The Adventurer's Bride

by June Francis

  She was still frowning as she went upstairs to find her son sitting cross-legged on the bed, his gaze fixed on Nicholas’s face.

  Chapter Five

  ‘He hasn’t opened his eyes yet,’ said James.

  Jane found that worrying. Surely Nicholas should have recovered from his swoon by now? Then she noticed his position had shifted so that he was lying on his uninjured side. Maybe he had been so exhausted by his efforts to make himself more comfortable that he had lost consciousness once more. She placed the back of her hand against his forehead and found it hot, but not afire. Perching on the side of the bed, she was in a dilemma about what to do next. If he had been awake, then she would have attempted to remove his doublet.

  She touched the fresh bloodstain on the material. It was drying, which hopefully meant the wound had stopped bleeding and the blood had begun to clot. She felt the shirt beneath and wished that he had thought what he was about before putting on a fresh garment because this one was bloodstained now and she needed to remove it straight away if she was to get the bloodstain out. Hopefully he had another shirt in his saddlebag. She undid the top of the garment and slipped her hand inside and pressed down gently on the bandage and was relieved when no blood welled up. Perhaps it would be wisest to let him rest undisturbed for a while?

  She sat there, gazing down at him, absently caressing his bare shoulder. She could only think it was devilment that had caused him to tell Anthony Mortimer that he had slept in her bed. Well, he had begged her pardon, so she must forgive him. Suddenly she noticed a smear of blood on the pillow. At the same time she heard the sound of a fretful baby.

  ‘Simon’s crying, Mama,’ said James, his eyes bright as he gazed at her. ‘Shall I stay here while you see to him?’

  Jane nodded. ‘Let me know when Master Hurst wakes.’

  She went downstairs and found that Elizabeth had lifted Simon from the cradle and was hushing him. Jane took him from her. Noticing that Willem was no longer in the room, she was relieved and asked where he had gone.

  ‘He left,’ replied her stepdaughter.

  ‘Did he have anything to say before he went?’

  Elizabeth shook her head. ‘But I noticed that he left behind that package on the table.’

  Cradling her son in the crook of her arm, Jane went over to the table and picked up the package.

  ‘I saw Master Godar open it out and inspect the contents out of the corner of my eye while I was cleaning the bowls,’ said Elizabeth.

  Jane frowned. ‘Are you certain?’

  Elizabeth nodded. ‘The wrappings were on the table.’

  Jane took a closer look at the oilskin wrapping and the wax seal. It appeared undisturbed. She touched the edge of the wax with a fingertip and found it warm and slightly soft. There were minute fragments of hard wax on the table. She pursed her lips before going over to the saddlebags and searched for a shirt and was relieved to find one, along with clean hose and swaddling bands for Matilda. There were also several drying cloths as well as toiletries.

  At that moment there came a shout from above and Jane wasted no time hurrying upstairs with Elizabeth following closely on her heels. Nicholas was still lying on his side, but had managed to prop himself up on one elbow. As she entered the bedchamber, she heard him say, ‘You must ask your mother about that first.’

  ‘What must he ask me?’ said Jane, relieved beyond measure that Nicholas had recovered consciousness and was able to have a conversation with her son.

  Nicholas gave a wry smile. ‘If I don’t die, James wants me to be his godfather as well as Simon’s.’

  Jane shook her head at the boy. ‘What are you thinking about, young man? You have a godfather!’

  ‘But Uncle Giles is dead, so he is of no use to me,’ complained James.

  ‘Of course he is of help to you,’ said Elizabeth, leaning over the foot of the bed and staring disapprovingly at her half-brother. ‘He was a good man and so he is with the saints in Heaven where he can intercede for you. You should not have bothered Master Hurst with your selfish desires—or at least not until he is feeling a lot better.’

  James gave his mother a wide-eyed stare. ‘But I wasn’t being selfish, Mama. Master Hurst has no son and I thought two godsons were better than one.’

  His answer was so reasonable that it caused Nicholas to chuckle and Jane to hide a smile. ‘Enough, both of you children,’ she said. ‘Master Hurst must rest. As it is we’ll have to postpone the ceremony in church until he is better. Now go downstairs and into the garden and see how Margaret is faring with the nettles and the hens.’

