‘Quite certain, Sergeant. And thank you for your help.’
‘You are welcome, Lady Anna.’
While the sergeant turned to direct his men in shifting the rubble, William caught her hand and pulled her back into the hall.
‘You have dismissed the Guard?’ He stared at her, not understanding.
‘You heard me.’
‘Why? I thought you were afraid I might attempt to escape?’ That quiet smile was back—William could not think what it meant. He caught her arm. ‘Are you saying you trust me?’
‘Yes, of course. Particularly now we have…known…each other in the fullest sense. You are entirely trustworthy. I know you will not attempt to leave the City until after we have married.’
William found himself struggling with a mix of emotions that for a moment had him feeling dazed. It was as though he had been floored in a fight and had completely lost his bearings. From the midst of this confusion a warm glow emerged. She trusted him! Mon Dieu, he must take care, there was a danger that this woman would turn him into a sentimental fool.
‘It was clear from the start that you are a man of honour,’ she was saying, calmly. ‘You have taken my body, you will honour our agreement.’
It was strangely humbling to be trusted in so large a matter—they had had carnal knowledge of each other, there could be a child. Anna was taking a great risk by trusting him in this. His throat ached. It was a pity they had to part.
Her head had tipped to one side and her smile eased a knot of tension deep inside. Anna had such a beautiful smile, it would ease the tension in anyone.
‘William, if I invite you to escort me to Commander Ashfirth’s house, so that we might discover that document, will you accompany me?’
It took a moment for William to answer, he was transfixed by Anna’s mouth. That smile, that subtle, beguiling smile…
‘At this hour?’
‘Why not? With you as my escort, I shall be perfectly safe. And this is important. Also, you will be able to satisfy yourself that Daphne and Paula are happy.’
The desire to drag her to him and kiss her senseless hit him in his gut, but she had spent so long trying to dress her hair…he wouldn’t be able to kiss her as he wanted to without wrecking her efforts.
William didn’t give a fig for the document of manumission. In his mind it was worthless—he should never have been enslaved in the first place—but if Anna wanted him to have it, he would accept. Besides, now that he had made her his, he had questions…
‘Thank you. Anna?’
‘Mmm?’
‘I should have asked this earlier had I not been so eager to…seal our agreement, but what happened to make you change your mind? You said circumstances had changed.’
She jerked her face away.
He put his fingers under her chin to make her meet his eyes. ‘You saw your father when you went back to the apartment.’
‘Yes.’
‘Don’t tell me, he was bullying you again.’
She blinked. ‘Bullying me? It is just that Father found another suitor.’
‘Another suitor? What about Lord Michael?’
‘Lord Michael is already out of favour.’
William’s stomach cramped. He didn’t want Anna to have any suitors except him. The thought was unnerving—he did not care to examine why. ‘You don’t have to marry any of the men your father chooses. You are marrying me.’
‘Yes.’ Her smoky eyes gleamed and what looked suspiciously like a tear formed at the end of her lashes. Sight of it caused more pain than a dagger in his gut. Anna had come to him, not because she had wanted to, but because she could no longer stand her father’s bullying.
‘Lord Isaac is a bully, he does not deserve you,’ he muttered.
Anna should be protected. Anna should be cherished. If their marriage was to have been a real one, he would be honoured to protect her for the rest of his life, he would be honoured to cherish her. Anna was a woman worth cherishing—the image of her lying in abandonment on the Imperial couch would be with him for ever. It was not, however, merely her sensuality that appealed. She was kind and thoughtful, she was beautiful and generous and gentle and… His breath froze. Was he in love with her? That could not be. It must not be. He must remember, she had bought him to thwart her bullying father.
And yet, that image of her lying on the couch amid a tangle of blankets and sheets was so bright. Her expression as she had looked at him, the loving way she had touched him…if he lived for a thousand years, he would never forget it.
