by Anne Herries
‘Forgive me… Alain,’ she said and smiled at him. For a moment he glimpsed laughter in her eyes but could not know that it was her own impossible thoughts that amused her. ‘I would not offend you for the world.’ She reached out and touched his arm briefly, before withdrawing her hand again like a shy kitten. ‘You saved me from those brigands and my poor Maria from the robbers who broke into my chamber in Rome—and you sent for your mother when I was ill. If it were not for you, I might be dead, forgotten by all and grieved by none.’
‘I cannot believe that there is none to grieve for you,’ Alain said, ever watchful. ‘Is there no one who would wed you, Katherine? You must have a lover?’
‘I have no lover,’ she replied and her eyes shone with honesty and truth. ‘There was someone who offered for me, but I think he was being kind, because he knew I was in need and wanted to comfort me. And, indeed, I did not wish to take advantage of his kindness.’
Alain digested this in silence. Did she not realise that Bryne truly cared for her? Or had she decided that she did not wish to wed him? Perhaps Bryne had been refused and that was why he had left her to his mother’s care. If that were so, the field was clear for Alain if he wished to press his suit.
‘And what of your family?’
Katherine was silent for a moment, as if the question gave her pain.
‘I hardly remember them. When I left France with my father, his brother came to live at the castle as its keeper. His name was Robert and he was younger than my father—but I remember that I did not like him. He seemed a hard, cold man.’
‘Has your uncle no wife?’
‘I do not know. I believe he had none then, but that was a long time ago. I dare say he has married since then.’
‘And your mother’s family?’
‘I know that she had a brother. His name is Philip of Rotherham, and he is an Englishman. My mother should have received an inheritance from her mother, handed down through her maternal grandfather, when she married. It was a considerable sum, I believe—but her brother withheld it. Had he paid the money he owed my father, we might never have set out on our travels. Indeed, I know my father believed that it was the quarrel with her brother that brought on my mother’s early death, though I do not know how that may be. I know that her death broke my father’s heart.’
Alain looked at her thoughtfully. How had he ever thought her a child? She was a serious, intelligent, caring and lovely woman. Her beauty was more spiritual than physical, but it was there—in her eyes and in her smile. The kind of beauty that a man would never forget. She was, in fact, a woman Alain would remember all his life, not a fleeting fancy as he might find other women of a more conventional beauty.
‘Would you like me to discover what has happened to your mother’s inheritance? It might be that I could find a way to recover it for you.’
‘Perhaps…’ Katherine frowned. ‘I do not think Philip of Rotherham would let it go willingly. Yet if my Uncle Robert will not take me in when he has your father’s letter…’ She faltered. ‘My father was cheated of his rights, but he never tried to seek reparation and he might not wish me to do so now.’
‘That money is yours by right,’ Alain said. ‘Would you allow me to discover what the situation is—if I am discreet?’
‘I have already caused you too much trouble, sir.’ She looked away from him, and he was caught by her dignity and her courage. She was truly a woman a man might want as his wife.
‘You have been no trouble at all,’ he assured her. ‘My only quarrel with you is that you will not call me by my name. I thought we were friends, Katherine? Am I such an ogre? Perhaps you should set your dragon on me again?’
She turned her head to look at him. He gave her such a wicked grin that Katherine laughed, letting go of the reserve she had carefully kept in place since his return.
‘I shall try to remember to call you by your name,’ she said and this time the words came from her heart. ‘For, indeed, you and your family have been true friends to me. I do not recall ever having been so happy or so comfortable in my life. I loved my father dearly, but he never recovered from his grief at losing my mother, and sometimes he hardly knew I was there. At other times he would remember me and then he would talk to me. He told me about his hopes and dreams of discovering a great treasure—and in the end he did.’
