by Alexa Aston
“Don’t worry about having the servants prepare another chamber, Elysande. Sela and I are used to sharing quarters.”
Michael laughed. “So you can gossip together, I suppose.”
Avelyn felt the blush rise on her cheeks. “Mayhap we’ll do just that, my lord.”
Elysande provided a large meal for them. Avelyn ate till she thought her sides would burst, but her sister ate even more.
“So you eat for two now?” she teased.
“I’m ravenous these days. The first few months, I couldn’t keep a bite down. I would swallow it and it threatened to come back up almost immediately.”
“I was the same way with you, Elysande,” their mother shared. “With Avelyn, I didn’t experience such a problem.”
“And yet here I am, the tall one, while my younger sister is so dainty.”
Lady Orella laughed. “I couldn’t eat hardly anything for weeks when I carried Michael, but I certainly made up for it once my nausea subsided. He came out quite large.”
Avelyn shuddered. “All of these stories. It makes me wonder what I will be like when I am with child.”
“Let’s find you a husband first, my dear,” her mother said, patting her hand.
She wanted to tell her that she already had but held her tongue.
“So how do you fare at Hopeston?” she asked. Avelyn turned to Sela and reminded, “Mother lost her second husband, Lord Holger, last summer. The king has allowed her to remain at Hopeston and manage the estate for the time being.”
Her mother cleared her throat. “I suppose now is as good a time as any to tell you.” She took Avelyn’s hands in hers. “Elysande already knows, but I wanted to tell you that I’m to wed again for a third—and what I hope shall be final—time.”
“Truly? Where will the king send you? And to whom?”
A sweet smile lit her mother’s face. “It’s my choice this time. Unlike before.” She paused. “Do you remember Sir Charles?”
Avelyn nodded. “Aye. I saw him standing near you when we arrived today.” Then it dawned on her. “You’re to wed Sir Charles? Then does that mean you’ll remain at Sandbourne?”
“I will. Michael has been kind enough to allow us use of the manor house, so we’ll make our home there.”
She gave her mother’s hands an affectionate squeeze. “He’s a very fine knight, Mother. He was so protective of you when we were accosted by that wicked Lord Ingram who thought to kidnap Elysande and make her his wife.”
“What?” Sela blurted out, surprise on her face. “You haven’t told me this tale, Avelyn.”
Avelyn shook her head. “You’ll have plenty of time to hear it.” She glanced back at her mother. “I’m most pleased for you, Mother.”
“As am I.”
Michael interjected, “Sir Charles has been here many years. He and Sir Thirkell told me stories of the Knights of the Round Table when I was a small boy. He’s promised to continue that tradition and tell my children the same tales.” He raised his goblet. “To Lady Mary and her upcoming marriage. May you live a long and fruitful life together with Sir Charles here at Sandbourne.”
Those gathered lifted their cups in acknowledgement and drank.
“Does this mean you’ll marry soon?” Avelyn asked.
“Aye,” her mother said. “The king has already appointed a new custodian for Hopeston and awarded its accompanying title to a deserving knight. I brought all of my personal possessions with me and will remain at Sandbourne from now on.”
Avelyn smiled broadly. “So when is the wedding?”
*
Her mother insisted that Avelyn and Sela rest that afternoon after their days on the road. In truth, Avelyn had no need to nap. They’d broken up the journey from London with their stay at Kinwick and then their brief stop at Shadowfaire, sleeping in a soft bed both places as opposed to the hard ground out on the road.
Still, she knew Sela was exhausted. As a delicate, court flower, her friend wasn’t used to strenuous activity. Elysande, too, made it a habit to rest in the afternoons since she tired easily these days. Avelyn had played the dutiful daughter and retired to the chamber prepared for her, which she would share with Sela.
They lay on the bed now with the curtains drawn about them. Sela snored softly while Avelyn remained wide-eyed. All she could think about was Kenric Fairfax.
