Grace understood. “I see,” she said. “My husband was not happy that she left, especially with the prince’s wife asking for her.”
“I know, my lady. But you understand why I could not permit her to be taken to Hawisa.”
“I do. But I will have to make excuses to my husband.”
“Thank you for your understanding, my lady.”
Grace wasn’t happy that she would have to lie to Jago about the situation but it could not be helped. In fact, considering everything, she knew she had to make a few swift decisions.
“It seems to me that, given the circumstances, it is best we remove your niece immediately,” she said. “You know of the great houses in England. Where would you send her?”
Rose did, indeed, know all there was to know about the nobility of England, but her contacts were limited. Any request for relocation would have to come from the duchess.
“I have heard that Lord and Lady Brantham are in London this season,” she said. “They are an older couple with no children. Although I know Lady Brantham has many nieces, she might appreciate an efficient young woman like Lyssa. There is also Lady Belchamp; I believe she is in residence in Clerkenwell, north of the city.”
“Do you know Lady Belchamp?”
Rose nodded. “A little, my lady,” she said. “When I fostered at Thunderbey Castle many years ago, she was a good friend of my benefactor, Lady du Reims.”
Grace pondered the suggestions. “Then send out the necessary missives on my behalf and see if your niece can be placed with either of those houses,” she said. “Meanwhile, we will have to keep the lady from my husband’s sight. She will have to be sequestered until we can remove her.”
Rose’s heart sank a little but she knew it was necessary; keeping Lyssa sequestered was as much as putting Lyssa in prison. Hiding such a vibrant young woman away from the world was tragic at best, but there was little choice if they wanted to keep her from Colchester’s clutches.
“She does not necessarily have to be locked away, my lady,” she said. “We can send her on errands for you to keep her out of The Wix. That would also keep her away from the duke. Surely you have errands she could do for you, things you usually have the servants do?”
Grace considered the possibility. “I have my servants go to the Street of the Merchants every week,” she said. “They select thread for my embroidery, among other things.”
“I know, my lady. Those were the errands I was referring to.”
The more Grace thought on the suggestion, the more she liked it. “Then make it so, Rose. Send her on any errand for me that you please. I think it would be better to have the lady away from The Wix rather than here where my husband can find her.”
Rose was relieved that the duchess approved. “Agreed, my lady,” she said. She paused a moment, eyeing Grace. “I am sorry this happened again, my lady. When I brought Lyssa here, it was with an earnest desire for her to be a good servant to you. I am sorry it has come to this.”
Grace averted her gaze, looking at her sewing; hummingbirds and flowers, with mountains and vineyards in the background. She had designed it herself. It seemed that was all she had these days; her sewing and her women. She certainly didn’t have a husband, or at least one she wished to participate with.
“As am I, but only for your niece’s sake,” she said after a moment. Reaching out, she plucked away a piece of errant string. “You have been with me from the start, Rose. You have seen what my husband is capable of.”
“I have, my lady.”
Grace didn’t say anything for a moment. When she did, it was softly uttered. “I wish I had your niece’s beauty,” she said. “If I had, then I could have commanded the finest husband in all of England. Not the bastard cousin to the king, a man that no one else wanted. Did you know that? Richard offered my husband to four other houses before he made the offer to my father. Fearful that his ugly daughter should never marry, my father took it. Now see what misery his ambition has brought me.”
Rose knew that but she would not confirm it. She didn’t want Grace feeling any worse than she already did.
“Take heart, my lady,” she said. “Mayhap someday, the duke shall realize the treasure he has married. It takes some men longer than others to realize their blessings.”
Grace couldn’t even reply. Rose was being optimistic and they both knew it. Jago de Nantes would never realize the blessing he had in his wife, which was probably for the best. It wasn’t as if Grace was capable of returning any attention or affection he might have for her. That ability had been lost when her father had torn her away from the only man she’d ever loved, a servant in the house of her father. That was where her love remained to this day – a bittersweet memory of what had once been. It made the reality of what she had that much more sickening.
