Love of Lady Liana.

by Alvarez y Losada

-- But my father...

  -- Your father is not like most of the men -- Joice with the greater possible tact said. It astonished to him that lady Liana advice requested to him about the men, although it seemed to him that in any case it was necessary to approach the subject. She agreed that her master knew how they were really the men before he was united to people like those Peregrine.-- Lord Rogan no it will grant the same freedom to you that you have with your father.

  -- No, I suppose that not -- it said in low voice Liana --. It assured to me that arpía is not arranged to marry with one.

  -- No man wants to know nothing with somebody that is looked like a witch, loves a woman who praises it, that takes care of to its comfort and that is complaciente in the bed.

  Liana thought that it could solve easily those aspects.

  -- I am not sure that lord Rogan interest much in the comfort, you have the dirty clothes and one does not bathe with frequency.

  -- Ah, in that aspect one handcuffs can to have much power. To all the men it pleases the comfort, wish to them certain plates of food, certain glass to drink its favorite drink and although yours lord Rogan knows it or no, without a doubt it pleases a ordered and calm house to him. His wife must take care of the fights between the servants and will take care of that the table is loaded of delicious foods. You can replace its torn and dirty clothes by other new ones, of better quality. Those are the ways that take to the heart of a man.

  -- and if their earth are in one disastrous situation, I...

  -- Well, that is subject of the man, no it must worry to the woman -- it adduced with Joice firmness.

  Liana thought that perhaps it was easier to administer properties that to please a man, were not sure that it could remember all the norms about which it pleased and it disliked to man.

  -- You are safe of everything what you say? If I shut in in the lot and I take care exclusively of the things of the house, that it will conquer the heart of my husband?

  -- I am safe, my lady. Well, you want probaros this new dress?

  During three Liana months it was proven new articles, ordered Italian skins, brocades and jewels. It put to embroider to all women who knew to not only use the needle and ordered their own wardrobe, but that she commanded to make a splendid set of clothes for lord Rogan. only time that his father paid attention to which happened, was for commenting that the fiancè had to get dressed by own account, but Liana did not pay attention to him.

  When he was not with Helen working in its new one ajuar, Liana was dedicated to supervise the preparation of the dowry. Everything the wealth of the Neville that was not expressed in earth, adopted the form of personal property. gold Sources and jars were surrounded in straw and deposited in ca­rros, just like the precious crystal glasses. Liana acu­muló carpets, white clothes, furniture of carved oak, candles, cushions and mattresses of pens. There were carts of ri­cas fabrics, skins and a great large chest with iron straps of full jewel iron and another one of silver currencies.

  -- Necesitara's all this -- Helen said --. Those men live without the minimum comfort.

  Liana smiled when hearing this, because perhaps the comfort that it contributed would contribute to that his husband kneads it. Helen saw the expectant smile of Liana and moaned, pe­ro did not try to return to speak of subject with her, because it had seen that it was impossible to reason with the young person. it limited to undress of its wealth to the castle of the Neville and not ofre­ció advice to Liana.

  The wedding would be relatively modest, then the Nevi­lle very was not appreciated between the aristocracy and the royalty of country, since the father of Gilbert had bought his title to the king as soon as years before its death. Still there were many people who remembered the time in that the Neville was nothing else that rich and hard merchants who co­braban by article five times more than what they paid. Liana was glad of the excuse that it allowed him to save gas­to of an enormous celebration, to take more to castle of Peregrine.

  The young person did not sleep much the eve of the wedding: re­pasó mentally what it had learned about for­ma of to please the husband and tried to imagine its new vi­da. How it would be to share the bed with good looking lord Rogan? It thought about the moment in that it would touch it and acari­ciaría and would direct tender words to him. It had decided that one would not marry with the hair in the open and that would use to­cado with jewels, because it knew that their long linen hair were the most attractive characteristic of their person and it wished to only com­partir it with him the night of the wedding. It imagined long together strolls, laughing, taken from the hand, or sitting, as opposed to the fire, one fries night of winter, reading aloud for him, or playing the ladies. Perhaps bet would be a kiss.