  Reluctantly the two children departed. Jane was left nursing a fretful baby and with a prospective husband whom she had quarrelled with in need of her attention. ‘Children,’ she said, rolling her eyes.

  ‘Aye, children,’ murmured Nicholas, cautiously pushing himself up further on his elbow. ‘So what next, Jane?’

  ‘You will stay in bed and do as I say if you have any sense at all,’ she chided. ‘I have heard Rebecca and Philip both speak of you as being clever, so now prove it to me. If you were to die due to your own foolishness, it would upset the children and they have had enough sadness in their lives.’

  ‘You were convinced earlier that I would not die,’ said Nicholas, his gaze locking with hers. ‘Have you now changed your mind?’

  She shifted the grizzling baby to her other hip and said earnestly, ‘I need you to be sensible. No more leaving this house until I say so.’

  ‘I am at your mercy and will do exactly as I am told,’ said Nicholas, giving her a smile of such charm that she could not resist returning that smile—and she so wanted to kiss him!

  ‘I will take you at your word.’

  ‘Good. Now tell me, what is wrong with Simon?’ he asked.

  ‘I deem he is teething. James had a first tooth before he was five months old, which is early so I was told by other more experienced mothers. It is possible Simon is going to follow suit.’

  ‘How long will this process take?’ asked Nicholas, eyeing the whingeing child with trepidation. ‘It is a fact of life to which I have never given any consideration. The necessity of having a tooth drawn, aye, but...’ He paused, staring as she offered her knuckle to Simon, who gnawed on it. ‘Doesn’t that hurt?’

  ‘Not really.’ She glanced at him. ‘I do have a sheep’s-horn teething ring in the chest downstairs, so will root it out.’

  Nicholas looked thoughtful. ‘I never realised there was so much work involved in tending babies. You are going to need help, Jane. You can’t take care of me, five children and the house. Here, take this gold coin.’ He produced it from inside the sleeve of his shirt. ‘See if you can exchange it, so you can hire a girl to help you.’

  ‘I will do nothing of the sort,’ she said roundly. ‘I have two stepdaughters old enough to help in the house as well as having Anna taking care of the feeding and changing of the babies. Besides, if word gets around that I have a gold coin to change, then no doubt every thief in the neighbourhood will think there could be more on the premises. The news of your arrival has already spread in the town.’

  ‘Then the sooner I speak to the constable the better,’ said Nicholas grimly, resting back against the pillow. ‘Can you get a message to him?’

  ‘I will speak to Anna’s husband. I am sure he’ll know the quickest way to get in touch with the constable. If Anthony Mortimer had not left so soon, I could have asked him.’

  Nicholas looked surprised. ‘Are you saying that Mortimer has left you alone with me?’

  She nodded. ‘I doubt I will ever be in a position where I am his rich widow now after what you’ve said to him.’

  His eyes gleamed. ‘I would be lying if I didn’t say I am glad.’

  She looked at him disapprovingly. ‘But it was wrong of you to behave the way you did. Going outside half-naked and telling him that you had slept in my bed. Have you no thought for my reputation?’

  ‘I could have slept in your bed without yo
u being in it,’ retorted Nicholas, his eyes twinkling. ‘Anyway, you must tell Anna that I have asked you to marry me, so that should take care of your reputation.’

  ‘I should have known you’d say that,’ said Jane tartly. ‘Now I need to look at your wound and I suspect that blow you had to the head has affected your wits.’

  He said ruefully, ‘Maybe it did, but I still want you to marry me, Jane. Do say aye!’

  ‘You are still determined, despite knowing so little about me and my having four children to support?’ said Jane in a wondering voice.

  He met her gaze. ‘What more is there to know? Is it to do with Godar?’

  Her stomach seemed to flip over like a collop on Shrove Tuesday and, without a word, she left the bedchamber.

  She found Margaret placing the nettles in a pot of water and hanging it over the fire. ‘Good girl,’ she said. ‘You’re a great help to me.’

