by Rizzo Rosko
Returning to his studies of the blade would now be for more than just to save face in front of his friends who frequently made his lack of skill known in their jokes, but he wanted to be prepared to defend himself and Marianne in the case that, that underhanded devil pulled a cruel stunt for revenge.
Men and women who’ve angered Ferdinand have been known to disappear, William knew this very well, having never forgotten it after the incident with the prostitute, poor Bertha, and he was going to prepare himself for the possibility of something dangerous. First, he needed to do one quick thing.
“Adam!” William called when he finally spotted him.
The man abruptly stopped, looked shocked at the sight of his master before bowing. He was running an errand outside the castle, probably hoping to see his woman as he was prone to sneak off and do when he felt there was naught better for him to work with. William decided not to mention it.
“Yes, milord?”
He struggled with the smirk on his lips, knowing this would displease Marianne and excited for her oncoming wrath.
“Find my wife, tell her that I have had time to think over my punishment for her lack of judgment when she rode off, and I have decided that she is now to have an escort.”
Adam blinked. “Does she not already have one, milord?”
“A male escort, but she is still to have Olma in her presence,” he quickly added. “James is about to be knighted so he will do, I would not want to deprive a knight of his apprentice unless I thought he would soon be ready.”
He also did not want Marianne to be suspicious of why she would be followed around by a knight. A squire would be a more believable prison keeper for the lady of the castle without arousing her worries.
Adam blinked again, and his expression fell at the prospect of telling his lady that she was soon to be shackled with another keeper. “Aye, milord, it shall be done.”
William nodded and went on his way. “Good, see to it then.”
“The lady will not be pleased, milord.”
William turned back to look at him. His expression had gone from forlorn to mildly fearful.
William grinned and continued walking. “I am well aware. I am going to train with Bryce, tell her where to find me should she wish a word.”
***
Marianne did not know how it was possible for her to have ever felt anything other than spite for the man. He infuriated her! Not only could she not leave the castle grounds, but now had to walk around with that little coward behind her.
A squire, soon to be knighted. Ha! The little fool could not even look her in the eye. She would feel sorry for him had he not been sent to guard her by her husband.
Now he trailed behind her, just ahead of Olma who followed too eagerly for Marianne’s liking. His head was still down, she did not need any witchcraft to see that, and right now she felt sadistic enough to not care for his shattered soul.
Every servant within eyesight scurried out of the way of her violent sneer, closed fists, and stomping feet as she marched up the stairway and burst through the doors of William’s solar, mouth open, ready to scream again.
He was not there.
She stomped her foot, the roar that escaped her shook her body.
A commotion behind her brought her back to her senses long enough for her to look behind her. The squire boy fell over and stared at her like she was possessed. Olma eagerly assisted him back to his stumbling feet.
She ignored them and went to the window, looking out passed the courtyard for any sign of where William could be.
Her eyes found him like a hawk that found a mouse while flying above. He played along the side of the stables, jumping and dancing clumsily away from another bigger man. They both swung their swords about, only William did a more terrible job of it.
Ah yes, she thought, he had mentioned something about sharpening his skills to her.
Marianne hardly cared. Nor did she care of what it was William saw that was so important about playing around like a child when he had the nerve to attach this meddlesome boy to her leg.
She fled from the solar, and flew down the stairs, nearly knocking over a maid carrying flour. Her two watch dogs followed behind her.
Marianne lifted her gown when she charged outside and into the mud, following the sound of laughter that she had not heard before when she was certain he was hiding from her.
“I’m improving!” William boomed, laughter in his voice. He continued his circular dance around his instructor, swirling his wooden sword about with his right hand, daring his instructor to come at him with his stance.
The man had a deep voice. “Lucky, you mean.”
“Not anymore!” Marianne screeched.
All laughter ceased as all eyes shot to her. Marianne did not stop, not even when she caught Blaise in her peripheral vision as she moved in on William. She stopped only when she stood up directly in front of him so that he could have a clear vision of the loathing in her eyes, her nose high enough that it nearly touched his while his breath warmed her face.
Angrily, she pointed his finger behind her to where she was sure the squire boy still stood unless he had fallen over again.
“What is that?” She ground through clenched teeth.
William looked at the squire, looked back at her and smiled. “That is James. He is to be knighted soon.”
“And pray tell, what is he following me for?”
It infuriated her that her temper did not have the same affect on William as it had on James, his unflinching demeanor silenced her long enough to hear what he had to say.
“My dear, he is to ensure that you do not take leave of your senses again and charge off towards the forest at the first sign of a broken heart.”
“I did not charge towards the forest!” Marianne stamped her foot. She rode casually to free her thoughts. “Nor did I have a broken heart!” She had merely been upset at the time. “And how is it that he is to be knighted? He cowers like a beaten dog.”