This must stop, his thoughts were running away with him. What he felt for Anna was not love, it was desire, and it was akin to what he had felt for Claire at Melfi. There was no escaping the fact that what he felt for Anna was stronger than what he had felt for Claire, but it could not be love. Love was…
Baffled, William shook his head. He would be the first to confess that he had no idea what people meant when they spoke of love. Love was a word used by women and poets. A landless knight, an enslaved and landless knight, had little use for it. He did not love her.
‘William, whatever’s the matter?’
‘Nothing.’ He crooked his arm at her. ‘Come along, let us take you back to the Boukoleon.’ They were halfway to the door when someone rapped on it.
‘Anna? William? Are you still in there?’
‘Constantine,’ William said, exchanging glances with her.
Anna snatched her hand from his sleeve. ‘Come in.’
Constantine came into the hall, breaking step as his eyes fell on Anna. ‘Everything is well, Anna?’ he asked, eyes lingering thoughtfully on her hair and veil. ‘I see you have dismissed the guards.’
Anna went pink. ‘Thank you, Constantine, all is well.’
‘Good, good.’ His eyes shifted to William. ‘I have a message for you.’
‘A message? No one knows I am here.’
‘Not so. A deputation of Frankish knights has arrived at the Palace. They are enquiring after Sir William Bradfer.’
William went very still. ‘Frankish knights? Did you get their names?’
Constantine grinned. ‘Naturally. There is one Sir Bruno of Melfi—’
‘Sir Bruno!’ William could not help but grin back. ‘Sir Bruno is in the Palace? Are you certain you got the name correctly?’
‘Of course. Sir Bruno of Melfi is here, along with Sir Louis La Roche-Guyon and a party of squires whose names, I confess, escaped me.’
William rubbed his chin. ‘Sir Louis La Roche-Guyon? Never heard of him.’
‘That’s odd, he is claiming to be your cousin.’
Even in the fitful candlelight, Anna could see that William had lost colour.
‘My cousin? You must have misunderstood, I was not aware I had a cousin.’
‘William, I did not misunderstand. My Norman French is likely better than you realise, I only need your help with certain…’ Constantine winked at Anna ‘…refinements. Sir Louis definitely said he was your cousin.’
William was already moving to the door. ‘Where are they?’
‘Stabling their horses. No need to rush off, man, I left Symeon with them. He has orders to direct them here when they have finished at the stables.’
William clasped Constantine’s hand. ‘My thanks.’
‘In the meantime, since you are to have guests, I have ordered the servants to bring you a brazier. It’s freezing in here.’
‘Freezing?’ William murmured and Anna felt his gaze on her. ‘Can’t say that I noticed.’
Anna’s world rocked. A cousin—William has a cousin he did not know about! And Sir Bruno has come to find him. What will this mean for him? For us?
* * *
While they waited for the Franks to arrive, servants brought more candles to the Hall of the Nineteen Couches. The wall sconces glowed and the mosaic floor was rimmed with golden pools of light. A brazier was carried to the centre of the room and piled high with coals, a red reflection danced in every window.
Even the ancient gilding on the Imperial couch had a dull gleam to it.
The Franks marched into the hall not long afterwards. Their boots rang loud on the floor tiles, the gemstones in their brooches and rings winked in the candlelight, the jewelled pommel of a barbarian sword-hilt flashed.
They are wearing swords! Anna felt her jaw drop. Somehow, these Franks had persuaded the Palace Guard to admit them with their weapons. It would be another matter, of course, if they were to enter the presence of the Emperor, but it said much for their credentials that they had been allowed through the Palace gate wearing swords.
There was an older, stocky man whose face was crumpled with lines—Anna realised he must be Sir Bruno. He was missing part of an ear. She knew she was right when William strode towards him, wreathed in smiles. The two embraced and as they drew apart, the lines eased on the older man’s face. There was a revealing gleam in Sir Bruno’s eyes, a matching gleam in William’s, and a hearty clearing of throats all round.
When William clapped one of the younger men on the back, briefly gripping his arm, Anna realised this was William’s squire.
