The Pillars Of The Earth Page 0,94

that it might be a long time before he even saw an attractive woman when one appeared on the road ahead.

There were five people in a group, walking toward William. One of them was a dark-haired woman of about twenty-five years, not exactly a girl, but young enough. As she came closer William became more interested: she was quite beautiful, with dark brown hair that came to a devil's peak on her brow, and deep-set eyes of an intense golden color. She had a trim, lithe figure and smooth tanned skin.

"Stay back," William said to Walter. "Keep the knight behind you while I talk to them."

The group stopped and looked warily at him. They were a family, obviously: there was a tall man who was presumably the husband, a lad who was full-grown but not yet bearded, and a couple of sprats. The man looked familiar, William realized with a start. "Do I know you?" he said.

"I know you," the man said. "And I know your horse, for together you almost killed my daughter."

It began to come back to William. His horse had not touched the child, but it had been close. "You were building my house," he said. "And when I dismissed you, you demanded payment, and almost threatened me."

The man looked defiant, and did not deny it.

"You're not so cocky now," William said with a sneer. The whole family appeared to be starving. It was turning out to be a good day for settling accounts with people who had offended William Hamleigh. "Are you hungry?"

"Yes, we're hungry," said the builder in a tone of sullen anger.

William looked again at the woman. She stood with her feet a little apart and her chin up, staring at him fearlessly. He had been inflamed by Aliena and now he wanted to slake his lust with this one. She would be lively, he felt sure: she would wriggle and scratch. All the better.

"You're not married to this girl, are you, builder?" he said. "I remember your wife-an ugly cow."

The shadow of pain crossed the builder's face, and he said: "My wife died."

"And you haven't taken this one to church, have you? You haven't got a penny to pay the priest." Behind William, Walter coughed and the horses moved impatiently. "Suppose I give you money for food," William said to the builder, to tantalize him.

"I'll accept it gratefully," the man said, although William could tell it hurt him to be subservient.

"I'm not talking about a gift. I'll buy your woman."

The woman herself spoke. "I'm not for sale, boy."

Her scorn was well directed, and William was angered. I'll show you whether I'm a man or a boy, he thought, when I get you alone. He spoke to the builder. "I'll give you a pound of silver for her."

"She's not for sale."

William's anger grew. It was infuriating to offer a fortune to a starving man and be turned down. He said: "You fool, if you don't take the money I'll run you through with my sword and fuck her in front of the children!"

The builder's arm moved under his cloak. He must have some kind of weapon, William thought. He was also very big, and although he was as thin as a knife he might put up a mean fight to save his woman. The woman moved her cloak aside and rested her hand on the hilt of a surprisingly long dagger at her belt. The older boy was big enough to cause trouble, too.

Walter spoke in a low but carrying voice. "Lord, there's no time for this."

William nodded reluctantly. He had to get Gilbert back to the Hamleigh manor house. It was too important to delay with a brawl over a woman. He would just have to suffer.

He looked at the little family of five ragged, hungry people, ready to fight to the finish against two beefy men with horses and swords. He could not understand them. "All right, then, starve to death," he said. He kicked his horse and trotted on, and a few moments later they were out of sight.

II

When they were a mile or so from the place where they had encountered William Hamleigh, Ellen said: "Can we slow down now?"

Tom realized he had been setting a fierce pace. He had been frightened: for a moment, back there, it had looked as if he and Alfred would have to fight two armed men on horseback. Tom did not even have a weapon. He had reached under his cloak for his mason's