Besieged and Betrothed

by Jenni Fletcher

  Lothar was standing by the fireplace talking to a group of his soldiers when she entered, though he looked round the instant she emerged from the stairwell.

  ‘How could you!’ She stormed across the flagstones, not even waiting for him to dismiss his men before launching into her attack. ‘How could you do it?’

  ‘My lady.’ He folded his arms as his soldiers hastened towards the door. ‘Do what exactly?’

  ‘What do you think?’ She pulled up short in front of him. ‘How could you marry me?’

  ‘Your father asked me to.’

  ‘You could have said no!’

  ‘So could you. You’re always telling me you have a mind of your own. I expected you to use it.’

  ‘How could I have refused? He’s my father and he’s dying! How could I refuse his last wish?’

  ‘He’s my friend, too. I could make the same argument.’

  ‘It’s different and you know it! You already had Haword. You didn’t have to humiliate me as well!’

  The muscles in his neck and jaw all seemed to tighten at once. ‘I had no intention of humiliating you.’

  ‘Well, you have! You as good as said so yourself!’

  ‘When?’

  ‘After you kissed me! You admitted this is all just some game to you.’

  ‘That wasn’t what I meant.’

  ‘You said we were even and now you do this?’

  ‘Juliana...’

  ‘I don’t want to be married!’

  His gaze darkened this time. ‘Especially to a blacksmith’s son?’

  She narrowed her eyes, too angry to contradict him. Let him think that she despised him for his low birth. She despised him for enough other reasons now.

  ‘Especially to someone who uses his friendship with a dying man to secure his own future. You must have worked quickly, too. Tell me, how did you persuade my father to hand over my inheritance?’

  ‘I persuaded him of nothing.’ Lothar’s voice deepened dangerously.

  ‘He’s never even mentioned the idea of marriage before!’

  ‘By your own admission, he had doubts about a woman being allowed to hold a position of authority.’

  ‘Those were about Matilda, not me!’

  ‘They were about both of you. Your father asked me to marry you because he thought you needed protection.’

  ‘I don’t need anything from you! I was managing perfectly well until you came along.’

  ‘Managing?’ A ripple seemed to pass over his face, as if all his facial muscles were clenching at once. ‘You were starving yourself and your men to death for a cause you didn’t even believe in. If that’s what you call managing, then perhaps you aren’t fit to command after all.’

  ‘How dare you!’

  ‘As my wife, you’ll hopefully be able to keep your position as chatelaine without your father ever knowing you lost it. I would have thought you’d be pleased by that.’

  ‘You expect me to be grateful to be married to you?’

  The ripple turned into a crack, as if his stony expression had just been a mask that was splintering apart to reveal the real face underneath—one that was working with so many emotions she didn’t know which was dominant, though she suspected it was anger.

  ‘Then you’re fortunate that I’ve no desire for a wife either. Especially one who looks more like a stablehand than a woman!’

  She reacted instinctively, swinging her arm back and throwing her fist square at his jaw, gratified to hear a sharp thwacking sound as his head snapped to the left.

  There was a prolonged silence before he turned back to face her, his expression a blank again, as if her fist had actually rammed the mask back into place.

  ‘Then it seems we understand each other, Wife.’

  ‘We do. And you can keep this!’ She unclenched her fist and hurled Matilda’s ring at his chest. ‘I wouldn’t want the Empress to miss it!’

  * * *

  Lothar rubbed his jaw gingerly with his knuckles as she stormed away. He’d guessed that she’d been about to hit him. He’d even been ready, braced for the sting of a womanly slap across his cheek, so that getting her fist in the jaw instead had caught him by surprise. His wife had an impressive right hook, it seemed. Something else her father must have taught her.