“Thank you, Rose,” she said. “That will be all. You may send the ladies back in.”
Rose didn’t say anything more. There truthfully wasn’t any more to say. Leaving the duchess’ solar, she was crossing the main hall on her way to the stairwell that would take her to the upper floors when she saw the duke enter the manse and head for his private solar. She glanced at him, briefly, but said nothing, scurrying up the stairs so she would not be in the awkward position of having to speak with the man. But it was times like that she wished she had a dagger.
She would have had no problem using it on him today.
CHAPTER NINE
It had been an unusual experience for Lyssa.
Other than an occasional scrape or cut, she had never really had to have any part of her body tended by someone else, at least not an injury. She’d had women brush her hair, style it, and even put lip rouge on her, but it wasn’t anything like this. Even though she was quite well from her encounter with Colchester, Garret seemed disinclined to let her tend to her own injuries and it was something of an experience to have a man tend to her.
A mother couldn’t have done any better. Garret made her sit still while he cleaned every prick from the rose thorns on her arms, shoulders, and neck. There were more on her torso that propriety dictated he would not touch, but he was insistent to clean those as well. Juliana, who had thus far been rather quiet and subservient to Garret and his ambition to tend Lyssa, had to take a stand when he wanted to inspect her belly. She drew the line and Garret was forced to retreat, leaving Lyssa disappointed that her friend had ended his attentions. It wasn’t that she wanted to strip down before him, but the fact that he was paying her such attention… she’d loved every minute of it.
Garret, too, was disappointed that his time to tend Lyssa had come to an end, but he graciously moved aside for Juliana. He hadn’t been trying to gain a sneaky look at Lyssa’s body, which he found quite attractive, but more that he took his duties very seriously. He’d quite ably cleansed the scratches he could get to with witch hazel first and then wine to chase away any poison. But Juliana seriously frowned upon him when he suggested Lyssa show him the scratches on her torso and, like a gentleman, he backed away. He let Juliana take over after that but she wouldn’t make a move to tend the damage to Lyssa’s torso until Garret and Rickard left the chamber, and Garret wasn’t ready to leave yet.
In fact, he wasn’t sure he would ever leave at all.
Visions of Lyssa’s pale, smooth skin lingered in his mind. While he’d been tending her, he had to keep focusing on what he was doing and not allow his mind to wander to the feel of the woman’s body against his, or the taste of her flesh upon his tongue. It had been a serious test of his willpower to stay on-task and not try to steal a kiss, even with his brother and Juliana in the room. In fact, he had to keep his eyes away from her face because it was difficult to look at it and not want to kiss it wholeheartedly.
So perhaps Juliana’s intervention had been necessary to preserve his self-control.
“Garret,” Rickard said as Juliana took over the tending duties. “Let us leave Lady Juliana to finish the task. You have done all you can.”
&nbs
p; Rickard’s voice snapped Garret out of his thoughts of tasty flesh and lovely bronze-colored eyes. In fact, he felt rather foolish because he knew he’d been staring at her. But he was so very reluctant to leave.
“My lady,” he dipped his head to Lyssa. “May I come and check on you tomorrow to see how you fare?”
Lyssa gazed up at the man with some fear on her face. “Y-You are leaving now?”
Garret nodded. “It is not by choice, I assure you,” he said. “It is by necessity. My brother and Lady Juliana, I am sure, will be very diligent in their care of you. I would not worry.”
Lyssa had felt so much comfort with him by her side. Now that he was leaving, in spite of the fact that she still had Rickard and Juliana with her, it gave her a rather hollow and frightened feeling inside. But it was silly of her and she knew it; Garret was an important man with important duties. He was, in no way, responsible for her. Resigning herself to that fact, she forced a smile.
“T-Thank you for your kind and diligent care,” she said. “I-It was most kind of you to take the time. I-I would be honored by your visit tomorrow.”
