by Alexa Aston
“Do you suppose Hendry has any brothers?” her sister mused. “If I could marry one of his brothers, we wouldn’t have to be separated.”
Elysande shrugged. “I know so little about him. We only saw each other for a few moments when the betrothal contracts were signed four years ago. He barely said a word and looked so skinny and pale. Hendry mispronounced my name, and I had to tell him twice it was EL-a-sund. Twice!” As she tried to remain calm, she revealed something that had cut her to the quick. “What I remember most was that when he left, he told me that he didn’t enjoy riding!”
Avelyn gave her a sorrowful look. “You never told me that.”
“How could I? Horses are my life. I like them better than I do most people. How can I marry a man who refuses to like riding? What kind of man is that?”
“Elysande! Calm yourself,” her mother ordered as she entered the chamber and closed the door. “You met the boy a long time ago. Surely, he has matured during these past few years. And so what if he doesn’t care for riding? Not everyone is as horse mad as you are.”
Elysande bit back the sharp retort that threatened to escape. No sense in alienating her mother in the short time they had left together. Yet, even that thought brought misery to her. She had put off thinking about her upcoming marriage for years. It seemed to be in the distant future. And now, it was right around the corner. Soon, she would return to the north, the place of her birth, far from her sweet mother and beloved sister. She looked at the pair and shuddered.
“I have some wonderful news to share with you,” her mother said. “I just received word that my brother, Geoffrey, and his wife, Merryn, will attend your wedding. They are bringing their three children with them—your cousins. I haven’t seen Geoffrey since he was a boy of seven. ’Tis more than twenty years that have passed. I can’t wait to see how he turned out and meet his family.”
Elysande rarely saw this kind of glow on her mother’s face. She wondered if her mother would be alive a score from now. Glancing at Avelyn, Elysande tried to picture her sister twenty years in the future. Slightly heavier after birthing babies. Faint lines about her eyes and mouth. Elysande could not imagine going that long without seeing her only sibling. It made her want to burst into tears.
Her mother chattered on about her former life at Kinwick Castle and the trouble she and her sister Eloisa used to get in to. She told a few stories about their baby brother and how good-natured Geoffrey had been. How she loved playing games and telling stories to him.
The more animated she became, the more she seemed like the mother Elysande had grown up with. A nurturing woman who loved her husband and children and would do anything for them.
“Do you miss Father?” she asked.
Her mother startled at the question and then frowned. She looked to Avelyn. “Leave us, child. I wish to speak to your sister alone.”
Elysande saw the protest forming on Avelyn’s lips and shook her head. Avelyn picked up on the cue and left the room without a backward glance.
Once the door closed, her mother warned, “I’ve asked you never to speak of your father, Elysande.”
“Are you afraid of Lord Holger, Mother? Does he beat you? Is he unkind? I can’t leave you in his care if something is wrong between you.” She went and put an arm about her mother, wanting to comfort her.
Mary shrugged. “’Tis the way of the world. Holger leaves me alone for the most part. I run his household in the manner I see fit. Is he a fool? Of course. But for the most part, I have a free hand and don’t have to spend much time in his company.”
“I have no intention of running a household,” Elysande proclaimed. “And I fear Hendry won’t have changed much. He was weak and sick then. He will be the same now.” She began pacing again, the words spilling from her. “I plan to twist this new husband of mine round my little finger. I won’t dance to his tune. He will dance to mine.”
Her mother gave her a stern look. “You would be wise to have a change of heart, my sweet girl. Hendry’s father is a hard man. Lord Ingram’s reputation is chilling. Since he has no wife, you will be mistress of the castle even before Hendry claims his father’s title.” She came and put both hands firmly on Elysande’s shoulders.
“You must do our family name justice. You are a Le Cler. You must behave appropriately. It’s important that you give Hendry many sons to make him—and Lord Ingram—happy. You know the way of things. Our family lost your father’s title to a cousin because I only gave birth to females.” Her mother’s fingers dug into her shoulders to emphasize her point. “Why do you think we wound up here? I don’t want the same to happen to you. I want you settled and secure.”