  It smiled in the dark when thinking about that he would say when discovered that it had married with the woman of the pool. Certainly, that woman had been one arpía, pe­ro the wife of Rogan would be lady Liana, hidden, discre­ta and affectionate. The gratitude of his imagined husband when it changed those dirty and coarse articles that now took by fine silks and wools. It closed the eyes a little while and it digressed incredibly seeing it good looking, velvet dress os­curo, perhaps green, with a enjoyada chain that exten­dería of one from wide shoulders to the other.

  It would initiate it in the pleasures of the bath perhaps with perfu­madas salts of rose, later it would rub oil to him on the skin, even between the toes, it thought with a sigh of pleasing celestial. It imagined it laid down on clean and soft a bed of pens, laughing both to to remember the first encounter, how infantile they had been because no they had recognized from the first moment that each one was destined to another one.

  Shortly before the dawn it was become sleepy with one smile in the lips, but was waked up moments later by horrible roar in the patio, down. Judging by the shouts of the men and the resonance of the steel, was being attacked. Who had descended leva­dizo bridge?

  -- Oh, God mine, you do not allow that it dies before ca­sar to me with him -- Liana requested while it jumped of the bed and it threw a to run.

  In the Helen corridor also it took haste and mis­mo seemed to happen to him to half of the inhabitants of cas­tillo. Liana broke through through the chaos and madrastra approached his.

  -- What happens? What has happened? -- it shouted in order to impo­ner itself to the noise.

  -- Your fiancè to the aim arrived -- he said irritated Helen --. And he and to­dos their men are drunk. Now, somebody that no appreciate too much its own life will have to obtain that that fiancè yours disassemble, Vista and you recover the sobriety in the necessary measurement stops to pronounce its votes before you. -- Hizo a pause and directed an affection glance to his hijastra. -- Liana, today you sacrifice your life -- it said in low voice --. That God it is taken pity of your soul.

  Helen began to descend the stairs in direction of the lot.

  -- My lady -- it noticed Joice to him, that it was behind -- You must return to your room. They cannot veros the day of your wedding.

  Liana even returned to its room and it allowed that Joice laid down it again, but could not sleep. Again Rogan it was under the same ceiling that she, and soon... soon it would be there, sharing its bed. Only both. Single, in the intimate silence of room. It was asked of what they would speak, so little knew one of the other; perhaps they would talk first about the way to learn to mount or perhaps he him it would explain where it lived. That castle of Peregrine would be the new home of Liana and she wished to know it, had to determine where it would hang the carpets of its mother and which were the best places to exhibit the gold sources.

  One felt so pleased with its own ones thoughts that were become sleepy awhile, until Joice came to wake up it and four doncellas that tried to contain the giggles began to dress it red brocade with one enagua of tisú of gold. Its hairdo of two ends was also red, embroidering with gold threads adorned by hundreds of small letters to per those that they fell to him on the back.

  -- Beautiful, my lady -- Joice said,
with tears in the eyes --. No man will be able to separate the eyes from vos.

  Liana therefore waited for it. It sheltered hope of being physically so attractive for its husband as he was it stops she.

  It rode mounting of flank in white horse until the church and was so nervous that as soon as saw the multitude aligned to the flanks of the way, that to shouts formulated the desire of which she it had many children. Their eyes paid attention to a place to the front, to see man who was standing next to the door of the church. It had the palms humid when one approached. Perhaps it would throw a glance to him, would verify that he was the woman who had struck it with a dirty mud article and would refuse to marry it?

  When it was the enough fence stops to examine it, Liana smiled proud because was seen it as good looking as she it imagined with the túnica of green velvet that it had made to him. The article hardly it reached to the superior end of the thighs, and the strong legs and muscular solidly they were contained in the dark woven stockings. On the head took a short cap of skin, with a great ruby that centelleaba on the strip.

