feeling that sensation. What bothered him the most though, was William's reaction. It was a look Terric had received many a time from a woman. That he had responded to it, made the exchange even more unsettling.
Feeling disgusted with herself, Jacqueline attempted to get Terric to overlook what had just taken place and started a new conversation, something on a less stressful subject.
"So, Sir Terric, where is the next tournament you go to from here?"
Silently thanking William for not commenting on what had passed between them, he gladly answered his question. "The next tournament is to be held in Lymington. Are you going to be attending, as well?"
Jacqueline shook her head in response. "Nay, I had not planned to."
"Why not? You claim to love the sport. Why not attend? Lymington is not too far from here. And it is to be held in a week's time. Plenty of time to travel at a leisurely pace."
"I had not thought that far ahead as of yet."
"You should attend. If anything, it will be a good place to practice for the tournament the king has planned in May. It is going to be a grand tournament, with many knights competing. Not just English knights either. They are to come from all over."
Terric had Jacqueline's full attention now. The king's grand tournament could be what she had been waiting for. "I have not heard of this tournament."
It was a bit of a surprise, William not having heard of it before now. Most knights on the circuit had known before the start of the season.
"King Richard heard news that Queen Isabella is to make a public entry into Paris. You know how our monarchy does not like to be outdone by the French. And so, the grand tournament to be held in London. It is to take place on the Sunday after Michaelmas day. On the following Monday, the knights will compete, as well. But I am sure it will last longer than two days. Anyone who is anyone will be there."
Jacqueline held herself stiff in anticipation. "My father, the earl, should be in attendance?"
"I would be very much surprised if he was not." Terric found it odd, William not knowing his own father's plans.
"Perfect. It will work out perfectly." Jacqueline said distractedly. Plans were already swirling inside her head.
"I guess you could say that." Now William had him intrigued. Especially when he saw the younger man's wife elbow him in the ribs.
She chose to ignore Beth's reaction to the news of the tournament. It might be a bigger tournament than one where she had planned to face down the earl, but it was an ideal situation. She could not have planned it better herself.
Terric could almost see the plans bouncing around in William's head as he pondered his words. "So, do you plan to go to Lymington now, my friend?"
Shifting her foot under the table, so Beth could no longer stomp on it in agitation, Jacqueline smiled at Terric. "I think I have changed my mind. We shall meet again at Lymington, my friend."
* * * *
The following day they made the short trip back to the Isle. As the ferry took her party across the water, Jacqueline used the time to think of what to say to her mother. That her mother would be greatly distressed with her decision to participate in another tournament was a given. She had not been at all pleased with this one.
Neither Sir Guy nor Beth were at all happy with her decision either. They both felt she would be taking too much of a risk. Each tournament Jacqueline participated in, the greater the chances a knight acquainted with her father could tell him what she was up to. Not that they would recognize her as a woman, but the number of tournaments she attended. William never went to more than one or two at the most in any given year.
When they reached the landing, Jacqueline still had not planned exactly what she would say to her mother. The only merit she could push on her mother would be the opportunity to perfect her performance in the list. Which was what Jacqueline had to keep reminding herself. There was no other reason, really.
But Jacqueline knew she was only fooling herself. It was one reason, a very good one at that, but not the main one. It was the chance to see Terric again that drew her to make this choice.
Mounting her h
orse, she steered it onto the road leading up to Carisbrooke. She hoped this homecoming would find her mother in good humor. If she was not, Jacqueline could find herself with an argument on her hands.
?
Chapter Five
Lymington did not have a castle, but it did have a fairground. It was not a large port, though it was well known for its salt making. It also imported French wine and exported cloth, which was woven in Salisbury.
Jacqueline led her small party down High Street to the fairground. The tournament was to be one of the events of the fair. Lymington had two fairs a year instead of the one most places held. The lord of the manor would be presiding over both the tournament and the fair.
