“And you still get drunk together,” she said pointedly. “Here,” she said to her husband. “Put your arm about my shoulders and let’s go upstairs.”
“Wives change things,” Severn mumbled from behind her.
Liana had all she could do to help Rogan up the stairs. “Your brother needs a wife,” she said to Rogan. “Perhaps he’ll leave us alone if he has his own wife.”
“She has to have lots of money,” Rogan said as he leaned heavily on her and concentrated on the steep, narrow spiral stairs. “Lots of money and lots of hair.”
Liana smiled at his words as she pushed open the bedroom door. Rogan staggered to the bed and was asleep instantly. So much for a night of lovemaking, Liana thought, then snuggled against his dirty body. He was right. She didn’t seem to mind his stench at all.
Now in the early morning, smiling down at him, she felt exhilarated and happy because today was the day he was to spend with her. For one whole day he was hers.
“My lady?” Joice’s voice came through the door.
“Yes,” Liana called, and Joice entered, careful the door didn’t squeak.
Joice took one look at the sleeping Rogan and frowned. “You aren’t ready? The others will be up soon and they will see you.” Her voice was full of disapproval of her mistress’s plan.
“Rogan,” Liana said, leaning over her husband, whispering softly in his ear. “Rogan, my love, you must wake up. Today is the fair.”
He put his hand up and touched her cheek. “Ah, Thursday,” he murmured. “You get on top today.”
“Thursday!” Liana gasped, then punched him in the ribs. “Wake up, you drunken dung heap! I’m your wife, not one of your women.”
Rogan put his hand over his ear, then turned, blinking, to look at her. “What are you yelling about? Is something wrong?”
“You just called me by another woman’s name.” When he looked blank, having no idea why that should bother her, she sighed. “You have to get up. Today’s the fair.”
“What fair?”
“Men!” Liana said through her teeth. “The fair you promised to take me to. The wager, remember? I have peasants’ clothes for us and we’re to leave the castle the moment the gates are open. My maid is going to lock herself in this room all day, and I have put it about that what I want from you is a day in bed. No one will know we’re gone.”
Rogan sat up. “You have taken a lot on yourself,” he said, frowning. “My men should know where I am at all times.”
“If they do, they will hover about you and all the peasants will know who you are. Are you going back on your word?”
Rogan thought that women who talked of honor and keeping one’s vows should be put in the same category with flying pigs. They shouldn’t exist, and if they did, they were a damned nuisance since they wouldn’t stay in their pens.
Liana leaned toward him, her beautiful hair spilling over his arms. “A day in pleasure,” she said softly, “nothing but eating, drinking, dancing. No men to worry over. Nothing at all to worry about.” She smiled as she had an inspiration. “And you might be able to hear whether the peasants know anything about the Howards’ doings.”
Rogan considered that. “Where are the clothes?”
Once he’d made up his mind, Liana was able to get him to move quickly. When they were dressed, she was sure no one would recognize them—as long as Rogan remembered to drop his shoulders and keep his head slightly bowed. Peasants didn’t walk the way the lord of the manor did.
They left the bedroom and got to the gate just as Rogan’s men were lifting the portcullis. No one looked at them. Once across the drawbridge, over the empty moat, Rogan stopped. “Where are the horses?’
“Peasants don’t ride horses. They walk.”
Rogan balked. Just stood there unmoving.
Her first thought was to remind him that he used to walk with Jeanne Howard, but she restrained herself. “Come on,” she coaxed. “We’ll miss the play if we don’t hurry. Or maybe I can purchase that old donkey over there. For a few coins I imagine he’ll—”
“There’s no need to spend money. I can walk as well as the next man.”
They walked the four miles to the village together, and around them swarmed many people, strangers arriving to sell goods, travelers, relatives from other villages. As they neared the village, Liana could feel Rogan begin to relax. His eyes were still wary, for he was a soldier and he watched the people suspiciously, but when they all seemed to be laughing and looking forward to the day, some of his suspicion left him.
“Look there,” Liana called, pointing at the pennants flying from the tops of the tents set up by the visiting merchants. “What shall we have for breakfast?”
“We should have eaten before we left,” Rogan said solemnly.