Mary’s grip loosened. She cupped Elysande’s cheek. “I have so much to get ready for. Your uncle and his family will arrive ahead of the wedding party so that we may visit before the celebration begins. I want everything to be perfect for him.” She kissed her daughter’s cheek and left.
Sobering thoughts flooded Elysande. She hadn’t given much thought to her mother’s remarriage. She didn’t like Lord Holger, so she ignored him for the most part. That wasn’t hard to do since she spent most of her time in the stables or in the pasture with the horses. But what was her mother’s life really like? Elysande could see that her mother wasn’t happy with this new husband. Not as she had been with her first.
And it hadn’t been her decision. With no male children to inherit, they’d been turned from their home and sent south. Her mother had never laid eyes upon Lord Holger, but the king had ordered they marry at once, her father barely in his grave. Elysande couldn’t believe she’d never thought these matters through. She’d ignored everything about marriage, including burying in the back of her mind her own upcoming marriage like some silly fool.
With her wedding merely days away, she would soon leave her loved ones behind. With such a great distance between them, she might never see Avelyn or her mother again. That paralyzed Elysande with fear.
It worried her that her mother had shared that Lord Ingram was a harsh man. Elysande remembered the nobleman from the signing of the contracts. How tall he’d stood. How he dominated a room with his loud voice and harsh laugh. Lord Ingram was the exact opposite of his son in every way. Elysande had been scared of the man. She’d avoided him until he and Hendry had left.
Elysande became anxious thinking about the marriage act. What if Hendry was still sickly and couldn’t perform his husbandly duties? What if no babes came? Would Lord Ingram use her ample dowry to put her away in a nunnery and find his son a new, more fertile wife? Was that how things worked? She had no idea and realized how little she really knew about how the world worked.
And a darker thought flittered in the back of her mind. What if the father stepped in for the son? If he were that controlling a man, would he try to control her? Elysande realized, in that moment, how noblewomen were truly nothing but pawns.
With no say, she had no choice but to go through with her wedding.
Chapter 3
“We’re almost there!” Geoffrey de Montfort called out, his words carrying on the slight summer breeze.
Michael Devereux heard the excitement in his liege lord’s voice and looked ahead to the castle that loomed large before them in the distance. He’d been lost in conversation with Ancel, Geoffrey’s son who fostered with the Earl of Winterbourne, and hadn’t realized how close they’d come to Hopeston Castle.
He looked back at Ancel, the very image of Lord Geoffrey. The boy already stood taller than most his age. His eyes took in everything about him. Michael had put Ancel through his paces in the dueling yard when he arrived home and was impressed with how quickly Ancel moved with a weapon in hand.
So unlike Michael at that same age. He’d been pudgy and short, slow in swinging a sword or running an errand. Laughed at unmercifully by the other boys who fostered with Sir Lovel. Yet his mother had been proven right. As Michael matured, the rolls of baby fat fell away. He shot up in height till he towered well over six feet.
It took time to become accustomed to his new body as he grew into it, but once he had?
Everything changed.
He’d spent hours observing soldiers training in the yard and remembered everything he saw. Michael put those lessons to good use. Suddenly, the sword or mace that had seemed so foreign and unfriendly in his boyish hands now became a natural extension of his body. He became the one feared by all in the training yard, known for his fluid moves and quick thinking.
Though Michael could have remained in service to Sir Lovel, he changed his mind when he heard that Geoffrey de Montfort had returned to Kinwick Castle. Rumors abounded for years as to where the dashing knight had gone since he’d disappeared the day after his wedding. Finally, the king decided the nobleman must be dead and had arranged for Geoffrey’s widow to remarry. Yet news traveled faster than lightning when Lord Geoffrey reappeared before the marriage could take place. No one learned where the Earl of Kinwick had been during those missing years, but Michael knew he must hurry south to serve the man he’d idolized as a child.