There is warmth here, and deep affection. William is fond of his squire, and Sir Bruno and William love each other. Anna could not but warm towards Sir Bruno, the man who had taken the young William into his household and fostered him. It was he, she was sure, who had formed William’s character, giving him his sense of honour and surety of purpose.
As William and Sir Bruno began speaking rapidly in that foreign tongue of theirs, Anna tugged the hem of Constantine’s tunic. ‘What are they saying?’
Constantine grimaced. ‘Give me a moment, the dialect is not easy.’
While Anna waited, she studied the Franks, now warming their hands at the brazier. There were six of them. It was clear from their clothing which were knights and which were squires. Sir Bruno and the other knight—William’s cousin if Constantine had it correctly—were wearing short wool tunics skilfully embroidered in colours that matched the colours of their cross-gartering. The tunics of the four younger men bore less intricate designs—all were well dressed, all were clean shaven.
‘I have it now, roughly speaking,’ Constantine murmured. ‘Sir Bruno has just told William that he thought he had seen the last of him when his horse came back without him…
‘And William is saying, no such luck. He is asking Sir Bruno if he has come for the enthronement. Sir Bruno…’ Constantine’s lips twitched ‘…Sir Bruno just swore. What he said is not fit for a lady’s ears, so I shall not translate.’
‘Go on, Constantine, what else are they saying?’
‘Sir Bruno and Sir Louis have been following the slave routes for months, trying to find William. There was no news of any enthronement when they set out.’
Anna watched William’s throat work. His friends have been looking for him and he is moved beyond words to hear this.
‘Sir Bruno just called William “boy”, he is introducing him to Sir Louis.’ Constantine touched Anna’s arm. ‘Anna, perhaps we should leave?’
‘Leave?’
‘Give them time to exchange their greetings in private.’
Anna shook her head vehemently, she was not going to leave. She wanted, no, she needed to hear what was said. After all, William had agreed to marry her, she had a right to know. Except that…our marriage is not going to be a real marriage. As far as William is concerned it is intended to ward off my suitors and make Father think twice about marrying me to the man with the largest purse in the Palace.
‘Here, boy,’ Sir Bruno said, ‘this is Sir Louis La Roche-Guyon.’ He gestured at William. ‘Louis, this is Sir William Bradfer.’
William smiled and held out his hand.
Constantine looked at Anna. ‘William is saying that he is glad to meet Sir Louis, Sir Louis is glad to meet William. Anna, I really think we should bow out…’
‘No! Get on with it, Constantine, you’re missing bits!’
Sighing, Constantine continued. ‘Sir Bruno discovered William and Louis were kin after William had vanished. When the squires returned to Melfi without him and they could find no body, Sir Bruno says he knew William was alive. He tore Apulia apart looking for him.’
William’s cousin, Sir Louis, murmured something.
Anna’s foot tapped. ‘Constantine…?’
‘Sir Louis says that his uncle had been also enquiring after William.’
William looked puzzled.
‘The name of this uncle is Count Jean La Roche-Guyon and…’ Constantine caught his breath.
Anna plucked at his sleeve. ‘What? What is he saying?’
‘If I have it aright, Count Jean La Roche-Guyon is William’s father.’
William went white. Anna stopped breathing.
‘My father?’ William said, in a dazed voice. ‘My father?’
Across the brazier, green eyes found hers.
Anna took an involuntary step towards him. ‘There is no need to translate that, Constantine.’
Sir Louis withdrew a small parchment from his tunic and passed it to William.
‘Here, cousin,’ Constantine muttered, resuming his translation of what Sir Louis was saying. ‘Your father’s letter explains everything.’
William broke the seal with a snap. He turned to the light of a wall sconce and, as he read, his finger marked his place.
William’s father has found him. William shall at last know his father!
Anna felt her lips curve. She knew how much this would mean to him and was pleased for him. But how strange it must be to meet your father after a lifetime of neglect. For herself, Anna felt a pang of dismay. This news will strengthen William’s determination to leave the City, it will eradicate any chance I might have of persuading him to remain as my husband.