‘Ah, yes, the treasure…’ Alain remembered why he had sought her out. ‘I must tell you that I have shown your father’s notes to a priest I trust. He is a man of great faith, a man uninterested in worldly goods or power—and he told me that he does not believe the notes give your father’s discovery sufficient provenance for something as important as the Holy Grail.’
‘Then we can do nothing?’ Katherine gazed at him in dismay. ‘My father set such store by his discovery. I feel I would be letting him down if I simply ignored it.’
‘We could go higher,’ Alain said. ‘My friend is but a simple priest and others might think differently—yet I believe you might find it difficult to prove that the cup you have is the one men have sought in vain all these years. You have told me it is but a simple thing, and I think that most fitting—for was not our Lord a simple man? But most think of the Holy Grail as a thing of unique beauty, a precious thing of value in itself, and would see little worth in the cup you told me of. Had your father’s notes and the documents that he used in his study not been lost, it might perhaps have been otherwise.’
‘The brigands carried off his baggage and the notes with it…’ Katherine’s brow furrowed. ‘If they were under orders from Hubert of Ravenshurst…’ She looked at him intently. ‘Do you think he would realise what they meant—how important they were—or would he throw them away?’
‘Ravenshurst is a bully and a rogue, but I dare say he can read. He would have learned when he was studying for his knighthood, and if he went so far as to set those brigands on your father…’ Alain paused to let his words sink in. ‘I fear he knows all too well, Katherine—and if he should gain the cup, he would be in a position of great power.’
‘Do you think it might be possible to bargain with him for the return of my father’s notes? If I could find enough money to buy them from him—with my mother’s inheritance?’ For a moment her face lit with eagerness and Alain caught his breath. How had he ever thought her plain? He knew an urgent desire to take her in his arms and make love to her, but was afraid that he might frighten her. He reached for her hand, holding it loosely as he idly caressed it. This time she did not immediately snatch it away, though her cheeks turned pink. ‘No, of course he would not give them up…’ The glow faded from her eyes and she sighed. ‘If he has them he must want the cup badly. That is why he has twice tried to steal it from me.’
‘You must promise me you will not think of approaching Ravenshurst, Katherine. He is a dangerous man.’
‘What do you mean? How could I approach…?’ Her face drained of colour as something in his expression warned her of the truth. She withdrew her hand from his. He saw the knuckles turn white as she made nervous fists of her hands, clearly much affected by the news. ‘You have seen him—here in England?’
‘When I was in London on the King’s business,’ Alain confessed. ‘I am sorry to tell you that the Lady Celestine was with him.’
‘Celestine…’ Katherine nodded. ‘I never believed in her story of escaping from the Lord Hubert’s camp. She had brought things with her that must have been noticed when she mounted her horse—and I have always thought it strange that the men who were attacking her that morning did not take her horse when they rode off.’
Alain stared at her for a moment, then threw back his head and gave a shout of laughter. ‘I see I have severely misjudged you, Katherine. I thought you a child, but you are not that—nor are you a helpless female. It is clear that you were a better judge of the lady’s character at the start than I—for at first I was dazzled by her beauty. It was only after a little time had passed that I began to discover she hath a serpent’
s tongue and a devious mind.’
‘And a sting in her tail,’ Katherine said ruefully. Her shyness had dissolved and suddenly she was able to talk to him easily, to relax and be herself. ‘I am sorry if she hurt you, sir. I do not believe that Celestine is capable of true love for anyone.’
‘Save for herself perhaps,’ Alain replied and there was a strange look in his eyes. ‘I will admit that I was smitten by the lady’s smile for a time—but only a short time. After that I was careful not to make her angry, for all our sakes—but yours most of all, Katherine. I thought that she might take her spite on you, and, like you, I also thought it strange that the rogues trying to abduct her should leave behind her horse and the bag of gold and jewels slung from the horn of her saddle when they made their escape…’
‘I believe they plotted it between them,’ Katherine said and looked serious. Her eyes were large and dark and something in them at that moment drew Alain like a moth to a flame. She grew more lovely to him with every moment. ‘Celestine and the Baron. She must have thought she could gain my confidence and that I would tell her of the treasure. We were friends for a time at Acre, but I have wondered if it was she who told the Baron of my father’s discovery. If she could, she might have stolen it from me, but I carried it with me always. My father thought it might be safer with me, for my clothes were so shapeless that I was able to conceal it easily on my person.’
