Brody halted, his hand dropping to his belt knife, and turned to look into the narrow passage that led from this main one. He didn’t know what was down there. He had not bothered to learn the layout of the castle other than his path to and from the main hall.
A woman stood cloaked, a pace inside the passage entrance. Behind her hovered a taller figure, covered in shadows.
Veris moved up beside Brody, his sword half-drawn.
“I am a friend,” the woman said. She stepped closer to the end of the passageway, so that light from the single sconce on the wall fell on her. She turned her face so the hood didn’t shadow it.
It was Isolde’s maid.
Brody let out his breath. “Are you not supposed to be miles from here, riding for Regnitz?”
“That is what the king believes,” the maid said. She held out her hand. There was a sealed letter between her fingers. “The world believes my mistress is too ill to move from her bed. She bade me bring you this. Take it.”
Brody took the small square of parchment.
“I cannot linger,” the maid added. “There is a hard ride ahead if I am to return before my absence is noted.”
“The one hulking back there, he is to protect you?” Veris asked.
“Yes.”
“Then order him to carry his blade unsheathed. He’s too slow on his feet to draw faster than the enemy.”
“Safe journey,” Brody added. “And my thanks.”
The maid nodded and pulled the hood more deeply over her face, turned and hurried down the passage once more.
Veris gripped Brody’s elbow. “Wait until we’re behind a closed door before you read it,” he advised.
“I knew she would respond,” Brody said as they hurried for their room. “She was too practiced at hiding the letter I gave her.”
Veris snorted. “Of course you knew.”
* * * * *
Brody held the opened letter out to Veris. “Regnitz went home. Isolde is lying in some country house outside of Landisacq.”
“That’s only six miles away,” Veris pointed out. He took the letter and bent it toward the candle to read it.
“It’s her family’s house. She stopped there to ‘recover’.”
Veris grinned. “I like her more and more. The Lady Isolde has a devious mind.”
“Six miles, or six thousand miles, it makes no difference,” Brody grumbled. “I can’t leave Tenchebray. The King would never forgive me.” He whirled away. “Damn! How long will the King take to squeeze penitence from his brother?”
“This afternoon, you were terrified that he would find agreeable terms,” Veris pointed out. He put the letter aside and looked at Brody. “You really are not experienced with the subtle art of lying, are you?”
Brody snorted. “I have passed as human for four hundred years. That is not lying?”
“But you have passed as human by being human, as much as is possible. You’ve lived honorably and truthfully. No wonder the King adores you so.” He tapped the letter. “Do you still want to go through with this? We can ignore the lady’s instructions if you would prefer and you can go back to playing the upright Lord Norwich.”
Brody recalled an image of Isolde, of the curve of her breast and hip, the softness of her flesh. His body responded in a hot rush that made him draw in a sharp breath.
Veris was watching him, absorbing every reaction. That was the other side of this tempting package. The attraction in sharing Isolde with Veris had become more powerful than the original fantasies he’d entertained. “No. I don’t want to go back.” His voice was thick with lust.
Veris’ expression warmed. “Then we must find a way forward.”
* * * * *
Brody studied the man in front of him, feeling a degree of astonishment. Wybert was a lowly foot soldier in Brody’s army, whom Veris had sought out and brought through the hidden byways to Brody’s chamber. After Roderick had brought water and Veris forced the man to wash and shave, Veris had dropped Brody’s fur robe over the man’s shoulders and stood back. “As long as he does not speak, he will pass for you.”
“Wot’s wrong wit’er way I talk?” Wybert asked.
Veris winced and Brody laughed. “This venture grows more tangled with each turn. Fine. Let him be me. We might all hang by sunset tomorrow, but the night should make that worthwhile.”
Veris put a short stack of coins in front of Wybert. “You understand what you are to do?”
Wybert nodded. “Pretend I’m ‘is lordship. Stand in the middle of the room if anyone comes t’th door so they sees me.”
“Which someone will,” Veris said. “It’s been arranged,” he added when Brody raised a brow.
“A witness to swear I was here all night. Very well.” He pulled in a deep breath and let it out. “Thank you for this, Wybert. You, too, Roderick.”
“I wanted to do it,” Wybert said.
Brody tilted his head. “You like subterfuge?”
“Don’t know what that is,” Wybert said bluntly. “But it seems to me and the lads that it’s been too long since your lady-wife was taken from you. It’ll do you good. Enjoying yerself, so to speak.”
Veris was laughing, but hiding it. Brody contained his smile. “Thank you,” he said gravely. “I’m glad the lads approve of this venture. I hope that means they’ll stay as silent as you on the matter?”
“Wot, talk an’ ruin yer chances wiv the lady? Not them.”
“Very well,” Brody replied. He glanced at Veris, who was still struggling to hide his amusement. “Ready?”
Veris got to his feet. Like Brody, Veris was dressed in dark robes and a black cloak. Nothing was adorned with Brody’s house shield, or the blue and white colors.
They passed out through the same narrow passage Isolde’s maid had used the previous evening. Veris knew his way about the back passages and soon they were stepping through a small portal into the rocky river valley that ran at the foot of the curtain wall. Their horses were tethered at the end of the valley, gnawing on straw that Veris had left for them earlier in the day.