  As much it was swollen of pride when seeing what the ribs hurt to him when pressing on the steel supports of corsé. Later, it contained the breathing when it descended the perron from the church and it advanced towards her. It would help it to descend from the horse, without waiting for that his father, who rode ahead, was in charge of that?

  The horse of Liana, moved with irritating slowness. Perhaps he noticed that she was the woman of the pool and he felt pleased. Perhaps it had been in the thoughts of Rogan the last ones three months, since it had been in those of Liana.

  But Rogan did not approach. In fact, reason why it could see, not even watched in the direction where it was. However, one approached the horse of its father and grasped the bridle. The procession it finds out stopped, while Liana observed: Rogan spoke to its father with firmness. The fiancèe watched disturbed, until Helen spurred its horse and she approached his hijastra.

  -- What happens to him now to that demon red? -- escupió Helen --. Those two are mistaken if they think that we will hope while they speak of hawks.

  -- Since he will be my husband, I suppose that we must hope -- said Liana coldly. She was already fed up with the complaints of Helen against Rogan.

  Helen nailed spurs and it approached his husband, but Liana could not hear what they said because of the noise of the multitude, despite it noticed his rage. Gilbert even remained impassible and recostó in the mount, while Helen went to angered Rogan; this one it limited to mi­rar it with inexpressive face.

  Liana cherished the hope of which he never mira­se thus. A little while later Rogan walked the alrede­dor glance, it seemed to see the multitude for the first time and as of pa­sada included Liana, that it hoped in silence on his mount. The young person contained the breathing while the cold eyes of Rogan examined it of the head on the feet. Not ad­virtió recognition in its glance and was glad, because it did not wish to risk to that he one refused to contract matrimo­nio. When the eyes of Rogan found those of Liana, this one inclined the head, with the hope to seem modes­ta and obedient.

  A moment later, raised the head and it saw Rogan that returned to the perron of the church and Helen that it approached on his horse.

  -- the man with whom you project to marry -- Helen with a mocking gesture said --, it was requesting the co­rrespondiente repayment to twelve horsemen more. It said that one would leave right now and it would leave you here if it did not receive what requested.

  Liana was on the awares, alarmed.

  -- and my father accepted?

  Helen closed the eyes a little while.

  -- It accepted. Now, we finish with this of once.

  It goaded its horse to put it behind the one of Liana.

  Gilbert helped to disassemble to their daughter and it promoted the stairs to meet with her husband. The ceremony was brief and the terms nondifferent from which they had been during centuries. Liana maintained the low eyes during all the ceremony, but when it promised to be "submissive and obe­diente in the bed and the table", the multitude vivó. Two ve­ces watched of reojo to Rogan, but it seemed that it simply was impatient to finish of once, like she herself, Liana with a smile thought.

  After they declared husband and woman, the multitude repeated the alive and spouses, the families of am­bos both and the guests entered to hear mass, because the wedding was official subject and by as much it was celebrated outside the church but the mass belonged to God. priest blessed ma­trimonio and began to celebrate the oration.

  Liana remained sitting in silence, to side of its husband, listening the Latin formulas during a lapse that him it seemed to extend whole hours. Rogan did not watch it nor touched it. It yawned some times, rascó other so many and ex­tendió the long legs in the direction of runner. About cier­to Liana moment thought that it listened to a snore of Rogan, but the brother gave a tiny amount him and Rogan was straightened in the seat of hard wood.

  After the mass, the group returned riding to the castle, while the farmers threw cereal grains to them and they shouted:

  — ¡Abundance! ¡Abundance!

  For three days with its nights all men, the women and the children would receive whichever food and drunk they pu­diesen to consume.

  Once they passed the drawbridge and they entered the inner patio, Liana stopped its horse and hoped that its husband it helped it to disassemble. However, it saw that Rogan and its Severn brother they disassembled and they approached the loaded ca­rros that hoped next to the wall of stone.