‘Do you have it now?’
‘It is in your father’s strongroom for the moment. I thought it safer so—until we are certain what to do with it.’
‘You are wise for it will be safe there, and we must think carefully over this, Katherine. Even if the provenance is not good enough for the high officials of the church to give it credence, there are others who are not so scrupulous.’
‘If only we could recover my father’s notes…’
‘If somehow we could persuade Ravenshurst to give them up…’ Alain shook his head, a glint in his eyes. ‘Perhaps we should steal them back?’
‘But that would be wrong,’ Katherine said. ‘The Baron would not give in without a fight and men could be hurt. I would rather my father’s discovery was never acknowledged than that it should cause more bloodshed.’ She remembered the screams of the family she had befriended at Acre and shuddered. Would the stench of blood and the sight of a child dying terribly never leave her?
‘I shall think of something,’ Alain said. ‘For the moment we must be patient. We have other concerns—your future, for instance. Have you thought what you will do if your uncle, Robert of Grunwald, does not welcome you to his home?’
‘No…’ Katherine looked down at her hands, feeling a return of unease as his eyes fixed on her. As yet her uncle had not replied to the message sent to him and it was possible that he would refuse to help her. ‘Celestine offered me a home with her and was angry when I refused her and—the Lady Alayne has said I might return here to be her companion.’
‘Ah, my mother…’ Alain smiled oddly. His mother, who saw and understood more than most. ‘Yes, that would be better than being at the mercy of someone you did not truly like. And I think you have been happy here?’
‘Yes, very happy—yet I must visit my uncle soon,’ Katherine said, her brow creasing in thought. ‘It is my duty to tell him of my father’s death. He is the Baron now and Grunwald belongs to him. It is only right and proper that he should be told.’
Alain thought that after so many years with no word of his brother, Robert of Grunwald probably already thought of himself as the Baron, and of the castle and lands as his own.
‘We shall journey to Grunwald in the summer,’ he said. ‘The travelling will be better then—and there are other concerns. I shall see what has become of your mother’s brother and the inheritance that was owed to your father.’
‘As you wish,’ Katherine said and stood up. ‘I think I shall go in now, for it begins to turn cooler.’
‘And I have promised to go on an errand for my father, and have been remiss in spending so much time here with you,’ he said and smiled at her. ‘I find your company all too tempting these days, Katherine.’
He stood up, gazing down at her as she lowered her head. Then he tipped her chin towards him, dipping his head to kiss her on the lips. It was a sweet, brief, gentle kiss, but it set her senses racing. She gasped, hardly daring to move or breathe for fear that he should guess how his kiss had affected her, but he merely smiled, touched her cheek and turned from her.
She glanced after him as he walked away. Now what could he mean by that? His kiss had set her aflame with pulsing desire, but to him it had been no more than a passing fancy. She must never let him guess just how much it had meant to her.
Alayne was reading a letter when Katherine asked if she might enter her solar the next day. She looked up and smiled at the girl standing on the threshold, holding out her hand in welcome.
‘Come in, my dear,’ she said. ‘You know that I am always pleased to see you. I have this moment received a letter from my daughter. Marguerite writes to tell me she is on her way to Banewulf and that Stefan and his wife accompany her.’
‘You will be pleased to see them no doubt.’
‘Yes, for I love to have company,’ Alayne said and patted the stool beside her. ‘You did not meet my daughter properly, for you were still ill when she left for London. She asks about you and is anxious to meet you now that you are recovered. Stefan’s wife sends her good wishes also and looks forward to meeting you.’
