< previous page page_359 next page >

Page 359
Chapter 27
Meanwhile, from the time Marie had left Clifford, Walter began to enjoy himself. Gilbert Bassett only laughed when Walter said he wished to change his shield and accompany them, agreeing that if Walter wanted to go for the sport and what loot he could snatch, he was very welcome. And, although he was consulted in the planning, Walter felt a delightful lack of responsibility about it. It was a great, if temporary, release to need to give thought to no one but himself, not even to the small troop he had led for many years.
Just as he got into bed, and a prick of longing for Sybelle's lithe body reminded him he missed his wife, he began to laugh. Tomorrow's raid would be his last wild fling. He would probably never again be engaged in an action in which he was free to do as he pleased without any consideration for the effect of his behavior. He lay back thoughtfully with his arms behind his head and reflected on his new situation in life. He had feared the wrong loss of freedom when he had first offered for Sybelle. It was the weight of responsibility for Roselynde he should have dreaded, not the vow to care for only one woman.
He remembered how he had asked himself, after Lady Joanna and Prince Llewelyn had warned him of Sybelle's jealousy, whether he was no longer to be in control of his own life. Now Walter wondered how he could have been so foolish. From the first time he had laid eyes on Sybelle, he had desired no other woman. To be faithful to his wifeat least, for any period in which they were not parted for longwould be no harsh trial. Besides, he had not seen a hint of jealousy in Sybelle, and Marie had given her reason enough to be jealous.
The thought of Marie made Walter uncomfortable, but only

 
< previous page page_359 next page >