  In retrospect, he supposed he could have handled the situation better. She was right, their marriage was a greater advancement than any he could have expected, but her accusations had undermined his self-control to the extent that he’d finally lost his temper as well. He’d meant to say that he’d accepted her father’s offer because he wanted to help her keep her inheritance, not to steal it for himself. He’d meant to say that he was a soldier, that when it came to managing a castle, she was a far better person for the job. He’d meant to reassure her that it would be a marriage in name only, or at least insofar as she wanted it to be one. Most of all, he’d meant to tell her that nothing about this was a game. Instead he’d told her she looked like a stablehand. That had definitely been a mistake. One of many. Overall it couldn’t have gone much worse.

  He bent down to retrieve Matilda’s ring. Her reaction to that had been the most confusing thing of all. He understood why she objected to their marriage, but the band itself seemed to have enraged her, as if she were actually jealous of the Empress, though the very idea was ludicrous. It would have been ludicrous even if she cared about him, which she obviously didn’t. He’d never given a present to any woman before, but he’d been led to believe that such gestures were generally appreciated. Apparently not, but he’d still wanted her to have the ruby. He couldn’t think of a stone that would suit her better.

  ‘Sergeant?’

  ‘What is it?’ He turned to find one of his soldiers standing in the doorway.

  ‘It’s Mattias, sir. He’s back from Devizes.’

  ‘Already?’

  He felt a prickle of unease. He’d sent Mattias to report to the Empress as soon as Juliana had surrendered the castle. Riding as hard as he could, it would still have taken him a day and a half to get there and the same again to get back. In which case, Matilda must have turned him around almost at once. He frowned, his soldier’s instincts warning him something was wrong—something that had nothing to do with his remaining in Haword either. When Mattias had left he’d still been intending to leave. Which meant that something else must have happened...

  ‘Send him in.’

  He rested a hand on one of the table-tops, tapping his fingers impatiently until an exhausted-looking rider entered the hall.

  ‘What’s happened?’ He didn’t waste any time.

  ‘It’s the Earl of Gloucester, sir. He’s dead.’

  ‘What?’ He felt a jolt of surprise. ‘How?’

  ‘They say natural causes. He was at home in Bristol Castle.’

  ‘And the Empress?’

  ‘She’s very upset, sir.’

  Upset. He slammed the flat of his hand down hard upon the table. Upset wouldn’t even begin to describe it. Robert FitzRoy had been Matilda’s greatest supporter and ally, the most powerful man in the south-west of the country, not to mention her illegitimate half-brother. His loss would be a devastating blow in more ways than one.

  ‘She asked that you return to Devizes at once.’

  He stiffened. He ought to have expected that, he supposed, but his own immediate reaction was something far less expected. He’d never questioned any of the Empress’s orders before, but now he felt a tug of resentment. For the first time in his life he actually wanted to say no. Despite the swelling in his jaw, he didn’t want to leave Haword. What did that mean?

  ‘Was it an order or a request?’

  ‘Sir?’ Mattias sounded confused.

  ‘What did she say exactly?’

  ‘
I don’t recall the exact words, sir. She just said for you to hurry.’

  ‘Did you give her my message about Stephen?’

  ‘Yes, sir, but she already knew. The usurper was called back to Winchester. His army isn’t coming now.’

  ‘I see.’ He tried not to sound disappointed. ‘What about Sir Guian?’

  ‘He hadn’t reached Devizes by the time I left, sir.’

  ‘Good.’ That was one consolation at least. If he rode hard then he could hopefully get there around the same time, or just after. ‘Go and get some rest.’

  He curled his hands into fists. That was that, then. If there was no chance of Stephen returning to Herefordshire, then there was no need for him to remain there either. No reason that he could explain to the Empress anyway. None at all except for his marriage—and he still had to ask Matilda’s permission for that. Not that she could do anything about it, he reassured himself. She didn’t have the authority to annul their union, although she could still show her displeasure in other ways if she chose. Sending Sir Guian back and taking Juliana’s home away from her for a start... In which case, he really ought to go and explain.

  ‘Tell the stables to get my horse ready,’ he called after Mattias as an afterthought. ‘Tell Gervase and Jan to prepare, too.’