  -- one worries more about your wealth than by you -- Helen said, while a servant helped to disassemble to Liana.

  -- Already you said what you wished -- him it talked back she roughly --. Perhaps you do not know everything to it, is right that they justify its attitude.

  -- Yes, for example that is not human -- Helen said --. Recordarte is useless what you did, now is too much late. We entered to eat? In agreement with my experience, the men always return a house when they are hungry.

  But Helen was mistaken, because nor Rogan nor its men entered to share festín that him had cos­tado a Liana weeks of work. However, permanecie­ron outside, crossing wagons loaded with the dowry. One seated single, to the right of its father, because place that corresponded to its husband remained empty. Around it heard murmurs of the guests, who watched it with expre­sión of affection. It maintained high the chin and refused to mani­festar that she was victim, said that it was advisable that the husband was interested in his property because a man a who they worried as much their possessions probably would not lose them in game.

  After a pair of hours, when greater part of people had finished eating, Rogan and their séquito entered in the hall. Liana smiled, because she was sure that it had come stops to apologize and to explain what it had retained it, but however, Rogan it stopped next to Gilbert, it extended the hand between this one and Helen, seized of a great piece of roasted meat and began to chew it.

  -- Three cars are full of mattresses of pen and articles to dress. I want gold plenty to them -- Rogan, the mouth said full.

  Gilbert had not had anything to do with the prepa­ración of the cars and therefore could not respond to the complaint of Rogan. It opened the mouth to speak, but it did not say anything.

  Helen did not have the same problem.

  -- the mattresses are for the comfort of my daughter. No, I believe that the place in that you live not even has more elementary comfort.

  Rogan returned the cold and hard eyes on her and Helen almost it backed down.

  -- When I want the opinion of a woman, I request it. -- Volvio' the eyes towards Gilbert.-- Now I will practice recuen­to, if you have deceived to me will weigh to you. -- one separated from the table after devouring meat, cleaned to the hands grasientas in the beautiful túnica of velvet that Liana had made to him.-- and vos you can guardaros your pens.

  Helen was put immediately of foot and it faced Rogan. The much more high era that she and
overwhelmingly more corpulento, but straightened up, rigid before him, because the rage instilled value to him.

  -- Your own wife, the wife who you have I decide to ignore, watched the load of those cars and she has not en­gañado to you. With with respect to domestic articles, or they accompany it or it will continue here, in house of its father. You choose now, He peregrinates, or I will make annul the marriage. One daughter mine does not leave undresses of my house.

  All those that were in the hall they kept silence, it only reached to oir the gruñido one of a dog in a corner and also that sound soon stopped. The guests, acróba­tas, the singers, the musicians and the farcical ones interrupted what they were doing, and watched at fiancè, good looking stop and and to the elegant woman who faced.

  During a little while it seemed that Rogan no it knew what to say.

  -- the marriage has been made.

  -- But it has not been completed -- it responded acidly Helen --. He will be easy annular it.

  The rage was accentuated in the eyes of Rogan.

  -- Woman, you do not threaten to me, the things of the young person is mine and I will take what wants. -- Retrocedio' a step and grasped a Liana, of an arm, taking it of its chair.-- If the virgini­dad of girl is a problem, I will take it now.

  This declaration determined that average multitude ebria lay down to laugh and the laughter was accentuated when Rogan su­bió with Liana the stairs and disappeared of the Vista.

  -- My room... -- it said nervously Liana, without sa­ber exactly what it was happening. It only knew that to aim would be single with that magnificent man.

  Rogan opened the door abruptly of quarter of guests that had been assigned to the count of Arundel and its wife. servant of the countess was folding some articles.

  -- Fuera -- Rogan to the maid ordered and she apre­suró to obey itself.

  -- But my room is... -- a began to say Liana. It was not as well as the things had to become, she had to be des­pojada of his clothes by his servants and once it undresses would lie down between sheets pure cleanings and; he would approach her and he would kiss it and caress.