But why should his father contact him now, after years of silence?
‘My lady.’ William stood before her, parchment in hand. Anna had never seen a man look quite so stunned. ‘My father is acknowledging me as his son.’
Anna nodded, touched that, in what must be a moment of the greatest importance to him, he wanted her to know what was happening. ‘And so he should.’
On the other side of the brazier, Sir Bruno proved he understood a little Greek by giving her an approving nod.
William took her hand, eyes serious. ‘No, you do not understand. Count Jean is going to name me his heir. His heir.’
Anna’s heart jumped, she fought to keep her smile in place. ‘You will be a count?’
‘God willing, so it would seem.’ Swinging back to face his fellow countrymen, William muttered something to Sir Louis.
He will never stay, he is heir to a count! I have lost him. He will uphold our agreement because he is an honourable man, but he will never stay, never. He will insist on an annulment.
Constantine stirred. ‘Apparently, the Count searched for William’s mother for years. She hid herself away in some convent under a different name and Count Jean never could discover where she had gone.’
Sir Louis, Sir Bruno and William then engaged in a fast and lengthy conversation which must have been too complex for Constantine to follow because when Anna looked to him for a translation, he merely shrugged.
For the next few minutes, Anna had to content herself with watching while they talked. The mood was friendly, easy. Sir Louis handed William a purse she gathered was a gift from his father. It struck her, as she watched William accept it, that she was catching a glimpse of his future. There he stands, tall and proud amid his peers…this is what he will look like in Apulia, when he inherits his father’s county—a barbarian lord entertaining others in his hall. Her eyes misted, and for a moment she saw nothing but a blur of candlelight.
Blinking rapidly, she recovered herself to see Constantine opening the door and gesturing for a servant.
‘More wine, if you please, Demetrios!’
The wine came quickly. William acted as host, ensuring every guest had the wine of his choice. Yes, this is how he wi
ll be in his own hall, this is how he will be in his castle. William is naturally gracious. When the time comes he will make a fitting count. Her throat ached. This man does not belong to me, he never did.
Trays of refreshments appeared, cakes sweetened with honey and almonds, stuffed dates, bowls of
olives. She and Constantine were also brought wine and a chair was unearthed for Sir Bruno. As the older knight eased into it with a sigh, Anna noticed he had a slight stiffness in one leg. Sir Bruno is no longer young, the search for William has exhausted him. He knows William’s worth—he must think the world of him to have embarked on such an enterprise.
Unexpectedly, the mood in the hall shifted. In a heartbeat it moved from friendly to distinctly edgy.
William’s brow darkened. He snapped at his cousin, and Anna caught the words ‘Lady Felisa Venafro’.
Lady Felisa Venafro?
A shiver ran down her spine. From a purely selfish point of view, she could hardly imagine how matters could worsen. But watching William’s face flood with angry colour as he glanced her way, she feared they were about to.
He led her to one side. ‘Lady Anna, I think you should know that Lady Felisa Venafro has indicated to my father that she is prepared to accept my hand in marriage.’ His mouth twisted. ‘It seems that since I may one day become a count, she now approves of me. My father urges me to agree, he reminds me that she is an heiress and it would be a good match.’
Anna stared at him, heart in her mouth. Her mind raced. Lady Felisa Venafro? Does he want this woman? If so, marriage to me will be an impediment, I will be an impediment.
William held his hand out to her, an eyebrow lifted. ‘Do you care to walk outside for a time, my lady?’
Putting her hand in his, Anna stared at the strong fingers closing over hers and let him lead her from the hall. She was dizzy with dread. The world she had hoped to build—a world in which Lady Anna of Heraklea and Sir William Bradfer might find happiness together—was collapsing about her.
He is going to tell me that he must break our agreement. I love him and I want him to be my husband, but why should William choose me over an heiress in Apulia? I have no lands. I live in a place that is foreign to him and far away from his inheritance. And, most damning of all, why should William choose me when he knows I bought him with the intention of thwarting my father?
Chained to the Barbarian Page 20