  ‘Just the two of them, sir?’

  ‘Just them.’

  He looked pensively towards the stairwell, wondering what to do next. Matilda, his Empress, needed him—but so did the woman upstairs, from a practical perspective with her father at least. Hadn’t he just sworn an oath to her, too? But Matilda needed him now and she’d asked for him, whereas Juliana... She’d said that she didn’t want him at all. He doubted she’d want comfort from him even when the time came and, in any case, that might not be for a while. William was definitely failing, but it might still be possible to ride to Devizes and back before any crisis occurred.

  Matilda’s crisis, on the other hand, was upon her now. As much as he hated to admit it, Robert of Gloucester’s death dragged the battle for the crown even further into the mire. Matilda would need his support more than ever as she decided on her next move. One that would be potentially even more dangerous now than it had been a month ago.

  He started reluctantly towards the stairwell, heading after his wife. The last thing he wanted was another confrontation so soon, before either of them had had a proper chance to calm down, but there were things they needed to discuss. He had to tell her where he was going and why. His wife had a right to know, whether she gave a damn about it or not.

  * * *

  Juliana paced up and down the gallery, trying to walk out her anger. Her whole body was trembling after their argument, her knuckles throbbing from the force of her punch, too. She didn’t feel guilty about that, not after what he’d said about her resembling a stablehand, but she did regret it. After everything Lothar had told her about his parents, she shouldn’t have started their marriage with violence, no matter how furious she’d been, or how much he’d deserved it. As for their marriage itself, she was still in too much shock to make any sense of that. If her father had known of her treachery with Stephen, he could hardly have punished her any more effectively. Marriage! To a man who loved someone else, who saw her simply as part of some game! Even if he didn’t strike her as a man who played games. Even if the other things he’d said had made sense, as if he hadn’t just married her for her inheritance—as if he really were trying to protect her. Was it possible?

  A footstep in the stairwell made her swing round at once.

  ‘Peace!’ Lothar raised both hands when he saw her. ‘I’m not here to argue. I’ve only come to tell you I’m leaving.’

  ‘Leaving?’ She didn’t know which shocked her more, the words or the violent lurch in her stomach as he said them. Despite their argument she hadn’t expected him to do anything quite so extreme. Nor to give up so easily. She must have been more convincing than she’d thought if he was just going to walk away so soon. Strange that she didn’t feel more relieved about it.

  ‘Matilda’s summoned me back to Devizes. The Earl of Gloucester is dead.’

  ‘Oh!’ She froze instantly. ‘I’m sorry. My father said he was a great man.’

  ‘He was. I’ll pass on your condolences, but I have to go to her.’

  ‘To comfort her?’ She winced at the note of bitterness in her own voice. She hadn’t meant to say it quite like that.

  He frowned slightly. ‘To offer my support.’

  ‘Of course. It’s never easy to lose someone.’

  ‘I’ll come back as soon as I can. In the meantime, let Ulf help you.’

  She shook her head. ‘He finds it too distressing.’

  ‘And you don’t?’ He made a movement towards her, slowly as if she were some kind of wild animal. ‘I wish the timing were better, but I have a duty to the Empress. Besides, I need to explain about your father, as well as everything else.’

  ‘Are you going to tell her about...us?’ She didn’t know quite how to phrase it. ‘Will she object?’

  ‘That might depend upon how I explain your allegiance to Stephen.’

  ‘Which I won’t surrender.’ She jutted her chin out stubbornly.

  ‘It would make things a lot easier if you did.’

  ‘I don’t care what she thinks of me.’

  ‘She has the power to let you stay in your home or cast you out of it. You might consider that.’

  ‘You’d let her cast your wife out?’

  ‘I might if she were behaving like a stubborn shrew.’

  ‘Shrew?’

  ‘In any case, I’m leaving you in command.’

  ‘Me?’ She started in surprise.