Upon reaching the fairground, Jacqueline casually searched the multicolored pavilions already erected. Spotting a standard, which sported Sir Terric's coat of arms, a white falcon in flight on a dark blue background, she motioned to her men-at-arms to set up her pavilion right beside his.
Her party was one person smaller than she had at her first tournament. Sir Guy was absent. The Lady Elizabeth had been greatly distressed with her daughter's decision to attend another tournament. In a fit of pique, at the last moment, she forbad Sir Guy to leave the Isle. But she had not been able to stop Beth from going along, for which Jacqueline was grateful.
Once she was all settled, Terric came calling. Even though only a week had passed since they parted company, Jacqueline had not been able to stop thinking about the man who stood before her. He even haunted her dreams, dreams that left her restless once awake, ones that left her aching for his touch on the most intimate of places on her body. She knew she was being a fool, but she could not ignore the attraction she felt for him.
Beth, giving Jacqueline a sly grin, nodded to Sir Terric and then left the two of them alone.
"I hope I did not make your wife feel as though she had to leave. I know you have just arrived. I wanted to renew our acquaintance."
"Nay, you did nothing to bother my lady wife. She more than likely has gone to see what items are for sale at the fair."
"Ah, a past time many a woman enjoys." Terric started to chuckle at his quip. But when he did not get the same response from Sir William, he slowly let it die away.
Hoping to change the subject, he decided to take the conversation on a different tract. "I see you lost Sir Guy. Who will act the part of your squire while you are here?"
"He could not join me this time. He has his duties to attend to at Carisbrooke. I will have one of my men-at-arms attend me."
Terric shook his head. "That will not do."
Jacqueline felt a little taken aback by his denial. Was there some rule she had not heard about? One which said who was allowed to act as squire? "Why will it not do?"
Seeing the worried expression William wore, Terric could not hold back his laughter. "Have no fear William. You do no wrong by having a lowly man-at-arms attend you. But I will personally not hear of it. Edwin will be happy to squire for you, along with myself. We are not going to be tilting against each other, so he should be able to keep up."
She opened her mouth to refuse his offer, then shut it again. He would think it strange for her to say nay. He was doing her a great favor by offering her the use of his squire. There were some draw backs though. For her. There would be no problem with Edwin helping her at the tilting ground. But assisting her to don her armor was a completely different story.
She could see Terric was waiting for her answer. Feeling decidedly unsure about the whole thing, Jacqueline did what she had to do. She accepted his offer. "I would be happy to have your squire assist me."
"I will inform Edwin of his additional duties then. I ride first, so he can come to you after."
With that decision made, they both fell silent. It was then Jacqueline noticed how close Terric had come to stand in front of her. As at Portchester Castle, her body responded to his nearness. There was no denying it. She was very attracted to this man. She could not seem to tear her eyes off his mouth. He was so close. All it would take was for her to lean slightly forward, take his face in both her hands, and pull his lips down to meet hers. She felt her body stir with desire just thinking about it.
She did not realize she was acting out what she thought, until Terric took a step back before she could reach for him. He stared at her, more than a bit strangely. Feeling flustered by what she had just about done, Jacqueline stepped back even further from him.
Really not knowing how to respond to William's strange behavior, Terric loudly cleared his throat. "Ah....well, I will leave you now. I will make sure Edwin assists you."
"I thank you, Sir Terric."
* * * *
Needing time to mull over what had taken place, Terric returned to his pavilion. Edwin was already there, busily polishing his armor. He looked up from his work at Terric's arrival.
"Did you speak to Sir William?"
Absentmindedly, Terric said, "Aye, I did."
When he did not go into any further details of the meeting, Edwin put down the armor and confronted Terric. "You have the most peculiar look upon your face. Just what took place at Sir William's pavilion?"
"That is what I am trying to figure out myself. I have offered your services to him for this day, by the way. When you attend him, I want you to watch very carefully what goes on there."
Edwin, thinking his master was but jesting with him, started to laugh, only to stop after the serious look Terric flashed his way. "You are serious? You want me to spy on Sir William?"
