CHAPTER 20I woke from a sleep that seemed like that of the dead, feeling still heavy, drained, quite unrested. The events of last night seemed now like a nightmare. Yet if I touched my lips, I could still feel his kisses; and there were streaks of blood, his blood, on the gown lying where I had cast it on the rushes.
On top of which, my deathly tired brain had been aware of some disturbance in the night. Of course, if he was here, there would be disturbance. What had he done? Insulted the servants? Fought with our men-at-arms? Broken out of the house with my grandfather’s sword?
Abruptly, I leapt out of bed. I was dressed by the time Lise came in, wide-eyed and big with news. I wondered if he had truly prevailed upon her virtue; I wondered if he had truly had the strength.
“Have you hea