  Her stepdaughter smiled and skipped away.

  Jane’s head buzzed with all kinds of thoughts after her exchange with Nicholas and determinedly she attempted to empty her mind, knowing she would end up with a megrim if she continued the way she was.

  * * *

  It was some time before she returned upstairs. She found Nicholas in exactly the same position that she had left him, but noticed his boots on the floor. She was about to scold him for not taking things easy, when he muttered, ‘Don’t say it, Jane. Be glad I eventually noticed the mess I was making of your mattress and removed them.’

  ‘I only hope you haven’t set your wound bleeding again.’ She nudged the boots aside with her foot, torn to whether she should bring up the subject of Willem or not.

  ‘I would have much preferred not to put you to any more trouble,’ he said.

  Her gaze washed over him. ‘I feared you might have cracked your head on the floor when you swooned.’

  His brow furrowed. ‘Last I remember was sitting at the table with James.’

  ‘Aye, he called for help as soon as he realised you were in difficulty. I hope you didn’t take seriously that nonsense about you taking on the role of his godfather.’

  Nicholas rasped his unshaven jaw with a thumbnail. ‘I’ve already made my feelings clear about playing an important part in Simon’s upbringing, I’m prepared to do the same for James. I returned to England with the notion of helping you and the children, but instead our roles seem to be reversed at the moment.’

  ‘You’re not to blame for that and it is of help to me now your being up here. You will not be able to wander off so easily.’ She smiled, hoping he understood why she said those words. ‘I need you to sit up.’

  ‘You’ll have to help me to do so,’ he warned.

  ‘Of course.’ She took his hand and drew his arm about her neck and managed to hoist him higher against the pillows. He helped by pushing with his feet against the board at the foot of the bed. Breathing heavily, she was about to detach herself when she felt his lips brush her cheek.

  She turned her head swiftly, her mouth forming a surprised O, and found his face only inches away. It seemed inevitable that their lips should meet. The kiss seemed to go on for ever until at last Jane managed to tear her mouth away from his and get to her feet. She was all of atremble and knew she had to put some distance between them. Going over to the window, she gazed out.

  Nicholas said hoarsely, ‘Admit, Jane, that you enjoyed that kiss!’

  She made no answer.

  ‘I don’t want to marry you simply because it would be convenient for both of us, my dear.’

  She took a deep breath and faced him. ‘Did you ask Louise to marry you before you shared a bed with her?’

  His eyebrows snapped together. ‘Why must you again bring Louise into the conversation?’

  ‘Because she was your mistress and you had a child with her,’ cried Jane, slapping the foot of the bed. ‘I want to know if you would have married her if she had not already been betrothed.’

  ‘Why do you need to know? Do you have a problem accepting Matilda because she was conceived in what you regard as carnal sin?’

  ‘Matilda is only a baby, I would not lay her parents’ fault on her shoulders whatever the church teaches,’ she said in a low voice. ‘Besides, it says in Holy Writ that all sin and fall short of the glory of God!’

  The muscles of his face relaxed. ‘Aye, and those who are supposed to set us an example are no exception. Royalty have mistresses as do many a nobleman. They sin and go to confession, pay penance and are forgiven. More often than not, they sin again. If it would make you feel any better, I did ask Louise to marry me, but she told me her uncle would not agree to her marrying an English wanderer.’

  ‘Yet you shared her bed!’ said Jane, shaking her head as if unable to comprehend his actions.

  Nicholas gazed at her thoughtfully. ‘Were you ever passionately in love with your husband, Jane?’

  She flushed. ‘You ask that as if you don’t believe I know what it is to feel passion.’

  ‘I’m curious, that’s the reason I ask.’

  ‘No,’ said Jane regretfully. ‘I felt affection for him because he was kind to me, but that is all.’ She squared her shoulders. ‘Anyway, what does it matter? I suspect the point you are trying to make is that when one is passionately in love, one can be forgiven for not controlling one’s lust.’

  ‘It’s certainly more difficult than when one simply feels affection. What about Godar? He’s a well set-up fellow.’

  She stiffened. ‘Appearance is not everything as I’m certain I’ve said before.’