She knew she would glimpse him at the evening meal but didn’t know if she would have an opportunity to speak with him after it ended. As a family member, she would be seated upon the dais, while Kenric would be at a table with the group of soldiers that guarded Sandbourne. He might not even attend the meal if he’d been assigned duty on the wall walk or in another area of the keep.
That would be the first problem to address—finding a way to talk with him. As a valued member of Sandbourne’s guard, Kenric would be involved in daily training exercises, as well as patrol the estate and be scheduled to various duty stations. In short, his time wasn’t his own but what the captain of the guard made of it. That meant access to him might be limited to meals he attended in the great hall.
Avelyn decided the best way to find time alone with Kenric would be through Elysande. She would confide in her sister that she wanted to learn to ride. She could explain how she’d felt comfortable with Sir Kenric Fairfax and his horse and believed he’d be a good teacher for her. Naturally, Elysande would be thrilled that her sister finally had realized how wonderful horses were and would, no doubt, encourage Avelyn’s interest in riding. Elysande had a passion for horseflesh and knew as much about them as any man did.
Satisfied with her plan of action, Avelyn let her thoughts meander. She imagined Kenric taking her out in the meadow to ride and laughing with him. They’d take a respite from their lessons to snack on fruit and cheese. And somewhere along the way, she planned for kissing to be involved. By the Christ, she wanted more than anything to kiss that man again and feel his tongue mate with hers. She pined to taste his essence and stroke his broad chest and muscled arms.
Avelyn gave a sigh of contentment at the thought.
“Are you awake?” Sela asked.
“Aye.”
Her friend rolled onto her side and braced her elbow so that her head could rest in her hand. “I’m feeling refreshed. I like your sister very much. And Lord Michael is dashing. I wish I could find such a handsome man to be so taken with me.”
“He does love her a great deal,” Avelyn agreed. “Elysande feels the same about Michael. They’re definitely a love match.”
“The men of Sandbourne are certainly interesting. Some are even more attractive than those at court,” Sela said.
“I know you seem taken with Sir Martin.”
Sela nodded. “I do like him. And Sir Alaric at Kinwick. But I’m most fascinated by Sir Kenric.”
Avelyn’s stomach lurched at the turn the conversation had taken. “Sela, I wish to speak to you about something regarding Sir Kenric.”
Sela pushed herself to a sitting position. “What about him? Has he confided in you? Has he said something about me?’ She fanned herself with her fingers. “Oh, I didn’t think he’d even noticed me.”
“Nay, that’s not what I meant.”
Her friend frowned. “I don’t understand.”
Avelyn also sat up and took Sela’s hands in hers. “I’ve discovered that I have feelings for Sir Kenric. Romantic feelings.” She paused to let her words sink in.
Hurt filled Sela’s face. “But I told you first I found him most handsome and desirable. You thought him arrogant, Avelyn.”
She tamped down her frustration. “And I told you that due to your family’s position at court, you needed a husband with wealth and vast lands. Sir Kenric has neither.”
Sela’s bottom lip thrust out in a pout. “But he might have them. Shadowfaire is a huge estate. He only has the one brother. He could become the earl one day. Anything is possible.” She flounced off the bed and began pacing the room.
“I thought you were my fr
iend, Avelyn.”
“You know that I am, Sela.”
“And I shared with you my interest in Kenric Fairfax.”
“And you admitted moments ago of your interest in other knights, as well.”
Sela stopped pacing. “Even so, you shouldn’t have set your cap for him when you knew I felt myself attracted to him. ’Twas most unfair of you. Even cruel.”
Avelyn stood and approached her friend. She placed her hands upon Sela’s shoulders.
“I didn’t feel your regard for him was more than a passing fancy, in truth. And I spent some time with him. Alone.”
Sela’s eyes narrowed. “What did you do? While you were alone?”
She did not like Sela’s tone. Avelyn dropped her hands to her sides. “We shared a few kisses.”
“You kissed him? You don’t kiss anyone—at least at court. Oh, I know a few courtiers have stolen kisses from you, but you’ve never pursued a man.”