  He nodded. ‘Despite what you think, I’ve no wish to take anything from you. I’ve already told you, you’re an excellent chatelaine. I can’t think of anyone I’d trust more.’

  She swallowed, fighting back a swell of emotion. Did he truly mean it? He seemed to, standing so close to her now that she could feel the warmth of his body against hers. Despite everything, she found herself wanting to move closer still, to lean her head against his chest and wrap her arms around him...

  ‘What about Stephen?’ She pushed the temptation away. ‘What if he comes back when you’re away?’

  ‘He won’t. He’s gone back to Winchester.’

  ‘Oh.’ She was surprised by her own lack of reaction. In truth, the news didn’t bother her half as much as she would have expected. If Stephen wasn’t coming, then she wouldn’t be forced to make any difficult decisions about her allegiance. That was a relief more than anything. She might not want to be married, but she didn’t want to side against her new husband either.

  ‘My men will be under your command while I’m gone.’

  She blinked. ‘They’re not going with you?’

  ‘Only two of them. The rest will stay here to protect you.’

  ‘But only two? Is that safe?’

  He looked faintly amused. ‘I’ve accomplished far more perilous feats on my own, I assure you.’

  ‘So...’ her stomach lurched again ‘...you’re coming back?’

  ‘I intend to. I apologise if that’s not the answer you were hoping for, but I made a promise to your father.’

  Her heart lifted briefly and then plummeted again. He was coming back, but only because of the promise he’d made to her father. That was the only reason he’d come back—nothing to do with her. Not that she wanted it to be for her, she reminded herself, but he’d made a promise to her, too! He’d said that they’d look after her father together. She’d told him that she didn’t want his help, but that last day had still felt like a respite. Knowing that there was someone to help her, someone to share the burden with, she’d felt some of the weight of the past few months lift from her shoulders. She’d actually sta
rted to rely on him and now he was leaving. Barely an hour since they’d uttered their marriage vows and he was leaving. Had he meant any of it? She hadn’t wanted to marry him, but at least she’d gone through with it for the right reasons, to fulfil her father’s last wishes. If Lothar could leave her so easily, then surely that proved he’d only married her for Haword. Now that he’d received word Stephen wasn’t coming, he had no qualms about abandoning her and her father. He was more than happy to go running back to Matilda.

  ‘I’ve been summoned.’ He seemed to sense her resentment. ‘I can’t refuse, especially now.’

  ‘No.’ She supposed that was true...

  ‘I only have one request while I’m gone.’ He drew Matilda’s ring off his little finger again. ‘You might not wish to wear it, but men know that it’s mine. It might come in useful if you ever have to vouch for yourself.’

  ‘Why would I need to do that?’ She narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

  ‘Because truthfully, I don’t know what’s going to happen. There’s rarely fighting during the winter, but given the circumstances, there’s a chance.’

  She frowned, remembering what her father had taught her about politics. ‘Because the Empress won’t want to appear weakened by the Earl’s death. She might feel the need to assert her power.’

  He looked impressed. ‘It’s possible. If she does, then there’ll be risks.’

  She nodded fearfully. Bad enough that he was only taking two guards with him on the dangerous road to Devizes. The thought of him being in a battle made her feel ill. No matter how angry she was with him, she didn’t want him to get hurt. Now that it came to it, she didn’t want him to leave either.

  ‘All right.’ She held her hand out, bending her head to hide her expression as he slid the band gently back over her finger.

  ‘Won’t the Empress miss her ring?’ She tried to keep her voice even.

  ‘I doubt she’ll notice. She’ll have bigger things on her mind.’

  ‘Yes, of course.’ She stared down at her hand, pressing her lips together to stop them from quivering. This was ridiculous. Ten minutes ago she’d been furious with him and now she was tearing up at the thought of his departure. She must be overtired again. Why else would she want him to stay? It wasn’t as if he cared for her... Then she felt his fingers, light on her chin, tilting her face up towards him.