With reluctance, Sir Lovel had dismissed him from his service, telling Michael if he ever had a change of heart that he could return.
Michael made his way to the de Montfort estate and had spent the last year in happiness. Lord Geoffrey had matured since they’d last seen one another. He was a bit quieter than the gregarious youth Michael remembered, but Geoffrey still proved himself a leader amongst men. Michael knew he could learn much from the earl in the coming years.
Before he assumed his own title of nobility. Once his father lay dead.
Michael enjoyed the people of Kinwick. The estate was a happy place, full of kindness and love. Lord Geoffrey was responsible for some of those high spirits, but Michael placed most of the reason that Kinwick thrived at Lady Merryn’s doorstep. The countess was a famous beauty, but that only told a small part of the story. She was wise beyond her years and had run the entire estate in her husband’s absence. It flourished under her hand. She had a quick wit and a kind heart. Michael believed he and every knight in the de Montfort service were a little bit in love with her.
Surprisingly, the three de Montfort children brought him immense pleasure. Michael had never been around young children, but he found them to be delightful company. He’d only begun to know Lady Alys since her return from the royal court in London but, already, he could see Lady Merryn’s hand in the child. Alys was thoughtful and interesting and full of good cheer. She’d entertained Michael on the entire journey back from London when they went to retrieve her for her summer visit to her home. He looked forward to seeing Alys mature as the years progressed.
Michael saw Ancel on a more regular basis since he fostered with Lord Geoffrey’s neighbor and was a more frequent visitor to Kinwick. He could tell that the little boy would grow to be a skilled knight and an intelligent liege lord to all his people. Michael hoped that someday he could have a son much like Ancel.
Most of all, he adored the babe. Hal now toddled about and got into more mischief than seven children combined, yet the boy’s sunny nature had stolen the hearts of everyone in the keep and beyond. His capacity for language grew by leaps and bounds every day. Michael enjoyed whittling toy soldiers for the boy. They would play with them in the great hall, spreading them out before the fire. Hal moved the soldiers around as Michael told him of battles that Knights of the Round Table had fought. Then Hal would direct Michael on how he wanted the toys placed. The two had spent many enjoyable hours in one another’s company.
Michael wondered if he would ever have children. He supposed he must, in order to pass down the Devereux family’s title and estates.
The thought soured his cheerful mood. He rarely thought about his boyhood home, which he hadn’t seen in ten and five years. Keeping the promise he’d shouted out to the miserable man who had sired him, Michael had never returned. Only when the earl rotted in his grave would Michael come back to Sandbourne, laying claim to his title and tracking down which convent his mother had been banished to. If she still lived, he planned to restore her to the place of honor she richly deserved.
Until he came in to his title and the fortune that accompanied it, it was foolish to waste time thinking about it.
They approached the gates of Hopeston, and Michael captured the excitement spreading throughout the traveling party. He knew Lord Geoffrey, now a score and ten, had not seen his sister since the year he left to foster at Sir Lovel’s as a boy of seven. Between their reunion and the joyous occasion of the upcoming wedding of Geoffrey’s niece, ’twas a happy time for all. Michael appreciated being part of the guard that accompanied the de Montforts to their destination.
The gatekeeper called out a friendly greeting and swung open the gates. They rode into the outer bailey and continued on through the inner one. Arriving at the keep, Michael watched a dignified woman make her way down the stone stairs, her skirts held aloft from her ankles. A younger girl followed closely on her heels. Michael assumed she was the bride-to-be.
“Mary!” Lord Geoffrey called, leaping off his horse and running to her. He captured his sister in his arms and twirled her about, their laughter warming Michael’s heart. As an only child, he’d had no sibling to share anything with. If he ever did marry, he would fill Sandbourne with a dozen babes who would not only be blood kin but close friends who could depend upon one another through thick and thin.
