The Eternal Shadow

Chapter 49

XLIX

"I hope you've brought a nice frock with you my dear..."

Francesca jumped out of her skin.

How in God's name had he gotten into her room without her noticing? The door was old and creaky yet she hadn't heard a thing.

"You've been looking so dreary of late..."

Francesca silently cursed him a thousand times and bemoaned her luck for having returned to his domain. It was bad enough that her father and Winchester would be returning today; did she really have to put up with Vaisey slinking about, scaring the bejesus out of her as well?

As her heartbeat returned to normal, she turned to face him with her brow pinched in an irritated frown. Vaisey adored that expression on her; it was one of his favourites.

"You don't seem pleased to see me - a shame, for I come to you first with the news..."

Her frown deepened and Vaisey drank it in. He might not be able to mess with her as much as he'd like, (as Prince John's future mistress she was pretty much untouchable) but he'd still torment her where he could.

"Soooo... do you have anything decent?"

She was shaking her head now and looking at him as if he'd completely lost the plot. "What do you mean?"

"To wear of course! For the wedding!"

Wedding?

"Gisborne and Marian! Don't tell me you hadn't noticed their engagement or were you too busy trying to get back into his bed?"

Francesca's jaw dropped open.

1. She'd never been in his bed... well, not in the way he was insinuating anyway...

2. What happened to 'when the king returns'?

3. How dare he insinuate that she'd been trying to seduce him!

4. What happened to...

"He's coming this Saturday." Vaisey smirked, relishing what he was doing to her with this disclosure, "King Richard himself." He bowed in an over-the-top manner, grinning all the while, "We are most honoured..."

Francesca felt her defences crumble as the news sunk in. Her legs turned to jelly and she had to prop herself up against one of the bedposts. She turned away from him, all too aware of how his eyes greedily ate up her distress.

"Yes my dear, by this time next week your lover will be a married man and you'll trading wedding tips with Marian no doubt... or.... bedroom tips." His grin was pure wickedness, how he loved to pull the prim and proper ladies down a peg or two, "After all, can't have you showing yourself up when Prince John finally gets round to having his way with you eh?"

It was too much. Francesca's legs gave up on her. She somehow managed to perch herself on the bed but it was as if her body had completely deflated. She felt herself beginning to choke and willed herself to breathe. When she finally managed it and her lungs ceased screaming for air, she buried her head in her hands and petitioned the Lord above to give her a break for if things carried on like this she would surely lose her mind.

Please God, I know that he is lost to me but do you have to make me watch him marry someone else?

Vaisey was a gleeful spectator of her anguish; he found there was nothing quite so satisfying as delivering a well-aimed kick when someone was down.

"Say.... you could borrow a dress from Marian! She has some fetching outfits! I'm sure she'd have no problem lending you something..." Vaisey paused to run a quick greatest hits of Marian's wardrobe through his head, chuckling as he remembered an interesting camouflage number, "but do remember dear, it is not proper to outdo the bride on her big day, so choose wisely..."