She looked so winsome. Only the presence of Urse behind him kept Ranuff from kissing Aldyth there and then.

"Now is as good a time as any to tell you both that Christmas Day will be our last day in Rouen," Ranulf told Aldyth and his squire.

"His grace the duke has asked me to pay his brother Henry in the Cotentin a little visit." : "Ah, but that's excellent" -- began Urse.

"He couldn't have played better into my own hands, true," Ranuff agreed.

"I had wanted to pay the prince a visit in any case and was wondering how I could do it without offending Robert before Rufus orders me home. And now the duke himself has asked me to do what I wanted to anyway."

"Well then, perhaps this is the best time to request a Christmas boon of you," murmured Urse.

"But before I do, my lord, know that it's all right if you don't want to say yes."

Ranulf looked up. It wasn't like the big man to ask for favors or to be hesitant about anything, for that matter.

"Yes, what is it? You never ask me for aught--don't go about it like a stammering boy."

'"Tis not me, my lord, 'tis for Vivienne I ask. She... she mie. ses her babes, my lord. Being away from them at Christmas is--well, it's harder on her than she'd thought 'twould be...."

"And she wants to go home to them? Of course she does--I was amazed she consented to come in the first place.

Very well, I'll give her pa.s.sage money--but only if you'll escort her and find somewhere to marry her between here and Winchester. "

"Oh no, that's not necessary, my lord, though 'tis good of you to offer. I couldn't desert you in the middle of all this. If I could just see her safely aboard ship, I'll catch up" -- "What, don't you want to marry her?"

Ranulf asked with a tone of mild menace.

"I'd hate to think you were trifling with that good woman, my Breton friend."

"Nay, of course I'm not! Of course I want to wed her, just as soon as possible.

"Tis just that" -- "Nonsense, Urse. I can handle it from here. Very likely we'll sail home from the peninsula, and there's naught I can't handle with the help of my good page Edward." He grinned over his shoulder at Aldyth, who grinned back, though she appeared dazed by this new development.

Urse still looked skeptical, but he recognized when his 1ord's mind was made up.

"Very well then, Lord Ranulf. I-we--thank you. We'll pray for you every day of our lives."

"And name your first son after me."

Urse's eyes darted to Aldyth, then back to Ranulf, and a huge grin split the big man's face.

"Oh, I think you'll have your own son before long, my lord. Two little Ranulfs playing together would be too confusing, don't you think?"

Ranulf snorted.

"You're talking nonsense, Urse."

They left the day after Christmas, as planned. In the five days in which they had lounged at the ducal court, Ranulf had been at pains to show Robert and his n.o.bles exactly what they expected to see--a genial popinjay who asked nothing more of life than an overlord who would make it worth his while to sit decoratively in his hall, showing off his gorgeous raiment and singing the duke's praises. Thinking him harmless, Robert's men talked freely in front of Ranulf, so he had _en and heard much that would be of interest to Rufus--and Ranuff's true lord. He learned who truly favored the duke, and who merely hung around court for the easy life Robert offered, and who would desert the duke if offered a better deal.

He saw that Bishop Odo, the Conqueror's half brother and uncle to Rufus, Robert and Henry, was firmly in Duke Robert's camp, for he had realized that he was considered of no value to England's new king. He saw that Robert counted as best friends such men as Robert of Belesme, a man already famous for his bloodthirsty unscrupulousness, and Edgar the Aetheling, who had once been heir presumptive of England long before the Conquest. It was easy to see that Edgar and Robert had a common interestthe throne of England--but less easy to see how they could both be satisfied if one of them got it.

What would be more disturbing to Rufus, however, was the number of members from the most prominent Norman families in England--men who had supported the Conqueror, or whose fathers had--who now sought to throw their support to Robert rather than the Conqueror's chosen heir, because they felt Robert more amenable to their control than Rufus ever would be.

Rufus was right to suspect a plot. Ranulf could practically see it beginning to hatch in front of his eyes. He could not decide, however, how much to communicate to Rufus. Obviously Ranulf would have to feed his king some information to keep him content. But it would have to be facts that would not harm Ranulf's liege lord, and where that lord stood had not yet become apparent. Ranulf wanted to be able to help him, though, whenever his liege made his plans clear.

In any case, no immediate action had been demanded of Ranulf by Robert Curthose. After the few initial questions, he had been made welcome to enjoy the lazy, generous lifestyle of the duke, whose most strenuous pastimes were hunting and hawking. The wine flowed liberally, the food was excellent, and women had been available for the taking, had Ranulf been interested.

He reali,! xl he had been preoccupied by his thoughts all morning.

Scarcely a word had pa.s.sed between him and Aldyth ever since they left the abbey where they had pa.s.sed the night.

"You haven't said what you thought of Christmas at the ducal court,"

be said.

"Or are you still sick from stuffing yourself with de dells en burneaux ?"

She gave a rueful mile.

"I'm not sure if it was that or the roast porpoise--I'd never had either before. And what of 153 you, my lord? You visited the wa.s.sail bowl rather often, I noticed."

"And paid for it the next morning, by G.o.d's toenails! The pantomimes were funny, were they not?"

"I enjoyed the horse racing and the jousting more," she replied, "for you won both of them over those braggarts of Duke Robert's court."

He rolled his eyes and made a deprecating gesture.

"I'm not sure the race was worth it, for the mud mined my best cloak," he groaned, trying to put on the persona of the languid Lord Ranulf again. But somehow, out here alone with Aldyth, it was difficult to be false with her.

There was something about the solitude of this sandy coastal road, with the seabirds screeching overhead in the cold winter air and the waves rolling in to sh.o.r.e off to their right, that demanded honesty.

As if she sensed his mood, she said,

"I'm not sure I understand why we're going to see Prince Henry."

He shrugged. He wasn't sure he was ready to be completely honest with Aldyth yet, for he didn't know how she would react.

"I told you--Duke Robert asked me to go. He wants to see where Henry's loyalty lies--currently, that is."

"So cynical! Yet there is more to this journey than a du- cai request, and you know it. You're playing some deep game, my lord. What is it?"

Inwardly he marveled at Aldyth's perception.

"My games are my own, little one, and I think it best to keep it that way,"

he said, avoiding those honest green eyes that saw too much.

He could feel her studying him.

"All right, we'll discuss something else. I still don't understand why I have to continue this masquerade as a page,"