Garret smiled at her, his black eyes glimmering warmly. “Thank you,” he said. The pause grew rather awkward because Juliana turned to look at him to make sure he left before she had Lyssa undress, so Garret simply wriggled his eyebrows when he realized everyone was looking at him. “Then I wish you a pleasant day, my lady. If you need anything, please do not hesitate to send word to me at Westminster.”
Lyssa nodded, sad to see him go. “I-I will. T-Thank you.”
With nothing more to say, Garret left the small room, emerging into the larger chamber it was attached to. Rickard was on his heels as if fearful the man would change his mind and try to stay. The knights neared the door when, on the other side of the panel, someone tried the door latch, rattling it. Because the door was bolted, whoever it was couldn’t gain access and both Garret and Rickard had the very same thought –
Colchester.
It would have been just like the man to check every single room in the manse to find his victim. Rickard looked at his brother to gauge his reaction and was shocked when the man unsheathed his broadsword. Rickard put up a hand, preventing him from lifting it.
“Have you lost your senses?” he hissed. “What are you doing?”
Garret’s jaw was flexing dangerously. “He will not come in here, Rickard.”
Rickard was very quickly panicked. “So you would kill him?” he demanded, trying to keep his voice low. “That is suicide! You will be executed if you touch him! Is that what you want?”
He was right. God help him, Garret knew he was right. He didn’t want to do something foolish and leave Lady Lyssa to suffer the indignity of a would-be suitor murdering her liege. He gazed into his brother’s frightened face for several long moments before sighing heavily and sheathing his sword.
Rickard was relieved but he was still on-edge. He was edgy that his brother would let his emotions get the better of him in a situation where common sense should have played the larger role. In fact, it angered him.
“Stop letting your manhood make decisions,” he growled. “Whatever you think you feel for Lyssa, or whatever misplaced sense of chivalry you harbor on her behalf, get rid of it or it will be your undoing. Do you understand me?”
Garret simply looked at his brother. He didn’t like being scolded, not even by Rickard, and he refused to admit that the man may be speaking some portion of the truth. His gaze lingered on the man for a moment without replying before he reached out to unbolt the door. Yanking it open, his gaze fell on the person who had been rattling the door latch.
Thankfully, it wasn’t Colchester. It was a woman he’d seen the previous night at Winchester, the very woman who had sought an escort for Lyssa. Garret didn’t know her by name but he knew she was part of the Colchester entourage. Still, he was standing in the doorway, creating something of a barrier against the woman entering until Rickard pushed him out of the way.
“Lady Rose,” he said, pointing to the adjoining chamber. “Are you looking for Lady Lyssa?”
Rose looked at Rickard but she had more interest in the very large man beside him. In fact, she recognized him. He’d been the one who had escorted Lyssa from Westminster the night before, which meant he was the man Lyssa had been speaking of as having been smitten with. She cast him a long, suspicious look before focusing on Rickard.
“How is she?” she asked.
Rickard’s expression was serious. “Then you know what happened?”
“Know? I was there.”
Rickard lifted his eyebrows as if to sympathize with her. “She will recover,” he said. “But she is frightened, understandably so.”
Rose was relieved to hear that Lyssa wasn’t so injured that she would not heal. “Praise to God,” she muttered. Then she grew serious. “But you know what this means, Rickard. We must keep her hidden from the duke until arrangements can be made to send her away.”
“Away?” Garret interrupted the conversation. “Away where?”
Rose and Rickard turned to him, with Rickard making the reluctant introductions. “Lady Rose de Barenton, this is my brother, Sir Garret de Moray, the Captain of the Royal Guard at Westminster. I believe you two met last night. It was Garret who escorted Lady Lyssa back to The Wix.”
Rose cocked an eyebrow. “After a detour to a tavern, I am told.” She didn’t hold back. “Sir Garret, your reputation precedes you. You have a great and noble name in London. But you should not have taken an unmarried lady to a tavern, no matter what your motives. Such a thing will not reflect badly on you but it will reflect terribly on Lyssa.”
