bed as if she were suddenly afraid of it and ran to clutch Sybilla's hand.
Hawise unwrapped the bandage, threw it down in an untidy tangle, and dashed for the door, her heavy auburn braid bouncing against her spine like a bell rope, the soles of her shoes flashing.
With a sigh and a head shake, Sibbi picked up the snarl of linen strips and began rolling them back into a neat coil.
Hawise pelted down to the hall and out into the bailey where the men were dismounting. Her papa had only been gone for two days, but she was wild to greet him. He had promised to bring her some bridle bells for her pony and a set of leather juggling balls from the fair.
By the time she reached him, he had dismounted from his roan cob and was talking to a couple of his knights. A long train of pack ponies was clopping away towards the undercroft. 'Papa!' she cried and flung herself at him.
He caught her in mid-run and swung her round in his arms, making her shriek with delight. Then he kissed her soundly on the cheek and set her down.
'Did you remember my bridle bells and juggling balls?' she demanded, hopping from foot to foot.
'Your what?' He rubbed his hand over his stubbled jaw and Hawise felt a jolt of apprehension at the blank look on his face. Just as the apprehension was about to become panic, he winked. With another shriek, she threw her arms around his waist and hugged him.
Laughter rumbled in his chest. 'How could I forget them when I know the terrible consequences of doing so? You can have them when I unpack my baggage.' He glanced down and, with a smile, tugged the leather belt at her waist. A wooden sword in a cloth sheath was thrust through it. 'What's this?'
'We've been playing sieges,' she said. 'And I was the lord of the castle.'
His lips twitched. 'I hope you fought off the enemy.'
She nodded. 'But I was wounded and Sibbi had to look after me. And Marion was having a baby.'
Her father made an interested sound in his throat and she could tell, from the vibration that ran through him, he was silently laughing. Behind them, she heard the chuckles of the knights, but it was a comfortable sound and she fell indulged rather than ridiculed.
'I might have another surprise for you soon,' he said as she grabbed his hard, callused hand and began pulling him towards the living quarters.
Hawise frowned up at him. Her imagination scurried, but she could think of nothing she particularly wanted beyond bridle bells and juggling balls… unless perhaps a pair of stilts. 'What sort of surprise?' she asked.
He squeezed her hand. 'I'll have to talk to your mother first'
Hawise squeezed him back, exerting all her pressure until he screwed up his face in mock agony and she giggled.
'Tell me, Papa,' she demanded.
'On the morrow.' He tweaked her auburn braid.
'Is it a toy?'
He shook his head. 'Wait and see,' he grinned.
She was intrigued and mystified, but knew her papa and the boundaries he set well enough to realise that he wouldn't say until he was ready, and that neither cajolery nor stamping and tantrums would work. Indeed, the latter would merit the flat of his hand. Besides, despite her high spirits and impulsive streak, she was a stoical child who could be patient when the occasion arose. 'Promise you'll tell me first.'
'I'll think about it,' he said, and gave her another wink.
Replete with spiced chicken stew, white bread, and an obscene quantity of honey and rosewater tart, the girls were preparing for bed. Gowned in their chemises, their hair combed and their prayers said, they sat on their beds and chattered like sparrows as they waited for Sybilla to come and snuff the candle.
'I don't know what sort of surprise,' Hawise said. Having imparted the information, she was now the centre of attention. She tossed three of the five leather balls in the air and for a moment succeeded in keeping them in rotation. 'Papa said it wasn't a toy, though.' The balls fell around her and she picked them up to begin again.
'Perhaps
Hawise unwrapped the bandage, threw it down in an untidy tangle, and dashed for the door, her heavy auburn braid bouncing against her spine like a bell rope, the soles of her shoes flashing.
With a sigh and a head shake, Sibbi picked up the snarl of linen strips and began rolling them back into a neat coil.
Hawise pelted down to the hall and out into the bailey where the men were dismounting. Her papa had only been gone for two days, but she was wild to greet him. He had promised to bring her some bridle bells for her pony and a set of leather juggling balls from the fair.
By the time she reached him, he had dismounted from his roan cob and was talking to a couple of his knights. A long train of pack ponies was clopping away towards the undercroft. 'Papa!' she cried and flung herself at him.
He caught her in mid-run and swung her round in his arms, making her shriek with delight. Then he kissed her soundly on the cheek and set her down.
'Did you remember my bridle bells and juggling balls?' she demanded, hopping from foot to foot.
'Your what?' He rubbed his hand over his stubbled jaw and Hawise felt a jolt of apprehension at the blank look on his face. Just as the apprehension was about to become panic, he winked. With another shriek, she threw her arms around his waist and hugged him.
Laughter rumbled in his chest. 'How could I forget them when I know the terrible consequences of doing so? You can have them when I unpack my baggage.' He glanced down and, with a smile, tugged the leather belt at her waist. A wooden sword in a cloth sheath was thrust through it. 'What's this?'
'We've been playing sieges,' she said. 'And I was the lord of the castle.'
His lips twitched. 'I hope you fought off the enemy.'
She nodded. 'But I was wounded and Sibbi had to look after me. And Marion was having a baby.'
Her father made an interested sound in his throat and she could tell, from the vibration that ran through him, he was silently laughing. Behind them, she heard the chuckles of the knights, but it was a comfortable sound and she fell indulged rather than ridiculed.
'I might have another surprise for you soon,' he said as she grabbed his hard, callused hand and began pulling him towards the living quarters.
Hawise frowned up at him. Her imagination scurried, but she could think of nothing she particularly wanted beyond bridle bells and juggling balls… unless perhaps a pair of stilts. 'What sort of surprise?' she asked.
He squeezed her hand. 'I'll have to talk to your mother first'
Hawise squeezed him back, exerting all her pressure until he screwed up his face in mock agony and she giggled.
'Tell me, Papa,' she demanded.
'On the morrow.' He tweaked her auburn braid.
'Is it a toy?'
He shook his head. 'Wait and see,' he grinned.
She was intrigued and mystified, but knew her papa and the boundaries he set well enough to realise that he wouldn't say until he was ready, and that neither cajolery nor stamping and tantrums would work. Indeed, the latter would merit the flat of his hand. Besides, despite her high spirits and impulsive streak, she was a stoical child who could be patient when the occasion arose. 'Promise you'll tell me first.'
'I'll think about it,' he said, and gave her another wink.
Replete with spiced chicken stew, white bread, and an obscene quantity of honey and rosewater tart, the girls were preparing for bed. Gowned in their chemises, their hair combed and their prayers said, they sat on their beds and chattered like sparrows as they waited for Sybilla to come and snuff the candle.
'I don't know what sort of surprise,' Hawise said. Having imparted the information, she was now the centre of attention. She tossed three of the five leather balls in the air and for a moment succeeded in keeping them in rotation. 'Papa said it wasn't a toy, though.' The balls fell around her and she picked them up to begin again.
'Perhaps
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