A Year & a Day by Virginia Henley

that my new touchstone will protect me against him!"
    0000002Keith's eyes examined her face. "He has frightened you. Jane, I don't believe he is a threat to you."
    "I'm not afraid of him," she assured her brother, lifting her head proudly, but deep inside she was afraid of him and of the things he made her feel.
     
    *
76
     
    V1KUI1N1A HtlNLtY
    That evening when the Leslie women gathered at Judith and Ben's house to welcome the new bairn into the family, an air of excitement prevailed. The breathless talk was all of Lord de Warenne, his handsome young knights, and the swarthy Welsh bowmen. The young women downplayed any anxiety they felt toward the newcomers. Yet the edge of apprehension they felt added to the thrilling knowledge that the men were dangerous and undefeated in recent battles.
    "Judith, ye're missing all the excitement. His knights are so tall, ye'llnever believe yer eyes," Kate informed her. "The Welsh bowmen are no' so tall, but they make up for it with brawn!"
    Mary, bursting with self-importance, announced, "/made his bed today!"
    The others turned to her eagerly. "The lord's bed?"
    "Aye. He was greatly concerned for me, working in my condition."
    The girls laughed. "Making a bed isna work!"
    Mary continued, holding up her hands. "He was this close to me. He could have reached out an'
    touched me."
    "An' did he?" Kate asked suggestively.
    "No, Father was there with him," Mary said with a wink. The young matrons hooted with laughter.
    As Jane put Judith's children to bed, she listened to the Leslie women. Whenever they got together, their favorite subject was the male of the species, and Jane had always been puzzled that they did not share her fear of men. She kept it to herself that this morning his powerful hands had touched her body intimately as he'd held her pinned beneath him. Jane shivered, remembering his savage masculinity; while the other women were greatly attracted to him, Jane felt wary of him.
    Jane kissed the children and sang them to sleep, with a soft, soothing melody. But on the inside she was seething with passionate emotions. She was apprehensive that when she fell asleep tonight, the lyn0x would come to her in her dreams.
    77
     
    A YEAR AND A DAY
     
    *
Lynx de Warenne lay abed in the Master Tower, going over the day's events in his mind. All had
    gone exceedingly well, far better than he had anticipated, and he knew most of it was due to the competence of Dumfries' steward, Jock Leslie.
    All that was needed to make the demesne flourish was money for new flocks and herds, and the de Warenne coffers were healthy. He did not consider it a waste to spend personal monies, even though Dumfries belonged to the crown. In the back of his mind, Lynx had the notion that his sojourn in Scotland might just be long-term.
    Though the subjugation of Wales had taken place a decade and a half ago, Edward Plantagenet and his armies had still found it necessary to spend most of the last ten years building great castles along her borders to hold the wild tribesmen under control. Lynx doubted the Scots would be any easier to control.
    His mind moved on quickly to Dumfries' immediate needs. A few hunts would supply them with venison, boar, and game, and the river Nith and the open sea of Solway Firth would provide an abundance of fish and shellfish. If he established a market in the town of Dumfries, Lynx knew it would attract produce and supplies from miles away, perhaps even from across the border in England. And he would encourage ships to bring in goods from Wales and Ireland.
    He reminded himself to visit the Franciscan monastery on the m0orrow to learn if they produced aught more useful than prayer, and for the umpteenth time, he pushed away a thought that refused to leave his mind entirely.
    When Lynx had finished reviewing the day's events and had gone over his plans for tomorrow, he allowed himself to examine the thought carefully. Jock Leslie had a daughter who wasn't spoken for. Was this