  ‘Were you ever in love with him?’

  Her heart began to pound and she sought frantically for an answer. ‘I was only a girl. What did I know about love?’ She sighed. ‘I should not have succumbed to temptation and returned your kiss and we wouldn’t be having this conversation.’

  ‘But you did and we both enjoyed the experience.’ His tone was light despite his conviction that she was avoiding giving him a direct reply to his question.

  ‘I admit nothing,’ she said firmly. ‘Now let us drop the subject.’

  His eyes narrowed. ‘Why? I can’t believe that I am embarrassing you. It is not as if you are a maiden.’

  ‘I should think you above any other man alive should be aware of that,’ said Jane waspishly, picking up a pair of fabric shears from amongst the paraphernalia she had brought up with her. She avoided looking at him as she began to cut the drying cloth into strips, knowing that sooner or later she was going to have to go over to the bed and tend to his wound. Somehow she did not think he would kiss her again and yet the memory of that meeting of lips still lingered, causing her whole body to ache pleasantly.

  * * *

  Watching her from beneath his half-closed lids, Nicholas wondered what she was thinking about as she snipped the fabric. Had she been a maiden when she married? It would explain her reluctance to answer his question if she had succumbed to temptation where Godar was concerned. The question was whether he had been married at the time and whether she had been aware of it or not? He wanted to trust her, believe that when they knew each other better, they could bare their souls to each other. Was he expecting too much? Maybe he did and perhaps that was because what had followed after they first came face-to-face had been so out of the ordinary.

  He recalled the painful labour involved in her giving birth again. He would like a son of his loins, but it had been difficult seeing her suffer. But if she agreed to marry him and was willing and desired more children, what then? He would like to make love to her, no doubt about that now.

  His mind drifted and he pictured the pair of them sharing the great carved oaken bed in his godparents’ bedchamber. Somehow he must persuade Jane that she and the children would enjoy living near the sea. She was bound to like both houses, especially the one outside Bristol which his godfather had built to escape outbreaks of the plague in the port. He would buy a new feather mattress and refurbish the bedchamber in such a way that it would enchant her. He wo
uld purchase damask fabric from the East for hangings and bedcovers. She would be clad in fine silk that would reveal the shape of her breasts, hips and belly. Almost he could feel the fabric sliding between his fingers and the texture of her skin beneath his lips.

  ‘Have you fallen asleep, Master Hurst?’

  He started almost guiltily at the sound of her voice and his daydream evaporated and he opened his eyes. ‘Why do you persist in calling me Master Hurst in that tone of voice when I call you Jane? I insist that you call me Nicholas.’

  ‘Insist!’ She arched her eyebrows and surprised him by saying, ‘Then Nicholas it will be. Annoyingly you could have ruined another of your fine shirts, but perhaps if I cut out the bloodstained patch and take part from the tail, I will be able to mend it so it will be barely noticeable. Now you must keep still and not flinch if I touch your skin with the shears.’

  He grinned. ‘You alarm me, Jane! Please, don’t wave them about.’

  She said drily, ‘You don’t have to worry. I have no intention of...’ Her voice trailed off, shocked that she had been about to say making a eunuch of you.

  His hazel eyes flared wide and he grinned. ‘God’s blood, Jane, I’d like to know what your intentions are, not what they are not.’

  The colour rose in her cheeks. ‘I was going to say I have no intention of hurting you.’

  ‘Hmmm, that is a relief to me, although why you almost bit your tongue off to prevent yourself saying so is a mystery to me.’

  Jane sensed he knew what she had been about to say and decided it was best if she kept her mouth shut and her wayward thoughts under control. She wormed the point of one of the blades into the weave of the shirt and proceeded to cut out the bloodstained patch of linen. She sliced through the bandage and then, putting the shears to one side, dampened the binding until she was able to peel the fabric away.

  She was relieved to see that there was only a slight swelling about the wound, although further cleansing was necessary. As she wiped away some streaks of dried blood from his chest, she noted again the different shaped scars there. One in particular fascinated her, for it was low down and so long and jagged that she could not resist running the tip of a finger over it.