lled Simon's friend!_

The thought made her heart stop beating for an instant and her body turn
cold. Killing Simon would have upset David's plans, but he might have
taken out his jealous rage on Simon's friend.

"But what did you _want_ to do with de Gobignon?" he demanded, turning
from the window.

He would not let it alone. She slid off the bed and got to her feet. She
went to the chest and stood with her back to David, staring at the
picture of the saint. Anger clouded over her vision so that she could
not see the painting. She clasped her hands together to control their
trembling.

"I do not have to tell you that," she said in a choked voice. "It does
not matter. I do what is necessary."

"As I do!" There was a snarl in his voice.

What did he mean by that, she wondered. She turned and the look she saw
on his face made her stomach knot itself. His teeth were bared and his
eyes were narrowed to glowing slits.

Now she had to hear him say it. "Did you kill that boy?"

She watched him slowly regain command of himself. Calm returned to the
hard, tan features. His eyes held hers, and their color seemed to change
from white-hot to the cold gray of iron.

"Of course."

She felt something break inside her. Grief overwhelmed her. She mourned
for the young Frenchman. She did not know the man David had killed, but
she imagined him to be just like Simon. She wept for him and for Simon.
And for David. She did not want to cry, but she could not help herself.
She walked slowly to her bed and sat down heavily. She could feel the
tears running down her cheeks.

"Why did you kill him?"

"I had to leave Tilia's. I made the mistake of coming back here. From
across the street I saw de Gobignon in this window." His voice was
tight, his words clipped, as if he were trying to hold something in. "At
the same time, the Frank, who was on watch, saw me. If I had allowed him
to live, de Gobignon would have known that I approved of his being with
you. And he was no boy, but a knight, strong and trained."

"He could have been no match for you."

"I gave him no chance to match himself against me. This is not some
tournament. Your life is in as much danger as mine is."

"I never forget that," she said.

David had killed Simon's friend. She wished that she had gone to bed
with Simon.

"Do you think de Gobignon will now be afraid to try to see you again?"
There was a sneer in David's voice, and she felt the heated blood rising