“This just . . . happened.” Avelyn took her friend’s hands again. “Sela, it felt so right. Like nothing I have ever experienced. ’Twas as Elysande and Merryn told me. I knew from the moment his lips touched mine that I would never wish for another man to do the same. Only Kenric.”
Sela huffed and pulled away. “First, you steal away the man I’m interested in. And now you believe, after a few kisses, that you’re in love with him?”
Avelyn stood her ground. “I do. I didn’t deliberately set out to win Kenric’s heart. In fact, it was he who won mine.”
Sela stomped her foot. “I thought you were my closest friend, much as a sister would be. I thought we held a bond between us.”
“I am,” she insisted. “That’s why I wished to share this with you now. I want you to enjoy your time at Sandbourne this summer—and that includes the company of the many men here. But I felt you should know—”
“That Kenric Fairfax is your property. Oh, I understand quite well.” Sela placed fisted hands on her waist. “I see that I’m only beginning to know the true Avelyn Le Cler. You think you’re nothing like the women at court, with their devious schemes.
“You are exactly like them. No—worse!”
With that, Sela marched from the chamber.
Chapter 15
“Sela, you must rise. It’s time for morning mass.”
Avelyn continued to dress as stony silence blanketed the room. Sela remained facing away from her, the bedclothes pulled up past her ears.
She came to a decision. “I’ll make excuses for you this time only,” she warned. “I’ll say that you’re overly tired and unused to travel. But Sela, you must rise tomorrow in time to attend mass and then break your fast. It’s expected of everyone at Sandbourne. Country folk rise early.”
“I am not country folk,” Sela muttered from underneath the covers, contempt dripping from her words.
“True, but you are in the country now. We do not keep court hours.”
“Mayhap I made a mistake by undertaking this sudden trip.”
Avelyn waited a moment and then replied, “You might have.”
Sela tossed the bedclothes away and sat up, fire in her eyes. “That’s exactly what you want—for me to return to London.”
“Nay, I wish for you to stay. Let’s put this misunderstanding behind us.”
Her friend leapt from the bed. “This is no misunderstanding, Avelyn. You want me gone, the better to sink your claws into Kenric Fairfax. Well, I won’t make that easy for you. I intend to stay at Sandbourne all summer and be your shadow. You’ll never have a spare moment with him, I guarantee you that.”
Sela sniffed haughtily and climbed back into bed. “Make my excuses for now. I will see you later.” She rolled over, again facing away from Avelyn as she yanked the covers over her head.
“As you wish.”
Avelyn finished dressing in silence and left the bedchamber. She wanted to slam the door behind her but wouldn’t sink to Sela’s level.
Why had her friend turned on her so quickly? True, Sela had remarked on Kenric’s good looks. But beyond that, she hadn’t mentioned him again. In fact, she’d pursued other knights, flirting with them all the way from London until their arrival at Sandbourne. That she could be so out of sorts bothered Avelyn.
She hurried to the chapel and slipped in moments before mass began. As the priest droned on in Latin, she thought back to her arrival at court. None of the other women had been overly friendly except Sela. Most of the queen’s ladies-in-waiting were older, married women, and Avelyn had little in common with them. Sela had warmed to her from the beginning.
But she remembered a few whispers about her friend and how Agnes, the chief lady-in-waiting to the queen, had told Avelyn to guard herself around those she didn’t know. Agnes had glanced directly at Sela, sitting across the room strumming a lute, as she warned Avelyn. Was this what Agnes had hinted at—Sela’s temper and jealousy?
The two women had experienced no conflicts between them from the time Avelyn arrived at court in early September until now. They’d shared meals and walks, along with long conversations where they spoke their mind about others at court. True, sometimes Avelyn caught the occasional glance from another lady-in-waiting that seemed disapproving in nature, but she hadn’t believed she did anything wrong to deserve it. Besides, when no one except Sela reached out to her in friendship, Avelyn had gradually drifted away from the other women.