Garret knew he deserved the rebuke. “My lady, I assure you, I understand the implications. My only excuse is that Lady Lyssa seemed so sad to be leaving a party she had been looking forward to and I took pity upon her. I took another man of good character with us so she would not feel afraid of being alone with me, and we went to a tavern to see some entertainment. She laughed heartily, ate until she was full, and then I brought her home. And that is the truth, upon my oath.”
Rose continued to eye him, unmoved by his explanation. “I would have done better to send her home with another knight who would not have been swayed by her disappointment,” she said. “You have put her in a precarious position.”
Garret cleared his throat softly. “Again, my lady, that was not my intention,” he said. “I am distressed that you feel the lady is compromised even though nothing untoward happened. However, I believe I have a solution. With your permission, I would like to court Lady Lyssa and, in doing so, it would not be untoward for her to be seen with me.”
After her conversation with Lyssa this morning, Rose knew this was coming. She simply hadn’t expected it so soon. Garret was looking at her hopefully, Rickard was looking at her with some confusion, and their attention was making her a bit nervous. As she pondered her reply, she could hear Lyssa’s words rolling around in her head.
I do not want to be a spinster like you!
Truth was, Rose didn’t want to be a spinster, either, but that was the role in life she’d assumed. Hearing Lyssa’s words in her head the second time around hurt her just like the first time she’d heard her status verbalized. She could remember what it was like to be young, but barely. That had been many years ago. It had been a long time since a man had sent her heart fluttering. Still, she didn’t want to be unfair. But she didn’t want to be too quick to agree, either.
“This seems rather sudden, Sir Garret, don’t you think?” she asked. “Lyssa told me about last night. She also told me of your intentions.”
“They are honorable, my lady.”
Rose eyed the man a moment. “Honorable though they may be, your intentions are rather sudden,” she repeated. “Why?”
Garret hadn’t expected that question. He had to think about it because he honestly wasn’t sure how to answer the woman. He therefore took a different tactic, hoping to drown any protests she might
have by listing his credits.
“Does it matter, my lady?” he asked, trying to gain the upper hand in the interrogation. “My name is Sir Garret de Moray, son of Gaubert de Moray of Rushmere Castle near Wolverhampton. Although I will not inherit my father’s lands or titles, Richard has granted me the property of Ravendark Castle near Salisbury and he has also granted me the titles of Lord Ravendark and Lockerley. I have wealth of my own, Lady Rose, and would provide excellently for Lady Lyssa. You ask of the suddenness of the situation; mayhap I have simply come to the point in my life where a wife would be a pleasing thing. No one wants to grow old alone. I have been alone long enough.”
It was a succinct speech and, in truth, a fairly good argument. Rose had to admit that she was impressed by his response. Sighing faintly, she folded her hands in front of her and sized the man up.
“A well-enough answer, my lord,” she said crisply. “But I have a few more questions.”
“I am at your disposal, my lady.”
She smiled thinly. “How old are you?”
“I have seen thirty years and nine.”
“And you do not mind that Lyssa has seen twenty years?”
“Why should I mind?”
“Because she would be old for a bride.”
“She is the perfect age, my lady.”
Rose snorted quietly, thinking the man was trying to work some flattery on her. “She has a stammer in her speech.”
“So she does.”
Rose looked at him to see if he was simply being flippant or if he was being genuine. “Is it possible that does not bother you?”
“Why should it?”
Rose considered his answer. In fact, she was considering all of his answers. She had to admit that he seemed sane and rational. He didn’t seem like a man who was making a hasty decision. But she didn’t want him to think this was going to be as easy as he pleased; he was a man who was used to getting what he wanted. Men in power were usually like that. But for her niece’s sake, Rose thought it would be better if Garret had a few days or even weeks to think about what he wanted. She didn’t want to give her permission only for the man to have second thoughts and break her niece’s heart. In her opinion, he simply didn’t realize how rash all of this was.
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