‘I shall be happy to see them, my lady—but shall I not be in the way when you have so much company?’
‘Of course you will not, foolish girl,’ Alayne said and laughed. ‘We have room enough for all of you, and I refuse to be parted from you—besides, where would you go? My son tells me that he is waiting for a letter from your uncle before he takes you to France in the summer.’
‘I do not know where I should go,’ Katherine confessed honestly. ‘But I might find refuge in a nunnery for a while, I suppose.’
Perhaps she ought to take refuge with the good sisters. It might be the cure for her sinful desires!
‘Think no more of it! Once they had you there, they might never let you go.’ Alayne shook her head. ‘You know that it is my wish you should make your home here with me. Besides, Alain is to take a short trip to his own estate, which is some three or four days travelling, and Marguerite may have his chamber while he is gone.’
‘Alain is leaving?’ Katherine felt a sharp pain in her heart. ‘He said nothing of it to me.’ But why should he? She was merely a woman he had rescued from brigands. Why should he tell her his plans? And yet there had been something in his manner of late, something that made her think he might have stronger feelings for her. No, she was being foolish, allowing herself to dream of a love that was all on her part. He had offered her friendship, nothing more.
‘I believe he has only now made up his mind to it,’ Alayne told her. ‘My husband made certain investments on his behalf when he was fighting in the crusade, and Alain has never seen the estate here in England. The lands that passed to Sir Ralph on our marriage were in France and have been sold to buy more land in this country—an estate that is quite near to the small estate that will belong to Stefan one day. It was while we were staying there last year that we became aware of the opportunity and the purchase was made. However, although Sir Ralph has set some work in hand, he believes more needs to be done on the house, and Alain wishes to see to this himself.’
‘I see…’ His reason for leaving was clear enough, but she wondered why he had not told her himself. ‘How long will Sir Alain be away?’
‘I have no idea, but here he is—you may ask him yourself.’
‘I was looking for you, Katherine,’ he said and his smile brought a flush to her cheeks as she rose to greet him. ‘I wanted to tell you that I have made up my mind to visit the estate my father purchased on my behalf. I shall need a home of my own in the future, for Banewulf is my father’s estate and
I must have something with which to fill my time now that I am home.’
‘Oh…’ She allowed herself to meet his gaze as she asked, ‘And how long shall you be gone, sir?’
‘A few weeks, no more,’ he said. ‘But I have other news for you, Katherine. I have discovered that your mother’s brother is still living and his home is not far from here. I shall visit him while I am away and discover what I may concerning his feelings for you.’
‘You are kind to do so much for me.’
‘It is my pleasure,’ he replied and the look in his eyes set her heart racing. ‘I would not leave you did I not know that you were safe with my family. You will have Marguerite and Elona to keep you company soon and will not miss me, I dare swear.’
Was there a note of inquiry in his voice? Katherine could not be certain. She only knew that her heart beat so fast that she could hear it drumming, and she was afraid that he could read her feelings too easily.
‘You will always be missed in this house, my son.’ His mother answered for her and saved Katherine the need to find the right words. ‘Come back to us soon—and be sure to send word. I do not wish to be anxious as I was the last time you said you would be gone but a few days and were absent from us for nearly a month.’
‘I shall write most faithfully, Mother,’ he said with a wicked grin. ‘May I have your permission to write to you, Katherine?’
‘If—if it pleases you.’
‘It does.’ He crossed the room in swift strides, bending to kiss his mother’s cheek, and then turned to look at Katherine. For a moment she thought he meant to take her in his arms and her heart missed a beat. Instinctively, she held out her hand to him. He hesitated, taking it in his carefully, as if it were made of some fragile material that might break at his touch. His finger caressed the back of her hand for a moment, making her pulses race frantically, and then he turned it over, bending his head to drop a light kiss in the palm. ‘Hold that safe for me. I shall return soon so that you may pay it back to me, Katherine.’