Had that been a mistake?
She wondered if Sela had spats with other women at court. Sela hadn’t seemed close to anyone else over the last several months and had spent all her free time with Avelyn. She wondered if Sela had been friendless before she turned up and, if so—was it of her own making? Had Sela alienated the other women for some reason?
It seemed ridiculous that they would quarrel over a man. Sela had introduced her to dozens of men at court. They’d all seemed friendly with Sela and accepted Avelyn simply because Sela had brought them together.
Then why all this trouble over Kenric Fairfax?
Mass ended and she returned to the great hall to break her fast. Elysande inquired about Sela’s absence. She dutifully told her sister that her friend was overtaxed by their journey and had wished to rest. She did ask Elysande if she could speak to her and Michael in private. After they ate, the three returned to the solar.
Michael helped his wife ease into a chair, slipping a pillow behind her back. She gave him a loving glance. Avelyn felt a pang of jealousy at their closeness.
“So what do you wish to speak to us about, Avelyn?” Michael asked.
“I have several things to discuss with you. The first I would have asked of Mother, but now that she isn’t returning to Hopeston, I must address the issue with you.”
“Go on.”
“I’ve been unhappy at court,” she began, then decided to be totally honest. “Miserable, in fact.”
Elysande gave a cry of distress and reached for her hand. “What’s wrong? Your letters sounded so cheerful.”
“There are some things I do enjoy. I like waiting on the queen. She is a wise, caring woman and she is kind to me. I also enjoy the music and dancing.”
“But?” Michael nudged.
“Overall, it’s a superficial place. None of the women and few of the men care to read or discuss much of anything unless it involves improving their position at court. The ladies-in-waiting, other than Sela and Alys and me, are all married. And some even have children, which they seem to ignore. These women took no notice of me nor extended any sign of friendship. They gossip all day long about the most inane matters and, even though they’re married, many of them flirt with courtiers that aren’t their husbands—or worse.”
Elysande’s hand tightened on hers. “They are truly that shallow?”
She nodded. “I thought country life was boring, but court life is tedious. I long to stay busy with fruitful activities. Work in the garden. Cook. Weave tapestries. Nurse the sick.” Avelyn’s eyes welled with tears. “Please, do not make me go back.”<
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“I wouldn’t let you return to that den of snakes,” Michael declared. “I assume you’d thought you might return to live at Hopeston?”
“Aye, but with Mother marrying and moving to the manor house with Sir Charles, I don’t want to be in their way.”
“You’ll reside at Sandbourne with us,” Michael declared.
Avelyn couldn’t keep the smile from her face. “I promise to be helpful, Michael. I can assist with the new babe.”
He laughed. “You are family, Avelyn, and always welcomed.” He glanced to his wife. “Elysande has been miserable without your company. Oh, she says she loves me—”
“And I do,” Elysande interrupted. “But Michael is gone many hours each day, training with his men or riding about the estate, solving all kinds of problems. I would love to have you live here with us.” She paused. “But what about Uncle Geoffrey? He’d asked the queen to find you a husband.”
“I spoke to him and Merryn when we stopped at Kinwick,” Avelyn revealed. “He said that he is head of the de Montfort household and I am his charge. He promised to speak to the queen and tell her I wish to remain in the country while he finds a suitable match for me.”
“I’m happy to hear this,” her sister said. “It’s nice to know we’ve settled the matter so easily.”
“I have more to speak to you about.”
Michael’s eyebrow shot up. “This sounds intriguing. Please, continue.”
Avelyn twisted her hands in her lap, not sure how to address the next issue.
“Go ahead,” Elysande urged.
“Uncle Geoffrey doesn’t really need to locate a husband for me. I’ve already found the perfect man.”
Michael rubbed his chin in thought. “If you didn’t form any attachment with any man while at court, then I don’t understand.”
“I have you to thank, Michael, for sending him my way. It’s Sir Kenric.”
“What about him?” he asked, his brows knitting together.