He dismounted and aided Lady Merryn by taking Hal from her arms and setting him on the ground. The child quickly took off, but Ancel pounced on his brother and scooped Hal up in his arms despite his howling protests. Michael then lifted Lady Merryn from the saddle. She thanked him before she rushed to meet her sister-in-law and niece. Michael helped Alys from the horse she had insisted on riding by herself today on the last leg of their journey.
“You did a fine job, my lady. I think you were born to the saddle.”
The corners of her mouth turned up in a pleased smile. “I’ve always loved to ride. Queen Philippa likes that about me.” Alys joined Ancel, who now had Hal by the hand. Alys grabbed the child’s free hand and the twins made their way to their parents with their baby brother in tow.
Michael, as head of the small guard that had accompanied the de Montforts to Hopeston, awaited his orders. After much hugging and cheek kissing, Lord Geoffrey broke away and came to him.
“See to all the horses, Michael, and then you and the men are to join the family in the great hall after you’re settled in the Hopeston barracks. The noon meal will be served in two hours’ time, but my sister, Mary, has thoughtfully provided ale and some bread and cheese to tide us over till then.”
“At once, my lord,” Michael promised.
Geoffrey strode away as Michael motioned for the knights to take the family’s horses by their reins so they could take the animals to the stable. As they gathered the riderless horses and began to head in the direction Lord Geoffrey had indicated, Michael heard Lady Mary apologizing for her daughter’s absence. Michael knew of two nieces at Hopeston, and he hoped the missing one wasn’t ill. ’Twould be a shame if she missed her sister’s wedding and the opportunity to know her extended family.
Remounting Tempest, he followed the nine knights ahead of him to the stables. A groom met them and showed where to house each animal in the vast structure. Michael saw that the men thoroughly rubbed down all the horses and fed them a good measure of oats before instructing the soldiers to drop their gear in the barracks and return to the keep.
As was his custom, he walked the stable area again, making sure everything was up to his own personal standards. Sir Lovel—and even Geoffrey and Raynor—had impressed upon Michael never to walk away from a task and assume that it had been accomplished as ordered. He must check each individual’s work and be satisfied before moving on.
Michael counted the horses in his head, looking in on each. Everything appeared to be in order. Every animal had been cared for properly. He could leave and join the other men.
As he started
to make his way back to the front of the stables, a voice startled him. He looked around but saw no one. Curious, he retraced his steps and went beyond where the de Montfort horses had been located. Rounding a corner, he heard the voice again. This time he distinguished it as female.
What would a woman be doing in the stables?
Michael continued till he found the source. He looked into the stall and saw a young man winding cloth around a horse’s tail.
“Now Morningstar, you must be patient, my love. ’Tis best if you let me wrap this around your tail. It will keep from having all the hairs in your tail swish and get in the way when your sweet babe comes.”
The clothing might be a man’s, but the voice was that of a woman. He saw her profile now. The delicate, upturned nose. The flawless, milky skin. She was tall for a female, her breasts small, her willowy figure like a young sapling. A long, dark blond braid spilled down her back to her waist.
She must have sensed his presence because she turned toward him. Large, amethyst eyes dominated her face.
The most beautiful face he’d ever seen.
He sucked in a quick breath. His stomach lurched oddly as their eyes met.
“I am Michael. Do you need help?”
She pursed full, pink lips in thought. “I suppose you can stay in case I need an extra pair of hands. Have you ever helped foal a horse?”
“No.” He grinned. “But I’m a fast learner.”
“Good. I need a little more fresh straw. I swept out her stall this morning and placed a new bed of straw within, but my girl has been restless. Bring about three pitchforks full. I’ll show you where to place it.”
He did as told, retrieving the clean hay and spreading it where she requested.
“Are you serious about learning?” she asked.
“Of course. I may need to know about this someday.” He thought of the day when he would own a stable full of prime horseflesh as the Earl of Sandbourne. Understanding the birthing process would be good knowledge for him.
