Lionheart A Novel - By Sharon Kay Penman Page 0,144

the arrival that morning of the remainder of his galleys from Rhodes. He said nothing, though, about the peace he’d just concluded with the Cypriot emperor, not until Jaufre expressed his concern. “My liege, those are harsh terms you imposed upon him.”

“Yes, they are,” Richard agreed, tracking with his eyes the graceful flight of a hawk, soaring on the wind high above their heads.

“I think it was wise to demand sureties for his good faith. But will even that be enough? His entire history is one of deceit and betrayal. Do you truly expect him to honor the pact?”

Richard shrugged. “That is up to him. The choice is his.”

“I find it suspicious that he would agree so readily,” Jaufre confessed, but then he caught the look of amusement that passed between Richard and André and he understood. Reassured, he said no more and they rode on in silence.

AS RICHARD CROSSED the chamber, Berengaria watched him through her lashes. Few big men could move with such easy grace. She knew he was called Lionheart in tribute to his reckless courage, but she thought the name fit in more ways than one, for he was as quick as a cat, too, a very large, tawny cat. It was a revelation to her, this realization that the male body could be beautiful.

He handed her the wine cup before getting back into bed, saying, “How many women have a king at their beck and call?” She smiled, taking several swallows of Isaac’s sweet white wine. But when she passed it back, he didn’t drink himself. Settling against the pillows, he regarded her with an expression she could not read. “If you are still sore, Berenguela, I am sure the other women could advise you about herbs or ointments that would help the healing.”

So he’d noticed! She’d not expected that. She took another sip of wine to cover her confusion. “It is still new to me,” she admitted. “This is just our third night together. Based on my experience so far, I am sure I will not begrudge paying the marriage debt.” She gave him a smile, then, that belied the formal, stilted phrasing of her words. “But there is something we need to talk about, Richard. I am just not sure how to begin. . . .”

He reached over and took the wine cup, setting it down in the rushes. “Say it straight out. That saves a lot of time.”

He made it sound so easy. She sighed. “Very well. I would never want to offend or insult you, Richard, truly I would not. But your . . . your male member is so large that—” She got no further, for her husband was roaring with laughter. This was not the response she’d expected and she stared at him in bewilderment.

“I am not laughing at you, little dove,” he said, once he’d gotten his breath back. “But your innocence is downright endearing at times!” Leaning over, he gave her a quick kiss. “Trust me on this. There is not a man born of woman who’d ever take it as an insult to be told that his ‘male member’ was too large.”

She did not understand his hilarity, but then she was often puzzled by male humor. And despite his denial, she did think he was laughing at her. His amusement was far preferable, though, to the other reactions she’d imagined. She’d been unable to approach Joanna, for this was too intimate a topic to discuss with his sister. And so she’d nerved herself to confide in Mariam, greatly relieved to be told there was a simple solution to her problem. But as awkward as that conversation had been, this one with Richard was even worse. There was no going back now, though.

“It is the moment of entry that is painful,” she said, startling herself by her own bluntness. “After that, it does not hurt much at all. I am indeed an ‘innocent,’ as you’ve often reminded me, so I sought advice from someone more knowledgeable about such matters, one of Joanna’s ladies. She said there would be no discomfort if we used a scented oil first. . . .”

She paused, hoping there was no need to be more explicit. But his expression was quizzical, expectant. “Yes?” he prompted. “A scented oil. And then what?”

She blushed, acutely embarrassed. She was bracing herself to blurt it out when she noticed that the corner of his mouth was curving, ever so slightly. Suddenly suspicious, she sat up in bed,