"Aye, I do. There is something not quite right with Sir William. It is a gut feeling I have and usually my gut feelings prove to be correct."
Even though he still was not sure why Terric wanted him to do this, Edwin agreed. "All right. I will see what I can come up with."
"Good."
Plunking himself down in a camp chair, Terric watched Edwin once more go back to the business of polishing his armor. What happened in William's pavilion would not leave his mind.
He had not missed the flush of desire on William's face. Nor the way the younger man had stared at his mouth. At first he had found it unnerving, but to his disgust, he had felt himself drawn to William and the more William stared at him, the more he had responded. The response he felt was very much like how he would feel when he found a woman attractive. The most manly part of himself had started to stir to life before he got a hold on himself and tapped it down. That did not sit well with him at all.
There was nothing for it, though, except to hope Edwin found the clues he needed. An answer to why he felt this attraction to another man, to William in particular, was forming in his mind. All he needed was the proof.
* * * *
Surprisingly, Jacqueline found Edwin's help not so trying as she had first expected. Donning her armor with his assistance went smoothly. Mostly because he spent a great deal of time looking at every item in her pavilion. If Jacqueline did not know the squire, she would have thought he was searching for what he could easily steal.
Now, facing her opponent, she prepared herself for her first run. She sent up a silent prayer, then set off. She was able to make the first hit. Accepting a new lance from Edwin, she started on her second run.
Jacqueline knew as soon as her opponent hit her shield, she was not going to leave the field completely unscathed. The hit she received had enough power behind it to throw her back onto the rump of her steed. She was able to keep her seat, but unable to get out of her prone position. Mostly the weight of her armor held her back, but it was the pain that left her weak. She had taken the full force of the strike on her left shoulder.
Unable to see, nor control her horse, she was thankful Edwin was there to grab her steed's reins and halt its movements. Groaning in agony, she allowed the squire to help her slide off the horse.
Edwin, being of the same height as herself, took her good arm and put it around his shoulders. "Let me get you back to your pavilion, Sir William. Then I will see to your shoulder."
&nb
sp; Jacqueline furiously blinked back the tears of pain which threatened to fall. She could not give way to them. No knight would put on such a womanly display. Luckily for her, she still wore her helm, hiding her features from all those she passed by.
Upon reaching her pavilion, Edwin helped her onto a stool and carefully began to disarm her. Once free of her breast and backplate, he removed her armoring doublet that she wore beneath. Sitting with her upper body free of all armor, the squire examined her shoulder.
"Looks like it is dislocated, Sir William. I will have to pop it back into place for you. Then most of the pain will leave you. I will have to ask you to remove your tunic."
As Edwin reached out to lift the hem of her tunic, Jacqueline shot to her feet. "Can you not fix my shoulder with my tunic still on?"
A little perplexed by Sir William's reaction to the removal of his tunic, Edwin shook his head. "It must come off. It will be easier to move the shoulder back into place with it removed."
When the squire advanced on her again, Jacqueline retreated, only to back into something which felt much like a solid wall.
Hearing the commotion coming from the pavilion next to his own, Terric had come to investigate. "What goes on here?"
Edwin let out an audible sigh of relief upon seeing his master. "Sir William refuses to remove his tunic. His shoulder is dislocated and I need to fix it for him."
Not allowing Jacqueline time to realize his intent, Terric knocked her feet out from under her and lowered her to the ground. Holding, and then lifting her left arm, he put his foot into her under arm. Thus, rendering her virtually helpless. She was already in enough pain, and the hold he had on her arm, was making it worse.
"All right, Edwin, I want you to put your hands on William's chest and hold him down. This may take a couple of tries to get the shoulder into place."
Beginning to feel frantic at this point, Jacqueline tried to avoid Edwin's hands. But her movements caused a sharp, shooting pain to race up her left arm all the way up to her shoulder. When she finally ceased moving, he placed his hands where he had been instructed.
A Tournament Knight Page 4