Following what could have been a very bad start, supper progressed well.
Katherine did not refer to the earlier meeting; she did not throw any mischievous glances at Vasey or Sir Guy; she did not treat them with coldness. She was the model of courtesy and gentleness, sitting patiently to listen whilst others spoke, asking intelligent questions, flattering the guests and her father in law when it was called for.
The affection between Sir John and her was obvious. Every now and again he would pat her gently on the hand and she was extremely solicitous in her attention to him, at one point giving him the cushion from her own chair to make his more comfortable.
Vasey seemed to shake off his initial embarrassment at what he had suggested to Katherine when he thought she was a maid. With good wine and food inside him he was voluble and relaxed. But Guy, despite joining in the conversation and giving every appearance of being at ease, was boiling with anger at the way she had made a fool of him. And shame at the way he had revealed his desire for her.
He tried to avoid looking at her or speaking to her during the meal, but she seemed not to notice his discomfort and was all pleasantness and concern, asking him about his estate, his duties in Nottingham, where his original home had been.
As the meal progressed his anger subsided and began to be replaced by fascination. Fascination and further waves of lust. How old was she? He would have said no more than twenty, but her bearing and manner suggested a much older, more self confident woman. She was very different from the simpering, coquettish women at Nottingham; different even that the headstrong, petulant Marian. Her assurance seemed to go through to the bone.
Dark glossy hair, dark brows, dark eyes and the palest skin against which her mouth looked like some exotic bloom. Guy could not keep his eyes from that mouth, and as the conversation moved along he thought of plundering those lips; of punishing her with his hands and tongue and watching that cool demeanour dissolve under him as he made her cry out.
'Isn’t that right Sir Guy?
Guy came back abruptly to the present and saw three pairs of eyes looking at him, expectantly.He mumbled something that seemed to satisfy them and then, unable to stop himself, his eyes strayed to her face again. She caught his look and gave him a cool, amused one in return before turning her attention back to Sir Henry and yet another of his hunting anecdotes.
Before he was aware of it, Guy was again lingering over that mouth and then letting his eyes travel down her neck. He shifted in his seat to try and make himself more comfortable. The meal moved on, more wine was drunk, Guy felt his head swimming with the thought of her naked in his arms.
He was just imagining running his hand slowly, slowly down her belly when Sir Henry gave a regretful sigh.
'I am sorry to be a poor host, but these days I cannot carouse until dawn.' Katherine moved to help him as he hoisted himself to his feet. 'My steward will see to all your needs, but I must beg your forgiveness and seek my bed.'
He inclined his head to both men. 'Good night,' and turned to kiss Katherine’s cheek before a servant helped him from the room.
Katherine watched him leave and then turned to address Guy and Vasey. 'You must forgive me, but I must also retire. It has been a long and eventful day. I trust your men have everything they need?'
Then, happy that all was as it should be, she too moved towards the door. Guy watched her go, yearning for her to stay longer. As if in answer to his thoughts she stopped, turned and took a few steps towards them again.
With a delicate little cough she said, 'If either of you, or indeed, both of you should still feel in need of some, um, entertainment tonight, I believe that one of the kitchen maids is normally happy to oblige. She will be quite satisfied with a trinket or a small coin.'
Her face betrayed no flicker of emotion and she simply inclined her head to both of them, turned and walked from the room.
As soon as the door closed behind her, Vasey started to laugh. He slapped Guy on the arm, 'She got the better of us there, Gisborne,' he said. 'Oh come on, you have to admit it was funny.'
But Guy simply scowled, humiliated yet again.
'Well please yourself, I’m off to hunt down that kitchen maid,' Vasey said, refilling his cup with wine and walking rather unsteadily from the room.
Guy flopped down in his chair, still scowling. Katherine, you’re a cool woman, he thought, but you and your mouth are going to pay for that.
And then he sat back and imagined her at this moment upstairs in her room, slipping out of her clothes and lying naked in her matrimonial bed. He sat there for a long time, finishing off the wine and calling for another bottle. And then he slowly climbed the stairs to his chamber wondering as he went which door her room lay behind and whether she was still laughing at him.