William ignored her previous claims of not charging towards the forest. “If he does cower like a beaten dog ‘tis only because you scream like a savage.”
Blaise, having suffered enough in silence, threw down his wooden sword. “I believe my training for the day is complete, if anyone has any need of me, I shall be riding.”
“Do not be riding Benedict! That is William’s horse!” Marianne shouted at his retreating back, remembering William speak of his dislike for Blaise to ride his prized horse without permission.
Blaise abruptly stopped, turned, and glared. But he looked behind her to where William stood and left without another word.
Marianne was glad for his decision to leave and did not look at him with regret when he chose to do so, even if it was the product of her temper.
The man instructing William had lowered his sword and found something much more interesting to stare at off in the distance.
For the first time she stopped to realize that there were guests about who could see her in this state. It occurred to her that perhaps she really did not have the hold on her emotions that she thought she did.
The larger man shook his head in the direction Blaise had left in before addressing William. “I do not know why ye let the boy get away with being so cruel to ye.” He said before staring down at Marianne in an equally meaningful way.
Marianne heard what was not said. The large man also did not understand why William allowed her to rant and rage at her husband like she did, and truthfully Marianne did not know the answer either.
Marianne feared William would speak of her behavior as well. His silence was equally accusing.
Wishing to take the attention away from herself, she puzzled over why the larger man would mention Blaise in the first place when all he did was storm off. She heard Blaise say naught of William when she stormed in. She deducted that he must have been speaking ill of William’s skills before she arrived.
Wishing to redeem herself for her wicked display, she spo
ke loudly with both arms crossed. “From what I have seen William is improving his swordplay splendidly.”
Both men had the good grace not to mention the sudden change in the subject, nor that she had never seen William spar previously to know whether he truly improved or not. Still, a pleased grin appeared on William’s face.
“Marianne, my dear, might I introduce you to my brother in spirit, Lord Bryce of Ironside.”
Marianne curtsied politely, blushing and wondering if it made a difference in his opinion of her now that he’d seen her in a rage.
The man had a bright smile hidden under his gnarled hazel beard. “I knew ye’d be plenty o’ fun. Said so myself, even Nicholas figured ye’d have a fiery spirit. Hugh thought Will had gotten ye with—”
“Quite enough, old friend,” William interjected, but ‘twas too late, Marianne knew what Lord Ironside was about to say. Her face blazed.
She decided the best course of action was no action at all and said naught. She pursed her lips and smiled, though the smile she gave suggested she was trying to hide lemon juice in her mouth.
“I pray that I have not ruined your practice, you may both continue if you wish.” Though that would not stop her from demanding a real explanation from William as soon as his guest was out of the way.
“I do no’ think so, milady,” Said Bryce, turning his attention back to William. “I think we are better to start this again first thing on the morrow.”
William nodded. “Aye, I have some other work that could be seen to while I wait for our next match.”
Bryce snorted and shook his head. “Don’t know how ye manage to sit there like that, adding numbers all day,” he poked the pointed end of the wooden sword at William’s chest and jabbed him. “‘Tis no wonder yer skills are lacking.”
William slapped the sword away, but Marianne could see that he took no offence to the comment.
Bryce turned to the stables, where his horse waited for him.
“Will you not stay the night and have some supper?” She offered, not sure if she liked the idea of letting a guest leave without being fed, as she was certain no well bred lady would allow.
Bryce turned at the mention of food. “I canno’ cheat a beautiful woman like yerself out of one o’ yer spare rooms when I live just an hour south, but if ye’ll be so kind, I would love to stay for supper.”
***
The man ate more than a pack of starved wolves and had the manners to match, but Marianne could see why William enjoyed having him as a friend. She could sense they had a genuine liking for each other that truly was brotherly. When they spoke to each other it was without any formalities.
Marianne was glad to meet him, his jolly humor and inappropriate jokes of both his and William’s clumsy boyhood made her forget that James stood several feet behind her. She now wished to meet the other friends William hid from her, because Bryce was correct, William did spend most of his time in his solar. Marianne was glad for someone other than herself who wanted him to spend time outside of that stuffy room.
When they bid him farewell Marianne was shocked to see that he hadn’t even brought any men for protection, just a single horse.
“Ye need no’ worry fer me. Who would try an’ rob me? I’m huge and look like a beggar.” He waved his hands over his torn clothing, a smile hidden under his beard at the worry on her face.
Marianne looked at the clothes he’d been training William in. They hung loose on his huge body and smelled of filth. She wondered if he dressed like so all the time or just for the sake of their practice.
Marianne chided herself for being foolish and decided it was the latter.
***
After Bryce left, Marianne had completely forgotten about James and Olma, and would have continued to be oblivious of them had William not ordered them away.
“Is that the end of my punishment then?” She asked, crossing her arms as she turned and walked towards their bedchamber.
