ŷ������

“I was certain I told you the king was coming.��

She planted her hands on her hips. “You did not tell me the king was coming.��

“I remember telling you there would be only one more delay until we would marry. That day on the battlements. I remember it distinctly.��

“Aye, you did say that, but you failed to mention that the ‘one thing�� was the king of England.��

“Well, now you know,�� he said casually, as if he were speaking of the time of day or the color of the sky and not something as important as a royal visit. “He is coming tomorrow,�� he added. “For our wedding.”
― Jill Barnett, Wonderful

“Lady Clio’s father claimed her pale silvery hair was her greatest asset…or perhaps his greatest asset, considering he had the duty to see her wed to some poor unsuspecting fool.

... According to the Church, the color of a woman’s hair bespoke her true nature. The men empowered by the Church based this theory on the conclusion that hair grew directly from the brain. ... [And] a woman with light hair was perfect.

Unfortunately, those men of the Church did not know Clio. Like a field of golden buttercups that hides a prickly hedgehog, Lady Clio’s hair hid her true nature.”
― Jill Barnett, Wonderful

“It seemed that unbeknownst to her father, the lecherous bishop had chased Clio for the entire previous week and had foolishly cornered her on the staircase, where he stole a kiss and squeezed her small breasts. So when it came time to doctor him, she had smiled sweetly and stitched up his wound in the shape of three sixes, the sign of the devil.”
― Jill Barnett, Wonderful

“The Lord says her head must be pointed toward Golgotha.��

The man was crazed. Merrick just looked at him blankly.

“Calvary,�� the good brother explained. “’Tis the hill where Christ was—��

“I bloody well know where Golgotha is, you idiot! I’ve been there! Now get out of this room before I crucify you!”
― Jill Barnett, Wonderful

“Tis not fair, you know. I have no life left, not even enough to get up, and you are footslogging around this chamber as if you have fire under your…�� She paused.

“My what?�� He was grinning at her.

“Your big feet.��

He laughed loud and heartily and tossed the towel aside. “You know what the old wives say about big feet.”
― Jill Barnett, Wonderful

“Merrick swilled down the rest of his ale. A strange heat traveled from his belly to loins to his head. ’Twas like his blood came alive.��

…Since Clio was the bride, they toasted her lips, and her hips. They drank to her eyes, and her thighs. Her luscious meal fare and her glorious hair. Her small nose and her bare toes.

But even Merrick was surprised when he himself stood and bellowed, “Here’s to Lady Clio with her mouth full of sass.�� �� He grinned, then raised his cup high. “And her small, tight ass.”
― Jill Barnett, Wonderful