Page 22 of Lion and the Lamb: Easter

Chapter 8

“God’s eyes, what is taking them so long?” growled Lionel, getting off his horse, meaning to carry both of the women out here over his shoulder if need be. His mother sat on the bench of the wagon waiting, along with his pregnant sister. Agnes and Drew were in the back.

“Here they come now, my lord,” said Raff, pointing to the stairs leading from the great hall. “Or . . . at least I think that’s them. It looks like Lady Rachael, but that doesn’t look at all like Winifred.”

“Nay, it doesn’t,” said Lionel, staring in amazement. His beautiful wife strolled out of the great hall and, to his astonishment, she had Winifred with her. The girl wasn’t fighting her, but coming of her own accord. His daughter was dressed in one of her finest gowns that he’d bought for her but he’d never seen her wear. Her face was washed and her clothes were clean, and she wasn’t wearing a tunic and trews like she normally did.

“Are those . . . flowers in your daughter’s hair?” asked Raff, squinting and making a face.

“They most certainly are,” said Lionel, the corners of his mouth turning up into a smile. “How the hell did Rachael get her to do that?”

Lionel hurried over to them, holding out his arm to escort his wife to the wagon.

“Don’t you want to escort your daughter as well?” asked Rachael.

“Of course,” he said, holding out his other arm, but his daughter would not take it.

“I’m fine,” she said, running off to the wagon, jumping into the back with the others. “Don’t touch the flowers in my hair or I’ll belt you,” Winifred warned Drew.

“But one is falling out and I just want to fix it.” Drew reached for it, and Winifred’s hand balled up into a fist.

“Drew, leave her alone,” Rachael called out.

“You are amazing,” said Lionel right up next to her ear. She turned to see him staring down at her –staring at her mouth as if he wanted to kiss her. “How did you do it?”

“Do what?” she asked, releasing his arm and reaching up to fix her hair. She didn’t want him kissing her in front of everyone, and especially not in front of his daughter.

“You got Winifred to do something that I never could. How did you do it?”

“All you have to do is ask nicely,” she said, with a sly smile. “Mayhap you should try getting to know her. Talk to her more.”

“Talk? I can’t talk to her,” he complained. “The girl wants nothing to do with me.”

“Well, I have a feeling that all might be changing soon.” She smiled at Lionel as if she knew some sort of secret, and then left him to head over to the wagon. Lionel followed, feeling very lost and confused.

* * *

Later that day,Lionel sat at the dais during the main meal with his mother on one side of him and his wife on the other. His sister, Lily, sat next to his mother. Drew was next to Rachael, and Winifred sat next to her new brother. It was an odd feeling, but it was his new family now.

“Bring on the food,” he called out, so hungry he could eat a horse.

“Lionel, you know we’re not supposed to eat at all on the Day of Ashes,” his mother whispered to him.

“Aye, but Father Anthony was kind enough to give us absolution,” Lionel told her.

“He did?” asked Lily, overhearing them and leaning over to be part of the conversation. “No priest has that power.”

Lionel shrugged. “Well, Father Anthony told me things are changing. He said we could eat a meal today after all.”

“How much did you pay him?” asked Lily with a grin, knowing sometimes priests could be paid off to allow eating of things that were supposed to be forbidden during Lent. It was said there were actually churches with spirals called Butter Towers. They’d been built using money from the nobles who had bribed the church to let them eat butter during Lent.

“I didn’t pay him anything,” said Lionel.

“Then why did he allow it?” asked his mother.

“I don’t know.” Lionel shrugged again. “We were just talking after mass and when he heard me complaining about the fast, I guess he felt sorry for me. It was actually his idea. And he didn’t even ask for any money. I think I really like our new priest and will have to up my amount of tithing next time I go to church.”

Lionel was excited to be eating, but when the servants laid the trays of food down in front of him, he groaned. “Not fish,” he mumbled. “Why do we have to have fish?”