Her body flooded with warmth when he caught up and pulled her close, walking hip to hip with her with his arm snaked around her body and hand resting against her belly.
He walked as though his touch was commonplace, and he seemed not as affected by it as she. He sighed over her question, showing no symptoms of a flush in his cheeks. “‘Tis not meant to be a punishment. You know that.”
Marianne was about to respond that she thought he needed to stop having her followed until he leaned in and closed his teeth around the lobe of her ear, calmly, as though that were also commonplace behavior.
Marianne stopped walking, his action caused that familiar flutter in her chest and the feeling of being very far away from everything. “Wha—what are you doing?”
He pulled her closer and they stood no longer hip to hip but now her back was to his chest. Servants walked by, and Marianne squirmed under their stares as they passed, slower to get the entire scene, but William refused to acknowledge them or let her move.
His breath in her ear warmed her further, his hands trailing tingles along her body. “I have waited long enough to have my wife.”
Marianne shuddered and her body blazed with impatient fire. Finally! Finally!
Marianne forcefully turned and pushed her mouth up onto his.
When he kissed her with his entire mouth it caused such a delicious ache in her, a spreading warmth through her blood that had not been there before. She felt he would enjoy it if she did the same.
She could tell she shocked him by taking the initiative but he eagerly allowed her to do as she wished with him, and when she slipped her tongue into his mouth like he had done to her before, he welcomed it and suckled hungrily.
Marianne mentally damned the servants. Had it not been for them scurrying in and out of hallways she would have been delighted to allow William to take her where they stood, eager to discover how far these sensations he had been teasing her with could go.
“Thief!”
Blaise’s angry shouted statement jerked Marianne out of her lusty haze. She spun, ready to lash out for the interruption. He marched towards the both of them, fists clenched and his eyes boring accusingly into her, as though he wished to pierce her and draw blood with them.
William was immediately alert, whatever lust he had apparently vanished as he pulled himself away from his wife to give his son his full attention. “Who is the thief?”
Blaise stopped before them and thrust forward his finger. “She is!”
Chapter Ten
William’s eyes flashed. “Careful with your words!”
Color traveled up Blaise’s neck, as though just remembering he was accusing the wife of his father. Even so, the scowl remained.
“Several gold and silver plates are missing. The cooks and the sewing-maids have also informed me that spices and silks are gone as well.”
Marianne felt the rage from William burning as though she stood next to a blazing fire. She let it spread into her, consume her. This weasel was accusing her of theft!
The old feeling of wishing to claw his eyes out returned with a mad vengeance, and she forced herself to remain at William’s side. If she took one step towards Blaise she would do just as she wished. “What makes you think I would steal from my husband?”
His gaze on her was cold. “Your father is missing, and so are my father’s horses.”
The violent feeling inside of her intensified. “You pathetic swine! ‘Tis not enough that you insult me at every opportunity but now you try to drag my father in mud as well?”
Blaise’s face reddened like fire. “He drags himself in the mud!”
“How long has he been gone?” William demanded above their raging voices.
Marianne whipped her head around. He would not look at her.
“No one has seen him since early this morn.”
William scratched his jaw. “I had just arrived, and was also preoccupied with Archer and Clovis while Robert returned the animals to the stables.”
Marianne could not believe what
she heard, but William continued his pondering, pretending not to notice her open staring.
“I will need to speak with Robert.”
“I already have.” Blaise said quickly.
William waited. “And?”
“He has told me that he did not see Holton with any valuables, but that he was acting strangely and said that he might wish to take a ride later.”
“So Robert did not help him to saddle and pack the horses?”
Blaise shook his head. “Nay, but another young stable boy did see Holton trying on his own, and assisted him with it. He told me that Holton rode off by himself.”
William seethed. “He could have packed all those horses with valuables.”
Marianne did not want to believe it. She could not believe her father was capable of theft, and while at first she could not, within seconds of the accusation she found her way of thinking to be swayed to what could only be the truth. She knew that trying to defend her father’s honor would only result in naught but more hot temper, so she remained silent.
Even though her father was a man who rarely thought of anyone but himself, she had an inkling of his plan.
“Perhaps he wished to sell the items for land?”
Blaise sneered at the idea. “What land could he purchase with stolen goods? Once he was accused everything he purchased would belong to my father in the end.”
“Unless he went abroad,” said William. “Still, we do not know how much he took, and whether it would be enough to buy him a sizable amount of land to live off of.”
Marianne did not believe that was what her father’s intention.
Her face must have given her away because Blaise was quick to attack her again. “Do you know something that perhaps you are not telling us, my lady?”
William looked at her as well, apparently awaiting an explanation.
Marianne’s mood deflated. Only a moment ago her husband spoke of making love with her. But of course, why should she think that his lust would lead to mutual trust? He wanted her in his bed. He had not forgotten that she forced him into the marriage.