Ten minutes later, they were on the road, riding through the dark night for Landisacq.
The village of Landisacq, when they reached it, was smaller and quieter than Tenchebray. It had no castle or monastery to protect it and it was not a market town. There was a mill on the stream and a blacksmith shop at the cross-roads. It appeared that the entire town had been built around these two essential services.
No one watched them ride through. Every cottage was dark and even the smith’s doors were closed.
“How long will our luck hold?” Brody muttered as they left the village behind.
“It doesn’t have to,” Veris said. He lifted his chin, pointing ahead. There were lights flickering, perhaps half a mile away. “The family home.”
As they drew closer to the house, they slowed to an easy canter, then to a gentle walk, to diminish the sound of their approach as much as possible. It was a warm, gusty night and the wind had been whipping their cloaks around them as they rode, but now Brody was grateful for the noise.
There was no one guarding the house. It was a grand manor with dun colored brickwork, black shutters guarding the windows and many outhouses and sheds gathered behind it. Clearly, the house had been built to serve the lands around it as a farmhouse, for there were no proper defenses. The family must look to Tenchebray for protection in times of need.
But for now, the night lay thick around the buildings with little to disturb the peace.
As they let the horses pick their way across the turf toward the house, Veris loosened his sword. Then he relaxed as the door opened and a cloaked figure carrying a candleholder came out. They lifted the holder high and Brody saw a slender arm. The maid.
A smaller shadow squeezed through from behind and came over to them.
“Ralph will see to your horses,” the maid said as the boy put his hands on the reins.
“Who guards this place?” Veris asked. It was
his right as Brody’s knight commander to question the security of any building Brody entered, but it was also a self-preserving query. If the Count’s men were controlling the house neither of them would enter.
“There were two guards, but they are sleeping,” the maid said. “My lady added a draught to their wine. They will sleep until morning, now.”
Brody dismounted and removed his gauntlets and the maid turned and led the way back into the house. Veris crunched across the gravel behind him and followed them in. He shut the door and dropped the heavy bar across it.
The room beyond was dark, but the single candle illuminated fresh rushes and scoured stone.
The maid held the candle higher. “Your knight will find accommodations in the kitchen, my lord, through that door…if you will come with me?”
“Will stays with me. I want him to ensure the house is secure before he leaves my side.”
The maid looked startled, then indignant. That told Brody that she was used to showing men through to her lady’s bedchamber and even more accustomed to ordering companions out to the kitchen. This was outside her experience.
“Come, come,” Brody said, injecting impatience into his voice. “I have no intention of standing in this chilly house discussing such matters with a chit of girl. Show us the way.”
“Very well,” she said softly. “This way.”
The stairs were properly narrow, allowing a single man to climb at a time. At the top was a stout door, which stood ajar, but the maid closed it behind them and lowered the bar. She put her finger to her lips, then she glided across the narrow landing to push open the door on the other side. There was a second door, also closed, on the far side. From behind the door came the sound of gentle snoring.
This time, the maid stepped back out of the way.
More light spilled upon the wooden floor.
Brody glanced at Veris, then went in. He could feel Veris behind him, although he moved silently as always.
The bedchamber was large and airy. Furs had been laid across the floor instead of rushes, smothering any chilled air that might rise from the floor beneath.
The bed was a large thing, with curtains for warmth and privacy, cushions and pillows and rich cloth draped over the covers. Opposite was a fireplace big enough to step into and this was the chief source of light. A fire leapt within it and a hound slept on the hearth undisturbed by their arrival, which was more evidence that strangers in Isolde’s room were a common occurrence.
Isolde stood in the middle of the floor, between the foot of the bed and the fire. Her back was very straight and her chin raised. She had no difficulty looking Brody in the eye now.
Her veil had been removed, along with the gauze over her dress. Her breasts pushed against the wine-red fabric and her throat rose long and slender above. The flesh of her shoulders and upper breasts was as soft and white as her face. She had deep black hair.
Her small hands clenched into fists as she looked past Brody. “What is he doing here?” she demanded.
* * * * *
The dog looked up from the hearth, his attention pricked by Isolde’s tight, hard tone.
Veris moved past Brody. “I believe you owe her an explanation.” He bowed to Isolde. “Brody will explain everything.”
“‘Brody’?” she repeated, startled. She glanced at Veris as he drew off his cloak.
“That is my family name,” Brody explained. “Those who are dear to me, who are…intimate, call me Brody.”
She bit her lip, which told him she was not as calm as she had first appeared.
“Do not be afraid,” he said. “Neither of us would harm you in any way and while we are here, we will allow no one else to, either.”
She gripped her elbows, her arms tight across her middle. “Fine words,” she tossed back.
Brody half-turned. “Would you permit me to close the door? It is letting out the warm air. Closed, it will let me speak freely.”
Isolde nodded, her arms tightening around her.
Brody shut the door, considering how to proceed. Isolde was wary, which wouldn’t do. But more than half his thoughts were occupied with her natural beauty. Under the veil she was almost flawless. Without cloak or shawl to disguise her, her body was more than agreeably outlined by the fabric of her gown.
He didn’t need Veris to tell him that they must have Isolde’s complete and happy cooperation if this seduction was to proceed. Brody had never taken a woman against her will and Isolde would not be the first.
But how to convince her of the pleasure that awaited, if only she agreed? It would help considerably if he was sure of the matter himself. He could not imagine what it might be like for a lady to accept two men into her at once, although Veris assured him that done properly, the lady would enjoy it just as much as Brody knew he would.
Perhaps that was the key to convincing her….
He turned back to face her and removed his cloak. Like Veris, he wore a plain black tunic and braies, with no mail or cumbersome jerkins. He was unarmed, except for his belt knife. For a normal human, it would be a risk to travel without a sword at least, but Veris and he could tear a human apart with their hands if they chose to, while all the blades in the world could not touch them.
“You are more than familiar with the pleasures of the flesh, my lady,” Brody began.
Isolde drew a breath and let it out, making her breasts rise enticingly. But she didn’t speak.
“We are here in your room at your invitation,” Brody pointed out. “Both you and I are breaking vows we have made just by standing here. You with your marriage vows and me with my oath to the King to always be at his service. I will not judge you as wanting if you would do the same for me.”
“Very well,” Isolde said, her voice low. Her gaze fastened on him. “You propose we speak candidly.”
“There is no other way,” Brody replied, pleased that her mind was quick enough to follow his thoughts. She was a treasure, indeed. “So let us begin by agreeing that pleasure is what we both seek this night.”
Isolde pressed her lips together, considering. “I agree to that,” she said at last and the corner of her mouth lifted in the smallest of smiles. “It would be hypocritical to swear otherwise, would it not? I did invite you here, as you have pointed out.”
The tiny smile tugged at Brody’s chest. He glanced at Veris. Veris was smiling, too. He was enjoying this. All his attention was upon Isolde.
Brody turned his gaze back to her, too. “You are practiced at seeking pleasure outside your marriage, are you not?”
Again, she hesitated. Then she nodded. “On my wedding night, twenty minutes after doing his matrimonial duty, my husband took two of his favorite whores to bed in his own chamber, in front of the entire household. I was ashamed, but my humiliation was complete when he swore to anyone who would listen that I provided no stimulation, that he was barely able to do what he must.”
She shrugged. “I found another man, a knight, who was willing to teach me what pleases a man in bed, but he also taught me that a lady can experience pleasure, too. It is a pleasure that often seems to outshine that of a man’s.” Again, she gave a small smile. “I developed an appetite for that pleasure.” The smile warmed and became a wicked one. “But my husband has never benefited from my education.”
Veris laughed and she glanced at him, a tiny frown puckering her brows. “I have seen you with Lord...with Brody, in the hall, but I do not know your name.”
“I would be very surprised if you did, my lady,” Veris said, his smile fading. “I am a mere knight.”
“Yet you sit at the high table.”
“Veris is my knight commander and manages my household army,” Brody said. “But more than that, he is my friend. A very good friend.”
“Veris,” she repeated flatly. “A name as odd as ‘Brody’.” She looked at Brody. “Did you two become such fast friends after your lady-wife died?”
Brody was surprised. “You have been asking questions about me
?” If she had asked the wrong people, or been too eager in her quest for information, then others might know of her interest in him. That was how speculation and gossip began.
Isolde shook her head. “I mentioned your name to my husband, the same night we were introduced. I am sure this does not come as a great surprise to you, but my husband feels some bitterness toward you. You have the favor of the king. Once, my husband was similarly favored, but now he is placed at the end of the table on the King’s left side. I merely mentioned your name and my husband was eager to damn you in my eyes by telling me every harsh fact he knew of you. Some of it, I am sure, is greatly exaggerated. But it is true that you took your wife upon the Crusade and that she did not return.”
“It is true,” Brody said as steadily as he could. “And it is also true that Veris and I met in Jerusalem and he returned with me to England.”
“I supposed life must have been quite wretched after the loss of your wife. A great friendship would have been a boon.”
“It was, indeed.” Brody spoke the truth.
“Is that why you allow Veris into my room with you?” she asked.
His heart leapt. “No.”
“Ah.” She glanced at Veris once more, then lifted her chin to look at Brody squarely. “I have heard whispers. Rumors. Of more than two people in a bed together.”
Brody let out his breath. The most challenging part of this seduction had been overcome by gossip. He gave her a smile of his own. “Your intelligence is matched only by your beauty, my lady.”
“Then that is what you propose?” She glanced at Veris again. “It is possible? I admit, I do not understand how it might work.”
Veris got to his feet, moving slowly so he didn’t startle her. “You needn’t concern yourself with that. We understand how it works.”
She watched Veris drawing closer. “Is it…pleasurable?” she asked, her voice very low.
Brody crossed the furs, moving closer toward her. “It is more pleasurable than a single man in your arms,” he told her. “Consider that you have twice the number of hands at your disposal, just to begin.”
Time Kissed Moments 1 Page 9
